Thursday, March 31, 2011

FDA Probes Link Between Food Dyes, Kids' Behavior

The Food and Drug Administration is meeting Wednesday and Thursday to examine whether artificial food dyes cause hyperactivity in children. Artificial food dyes are made from petroleum and approved for use by the FDA to enhance the color of processed foods.

They've been around for decades and are found in everything from pudding to potato chips to soft drinks.

But recent studies linking food coloring to hyperactivity in kids is causing some experts to call on the FDA to ban foods containing them — or at least require a warning label.

No More Little Red Dinosaurs

 Christine Woodman of Fairfax, Va., first noticed her children were having trouble focusing on school projects and were acting way too reckless at home when they were in elementary school. She suspected they might have ADHD.

Woodman's daughter, Dawnielle, is 19 now, but she remembers a particular incident: the time she thought it would be fun to take some blankets from her bed and slide down the basement stairs on them.

"It was really fun and funny until I got my head stuck in the wall," Dawnielle says.

Christine was reluctant at first to take her kids to the doctor for their hyperactive behavior. She lived in the Pacific Northwest at the time, and the family embraced a theme common among their friends and neighbors.

"What is natural is good; what isn't natural was bad," she remembers.

Christine Woodman (right) and her daughter, Dawnielle. When Dawnielle was younger, Christine tried eliminating artificial food coloring from Dawnielle's diet to treat her hyperactivity. But she says Dawnielle's behavior didn't change until she was diagnosed with ADHD and given medication.
Enlarge Jonathan Makiri/NPR

Christine Woodman (right) and her daughter, Dawnielle. When Dawnielle was younger, Christine tried eliminating artificial food coloring from Dawnielle's diet to treat her hyperactivity. But she says Dawnielle's behavior didn't change until she was diagnosed with ADHD and given medication.

Christine Woodman (right) and her daughter, Dawnielle. When Dawnielle was younger, Christine tried eliminating artificial food coloring from Dawnielle's diet to treat her hyperactivity. But she says Dawnielle's behavior didn't change until she was diagnosed with ADHD and given medication.

Jonathan Makiri/NPR

Christine Woodman (right) and her daughter, Dawnielle. When Dawnielle was younger, Christine tried eliminating artificial food coloring from Dawnielle's diet to treat her hyperactivity. But she says Dawnielle's behavior didn't change until she was diagnosed with ADHD and given medication.

On the advice of friends, Christine decided to start by cutting out foods with artificial coloring, but Dawnielle didn't really go for it. She missed her favorite oatmeal with little red-colored dinosaurs in it. Christine tried a substitute. "You know, I made the oatmeal with blueberries and soymilk and thought you would be happy with it," she says to Dawnielle.

"I was not. That was not a good replacement," Dawnielle says, laughing.

But it was tough back then. After a year of trying various diets — from eliminating food dyes to eliminating dairy — her children's behavior never really changed, Christine says.

She finally took them to a pediatrician, who diagnosed them with ADHD and prescribed medication. The difference was stunning, Christine says.

"Suddenly, my world came back together and I could do stuff," Dawnielle says. She went from being the class clown to being the class example.

Diets A Popular First Step

A lot of people try "elimination diets" to address their kids' behavior, and many say they work. The diet idea dates back to the1970s, when pediatrician Benjamin Feingold first claimed that there was a link between behavior and food dyes.

The diet he prescribed eliminated food dyes and other food additives, like the common preservatives BHT and BHA.

Artificial food dyes might be an easy target for elimination because they aren't essential to food.

"Food dyes are added simply for their color to make foods fun. They serve no health purpose whatsoever," says Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

CSPI wants the FDA to ban eight artificial food dyes. Jacobson is particularly concerned with Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6, which make up 90 percent of the food dyes on the market.

Some of the studies are difficult or imperfect. ... But there is this body of literature that does suggest that food colorings are not as benign as people have been led to believe.

Their use has gone up fivefold in the past 50 years. "That's a good indication of how much junk food we're consuming," he says.

Jacobson says there is substantial evidence showing that food dyes trigger hyperactivity in kids. But other experts question that conclusion.

Before Wednesday's meeting, the FDA released its analysis of 35 years of scientific studies. It finds no conclusive proof that food dyes cause hyperactivity in most kids, although it suggests that some kids with ADHD may be particularly sensitive to them.

Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, says more studies are needed and that the current studies leave a lot of room for doubt.

"Some of the studies are difficult or imperfect in that they don't always tease out specific chemicals in isolation," he says. "But there is this body of literature that does suggest that food colorings are not as benign as people have been led to believe."

European Action On Food Dyes

A 2007 British study known as the Southampton study has become something of a flashpoint in the current debate. In it, 3- and 8-year-olds were given two kinds of drinks that contained a mix of dyes. Afterward, parents reported a significant increase in hyperactivity. But teachers and independent observers didn't, critics say. Also, because the dyes were mixed together, it's hard to tell which might be causing a problem.

"It gives you pause, but it's certainly not convincing evidence that there's a problem," says Julie Miller Jones, professor emeritus of nutrition at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn.

But Adesman, the pediatrician, says if parents are concerned, there is no harm in cutting out food dyes if they can manage it.

"We're not putting food coloring into broccoli or other fresh fruits and vegetables. It's going into processed foods, concentrated sweets, things like that," Adesman says.

Related NPR Stories

Despite concerns with the British study, European lawmakers now require a warning label on foods that contain artificial dyes. It lets parents know their kids might become hyperactive if they consume the product.

Manufacturers overseas, instead of adding a warning label, have turned to natural dyes made from beets and turmeric. Some U.S.-based manufacturers are considering switching to natural dyes, but as the food industry points out, natural dyes are more expensive and less stable.

Joseph Borzelleca, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the Virginia Commonwealth University medical school, will be testifying at the FDA meeting on the safety and functionality of food dyes. He says food dyes are rigorously tested and have a long and safe history.

 

Ivory Coast Residents Murdered, Ouattara Fighters Move On Abidjan

Ivory Coast Residents Murdered, Ouattara Fighters Move On Abidjan

 

Korva Coleman

Enlarge

As we reported yesterday, fighters loyal to Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognized winner of Ivory Coast's presidential election, are advancing on the commercial capital with 'lightning speed'. His rival, Laurent Gbagbo, is now calling for a truce.

There's growing fear of human rights abuses. Human Rights Watch issued this alert today: the group found witnesses who report Gbagbo fighters slaughtered residents of one Ivorian village, possibly in retaliation for the capture of nearby areas by Ouattara fighters. The murdered villagers were West African immigrants but suspected to be Ouattara supporters.

The witnesses allege the Gbagbo fighters were accompanied by mercenaries from neighboring Liberia. Human Rights Watch says months of Gbagbo's atrocities 'probably rise to the level of crimes against humanity'.

Meanwhile, British broadcaster Channel 4 News has gotten reports of mass killings, possibly at the hands of Ouattara fighters. The report says the deaths are near the Duekoue region. That's also where some 10,000 refugees are trapped in a church compound with little food, water or health facilities. Some 1,000 UN peacekeepers are reportedly there while another 2,000 are supposed to be enroute. A Ouattara spokesman blamed Liberian mercenaries for the attacks.

NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports Gbagbo's army chief of staff has taken refuge in the home of South Africa's ambassador to Ivory Coast. Philippe Mangou brought his wife and five children to the South African ambassador's residence.

The Vatican is sending its senior officer from its peace and justice office: Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana. The Catholic News Agency says Pope Benedict XVI is urging an end to violence, because conditions for people, have gotten so much worse. Copyright 2011 National Public Radio

Spider-Man: Edge of Time tells the tale of two Spideys this fall | Joystiq

Spider-Man: Edge of Time tells the tale of two Spideys this fall

After doing a fine job with Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, developer Beenox is taking another swing (see what we did there?) at our favorite webhead in Spider-Man: Edge of Time, due out this fall on unannounced platforms.



In Edge of Time, Spider-Man classic and Spider-Man 2099 will work together to avoid personal catastrophe (read: Peter Parker's demise) in a story crafted by 2099 co-creator Peter David. The game's hook is that the actions of one Spider-Man will alter the timeline of the other.



This, of course, is the moment where we point out that Marvel 2099 is technically the future of Earth-928 and not Earth-616, where Spider-Man classic exists. Therefore, the actions of one wouldn't impact the other, so we're hoping some sort of interdimensional machinations will be involved as well.



Obviously.

 

Twitter Pulls The QuickBar From Its iPhone App

 

Farewell QuickBar, we hardly knew ye.

