Science Updates is a weekly email alert from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
== ASK AN EXPERT: COULD THE RECIPIENT OF DONATED BLOOD LEAVE THE DONOR'S DNA AT A CRIME SCENE? ==
As I am a regular blood donor is it possible for the recipient of my donated blood to leave my DNA at a crime scene if the recipient commits a crime and leaves blood at the scene?
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7399/0/
== DR KARL: VELCRO SPACE RACE STORY TEARS APART ==
Velcro is very handy stuff. Quick to stick, and fast to unfasten. But, asks Dr Karl, is it really a product of the space race?
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7400/0/
== SURFING SCIENTIST: MAGIC FLOWER ==
Pop this magic little science trick in your Valentine's Day cards and your special someone is guaranteed to smile. They're great for get well or birthday cards too!
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7401/0/
== TOP STORIES FROM NEWS IN SCIENCE == http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/1759/0/
FOSSILISED BOA SLITHERS INTO RECORD BOOKS
Scientists have found the fossilised remains of the world's greatest snake - a record-busting serpent that was as long as a bus and snacked on crocodiles.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7402/0/
INDIAN OCEAN DRIVING AUSTRALIA'S BIG DRY
Australia's severe drought is being driven by temperature fluctuations in the Indian Ocean, scientists have found.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7403/0/
LACK OF SUNSHINE TRIGGERS 'FAULTY' MS GENE
A link between vitamin D and a gene known to cause multiple sclerosis has been identified, say researchers.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7404/0/
ENTANGLED PARTICLES FACE SUDDEN DEATH
Teleportation and quantum encryption could be a more distant reality with the discovery that entanglement can unexpectedly disappear.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7405/0/
== ABC GREEN AT WORK == http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/2581/0/
== THE GREEN ROOM: ABC CUTS WASTE BY 50% ==
Last July, we reported that the ABC's Ultimo site in Sydney had introduced co-mingling of recyclables as part of the management of the waste stream - and now the results of the changeover are in.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7406/0/
== IN THE SKY THIS WEEK ==
The full Moon is Tuesday February 10. Late in the evening of Monday February 9, there is a shallow partial eclipse of the Moon. Observers will see a faint but noticeable darkening of the northern half of the Moon. The eclipse is at its maximum at 1:38am AEDST February 10 (11:38pm February 9 in WA). Venus is easily recognised as the brightest object in the Western evening sky, and is now a distinct crescent shape in small telescopes. Comet Lulin is now visible in binoculars, not far from Zubenelgenubi, the brightest star in Libra. In the coming week it may become just visible to the unaided eye under dark skies.
Saturn is now rising well before midnight and can be easily seen as the second brightest object above the north-eastern horizon, almost midway between the bright stars Regulus and Spica. In the late evening of February 8, Saturn's moon Titan makes a rare transit of the body of Saturn. For those of you with telescopes, or with friends with telescopes, this is an excellent event to watch. The transit starts shortly after midnight in the eastern states, and shortly after 10:00pm in WA. In the morning, Mercury can be seen clearly just below the 'teapot' of Sagittarius, Mars is more difficult to see below Mercury. By the end of the week Jupiter joins Mars in the twilight, and there will be a nice line-up of all three planets next week.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/1764/0/
== STARSTUFF PODCAST: LUNAR AGE ECLIPSED ==
Shedding light on the Moon's true age; West Australian astronomers detect the furthest gamma-ray burst ever observed; and all systems go for space shuttle Discovery.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/4567/0/
== ABC HEALTH & WELLBEING == http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/1765/0/
== THE PULSE: MOZZIES - KEEP THEM OUT OF YOUR YARD ==
Mosquito-borne diseases are still a problem in Australia and the current dengue outbreak is a reminder to stop mozzies breeding.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7368/0/
== CATAPULT == http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/2337/0/
== YOUNG GUNS: ON THE EIGHT-BALL ==
Craig Nottage has given the old pub pool table a new shot of life. Listen to the podcast of his story to find out how he got his idea off the ground.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7407/0/
== TRANSCRIPTS NOW ONLINE ==
MUSIC: IS IT REALLY THERAPEUTIC? (All In The Mind: 31/01/2009)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7394/0/
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S NEW SCIENCE TEAM (Science Show: 31/01/2009)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7408/0/
