Extreme astronomy
NASA scientists had to carry rifles to fend off polar bears and caribou on their way to retrieve a telescope that had landed in the Canadian Arctic. A balloon launched on 11 June from Sweden carried the BLAST telescope to the edge of space to study the formation of stars and galaxies in the early universe. The telescope parachuted back to Earth on 18 June.
鈥楴o鈥� to whaling comeback
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Japan鈥檚 plan for a regulated commercial whaling programme was voted down at the International Whaling Commission鈥檚 meeting on Tuesday. IWC member states meeting in Ulsan, South Korea, dismissed the 鈥渞evised management scheme鈥� by 29 to 23 with 5 abstentions.
Biotech boost
India鈥檚 science minister, Kapil Sibal, launched a government strategy on Monday to boost the country鈥檚 biotech sector fivefold over the next five years. The policy will introduce tax incentives for biotech entrepreneurs, and more industry-friendly regulations.
Trading on exhaust
In a bid to avoid a punitive green tax on aviation fuel, the UK鈥檚 Sustainable Aviation group this week called for greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft to be included in the European Emissions Trading Scheme. The EU 鈥渃arbon exchange鈥� is currently limited to industrial polluters such as power stations and factories. However, the group has no plans to limit growth in budget flights.
Mind drug may tackle SARS
Cinanserin, a schizophrenia drug that blocks the neurotransmitter serotonin, might also cure SARS. It blocks a viral proteinase enzyme and stops the virus replicating at low doses, German and Chinese scientists report. They had screened 8000 existing drugs to find molecules that theoretically fit the SARS enzyme. Of the 15 that did, only cinanserin is already licensed for human use.