In Brief
In Brief Not such bird brains... Nonetheless, the results of their experiments challenge the idea that only humans are able to plan for the future. The research was published in Nature on 22 February 2007. TK
Space defence Experts are to come up with methods to combat asteroid collisions with the Earth. The Association of Space Explorers (the professional body of astronauts) has been advising the United Nations on a draft treaty to combat future threats of asteroid collisions. The threat of an asteroid hitting the Earth is being taken more seriously, as large numbers of Near Earth Objects (NEOs) have been discovered by NASA. Currently, over 100 objects larger than 700 metres across are being tracked, but the number of NEOs under investigation is likely to increase in the near future as newer telescopes allow smaller objects to be followed.
Nanotubes filmed This new treaty comes in the light of the announcement that the large asteroid Apophis has a small probability of hitting the Earth in 2039. The treaty will look at procedures to adopt in the event of an asteroid collision, methods to prevent the occurrence in the first place, and it will identify the parties financially responsible for relief efforts. One of the ideas put forward include launching a large spacecraft and using its gravitational field to deflect any approaching asteroids. Experts will meet throughout the forthcoming year and plan to present their findings to the United Nations sometime in 2009. AR
HIV-TB ‘co-epidemic’ The lack of communication along with the fierce competition in HIV and tuberculosis (TB) research, as well as problems with delivering aid, were criticized in a feature published in March in the journal Nature Medicine. A serious interaction between certain TB drugs with those used to treat HIV infections reduces their potency and causes a new condition named IRIS (immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome). Careful administration of the drugs, using staggered treatment or more expensive medicines, can prevent this. The weakening of the immune system caused by HIV and the prevalence of the TB-causing bacteria has made TB
Ian Canell and Caroline Raby
Humans are not the only animals that can plan for the future, according to researchers from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge. The scientists tested Western Scrub Jays, a colourful American crow species. In the first test, the birds were trained to expect breakfast in one compartment but not in another. When allowed to move between the compartments, the jays stored more food in the compartment where they did not expect to be fed. In a second experiment, the experimenters gave the jays different food–dog kibble or peanuts–according to which compartment they were in. The birds quickly learned to store the opposite type of food in each compartment, enabling them to feast on both in the morning. The authors acknowledge that the birds may not necessarily be imagining themselves the following day,‘mentally time-travelling.’
the major killer of HIV-infected individuals. People in Africa are most at risk, where over half of those carrying HIV also have TB. In 2004, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended the creation of “a joint tuberculosis and HIV coordinating body”, and called for all HIV patients to be screened for TB and vice-versa. There has been a resurgence of TB research in recent years as new drug resistant strains have emerged. Along with malaria and AIDS,TB is one of the world’s biggest killers, but it receives just a tenth of the research budget that AIDS and HIV research receive. CA
Carbon nanotubes are sheets of graphite, one atom thick and rolled up into cylinders with a diameter over 10,000 times smaller than that of a human hair. These structures have received much attention over the past decade due to their novel properties, which are of potential use in the fields of nanotechnology, electronics and optics. Their extraordinary strength and excellent electrical and heat-conducting qualities make them useful in a broad range of applications from clothing fibres to racing bicycles. However, the present state of the art allows scientists to grow nanotubes but they are unable to accurately control the structures that form. A Cambridge-led team aims to address this problem with their nanoscale video observations showing nanotubes nucleating around miniscule particles of nickel. Dr Stephen Hofmann, who is leading the study, said: “In order to reach the full application potential for nanotubes, we need to be able to accurately control their growth first.” Attempts to film this phenomenon have previously failed due to the microscopic scale involved. The relative difference in size between a nanotube and a human hair is similar to the relative difference in size between the same hair and the Eiffel Tower.The team in Cambridge has overcome this problem with X-rays and a modified high-resolution electron microscope.The resulting video sequences have already provided a valuable insight into how these structures can develop. BA
Cambridge Science Festival 2007 Young and old alike were getting stuck into science during the two weeks of the Cambridge Science Festival at the end of Lent Term.The festival started on 12 March with a discussion on whether scientists can be trusted.There were talks on a range of topics from the history of photography to epigenetics, along with the Department of Chemistry’s ever popular explosions. One particular highlight was Crash, Bang, Squelch, organised by Cambridge Hands on Science Society for 17 March. It allowed children, and frequently parents, to try out over 100 experiments from all branches of science, from extracting kiwi fruit DNA and analysing the colours in Smarties to investigating ultraviolet light. TK
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Easter 2007