Archive by date | January 2012

Morocco fireball yields rare Mars meteorites

Morocco fireball yields rare Mars meteorites

Posted on behalf of Rick Lovett A meteorite that fell to Earth last July in Morocco has proven to be a rare chunk of Mars. Only a handful of Martian meteorites are known, and only five (counting the new find) come from meteorites whose fall was witnessed. That’s important because it tells scientists how long it has been lying on the ground, and therefore how much contamination it might have picked up. In this case, about a dozen pieces (such as the one shown, right), totalling several kilograms, were recovered from Morocco in late December. “Because it’s only been on  … Read more

Polio cases in Afghanistan triple in a year

Data released in November 2011 shows that polio is still a big problem in some countries.

Posted on behalf of Katherine Rowland When Afghanistan instituted a door-to-door polio vaccination policy in 2000, the complete eradication of the disease seemed within reach. Between 1999 and 2004 the number of new cases fell from 63 to 4. However, with the escalation of violence in the country in 2005, hopes for complete elimination diminished as it became more difficult to vaccinate. Figures just released by the Afghanistan Ministry of Health indicate that between 2010 and 2011 the number of new infections tripled from 25 to 76 cases (see the New York Times story). While 76 may seem like a  … Read more

Accidents highlight risks for Antarctic fishery

Environmental campaigners are again calling for a clampdown on fishing in one of the world’s most remote and untouched oceans after two ships suffered serious accidents in the icy waters. The accidents – in which a number of crew are believed to have died – carry a pollution risk as well as raising questions over whether any fishing should be allowed in the Ross Sea, near Antarctica.  Read more

Darwin’s long-forgetten fossils unearthed

Darwin's long-forgetten fossils unearthed

Posted on behalf of Katherine Rowland. A chance discovery has yielded a “treasure trove” of fossils, including specimens collected by Charles Darwin. The collection, marked “unregistered fossil plants”, has been gathering dust in a gloomy corner of the British Geological Survey for more than 150 years. When Howard Falcon-Lang of Royal Holloway University of London happened upon the collection by accident last April, he experienced a moment of disbelief when he examined the specimens. “Almost the first one I pulled out was inscribed with a diamond cut signature of C. Darwin, Esq,” he says. Of the 314 re-discovered specimens, 17  … Read more