[Jawlist] Weekly Science Report 8-7-09

Sat Aug 8 09:12:33 PDT 2009

Good Afternoon,

Below is this week's edition.  Enjoy!

Steve Detwiler

Weekly Science Report
August 7, 2009

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
Albert Einstein

News Articles

Paleontology, Evolution and Prehistoric Studies

Archeologists renew studies at hominoid dig sites in SW China
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90874/6715971.html

Mammals beat reptiles in battle of evolution
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32236319/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Crashing comets not likely the cause of Earth's mass extinctions: new research
http://www.physorg.com/news168183769.html

Men better at distance vision due to hunter-gatherer past: study
http://www.physorg.com/news168157251.html

Saving the gems of the Stone Age 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/8181061.stm

Humans, Flores 'hobbits' existed together: study
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/02/2643415.htm

Fossils In Spain Are Treasure-Trove For Scientists
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111487747&ft=1&f=1007&sc=YahooNews

Was There Really a Great Flood?
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/20470/

8,000-year-old human skeleton found in a Turkey tomb
http://blog.taragana.com/n/8000-year-old-human-skeleton-found-in-a-turkey-tomb-128299/

Dog domestication likely started in N. Africa
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32275502/ns/technology_and_science-science/

DNA-like technique may help nab fossil thieves
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32271709/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Giant extinct snake may -- or may not -- shed light on ancient climate
http://www.physorg.com/news168536616.html

Giant marine worms lived 475 million years ago: scientists
http://www.physorg.com/news168528195.html

Mammoths Doomed by Hunting, Climate: Study
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/03/mammoth-extinction.html

Göbekli Tepe: Standing stones from humanity’s oldest temple
http://www.examiner.com/x-11199-Archeological-Travel-Examiner~y2009m8d3-Gobekli-Tepe-Standing-stones-from-humanitys-oldest-temple

Pterosaur features defy comparison
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32301657/ns/technology_and_science-science/

3.2-Million-Year Temperature History from Tiny Fossils
http://www.physorg.com/news168703415.html

Found: A pocket guide to prehistoric Spain
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327204.400-found-a-pocket-guide-to-prehistoric-spain.html

Ancient bones show earliest 'human' infection
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17559-ancient-bones-show-earliest-human-infection.html

Judge clears way for dinosaur park to be seized
http://www.pnj.com/article/20090801/NEWS01/908010317

Extinct Walking Bat Found; Upends Evolutionary Theory
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090804-walking-bat.html

Extinction runs in the family
http://www.physorg.com/news168790694.html

Ancient and General History

Shiga / Castle ruins may shed light on loyal warlord
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20090802TDY10002.htm

Henry II 'spent a fortune on Dover Castle to counter Becket cult'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/5940173/Henry-II-spent-a-fortune-on-Dover-Castle-to-counter-Becket-cult.html

Secrets Of Caistor Roman Town
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624111021.htm

Signs of ancient port in Kerala - Pattanam mentioned in Indian & Greek texts
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090803/jsp/frontpage/story_11313800.jsp

Computers unlock more secrets of the mysterious Indus Valley script
http://uwnews.org/article.asp?articleID=51251

Key criminal trials from 18th century UK go online
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/health-science/science/Key-criminal-trials-from-18th-century-UK-go-online/articleshow/4854018.cms

Mysterious star disc discovered in 1999 is rewriting history
http://www.examiner.com/x-2766-Atlanta-Astrology-Examiner~y2009m8d1-Mysterious-star-disc-discovered-in-1999-is-rewriting-history

John Quincy Adams Tweeted Before Obama
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/04/tech/main5213337.shtml?tag=cbsnewsLeadStoriesAreaMain;cbsnewsLeadStoriesHeadlines

New Mexico library has Billy the Kid letters
http://www.physorg.com/news168693030.html

Experts dig up dirt on David and Goliath
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/03/2643718.htm

Sikh soldiers guard Queen Elizabeth II
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090731/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_sikh_guards

Sidon excavations complete historic legacy
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=105005

Desperate plea for help came too late for ancient Assyrian leader
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article6740694.ece

