Latest research news

Scientists crack genetic code of mice to aid man
The mouse has become the latest living organism to have its genetic code unravelled, in a scientific breakthrough that promises to provide new insights into human diseases. Scientists yesterday announced the completion of 96 per cent of the mouse genome and are heralding the achievement as a milestone in the understanding of human genetics.
(Independent)

Tea 'cuts risk' after heart attack
Drinking tea can cut the risk of death after a heart attack, a study of 1,900 cases has found. Those who drank most tea were least likely to die during the three to four years after a heart attack. The link, according to Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, is likely to be in the natural antioxidants called flavonoids, found in tea.
(The Guardian, Daily Mirror, Independent, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail)

Good University Guide
A course-by-course assessment of where and what to study in the first instalment of a four-part guide to universities.
(The Times)

Refined food implicated in myopia, evolutionary scientists claim
A study by a team of evolutionary scientists led by Loren Cordain of Colorado State University suggests that a diet high in sugar and refined starches raises insulin levels and causes the eyeball to grow abnormally, particularly in genetically susceptible people.
(The Times)

Mum's not the word at Cambridge
Many of Cambridge University's colleges are mistreating adult students with children, a new report concludes. A survey by the university's Family Society suggests that student parents are less likely to be admitted because they are perceived by tutors as "high risk" students who might not complete their degrees.
(The Guardian)

Study on mobiles and radiation 'diluted'
A long-awaited report into devices to protect against mobile phone radiation has been so diluted it will be of limited value to consumers when it is published this week, critics said yesterday. The study into the effectiveness of radiation shields, buttons and pads would not name individual products because of commercial sensitivities, the Department of Trade and Industry said.
(Daily Telegraph)

Computers of the UK unite
The first national e-science centre has opened in a converted church in Edinburgh. It is funded with £5.5 million from the Department of Trade and Industry and will form the hub of a network of eight regional centres, in which academics around the country will concentrate on tasks including genetic research, recreating the first moments of the universe and predicting climate change. Together the centres will pool extensive computing resources to provide scientists and then industry with access to a supercomputer network.
(Financial Times)

Stronger winds may cause Antarctica's mixed climate message
Antarctica is proving to be somewhat of a climate conundrum for scientists. Although the polar regions are thought to be especially sensitive to global climate change, the continent has provided many complex, and at times confounding, signals over the past few years. Most noticeably, some Antarctic areas are cooling, whereas others are warming much faster than the rest of the world. Now a report appearing in the current issue of the journal Science suggests that a change in the pattern of the westerly winds that encircle Antarctica may be behind this mixed message. (Scientific American)

Red, pink or pus, madam?
In the never-ending quest for beauty, some Californian girls have emerged with more than a polished set of nails. Bacteria lurking in a nail salon's footbaths have triggered an outbreak of leg boils; experts warn that other grubby parlours could also place skin at risk. (Nature)

Insect swarming inspires jazz software
Jazz musicians who enjoy freeform improvisation may soon be using computer software to accompany themselves. A team at University College London has written a program that mimics insect swarming to "fly around" the sequence of notes the musician is playing and improvise a related tune of its own. (New Scientist)