TRANSPORTING CHIMPS (Science Show: 31/01/2009)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7409/0/
MEMORY STORAGE IN THE BRAIN (Science Show: 31/01/2009)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7410/0/
EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF BABIES' BRAINS (Science Show: 31/01/2009)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7411/0/
EMISSIONS FROM VOLCANOES (Science Show: 31/01/2009)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7412/0/
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY - NEW CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND POLICY IN ITS 800TH YEAR (Science Show: 31/01/2009)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7413/0/
CLOCKS AND WATCHES (Ockham's Razor: 01/02/2009)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7414/0/
URINARY INCONTINENCE IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE WOMEN (Health Report: 02/02/2009)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7391/0/
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR WEIGHT LOSS (Health Report: 02/02/2009)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7390/0/
CHILDHOOD ANXIETY (Health Report: 02/02/2009)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7389/0/
'LIFESTYLE MEDICINE' (Health Report: 02/02/2009)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7388/0/
== COMING UP ON ABC RADIO ==
BUSH TELEGRAPH - Indigenous mental health
Friday 6 February, 11am RN
A new report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare makes some dire predictions about the mental health of Indigenous Australians.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/243/0/
THE SCIENCE SHOW - Did young Charles tell fibs?
Saturday 7 February, 12.05pm & Monday 9 February, 7.05pm RN
There are two sides to evolution: deeply serious - and jolly good fun. The fun is provided by Dame Edna Everage who displays the immense variety of everything in the natural world. She also illustrates the way Darwinism hit the Music Hall stage in the 19th century giving rise to many kinds of outrageous acts, hoaxes and impersonations. Queensland-based writer Jane Goodall takes us on a tour of the razzmatazz - and along the way shows how Charles Darwin the boy was often given to deceptions and tease. And the serious part of this Science Show shows how the modern science of epigenetics and embryology maintain the wonder of Darwin's ideas.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/902/0/
ALL IN THE MIND - The big buzz-ness of small brains
Saturday 7 February, 1.05pm & Monday 9 February, 1.05pm RN
Wait! Before you reach for the insect spray - listen to this show. From robotic crickets to bees that see in the dark, meet a couple of neuroethologists probing the incomprehensibly small, but surprisingly brilliant, brains of bugs.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/903/0/
THE PHILOSOPHER'S ZONE - Philosophy in the mountains
Saturday 7 February, 1.30pm & Monday 9 February, 1.35pm RN
Arne Næss, who died in January just a couple of weeks short of his ninety-seventh birthday, was a great mountaineer and part of the history of twentieth-century philosophy. He started out as a member of the great philosophical school the Vienna Circle but was better known as the founder of the movement known as deep ecology. This week, we pay tribute to the man and his work.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/904/0/
OCKHAM'S RAZOR - Economic fiction - how Homo sapiens could stop climate change
Sunday 8 February, 8.45am RN
Melbourne author Valerie Yule looks at the problem of waste which is anything that becomes useless rubbish before it needs to be. If we tackle the problem of excess in everyday life from food uneaten and thrown away to the use of disposables for convenience this is one way we could start cutting global carbon emissions very quickly.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/910/0/
BACKGROUND BRIEFING - Assisted death
Sunday 8 February, 9am & Tuesday10 February, 7pm RN
The law in Australia may not have caught up with modern medicine and doctors and the authorities are caught between a rock and a hard place. Dr Rodney Syme says the current situation of people who are terminally ill and in great pain is a scandal.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/911/0/
SUNDAY PROFILE - Stan Brock
Sunday 8 February, 1pm RN
British adventurer Stan Brock organises hundreds of medical volunteers to provide free health care to some of the 47 million Americans who have no health care insurance. Brock talks with Monica Attard about this extraordinary work.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7247/0/
THE HEALTH REPORT - Stroke treatment being blocked
Monday 9 February, 8.30am & 8.05pm RN
Next on the Health Report what some people are calling a national scandal which is leaving thousands of Australians with brain damage that could have been prevented.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/920/0/
BY DESIGN - Inspired by nature
