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The BA Science News Digest - 21 April 2006
Britons could be facing the worst drought since 1975 and a return mission to the moon may be the key to uncovering the secrets of life on earth. Plus your love life only gets better with age.......
Drivers this week were stuck up a creek without a paddle when satellite navigation system problems lead to many being stranded in up to 4ft of water. Those reliant on the devices near to the village of Luckington, Wiltshire, were directed away from a road closure following the collapse of a wall, and instead into a river. The river, close to the source of the Avon, is usually about 2ft deep but can get up to 4ft after heavy rainfall. A supplier of satellite navigation equipment stated in
The Telegraph
; “If a driver ever feels they are being directed down an inappropriate road then a Tomtom device can quickly re-route them." Locals have been reported to be charging up to £25 to fish motorists out.
Something that won't be found in the river, is the 90 million year old fossil snake recently discovered in Argentina’s Rio Negra province as described in
National Geographic
. The ancient snake with hips connected to its spine, may be the proof that serpents began life on the land and not in the water as was previously thought.
With the Antarctic warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, British scientists are at loggerheads with US colleagues over their plans to hunt for fossil fuel reserves in conjunction with oil companies. The head of the British Antarctic Survey has expressed that he is uncomfortable with the plan and will question its ethical and scientific justification according to
The Guardian
.
Figures released on Easter Monday also revealed that the US emitted more greenhouse gases in 2004 than any other time in history as reported in
The Independent
. Despite being the worst offender and increasing international concerns over climate change, scientists in Britain expressed their worries that the US were failing to take the lead in their actions. 6,300 million tonnes of carbon dioxide were released into the atmosphere by the US in 2004.
Britons are turning to drink to deal with low-level depression according to this weeks report by the Mental Health Foundation featured in the
Guardian
. According to their research, one tenth of the population are drinking every day, with the same one in 10 being most likely to state that the reason for drinking is to make them feel less depressed or anxious. This self-medication has lead to rate of drinking consumption to double in the past 50 years.
With the smoking ban now in action in Scotland, snuff may be making a comeback according to this week’s
Telegraph
. Apparently sales of the powdered tobacco are increasing in Britain and Europe with producers believing that it will become the new alternative to cigarettes.
Although Europe’s preparations for dealing with a bird flu epidemic are said to be well planned, European countries must work more closely together to ensure the maintenance of essential services and distribution of medical supplies are better co-ordinated to deal with a crisis. According to a recent report featured in
BBC Online
by a research team led by Dr Richard Coker of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; it was stated that plans rarely mentioned the need for collaboration of other member’s states, including direct neighbours, despite a call for this from the European Commission.
According to British scientist Ian Crawford, a return mission to the moon will offer the best chance to help us understand life on Earth as featured in
The Guardian
this week. Speaking at a meeting of the UK's Astrobiology Society at the University of Kent, Crawford called for the first crewed missions to the moon in more than three decades, outlining that the clues to the existence of life may yet be discovered.
Britain could be facing a two year drought ministers warned this week with water shortages being the worst since 1975 as stated in
The Sun
. It could mean that thousands will be made to rely on standpipes in the streets, with a ban on hosepipes almost a certainty. Scientists warn that unless the next few months are exceptionally wet, the environment will suffer seriously.
And finally……....
The best years may be yet to come with a recent global survey featured in
The Guardian
this week. It states sex just gets better with age, with those aged 40-80 years old reporting the most satisfying bedroom antics of all. So maybe practice really does make perfect after all!
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