Science Updates is a weekly email alert from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
== INDEPTH FEATURE - NATURAL BORN WINNERS ==
Scientists have discovered genes that can shape elite sports performance. But can genetics alone help us find our future Olympic champions?
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4565/0/
== DR KARL - SOUTH AFRICANS CONDEMNED BY AIDS DENIAL ==
Dr Karl doesn't mind a tall story, or even a half-baked truth that doesn't result in harm to anyone. But misinformation that leads suffering and death really upsets him.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4566/0/
== STARSTUFF PODCAST - WATER FOUND ON MARS ==
Stuart Gary digs for water on Mars; discusses the recent total solar eclipse; and goes alien spotting. Subscribe to our podcast to get your weekly fix.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4567/0/
== VIDEO - ACE DAY JOBS - BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATOR ==
Catherine Wardrop draws plants with absolute accuracy. Watch Ace Day Jobs to find out how she got her dream job.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4568/0/
== ONLINE EXTRA - 4 CORNERS - TIPPING POINT ==
Watch the broadband edition of Marian Wilkinson's report on the vanishing of the vast sea ice from the Arctic, featuring an interactive map, voyage diary, extended interviews, research and more.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4569/0/
== TOP STORIES FROM NEWS IN SCIENCE == http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/1759/0/
MARS TOXIN DOESN'T RULE OUT LIFE: NASA
Scientists say the surprise discovery of a sometimes toxic chemical on the surface of Mars does not diminish the possibility of finding microbial life on the red planet and asked for patience while they study soil samples further.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4570/0/
INJECTED VITAMIN C CUTS CANCER GROWTH
Injections of high doses of vitamin C have almost halved the rate of tumour growth in mice, leading US researchers to believe it may be useful in the treatment of cancer in humans.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4571/0/
CAFFEINE USE IN ATHLETES REIGNITES DEBATE
At the Beijing Olympics, many athletes will be using caffeine to boost their performance, say experts, as scientific debate continues over whether or not it should be banned in sport.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4572/0/
T REX NO MATCH FOR BIG TOOTH
T Rex met his match in the ancient ancestor of the great white shark, an analysis of their bites shows.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4573/0/
== GREEN AT WORK == http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/2581/0/
ARE YOU A GREEN COLLAR WORKER?
Test your knowledge on all things green at work with our tough but addictive game. You've got 60 seconds to rank 5 greening actions in order of importance. If you know your stuff, the planet will sing. If not, watch out for low flying dead things...
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4574/0/
== IN THE SKY THIS WEEK ==
The First Quarter Moon is Friday 8 August. Starting on Friday 2 August, Mercury joins the lineup of Venus, Regulus, Saturn and Mars. You will need a flat, unobstructed horizon to see this, as Mercury will be just under a handspan above the western horizon half an hour after sunset. You can now see all five of the classic planets in the evening: Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn in the west, and Jupiter in the east. On Sunday 10 August Mercury and Regulus are very close. On 13 and 14 August Venus and Saturn are very close, with Mercury just below, making a fantastic sight. Jupiter is the brightest object above the eastern horizon in the evening, and its moons look great in binoculars. The early hours of the morning of 13 August also sees the Perseid meteor shower, but this will only be really visible from Brisbane and locations north.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/1764/0/
== ABC HEALTH & WELLBEING == http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/1765/0/
== FACT BUSTER: BUTTER OR MARGARINE: WHICH IS BETTER WHEN IT COMES TO FAT? ==
The butter versus margarine debate is confusing. Butter lovers say their spread is a natural and healthier alternative; others say butter is loaded with saturated fats and has no place in a healthy diet. Who is right?
