Science Special News

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Debunking the 'Welsh Roswell'

A celebrated UFO incident in which aliens are said to have crash-landed into a remote Welsh mountain range in 1974 may finally have been debunked. According to contributions on the internet encyclopedia Wikipedia, the Berwyn Mountains Incident - often referred to as the "Welsh Roswell" - was actually a combination of an earthquake, a meteor shower and poachers carrying lanterns. Supporters of the UFO theory last night hit back at the claims. It all happened on the frosty night of January 23, 1974, near Llandrillo, high in Clwyd's Berwyn Mountains.Just after 8.30pm, even the most solid farmhouses and country pubs began to shake as the earth rumbled with what appeared to be a fantastic impact.As people looked out of their homes, the night sky was streaked with light. Peculiar "fairy lights" were also seen floating over the Berwyns. A nurse and her two daughters claimed to have seen an orange ball on the mountainside above Llandrillo while others claimed to have seen "non-human beings" being handled by military personnel.

But it was, says Wikipedia, a complex coincidence of a meteor shower widely observed over Wales and northern England, a small earthquake, plus the activity of poachers - which explained the fairy lights.And the website says so-called "men in black", thought to have been Government agents in the area soon afterwards, were in fact civil servants from the British Geological Survey who happened to be wearing dark clothing.Contributors to the online encyclopedia say it is now known that at 8.38pm on January 23, 1974, an earthquake measuring 3.5 on the Richter Scale was felt over a wide area of North Wales and as far afield as Liverpool.First reactions were that a plane had crashed, or a meteorite had impacted.Wikipedia claims, "Further confusion was caused by lights seen on the Berwyn Mountains, which subsequently turned out to have belonged to poachers."Police were alerted and set up a search team. Within an hour about 10 officers were searching the Berwyn Mountains and they were joined later by an RAF mountain rescue team from Valley (Anglesey). Nothing was found, and all searches were called off at just after 2pm the following day."

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Freeze 'condemned Neanderthals'

Submitted by Waspie Dwarf: A sharp freeze could have dealt the killer blow that finished off our evolutionary cousins the Neanderthals, according to a new study. The ancient humans are thought to have died out in most parts of Europe by about 35,000 years ago. And now new data from their last known refuge in southern Iberia indicates the final population was probably beaten by a cold spell some 24,000 years ago. The research is reported by experts from the Gibraltar Museum and Spain. They say a climate downturn may have caused a drought, placing pressure on the last surviving Neanderthals by reducing their supplies of fresh water and killing off the animals they hunted. Sediment cores drilled from the sea bed near the Balearic Islands show the average sea-surface temperature plunged to 8C (46F). Modern-day sea surface temperatures in the same region vary from 14C (57F) to 20C (68F). In addition, increased amounts of sand were deposited in the sea and the amount of river water running into the sea also plummeted. Neanderthals appear in the fossil record about 350,000 years ago and, at their peak, these squat, physically powerful hunters dominated a wide range, spanning Britain and Iberia in the west to Israel in the south and Uzbekistan in the east. Our own species, Homo sapiens, evolved in Africa, and displaced the Neanderthals after entering Europe about 40,000 years ago.

During the last Ice Age, the Iberian Peninsula was a refuge where Neanderthals lived on for several thousand years after they had died out elsewhere in Europe. These creatures (Homo neanderthalensis) had survived in local pockets during previous Ice Ages, bouncing back when conditions improved. But the last one appears to have been characterised by several rapid and severe changes in climate which hit a peak 30,000 years ago. Southern Iberia appears to have been sheltered from the worst of these. But about 24,000 years ago, conditions did deteriorate there. This event was the most severe the region had seen for 250,000 years, report Clive Finlayson, from the Gibraltar Museum; Francisco Jimenez-Espejo, from the University of Granada, Spain; and colleagues. Their findings are published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews.

