This week in European sciences -- week 33
 

Overview
Die Zeit portrays the former CEO of BMW, Joachim Milberg now founding a new technical society to make Germans more familiar with science and technology. Also a report on people who lost their sense for smelling. Süddeutsche Zeitung on planet Mars. The Guardian on EU proposal to cut fluorinated greenhouse gas emissions. NY Times reports on critics in smallpox vaccination. L.A. Times writes about a faulted study in herbal extracts. The Washington Post on WHO considerations to stop antibiotics for animal growth. Süddeutsche Zeitung on lobbyists in the US against a reasonable climate policy; and a recent "small world experiment".

Andreas Sentker portrays Joachim Milberg, CEO of BMW untill 2001, in Die Zeit (August 14, 2003). Milberg successfully turned BMW after the Rover disaster back into a profitable company. Now after retiring from the auto maker he is due to do the same with the German relationship to science and technology. Reputation of engineers declined drastically in recent years. By founding a new technical society, akatech, he wants to improve the old relationship which makes Germany to the leading countries in science and technology.
Martin Lindner reports on people who lost their sense for smelling. At least one out of 100 lost completely his or her sense of smell. Apparently women have a better nose than men and are struck harder when smelling fades out. But nerve cells related to smelling may recover, and doctors develop different therapies.
Wolfgang Blum describes how oranges on the market may piled up best - a century old mathematical assumption has been recently "proofed" with the help of big computer power. We learned much about that story in the last weeks, also that a computer-aided proof has not that power for mathematicians than the old-fashioned pencil-or-chalk notes.
 

EU wants to cut fluorinated greenhouse gases

A proposal by the EU commission focusses on phasing out fluorinated greenhouse gases by the year 2010, reports Andrew Osborn in The Guardian (August 13, 2003). The gases are found in everyday products like fridges, fire extinguishers, air conditioning units, double glazed windows, running shoes, aerosols and car tyres. Partly the flourocarbons have been a substitute for chlorofluorocarbons that are dangerous for the ozone layer. But: The three gases in focus - hydrofluorocarbon (HFCs), perfluorocarbon and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) - have a high global warming potential. For instance the warming potential of SF6 is 24,000 higher than that of carbon dioxide. "The proposals call for the phasing out of HFCs in air conditioning units fitted to cars between 2009 and 2013. Sanctions would be imposed on those that failed to comply."
 

Panel Urges Shift of Focus in Preparing for Smallpox

A U.S. panel of scientists said that the smallpox vaccine is too dangerous to give out to the general public at this point in time. The scientists recommend that the United States focus on its preparedness program instead to quicken the response time in need of the vaccination of the entire population, Elisabeth Olson reports in the New York Times (August 13, 2003). According to Dr. Brian L. Strom, chairman of the Institute of Medicine committee, "it does not make sense to give a vaccine with substantial risks against a disease that does not exist ­ in fact, that could be considered unethical." The panel's recommendations were submitted to the Centers for Disease Control which is supervising the creation of a nationwide smallpox vaccine program. The program is intended to prepare the United States in case of a bio-terrorism attack.
On the same issue: New Scientist (August 20, 2003).
 

New York Times
August 13, 2003

Herbal Extract Is Faulted In Study

An herbal supplement called guggulipid extract, which was believed to reduce cholesterol levels is actually increasing cholesterol slightly. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine published the results of the first U.S. clinical trial of guggulipid extract in the Aug.13-issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association and found the supplement to be ineffective. Thomas H. Maugh, staff writer for the L.A. Times (August 13, 2003) reports that the scientists did not expect these results because previous tests of guggulipid in India showed the product was effective in lowering cholesterol levels. However, the researchers found the Indian population is generally thinner and consumes less fat than the Americans participating in the study. Scientists concluded that herbal supplements need to be tested to ensure their safe usage.
 

WHO Urges End to Use of Antibiotics for Animal Growth

The World Health Organization (WHO) would like to see a stop of the use of antibiotic growth promoters in animal feed, according to a report by Marc Kaufman in the Washington Post (August 13, 2003). The WHO believes banning antibiotics in animal feed will help "preserve the effectiveness of antiobiotics for medicine," Kaufman writes. Nations are not forced to follow the recommendations, but by stopping the usage of growth promoters, the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics can be reduced. "We have believed for some time that giving animals low dosages of antibiotics throughout their lives to make them grow faster is a bad idea," Peter Braam, project leader for the WHO report, is quoted in the Washington Post. "Now we have solid scientific information from Denmark that producers can terminate this practice without negative effects for the animals and growers, and with good effects for the human population." Denmark voluntarily stopped using low-dose growth promoters in 1998.
 

Patrick Illinger reports on the debates on climate policy inside the United States. Many hopes of environmentalists lie on the senators Lieberman and McCain. They proposed reductions in climate gas emissions and emissions trading - a reduced version of the Kyoto treaty. Some federal states will follow them, anyway. But nobody takes for sure the proposal will pass the US congress. Scepticism is en vogue: Recently two climatologists published an article showing that even in middle age hugh climate variations occured. The scientific community doesn't agree, but US government representatives often referred to their conclusions. The study was funded by lobby groups, writes Illinger.
A network with an average minimum of 6 nodes connects every person on earth. This hypothesis got substance by a recent "small world experiment": 61168 Internet user started sending out e-mails to reach an unkown target person, writes Patrick Illinger in Süddeutsche Zeitung (August 12, 2003). 384 e-mail chains reached one of the 18 targets - and needed 5 to 7 relais stations. One of the targets has been Illinger's colleagues Christopher Schrader.
Wiebke Rögener discusses with Erich Wichmann, GSF research institute, Munich, the cancer potential of soot particles from diesel-fuelled car engines.
Max Rauner describes considerations in Germany to use the ubiquitous radio-controlled clocks to alarm citizens in case of catastrophes or terrorist attacks.
 

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