Science & Nature
Hundreds poisoned by killer dumplings
The Times, 1st February Toxic dumplings have left hundreds of Japanese ill after they had become tainted with pesticide. Hospitals across Japan have been struggling with an influx of sufferers, complaining of severe diarrhoea, dizziness and vomiting after eating the dumplings which were imported from China. Supermarkets and schools have withdrawn the dumplings, while some [...]
Sleeping is getting complicated
The Times, 2nd February Conrad Hotels and Resorts has started offering a choice of 75 ‘destination-based and mood-inspired’ pillows designed to provide a range of assistance for those trying to sleep. Pillows available to clients include the ‘Anti-snore Pillow’, the eucalyptus-infused ‘Cold and Flu Pillow’ and the ylang ylang oil aphrodisiac ‘Romance Pillow’. One of [...]
Why do we itch?
The Times, 1st February Scientists have used brain scans to find out why scratching an itch provides so much pleasure, even to the point of bleeding. Up till now the reason for itching has remained a mystery. However, images of brain responses show that scratching suppresses activity in areas of the brain associated with disagreeable [...]
Toxic tests of vets
The Sun, 1st February The Ministry of Defence will pay out £3million worth of compensation to veterans who were used as human guinea pigs. 360 servicemen were tricked into being exposed to the poison gas Sarin between 1939 and 1989 in exchange for extra pay and leave. They were told that they were helping to [...]
Setting our sights further: the contact lens with more to offer
The Times, 2nd February A new contact lens with the potential to project a high resolution telephone display directly onto the retina has been developed by researchers at the University of Washington. The innovative technology means that games, documents and music collections could be displayed in the users field of vision. ‘Our goal is to [...]
Monkeys predicting the future
The New Scientist, 2nd February Although it throws a monkey wrench into long-held scientific ideas, it has been found that monkeys can predict the future actions of others. Vittorio Gallese of the University of Parma, Italy has discovered that macaques are in fact able to understand others as beings with their own intentions and perspectives. [...]
Hi-tech onions stop crying before frying
The Times, 2 February In a stand against the age old problem, scientists in New Zealand have developed a tearless onion by removing the gene responsible for the enzyme which makes us weep at the chopping board. The hi-tech vegetable resembles its original in every way, but has been engineered not to disturb the lachrymal [...]
See-through fish is created to give a clearer idea about cancer
The Times, 7th February In Boston a transparent zebrafish has been developed to enable scientists to get a better idea of how cancer spreads and behaves inside the body. The fish’s entire body, including bones and internal organs, are visible throughout its life. Tests carried out at the Children’s Hospital, Boston, have shown already that [...]
A family affair
The New Scientist, 26th January Inbreeding may be the key to longevity. ‘Everyone knows that inbreeding is bad – it increases your chances of catching a range of diseases’, says Giuseppe Passarino of the University of Calabria in Rende, Italy. However he adds that ‘our study suggests that if inbreds don’t get those diseases when [...]
Broccoli the lifesaver
The Week, 2nd February Broccoli may prevent heart disease as long as you don’t overcook it. Rats fed with broccoli extracts by a team from the University of Connecticut were found to have hearts which functioned significantly better than those of rats on a normal diet. The effect was only apparent when the broccoli was [...]
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