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Feeding your brain.... with chocolate

As if people needed another excuse to like chocolate, new studies suggest a specially formulated type of cocoa may boost brain function and delay decline as people age, researchers said on Sunday. Scientists, speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco, presented results from early studies testing the effects on the brain of flavanols, an ingredient found in cocoa. Funded by candy maker Mars Inc., which provided a specially formulated liquid cocoa concoction for the research, the studies suggest that flavanols increase blood flow to the brain and may hold promise for treating some vascular impairments. Mars, a private company, has made a study of the health benefits of cocoa. Its CocoaVia line of chocolates, made with a process that retains flavanols, have been shown in clinical trials to have benefits for the heart. The latest research also suggests benefits for the brain.

Ian Macdonald of Britain's University of Nottingham Medical School, conducted a small brain imaging study on young, healthy women to see whether flavanol-rich cocoa helped boost cognitive function during challenging mental tasks. Although the beverage did not improve their performance on the tests, it did increase blood flow to their brains for a two to three-hour period, Macdonald said.

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New finds at Egypt's city of dead

Submitted by Waspie Dwarf: Archaeologists have been unveiling the latest discoveries from the Saqqara necropolis, or city of the dead, south of Egypt's capital, Cairo. Two tombs dating from between 3,000 and 4,200 years ago are of a royal scribe and a butler. Another find is of sarcophaguses of a priest and his female companion from the 12th dynasty (1991-1786 BC). Saqqara holds a number of temples and tombs. Officials say perhaps only 30% of its treasures have been discovered. The tomb of the royal scribe dates to the period of the pharaoh Akhenaten, who was known for discarding Egypt's old gods. His rule was between 1379 and 1362 BC, shortly before Tutankhamen. Egypt's antiquities chief, Zahi Hawass, said: "It doesn't look great because it was built from mud brick and not built of limestone, but I really believe that this tomb is very important." The tomb's dark wooden door bears hieroglyphics of the scribe and his wife. The second tomb belongs to a butler who died 3,350 years ago and contains well-preserved blue and orange paints with scenes of animals and rituals.

It is thought the discoveries show that nearby Memphis was still functioning as the capital, despite the official capital being Luxor in the south. The second find was of the 4,000-year-old anthropoid, or humanlike, wooden coffins of the priest Sobek Hat and his female companion. Their coffins are painted in light orange and have blue hieroglyphics. They have not yet been opened and the mummies inside remain intact.

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Universe offers 'eternal feast'

There is no such thing as a free lunch, some say, but they would be wrong. In fact, the entirety of the universe defies them. According to physics Professor Andrei Linde, one of the architects of the inflationary theory, our universe (and all the matter in it) was born out of a vacuum. "Recent developments in cosmology have irreversibly changed our understanding of the structure and fate of our universe and of our own place in it," says Linde, who will discuss the inflationary view of the universe at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In the same session, titled "Multiverses, Dark Energy and Physics as an Environmental Science," physics Professor Leonard Susskind of Stanford will talk about string theory and its relation to inflationary theory and physics Professor Lawrence Krauss of Case Western Reserve University will represent the skeptic view.

The conventional theory of the Big Bang says that the newborn universe was huge, containing more than 10^80 [ten raised to the power of eighty] tons of matter. But physicists were stumped for an explanation of where all this matter came from. Inflationary theory solves this problem by showing how our universe could emerge from less than a milligram of matter, or perhaps even from literally nothing.

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New Zealand fishermen land massive squid

Submitted by Pandora: New Zealand fishermen may have caught the largest Colossal squid ever found -- weighing around 450kg (992 pounds) and with rings the size of tires. The adult Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) was caught by fishermen long lining for toothfish in deep ocean off Antarctica, New Zealand Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said on Thursday in announcing the catch.The squid was still alive when caught and was eating a hooked toothfish when hauled aboard, Anderton said in a statement."The squid was almost dead when it reached the surface, and the careful work of the crew was paramount in getting this specimen aboard in good condition," Anderton said."The crew stopped winching in the longline for two hours, while the squid was maneuvered into a cargo net and hauled aboard," he said.The squid was frozen in the ship's hull and brought back to New Zealand for scientific examination."The colossal squid has just arrived in New Zealand and it is likely that it is the first intact adult male Colossal squid to ever be successfully landed," Anderton said.Colossal squid are one of the most mysterious creatures in the deep ocean, growing up to 12 to 14 meters (36 to 42 feet) in length.

