Rats to Replace Sniffer Dogs

Apparently in London you are never further than 10 feet from a rat !

But rats aren't just pests because a team of researchers at Baltimore University have trained a squad of 'sniffer' rats which they say are just as good as traditional sniffer dogs.

According to the researchers, nine times out of ten their rats can sniff out explosives or drugs even when they are masked by other odours such as petrol. So how does it work ? The rats are trained to stand on their hinds legs when they smell something dodgy by a computer that dishes out food rewards when they get it right. The researchers believe that rats could be much better than sniffer dogs because they don't need a particular person to handle them, and they can get into smaller places. The prospect of airport security guards armed with rats does sound fairly amusing though!

15th Jun 2002

Beetles on the Menu

Mexicans could be supplementing their diets in an original way soon - with ground up beetle larvae ! Barba de la Rosa, from Mexico's Potosi Institute of Science and Technology, has suggested that grubs of the yellow meal-worm beetle could be added to flour for making tortillas. She believes that this approach could help to boost the diets of Mexico's poorest residents with essential proteins and fatty acids.

15th Jun 2002

Repelling Mosquitoes with Tomatoes?

Scientists at North Carolina State University in the USA have found a compound in tomatoes which is an effective mosquito repellent. The compound is called IBI-246 and is at least as effective as DEET (or N, N-diethyl-meta-tolumide) which is the active ingredient in most sprays and creams used at the moment. IBI-246 is already used safely in cosmetics, so it has been well tested for toxicity. It is important to try to prevent mosquito bites to help stop the spread of malaria and dengue fever, especially in travellers. IBI-246 is also effective against ticks which can also carry disease (eg. Lyme Disease). The researchers hope that a product containing IBI-246 can be on sale to the public by the end of the year. It is very important to develop new insect repellents, because diseases such as malaria are being found more often outside their usual areas (eg. further north in the USA and in Southern Europe in the future as our climates warm up).
Researchers discover chemical produced by sweaty feet that attracts mosquitoes
Yale scientists uncover novel mosquito attractant (4-methylphenol)

15th Jun 2002

Work on Longest Tunnel in the World Due to Begin

Engineers are due to start building the world's longest and deepest underground tunnel beneath the Alps. Work will begin this year on the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which will stretch for a staggering 57 kilometres below ground at depths of up to 2 kilometres. At this depth, workers on the tunnel will have to cope with temperatures of over 50 degrees celsius. The tunnel will provide a rail link to the Swiss towns of Erstfeld and Bodio.

15th Jun 2002

Scientists Unveil a Thinking Cap

Australian scientists have unveiled an unusual invention recently - a thinking cap, which they claim can improve the drawing skills of the wearer within 15 minutes of putting it on. The cap, which was developed at Sydney's Centre for the Mind, uses magnets to stimulate the right hand side of the brain, which is associated with creative thinking.

15th Jun 2002

Chilli Blunts your Taste Buds

Eating chilli prevents you from tasting other flavours properly, according to scientists at the University of California. The researchers found that volunteers reported that sweet and bitter flavours were less intense after capsaicin, the chemical from Chilli peppers, was placed on their tongues. Interestingly, saltiness and sourness were not affected.

You may also be interested to hear that chickens are insensitive to capsaicin, the substance that makes chilli taste hot, and so are not burned by a spicy curry.  Not that we recommend feeding your chickens curry, of course!

15th Jun 2002

Largest Suspension Bridge in the World Planned in Italy

Costing £3 billion or 4.6 billion euros, Italy has finally decided to give the go-ahead to build the World's longest suspension bridge, connecting mainland Italy to Sicily. The bridge will be 2 miles long and will take 5 or 6 years to build and is due to be started in 2004.

15th Jun 2002

Botox Treatments for Wrinkles

Botox is short for botulinum toxin which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum which causes a severe and often fatal form of food poisoning called Botulism. The toxin prevents nerve cells from communicating with muscles, leading to paralysis and often death. But delivered to the right place and in the right dose, botox is an extremely useful way to treat excessive sweating, spasticity in people with cerebral palsy and spinal injuries, and now wrinkles ! So how's it done ? When injected into the face in small amounts the botox prevents facial nerves from contracting the facial muscles which wrinkle the overlying skin, leaving you with smoother skin and fewer wrinkles. Short-term side effects include droopy eyebrows or puffy eyelids, in 1 to 2% of patients. Other rare problems include anaphylactic shock, which can lead to coma and death. Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers should avoid this treatment. One problem is that the effects don't last for ever and the Botox has to be topped up every few months, and at £250 per treatment this could get rather pricey!

15th Jun 2002