Storm the size of a planet
NASA鈥檚 Cassini spacecraft has spotteda gigantic storm two-thirds the size of Earth. Fortunately, the 8000-kilometre-wide storm is raging on Saturn鈥檚 south pole. It is the first storm seen in the solar system, other than on Earth, that has a well-defined wall of towering clouds ringing a dark eye.
Mars probe calls time
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Maybe it decided enough was enough. Sent on a two-year mission 10 years ago, the Mars Global Surveyor worked valiantly overtime, sending back more information about Mars than all earlier missions combined. NASA lost contact with the probe on 5 November. Its last signal indicated that it had entered a 鈥渟afe鈥� mode and was awaiting instructions from Earth.
Fatbuster failure
An anti-obesity vaccine has been abandoned following disappointing results in humans. The vaccine, developed by Cytos Biotechnology of Zurich, Switzerland, was meant to stimulate production of antibodies that would mop up ghrelin, a gut hormone thought to stimulate appetite (see New 杏吧原创, 21 May 2005, p 9).
Red meat warning
Daily consumption of red meat may double the risk of certain breast cancers, a study of 90,000 women aged 26 to 46 suggests. Researchers speculate that growth hormones given to cattle or chemicals added during meat processing could fuel hormone-responsive cancers, which account for two-thirds of breast cancers (Archives of Internal Medicine, vol 166, p 2253).
Flying towards extinction
Birds around the world are heading for extinction because of global warming. A WWF report released last week says that birds most at risk are migratory, mountain, island, wetland, Arctic, Antarctic and seabirds. A 2 掳C warming over pre-industrial levels could render extinct 38 per cent of European species and 72 per cent in north-east Australia.