MAGAZINE ISSUE DATE: 8 JANUARY 2005 (Vol. 184 No 2481)
NEWS:
SMART BOMBS TO BLAST TUMOURSNanoscale polymer capsules could one day be used to deliver anti-cancer drugs direct to tumours, minimising the damage to surrounding tissue. Researchers from Australia are designing the capsules to target tumour cells after being injected into the bloodstream. Once inside the tumour, a pulse from a near-infrared laser would then rupture the capsules, releasing their contents. Page 19
SPERM MAGNET TO HELP INFERTILE MENA new sperm-sorting machine could help fertility clinics sort out the healthy sperm from sperm with a type of DNA damage associated with infertility. The shoebox-sized sorter, developed in Australia, is based on the principle that sperm with the most negatively charged membranes have the least DNA damage. Page 20
LITTER AT SEA MEANS A BELLYFUL OF PLASTICScraps of waste plastic are being accidentally ingested by seabirds. A Dutch marine biologist who studied the stomachs of 560 fulmars found washed up dead around the North Sea, found that 95 per cent of them contained fragments of plastic in their stomachs. The researcher says that although it is not possible to say what caused the birds' deaths, the plastic may have contributed to some of them. Page 11
THE DEATH OF A VERY SPECIAL CHIMPANZEEClint, the chimpanzee whose genome is soon to be published, has died aged 24. His death has sparked a debate about whether preserved tissue samples should be kept on all individuals that are sequenced, in case anyone wants to go back and validate the DNA sequence. It is unclear at the moment whether samples were taken and frozen immediately after Clint's death, before decay set in. Page 10
THIS MILK WILL MAKE YOU GROWA Jersey cow, called Pampa Mansa, has been genetically modified to produce human growth hormone in her milk. The researchers in Argentina say that the cow produces so much of the hormone in her milk that just 15 cows like her could meet the current world demand to treat children with growth problems. Short story - Page 15
A DOLLOP OF THE RED STUFF FIGHTS CANCEROrganic varieties of tomato ketchup contain three times as much of the cancer-fighting chemical, lycopene, as their non-organic brands. American researchers tested 13 ketchups for their lycopene content, including green and purple varieties, and found that organic ketchups excelled. Short story Page 15
YOU HAVE THREE HAPPY MESSAGESA voicemail system that indicates how urgent a call is has been developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Using acoustical fingerprints, the software can distinguish between and respond to, the caller being; excited or calm, happy or sad, or urgent and non-urgent. Page 21
A MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITYOn 1 January, the EU launched the world's first carbon trading scheme. Its aim is to cut industrial emissions of greenhouse gases whilst preserving competition among EU companies. The idea is that if a company doesn't have enough permits to cover their emissions of CO2, they will have to buy them from someone who does, giving an incentive to cut emissions. Pages 6-7
CLONERS SET SIGHTS ON RARE CATSThis year researchers will attempt to clone two more cat species: the black-footed cat native to South Africa, and the rusty spotted cat of India and Sri Lanka. The team from New Orleans, who cloned the first cat in 2001, hope to save these endangered species. Page 12
FEATURES:
2005"¦THE FUTURE STARTS HERENew Scientist gives you a sneak preview of 2005's biggest science stories.- If all goes to plan, the last remaining reservoirs of poliovirus will be eradicated.- On 4 July NASA will fire a missile at a comet, Tempel 1, to peer inside.- The long-awaited Kyoto protocol finally goes live as Earth's climate hangs in the balance.- By the end of the year more reliable results should emerge to indicate whether it's safe to use our cellphones or not. - NASA's space shuttles will blast off again in 2005, and not a moment too soon for the ailing International Space Station. - The Chinese will throw their weight behind an ambitious magnetic levitation passenger train scheme. Pages 26-35
THE GIFT OF THE GABHow come some people are able to learn dozens of foreign languages while most of us struggle with just one? Some researchers say that exceptional language learners simply have a desire to work harder, while others think that these people possess extraordinary brain power.Pages 40-43
DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGHMoney is the obvious incentive for searching mine pits for Earth's most precious gem - diamonds. But now geologists are joining the diamond prospectors for a chance to find out what they can learn about the Earth's history. Pages 37-39
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