Anderton said the squid would be photographed, measured, tissue sampled, registered and preserved intact."On-going examination of this giant will help to unlock some of the mysteries of the deep ocean. Even basic questions such as such as how large does this species grow to, and how long does it live for are not yet known," he said.Local media said early estimates put the squid at 10 meters (30 feet) in length and weighing 450 kg (992 pounds) -- 150 kg (330 pounds) heavier than the next biggest specimen found."I can assure you that this is going to draw phenomenal interest. It is truly amazing," squid expert Steve O'Shea at Auckland University of Technology told local media.

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New MoD documents discuss UFOs

It is not the sort of discussion you imagine among the grey-suited ranks of Whitehall - defence analysts debating the existence of little green men and speculating about whether they have visited Earth. But a set of newly released internal Ministry of Defence documents gives a fascinating insight into the military's interest in UFOs. They tell the story of the MoD's decision to investigate the threat they might pose and whether alien military technology could be used in the defence of the realm. They also reveal the conflicting attitudes within Whitehall to the subject and the lengths that officials went to in order to keep the project secret.The documents, many marked "Secret UK Eyes A", lay out the rationale for the three-year Project Condign report which analysed more than 10,000 possible UFO sightings collected over several decades - many from military personnel. The existence of the 460-page report was revealed last year following freedom of information requests by David Clarke, a lecturer in journalism at Sheffield Hallam University, and his colleague Gary Anthony.

It was more FOI sleuthing on their part that turned up the current slew of papers. The documents show that the internal lobbying effort for a UFO study began in 1993. In a briefing note from the secret UFO investigation branch of Defence Intelligence - called DI55 - an unnamed author wrote: "The national security implications are considerable. We have many reports of strange objects in the skies and we have never investigated them."I also believe that it is important to appreciate that what is scientific 'fact' today may not be true tomorrow ... If reports are taken at face value then devices exist that do not use conventional reaction propulsion systems, they have a very wide range of speeds and are stealthy. I suggest that we could use this technology, if it exists."

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Chimpanzees 'hunt using spears'

Submited by Waspie Dwarf: Chimpanzees in Senegal have been observed making and using wooden spears to hunt other primates, according to a study in the journal Current Biology. Researchers documented 22 cases of chimps fashioning tools to jab at smaller primates sheltering in cavities of hollow branches or tree trunks. The report's authors, Jill Pruetz and Paco Bertolani, said the finding could have implications for human evolution. Chimps had not been previously observed hunting other animals with tools. Pruetz and Bertolani made the discovery at their research site in Fongoli, Senegal, between March 2005 and July 2006. "There were hints that this behavior might occur, but it was one time at a different site," said Jill Pruetz, assistant professor of anthropology at Iowa State University, US. "While in Senegal for the spring semester, I saw about 13 different hunting bouts. So it really is habitual." Chimpanzees were observed jabbing the spears into hollow trunks or branches, over and over again. After the chimp removed the tool, it would frequently smell or lick it.

In the vast majority of cases, the chimps used the tools in the manner of a spear, not as probes. The researchers say they were using enough force to injure an animal that may have been hiding inside. However, they did not photograph the behaviour, or capture it on film. In one case, Pruetz and Bertolani, , from the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies in Cambridge, UK, witnessed a chimpanzee extract a bushbaby with a spear.

