Science Updates is a weekly email alert from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
== INDEPTH: HIV: A NOBEL DISCOVERY ==
It's been 25 years since scientists isolated HIV. We trace the history behind this profound discovery that changed our understanding, treatment and prevention of AIDS.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6220/0/
== DR KARL: REDHEADS' 'EXTINCTION' EXPLANATION SPLITTING HAIRS ==
As if blondes and redheads don't get enough stick, now they're apparently facing extinction! But Dr Karl isn't so sure and has gone searching for the roots of the story.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6221/0/
== TOP STORIES FROM NEWS IN SCIENCE == http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/1759/0/
HOW THE TURTLE GOT ITS SHELL
A 220-million-year-old fossil found in south western China appears to have settled a long-simmering debate over reptile evolution: how did turtles get their shell?
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6222/0/
EARS A FISHY STORY ABOUT SEX CHANGE
A fish's ear may hold the key in calculating when sex change occurs in reef fish, an Australian marine scientist says.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6223/0/
LEARNING FOOTY COULD BE KEY TO ACTIVE LIFE
Learning how to kick, catch and throw a ball at the age of 10 could be the best set up for physically active life, new research suggests.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6224/0/
LOSE WEIGHT, REDISCOVER YOUR MOJO
A man's secret to maintaining a healthy sex life well into old age could be as simple as shedding a few kilograms, says an Australian obesity expert.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6225/0/
== IN THE SKY THIS WEEK ==
The new Moon is Friday 28 November. This week sees Venus and Jupiter come together for a spectacular line-up in the sky. Bright Venus is easily seen high in the early western evening sky near the handle of the 'teapot' of Sagittarius, not far from Jupiter (the brightest object in the sky after Venus). During the week Venus and Jupiter come much closer together, by 30 November the thin crescent Moon can be seen below them almost touching the bright star Kaus Borealis in the lid of the 'teapot'. On Monday 1 December the crescent Moon, Venus and Jupiter form a close triangle that you can cover with your thumb. All three objects will fit into the field of view of a pair of binoculars. A small telescope will show the craters of the Moon, the satellites of Jupiter and the half moon phase of Venus. The dark side of the Moon should show up with the ghostly glow of Earthshine. This event can be easily seen between half an hour, and an hour and a half after sunset.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/1764/0/
== STARSTUFF PODCAST: CONFIRMED! EINSTEIN'S FAMOUS FORMULA IS FACT ==
e=mc2 confirmed after 100 years; massive Martian glaciers discovered; Spirit rover powers back to life; and dark matter spotted near our solar system.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/4567/0/
== ABC HEALTH & WELLBEING == http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/1765/0/
== FEATURE: ALLERGIES - THE ANSWERS YOU NEED ==
When it comes to allergies there seem to be as many questions as there are answers. Here we ask the experts to answer five common allergy questions.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6226/0/
== CATAPULT == http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/2337/0/
== FEATURE: GREENER MOTORING ==
Transport and travel are a daily reality for most businesses. However there are ways to change the gears in a more environmentally friendly way.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6227/0/
== TRANSCRIPTS NOW ONLINE ==
MICHAEL CRICHTON (In Conversation: 20/11/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6228/0/
PARCHED: THE POLITICS OF WATER (The National Interest: 21/11/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6229/0/
BACTERIA USED TO TREAT SKIN TUMOURS (Science Show: 22/11/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6230/0/
SUPERNOVAE AND THE FUSING OF ELEMENTS (Science Show: 22/11/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6231/0/
THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY (Science Show: 22/11/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6232/0/
PAINTINGS TO BRIDGE THE ARTS AND SCIENCE (Science Show: 22/11/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6233/0/
DIARY OF A MATHS OLYMPIAD TEAM LEADER - PART 3 OF 3 (Science Show: 22/11/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6234/0/
GROOMING – GOOD FOR HEALTH AND GOOD FOR FEELING GOOD (Science Show: 22/11/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6235/0/
THE MEANING OF LIFE (Ockham's Razor: 23/11/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6236/0/
LECTURE 4: FORTUNE FAVOURS THE SMART (2008 Boyer Lectures, Big Idea: 23/11/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6237/0/
PERSONALISED MEDICINE: CAN YOU TRUST ONLINE GENETIC TESTS? (PART 1 OF 2) (Health Report: 24/11/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6238/0/
== COMING UP ON ABC RADIO == http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/1773/0/
THE SCIENCE SHOW - The old ways work best for farmers and birds
Saturday 29 November, 12.05pm & Monday 1 December, 7.05pm RN
Scorched earth methods are common worldwide as rain forest is cleared for farming by tropical nations. They grow oil palms in monocultures and sap the thin soils. But what if they followed the traditional methods of Indian farmers, established over thousands of years? A study, just published by a team at Stanford University, shows burgeoning biodiversity including many bird species. Their secret? Professor Gretchen Daily explains.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/902/0/
ALL IN THE MIND - Extraordinary cases in psychology: Part 3 - The man with a hole in his head
Saturday 29 November, 1.05pm & Monday 1 December, 1.05pm RN
Extreme cases of brain damage litter the history of neuroscience. Phineas Gage is perhaps the most famous. A railway worker in 19th-century Vermont, he managed to survive a catastrophic accident - the penetration of a metre-long iron rod through his head. What happened to Gage has become the stuff of legend, and fundamentally changed him and the way we think about the brain.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/903/0/
