WHO Urges Awareness, EU Urges Calm, Thursday, April 30, 2009

Please Note: We are taking the advice of Dr. Chan of the WHO under advisement. But we are also taking the advice of the EU not to panic. (Does anybody listen to Joe Biden anyway?)

Unrelated: is it ethical to use dynamite in paleontology? (We urge you to use the Wiki link to paleontology as they have what appears to be an excellent graphic on the page).

Mexico shuts down economy as flu pandemic imminent

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre53n228-us-flu/

EU warns against swine flu panic

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8027043.stm

Mapping the outbreak

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8021547.stm

Avian Flu Research Sheds Light On Swine Flu

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090429132238.htm

Swine flu source spawns wild theories

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre53t3zk-us-flu-theories/

From Swine Flu To Dengue Fever: Infectious Disease Risks On The Rise

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090429162152.htm

Evolution In A
Test Tube: Scientists Make Molecules That Evolve And Compete, Mimicking Behavior Of Darwin's Finches

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090429140849.htm

New Pill To Treat Multiple Sclerosis

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090429205613.htm

Multiple Sclerosis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_Sclerosis

U.S. Shorts Critical Farm Animal Research, Scientists Say

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423142450.htm

Tiny Differences In Our Genes Help Shed Light On The Big Picture Of Human History

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090429162244.htm

Human Genome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Genome

Native Americans Descended From Single Group

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090428223836.htm

Native American

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American

Spider sex violent but effective

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8023413.stm

Harpactea sadistica

http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2008/f/z01698p068f.pdf

Dynamite Used To Reveal New Layer Of Dinosaur Fossils

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090429131935.htm

Dynamite

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamite

Dinosaurs Survived Extinction and More for Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Field Cricket image licensed under Creative Commons by TheNickster

WHO warns swine flu outbreak is moving closer to pandemic

http://www.yahoo.com/s/1064821

Swine flu outbreak tracked with Twitter

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30454631/

Fire Strongly Influences Global Warming

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423142332.htm

New York City-sized ice collapses off Antarctica

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre53r27v-us-antarctica-ice/

Satellite Imagery Shows Fragile Wilkins Ice Shelf Destabilized

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090428154833.htm

Wilkins Sound

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilkins_Sound

Can Living And Non-living Follow Same Rules? Unifying The Animate And Inanimate Designs Of Nature

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090428103104.htm

Scientists claim to have cloned glowing dogs

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30463427/

Baby hippo debuts in Peru

javascript:vPlayer('30477542','fe1b8a5b-a116-490b-967b-7c0300148c20')

Google Earth Aids Discovery Of Early African Mammal Fossils

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090428171006.htm

Evidence Of The 'Lost World': Did Dinosaurs Survive The End Cretaceous Extinctions?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090428092823.htm

James Fassett. New Geochronologic and Stratigraphic Evidence Confirms the Paleocene Age of the Dinosaur-Bearing Ojo Alamo Sandstone and Animas Formation in The San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Colorado. Palaeontologia Electronica, April 29, 2009

http://palaeo-electronica.org/2009_1/149/index.html

Alamosaurus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alamosaurus_sanjuanensis

Living Dinosaur (cryptozoology)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_dinosaur_(cryptozoology)

Remembrance Of Things Past Influences How Female Field Crickets Select Mates

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090421205321.htm

Gryllinae

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_cricket

Universal Flu Vaccine Holds Promise

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427193238.htm

Comets Contain Key Ingredients For Life?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090428144126.htm

Details Of Bacterial 'Injection' System Revealed

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090426175651.htm

New Details About Mysterious Giant Virus

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427203701.htm

Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimivirus

More on the Pandemic with the Potential for Food Riots and More for Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Yes, we know some of the media attention to the Pandemic is overblown, and we voted as such on CNN.com's website today. But, our senior editor did happen to lose an aunt during the 1918 flu pandemic - whom he was too young to know, and consequently never met. But the impact of the swine flu is very real, and pandemics present a very real issue of mass fatalities - sometimes in the millions. Supposedly, the 1918 pandemic took 25 million lives, maybe more, maybe less. We're hoping this flu mutates quickly into a non-lethal version (see the link below), and peters out with minimum loss of life. But, pointedly, Dr. Fukuda - is his amazingly boring public statement on the level 4 Pandemic - did not mention that possibility. Or was that simply left out?

Of course, as pointed out by Jack Cafferty on CNN yesterday (sigh, we admit to actually watching Mr. Cafferty from time to time, out of shear boredom...) that 36,000 deaths/fatalities occur each year due to the flu out of an infection rate of some 200,000/annum. The point being, we guess, that the situation is serious, not dreadful. But then, we keep reviewing in our mind, Dr. Fukuda's utterly dreadful video presentation of yesterday regarding the level 4 alert. And we wonder, does the WHO know something we don't?

