Return ticket to space
The Indian Space Research Organisation was set to launch its first recoverable space capsule on 10 January from its launch site in Sriharikota. The 550-kilogram capsule, which will carry experiments to be performed in microgravity, will stay in orbit for up to 30 days before splashing down in the Bay of Bengal.
A thinner dog鈥檚 dinner
Advertisement
A drug specifically designed to treat canine obesity has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Slentrol comes in liquid form and can be added to the pet鈥檚 food. It appears to work by reducing fat absorption and making the dog feel full. Its developer, Pfizer, says it is not suitable for human use.
Biting back against rabies
The World Health Organization is launching a $10 million, five-year plan to combat rabies. Announced on Wednesday, the initiative will increase the supply of drugs to treat the disease in developing countries in Asia and Africa, where 99 per cent of all cases are recorded. The disease is mainly transmitted by dog bites. The plan will also seek to increase supplies of treatments for snake bites and scorpion stings.
Google to hunt dark matter
Google is to help search for dark matter and dark energy. Last week, it joined the collaboration building the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), due to see first light in 2013. The 8.4-metre LSST will generate 30 terabytes of data each night as it scans the skies, and Google will help organise this data.
Milk spoils tea party
Adding milk to tea may blunt its cardiovascular benefits. A study of 16 volunteers published in the European Heart Journal suggests that the effects of catechins 鈥� ingredients in tea thought to combat heart disease by dilating blood vessels 鈥� were blocked by casein proteins in milk.