Dubbed #DickBar (after CEO Dick Costolo), the ad bar promoting trending topics hovered at the top of iPhone Twitter streams--and annoyed users. Now, Twitter is backtracking.

"We will frequently experiment by trying new things, adding new features, and being bold in the product decisions we make," the official blog said of the decision. "After testing a feature and evaluating its merits, if we learn it doesn't improve the user experience or serve our mission, we'll remove that feature."

Though Twitter says the purpose of the QuickBar was to "help users discover what's happening in the broader world beyond people they already follow," most seemed to find it an unsightly nuisance. They've pulled the feature completely rather than retooling.

The announcement may not tell the whole story, however. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Twitter is suffering a crisis of administration. A source briefed on the debacle said that QuickBar was launched "essentially out of the blue, by a junior product manager - without any review from the company's senior leadership."

 

Justin Bieber And Ashton Kutcher Ask ‘What Would Kenny Do,’ But How About Reinventing These Other Classic Buddy Comedies?

 

Justin Bieber's already told you to never say never, and he's living up to that motto by following his massively successful documentary with his first scripted big-screen role — opposite Ashton Kutcher, no less!

The Los Angeles Times reports that Bieber and Kutcher are joining forces for "What Would Kenny Do?," a buddy movie that focuses on a teenager (Bieber) who is helped through the ordeals of high school living by a 30-something hologram (Kutcher) claiming to be the adult version of himself. If that doesn't sound like a winning combination to you, we're clearly not on the same page.

In fact, we're so into the idea of Bieber and Kutcher's looming team-up that we couldn't help ourselves from thinking about some other classic buddy movies they would reinvent with stunning success. Click the photo below for our Photoshop madness and read our Bieber-Kutcher buddy movie suggestions past the jump!

 

"Lethal Weapon"

There's a "Lethal Weapon" reboot in the works, right? Why not toss Bieber and Kutcher in there as the modern-day Murtaugh and Riggs! We've got a feeling that neither of these guys would get too old for this s*** anytime soon.

"Grumpy Old Men"

Speaking of getting too old, we'd love to see Bieber and Kutcher aged up to elderly status for a "Grumpy Old Men" remake. If you thought Jennifer Garner as Miss Marple was controversial, you haven't seen anything yet.

"Thelma & Louise"

Is there any friendship more powerful in cinema than the bond between Thelma and Louise? Some time has passed since that classic, and if anyone could bring it back with a renewed energy, it's our "What Would Kenny Do?" duo.

"Turner & Hooch"

While we're on the subject of friendship, how about an exploration of Bieber and man's best friend—a canine Kutcher, in this case, starring in a "Turner & Hooch" remake. There's no doubt that "Bieber & Kutch" would light up the box-office for weeks on end.

"Men In Black"

Alright, we'll keep it cool for our last pick: we would love to see Bieber and Kutcher starring as alien-busting agents in the next "Men in Black" movie. There's no reason these guys couldn't have a cameo when Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones' third "MIB" outing hits theaters next year.

Tell us some of the other classic buddy movies you'd like to see Bieber and Kutcher reinvent in the comments section and on Twitter!

 

RADIATION TRACES FOUND IN U.S. MILK” (or, how I learned to stop worrying and love giant radioactive lizards)

 

 

The U.S. government said Wednesday that traces of radiation have been found in milk in Washington state [...].

The Environmental Protection Agency said a March 25 sample of milk produced in the Spokane, Wash., area contained a 0.8 pico curies per literlevel of iodine-131 [...].

The EPA said it increased monitoring after radiation leaked from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. It expects more such findings in coming days [...].

Iodine-131 has a half-life of about eight days [...].

[my emphases]

It always begins this way: radioactive milk in Washington State, Oregon coast oysters coughing up hot pearls, California zombie fish tacos turning on legwarmer-adorned Venice Beach rollerbladers and eating their lips off. And it always ends with Dustin Hoffman racing against the clock, trying to track down some deadly escaped monkey.

Thankfully, I have a cupboard filled with Beefaroni, and I’ve stockpiled enough iodinized salt to keep me cured for at least a year. Provided I can get used to a heavily crusted crotch and having to sleep upside down, hanging from a hook in the meat cellar, that is.

Of course, should the house be attacked by an enormous moth, all bets are off.

 

Betty White to Host New NBC Reality Show: ‘Betty White’s Off Their Rockers’

 

 

Betty White is moving on to reality TV by hosting an upcoming NBC show with the working title, Betty White’s Off Their Rockers.  

OK! VIDEO: WATCH BETTY WHITE SEDUCE JUROR TO AVOID JAIL TIME ON HOT IN CLEVELAND

Twelve episodes of Betty White’s Off Their Rockers has been ordered by NBC, Huffington Post reports.

The series is based off of a Belgian show that is also produced in other European counties and South Korea.

“People have been telling me that I’m ‘off my rocker’ for years – now I can prove it,” the 89-year-old actress joked in a statement made on Thursday.

OK! VIDEO: BETTY WHITE FEELS UP HER SAG STATUE DURING ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

NBC and Universal Media Studios executive Paul Telegdy explained the reality show as one that follows seven seniors to join forces with Betty to play pranks on “the unsuspecting youth of America.”

The air date for the show has not yet been announced, but we’ll keep you updated!

Do you think this is a good show for Betty to host?

 

Walker Administration Reverses Course, Will Comply with Restraining Order on Anti-Union Law

 

After initially defying a second court order to stop implementation of a Wisconsin law stripping most collective bargaining rights from public employees, I guess Scott Walker felt that the third order from Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi did the trick. The Walker Administration will actually stop implementation of the law.

Wisconsin governor Scott Walker’s administration will comply with a judge’s order to put on hold temporarily a controversial law curbing the collective bargaining rights of state public employee unions, two state officials tell the Associated Press.

The move comes after Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi ruled that the law had not been properly published and was not in effect, the Journal Sentinel reports.

I guess the Walker Administration finally figured out that there was an additional branch of government in Wisconsin. Here’s that third order from today, by the way, where Judge Sumi states clearly that the law “has not been published… and is therefore not in effect.”

So that ends one of the sorrier chapters in this saga. Now, Judge Sumi has to rule on the actual case at hand, namely whether the Republicans in the Legislature violated the open meetings law when they called a quickie conference committee to get the anti-union bill passed. In addition, there’s an appeal of the temporary restraining order, which is in the hands of the state Supreme Court. They have not yet decided to take action.

Waiting in the wings are additional court challenges to the law, including one which claims that there were fiscal elements included in the “non-fiscal” legislation, which would mean that it did not receive a quorum, since the Senate voted on it without Democrats present. And there is likely to be another challenge, on the grounds that the changes to municipal pensions violates “home rule” statutes.

The legal challenges, therefore, are ongoing and could take months. And in the meantime, you have battles at the ballot box, including next week’s for state Supreme Court, and a series of potential recall elections of state Senators. So this backlash to union-busting continues in Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest.

…I have immediate reaction from a Wisconsin labor source: “It’s a sad comment on this administration when their complying with the rule of law comes as a surprise”

 

Sony Online Entertainment closes three studios, cancels The Agency -- PlayStation Universe

 

 

Sony Online Entertainment today confirmed the closure of three of its studios, gaming business publication Gamasutra reports. SOE is shuttering its Denver, Seattle, and Tucson studios, laying off 205 people and cancelling troubled spy shooter The Agency.

"As part of this restructuring, SOE is discontinuing production of The Agency so it can focus development resources on delivering two new MMOs based on its renowned PlanetSide and EverQuest properties, while also maintaining its current portfolio of online games," said a company representative in an email statement. "All possible steps are being taken to ensure team members affected by the transition are treated with appropriate concern."

An early gameplay screenshot of The Agency, now cancelled (click to enlarge)

Originally announced in 2007, SOE Seatle's The Agency was a massively multiplayer online shooter destined for PlayStation 3 and PC. Had the game seen the light of day, players would have had the opportunity to play as an elite agent in a world of super-spies, battling cooperatively and competitively in a persistent online world.

We've reached out to several SOE representatives for comment on the closures and cancellation. We'll keep you updated on the situation.

- - - - - - - - - -

UPDATE: Ryan Peters, PR manager for Sony Online Entertainment, just responded to our inquiries.

"This strategic decision will have no impact on SOE’s current portfolio of live games; additionally SOE will transition development efforts for the Denver and Tucson studios’ suite of products to its San Diego headquarters," reads the statement Peters provided. "This strategic alignment of development resources better positions SOE to remain a global leader in online gaming and deliver on its promise of creating entertaining games for players of all ages, and servicing the 20 million players that visited SOE servers in just the past year."

