BayaWeaver - Slashdot User

Submission + - New species of human from China?

Submitted by BayaWeaver on Wednesday March 14, 2012 @01:54PM

BayaWeaver writes: These are exciting times in anthropology.
Recent analysis of fossils first discovered in China in 1979 indicate that a human-like species may have co-existed with modern humans as late as 11,500 years ago. This presumably new species has been nicknamed Red Deer Cave people because of their apparent taste for the extinct giant red deer. Compare this finding with the "hobbits" discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003 which are also thought to have been around until 12,000 years ago. Similarly, the Denisovans discovered in 2010 were co-existing with modern humans in Siberia about 30,000 years ago. It is also interesting that the sensational, high-impact is published in open access PLoS and not the traditional pay-walled journals like Nature and Science.

Submission + - F-22 Raptor Cancelled

Submitted by BayaWeaver on Wednesday July 22, 2009 @10:28AM

BayaWeaver writes: Slate reports that the F-22 Raptor has been cancelled by the Senate. At an estimated price tag of $339 million per aircraft, even the powerful military-industrial-congressional complex couldn't keep this Cold War program alive in these hard times. They look very cool though and have appeared in movies like Hulk and Transformers. But not to worry too much about the future of the military-industrial-congressional complex: the F-35 Lightning II begins production next year! As a side note, in 2007 a squadron of Raptors became deaf, dumb and blind when they flew over the International Date Line.

Submission + - Michael Crichton on why Gene Patents are bad

Submitted by

BayaWeaver

on Tuesday February 13, 2007 @09:15AM

BayaWeaver writes: "He of The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park fame has made a strong case against gene patents in an op-ed in the NYT today. It is hard to understand how anyone reading this could fail to be convinced that gene patents are repugnant and shouldn't be allowed. Unless, of course, he or she has a financial interest in maintaining the status quo
Here are some excerpts to get you all riled up.

"Gene patents are now used to halt research, prevent medical testing and keep vital information from you and your doctor. Gene patents slow the pace of medical advance on deadly diseases. And they raise costs exorbitantly: a test for breast cancer that could be done for $1,000 now costs $3,000.
When SARS was spreading across the globe, medical researchers hesitated to study it — because of patent concerns. There is no clearer indication that gene patents block innovation, inhibit research and put us all at risk.
Canavan disease is an inherited disorder that affects children starting at 3 months; they cannot crawl or walk, they suffer seizures and eventually become paralyzed and die by adolescence. Formerly there was no test to tell parents if they were at risk. Families enduring the heartbreak of caring for these children engaged a researcher to identify the gene and produce a test. Canavan families around the world donated tissue and money to help this cause.
When the gene was identified in 1993, the families got the commitment of a New York hospital to offer a free test to anyone who wanted it. But the researcher's employer, Miami Children's Hospital Research Institute, patented the gene and refused to allow any health care provider to offer the test without paying a royalty."

For your good deed today, please click on the link even if you don't intend to read TFA , so that it gets into the NYT Most Popular list and more people read the article. And then maybe, maybe, things will change after enough people are outraged by the idea of gene patents to demand the change."

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