Call Grows to Save Part of Pentagon Interior
Renovation Fades Historical Aspects
By Steve Vogel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 6, 2009 
The Pentagon was built in a rush during World War II, and for decades, it seemed as if time had stopped in parts of the building. The asphalt tiles on miles of corridors, the wooden signs on the walls, and the ancient fixtures in the restrooms created an ambiance that transported visitors back to the days when Army Chief of Staff Gen. George C. Marshall oversaw a global war and the corridors were filled with legions of Army clerks and "government girls." 
Almost all of that has changed with the slab-to-ceiling renovation that has been underway since 1994. Section by section, nearly all of the 6.2 million-square-foot building has been gutted, methodically stripped down to concrete floors and columns. The interior has been rebuilt with modern office space, lighting and infrastructure -- even atriums and elevators, revolutionary by Pentagon standards. 
But the result, while more comfortable, lacks the military headquarters' distinctive atmosphere, and as the date for the final phase of demolition approaches this fall, pangs of regret over what is being lost have welled up. A proposal has emerged: Why not preserve a small section of old Pentagon office space for historical reasons? 
The idea has floated up the chain of command. No final decision has been made, but the proposal has received a favorable reception from Pentagon officials, including Michael Rhodes, the acting director of Administration and Management for the Defense Department, who oversees the building. 
"We are excited about potentially preserving a small area of the Pentagon so that occupants and visitors can experience aspects of the building as they existed prior to the renovation," said Albert C. "Clai" Ellett, the acting director for Washington Headquarters Services, the agency responsible for the Pentagon's management. 
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said: "While everybody enjoys the upgrades of the building, people do reminisce about the old building with fond nostalgia. This is a way for people to remember the way it used to be." 
Only one section of the building -- less than 10 percent -- remains in its original state. Other than the formal wooden staircases and certain design features at the building's two ceremonial entrances, nothing else of the interior has been preserved in the refurbishment. 
The last untouched portion of the Pentagon is on the southern side of the building, stretching across all five of the building's rings along the east side of Corridor 2. The amount of space within this section to be preserved would be relatively small, officials said. 
The Pentagon was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993, and the renovation has preserved the building's exterior, including the limestone facade and the center courtyard. But until now, little has been done to preserve the interior. 
Many details have not been established, including the exact location and amount of the space to be preserved. "We are reviewing several locations, and concepts are being developed," Ellett said. 
Also unresolved is the question of how the space would be used. 
"There's a good deal of discussion as to whether it would simply be space of what a typical office looked like, or to make it more of a living museum piece," Stuart Rochester, chief historian for the Pentagon, said in an interview shortly before his death from melanoma July 29. 
Given the historical imperative of preserving a piece of the original Pentagon interior, Rochester called it "a foregone conclusion that it's going to happen," but he predicted it may not be without controversy. 
Setting aside the space for a museum would mean that one or more offices displaced by the renovation might not move back into the Pentagon. "Space is at a premium, so there's going to be all sorts of howling," Rochester said. 
Another problem is the need to remove the hazardous asbestos used prevalently in construction material throughout the Pentagon, no matter whether a section is being renovated. "Of course there are environmental issues involved," said Nancy Berlage, a historian in the Defense Department's office of history involved with the project. 
Meanwhile, the renovation moves inexorably forward. Last month, the Pentagon opened the first half of the redesigned concourse shopping area. When the rest opens this fall, employees will have multiple eating choices in a new 800-seat food court. 
It's all a far cry from the standard fare originally offered in Pentagon cafeterias. 
"You can even get sushi," Whitman said. 

Archaeology

Hidden Gobi Desert relics found 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8179921.stm

Ancient stone sculpture of Goddess of 6th - 7th Century A.D. discovered in Indian Kashmir
http://www.groundreport.com/Business/Ancient-stone-sculpture-of-Goddess-of-6th-7th-Cent_2

Ancient warrior's skeleton found near Rome
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gj1IAqfcnkSTEvL4SnixyWzgiHEgD99PF1J02

Computers tackle fresco puzzles
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_civ_2_31/07/2009_109409

1,400-year-old ancient city found in Osmaniye
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-182512-100-1400-year-old-ancient-city-found-in-osmaniye.html

Archeology works in Veliko Turnovo discover a princess
http://www.sofiaecho.com/2009/08/03/765128_archeology-works-in-veliko-turnovo-discover-a-princess

Expert Calls For New Study on Achaemenid Bardak-Siyah Palace in Borajzan
http://www.cais-soas.com/news/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63:expert-calls-for-new-study-on-achaemenid-bardak-siyah-palace-in-borajzan&catid=34

Students Excavate 19th Century Jail
http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/86381.html?isap=1&nav=5031

Twenty Complete Human Skeletons with their Offerings were Rescued and Registered in Cholula
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=32415

Archaeologists Confirm Location of Important Paeonic-Era Site in Macedonia
http://www.balkantravellers.com/en/read/article/1386