Best of luck to the hundreds of now-unemployed developers who must now seek out new job

 

Microsoft lodges antitrust complaint against Google with European Commission, ignores irony

Microsoft lodges antitrust complaint against Google with European Commission, ignores irony

So Microsoft doesn't like anticompetitive behavior, huh? Since when? Brad Smith, General Counsel for the Redmond rabblerousers, has posted a lengthy blog post outlining Microsoft's concerns with "a pattern of actions that Google has taken to entrench its dominance" in online search and ads, which he claims is detrimental to European consumers. Funnily enough, half the post is about Google's legal issues in the US, but we'll set that aside for now. What this boils down to is that Microsoft is finally taking the gloves off -- Google accused it of pushing other companies to do its dirty work -- and is now adding its name to the list of objectors to Mountain View's stranglehold on search in Europe. The European Commission is already taking a regulatory looksee at Google's tactics, so this isn't sparking off a new investigation, but it does add the glamor of two big names locking legal horns yet again. Hit the source link for Brad's exposition of Google's villainous wrongdoings.

 

Libya’s foreign minister defects to Britain

 

 

Moammar Gadaffi appears to have lost one of his top officials. Former Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa flew to a military base in southern England Wednesday night. Koussa himself has yet to speak about his decision to leave Libya. But the British government is calling his departure a blow to Gadaffi.

Koussa arrived after dark aboard a British military plane, his sudden departure from power in Tripoli shrouded in mystery. Moussa Koussa is reportedly being debriefed.
British Prime Minister David Cameron was quick to claim Koussa’s apparent defection as a propaganda coup

“But I think it does show a huge amount of decay, distrust and breakdown at the heart of the Gadaffi regime,” said Cameron. “This was his foreign minister. This was a key member of his government. The fact he’s decided to leave and effectively defect and give up his role I think speaks volumes about what is happening in that regime.”

Koussa arrived in the same country that once expelled him for openly advocating the killing of Libyan dissidents on British soil. But in recent years Koussa appeared to shift strategies. Former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Koussa played a key role in ending Libya’s international isolation.

“I’m in no doubt that he has occupied a key position at the heart of the intelligence and security apparatus of the Gaddafi regime and I am in absolutely no doubt that that he played a fundamentally important role in getting Gaddafi to agree to give up his nuclear weapons and his chemical weapons programme,” Straw said.

Downplaying the resignation

In Tripoli, Gadaffi’s Spokesman Ibrahim Moussa said Koussa had asked for sick leave and had left for Tunisia. Moussa said Koussa had not told anyone in the government of his plans to travel to Britain. Still, Moussa downplayed the former foreign minister’s resignation.

“The battle for Libya to be independent and free does not depend on one person or one individual, but on the hundreds of thousands and millions of Libyans leading the fight for Libyan freedom and independence,” said Moussa.

For some in Britain, Koussa’s sudden arrival raises new questions about old cases.
Scottish prosecutorsannounced they are seeking him for questioning in connection with the 1988 Pan Am plane bombing over the town of Lockerbie, Scotland. 270 people died when the plane exploded. Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora was one of the Lockerbie victims, said he hopes Koussa will provide essential information:

“From the point of view of the Lockerbie relatives his defection — if that’s what it is — to Britain is a day for rejoicing because all we’re after is very simple, is the truth about who killed our families and why they did it and how they did it and it may turn out that Libya didn’t have such a central role as everyone is presuming at the moment, but I think the two questions that he can certainly answer is: if Libya was involved, how did they carry it out and secondly – why?” said Swire.

Warm welcome

Hisham Matar, a Libyan writer living in exile in London, worries that Koussa is being given too a warm welcome by Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth office – or FCO.

“Moussa Koussa has been called many things, the most colourful of which are the envoy of death, the father of Lockerbie,” Matar said. “I mean look very few of Gadaffi’s men are associated more strongly with macabre violence than the man who now enjoys the hospitality of the FCO.”

The government says Koussa isn’t being offered immunity. But Matar said if he is arrested, it might discourage other potential defectors who are considering abandoning Gadaffi.

“At the same time if he is given asylum here, it would shake any Libyan’s faith in Britain’s commitment to justice,” Matar said. “And many Libyans now see Britain as a partner in the future of Libya and how Britain treats Musa Qusa will be very important in that regard.”

Despite his dramatic resignation, Koussa is unlikely to be embraced by Libya’s opposition movement who remember all too well his years at the center of power in Tripoli.

 

Social search comes of age with Google's '+1' button

It had to happen. The search behemoth has revealed plans to roll out ‘+1’, the Google equivalent of Facebook's ‘Like’ button.

Google’s intentions are clear. It wants to work social signals into its algorithm to a) reduce spam, and b) deliver increasingly personalised results.

The +1 button will appear alongside search results and – in time - on websites. 

Here’s what it looks like:

Google +1 - before the click

And after the click:

Google +1 - after the click

Google really needs to make more sense of the social graph in order to optimise +1. If it manages to acquire Twitter in the coming months then, as far as I'm concerned, +1 could be a great success. It tantalisingly suggests that it "may" attempt a deeper integration with Twitter:

Soon we may also incorporate other signals, such as your connections on sites like Twitter, to ensure your recommendations are as relevant as possible.”

User control is the key. The algorithm can only do so much, and Google would be foolish to resort to guesswork when determining which networks to listen to. It needs to ask the right questions…

Reading the right smoke signals 

Here’s the key problem that Google has to contend with: everybody has different preferences when it comes to social networks. In order to improve relevance, Google needs to figure out which is your most relevant social network. It may not be the same as mine. We all use them differently.

Think about it and ask yourself which social platform you would trust to influence the search results that Google presents to you? For me, it is definitely my Twitter network. By following people on Twitter I am implicitly recommending them (even the weirdos) and filing them under the “interesting” label. They talk about things and share links relevant to my interests. They give good tweet, if you will. And I’d be happy for Google to use their +1s to improve my search results.

The same cannot be said of my other networks. For example, my Google ‘circle’ contains many dozens of random PR contacts (who aren't the same as the PR folks I follow on Twitter). Just because I might have emailed somebody a few times doesn’t mean I will trust their judgement (which is ultimately a byword for ‘+1’), or share the same interests. 

Similarly, Facebook is no good for me either, as a) I don’t use it much and b) my Facebook network is by and large limited to old friends and family.

Unless Google can figure out which of my social networks to trust it will be playing with fire, as far the SERPs are concerned. It needs to ask the question, and it needs to expand the range of available data sources / networks that it monitors.

Why Google could win

Google pays Twitter an eight-figure sum to access the data firehose and it does a far better job than Twitter in certain areas, such as search. Google Realtime is a treat, relative to Twitter’s underperforming and highly restrictive search tool. It knows how to work with data and how to build tools that extend and enhance the data. 

I still think that it makes a lot of sense for Google to buy Twitter but even if it doesn’t, it can use the Twitter API / firehose to really make sense of people’s networks. Unless Facebook buys it, in which case all bets are off. 

Whether Google can or will access personal networks on Facebook remains to be seen. The API allows for much insight into personal networks, but even if the user gives permission I have a strong suspicion that Facebook might not. Does it currently work with Facebook data? I'm not convinced that it does. It seems like there's a bit of a cold war going on between these two heavyweights right now.

And what of those people who don’t use Twitter and Facebook. They do exist! And what of the niche networks? What of the true social ‘media’ sites like Reddit? Google might need to spread its wings beyond the obvious candidates.

There’s a much bigger picture, I think, in terms of how Google will look at +1 data. Those low-rent sites that the Panda update didn’t quite deal with may struggle to maintain first page listings, in the face of +1 activity on quality sites. This could become the biggest multiple choice A/B test in search history. Surely those sites that attract lots of +1 clicks could ultimately outrank those that don’t, even when personalised search is turned off / people aren’t logged in?

What are the search experts saying?

I noticed the +1 news break last night, since when many search experts have waded into the fray to make sense of it. The joy of being relatively late to the party is that I can now link to them...

Malcolm Coles wonders about the mechanics of the user interface. ‘What normal person would ever use +1?’, he asks.

Danny Sullivan provides the usual comprehensive breakdown of +1 and points out why it matters to Adwords advertisers.

Tom Critchlow points out the social signals are already well correlated with search rankings, and also that +1 will be hard to game.

Steak Digital thinks that big brands will win big. I personally think that any brand – big or small – with a strong community is well positioned to do well, once +1 is rolled out worldwide.

