Hawking takes top book prize
Professor Stephen Hawking's latest account of cosmology wins the £10,000 Aventis Prize for Science Books.
Hackers play with the Xbox
Hardware hackers are producing all kinds of modifications for Microsoft's Xbox.
'National debate' on GM crops
The government says it wants to get the views of the public on the pros and cons of growing genetically modified crops in the UK.
Monday Jun 24, 2002 cbc SCIENTISTS ADD SECURITY GUARDS TO PREVENT SOFTWARE PIRACY
Computer scientists hope their new approach to computer security will
help to overcome hackers who can crack a single password and copy
software illegally.
Wed Jun 19 2002 bca Semiconductor Output: Solid Growth, But Already Discounted?
The May industrial production report showed considerable strength in the high-tech component, with annual growth reaching 4%. While communications equipment output growth continued to contract (-21%), growth in the semiconductor component was solid. This has lifted semiconductor utilization rates, albeit from low levels, fueling hopes for a sizable rebound in industry profits. However, valuation remains a major constraint to sustained gains in the S&P semiconductor index. The relative forward P/E ratio has not returned to pre-bubble cyclical troughs, i.e. approximately 1, yet both production growth and utilization rates remain well below mid 1990’s readings. Importantly, a return to these levels is not imminent, with the telecom industry still struggling. This argues against adding to cyclical positions in the S&P semiconductor index, even though a relief rally could carry it higher in the near run: only a neutral weighting is recommended. bca chart
Monday Jun 17, 2002 Australian teleport breakthrough
A team of Australian scientists says it is able to teleport a laser beam from one place to another almost instantaneously.
Saturday Jun 8, 2002 Hotmail to charge for e-mail service
Hotmail has joined the growing ranks of web companies that are starting to charge (UK), £19.95 per year, 16 July, for formerly free services. 110 million Hotmail users who before now have managed all their e-mail accounts via the site. Anyone wanting to still use a free POP mail service can find a comprehensive list at emailaddresses.com. see also theendoffree.com/
Friday Jun 7, 2002 Sci/Tech
Hubble gets infrared vision back
The newly refurbished infrared camera on board the Hubble Space Telescope sends back some stunning images.
Questions over net snooping centre
Experts are not convinced intercepting web traffic and e-mails will help the UK secret services catch cyber-criminals.
Seals 'phone' home
Grey seals are to be given their own "mobile phones" as part of a research project undertaken by scientists in Scotland.
Saturday May 25, 2002
Probing the Universe's first light
By analysing the first light that ever shone in the cosmos, astronomers can confirm the Big Bang theory.
Tuesday May 14, 2002 cbc 'JUNK' CAN FIX BREAKS IN DNA
So-called junk DNA can make copies of itself and jump into broken
chromosomes to fix damage in the genetic code, new research suggests.
Tuesday May 14, 2002 cbc STAR 'CANNIBALS' CLEAR UP BIG BANG MYSTERY
Ancient stars that consumed their neighbours could help explain a
chemical conundrum and strengthen the Big Bang theory, British
astronomers say.
Tuesday May 14, 2002 cbc STAR 'CANNIBALS' CLEAR UP BIG BANG MYSTERY
Ancient stars that consumed their neighbours could help explain a
chemical conundrum and strengthen the Big Bang theory, British
astronomers say.
Tuesday May 14, 2002 cbc 'JUNK' CAN FIX BREAKS IN DNA
So-called junk DNA can make copies of itself and jump into broken
chromosomes to fix damage in the genetic code, new research suggests.
Tuesday May 14, 2002 cbc NO LIMIT IN SIGHT FOR HUMAN LIFESPANS, STUDY SAYS
Human beings will continue to live longer lives and life expectancies
could reach 100 in the next 60 years, a new study suggests.
US family gets health implants
US doctors insert microchips into a family in Florida that provide access to their medical histories in a controversial new programme.
Getting tough on spam
Unsolicited e-mail is becoming a problem for users and internet service providers.
Tuesday Apr 30, 2002 cbc Hubble's stunning new vision
The Hubble Space Telescope's newly installed camera system captures astonishing pictures of our violent Universe. Space 'very big place' Diana Nicholson | The Cone Nebula image
Tuesday Apr 30, 2002 cbc HUBBLE'S NEW CAMERA OFFERS SPECTACULAR PHOTOS
NASA has released four new "breathtaking" views of the universe. The
pictures were taken by the Hubble Space Telescope's new Advanced Camera
for Surveys, which was installed last March. images and animation
Links to more Reviews stories
Tuesday Apr 30, 2002 cbc BIOLOGICAL CLOCK TICKS FASTER THAN THOUGHT: STUDY
Our biological clocks start ticking earlier than thought - late 20s
for women and mid-30s for men - according to a new study.
