Science News Here and There

A number of recent science news in the internet caught my attention.

Why Males Die Before Females
In humans and many other animals, males age faster and die earlier than females. New research suggests this might happen because of intense competition over sex.
Researchers that found the more polygynous a species was, the more likely their males were to age faster and die earlier than females.The researchers explained that as competition among males for sex grows more intense, each male on average has less time to breed. As such, there is no strong incentive to evolve longevity among males in such species. Since men age faster and die earlier than women, these findings suggest that "at the time when current human physiology evolved, perhaps around the late Stone Age, polygynous breeding was the norm."
"Of course, this doesn't provide any justification for polygyny or promiscuity now for males." The scientist added.

Haha... In other words, if you are a man and live in a population where there are many other men and only a few ladies, you will (or you should) age fast and die earlier as the need of your contribution in propagation is not that important. In the opposite situation, you have to live long because you are important in ensuring the continuity of human species there....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20071017/sc_livescience/whymalesdiebeforefemales;_ylt=AoNy1ZbVp70LoHMsMdGOv38br7sF


Scientist apologizes for hurtful remarks
James Watson, the 79-year-old scientific icon made famous by his work in DNA, has set off an international furor with comments to a London newspaper about intelligence levels among blacks.
The racist remark:
"inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours — whereas all the testing says not really."
Watson, who won a Nobel Prize in 1962 for co-discovering the structure of DNA, has apologized and says he's "mortified."
The basis of the argument:
"...There is no firm reason to anticipate that the intellectual capacities of peoples geographically separated in their evolution should prove to have evolved identically," Watson wrote. "Our wanting to reserve equal powers of reason as some universal heritage of humanity will not be enough to make it so."
But isn't this a logic theory? While applying this theory on human race is not right, perhaps it worth pondering deeper in other wider scope.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071019/ap_on_sc/controversial_scientist;_ylt=AucxfgNEzB6nQlX284VSOHIPLBIF

Human waste can help save planet: Indian expert
A cheap system to recycle human waste into biogas and fertiliser may allow 2.6 billion people in the world access to toilets and reduce global warming, an Indian environmental expert said .
A toilet system that organically breaks down faeces into trapped biogas that can be burned to provide cooking fuel and electricity, and convert urine into fertiliser.
That sound simple. After all, most of the today's cities already equipped with sewage system that gather human waste to a treatment centre. Instead of existing complex treatment stages, a power plant can be built by the sewage handling companies. Hm.. will there be an incentive program for families that "contribute most waste"?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071016/hl_afp/indiaenvironmenthealthtoiletwastewarming;_ylt=AiYl0d8ofZPJCqmitzBSJQhpl88F

Global warming driving up humidity levels, says study
Man-made global warming is driving up humidity levels, with the risk that rainfall patterns will shift or strengthen, tropical storms intensify and human health may suffer from heat stress, a study said.
Steam is a greenhouse gas, it traps solar heat in the atmosphere, thus stoking the warming effect and so worsening humidity.
The ramifications could be wide-ranging. The distribution and intensity of rainfall could be affected, and tropical cyclones could be beefed up, as humidity is one of the fuels for these storms.
Is that mean when we are talking about the disastrous effect of global warming, we are basically talking about too much water (from melting of ice)? So how to solve this problem?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071010/sc_afp/climatewarminghumidity;_ylt=Aruf50kUusZ.KyqpH3cTHVdpl88F

Global Warming Fix: Help the Earth Cure Itself
A proposal, detailed in the journal Nature, is to use free-floating or tethered pipes to increase the mixing of the ocean by moving nutrient-rich deep waters up to replace the more barren waters of the surface. These nutrients would stimulate the growth of algae and create large blooms that would take up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they photosynthesize.
"And when they die, their bodies sink to the bottom of the ocean as calcium carbonate shells, and that gets rid of [the carbon] for good," .
Then there is a saying that the intake of large amount of carbon dioxide will turn the sea acidic, which may cause other problems.
"If we have a treatment for something fairly serious, there will almost certainly be side effects, and you have to balance the consequences of the benefits and the loss."
It is just like in many desperate situation, chemotherapy which has harmful side effects still be the best choice to fight cancers.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070927/sc_livescience/globalwarmingfixhelptheearthcureitself;_ylt=An0Effy5ydDDUiZdgyG2gJ5pl88F
China reveals space plans
China revealed its plans for space -- including space walking, spacecraft docking and the setting up of a space laboratory before 2010.
The government would also give priority to developing an earth observation system using satellites, aircraft and airships
Apart from launching the country's first lunar orbiter at the end of this month, China would also study the second and third stages of its moon exploration projects.
China is also planning to land a human on the moon and to make a series of robotic missions with a view to building a base there after 2020.
That is the so-called "Achievements", "National proud", etc. A space tourist or a half -cook astronaut took a taxi to space is also "Achievements" and "Proud", but, only at personal level.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071018/sc_afp/chinaspace_071018194527