But, something else that really troubles us is the potential for food riots in the near term. Is the world actually facing a $ 100 million (+ or -) shortfall in world food supplies? Will the pandemic balance out this problem? Or, what exactly should we be hoping for? Remember the news/media stories on food shortages before the global economy went bust? That story just didn't go away - it is still a very serious, real issue.

Swine Flu: Public Health Emergency Declared

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427155739.htm

Public Health Emergency (United States)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_health_emergency_(United_States)

Canadian health officials warn against travel to Mexico

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/04/28/health-canada-mexico865.html

Best swine flu strategy: Stay away, everyone

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30442914/

U.S. flu victims may not just be travelers

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30398682/

Health chief to be confirmed amid crisis

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30450143/

Kathleen Sebelius

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Sebelius

More Countries Confirm Swine Flu

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8022437.stm

As Swine Flu Scare Unfolds, Virologist Underscores Need For Research On Animal Pathogens

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427170304.htm

NZ reports first swine flu cases

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8021915.stm

UK prepared for swine flu - Brown

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8021916.stm

Europe braced for spread of flu

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8022958.stm

Israel finds first swine flu case

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8022340.stm

Swine flu spreads to Asia, Middle East

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30398682/

Some Mexican ill say doctors turned them away

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30434921/

N.B. not prepared for swine flu pandemic: Moncton microbiologist

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/04/28/nb-pandemic-microbiologist-548.html

Mathematical Model Used To Explain Viral Extinction

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424073905.htm

Salmon Virus With Potential For Change

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090421091737.htm

Infectious salmon anaemia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infectious_salmon_anaemia

DNA Of Uncultured Organisms Sequenced Using Novel Single-cell Approach

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422103739.htm

Engineered maize's vitamin boost

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8020925.stm

Zea mays

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zea_mays

Science cash 'to beat food riots'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8020589.stm

Food security

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_security

UK funds sea acidification study

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8021459.stm

Ocean acidification

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_acidification


How Ear Translates Vibrations Into Sounds

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423132955.htm

Human ear

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_ear


Biological Basis For The Eight-hour Workday?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423132952.htm

Eight-hour workday

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-hour_day

Oldest known Sumatran tiger dies at zoo

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30386447/

Panthera tigris sumatrae

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panthera_tigris_sumatrae

Identifying Hyenas By Their Giggle

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090426094329.htm

Crocuta crocuta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocuta_crocuta

Large Sponges May Be Reattached To Coral Reefs

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427144825.htm

Anthozoa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthozoa

Porifera

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porifera

Live-in Domestics: Mites As Maids In Tropical Rainforest Sweat Bee Nests

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420121348.htm

Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_mite

Chihuahua blown one mile by wind gust

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30448774/

Chihuahua

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chihuahua_(dog)

Cell phone found in belly of 30-lb cod

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2009/04/28/klekamp.cod.cell.news12nj

Gadus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadus

Zero Emissions Motorcycle Gears Up For The Big Race

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424073909.htm

Zero emissions vehicle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-emissions_vehicle

Swine Flu 2009 and More for Monday, April 27, 2009

U.S. advises against travel to Mexico as swine flu spreads

http://www.yahoo.com/s/1063663

American swine flu cases climb to 40

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30398682/

Mexico closes schools as deaths climb to 149

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30434921/

Swine Flu Outbreak 2009

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_swine_flu_outbreak

Swine flu case confirmed in Spain

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8020552.stm

Asia on high alert for flu virus

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8019907.stm

Swine flu cases confirmed in UK

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8020222.stm



Kenya poachers admit ivory haul

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8021094.stm

Poaching

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poaching

Gray whales granted rare reprieve

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8017291.stm

Eschrichtius robustus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_Whale

Cow genome 'to transform farming'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8014598.stm

Rare albino buffalo seen in Kenya

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8017328.stm

EU acts to save 'hungry vultures'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8018115.stm

Shark fins protection welcomed

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8018284.stm

'Bleach bath' benefit for eczema

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8015995.stm

Eczema

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eczema

Type Of Vitamin B1 Could Treat Common Cause Of Blindness

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423180237.htm

Adding Walnuts To Good Diet May Help Older People Improve Motor And Behavioral Skills

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090419201207.htm

Juglans

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juglans

How Plants Protect Us From Disease

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090419202029.htm

Search For Alien Life Gets A Hand(edness)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423105846.htm

'Super Reefs' Fend Off Climate Change, Study Says

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423132612.htm

Anthozoa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthozoa

Sea shells used to clean up heavy metals

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30435640/

'Moderately Large' Potential For Red Tide Outbreak In Gulf Of Maine Region

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422085146.htm

Red tide

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_tide

Greenhouse Gases Climb Despite Economic Slump

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424195920.htm

Blood Testing, Mosquito Style

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424114218.htm

Could Climate Change Worsen Lyme Disease?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090426182944.htm

Lyme disease

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease

Computational Biology Illuminates How Cells Change Gears

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420182226.htm

Most Distant Detection Of Water In The Universe

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422085756.htm

Arbor Day and More for Friday, April 24, 2009

"The Old Apple Orchard, Wisbech St. Mary" image licensed under Creative Commons by scrumpyboy

