EMBARGO: NOT FOR PUBLICATION BEFORE:-14:00 HRS ET US (19:00 HRS BritishSummertime)WEDNESDAY,18 JULY 2001
YOU DRIVE ME CRAZYMeet the "artificial passenger" who will do anything to keep you awake at the wheel. The system, built into the dashboard, chats and tells jokes to you - but if your responses are slow it assumes you're dropping off and will wake you up by opening a window or blasting you in the face with icy water. Page 24
VIOLENT FUTUREPredictions on climate change could turn out to be well wide of the mark. Dramatic changes such as the Sahara turning to lush forest and the Amazon basin turning to desert were forecast by climate scientists at a meeting in Amsterdam last week. Pages 4-5
LUCKY ESCAPEA Nobel prizewinner told a conference that we were lucky to escape with nothing worse than an ozone hole. If bromine had been used in aerosols and refrigerants rather than chlorine it would have done the job much more quickly and thoroughly. He also warns that other environmental catastrophes could be going unnoticed. Page 5
SPECIAL REPORT : UNAFFORDABLE DRUGSEveryone agrees that the poor should no longer die simply because they cannot afford drugs. But they still are. And the reason? Drug patents. A global battle looms at next week's summit of the G8 nations - and high on the agenda is whether poor nations should have to buy patented drugs at a premium price or be free to "shop around" for cheap generic copies - and save more lives. Pages 18-19
MONSTERS IN OUR MIDSTA bit of tinkering with a chicken egg could be all it takes to resurrect a dinosaur. Preposterous - isn't it? The success of a group of scientists rewinding evolution by recreating ancient genes, really could bring the past back to life. Pages 31-33
THE MAKING OF A MINDThere are up to 10 per cent more schizophrenics born between February and April than any other 3-month period of the year. This strange observation led an Australian psychiatrist to suggest that a lack of UV light during pregnancy is the key to the spring peak in schizophrenic births. If he's right we may be able to stop schizophrenia in the womb with nothing more than vitamin supplements or a sunlamp. Pages 38-41
BANISH THE BLUESA small whiff of pheromones could banish premenstrual syndrome for hours. A Californian company has developed a pheromone-like compound in a simple nasal spray which can ease mood disorders and physical symptoms. Page 22
DEATH OF THE FITTESTResearchers have finally discovered why 16 Swedish ultrafit orienteers dropped dead suddenly of heart attacks over two decades. They found the culprit to be a bacterium called Bartonella, found in the hearts of the victims. Page 20
CHEESY DELIGHTS OF A FRENCH CLASSICFrench scientists have unlocked the secrets to what makes the revered taste of a Camembert cheese. It is the gooey ooze of a ripened Camembert that release the bitter chemicals that give the cheese its distinctive taste. Page 22
DON'T LOSE YOUR NERVEThe much feared dentist's drill could be replaced by pain-free lasers. A Californian dentist says that laser treatment on infected nerves can destroy diseased tissue without the need for root canal work afterwards. Page 16
DON'T GET PLASTEREDAnti-drug campaigners in Japan have developed an arm patch in an attempt to ease the pressure on non-drinkers from the country's macho drinking culture. The patch turns colour to show how tolerant the wearer is to alcohol. Page 26
HELL ON WHEELSThe only way to avoid traffic jams on the roads is to drive considerately and all move together at a similar speed. According to German researchers, inconsiderate drivers who brake too hard are the ones that cause jams. Page 17
SNAP, CRACKLE AND POPA fleet of microscopic hairy ears could be injected into your bloodstream and listen out for diseased or cancerous cells before they get a chance to spread. Pages 34-37
FORGING A LEGENDMyth, metallurgy and marketing add up to the hardest steel ever. The idea is to forge the strongest sword in history - a sword that will be known as Dragonslayer. Pages 44-45
- ENDS -
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ISSUE DATE: 21 JULY 2001
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