Tue Apr 23 2002 bca Software: The Last Straw? [chart]
Microsoft’s disappointing guidance extends the list of software companies that have recently missed estimates. A delayed return to a better tech investment environment raises the risk that investors will remain disillusioned with this sector’s ability to sustain higher than average earnings growth. Fortunately, the S&P software systems index is trading at the low end of its relative valuation band, according to forward P/Es, suggesting that most of this bad news has already been discounted. Nevertheless, as highlighted in our latest weekly bulletin, a technical break in the relative ratio below its 18-month trading range would trigger a tactical downgrade to a neutral weighting, because it would raise the odds of a final sizable washout phase. If such a move occurs, then a good buying opportunity would emerge thereafter. However, with momentum already deeply depressed, we are hopeful that such a washout will not occur, stay tuned.
Astronomers detect dust from stars that died over 10 billion years ago, when the Universe was in its infancy.
Tuesday Apr 9, 2002 bbc Galaxy 'may hold Earth-like planets'
British scientists say there may be a billion Earth-like planets in our own galaxy, the Milky Way.
Tuesday Apr 9, 2002 cbc Recreating the Big Bang .."We're literally looking for the origin of mass - where does the stuff from which we are all made actually come from? "
[See pages from the Codex Leicester for yourself:] I guess you'd have to ask Bill Gates for verification, since
he owns DaVinci's manuscripts, but Leonardo was famous for
writing backwards. The only way to read his diary is to hold
it up against a mirror. I think that's exactly what service
providers should be demanding of their equipment suppliers.
Tuesday Mar 12, 2002 Bug sets windows shaking A British-designed gadget turns walls, tables and even heads into loudspeakers. ...The device goes on sale in the UK for £30 this month and is showcasing at the CeBIT 2002 computer fair in Hanover, Germany. The product will also be demonstrated on the BBC's Tomorrow's World programme on Wednesday.
"When you put it in a magnetic field, it moves very slightly, perhaps a micron or so, but with an enormous force of maybe 400 pounds, So it turns whatever it's attached to into a sounding board,".
Thu Feb 28, 2002 bcaresearch Some Good News on Technology The U.S. technology sector is seeing increased orders and a marked decline in excess inventories. However, activity remains far below previous peaks. Conditions in the embattled U.S. technology sector are showing some improvement. New orders increased strongly in the three months to January, with computers, communications equipment and semi-conductors all recording gains. Moreover, excess inventories have largely been worked off. The level of activity is still low by the standards of the bubble peaks, but the corner has been turned and tech should no longer be a major drag on economic growth. Technology shares may be slow to benefit given that current prices already discount a large rebound in earnings.
Thu Feb 28, 2002 bcaresearch Global Semiconductors: The Next Victim of Investor Jitters? The semiconductor industry is at risk unless demand improves soon. Tech hardware is comprised of three groups: computer hardware, telecom equipment and semiconductors. Usually the performance of the groups is highly correlated. However, a major divergence has opened up recently, with semis holding firm and the other industries tanking due to accounting concerns, overvaluation and weak sales. Will semis be the next victim? BCA’s Global Equity Strategy service recommends a neutral weighting in semis for now because semi demand will rise as the economic recovery gains momentum. However, extremely high valuations indicate little upside potential. The industry is a candidate for a downgrade in the event that demand and pricing power do not improve in the next few months.
Wednesday Feb 27, 2002 cnn Computer chip implanted in humans? A Florida technology company is preparing to seek government approval for a computer ID chip that would be implanted inside the body and could be used to store everything from secret codes to sensitive medical information. The company also is developing another implant device that would work in conjunction with the VeriChip to allow satellite tracking of an individual's every movement. The tracker is already attracting interest across the globe for tasks like foiling kidnappings, the company says.,,, "They would know who to contact, they would know what medications I'm on, and it's quite a few," he said. "They would know what I'm allergic to, what kind of operations I've had and where there might be problems." [good ie: Alzheimer wanderers or identify a lost pet & other lost people, law breakers DTN]
Tue 2/19/02 cbc Sealcams reveal underwater world
Small video cameras attached to seals are giving researchers an insight into the underwater world of the Antarctic.