Peter Young reckons that Google is “trying to force a community”, and that +1 is a very different beast from Facebook ‘likes’, which is anchored around an existing social network.

Joanna Butler just wants Google to be impartial, and she's not sure that +1 is going to help on that score.

What do you make of +1? Me too? Great idea? A statement of intent? 
[Images via the Official Google Blog]

Arnold Schwarzenegger is now a cartoon superhero called The Governator

Arnold Schwarzenegger is now a cartoon superhero called The Governator


 

It was mere rumor a week ago, but now, it’s not a rumor—it’s not: Arnold Schwarzenegger is partnering with Stan Lee to become The Governator, a cartoon superhero that will trade on the sarcastic sobriquet afforded his political career (a nickname that Schwarzenegger nevertheless thinks is “so cool”) for a comic book and TV cartoon. The series imagines an alternate reality (or is it?) that picks up as Schwarzenegger leaves office, builds a secret underground bunker stocked with vehicles and “Super Suits” that allow him to fly, and becomes a sort of Iron Man-like crimefighter who just happened to star in Junior.

Aiding him in his efforts is a 13-year-old “computer whiz” and “cybersecurity expert,” who helps him set the privacy settings on his Facebook page, we guess, and much of their time will be spent fighting arch-nemeses, the G.I.R.L.I.E. Men, who weren’t exactly thinking ahead when they chose that acronym. Elements of Schwarzenegger’s real life will factor in as well, as Lee promises, “The Governator is going to be a great superhero, but he’ll also be Arnold Schwarzenegger,” meaning the series will incorporate his kids and even wife Maria Shriver, who will hopefully be there to help The Governator out of a jam by slicing through steel with her cheekbones.

Video Fix: Katy Perry’s ‘E.T

Here’s the latest music video from Katy Perry for E.T., the fourth number one single off her sophomore album, Teenage Dream. For some reason she added Kanye West to the track, which I didn’t really find necessary but to each his/her own! For a long time I seriously couldn’t stand Ms. Perry but she has totally won me over with her latest album, it even made my top favorites of 2010 list, the title track is one of the best pop songs ever! I prefer the other singles over this one, but it’s decent enough! For Katy’s next single, I would suggest either Circle the Drain or Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).

Katy Perry - E.T.

 

Escaped Egyptian Cobra Found Dvorak Uncensored

The venomous Bronx Zoo Egyptian cobra that alarmed and delighted New Yorkers when it escaped from its enclosure was found today, ending a six day search for the celebrated snake.

The elusive snake was found “coiled, sort of secluded in a dark corner” about 9 a.m. a couple hundred feet away from the enclosure she had slipped out of, said Bronx Zoo Director Jim Breheny.

The poisonous cobra disappeared from the zoo last Saturday and immediately became New York’s newest and skinniest celebrity. The teenage cobra built up a huge following on Twitter with nearly 200,000 followers while it was on the lam. Since Monday, the Twitter account @BronxZoosCobra has tweeted the imaginary escapades of the escapee.

The tweets have delighted New Yorkers as they lampooned the city’s foibles and its famous. “Donald Trump is thinking about running for president?! Don’t worry, I’ll handle this. Where is Trump Tower exactly?” said one sample.

200,000+ followers on Twitter, a gig on Kimmel and Conan and hundreds of column inches of news.

David Sokol: I Didn't Want Warren Buffett's Job

Ben Berkowitz and Jonathan Stempel - Former Berkshire Hathaway executive David Sokol on Thursday said he has invested in companies he then recommended for acquisition in the past, a day after Berkshire disclosed Sokol pushed Lubrizol Corp to Warren Buffett after investing in it.

But Sokol said on CNBC if he had it all to do again, he would have invested in Lubrizol for himself and not passed the recommendation on to Buffett. He said he did not expect Buffett to want to buy the company and was surprised at how quickly the "Oracle of Omaha" moved to make a deal.

Sokol was seen by many investors as the most likely successor to Berkshire Hathaway's iconic CEO, though he made clear in the interview he did not aspire to the job and wanted to build his own "mini-Berkshire" instead.

Buffett released a letter on Wednesday disclosing that Sokol bought a substantial stake in Lubrizol before urging Buffett to acquire the company, which Buffett did for $9 billion this month. Sokol appeared to have made a profit of at least $2.98 million on his investment.

In a half-hour interview, Sokol insisted he never had any inside information on Lubrizol and that he bought the shares solely as a good investment for his family.

"I'd like to invest my own money, control a significant piece of it, and control my own schedule," Sokol said, later adding "I didn't know anything others don't know."

Sokol also said he has on past occasions invested in companies that he suggested Buffett buy, noting one example of a bank that Buffett did not ultimately acquire.

He also said other Berkshire executives have in the past held stock in companies they then identified for investment or acquisition, citing the example of Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger owning a stake in Chinese car maker BYD before suggesting it for an investment.

Nonetheless, the chairman of Berkshire units MidAmerican Energy and NetJets told CNBC's anchors he understood how the sequence of events looked, even if he did nothing wrong.

"I can understand the appearance of an issue ... That's why we made it public," he said.

Sokol resigned March 28. He said Buffett did not try to talk him out of resigning. Buffett's letter included an excerpt of Sokol's letter, but the full Sokol letter was not made public.

Berkshire's Class B shares, which are more heavily traded than its Class A stock, opened 1.6 percent lower at $84.06.

 

Leonard Nimoy Lends His Voice To 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' As Sentine

 

Leonard Nimoy, the 'Star Trek' alumnus who famously played Spock in the series, has joined the cast of Michael Bay's third 'Transformers' film, 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon.' Nimoy will voice Autobot Sentinel Prime, the predecessor of Optimus Prime, who is voiced by Peter Cullen -- not to be confused with Edward Cullen.

This isn't Nimoy's first run-in with the 'Transformers.' Way back in 1986, he provided to voice for Galvatron, a Decepticon leader in 'Transformers: The Movie.' It's not often that an actor can go from villain to hero, but if anyone is able to jump team without a fuss being made, it's the venerable Leonard Nimoy.

Admittedly, director Michael Bay was hesitant about asking Nimoy to join the cast. "I was too scared to ask him," said the director. "Plus, he’s married to Susan Bay, who’s a cousin of mine. So I had to be careful. I’ve met him at family functions. But he told me, ‘I would be honored. I’m glad to be back!’"

Here's the synopsis for the film: 

"The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets, which could turn the tide in the Transformers' final battle."

 

SentinelPrime


'Transformers: Dark of the Moon'
sees Shia LaBeouf reprising his role as aid to the Autobots, Sam Witwicky for the third time. He's joined by the Megan Fox replacement, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. The film hits theaters this summer on July 1.

 

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Bolivia's Morales to take Chile sea dispute to court

Bolivia has said it will take Chile to international courts to try to recover access to the Pacific Ocean, which it lost in a war 132 years ago.
President Evo Morales said Chile had failed to respond to a deadline he had set for progress in negotiations.
Bolivia's loss of the sea was an "open wound" that must be healed, he added.
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera has rejected the remarks, calling them a "serious obstacle" to relations.
Mr Morales was speaking on Bolivia's "Day of the Sea", when it commemorates its defeat by Chile in the 19th Century War of the Pacific.
"Our fight for maritime revindication, which has marked our history for 132 years, must now include another element", he said at a ceremony in La Paz.
"We must go to international tribunals and organisations to demand free and sovereign access to the sea."
He added that Bolivia would continue dialogue with Chile while seeking a legal solution to its landlocked status.
Hours later, Chile expressed its "categorical rejection" of the Bolivian announcement, calling it an "unacceptable pretension".
"Bolivia cannot expect a direct, frank and sincere dialogue while it simultaneously manifests its intention to go to international tribunals," said Chilean President Sebastian Pinera.
National sentiment
Bolivia broke off diplomatic relations with Chile over the territorial dispute in 1978.
map
They resumed ministerial-level talks on the issue earlier this year, but Chile declined to respond to Bolivia's 23 March deadline for it to come up with concrete proposals on how to meet its demands.
Chile is involved in a similar dispute over maritime boundaries with Peru, which also lost territory in the War of the Pacific.
Last October, Peru signed a deal allowing Bolivia to build its own port on Peru's Pacific Coast.
The demand for the return of its lost coastline is the subject of powerful national sentiment in Bolivia.
The landlocked Andean nation maintains a small navy, and schoolchildren are taught that regaining access to the sea is a patriotic duty.
Blog Directory

'Great legend' Elizabeth Taylor remembered

Madonna, Barbra Streisand and many other stars have paid tribute to Dame Elizabeth Taylor following her death in Los Angeles at the age of 79.