Wednesday 11 February, 3pm & Saturday 14 February, 9am
We look at visionary, eco-friendly inventions inspired by nature, including a house which tracks the sun like a flower, a bike helmet based on a crustacean exoskeleton and high-rise walkways inspired by flying squirrels.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/3870/0/
FUTURE TENSE - IRENA enters the arena
Thursday 12 February, 8.30am & Friday 13 February, 12.30am RN
IRENA stands for the International Renewable Energy Agency. It's a new international body that's just been formed. Its role is to help nations map out their renewable energy strategies for the future. 76 countries have just signed up, but Australia, along with the US and China, is holding back. We ask why.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7172/0/
INNOVATIONS
Sunday 8 February (0830hrs UT), Monday 9 February (1330 & 1705hrs UT), Wednesday 11 February (0430hrs UT), Radio Australia
A clever joining system that does away with glue, screws and nails; a vaccine being developed in the global fight against tuberculosis; and how community housing is big business.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/1775/0/
== HIGHLIGHTS ON ABC TV ==
WILD CARIBBEAN - TREASURE ISLANDS
ABC1, 7:30pm Sunday, 8 February 2009
The Caribbean is the embodiment of paradise; crystal blue waters, spectacular coral reefs and magical tropical forests. Yet behind its beauty lie many dark secrets. The four-part series Wild Caribbean reveals what really lies behind this mysterious Eden. In the first episode, journey through the many islands and discover why the Caribbean is such a treasure trove of life.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7415/0/
AUSTRALIAN STORY - THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT
ABC1, 8:00pm Monday, 9 February
Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg is waking up the world to the impact of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef. This summer has seen unprecedented high ocean temperatures across the region; a strong indicator of another coral bleaching event. If we don't act to drastically lower carbon emissions, Ove believes that the world's largest coral reef system will die within 50 years.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/428/0/
STEPHEN FRY: THE SECRET LIFE OF THE MANIC DEPRESSIVE
ABC1, 9:35pm Monday, 9 February 2009
Everyone knows someone who suffers from manic depression. But it's a disease that's little talked about and little understood. This two-part documentary series, presented by Stephen Fry, sets out to explore the highs and the lows, and the causes and the treatments of a condition that may affect as many as 2% of the population.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7397/0/
THE NEW INVENTORS
ABC1, 8:00pm Wednesday, 11 Feb 2009
Showcases the art of invention and design in a national competition celebrating Australian ingenuity. Presented by James O'Loghlin
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/1151/0/
CATALYST
ABC1, 8:00pm Thursday, 12 Feb 2009
Climbing high into the forests of Malaysian Borneo in search of orangutans; trains, trams and videotape teaching young autistic minds to communicate; engineering excellence at Melbourne's new recital hall.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/834/0/
ZOO DAYS
ABC2, 7:00pm Friday, 6 February 2009
Zoo Days is an entertaining wildlife series following the engaging characters, both animal and human, at two of Britain's largest zoos. 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/386783/686964/7416/0/
SCRAPHEAP CHALLENGE
ABC2, 6:35pm weeknights
A true ABC2 viewer favourite, Scrapheap Challenge is back for a new series. In this engineering game show, teams of contestants have 10 hours, in which to build a working machine that can do a specific task, using materials available in a scrapheap. The challenges are many and varied, including making a jet car, a bridging machine, a car-crusher, or a machine to fling a British Leyland Mini as far as possible.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7417/0/
EATAHOLICS - ADDICTED TO BISCUITS
ABC2, 8:30pm Wednesday, 11 Feb 2009
Nutritionist Natalie Savona and clinical psychologist Stephen Briers try to help people whose food addictions are taking over their lives, damaging their relationships and threatening their health. Tonight we meet 26 year-old Andrew Forster. He's the head chef at a popular Italian restaurant in Newcastle and prides himself on his culinary creations. But Andrew can't eat any of the food he cooks because he only eats biscuits. He knows his problem is holding him back and is determined to make a change.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7418/0/
NAKED SCIENCE - ATLANTIS
ABC2, 5:40pm Thursday, 12 Feb 2009
Series unveiling the truth behind some of the most popular and controversial scientific topics of our time.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/386783/686964/7419/0/
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