Arbor Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbor_Day

Remembering the lost forests of America

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30376570/

New swine flu strain caused 800 Mexican cases, health minister says

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/04/24/health-flu-mexico090424.html

Mexico shuts schools around capital in flu scare

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre53n228-us-flu/

Deadly outbreak in Mexico caused by swine flu

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30386163/

Swine flu


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_flu

Ice Sheet Behavior Much More Volatile And Dynamic Than Previously Thought, Tahiti Corals Show

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423205104.htm


Achoo! Nasty spring ahead for allergies

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30267953/

World premiere of brain orchestra

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8016869.stm

Mammalian Gene Control Code Cracked

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420103549.htm

Cow genome 'to transform farming'
"The full sequence of a cow's genome has been published, revealing coded secrets that could revolutionise agriculture".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8014598.stm

Bos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bos

Ancient cattle species re-introduced to Britain

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30369177/

Heck cattle/ Bos taurus / auroch / Bos primigenius


Cattle genes may give clues about human health

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre53m5xt-us-cattle-genes/

Horse Deaths Raise Drug Safety Concerns

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=7419752&page=1

Mystery Of Horse Domestication Solved?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423142541.htm

Equus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equus_(genus)

Are Your Pets' Flea, Tick Meds Safe?

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=7410763&page=1

Abandoned baby kangaroo gets life-saving milk

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30369184/

'Missing link' fossil seal walked

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8012322.stm

Origin Of Seals: Evidence Of Missing Link

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422132832.htm

Puijila darwini

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puijila_darwini

Mara wildlife in serious decline

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8008700.stm

Masai Mara National Reserve

http://www.tourism.go.ke/default.nsf/doc21/4YGEX3ADMY6?opendocument&l=1&e=1&se=103

FAA publicizes bird strike data

javascript:vPlayer('30387805','8a343e31-a6f6-4b9a-9437-476b95d27f98')

Insight Into Fish Disease To Help Protect Farmed Fish Stocks

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423193944.htm

Proliferative kidney disease / Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proliferative_Kidney_Disease

Spectacular Recovery From Coral Bleaching At Great Barrier Reef Marine Park In Australia

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423100817.htm

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/

Orchard losses 'threaten species'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8014873.stm

Orchard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchard

Bacteria Tapped To Battle Crop-Damaging Roundworms

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090419200651.htm

Heterodera glycines

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterodera_glycines

Meloidogyne incognita

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meloidogyne_incognita

Caenorhabditis elegans

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caenorhabditis_elegans

Pseudomonad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudomonad

Drowned spiders come back from the dead

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30348224/

Arctosa Fulvolineata

http://www.galerie-insecte.org/galerie/arctosa_fulvolineata.html

Scientists make super-strong metallic spider silk

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre53m5og-us-spider-silk/

Spider silk / gossamer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_silk

Animals Get The Boot From Bronx Zoo

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/24/national/main4966089.shtml

Our Penchant For Rarity Could Threaten Conservation Efforts

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090421205234.htm

Animals That Seem Identical May Be Completely Different Species

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422121858.htm

Breakthrough In Making Therapeutic Stem Cells

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423132559.htm


Plants Absorb More Carbon Under Hazy Skies

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422132829.htm

Estimating Crop Residue From Space Via Satellite

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090419201557.htm

'Clean' coal plants get go-ahead

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8014295.stm

Pollution 'fights global warming'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8013709.stm

No 'Burp' Accelerating Climate Change? Wetlands Likely Source Of Methane From Ancient Warming Event

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423142457.htm

Ancient fertilizer technique could help poor farmers, store carbon

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/04/23/tech-090423-biochar-carbon-trading.html


Egyptian woman contracts bird flu as cases mount

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre53k5tg-us-birdflu-egypt/

Immune system researchers win $500K medical prize

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090424/ap_on_he_me/us_med_medical_prize

Albany Medical Center Prize

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albany_Medical_Center_Prize

Experts identify cells causing severe malaria

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre53n02q-us-malaria/

Salmonella Strain's Path To Virulence Uncovered

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090419202242.htm

Muscle Deterioration In Patients With Lung Disease Seen Connected To Heightened Carbon Dioxide Levels In The Blood

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423082921.htm

Scientists grow blood vessels for patients

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30369960/

Evidence Mounts That Short Or Poor Sleep Can Lead To Increased Eating And Risk Of Diabetes

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090421181032.htm

Grapefruit Juice Boosts Drug's Anti-cancer Effects, Study Suggests

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420151227.htm

Citrus × paradisi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapefruit

Microbe-powered 'fart' machine stores energy


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30372491/

Gal chased by bear gets run down by car

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/04/24/dnt.woman.bear.hit.run.kktv

40-pound tumor cut from 82-pound woman

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30386195/

First Dog is 'crazy,' Michelle Obama tells kids

http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/24/bo-obama-loves-to-chew/