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SCIENCE
How
Mars Could Be Losing Its Water - [Universe Today] Data
accumulated by the ASPERA-3 instrument on board the European
Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft seems to indicate
how Mars got so dry. Scientists believe that water used
to cover Mars, but over the course of 3.8 billion years,
it was stripped away from the planet by the Sun's solar
wind.
Emory
Chemists Develop Bacteria That May Help Decaffeinate Coffee
- [Innovations Report] Chemists at Emory University have
made an important advance in harnessing the ability of bacteria
to make new molecules, and their discovery could eventually
lead to the creation of naturally decaffeinated coffee plants.
Scientists
Create Genetic Map of Cattle - [Red Nova] For the first
time, scientists have created a genetic map of a cow, providing
researchers a new tool to reduce animal disease and improve
the nutrition of beef and dairy products, the Agriculture
Department announced.
Embryonic
Stem Cells Correct Congenital Heart Defect in Mouse Embryos
- [Innovations Report] Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center report that 15 embryonic stem cells injected
into early embryos of mice whose hearts were genetically
predisposed to develop a lethal defect, rescued the heart
from developing the disorder by not only producing normal
daughter cells that were incorporated into the defective
embryonic heart but also by releasing biological factors
into the nearby vicinity.
A
New Culprit In Depression? Study Finds Surprising Differences
in Gene Activity in the Brains of Depressed People -
[Science Daily] The brains of people with severe depression
have lower levels of several related molecules that are
key to the development, organization, growth and repair
of the brain than the brains of people without the disease,
or those with the bipolar form of depression, a new study
finds.
Unseen
Comets May Raise Impact Risk for Earth - [Nature] The
Solar System could be teeming with almost invisible comets,
according to some astronomers' calculations. If they are
right, such extra comets would significantly increase the
risk of a catastrophic impact with Earth.
90-Day
Mars Round Trip May Soon Become Possible - [PhysOrg]
new means of propelling spacecraft being developed at the
University of Washington could dramatically cut the time
needed for astronauts to travel to and from Mars and could
make humans a permanent fixture in space. In fact, with
magnetized-beam plasma propulsion, or mag-beam, quick trips
to distant parts of the solar system could become routine.
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TECHNOLOGY
Optical
Technique Promises Terabyte Disks - [New Scientist]
A novel method of optical data storage could soon be used
to hold a terabyte of data on a disk the size of a normal
DVD, according to an international team of researchers.
Drugs
Delivered by Robots in the Blood - [New Scientist] A
microscopic swimming robot unveiled by Chinese scientists
could eventually be used for drug delivery or to clear arteries
in humans, say researchers.
Robot
for Infinite Decluttering? - [Money] Finally, someone
has articulated a reason why it's good that companies will
spend billions of dollars to put radio-frequency identification
(RFID) tags on absolutely everything ever sold.
Artificial
Neural Networks Can Predict Clinical Outcomes of Neuroblastoma
Patients - [Science Daily] Researchers at the National
Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), have used artificial neural networks (ANNs)
and DNA microarrays to successfully predict the clinical
outcome of patients diagnosed with neuroblastoma (NB).
Mobile
Hard Drive Revolution Proposed - [ZDNet UK] An American
semiconductor company is trying to quietly revolutionise
the way that mobile phones and other portable devices are
designed by putting more functionality into the hard drive.
'Smart'
Watch That Never Forgets - [Scotsman]
Wrist watches could soon be watching over their wearers
as well as telling the time. A “smart” watch has
been developed that reminds its owner not to forget everyday
necessities such as house keys, wallet or mobile phone.
Scrubbing
Up for Robotic Surgery in Space - [New Scientist] A
team of four astronauts are to “splashdown” to
an undersea laboratory in the US, to help conduct the first
wireless robot-assisted surgery. Meanwhile in Canada --
2000 kilometres away from the operating table -- a surgeon
prepares to perform the procedures.
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BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Phishing
Fraud Could Reach $500M - [Business Journal] More than
three out of four (76 percent) consumers are experiencing
an increase in spoofing and phishing incidents and 35 percent
receive fake e-mails at least once a week, according to
a recent national study conducted by Ponemon Institute,
a Tucson, Ariz.-based think tank.
