EMBARGO: NOT FOR PUBLICATION BEFORE:- 19:00 HRS GMT WEDNESDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2003
NEW SCIENTIST ISSUE DATE: 8 FEBRUARY 2003, Vol. 177 No. 2381
NEWS:-
COLUMBIA DISASTER - SPECIAL REPORTNew Scientist reports on the Columbia disaster. What went wrong? Did a fuel-tank fragment breach the shuttle's heat shield? Were the warning signs there from Columbia's very first mission? What are the consequences for the Space station and America's role in space exploration? Pages 4,5,6,7,8,9
TOWER COLLAPSE THEORY CHANGEDA controversial theory about the collapse of the World Trade Center towers will soon be tested. According to an analysis by a leading fire-safety expert, had the fire-proofing insulation on the towers' steel structures been thicker, the towers would have survived longer and might even have remained standing after they were hit by the hijacked planes. New Scientist reports. Page 14
INTRODUCING DR WEBCAMWith just a PC and a webcam you might soon be able to carry out multiple diagnostic tests in the comfort of your own home. It's all thanks to today's computer screens, which emit crisp, bright colours that are pure enough to use in medical diagnostic tests. Page 20
DAD'S COOCHY-COOS LEAVE BABY GUESSINGWomen really are better at baby talk than men. When talking in the coochy-coo baby-speak that parents often use with their infants, researchers from California have found that women use less ambiguous sounds than men to convey to babies what they mean. This suggests that infants may find their mothers easier to understand. Page 21
BLAME TADPOLES FOR HICCUPSIt's a question that has vexed minds for millennia: why do we hiccup? Now, at long last an international team may have come up with the answer. It appears that hiccuping is an evolutionary throwback to our gill-breathing ancestors and the brain circuit that makes us hiccup also helped us to get our first mouthful of milk. Page 16
DISEASED BRAINS ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THEMSELVESIt has only recently been accepted that adult human brains can generate new cells. Now it appears that the brains of people with Huntingdon's disease churn out new brain cells at a far higher rate than normal in an attempt to repair damage. The discovery raises the possibility of developing drugs to encourage cells to regenerate faster and sooner. Page 23
WINNING BY A NOSE IN THE RACE FOR STEM CELLSThe nose could be a convenient source of adult stem cells. The most promising stem cells seem to be found in the bone marrow, and extracting them is a serious procedure. However, researchers in Australia suspect that stem cells should also exist in the nose, these can be collected in minutes. The team identified cells in human noses that can be grown in large numbers and turned into heart, muscle and liver cells. Page 23
MINI CRATERS ARE THE KEY TO MAKING 'BLACKEST EVER BLACK'A new super-black coating has been produced by the National Physics Laboratory which will revolutionise the manufacture of optical instruments. It reflects 10 to 20 times less light than black paint, will not crack at cryogenic temperatures and can also be used in fine art. Page 17
FEATURES:-
AFTER EINSTEINEinstein's special theory of relativity, our best description of space-time, has been passed down the generations as fact. It is supported by a wealth of experimental evidence. But, Einstein may have had only half the story. A controversial theory is now poised to steal it¥s crown. Pages 28-29
HIV FOCUS:BEATING THE ODDSWithout drugs the vast majority of people infected with HIV die within ten years, but a fortunate few somehow keep the virus at bay. Equally intriguing are the tiny minority of people who never become infected at all despite repeatedly having unprotected sex with HIV-positive partners. These rare individuals who somehow manage to defeat the HIV virus unaided are providing crucial leads in the hunt for new treatments and vaccines. New Scientist reports. Pages 34-37
WORLD WITHOUT AIDSAfter two decades of work, the world's most devious virus may finally be about to meet it's match. Routine samples from infected people infected with HIV have unexpectedly given vaccine researchers hope. Pages 38-41
PROTECT AND SURVIVECondoms can be unpopular, and an effective vaccine against HIV may be a long way off. In the meantime, scientists in several countries are investigating a completely different approach to AIDS prevention. It's a relatively low-tech, low-cost strategy but microbicides that stop the transmission of HIV during sex might be the developing world's best short-term hope for curtailing this deadly pandemic. Pages 42-44
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