"I am so sorry to hear that this great legend has passed," said Madonna.

"I admired and respected her not only as an actress but for her amazing and inspiring work as an Aids activist."

"It's the end of an era," said Streisand in her tribute. "It wasn't just her beauty or her stardom. It was her humanitarianism."

"She put a face on HIV/Aids. She was funny. She was generous. She made her life count."

Double Oscar-winner Taylor had a history of ill health and was being treated for symptoms of congestive heart failure at the time of her death.

Her four children were with her when she died in her sleep at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Wednesday.

Dame Elizabeth's passing prompted a plethora of tributes from her Hollywood contemporaries, among them Shirley MacLaine, Mickey Rooney and Liza Minnelli.

"I don't know what was more impressive - her magnitude as a star or her magnitude as a friend," said MacLaine.

"Her talent for friendship was unmatched. I will miss her for the rest of my life and beyond."

Rooney, who starred opposite Taylor in 1944's National Velvet, remembered her as "a lady who gave of herself to everyone".


Start Quote

Elizabeth's legacy will live on in many people around the world”

End Quote
Bill and Hillary Clinton

Minnelli, meanwhile, remembered her as "a true star" and friend who "was always, always there for me."

"Liz was a dear friend," said Dame Julie Andrews, who received her damehood on the same day as London-born Taylor in May 2000.

"She was a great legendary lady of Hollywood and she will be mourned worldwide."

Additional tributes were paid by Debbie Reynolds, Barry Manilow and La Toya Jackson, who said she had been an "incredible friend" of her late brother Michael.

Beyond the movie and music industries, Taylor's passing has also been marked by leading figures in the world of politics.

"Elizabeth's legacy will live on in many people around the world whose lives will be longer and better because of her work and the ongoing efforts of those she inspired," said former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, now US Secretary of State.

Elizabeth Taylor's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

 

Taylor's star on the Walk of Fame has been adorned with mementos from fans

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said she had "forever marked the history of the Seventh Art" and had been "devoted from the youngest age to a limitless passion for film".

"I shall remember her as a woman whose heart and soul were as beautiful as her classic face and majestic eyes," said John Warner, the former US senator who became Taylor's sixth husband in 1976.

Former first lady Nancy Reagan, meanwhile, remembered her as a woman who was "passionate - and compassionate - about everything in her life, including her family, her friends and especially the victims of Aids.

"She was truly a legend and we will miss her."

In Los Angeles, Taylor's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been deluged by flowers, photos and notes from fans.

A private family funeral will be held later this week

 

Toyota to curb North America production on parts supply

 

Toyota Motors, the world's biggest carmaker, will slow production at some of its factories in North America due to a shortage of parts.

The company said it was not sure how many factories would be affected and how long the slowdown would last.

Toyota has already halted production at all of its 12 assembly plants in Japan until 26 March.

It has been facing a shortfall in parts after the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The company said it was analysing facilities in the US, Canada and Mexico before deciding where the curbs will be implemented.

A majority of the parts used for Toyota's North American production lines are delivered by suppliers within the region.

The company said that there was ample supply of parts from those regional suppliers, but that it is working with parts makers in Japan to ensure supply chains are restored quickly.

"We will continue to work with suppliers in North America and Japan to minimize any disruptions to Toyota's overall North American operations," said Cindy Knight a Toyota spokeswoman.

 

NZ economy expands at end of 2010 to miss recession

New Zealand's economy grew slightly in the last three months of the year, managing to avoid a recession.

Gross domestic product expanded 0.2% in the three months to the end of December, according to Statistics New Zealand. The economy had contracted by 0.2% in the previous three months.

That pushed the annual rate of growth to 1.5%.

The figures show the state of the economy before the country was hit by a severe earthquake last month.

"The focus now is on how quickly economic activity rebounds," said Philip Borkin from Goldman Sachs.

'Poor news'

Analysts have said that economic growth was set to slow in coming months.

On 22 February an earthquake hit Christchurch, the second in the region in five months.

More than 180 people were left dead as it caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure

At its latest meeting earlier this month, New Zealand's central bank cut interest rates to 2.5% in an effort to stoke growth.

"The actions of the Reserve Bank have been in anticipation of further poor news," said Robin Clements of UBS.

'Mixed picture'

 

Start Quote

Authorities say it will be weeks before business owners can return, and months before the wreckage is cleared.”

End Quote

The latest figures reflect the state of New Zealand's economy between October and December, before the earthquake struck.

According to the statistical office, manufacturing rose by 2.5% helped by an increase in metal production, and machinery and equipment.

At the same time real estate and business services, and forestry and logging all gained.

"The small increase in gross domestic product this quarter is the result of a mixed picture across industries," Rachael Milicich of Statistics New Zealand said.

"A rebound in manufacturing activity this quarter has been mostly offset by falls in other parts of the economy."

 

North-east Burma hit by two 7.0 magnitude earthquakes

North-east Burma has been rocked by two 7.0 magnitude earthquakes, close to the borders with Laos and Thailand, the US Geological Survey has reported.

They struck seconds apart at 1355 GMT and were centred about 70 miles (110 km) from the northern Thai city of Chiang Rai, the agency said.

The first quake was shallow, at a depth of 6.2 miles (10km), while the second was much deeper at 142.5 miles (230km).

Tremors could be felt as far away as Bangkok and Hanoi.

The area where the quakes struck is sparsely populated and remote.

The BBC's Rachel Harvey in Bangkok said it could be a while before the extent of the damage is known.

Are you in the area? Did you feel the earthquakes? Send us your experiences using the form below.

Karachi political attacks kill 50, say rights groups

 

At least 50 people have been killed over the past fortnight in targeted killings in the Pakistani city of Karachi, rights groups say.

The violence started with an attack on 12 March on the offices of a local political group allied to Pakistan's governing political party, the PPP.

Dozens of people have since been targeted on an ethnic or sectarian basis across Karachi.

Police officials say most of those killed belong to the Pashtun community.

Karachi has been the scene of growing ethnic tensions due to the arrival of thousands of Pashtuns fleeing conflict in north-western Pakistan.

'Politically motivated attacks'

Police say the number killed is lower than the estimate put forward by human rights groups.

"According to the figures we have, 109 people have died in violent incidents since 12 March," Saud Mirza, chief of Police in Karachi, told the BBC.

"Out of these only 34 people have been killed in politically motivated attacks."

But the police statistics are contested by local journalists and human rights activists, who say that the actual number of victims is much higher.

A bus burned by a mob reacting to the target killing of an MQM worker in Karachi on 8 Jan 2011

 

Commentators worry that Karachi is becoming increasingly dangerous

They say that the police only confirm political activists or leaders as dying in targeted killings - whereas in reality many more die in attacks carried out against people of specific ethnicities by gunmen.

While most of the dead are ordinary citizens - usually belonging to the Pashtun community - civilians from the Baloch and Urdu-speaking community have also died.

Local Pashtun activists say Karachi's largest party, the MQM, is behind most of the violence. The MQM denies this.

On Monday, a senior MQM leader blamed the violence on gangs of extortionists and land grabbers who had taken the city hostage.

Dr Farooq Sattar was speaking after President Asif Zardari said in an address to parliament that those destroying the peace in Karachi would be dealt with severely.

However police say that several arrests have been made of individuals involved in the killings.

"The situation is now being brought under control," police chief Saud Mirza said.

But human rights organisations say the situation in Karachi is increasingly dangerous and a cause for great concern.

"The continued spate of targeted political killings in Karachi is appalling, as is the inability of the political actors in the city to negotiate their differences peacefully," said Ali Dayan Hasan, Pakistan representative of Human Rights Watch.

"It is the job of the provincial and central governments to ensure the writ of the state is established in the metropolis.

"They must ensure that all political parties complicit in these target killings - whether part of the provincial coalition or not - should be held to account.

"It is a documented fact that all political forces in Karachi, whether it is the MQM or the state, have engaged in human rights abuses including targeted killings in the past."

 

Pakistan 'crop shortage' warning

 

Lowering wheat prices would create food shortages in Pakistan and encourage smuggling, officials say, responding to criticism from the UN.

On Wednesday the UN's food relief agency said the government set prices too high and malnutrition was rising.

But an official at Pakistan's food ministry told the BBC farmers would simply switch to more lucrative crops if wheat prices went down.

Devastating floods across Pakistan in 2010 damaged acres of arable land.

