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Hope never dies
DAVID HOSKING/FLPA
60 SECONDS
Net values THE start of the fishing season across North America is often marked by another springtime ritual: grumbling by sport fishers over the special fishing rights of Native Americans. Complaints that this leads to fish populations being harmed by “unethical” practices may be unfounded,
No human rights for chimps An Austrian court has refused to grant Hiasl the chimpanzee basic human rights, such as protection from being owned. Hiasl’s supporters were worried that the Vienna animal shelter where he lives might not be able to keep him, and a UK citizen living in Austria wanted to be appointed his legal guardian to safeguard his future.
Animal extremists raid
“The values of the Menominee turned out to be close to those of the sport fishers”
Police in Europe arrested 30 suspected animal rights extremists on Tuesday in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. however. The two groups’ values About 300 officers were involved turn out to be closer than most – Lonely male seeks like-gened female for fun times – in raids at 30 addresses “as part of sport fishers realise. an ongoing investigation into criminal Psychologist Douglas Medin Unfortunately, it too is male, but activity associated with animal rights at Northwestern University in its mere existence raises the extremism”, a police spokesman THE world’s loneliest animal, a Evanston, Illinois, and colleagues exciting possibility of a female told the BBC. giant tortoise widely thought to surveyed the attitudes of carrying Pinta genes that would be the last of his kind, may not 15 fishers from the Menominee make a suitable match for George. Telescope airborne be alone after all, say geneticists. tribe in central Wisconsin, and The animal, dubbed PBR03, is The revelation offers hope that 17 fishers of European descent. about 30 years old, Powell NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for “Lonesome George” – the famous estimates. The creature could The researchers asked all Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) completed a Galapagos bachelor – may yet the fishers to rate the ethical have plenty of sisters carrying a successful test flight on 24 April. The have a chance to breed. acceptability of 17 fishing similar share of Pinta genes. There heavily modified Boeing 747 was being Thousands of giant tortoises practices, and also to guess how may even be a full-blown Pinta tested to see how it would cope with once roamed the volcanic slopes members of the opposite group female out there, he says. the 20-tonne telescope on board. SOFIA of Pinta, one of the Galapagos would answer. could start observing by late 2008. islands. None roam today, owing The values of the Menominee to centuries of exploitation by turned out to be much closer to Slip slidin’ away those of the sport fishers than the SOON it will be illegal to deny US latter expected (Human Ecology, jobs or insurance simply Arctic ice is melting nearly three times “A female carrying Pinta Island citizens vol 35, p 315). For example, the because they have an inherited faster than computer models predicted. genes would make a suitable illness, or a genetic predisposition Julienne Stroeve of the National Snow European-Americans thought the Menominee would approve and Ice Data Center in Boulder, match for Lonesome George” to a particular disease. of practices such as keeping On 25 April, the House of Colorado, and colleagues came to this passing sailors in search of a slow- Representatives voted 420 to 3 undersized fish and fishing on conclusion after comparing past moving, tasty meal. Lonesome spawning beds, whereas both to pass the Genetic Information predictions with actual measurements George, the only known Pinta groups disapproved of them. Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). of ice loss in the Arctic (Geophysical tortoise, was discovered in 1971 The Senate is expected to endorse Research Letters, vol 34, p L09501). and kept in captivity in the hope the act within a few weeks, which that a mate could be found. That is also supported by President Gulf war brain drain day may finally be close. Bush. “I am so stunned by the Conservation geneticists majority,” says Sharon Terry, People with Gulf war syndrome studying the DNA of tortoises president of the Genetic Alliance, have a brain cortex around 5 per cent on nearby Isabela island have a charity lobbying for the rights of smaller than that of healthier soldiers stumbled upon a tortoise with people with inherited illnesses. who also served in the 1991 conflict, clear signs of Pinta ancestry. “It’s “Clearly the House finally a small study suggests. Roberta White a real surprise,” says Jeff Powell of understood the incredible of the Boston University School of Yale University. significance this has. The Public Health in Massachusetts and Powell and colleagues analysed American public can now access colleagues say their findings, drawn the DNA of 27 tortoises from Wolf genetic tests, feel safe about their from 18 veterans with the syndrome Volcano on Isabela. One of these genetic information not being and 18 controls, provide hard biological appears to be a cross between a misused and participate in evidence that the controversial Pinta male and an Isabela female research that involves genetic syndrome is real. information.” –In harm’s way– (Current Biology, vol 17, p R317).