Shedding old light on archaeological artefacts
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327206.500-shedding-old-light-on-archaeological-artefacts.html

Bulgarian Archaeologists Rediscover Ancient Black Sea Fortress
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=106519

Archaeologists Unearth the Treasure of Basil II
http://paper.standartnews.com/en/article.php?d=2009-08-05&article=28334

Alabama city destroying ancient Indian mound for Sam's Club
http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/08/alabama-city-destroying-ancient-indian-mound-for-sams-club.html

Cyprus - Pyla-Koutsopetria Archaeological Project 2009
http://www.isria.com/pages/5_August_2009_89.php

Dig reveals secrets of 'green' monks
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0804/1224251959097.html

Archaeologist calls for new study on Achaemenid palace in southern Iran
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=200211

Ship's weapon dug up from garden
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8181404.stm

Pakal's Tomb, from Underworld to the Internet
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=32488

Bronze Age settlement discovered in E Hungary 
http://english.mti.hu/default.asp?menu=1&theme=2&cat=25&newsid=263556

Roman Emperor Vespasian's Villa Found
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/06/vespasian-villa.html

400-Year-Old Shipwreck Discovered in Stockholm Archipelago
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/20598/

Late Post Classic Maize Goddess Sculpture Restored
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=32537

Shedding old light on archaeological artefacts
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327206.500-shedding-old-light-on-archaeological-artefacts.html

Sheriff may file charges against agents in archaeology bust
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=7424297

Egyptology

The rising sun in Egyptology
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/958/he1.htm

Egyptian experts to conserve mummy in Hyderabad museum
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/egyptian-experts-to-conserve-mummy-in-hyderabad-museum_100224792.html

Archaeologists from Kraków have returned to Marea in Egypt
http://en.naukawpolsce.pl/palio/html.run?_Instance=cms_naukapl.pap.pl&_PageID=1&s=szablon.depesza&dz=archeology&dep=363469&data=&lang=EN&_CheckSum=767185443

General Science

>From graphene to graphane, now the possibilities are endless
http://www.physorg.com/news168251755.html

Call for debate on killer robots
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8182003.stm

Cyborg-walkers stride toward Japan's robotics future
http://www.physorg.com/news168507367.html

New microchip technology performs 1,000 chemical reactions at once
http://www.physorg.com/news168522738.html

Students develop cane with e-tags to guide blind
http://www.physorg.com/news168533723.html

Report urges separation of science and state
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/ethics/2009-08-05-science-politics_N.htm

Touchable Hologram Becomes Reality (w/ Video)
http://www.physorg.com/news168797748.html

Quantum computers still work with half their bits missing
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2906/quantum-computers-still-work-with-half-their-bits-missing

Physics, Earth and Space Sciences

Will NASA’s Next Step Be an Astronaut Rendezvous With an Asteroid?
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/07/31/will-nasas-next-step-be-an-astronaut-rendezvous-with-an-asteroid/

FILL 'ER UP ... IN SPACE?
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/07/31/2016811.aspx

Space panel considers alternatives to NASA's plan for moon base
http://www.physorg.com/news168274466.html

China doctor reveals 100 rules for would-be spacemen
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090801/sc_nm/us_china_astronaut

Mock Supernova Created by Supercomputer
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/090731-supercomputer-supernova.html

Can life on Earth escape the swelling sun?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32272645/ns/technology_and_science-space/

Opportunity rover finds meteorite on Mars
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32271632/ns/technology_and_science-space/

Giant Star Boils, Releasing Matter Into Space
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/03/boiling-star.html

NASA's Moon Mapper Beholds Home
http://www.physorg.com/news168534660.html

Dark energy may disguise shape of universe
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327191.600-dark-energy-may-disguise-shape-of-universe.html

Experiment Looks to Bridge Classical Physics and Quantum Mechanics
http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-07/experiment-tries-bridge-classical-physics-and-quantum-mechanics

Martian methane mystery deepens 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8186314.stm

SPACESHIPS GET A (SMALLER) BOOST
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/08/05/2021065.aspx

Hyperactive stars move at twice speed of sun
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32302066/ns/technology_and_science-space/

Moon used as giant particle detector
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17561-moon-used-as-giant-particle-detector.html

NASA’s New, All-Purpose Spacesuit
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4326782.html

Planet-hunting probe spots test target
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32319679/ns/technology_and_science-space/

Long debate ended over cause, demise of ice ages -- may also help predict future
http://www.physorg.com/news168791411.html

Surface features on Titan form like Earth's, but with a frigid twist
http://www.physorg.com/news168791012.html