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4522/0/
== TRANSCRIPTS NOW ONLINE ==
SNORING KILLS (In Conversation: 31/07/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4575/0/
BLADE RUNNERS (Catalyst: 31/07/2008) http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4545/0/
DOPING FOR GOLD (Catalyst: 31/07/2008) http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4546/0/
THE WINNING EDGE (Catalyst: 31/07/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4544/0/
IS BEING GAY IN YOUR BIOLOGY? (All In The Mind: 02/08/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4541/0/
TITAN - MOON OF SATURN (Science Show: 02/08/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4576/0/
VOLUNTEERS DESCRIBE GALAXIES AT GALAXY ZOO (Science Show: 02/08/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4577/0/
THE HEART HORMONE ANGIOTENSIN (Science Show: 02/08/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4543/0/
MOBILITY FOR DISABLED PEOPLE (Science Show: 02/08/2008) http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4542/0/
ICONIC BANKSIA RESCUED (Science Show: 02/08/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4578/0/
WA BIOLOGICAL HOTSPOT REVEALS NEW SPECIES (Science Show: 02/08/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4579/0/
MOVEMENT OF BIOLOGICAL HOTSPOTS (Science Show: 02/08/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4580/0/
== COMING UP ON ABC RADIO == http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/1773/0/
THE SCIENCE SHOW - Swimming with Whales
Saturday 9 August, 12.05pm & Monday 11 August, 7.05pm RN
We are supposed to keep a distance from whales in the water, but rules don't stop them coming close if they so choose. And the minke whales off the far north coast of Queensland relish the company of humans - they approach fearlessly and even seem to be having fun with us. Dr Alastair Birtles of James Cook University has been leading expeditions to see the whales for many years. His delight in their company is undiminished and research proceeds, even identifying possible new species. What has now been found? And how are turtles faring in these tropical waters?
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/902/0/
ALL IN THE MIND - Being your own therapist – Buddhist style
Saturday 9 August, 1.05pm & Monday 11 August, 1.05pm RN
Venerable Robina Courtin, acclaimed Australian Tibetan Buddhist nun, has excavated the suffering mind at its greatest depths of despair. Founder of the Liberation Prison Project, she's helped thousands of inmates release themselves from the prison within – their mind – using Buddhist techniques. We can all be our own therapist is her powerful claim.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/903/0/
THE PHILOSOPHER'S ZONE - Objective truth
Saturday 9 August, 1.30pm & Monday 11 August, 1.35pm RN
For a long time now, it has been fashionable to say that what science offers is not a true mirror of nature but a distorting mirror, reflecting our presuppositions, prejudices and politics. But can we take the criticisms on board while still maintaining a belief in objective truth? We meet a philosopher who says we can. Also, objectivity and the arts: can artistic judgements ever be objective or is it all down to just knowing what you like?
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/904/0/
OCKHAM'S RAZOR - The Wallace/Darwin papers on biological evolution
Sunday 10 August, 8.45am RN
150 years ago Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace made a joint presentation to the Linnean Society of London of their views on biological evolution. But who was Alfred Wallace and why haven't we heard of the Wallace/Darwin theory of evolution before? Today Emeritus Professor Tony Larkum from the University of Sydney relates the story of this unsung man who went on to lead one of the most productive lives of any scientist of the 19th century.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/910/0/
INNOVATIONS
Sunday 10 August (0830hrs UT), Monday 11 August (1330 & 1705hrs UT), Wednesday 13 August (0430hrs UT), Radio Australia
Sharks in a new role as lifesavers; a purpose-designed bait to solve a pig of a problem; and lighting the way for intrepid cyclists.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/1775/0/
THE HEALTH REPORT - Post traumatic stress disorder
Monday 11 August, 8.30am & 8.05pm RN
This week a timely Health Report after the arrest of Radovan Karadzic the Bosnian Serb leader. It's an extraordinary story of the lessons learned from the war in Bosnia, treating the psychological trauma in adolescence.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/920/0/
IN CONVERSATION - Pole to Pole: A vet on the ice with seals
Thursday 14 August, 7.35pm RN
In this polar year many initiatives are offering new insights on changes in Antarctica. Dr Phil Tucak from Perth has spent several months exploring sites where Weddell seals are found. His studies of their behaviour and biology at a time of change are both illuminating and exciting.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/1468/0/
== HIGHLIGHTS ON ABC TV == http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/1773/0/
CATALYST
ABC1, 8:00pm Thursday, 14 August 2008
Australia's premier science investigation series.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/219765/686964/4511/0/
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