Hope never dies
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5 May 2007 | NewScientist | 5
60 SECONDS
Net values THE start of the fishing season across North America is often marked by another springtime ritual: grumbling by sport fishers over the special fishing rights of Native Americans. Complaints that this leads to fish populations being harmed by “unethical” practices may be unfounded,
No human rights for chimps An Austrian court has refused to grant Hiasl the chimpanzee basic human rights, such as protection from being owned. Hiasl’s supporters were worried that the Vienna animal shelter where he lives might not be able to keep him, and a UK citizen living in Austria wanted to be appointed his legal guardian to safeguard his future.
Animal extremists raid
“The values of the Menominee turned out to be close to those of the sport fishers”
Police in Europe arrested 30 suspected animal rights extremists on Tuesday in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. however. The two groups’ values About 300 officers were involved turn out to be closer than most – Lonely male seeks like-gened female for fun times – in raids at 30 addresses “as part of sport fishers realise. an ongoing investigation into criminal Psychologist Douglas Medin Unfortunately, it too is male, but activity associated with animal rights at Northwestern University in its mere existence raises the extremism”, a police spokesman THE world’s loneliest animal, a Evanston, Illinois, and colleagues exciting possibility of a female told the BBC. giant tortoise widely thought to surveyed the attitudes of carrying Pinta genes that would be the last of his kind, may not 15 fishers from the Menominee make a suitable match for George. Telescope airborne be alone after all, say geneticists. tribe in central Wisconsin, and The animal, dubbed PBR03, is The revelation offers hope that 17 fishers of European descent. about 30 years old, Powell NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for “Lonesome George” – the famous estimates. The creature could The researchers asked all Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) completed a Galapagos bachelor – may yet the fishers to rate the ethical have plenty of sisters carrying a successful test flight on 24 April. The have a chance to breed. acceptability of 17 fishing similar share of Pinta genes. There heavily modified Boeing 747 was being Thousands of giant tortoises practices, and also to guess how may even be a full-blown Pinta tested to see how it would cope with once roamed the volcanic slopes members of the opposite group female out there, he says. the 20-tonne telescope on board. SOFIA of Pinta, one of the Galapagos would answer. could start observing by late 2008. islands. None roam today, owing The values of the Menominee to centuries of exploitation by turned out to be much closer to Slip slidin’ away those of the sport fishers than the SOON it will be illegal to deny US latter expected (Human Ecology, jobs or insurance simply Arctic ice is melting nearly three times “A female carrying Pinta Island citizens vol 35, p 315). For example, the because they have an inherited faster than computer models predicted. genes would make a suitable illness, or a genetic predisposition Julienne Stroeve of the National Snow European-Americans thought the Menominee would approve and Ice Data Center in Boulder, match for Lonesome George” to a particular disease. of practices such as keeping On 25 April, the House of Colorado, and colleagues came to this passing sailors in search of a slow- Representatives voted 420 to 3 undersized fish and fishing on conclusion after comparing past moving, tasty meal. Lonesome spawning beds, whereas both to pass the Genetic Information predictions with actual measurements George, the only known Pinta groups disapproved of them. Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). of ice loss in the Arctic (Geophysical tortoise, was discovered in 1971 The Senate is expected to endorse Research Letters, vol 34, p L09501). and kept in captivity in the hope the act within a few weeks, which that a mate could be found. That is also supported by President Gulf war brain drain day may finally be close. Bush. “I am so stunned by the Conservation geneticists majority,” says Sharon Terry, People with Gulf war syndrome studying the DNA of tortoises president of the Genetic Alliance, have a brain cortex around 5 per cent on nearby Isabela island have a charity lobbying for the rights of smaller than that of healthier soldiers stumbled upon a tortoise with people with inherited illnesses. who also served in the 1991 conflict, clear signs of Pinta ancestry. “It’s “Clearly the House finally a small study suggests. Roberta White a real surprise,” says Jeff Powell of understood the incredible of the Boston University School of Yale University. significance this has. The Public Health in Massachusetts and Powell and colleagues analysed American public can now access colleagues say their findings, drawn the DNA of 27 tortoises from Wolf genetic tests, feel safe about their from 18 veterans with the syndrome Volcano on Isabela. One of these genetic information not being and 18 controls, provide hard biological appears to be a cross between a misused and participate in evidence that the controversial Pinta male and an Isabela female research that involves genetic syndrome is real. information.” –In harm’s way– (Current Biology, vol 17, p R317).
Hope never dies
ACTION IMAGES
Insurance for all
www.newscientist.com
5 May 2007 | NewScientist | 5