How
to Anticipate Wrenching Change - [Chief Executive] How
long can you wait to change your company’s strategic
direction? How long before it’s too late? These haunting
questions have more relevancy today than ever before. Fortunately,
they now have glimmers of an answer.
It's
All About Passion - [Conference
Board] It's been fifteen years since Peter Drucker first
suggested that corporations look to their nonprofit brethren
for insight into mission and motivation, but the message
hasn't quite sunk in.
War
of the Supply Chains Is On - [BPM Today] Many companies
will be dragged into RFID kicking and screaming, Yankee
Group's Michael Dominy says. Smart companies are taking
the time to make sure that they implement RFID-based applications
that support their own business goals, not just those of
their giant customers.
China's
Thirst for Oil Gets into Top Gear - [BBC] China is not
the biggest oil consumer in the world, that prize goes to
America, nor is it the biggest importer -- which is also
the USA. What China outdoes the rest of the world at is
the growth of its appetite.
Perfect
Storm - [Chief Executive] J.T. Battenberg, chief executive
of Delphi, laid it right on the line in a recent speech
to his peers at an automotive industry conference in Traverse
City, Mich. “There’s a ‘perfect storm’
facing the automotive world,” Battenberg said. “Hyper-competition,
deflationary OEM pricing to the consumer, breakneck globalization,
tough environmental and efficiency mandates, stifling regulations,
exploding peripheral costs, imploding profitability, massive
overcapacity, rising pension costs, rising health care costs
and runaway commodity-price increases -- particularly for
steel and resins -- are all critical issues that continue
to shake our foundation. This business is not for the faint
of heart.”
The
Dangers of Economic Isolationism - [The Globalist] Are
global companies -- and everyone who believes in free and
fair trade -- in danger of losing the battle of public opinion?
Mike Eskew, Chairman and CEO of UPS, acknowledges that those
opposed to globalization have stated their case much clearer
than those in favor of global integration. He outlines five
ways in which business should step up to the challenge.
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SOCIETY
Asian
Giants India, China Bank on GM Technology to Feed Millions
- [Space Daily] Asian giants India and China are accelerating
investment in biotechnology research to fight the odds in
agriculture and feed their teeming millions, say scientists
and officials.
Managing
the Gamer Generation - [HBS Working Knowledge] They
are different from you and me, this generation born after
1970. They grew up with a finger on the keyboard and an
ear to the cell phone, and in a world where the forces of
globalization have broken down national barriers like no
time in history.
Endangered
Species: US Programmers - [USA Today] Say goodbye to
the American software programmer. Once the symbols of hope
as the nation shifted from manufacturing to service jobs,
programmers today are an endangered species. They face a
challenge similar to that which shrank the ranks of steelworkers
and autoworkers a quarter century ago: competition from
foreigners.
India
Launches Education Satellite - [The Australian] India
launched its first satellite to be used exclusively for
education which will connect classrooms in remote parts
of the country.
Word
From on High: Jam Cell Calls - [Wired] It was the reporters
who noticed first. Unable to call their editors while covering
the weddings of the rich and famous, they asked the priest
why their cell phones never worked at Sacred Heart. His
reply: Israeli counterintelligence. In four Monterrey churches,
Israeli-made cell phone jammers the size of paperbacks have
been tucked unobtrusively among paintings of the Madonna
and statues of the saints.
Developer
World: Poor Nations on Front Line of Computer Wars -
[Christian Science Monitor] Until two weeks ago, Vanusa
Pereira had never used a computer. The uneducated, unmarried,
and unemployed mother of two did not know a PC from a CD-ROM
or a blaster worm from a Trojan horse.
Book
Charts Words From 'Hip' to 'Chav' - [AP Wire] In 1904
it was "hip." In 2004 it's "chav." In
between, there was "racism," "cyborg,"
"punk" and "9/11." They are all words
chosen by a book that charts the creation of new words over
the past 100 years.
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GLOBAL POLITICS
Blair
Calls for Action on Africa - [BBC] British Prime Minister
Tony Blair has appealed to the world to do more to help
Africa out of poverty.
