This week in European sciences -- week 12|2004
 

Overview
The Economist on what nano-scientists may learn from the GMO case, and a new hypothesis of the cause of Alzheimer's. Die Zeit about governmental censorship in U.S. science. FAZ and The Guardian report on the spread of tuberculosis. Dagens Nyheter sees the first migrant birds and welcomes Spring arriving, also a piece on heredity in horses. FAZ writes about the rise of respiratory disease. Dagens Nyheter on the controversial Atkins diet, and a South African plant used to dampen the craving for food. Svenska Dagbladet on the Nordic chronicler Snorre Sturlasson.

What Nano-Geeks May Learn From GMO

The case of GMO shows that science doesn't matter at all when it comes to credit the fears of people. Now, a new technology comes up - nanotechnology - and is claimed as revolutionary for the century, on the one side. On the other, scientists are reluctant to discuss possible risks or even don't want to see them. So what. Revolutionary, benefits for all. And no downsides? Who addresses the risks? "Such inconsistencies will breed public mistrust and fear", writes the Economist (March 20, 2004). According to researchers (not in science, but in law) the new technology already makes steps along the same pace as biotechnology before. "In Europe and America, there is the growing sense that one of the most important lessons of the fierce opposition with which biotechnology has met is that, if science is seen to be progressing too fast, and too far beyond current knowledge, there will be pressure for legislation."
Alzheimer's disease may be caused by a bacterial infection, considers the Economist (March 20, 2004). Current research investigates the hypothesis that the underlying mysterious cause of Alzheimer's may be triggered by an infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae. At present, genetic proneness or simply aging are seen as possible causes. Hence, the bacteria hypothesis seems strange. But the Economist stresses that also stomach ulcers were first seen as caused by something different as a simple bacterial infection.
 

The Economist
March 20, 2004

Censorship in U.S. Science

Last week was hot in U.S. science. In a press conference at the M.I.T., physicist Phillip Morrisson and colleagues from the Union of concerned scientists accused the Bush government of muzzling science, reports Tom Schimmeck in Die Zeit (March 18, 2004). A few weeks ago, 62 of the most famous U.S. researchers (among them 20 Nobel laureates) wrote a letter to the president for the same reason. Indeed, it seems that the government doesn't care about the freedom of science. Mr. Bush had fired some in his opinion embarrassing scientists, and had erased unpleasant news from official documents. Among the researchers the humour about these practices has changed into anger. "For everyone who believes in a rational universe, enlightment, knowledge and the search for truth the white house must look like an absolute disaster", a scientist is cited.
 

Die Zeit
March 18, 2004

Tuberculosis Affects the East

TB has been no problem over the years for Western and Central Europe. It was seen, at least, as a disease of the poor. With the accession of 10 countries in Eastern Europe to the EU the hot spots of the disease, for instance, in the Baltics come nearer, reports Joachim Müller-Jung in FAZ (March 16, 2004). The troubling problem is that some strains of the potentially lethal bacteria that spread the disease are resistant to three of the four main drugs. Experts with the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate that there are 8.8 million new cases of TB around the world every year, 2 million people die. As Müller-Jung points out that the WHO missed its goal to bring TB under control by the year 2000. Also the next mark by the year 2005 will be missed. Experts demand that strong treatment strategy called Dots be installed to assure a consistent medication of infected people. Under Dots the patients receive several drugs and are supervised to take them for about six months.
Sarah Boseley adds in the Guardian (March 16, 2004) that according to WHO officials "aircraft passengers spread TB in a way that cannot be controlled". Tuberculosis is "spread by passengers who may not know that they have it." In the UK there are 40 to 50 cases of multi-drug resistant TB every year.
 

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The Guardian
March 16, 2004

Migrant Birds Arrive as Spring is Approaching

Spring is finally approaching - even in Scandinavia. Gunnar Sörbring reports in Dagens Nyheter (March 16, 2004) that the first migrant bird ringed this year at Ottenby Bird Observatory on the southern tip of the Baltic island of Öland was a blackbird. Migratory activity due North is slowly picking up and the ringers can expect to catch and ring around 20,000 birds this year.
All horses are related to a single equestrian Adam, researchers at Uppsala University have found (March 15, 2004). Per Snaprud describes the work of Hans Ellegren and his co-workers, who have compared the Y-chromosom of 15 races of horses. Y-chromosomes are only inherited in the male line and can thus show how many males have contributed to the current diversity. Previous research has shown that there is no mare, which can claim the status of Eve. Today's horses can be traced back to several ancient mothers. According to Ellegren the new research shows that the people who first domesticated horses were probably able to select stallions with sought after traits and breed those traits into future generations. The hereditary material of an ancient "super stallion" could in such a manner have been spread through all subsequent generations.
 