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Opus Dei plans its own film

Opus Dei, one of the world's most controversial religious groups and vilified in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, is poised to strike back, with a film about the life of its founder. A spokesman in Rome said Opus Dei was collaborating in the production of a full-length feature film on the life of St Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer. The producers said they were hoping to enlist Antonio Banderas and Robert De Niro for the leading roles. Opus Dei is not funding the film, but is a consultant to the project. Giuseppe Corigliano, head of Opus Dei's information office in Italy, said: "They had been asking us for at least six or seven years to act as consultants for a film on St Josemaria. "At the beginning, we had doubts because we didn't think it was possible to convey his extraordinary personality, his sense of humour and deep faith. We agreed after The Da Vinci Code affair." Opus Dei, which says it has 85,000 members in 60 countries, is a theologically conservative movement that seeks to integrate religion into daily life.

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Spitzer captures light from exoplanets

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured for the first time enough light from planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets, to identify signatures of molecules in their atmospheres. The landmark achievement is a significant step toward being able to detect life on rocky exoplanets and comes years before astronomers had anticipated. "This is an amazing surprise," said Spitzer project scientist Michael Werner of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif. "We had no idea when we designed Spitzer that it would make such a dramatic step in characterizing exoplanets."Spitzer, a space-based infrared telescope, obtained the detailed data, called spectra, for two different gas exoplanets: HD 189733b is 370 trillion miles away in the constellation Vulpecula, and HD 209458b is 904 trillion miles away in the constellation Pegasus. Just as a prism disperses sunlight into a rainbow, Spitzer uses an instrument called a spectrograph to reveal a spectrum by splitting light from an object into different wavelengths. The process uncovers "fingerprints" of chemicals making up the object. The exoplanets Spitzer observed are known as "hot Jupiters" because they are gaseous like Jupiter but orbit much closer to their stars.

The data indicate the two planets are drier and cloudier than predicted. Theorists thought hot Jupiters would have lots of water in their atmospheres, but were surprised when none was found around HD 209458b or HD 189733b. In addition, one of the planets, HD 209458b, showed hints of tiny sand grains, called silicates, in its atmosphere. This could mean the water is present in the planet's atmosphere but hidden under high, dusty clouds unlike anything seen around planets in our own solar system. "The theorists' heads were spinning when they saw the data," said Jeremy Richardson of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "It is virtually impossible for water, in the form of vapor, to be absent from the planet, so it must be hidden, probably by the dusty cloud layer we detected in our spectrum," he said. Richardson is lead author of a paper appearing in the Feb. 22 issue of Nature that describes a spectrum for HD 209458b.A team led by Carl Grillmair of NASA's Spitzer Science Center at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., captured the spectrum of HD 189733b. A team led by Mark R. Swain of JPL focused on the same planet in the Richardson study and came up with similar results. Grillmair's results will be published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Swain's findings have been submitted to the Astrophysical Journal Letters. "With these new observations, we are refining the tools that we will one day need to find life elsewhere if it exists," said Swain. "It's sort of like a dress rehearsal."

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Emotion robots learn from people

Submitted by Waspie Dwarf: Making robots that interact with people emotionally is the goal of a European project led by British scientists. Feelix Growing is a research project involving six countries, and 25 roboticists, developmental psychologists and neuroscientists. Co-ordinator Dr Lola Canamero said the aim was to build robots that "learn from humans and respond in a socially and emotionally appropriate manner". The 2.3m euros scheme will last for three years. "The human emotional world is very complex but we respond to simple cues, things we don't notice or we don't pay attention to, such as how someone moves," said Dr Canamero, who is based at the University of Hertfordshire. The project involves building a series of robots that can take sensory input from the humans they are interacting with and then adapt their behaviour accordingly. Dr Canamero likens the robots to babies that learn their behaviour from the patterns of movement and emotional state of the world around them. The robots themselves are simple machines - and in some cases they are off-the-shelf machines.

The most interesting aspect of the project is the software. Dr Canamero said: "We will use very simple robots as the hardware, and for some of the machines we will build expressive heads ourselves. "We are most interested in programming and developing behavioural capabilities, particularly in social and emotional interactions with humans." The robots will learn from the feedback they receive from humans.