Although crop yields in 2011 are projected to be healthy, prices are too high for an impoverished population, the director of the UN's World Food Programme told journalists on the sidelines of humanitarian meetings in Geneva on Wednesday.

"The crop outlook is not bad but the food security situation remains difficult because prices remain so high," Wolfgang Herbinger said.

Smuggling risk

Malnutrition levels in the southern province of Sindh had reached 21% to 23%, according to the WFP.

Start Quote

It is nearly impossible to stop smuggling across the Afghan border, which is extremely porous”

End Quote Food and Agriculture ministry spokesman

"That is well above African standards. The emergency standard is 15%," Mr Herbinger said.

But lowering prices would do little to help the situation, an official at the food and agriculture ministry, who wished to remain unnamed, said.

He also warned that much of the crop would end up in the hands of smugglers.

"Low farm-gate prices lead to lower acreage of wheat crop as farmers switch to other crops and it works as an incentive for smugglers seeking international prices in the neighbourhood.

"It is nearly impossible to stop smuggling across the Afghan border, which is extremely porous," he said.

So if prices are lowered, the official said, the risk is that they would eventually rise to even higher than the level they are currently set at.

In the 1990s and between 2007 and 2009 there were severe wheat shortages across Pakistan, leading to extremely high prices.

Pakistani officials also say that malnutrition in Sindh province is not a new phenomenon and is unrelated to the food supply.

"Government statistics show that food consumption has not gone down despite the doubling of food prices since 2007-08," Kaisar Bengali, advisor to Sindh's chief minister said.

A lack of public hygiene facilities and safe drinking water were more important factors in child nutrition, he said.

"These are neglected areas, and there has been hardly any development in the public health sector here in decades," Mr Bengali said.

 

Yemen unrest: UK embassy staff withdrawn for safety

 

Britain is temporarily withdrawing part of its embassy team from Yemen due to the security situation in the country, the Foreign Office has announced.

Dozens of people are thought to have been killed in weeks of anti-government demonstrations.

The Foreign Office (FCO) said it feared further violent protests on Friday and would therefore leave only a small core staff in place in the capital Sanaa.

The FCO continues to advise against all travel to Yemen.

It is also urging any British nationals currently in the country to leave as soon as possible by commercial means.

'Rapid deterioration'

On Friday, doctors in Sanaa told the BBC that unidentified gunmen firing on an anti-government rally had killed at least 45 people and injured 270.

The demonstrators are calling for corruption and unemployment to be tackled and demanding the president step down.

Some 40% of the population live on $2 (£1.20) a day or less in the country, and a third face food shortages.

In a statement on Wednesday night, the FCO said: "In light of the rapid deterioration in the security situation in Yemen and the high risk of increased tension in Sana'a and likely protests on Friday 25 March which might result in violent clashes, part of the British Embassy team in Sanaa is being temporarily withdrawn, leaving a small core staff in place.

"This will take immediate effect."

Yemen is one of a number of countries in the region that have seen unrest since the presidents of Egypt and Tunisia were ousted in popular revolts.

The UK government has urged all parties in Yemen to exercise restraint and to work towards political and economic reform.

 

Arctic Sea ship hijackers jailed by Russian court

 

 

A court in northern Russia has jailed six people for the hijacking of the cargo ship Arctic Sea whose mysterious disappearance sparked a global search.

The men - a Russian, a Latvian and an Estonian, as well as three others described as stateless - were given sentences ranging from 7 to 12 years.

The freighter left Finland in July 2009 and disappeared after passing through the English Channel.

The Russian navy said it was eventually found off the Cape Verde islands.

The Maltese-flagged ship's purported destination had been thousands of miles away in Algeria.

It was supposedly carrying timber but its disappearance had led to speculation that it was smuggling illicit weapons, possibly Russian missiles destined for Syria or Iran.

Analysis

All the trials of the Arctic Sea hijackers are now over. But we are no closer to knowing what actually happened.

The official Russian position - and the one presented by prosecutors at the trials - was that the ship was boarded by pirates demanding a ransom, shortly after leaving Finland with a cargo of timber for Algeria.

There have been persistent suggestions, however, that the ship was actually carrying weapons, possibly S-300 missile defence systems destined for Iran, possibly weapons for Hezbollah in Lebanon. It is something Russia strongly denies.

For many commentators, there is something about the official version of the story that just does not add up.

Why were the Russian government so cagey about the incident at the time? Why did the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disappear for a day in September, apparently on a secret visit to Moscow?

And why did the pirates choose this particular ship to hijack?

There were reports that Israel had warned Moscow that it was aware the ship was carrying S-300 surface-to-air missiles.

Hard labour

Three other men have already been imprisoned in connection with the hijacking and Russian authorities say everyone involved has now been convicted.

While the court in Archangelsk gave jail terms to all six of the men for piracy and kidnapping, one of the accused, Yevgeny Mironov, was sentenced to 7 years' hard labour. Russian media reported that his lawyer was planning an appeal.

According to Russian investigators, the men had made their plans to attack cargo ships from the Estonian capital, Tallinn.

Crew members reported the Arctic Sea had been boarded on 24 July, close to two Swedish islands, by men wearing police uniforms.

Although radio contact with the ship was lost after it sailed between Britain and France, it is understood that several countries continued to track its progress as it headed towards Cape Verde, off the West African coast.

 

Quantum physics explanation for smell gains traction

 

The theory that our sense of smell has its basis in quantum physics events is gaining traction, say researchers.

The idea remains controversial, but scientists reporting at the American Physical Society meeting in Dallas, US, are slowly unpicking how it could work.

The key, they say, is tiny packets of energy, or quanta, lost by electrons.

Experiments using tiny wires show that as electrons move on proteins within the nose, odor molecules could absorb these quanta and thereby be detected.

If the theory is right, by extending these studies, an "electronic nose" superior to any chemical sensor could be devised.

Lock and key

The means by which a detected molecule is translated into a smell within the brain has already been the subject of Nobel prize-winning research.

But how precisely an odorant molecule is detected remains a mystery.

As with the picture of molecular interactions that drives our understanding of enzymes and drugs, the very shape of odorant molecules has been assumed to be the way it is detected in the nose.

In this scenario, molecules are seen to be the "key" that fits neatly into a detector molecule in the nose that acts as a lock.

But in 1996, Luca Turin, now of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, suggested that the "vibrational modes" of an odorant were its signature.

Molecules can be viewed as a collection of atoms on springs, and energy of just the right frequency - a quantum - can cause the spring to vibrate.


Start Quote

It's a very interesting idea; there's all sorts of interesting biological physics that implement quantum processes that's cropping up”

End Quote
Jennifer Brookes
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Since different assemblages of molecules have different characteristic frequencies, Turin proposed, these vibrations could act as a molecular signature.

The idea has been debated in the scientific literature, but presentations at the American Physical Society meeting put the theory on firmer footing.

Most recently, Dr Turin published a paper showing that flies can distinguish between molecules that are chemically similar but in which a heavier version of hydrogen had been substituted.

Like a spring with a heavier weight at one end, the vibration frequency is lowered, and flies appear to notice.

"There's still lots to understand, but the idea that it cannot possibly be right is no longer tenable really," said Andrew Horsfield of Imperial College London.

"The theory has to at least be considered respectable at this point," he told BBC News.

Dr Horsfield's research centres on demonstrating how the vibration might be detected.

The idea is that an electron on one part of a protein may move, and arrive at another part lacking a quantum of vibrational energy.

"The electron starts at one end of the room, if you like, and it can only make it to the other end if it gives up energy to the molecule in the middle of the room," he explained.

"Once it's arrived, you say 'Aha! The fact that it's here means that somewhere beteween where it started and where it is now there's a molecule with the right vibrational frequency'."

Room to move

The difficulty is demonstrating a physical system where this kind of detective work can be accomplished - to show a start and an endpoint to the process.

Dr Horsfield and his collaborators have demonstrated nanowires - wires just billionths of a metre across - that can act as the "room" of the analogy.

Nanowire for electron transfer studies

 

Nanowires exploiting the effect could be the basis for "electronic noses"

They showed how electrons could arrive at on end of these nanowires and give away what molecules they had encountered along the way.

Jennifer Brookes, a University College London researcher based at MIT, carries out computer simulations on the quantum physics at work in the process, in order to put it on a firmer mathematical footing.

"It's a very interesting idea; there's all sorts of interesting biological physics that implement quantum processes that's cropping up," she told BBC News.

"I believe it's time for the idea to develop and for us to get on with testing it."

