Much captivating science news at the New Scientist site recently. A sampling:

• Kidnap the key to saving rare species: ”

  Temporarily kidnapping males with a sexual monopoly should give others a shot at reproduction, boosting genetic diversity”

• September 11 blood donations “wasted”: ”

  Less than one percent of the blood donated in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks was used to treat victims”

• Antimatter atoms captured for the first time: ”

  CERN researchers may have trapped thousands of the elusive particles – the few previous antiatoms were moving at the speed of light”

• UK computer theft takes sinister turn: ”

  Thieves might be selling brainpower from one of the UK’s largest academic super-computers to rogue states for weapons research”

• Eerie link between 17th century clocks explained: ”

  Christiaan Huygens’ pair of pendulum clocks always swung in opposite directions – now scientists know why”

• Japan plans tearoom for the ISS: ”

  The tearoom could be launched in 2004 – but the traditional ceremony does not lend itself easily to zero-g”

• Common virus linked to brain tumours: ”

  High concentrations of proteins produced by the virus are found in samples of malignant brain tumours”

• Anthrax screensaver finds promising new drugs: ”

  The project has hit paydirt in just four weeks – but not all participants are happy”

Abducting The Tragedy: Jimmy Breslin’s powerful, damning Newday column on Giuliani and his appropriation of the WTC tragedy. [thanks, Adam]

Dr Pepper under fire for ‘Godless’ Pledge: ‘The Dr Pepper soft drink firm is drawing criticism from religious groups for omitting the phrase “under God” in an abbreviated version of the Pledge of Allegiance on its “patriot can.”

The company began distribution of over 41 million of the promotional cans in a dozen states last November. A statement from Dr Pepper said that the special graphic presentation was designed “to show the world that we are a united nation of people who place a high value upon freedom.” The can features a portrait of the Statue of Liberty with the phrase “One Nation … Indivisible.” ‘ [via randomWalks] The Dr Pepper (the period after the ‘Dr’ was eliminated in the ’50’s, you know) website is here.

Reports: FBI Has Tape Proving Pearl Dead

“Several news outlets are reporting that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has a video which proves that kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl is dead… A statement issued by the Wall Street Journal said that they now believe, based on the reports from the U.S. State Department that Pearl is dead.” TheBostonChannel

We should not be shocked, however, that journalists doing their job are no longer sacrosanct; another of the rules of civilization that has fallen by the wayside over the past decade or so, it seems. My thoughts are with Daniel Pearl’s loved ones…

Point-‘n’-Shoot Sound Makes Waves: “New transmitters can aim sound waves so that only individuals in a

crowd can hear them. The U.S. military sees a weapon in the making.” Wired

Howard Kurtz, Media Notes: Pounding a PBS Poohbah

The latest bugaboo for those on the right is Bill Moyers. Yes, he’s liberal. Yes, he worked for LBJ. But there’s something about the combination of Moyers’s lofty style and his PBS perch that makes some conservatives’ skin crawl.

The Weekly Standard is trashing him in a cover story.

What makes this a spectator sport worth watching is that Moyers is punching back. Hard. Washington Post

Brain Study Casts Doubt on Theory of How Human Intelligence Evolved

“According to a popular view of human cognitive capabilities, much of what sets our species apart from the other primates can be attributed to a disproportionate enlargement of a part of the brain known as the frontal cortex that occurred at some point in human evolution. But the evidence traditionally used to support that argument, say Katerina Semendeferi of the University of California at San Diego and her colleagues, comes from small studies that in many cases did not include data from apes, our closest relatives. Furthermore, the studies varied in the way they defined the region of the cortex.” Scientific American

UNESCO: 3,000 Languages Could Die Off. Just as the reduction in biological diversity from species extinction is a threat to the ecosystem, we should be concerned about the loss of linguistic diversity. Especially if language constrains and shapes the ways we think or can think, á la the Whorf-Sapir hypothesis, is it a stretch to worry about the potential effect on of language loss on freedom of thought? I believe in the ‘weak form’ of linguistic determinism; while it is probably true that linguistic constraints don’t make us unable to conceive of certain things in certain languages, they certainly can make it easier or harder. Also consider that linguistic assimilation and oppression do not occur in a vacuum, but usually in the company of other aspects of cultural imperialism.

“The Philosophical Health Check is designed to identify tensions or contradictions (a Tension Quotient) between various beliefs that you have. The PHC does not aim to identify which of your beliefs are true or false, but where the set of beliefs you hold may not be compatible with each other.” Unlike the spate of meaningless but entertaining ‘tests’ on the ‘net (“What carbonated beverage am I?” :What rock star?” etc…), I was amazed at how readily this gets at meaningful potential inconsistencies in your worldview. It may make for painful self-examination. The Philosophers’ Magazine

Annals of Depravity (cont’d.): Man buried alive next to murdered son: “A man whose throat was slashed and who was buried in a shallow grave next to his slain 12-year-old son survived and later led police to two men charged with the boy’s murder.” SF Chronicle

The New York Times is doing a fullcourt press to influence Saudi chief of state Crown Prince Abdullah to formally announce his plan to spearhead normalization of Arab relations with Israel in exchange for a negotiated peace with the Palestinians, as Thomas Friedman described on Sunday (a blink to which I had here). Here’s an editorial and further op-ed analysis by Mideast analyst Henry Seigman. In the meantime, Israel and the Palestinians are closer to all-out war than they have ever been; Israel steps up ‘retaliatory’ attacks and the Palestinians are more explicitly targeting — successfully — Israeli troops in the occupied territories. Sharon pushes forward with plans for ‘buffer zones’ bordering Palestinian areas in Gaza and the West Bank to ‘achieve separation’ and ‘protect Israeli citizens.’ Reuters

William Safire: The Flipped-Over Rock: “Stop pretending Enron and Global Crossing are political scandals and start dealing with the accounting and financial derivatives scandals.” NY Times op-ed

A Grateful Artist Who Wants to Repay His Elephant Helpers —

For a decade Mya, Layang Layang and Dilberta have been the unheralded contributors to Chris Ofili’s rise to fame. The three Asian elephants, visited nearly every month by Mr. Ofili, the British-born painter, replenish the supply of dung that he uses in nearly all his paintings, including the one of a black Virgin Mary that enraged former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani when it appeared in the “Sensation” exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in 1999.

Now Mr. Ofili says the time is right to repay his friends. When the Armory Show 2002 opens in Manhattan on two Hudson River piers tomorrow, he will auction one of his latest paintings to benefit the Zoological Society of London, caretakers of the three elephants. NY Times