Genetically modified plants vacuum up toxins
Researchers have genetically altered poplar trees to pull toxins out of contaminated ground water, offering a cost-effective way of cleaning up environmental pollutants.
This research is part of an emerging area of study known as phytoremediation, which aims to use trees, grasses and other plans to remove hazardous materials from environment including water and air.
"Phytoremediation is basically a solar-powered pollutant-removal system".

This sound encouraging as fighting the war of environmental pollutions is as simple as do gardening. Just a wild idea, since the technology of genetics engineering is so advance, why not we alter the genetics of human being (The creator of all environmental problems), to a shrunken version of new generations. Half the size of the existing will means requirements for space, foods, energy, etc, will be half. Thus the waste products will also be cut half. The most effective and responsible solution!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/oct/16/gmcrops?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

The Crying Myanmar II

The U.N. envoy Gambari mission has failed in achieving anything significant. General Than Shwe has make a few surprise announces including his willingness to meet the detained democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, but the sincerity remained very doubtful. The obvious motive is to aim at staving off possible economic sanctions from U.N.

What's Next ?

It was frequently said that there is nothing much the rest of the world can do to exert pressure on this isolationist military regime which terrorised Myanmar since the civilian government was toppled in 1962. But is this true?

The Major Players
-ASEAN is the most important component of any international Myanmar policy. Previously the 5 founding states undertook not to interfere in each other's internal affairs, but in last January, ASEAN members prepared a new charter for 21st century that champions democracy promotion and human rights as universal values, and they established a human rights commission despite the SPDC's (State Peace and Development Council) strong objections.


-Japan, who helped the Myanmar throw off British colonial rule in the 1940s, are generally welcome by both the junta and democratic opposition. They see the opportunities for Japan aid to help rebuild the country.


-China, over the past 15 years has developed deep political and economic relations with Myanmar. Billions of dollars are involved in trade and investment and more than a billion dollar's worth of weapons sales. China has also seeks preferential deals for access to Myanmar's oil and gas reserves. Beijing's engagement with the SPDC has been essential to the regime's survival.



-India, the 4th largest trading partner of Myanmar, has been providing tanks, light artillery, reconnaissance and patrol aircraft, and small arms. To India interest, persistent repression and turmoil in Myanmar will continue to threaten India's security along its border. Internal political reform leading to a more open and reconciled Myanmar would be far more beneficial for India than anything that would result from India's current tactical accommodations.



Coordinated Engagement
Given the differing perspectives and interests of these nations of major role, a new multilateral initiative on Myanmar cannot be based on a single, uniform approach. Sanctions policies will need to coexist with various forms of engagement, and it will be necessary to coordinate all of these measures toward the common end of encourage reform, reconciliation, and ultimately the return of democracy. To succeed, the region's major players will need to work together. A coordinated international initiative to put forth a public statement of the principles that underlie their vision for a stable and secure Myanmar is needed. A road map towards the political reform and national reconciliation should be developed.


The Future
The participation of China and India in the joined-hand effort with other key players will be critical. The United States should influence both nations's thinking by making Myanmar a higher priority in bilateral dialogues. U.S. government should also initiate a new approach with ASEAN, Japan, and perhaps European Union, which has long-standing interest in political reform in Myanmar. ASEAN alone does not have the cohesion or the clout to shape China's or India's policy toward Myanmar. But with the help from the U.S. and others, it could take a leading role in spearheading a new coordinated, multilateral approach that neither Beijing nor New Delhi would be able to ignore.
The international community needs to act now to begin a process of concentrated and coordinated engagement for the benefit of the Myanmar people and of the broader peace and stability in Asia.

(Ref. source: Asia's Forgotten Crisis. - A new approach to Burma - By Michael Green and Derek Mitchell)