Bird flu, GM chickens, and cradle-snatching crickets…
This week on radio, Tim Thwaites is talking about the impact of the floods on the Reef; fighting bird flu with transgenic chickens; how movies affect smokers; cradle-snatching crickets; and more…
Queensland floods hit the Reef Southern parts of the Great Barrier Reef are already being affected by the unprecedented amounts of fresh water gushing from Queensland rivers. Satellite images show that on-shore winds so far have confined the nutrient-rich, muddy, polluted water to within about 65 kilometres of shore, but eventually the plume could spread to affect the entire reef system. Not only can fresh water kill coral outright, but the flood water will block sunlight and encourage algal blooms.—Coral Reefs
A Nature report can be found at http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110118/full/news.2011.21.html
GM chickens can put a stop to bird ’flu—British researchers have genetically modified chickens so they can’t pass on bird ’flu to other birds. The transgenic chickens carry a genetic tweak that cramps the style of a protein crucial for the transmission of the H5N1 strain. Large-scale distribution of the birds to stop human infection is potentially feasible, but there would be political and social hurdles, not least concerns about eating GM food.—Science
A Nature report can be found at http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110113/full/news.2011.16.html
Explosive death for MRSA—American researchers have discovered an antibody that causes the golden staph superbug, MRSA, to explode when it tries to divide. They hope to be able to use it to produce a universal vaccine.—New Scientist
A New Scientist report can be found at http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19977-explosive-death-for-mrsa.html
Technology can drive you car for you—An automatic driving system, just road-tested for the first time in Sweden could let drivers read, use mobile phones, or surf the net as they travel to work. The system links cars together into trains or “platoons” under the control of a professional lead driver. The aims are to cut traffic congestion, and improve road safety and fuel consumption.—New Scientist
A New Scientist report can be found at http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19987-road-train-technology-can-drive-your-car-for-you.html
Movies ‘light up’ smokers—Smokers who watch movie stars light up cigarettes on screen simultaneously activate the parts of their brain needed for the same task, US researchers have found.—Journal of Neuroscience
A New Scientist report can be found at http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19980-movie-cigarettes-make-smokers-mentally-light-up.html
Cradle-snatching crickets—Female crickets prefer the serenades of younger males, according to South African researchers. The findings defy a well-established theory that females generally prefer older males because their longevity shows they have good genes.—Animal Behaviour
A New Scientist report can be found at http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19972-female-crickets-fall-for-serenades-of-younger-males.html