Dagens Nyheter
March 15/16, 2004

Chronic Lung Diseases on the Rise

Chronic respiratory diseases are on the rise to cause more and more deaths. The fastest increase is seen in chronic bronchitis, so-called COPD, short for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It now ranks 6th globally, but experts believe that COPD will make it to 3rd place in the next 15 years on the list of death causes. The economic burden weighs in billions of euros, writes Hildegard Kaulen in FAZ (March 15, 2004). The patients suffer and receive treatment for decades. COPD stands for an inflammatory attac and destruction of lung tissue. One main cause is smoking. But only one in five of smokers suffers from COPD. Hence, medical researchers suspect a genetic cause but haven't succeeded in demonstrating that. At present, total recovery from COPD isn't possible, but medical treatment (by drugs prescribed also for asthma) may alleviate some of the symtoms. Experts in Germany stress that too little effort in studying respiratory diseases like COPD is made (in Germany).
 

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
March 15, 2004

Controversial Atkins Diet

The trials and tribulations of weight control are a major topic for Dagens Nyheter. Per Snaprud gives a rather fair assessment of the controversial Atkins diet (March 14, 2004). This diet encourages the eating of protein rich foods and discourages the consumption of carbohydrate rich foods like potatos, rice and white bread. So far, the scientific evidence for the success of the Atkins diet is equivocal, although numerous people claim to have successfully lost a considerable amount of weight with the help of the diet. However, strong criticism is directed at the ecological sustainability of the diet. The Atkins diet includes foods that are enormously energy-intensive to produce. Pia Lindeskog, a researcher in sustainable food production, says that it would be impossible to feed the Earth's population with an Atkins diet (without mentioning that the so terribly popular organic farming practices used in Sweden might also not be able to fulfil that honorable aim and are, just like the Atkins diet, a phenomenon of highly industrialized and wealthy countries).
Christer Pettersson continues the theme and reports about the South African succulent plant Hoodia gordinii (which he mistakenly describes as a "cactus"). The San people of the Kalahari-desert have traditionally used this plant to dampen the craving for food (March 14, 2004). The San have entered a unique deal with the British company Phytopharm to market the plant as a weight control drug. The active ingredient, P57, was isolated in 1996 by South African state-sponsored researchers. Without mentioning the traditional use by the San, the licence to develop the product was sold to Phytopharm. When the San became aware of the deal, a council was formed which afterwards managed to close the deal. Via a foundation the San get 6% of South Africa's research council earnings from Phytopharm. This number only amounts to around 0.003% of the expected future gross sales, but is still considered to be a big boost for traditional societies in their conflicts with international companies.
 

Dagens Nyheter
March 14, 2004

Nordic History Reevaluated Again

Admirably, Svenska Dagbladet does not respect traditional disciplinary boundaries on its science pages. From time to time, history finds extensive space there too. Catharina Ingelmann-Sundquist describes (March 14, 2004) how the Icelandic chronicler of ancient Nordic mythology and history Snorre Sturlasson is being reevaluated again and again. Sturlasson, who was active in the 12th century, was in the 19th and early 20th century regarded to be the most important and reliable source of early Nordic history. But before World War I the historians Curt and Lauritz Weibull from Lund University started to question the reliability of Sturlasson's writings. The status of Sturlasson has since declined more and more. Especially his use of the so-called "Ynglingatal" as a source for the early royal history of the North has contributed to this decline. It was long believed that this source dated from the 8th century, but later research suggested it actually has its roots in the 12th century and does not give any credible account of the early pre-Christian period in Scandinavia. In his dissertation the historian Olof Sundqvist questions the criticisms of Sturlasson. He claims to show that many of the apparently Christian elements that seem to put the Ynglingatal into the 12th century could be accounted for by early Viking contacts to France and Britain. Archeological digs have also not supported Sturlasson's descriptions that mighty kings have reigned around Uppsala in the 6th century. Sundqvist thinks that many finds have been misinterpreted and many placed in the area remain to be carefully investigated before any conclusions can be drawn. Archeologists apparently plan to open again the huge burial mound in Old Uppsala.
 

Svenska Dagbladet
March 14, 2004

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