In The News

Study Sees Mass Extinctions Via Warming

January 8, 2004
A new report published in the science journal Nature says that over a million plant and animal species are in threat of extinction from global warming. The report's underlying study brought together a team of scientists in 14 laboratories around the globe to study the effects of temperature change on life in six different regions. "We're already seeing biological communities...

Bitter-Sweet of GM Crops

Pennapa Hongthong January 7, 2004
Genetically modified crops have been hailed as the great savior for farmers in their never-ending struggle to ward off pests and achieve higher productivity. But these claims should be taken with caution, says this commentary in Thailand's The Nation. Before Thai farmers jump on the bandwagon with GM crops, the author warns, they would be wise to learn from the experience of cotton grower...

Taiwan's CDC Expands Personal Health Check

Joy Su December 19, 2003
After several months with no new SARS infections reported worldwide, a Taiwanese medical researcher has contracted the disease while working in a lab. Singaporean health officials have ordered 70 people in that country into quarantine because they came in contact with the Taiwanese man during a recent medical conference in Singapore. In Taiwan, national health officials are ordering increased...

Fight for Freedom Logs On

Garrett Glass December 2, 2003
A new class of freedom fighter has emerged in Cuba - the computer hacker. In a country where high prices and government censorship restrict access to the internet, an increasing number of Cubans are using creative methods to explore the internet unhindered. These "informaticos" acquire laptops from friends in foreign countries and modify the hardware and software to get around...

Developing Nations Begin to Embrace Internet Commerce

Bod Tedeschi November 23, 2003
Though the internet has long served the needs of businesses large and small in developed nations, it has struggled to make a broad impact in the developing world, where the internet remains inaccessible to many. Global e-commerce revenue will reach upwards of $4 trillion this year, over 95% of which will come from transactions in industrialized countries. However, as this article reports, a...

MEPs Vote to Support Stem Cell Research

Ian Black November 20, 2003
In a controversial decision, the European parliament decided on November 19 to permit EU funds to be spent on new stem cell research. Despite heavy lobbying from religious groups, the European parliament sided with medical researchers and patients' groups because they do not want Europe to risk falling behind in a lucrative area of biotechnology. Although Catholic countries such as Germany,...

Will Global Warming Trigger a New Ice Age?

Bill McGuire November 13, 2003
Scientists have long warned that temperatures will soar and people swelter as rising levels of greenhouse gases lead to global warming. However, new evidence suggests that these conclusions were somewhat off-base. Instead of sweating, people around the world may soon be shivering as high temperatures hasten the coming of the next ice age. Currently, huge volumes of fresh water are being poured...