Her presentation suggested that the vibrational theory of smell, at least as quantum physics is concerned, is a reasonable one.

"Mathematically, the theory is robust, and even if it's not happening in smell, it's interesting to think it might be a discriminatory process in nature in other ways," she said.

 

Iran accused in 'dire' net security attack

Hackers in Iran have been accused of trying to subvert one of the net's key security systems.

Analysis in the wake of the thwarted attack suggests it originated and was co-ordinated via servers in Iran.

If it had succeeded, the attackers would have been able to pass themselves off as web giants Google, Yahoo, Skype, Mozilla and Microsoft.

The impersonation would have let attackers trick web users into thinking they were accessing the real service.

Fake identity

The attack was mounted on the widely used online security system known as the Secure Sockets Layer or SSL.

This acts as a guarantee of identity so users can be confident that the site they are visiting is who it claims to be. The guarantee of identity is in the form of a digital passport known as a certificate.

Analysis of the attack reveals that someone got access to the computer systems of one firm that issue certificates. This allowed them to issue bogus certificated that, if they had been used, would have let them impersonate any one of several big net firms.

It appears that the attackers targeted the SSL certificates of several specific net communication services such as Gmail and Skype as well as other popular sites such as Microsoft Live, Yahoo and the Firefox browser.

SSL certificate issuer Comodo published an analysis of the attack which was carried out via the computer systems of one of its regional affiliates.

It said the attack exhibited "clinical accuracy" and that, along with other facets of the attack led it to one conclusion: "this was likely to be a state-driven attack."

It is thought it was carried out by the Iranian authorities to step up scrutiny of opposition groups in the country that use the web to co-ordinate their activity.

The bogus certificates have now been revoked and Comodo said it was looking into ways of improving security at its affiliates.

Browsers have also been updated so anyone visiting a site whose credentials are guaranteed by the bogus certificates will be warned.

Writing on the blog of digital rights lobby group the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Peter Eckersley, said the attack posed a "dire risk to internet security".

"The incident got close to — but was not quite — an internet-wide security meltdown," he said.

"We urgently need to start reinforcing the system that is currently used to authenticate and identify secure websites and e-mail systems," said Mr Eckersley.

 

Documentary pioneer Richard Leacock dies at 89

 

 

British observational documentary maker Richard Leacock, who filmed John F Kennedy on his 1960 presidential campaign, has died at the age of 89.

Leacock, a pioneer of unobtrusive camera technique Cinema Verite, died at his home in Paris on Wednesday.

He solved the puzzle of how to sync speech and video by inventing a system using US-made Bulova watches.

His work on films like the 1960 Kennedy film Primary paved the way for new wave directors such as Jean-Luc Godard.


Start Quote

On the first day Bob Drew, Al Maysles and I walked into the photo studio where Kennedy was having his portrait taken and just shot what happened - they ignored us”

End Quote
Richard Leacock on Primary

Al Maysles, who also shot the Robert Drew-produced Primary, paid tribute to his colleague's "poetic eye behind the camera" which, he said, "gave him access to anybody because they sensed they could trust him".

"I could see his hands on the camera, cradling it in such a way that he could take good care of the people he was filming," Maysles added.

Interviewed about the making of the film, Leacock once said the film-makers were "enormously excited" to have come close to producing "the feeling of being there".

"On the first day Bob Drew, Al Maysles and I walked into the photo studio where Kennedy was having his portrait taken and just shot what happened - they ignored us," he said.

He also worked on other notable documentaries including 1966 film A Stravinsky Portrait and Monterey Pop, about the legendary 1967 festival which featured performances from acts such as The Mamas and the Papas, Jimi Hendrix and The Who.

Leacock, whose memoir will be published this summer, is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

 

Full face transplant for US man

A 25-year-old man horrifically injured by an accident involving an electric power line has received a full face transplant in the US.

It took a team of more than 30 doctors over 15 hours to give Dallas Wiens his new face.

Surgeons who carried out the operation at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have hailed it a success.

It follows nearly a year to the day after the world's first full face transplant in Spain.

Mr Wiens, from Texas, was injured in November 2008 when his head touched a high voltage electrical wire. The burns erased all of his facial features.

The surgery has replaced the nose, lips, skin and muscles as well as the nerves that power them and provide sensation. But, unfortunately, the surgeons were unable to give him new eyes to restore his vision.


Start Quote

Dallas always said after the injury that he now had a choice: he could just choose to get bitter, or choose to get better. His choice was to get better. Thank God ”

End Quote
Mr Wiens' grandfather

His surgeons said: "Dallas is doing great. He's meeting all the milestones that he's expected at the present time.

"He's been on the cell phone with his family."

Mr Weins, who is the father of a young girl, said of his injuries before the operation: "Not being able to be kissed by my daughter is frustrating.

"If she kisses me I hear it and can feel some pressure but I can't really feel her kiss."

Mr Wiens' grandfather, Del Peterson, thanked the doctors who performed the $300,000 transplant, saying: "You have made this day an amazing journey. And you have blessed Dallas' life and we thank you.

"Dallas always said after the injury that he now had a choice: he could just choose to get bitter, or choose to get better. His choice was to get better. Thank God today he's better."

President of the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Betsy Nable, said: "Today's tremendous news marks a new milestone in Brigham and Women's legacy in transplant surgery. The pioneering achievement by the entire transplant team is a gift made possible by the most selfless act one human being can do for another, organ donation."

The world's first partial face transplant was carried out in France in 2005 on a woman mauled by a dog.

 

Children under 10 licensed to use shotguns, BBC learns

 

Thirteen children under the age of 10 have been issued with shotgun certificates in the UK over the past three years.

The youngest child to be granted a licence was seven years old, figures obtained by BBC News show.

Last year, the Association of Chief Police Officers suggested under-10s should be banned from using shotguns.

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation says children use shotguns for sports and on farms.

The statistics were released by 51 police forces under the Freedom of Information Act. Dorset was the only constabulary not to provide information.

Between 2008 and 2010, there were 7,071 licences issued to under-18s.

Devon and Cornwall police granted the most certificates, 418, followed by West Mercia (346) and Norfolk (324).

No minimum age

Ten shotgun certificates were issued to nine-year-olds. Two forces - West Mercia and Cumbria - each approved a licence application for an eight-year-old.

In 2008, Gloucestershire police granted a licence to a seven-year-old child.

A West Mercia force spokesman said thorough checks were made before any licence was granted.

Start Quote

Age is irrelevant. It's the mental aptitude, and the stability of the family... that decides it, the age doesn't decide it at all”

End Quote Steve Bloomfield British Assoc for Shooting and Conservation

"Most of the under-18s who have firearms licences do so for sports purposes," he said. "For example, the eight-year-old boy has a licence for clay pigeon shooting under the supervision of his father at organised clay pigeon events only."

Under current laws, there is no minimum age for applying for a shotgun certificate in the UK. The decision to grant a licence rests with a senior police officer.

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation says the law still prohibits people under-18 from owning or buying a shotgun, or using one without supervision.

Spokesman Steve Bloomfield said age was "irrelevant" as the decision on granting a licence was made by a very experienced police officer who would visit the family involved.

He added that the certificate simply allowed a child to be trained and educated by an adult.

"It's far better to take a young person with their parents, or to a club, and allow them to use that shotgun and be trained from whatever age," he said.

"And the age is irrelevant. It's the mental aptitude, and the stability of the family, and the stature of that young person that decides it, the age doesn't decide it at all."

'No cause for concern'

West Mercia police said all under-18s must have an adult over 21 who is a firearms licence holder themselves to vouch for them.

Assistant Chief Constable Adrian Whiting, lead spokesman on firearms legislation for the Association of Chief Police Officers, says the evidence on young people obtaining shotgun certificates "does not currently give cause for concern".

But he said there should be a minimum age for shooting with firearms and shotguns.

He said: "If we are to continue to allow children to shoot, then introducing a minimum age across firearms and shotguns without exemptions would apply more controls than currently exist."

Last October, he told the Commons Home Affairs Committee there should be an "absolute minimum age" of 10.

Ten is the age of criminal responsibility in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Home Affairs Committee reported that a "large number" of young people enjoyed shooting in a safe and responsible manner.

But it concluded that the laws should be "simplified and clarified" and that there was "no good reason" to maintain the current differences in age restrictions between shotguns and firearms - where people have to be 14 before being granted a licence.

The Home Office is currently reviewing firearms laws and is expected to publish its response to the committee's report by early summer.

A spokesman said: "Public protection is the first duty of any government and our firearms laws are among the toughest in the world.