THE PHILOSOPHER'S ZONE - Thinking about animals
Saturday 29 November, 1.35pm & Monday 1 December, 1.35pm RN
We'd don't put pigs on trial and gazelles don't sue lions, so it looks as though it doesn't make sense to talk about animal rights. But can we do what we like with them or should we recognise not just that they have interests - such as an interest in not being eaten - but that they have capabilities: the capability of enjoyment, for example, or of engaging in social life with others of their kind. This week, in the second part of our conversation with the distinguished American philosopher Martha Nussbaum, we ask what it means to treat animals as members of the ethical community.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/904/0/
OCKHAM'S RAZOR - Innovation today not tomorrow
Sunday 30 November, 8.45am RN
Professor Kurt Lambeck, President of the Australian Academy of Science, suggests ways in which Australia must increase its investment in science and technology. We do not tolerate average performances in sport and he sees no reason why innovation is so under-resourced. To compete in the world today one way is to improve the quality of teaching, not just in science, but in all areas so students retain their enthusiasm in post-school years and go on to become the next generation of researchers.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/910/0/
INNOVATIONS
Sunday 30 November (0830hrs UT), Monday 1 December (1330 & 1705hrs UT), Wednesday 3 December (0430hrs UT), Radio Australia
An interactive computer game about cyclones to reduce children's anxieties; and spreading the light - how to take a bright idea in physics and turn it into a business venture.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/1775/0/
THE HEALTH REPORT - Personalised medicine: why drugs don't always work (Part 2 of 2)
Monday 1 December, 8.30am & 8.05pm RN
Pick up a prescription from your pharmacist, and you hope the pills you pop will work well. But they often don't, and your individual genetics can play a big role. The Human Genome Project made big promises about personalised medicine – drugs designed with individual genetics in mind – but has it delivered? And what pull will personalised medicine have on the purse strings of pharmaceutical companies and public health?
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/920/0/
IN CONVERSATION - A romantic guide to the birds of East Africa
Thursday 4 December, 7.35pm RN
Nick Drayson is a novelist and natural historian whose latest fiction is a sheer delight. Two men compete for a date with a lady by trying to twitch the most species in and around Nairobi. Drayson reveals his inspiration and his part in the great Darwin exhibition about to open at the National Museum in Canberra.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/1468/0/
== HIGHLIGHTS ON ABC TV == http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/1773/0/
THE ORANGUTAN KING
ABC1 7:30pm Sunday, 30 November 2008
Over 40 years ago, Dr Birute Galdikas set out to study orangutans deep in the jungles of Borneo. But it wasn't long before her camp - Camp Leakey - became a refuge for baby orangutans that had been rescued from the brutal and illegal trade in wild animals. The Orangutan King provides a fascinating insight into the lives of these intelligent and playful animals.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6239/0/
RAMPANT: HOW A CITY STOPPED A PLAGUE
ABC1 11:25pm Monday, 1 December 2008
In 1982 a man walked into a Sydney hospital with fever, fatigue and sweats - the first person diagnosed with AIDS in Australia. Experts then predicted deaths on an extraordinary scale.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6240/0/
EXPOSED - HEARTBREAK
ABC1 8:30pm Thursday, 4 December 2008
In the second of four episodes, Dr John Marsden exposes the reasons and motives behind heartbreak. The results are an informative guide to modern living. As a million love songs testify, having your heart broken is one of the worst things that can happen to a human being. Dr John Marsden examines the link between social rejection and physical pain. What are the physical effects on our bodies and brains? Utilising scientific experiments and stories of unrequited love he investigates why rejection can be so painful and how men and women respond differently.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6241/0/
ZOO DAYS
ABC2, 7:00pm weeknights
Zoo Days is an entertaining new wildlife series following the engaging characters, both animal and human, at two of Britain's largest zoos. With incredible behind-the-scenes access at Chester and Colchester Zoos, the series features a variety of storylines and strong personalities providing a mix of excitement, jeopardy and fun. We will experience close encounters with the scariest reptiles and the cutest baby monkeys, and find out what happens in the everyday lives of the zoo keepers.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6242/0/
WAGGING SCHOOL
ABC2, 5:30pm Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Train your dog to be well-behaved - in just five minutes a day! Chrissie, the dog expert, shows you how on Wagging School. Teach your dog how to stay in one place and only move when you want it to. Great for walking through doorways or up and down stairs!
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6204/0/
SLEEP CLINIC
ABC2, 8:00pm Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Of all the weird sleepers featured in this fascinating series filmed at Papworth Sleep Clinic Cambridge, 23-year-old university student Alex is probably the most alarming. He is not merely a sleep walker, he is a sleep jumper. He has leapt through second-storey windows and is particularly prone when his living arrangements change. Little wonder the problem is exacerbated when he changes share-house addresses. Alarmingly, the doctors fear his condition may be neurologically linked and a life-long curse.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/335076/686964/6243/0/
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