Tue 2/19/02 cbc EUROPEAN FOSSILS REWRITE HUMAN EVOLUTION: CANADIAN PROF
Fossils of ancient human relatives suggest the beginning of the
evolution of apes and humans occurred in Europe, not Africa, says a
University of Toronto anthropologist.
Saturday Feb 16, 2002 Humans will 'sail to the stars'
Scientists present new ideas for the future exploration of planets that circle far-away stars.
Saturday Feb 16, 2002 cbc IT'S OFFICIAL: 'BIRD BRAIN' NO LONGER AN INSULT
Birds can out-perform humans in certain mental tasks, like navigation,
and show complex behaviours usually only associated with apes, monkeys
and dolphins, scientists said Thursday.
Thursday, 7 February BBC
Friday Feb 15, 2002
Monday Feb 11, 2002 cbc SPIRAL GALAXY SPINNING BACKWARDS, ASTRONOMERS FIND
A spiral galaxy 111 million light-years from Earth seems to be breaking
the rules about how galaxies should behave: it's spinning backwards.
Monday Feb 11, 2002 cbc ASTRONOMERS WATCH BLASTS FROM 10 BILLION YEARS AGO
Astronomers using the Chandra X-ray Observatory have made two
discoveries from the same quasar - an enormous X-ray jet and a
galaxy's X-ray shadow.
Wednesday Jan 30, 2002 bbc Astronomers admire 'Lord of the Rings'
A new image of Saturn, the Lord of the Rings, taken from a telescope on the ground is amazing astronomers. ...When observed, Saturn was 1,209 million kilometres (751 million miles) away, with its ring system almost fully displayed.
The image is among the sharpest ever obtained from the ground and compares well with some photos obtained from space.
Wednesday Jan 30, 2002 bbc WATER LILY IS 'MISSING LINK' OF PLANTS
Water lilies may represent an important stage in the evolution from
plants without flowers to flowering plants, a genetic analysis shows.
Thursday Jan 31, 2002, bbc
Our galaxy - from the outside
A survey of over 500 million stars produces an external view of our Milky Way. -->
Wednesday Jan 23, 2002, bbc
Here comes the Sun... again
The Sun's activity is increasing again, with more sunspots peppering the star's surface. ...The resurgence comes just two years after the Sun reached a maximum in its 11-year cycle of behaviour. Astronomers say a second peak of activity in so short a space a time is unusual but not unprecedented.
Although the cycle is thought to occur because of gas motions in the Sun, scientists admit they still have much to learn about the mechanisms at work.
January 21, 2002, NP SCIENCE'S NEXT FRONTIERS: Small Miracles Researchers look forward to a time when a tiny motor can be used in medical operations to clean blood vessels in the body.
Futurists talk of the day when self-replicating nanorobots will be able to revive the dead. Scientists working in nanotechnology will settle for curing cancer and creating bricks that can sense changing weather
Saturday Jan 19, 2002, bbc Lost city 'could rewrite history' The remains of what has been described as a huge lost city may force historians and archaeologists to radically reconsider their view of ancient human history.
Marine scientists say archaeological remains discovered 36 metres (120 feet) underwater in the Gulf of Cambay off the western coast of India could be over 9,000 years old.
bbc
The Universe is turquoise but will eventually turn red, say astronomers.
Tuesday Jan 8, 2002 PENTAGON INVESTIGATES SMELLS THAT REPEL cbc
The U.S. military is sniffing out the worst possible odours to create a
universally offensive stink bomb to help clear crowds.
BBC
sci/tech/ 
ASTRONOMERS NAME REVISED COLOUR OF UNIVERSE
STAR 'CANNIBALS' CLEAR UP BIG BANG MYSTERY
HUBBLE'S NEW CAMERA OFFERS SPECTACULAR PHOTOS
[See pages from the Codex Leicester for yourself:]
Sunday Mar 24, 2002 bbc Chips to fight kidnapping
Bug sets windows shaking ![[Version en français]](images/fr.gif){kind=small}
RODS, CONES... AND TWISTED TREES? NEW CELLS FOUND IN EYE
Astronomers admire 'Lord of the Rings' 
WATER LILY IS 'MISSING LINK' OF PLANTS
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