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Dwarf hominid forces rethink of human evolution
(Rex Dalton, Nature 27 October 2004)
A new human-like species - a dwarfed relative who lived just 18,000 years ago in the company of pygmy elephants and giant lizards - has been discovered in Indonesia. . . . Skeletal remains show that the hominins, nicknamed 'hobbits' by some of their discoverers, were only one metre tall, had a brain one-third the size of that of modern humans, and lived on an isolated island long after Homo sapiens had migrated through the South Pacific region. . . . "My jaw dropped to my knees," says Peter Brown, one of the lead authors and a palaeoanthropologist at the University of New England in Armidale, Australia. . . . The find has excited researchers with its implications - if unexpected branches of humanity are still being found today, and lived so recently, then who knows what else might be out there? The species' diminutive stature indicates that humans are subject to the same evolutionary forces that made other mammals shrink to dwarf size when in genetic isolation and under ecological pressure, such as on an island with limited resources. . . . The team unearthed a near-complete skeleton, thought to be a female, including the skull, jaw and most teeth, along with bones and teeth from at least seven other individuals. In the same site they also found bones from Komodo dragons and an extinct pygmy elephant called Stegodon. . . . "Only the Indonesians were present at the actual moment of discovery - the Australian contingent had departed back to Oz," says Roberts. He credits Thomas Sutikna of the Indonesian Centre for Archaeology in Jakarta for the excellent handling of the samples. . . . The discovery is prompting increased scrutiny of sites on other Southeast Asian islands, both to look for more of the same species and to place it in context with Homo sapiens and Homo erectus, our closest relative. Homo erectus was found to have lived on the nearby island of Java as long as 1.6 million years ago; the team suggests that the Flores hominins may be their descendants. . . . Dating more bones could help determine whether the species was a short-lived branch of human evolution or survived for longer. Preliminary dating places it at about 70,000 years ago, but it may extend back 800,000 years.

posted by LoZo 2:06 PM

 

Freegin' Freegans!

One man's trash . . .
Freegans say they dine well - and make an important political statement — by eating food thrown away by stores and restaurants

Oh wow. I guess as long as the food hasn't spoiled or hasn't been sitting in some gunk or sauce that's full of who-knows-what (bacteria or some other dangerous germs) or it hasn't been compromised to a point where it's risky. But how would you know?

posted by Hal 1:29 PM

 

Bush's war on science and women
(Marina Hyde, The Guardian, October 8, 2004)
"If Bush is gonna keep arguing against science," says one, "why not go all the way and argue against gravity ? I bet he could convince some of his supporters they were floating." . . . Whether or not Bush's political strategist Karl Rove is focus-grouping the weightlessness claim is unclear; what we do know is that the president seems to have opened up a War on Science, and that women are likely to be among its earliest casualties. . . . Over the summer, Bush revealed plans to appoint another Dubya - Dr David W Hager - to the reproductive health drugs advisory committee of the US federal food and drug administration (FDA). This distinguished panel - whose advice is traditionally adhered to - makes crucial decisions on matters relating to contraception, infertility treatment, drugs used in obstetrics and gynaecology (including hormone therapy), and medical alternatives to surgical procedures for sterilisation and abortion. . . . Hager's appointment is a real shocker. . . . For those of you unfamiliar with his work, Hager is the author of a book called As Jesus Cared for Women: Restoring Women Then and Now. . . . it blends biblical accounts of Jesus healing women with case studies from Hager's practice. . . . Come to David with chronic premenstrual pain and, along with your inferior Earth medicine, he will prescribe you specific Bible readings and prayers to treat the problem. He's not one of your crazy futurists - he won't dole out contraceptive medicine to anyone unmarried, say, and despite being an ob-gyn, he's a staunch pro-lifer. . . . The more speeches you hear, the more Laura Bush is wheeled out to talk about national security being the bedrock of family life, the more he appoints people such as Hager to policy bodies, the more suspiciously weirdo it all sounds. What emerges is a quasi-mystical view of women, as beings in need of special protection, of rules where their own bodies are concerned, of a firm but loving hand. Hell, in need of prayer. . . . There was a telling little exchange in the televised debate with Kerry last week, in which the Democrat acknowledged that he and Bush were fathers of two daughters, and that he had chuckled at some of the Bush twins' less guarded comments. "I'm trying to put a leash on them," smiled Bush. Suddenly, an edge crept into the room. "I've learned not to do that," shot back Kerry. You have to wish him all the best.

posted by LoZo 11:26 AM

 

Private spaceship wins $10m for breaking the final frontier
(Charles Arthur, The Independent, 05 October 2004)
SpaceShipOne, piloted by Brian Binnie, was launched at 8am local time from the belly of a carrier plane in midair. It then accelerated to three times the speed of sound and rose to an altitude of 62 miles, generally agreed to be the height at which space begins and the Earth's atmosphere ends. It landed 30 minutes later. . . . "This is the true frontier of transportation," said the head of the US Federal Aviation Administration, Marion Blakey. "It feels a little bit like Kitty Hawk [where the Wright Brothers first demonstrated powered flight] must have," she added. "It's an enormous step because what it does is establish in the minds of the average American that this is something that you can consider in your lifetime." . . . Funded by the co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen, SpaceShipOne claimed the Ansari X Prize, set up eight years ago to drive private companies to develop commercial space rockets. . . . A second flight, and the first of the pair aiming to win the prize, was made last Wednesday. Then, the craft ascended to 64 miles. To win, it had to ascend again within two weeks - a tougher schedule than normally asked by the US space agency Nasa. Last week's flight was the source of internet gossip after the craft suffered violent rolls that almost forced its pilot, Mike Melvill, to abort the ascent. But he held on and the flight passed safely. . . . But the rumours were enough to prompt the craft's designer, Burt Rutan, to post data about it on his website following what he called "incorrect rumours" about the flight. . . . The first roll occurred at a high speed, about Mach 2.7, but aerodynamic loads on the craft were low "so the ship never saw any significant structural stresses", Mr Rutan said. . . . The Ansari X Prize founder Peter Diamandis hoped the multi-million dollar incentive would have the same effect on space travel as the Orteig Prize had on air travel. Charles Lindbergh claimed the $25,000 prize in 1927 after making his solo transatlantic flight.

posted by LoZo 4:57 PM