Are
We Stuck in Iraq? - [The Brookings Institution] George
W. Bush and John Kerry hardly agree on anything, except
that leaving Iraq quickly would be a bad idea. Both the
president and Kerry appear to believe that the United States
can't pull out quickly because of a moral imperative ("You
broke it, you fix it") and because of fears that an
early American withdrawal would not only leave behind an
unstable Iraq, but also embolden militant groups everywhere.
Do
US Deficits Threaten Global Financial Stability? - [Global
Policy Forum] The US role in globalization has emerged as
a major point of contention in the battle for the American
presidency. Political and expert opinions share a concern
that the growing trade deficit and global borrowing binge
is a threat to America's future and, in turn, to global
stability. But the rhetorical posturing of the candidates
is leading to unrealistic and even dangerous proposals that
may precipitate the cataclysmic forebodings the candidates
are trying to avoid.
EU's
Five Biggest Countries Split Over Migrant Camp Proposal
- [EurActiv] Interior ministers from France, Germany, Italy,
Spain and the UK have begun talks in Florence on handling
immigration, terrorism and organised crime. France and Spain
oppose the creation of immigration centres in North Africa
for would-be refugees.
Key
Putin Aide Laments 'Climate of Fear' in Russia - [Space
Daily] A top adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin
warned Thursday of a new "climate of fear" arising
out of double standards on the part of key policymakers.
Kashmir:
Occupied, Partitioned and Disputed - [World Press Review]
Despite its strategic importance among India, Pakistan,
Afghanistan and Tibet, Kashmir has been treated by the global
media as a mere point of dispute between India and Pakistan.
It is rare to hear about the Kashmiri’s fight for independence
and self-determination. Even if newspapers blame attacks
on “extremist separatist” groups instead of “terrorists”,
readers remain confused about “who wants to be partitioned?
and from whom?” There are at least 12 military or political
groups acting there, and three major leanings: independence,
autonomy, and annexation to Pakistan.
Sharon,
Arafat, Kerry and Bush - [TIME] Why the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict will be a priority for the next administration.
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ENVIRONMENT
Organic
Farming Boosts Biodiversity - [New Scientist] Organic
farming increases biodiversity at every level of the food
chain -- all the way from lowly bacteria to mammals. This
is the conclusion of the largest review ever done of studies
from around the world comparing organic and conventional
agriculture.
Kyoto
Protocol is Just the Beginning - [New Scientist] It
has been a long wait since the Kyoto protocol was signed
in the early hours of 11 December 1997. Next year, if Russia
sticks to the commitment it made, the treaty will at last
come into force. And that will allow the world to get on
with what really matters: drawing up the successor to Kyoto.
Global
Warming Clock Ticks Faster - [Telegraph] Levels of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere are rising faster than at any
time since records began, figures reveal. Scientists cannot
explain the unprecedented increase in 2002 and 2003 but
they believe it is more likely to be the result of a natural
phenomenon rather than a surge in burning of fossil fuels.
California
Law Makes Cell Phone Stores Recycle their Products for Free
- [San Francisco Chronicle] California has become the first
state in the nation to make cellular phone stores recycle
the devices for free.
Global
Warming Raises Fears of London Flood - [MSNBC] Rising
sea levels and increasing storms due to global warming have
forced authorities to raise the River Thames barrier to
stop London flooding 88 times in the past 20 years, official
figures showed.
Let
the Volga & Ob Refill the Aral Sea - [EcoWorld]
The Aral Sea used to be an endless expanse of bountiful
waters. Now only burning sands remain, and graveyards of
ghost ships. On the salt-saturated seabed where the sea
once ran deep, lie dessicated hulks of what only 50 years
ago were great fishing fleets.
Hydrogen
Power in China - [EcoWorld] Public and private investment
in fuel cell development in China over the next few years
is projected to be over (US)$500 million.
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THE FUTURE
The
Bear's Lair: What Comes After Oil? - [Space Daily] Unlike
the run-up in oil prices in 1973-80, the rise in 2004 appears
to have been very largely driven by demand.
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