Avalanche! The Incredible Data Stream of SDO
http://www.physorg.com/news168796053.html

China's first Mars orbiter in Russia for launch
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090806/sc_afp/chinarussiaspacemars_20090806161822

Japan to use deep-sea probes to search for minerals
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/afp/20090806/tc_afp/japanenergymineralsseatechnology_20090806160549

South Africa reaching to space to boost economy
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090806/sc_nm/us_safrica_space

Arctic Ocean may be polluted soup by 2070
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327204.800-arctic-ocean-may-be-polluted-soup-by-2070.html

Space cone to acquire expert data
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8161395.stm

Comet Swarm Delivered Earth's Oceans?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090805-earth-oceans-comets-life.html

Spying For Science: Military Satellites Aid Civilian Research
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4326977.html

Another League Under the Sea: Tomorrow's Research Subs Open Earth's Final Frontier
http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-07/new-generation-submersibles-open-ocean

Environment, Climate Change and Alternative Energy Sources

Cyprus to build wind park
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090731/sc_afp/cyprusenergy_20090731181009

Tiny battery traps solar power to run a house for 24 hrs
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/health-science/science/Tiny-battery-traps-solar-power-to-run-a-house-for-24-hrs/articleshow/4854050.cms

Is biogas the way to San Jose's energy independence?
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2009-08-03-biogas-san-jose_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Global Warming Beliefs
http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=global-warming-beliefs-09-08-02

Is There a Place for Nuclear Waste?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=is-there-a-place-for-nuclear-waste

Your Mom’s Facebook Status: I’m Crunching Climate Data!
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/facebookclimate/

India's 'drought-resistant rice'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8182840.stm

Wastewater produces electricity and desalinates water
http://www.physorg.com/news168778403.html

Global deal needs 'strong' 2020 targets: UN climate chief
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090806/sc_afp/climatewarmingun_20090806201540

Climate change melting US glaciers at faster rate, study finds
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/aug/06/america-glacier-melt

All Aboard the Eco-Express: Rail's Hybrid Energy Solutions
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=eco-express-hybrid-railroad

First U.S. "Power Tower" Lights Up California
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=first-us-power-tower-lights-up-california

An Iron Key to High-Temperature Superconductivity?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=an-iron-key-to-high-temp

Biological, Genetics and Medical Sciences

Artificial Sperm Not So Hot
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/07/journal_retracts_labmadesperm.html

'Junk' organs are not really useless
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/Health-Science/Science/Junk-organs-are-not-really-useless/articleshow/4840962.cms

Scientists program blood stem cells to become vision cells
http://www.physorg.com/news168257942.html

Nanotech gene therapy kills ovarian cancer in mice
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090730/sc_nm/us_cancer_nanotechnology

Scientists discover bladder cancer stem cell
http://www.physorg.com/news168539203.html

Nanoparticles cross blood-brain barrier to enable 'brain tumor painting'
http://www.physorg.com/news168537401.html

Researchers effectively treat tumors with use of nanotubes
http://www.physorg.com/news168525725.html

Organelle Simulated on Microchip for First Time
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=cells-golgi-apparatus

In China, DNA tests on kids ID genetic gifts, careers
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/08/03/china.dna.children.ability/index.html

Structure of HIV genome 'decoded' 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8186263.stm

DNA computer 'answers questions' 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8184033.stm

DNA TWISTED INTO PRETZELS
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/08/06/2021783.aspx

Other

Opinion: Do you believe in miracles?
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327207.000-opinion-do-you-believe-in-miracles.html

Sociologists debate: Are Americans really isolated?
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-08/asa-sd080409.php

Clever rooks repeat ancient fable
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8181233.stm

The Massive Ordnance Penetrator Will Be the Largest Non-Nuclear Bomb Ever
http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-amp-space/article/2009-08/pentagon-wants-deploy-largest-non-nuclear-bomb-next-year

Additional Informational

Top 10 American Innovations
http://www.livescience.com/technology/090803-top10-inventions.html

First Photos Inside Virgin Galactic's Mothership Cockpit
http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-amp-space/article/2009-07/check-out-virgin-galactics-mothership-cockpit

Letter from Mayor Leon Smith regarding Oxford stone mound
http://www.annistonstar.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Letter+from+Mayor+Leon+Smith+regarding+Oxford+stone+mound%20&id=3045054-Letter+from+Mayor+Leon+Smith+regarding+Oxford+stone+mound

Ten mysteries of you
http://www.newscientist.com/special/ten-mysteries-of-you

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