"It is right that we keep them under review and we are prepared to tighten them further if necessary. Those controls must also be proportionate and fair and all options are on the table.

"We are carefully considering the recommendations made by the Home Affairs Select Committee, the Association of Chief Police Officers and any issues raised in the parliamentary debate, before deciding what further action might be necessary."



 

Budget paints in green and brown

 

A minimum price for carbon and more cash for the Green Investment Bank (GIB) are among the Budget's tools to encourage a UK green energy expansion.

Last year, initial capitalisation was set at £1bn; this Budget will see that increased to £3bn. But GIB will only be able to borrow money from 2015.

The Treasury will delay tax increases on petrol and air travel, and will not yet tax private jets.

A "fair fuel stabiliser" will balance taxes between oil firms and drivers.

Chancellor George Osborne's final measure - a surprise, and one heavily applauded from the government benches - was to announce a 1p cut in fuel duty from 6pm Wednesday.

From now on, he said, the "fuel escalator" that hikes prices every year will cease to operate.

Instead, when oil prices are high, oil companies will pay extra revenue to the Treasury; if prices fall, motorists will pay more and the companies less.

"That's the fair fuel stabiliser, and the result for Britain's hard-pressed families," Mr Osborne told MPs.

He said moves to reform air taxation had been hampered by the realisation that some of the proposed changes - such as taxing passengers rather than aeroplanes - would be illegal.

Capital idea

Start Quote

There's almost nothing in this Budget to protect the environment and spark a clean-tech jobs boom”

End Quote John Sauven Greenpeace

The Green Investment Bank is designed to be a central plank of the UK government's policy of moving towards a low-carbon society, allowing investors to raise money for clean energy projects that commercial lenders would be reluctant to fund.

The £3bn initial figure for capital is considerably higher than outlined by the chancellor last year.

The additional sums will come, the government hopes, from sale of assets, such as the high-speed rail link between London and the Channel Tunnel.

The bank will begin operating next year, and the chancellor said private capital plus government injections should boost capitalisation to £18bn over the lifetime of this parliament.

But it falls a long way from the £550bn investment that could be needed over the decade to 2020 in order to meet targets on climate change, energy efficiency and renewables.

The figure was calculated by the commission that set out parameters for GIB last June.

FULL BUDGET DOCUMENTS

PDF download Budget 2011[1.1 MB]

Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader

Some analysts fear the bank will not be able to do its job if it is effectively tied to the Treasury until 2015.

"Delaying [the power to borrow] until the economy has recovered is like a doctor waiting for a seriously ill patient to recover before giving him life saving medicine," said Ed Matthew, director of Transform UK, the business alliance behind the campaign for a GIB.

"Commitment to set up a proper public green bank is to be strongly welcomed, but this decision on borrowing drives a dirty truck straight through the heart of the government's growth strategy.

"Green growth is the key to economic recovery."

Soft floor

The announcement of a carbon floor price, meanwhile, sets the UK apart from other countries in the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS).

The market carbon price has been bumping around 15 euros (£13) per tonne for several years, which is generally accepted as being too low to drive significant innovation.

The UK will now support the price for the electricity generation sector. It will be set at £16 per tonne from 2013, rising to £30 per tonne by 2020.

OpenHydro tide turbine (BBC) Current incentives are designed to boost technologies such as tidal power - but progress is slow

The low market price has principally arisen because the recession caused a major fall in greenhouse gas emissions across the EU, creating an effective surplus of emission allowances.

Environmental groups warned the floor price could hand a windfall to existing nuclear operators.

But Vincent de Rivaz, CEO of energy multinational EDF Energy that is among companies planning to build new nuclear power stations in the UK, hailed it as a step forward.

"The carbon price floor is important for all low carbon technologies as it restores the carbon price to what was originally intended.

"It will support the economics of renewables and carbon capture and storage, and can reduce the need for specific measures to support those technologies.

"For nuclear, helping to restore the carbon price to what was originally intended is important to encourage investment in existing plants and in new build."

However, there are moves at European level to tighten caps on emissions, and this could mean that the carbon price rises beyond the minimum levels set in the Budget.

Surveying the Budget overall, executive director of Greenpeace UK John Sauven, said that it did not match up to the Coalition's declared ambition of being the UKs "greenest ever government".

"George Osborne and his officials have crafted a budget that sabotages that ambition," he said.

"There's almost nothing in this Budget to protect the environment and spark a clean-tech jobs boom.

"As things stand, [David Cameron will] leave office with Britain still hooked on oil and China and California surging ahead in the race to build the low carbon technologies that should be developed here at home."

 

UK space given boost from Budget

The Chancellor George Osborne has promised regulatory change and some extra money to help boost the competitiveness of the UK space sector, which is growing at about 10% a year.

£10m will go to fund new technologies used in spacecraft systems.

Mr Osborne has also signalled changes to the Outer Space Act.

These reforms are designed to lower the sector's insurance costs and to make it easier for future space tourism companies to operate out of the UK.

The government says it has recognised the success the British space sector has achieved in recent years and wants to offer it further support to maintain and grow its global market position.

Annual turnover is worth some £7.5bn, and employment is rising at about 15% a year.

The best performing areas are in so-called downstream activities - services such as satellite broadcasting and telecommunications.

But even the upstream sector - such as satellite manufacturing - has been performing well, averaging annual growth of 3% over the period 2006/07 to 2008/09.

The £10m on offer is part of a £100m injection of capital investment into science. The space money will be matched by industry. It will start a National Space Technology Programme, supporting the development of new components and systems that companies can then sell around the world.


FULL BUDGET DOCUMENTS

PDF download Budget 2011[1.1 MB]

Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader

The 1986 Outer Space Act is the primary piece of legislation in Britain governing all matters to do with space activity. Commentators have long called for it to be updated, especially in relation to the liabilities that cover space operations - if there was an accident involving a British spacecraft, for example.

At the moment, liabilities are essentially unlimited and this makes insurance premiums much more expensive for UK companies than their international competitors.

Mr Osborne has instructed the UK Space Agency to assess how this situation can be changed.

He also wants the licensing clarified for emerging space tourism companies, such as Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic venture. They will use vehicles that are part-aeroplane and part-rocket, and it is felt the Act needs to be adjusted to cover their unique status. Until that reform is made, commentators say, space tourism companies may be reluctant to base themselves in Britain.

'Paper filings'

When the coalition government came to office in May last year it indicated that it would endeavour to implement the findings of industry's own Space Innovation and Growth Strategy (SIGS). This report identified key market opportunities - from internet provision via satellite to space tourism.

Drop test (Virgin Galactic)

 

The new space tourism vehicles will be part-aeroplane and part-rocket

It claimed that if its recommendations were followed, the domestic space industry could have a 10% share of the global market within a few decades.

Industry figures saluted the Budget announcements, including the London-based satellite telecommunication giant Inmarsat.

"Inmarsat welcomes the government's recognition of space as a growth sector and its contribution to the UK economy," a company spokesman told BBC News.

And Ian Godden, the chairman of ADS, an umbrella group for the UK aerospace, defence and security sectors, added: "The space sector is an unsung success story, supporting 70,000 jobs in the UK and generating £7.5 billion per year to the economy. Industry and government have in place a shared plan to grow this to £40bn and this additional investment will assist in achieving that aim."

In its growth document released to coincide with the Budget, the government said it would also make efforts to try to secure more orbital slots for UK companies to position their satellites. This move was applauded by Colin Paynter of spacecraft manufacturer and services company Astrium UK.

He said: "There has been much discussion in the space community that 'paper filings' by organisations who reserve orbital slots with little intention of ever launching a satellite have impeded the development of even more innovative space services. A move to resolve this situation will make it easier for new entrants to the satellite services marketplace - which could greatly benefit the UK."

The £90m of non-space-related capital investment in science will be split between the national research campuses at Daresbury, Norwich and Cambridge (£80m) and the Isis neutron source at Harwell (£10m). The latter's money will be used to develop three new instruments. Isis is a giant machine that can probe the structure of matter. Scientists exploit its insights to advance a host of new technologies from drug design to improved mobile phones.


UK SPACE SECTOR - 'SIZE AND HEALTH' SURVEY 2010

UK space sector turnover (Oxford Economics)

 

  • Total space-related turnover reached over £7.5bn in 2008/09
  • Downstream sector dominates; it accounted for £6.6bn of total
  • Represents real growth of 8% between 2007/08 and 2008/09
  • Average annual growth in sector since 2006/07 is 10.2%