NEWS THIS WEEK:
THREE COSMIC ENIGMAS, ONE AUDACIOUS ANSWEROne single radical idea could do away with black holes and explain the two greatest mysteries confronting physicists: dark matter and dark energy. Last week at a meeting in California, physicists suggested that objects that until now have been thought of as black holes could in fact be dead stars that form as a result of a bizarre quantum phenomenon. And these stars could explain both dark energy and dark matter. Pages 8-9
HIDDEN GARDEN OF EDEN WILTSThe paradise world of undiscovered species discovered last month in the mountains of New Guinea is threatened by soaring temperatures. This is according to a climate scientist who has unearthed previously unpublished meteorological data from the region. He says that global warming is happening 20 times faster there than previously thought " putting it at the fastest rate of change in the world. Page 17
VACCINE COULD STOP MS IN ITS TRACKSThis month sees the beginning of a key trial of a personalised vaccine for multiple sclerosis. The very white blood cells that attack the myelin cells lining the nerves and brain of a person with MS will be turned into a weapon against the disease. The part of white blood cells that binds to myelin cells is extracted and weakened before being re-injected into the patient. The patient's own immune system then recognises the cells as damaged and attacks them, slowing or even stopping the disease. Page 12
GENES, MONEY AND THE AMERICAN QUEST FOR IDENTITYWith America's complex history, there's a growing desire among the people to find out where their ancestors came from. And there are an increasing number of companies offering to help Americans uncover their ancestry through DNA testing. This is important to African Americans whose countries of origin cannot be found through paper records. And there is a cultural significance for those who want to prove they have a Native American lineage. However, there is a worry that customers are not fully aware of uncertainties with genetic testing, and that there may be emotional and financial consequences down the line. Pages 10-11
STAR SHADE WILL LET ALIEN PLANETS SHINEAs budget cuts force NASA to shelve plans for its Terrestrial Planet Finder mission to search for Earth-like planets, a new scheme has emerged that could achieve the same goal at a fraction of the cost. The proposal is to fly a flower-shaped disc in front of the James Webb Telescope " which is to replace Hubble in 2013. A professor at the University of Colorado has shown that the disc would be capable of spotting "exo-Earths" by blocking the bright light of nearby stars whilst minimising the problem of scattering light. Page 14
A TOAST TO DISTANT LOVERSResearchers at MIT's Media Lab in Boston have come up with hi-tech wine glasses for lovebirds in long-distance relationships who want to get that intimate feeling of sharing a drink. When one person picks up a Wi-Fi glass, sensors make the other partner's glass glow warmly (using red LEDs). Page 25
'HUNCH ENGINE' SHARPENS UP YOUR IDEASA novel piece of software that can generate company names for you and search for perfect pictures on the web can do the donkey work for you while you have all the fun. The "hunch engine" , developed by researchers in the US, uses a genetic algorithm to find solutions to a problem. Page 28
FEATURES:
IN SPACE NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAMA space trip to Mars would mean excitement and fame for the crew, but would also mean enormous psychological stress. Six months on the journey to Mars - cooped up in a metal box with five annoying housemates, seeing the Earth disappear from your view, and knowing you won't see your loved ones for possibly another 2 years - is likely to leave astronauts feeling isolated, unsupported and pretty depressed. Psychologists have spent years observing how people behave during long periods in space so they can learn how to cope with any potential crises that might crop up on a marathon mission to Mars. Pages 34-37
EVOLUTION AND USAre humans still evolving? Some argue that natural selection stopped dead 50,000 years ago or more, and is no longer important to humans. Survival no longer depends of genes, but on technology and medicine to help us adapt to different environments. But with the discovery last year of two genes involved in brain development that have emerged in recent history, others are convinced that evolution is still going on faster than ever. Pages 30-33
MIRACLE POSTPONEDIn the light of the Hwang scandal, there has been an unprecedented media spotlight on stem cell research. Many of the big claims now look shaky, being based on results that can't be replicated. But many scientists still believe the field holds immense promise. So what's going on? Peter Aldhous investigates. Pages 38-41
HOLLYWOOD: THE REVENGEOver the next few months the entertainment industry is about to launch their latest plot to beat the pirates and hackers. Renewable copy protection is a piece of technology designed to accompany the new high-definition blue-laser discs. When you play the disc it will update anti-piracy software, with no need for internet or phone line. If it works, hackers will be beaten, but if something goes wrong it could be the innocent consumers that suffer. Pages 42-45
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