Scientific Observations
“When evidence emerged that the [Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change] had adopted unsub-
stantiated data about rates of Himalayan glacier
retreat, the problem signalled not just a failure in
the organization’s review process, but a failure
of organizational culture.... To those who already
distrust climate science because it is used to justify
action that they deem ideologically repugnant, such
revelations make it look as though the science is systematically, if not
congenitally, biased in one direction.... Scientific understanding ... is always
incomplete, and gives the competing sides plenty of support for their pre-
existing political preferences.... Science can decisively support policy only
after fundamental political differences have been resolved.” — DANIEL SARE WITZ,
CODIRECTOR OF ARIZONA S TATE UNIVERSIT Y’S CONSORTIUM FOR SCIENCE, POLICY AND OUTCOMES, IN A
COLUMN PUBLISHED MARCH 4 IN NATURE
SN Online
www.sciencenews.org
SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC BLOG
Armed with brain imag-
ing (shown), researchers
contend that Gulf War
Syndrome, a cluster of
symptoms controversially
linked to Gulf War service,
truly exists. See “Scientists
offer compelling images of
Gulf War illness.”
Science Past | FROM THE ISSUE OF APRIL 9, 1960
CALIFORNIA ZOO APES BECOME “MEDICAL FIRS TS” —
Noell, Scoop and Tria, three apes that live in the San
Diego zoo, have made medical history. They “came down”
chicken pox.… Chicken pox has been produced in monkeys
by direct inoculation of the virus but there appears to be
no references in medical history to natural infection such
as this among subhuman primates.… Tria, the chimp, was
the most seriously affected by the disease.
Science Stats | PASS THE CARBON
In 2004, 23 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions were
produced in one country to make goods for use in another one.
This map traces the movement of such “carbon exports” —
primarily from China —in millions of metric tons.
112
52 8161 67 139 297
48
16
16
26 43
48
16 23
185
Science Future
April 18
Final day to visit the New York
Hall of Science’s hands-on
mathematics exhibit. See www.
nysci.org/explore/upcoming
April 24 – 28
The American Society for
Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology meets in Anaheim,
Calif. See www.asbmb.org
HUMANS
Using food to pacify temperamental babies may
increase their chances of
being overweight or obese
children, new research
shows. Go to “Soothing
start to childhood weight
problems.”
June 2 – 6
Researchers, cultural critics and
others meet in New York City
to celebrate science. See www.
worldsciencefestival.com
Introducing…
A new, dinosaur-like creature that
lived about 240 million years ago has
been unearthed in southern Tanzania. Asilisaurus kongwe (illustrated)
measured less than 3 meters long and
2 meters tall, an international team
reports March 4 in Nature. Fossil
analyses place the animal among the
archosaurs, which gave rise to dinosaurs, crocodiles and birds, among
others. Unlike known archosaurs,
A. kongwe had peglike teeth, a sign of
an omnivorous or herbivorous diet.
EARTH
Talk about bad timing.
Norse settlers colonized
ancient Iceland just before
the mercury dropped. See
“Ancient Norse colonies
hit bad climate times.”
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSIT Y; UT SOUTHWESTERN MED. C TR.; MARLENE HILL DONNELLY, FIELD MUSEUM
www.sciencenews.org
