Astronomical speculation shrouds Comet Elenin, which takes 11,600 years to orbit the Sun and will make its closest approach to Earth on 16th October. Nasa is confident that this icy cosmic visitor, which will come to within 35 million kilometres and be visible through binoculars and telescopes, does not spell Armageddon. “Right now, that comet looks kind of wimpy,” confesses a disappointed official.
Controversial plans to allow EU member states to ban GM crops, even if they are deemed safe for health, are likely to be discussed by the European council this month, according to Nature. Until now, countries blocking the spread of genetically modified organisms risked falling foul of international trade law. But a July vote saw the European parliament vote in favour of giving countries more leeway to opt out. Expect outsized lobbying from big GM movers like Monsanto.
With fisheries under pressure to get stocks up to sustainable levels by 2015, the Fishmongers’ Company is holding an international conference on how marine scientists can help industry to meet these targets. The 31st October summit has netted a shoal of big names, including the government’s chief scientist John Beddington and University of Washington academic Ray Hilborn, who has previously claimed that gloomy predictions of a collapse in fishing stocks, or an “aquacalypse,” are overblown.
Evolutionary biologist Robert Trivers believes that we deceive ourselves in order to fool others into thinking we are better than we really are. This innate capacity for self-deception, he’ll reveal in an LSE lecture on 5th October, explains why most people think they are of above-average intelligence. Obviously, this analysis doesn’t apply to your diarist; for the rest of you, check out www2.lse.ac.uk/CPNSS/events/Trivers.aspx
Controversial plans to allow EU member states to ban GM crops, even if they are deemed safe for health, are likely to be discussed by the European council this month, according to Nature. Until now, countries blocking the spread of genetically modified organisms risked falling foul of international trade law. But a July vote saw the European parliament vote in favour of giving countries more leeway to opt out. Expect outsized lobbying from big GM movers like Monsanto.
With fisheries under pressure to get stocks up to sustainable levels by 2015, the Fishmongers’ Company is holding an international conference on how marine scientists can help industry to meet these targets. The 31st October summit has netted a shoal of big names, including the government’s chief scientist John Beddington and University of Washington academic Ray Hilborn, who has previously claimed that gloomy predictions of a collapse in fishing stocks, or an “aquacalypse,” are overblown.
Evolutionary biologist Robert Trivers believes that we deceive ourselves in order to fool others into thinking we are better than we really are. This innate capacity for self-deception, he’ll reveal in an LSE lecture on 5th October, explains why most people think they are of above-average intelligence. Obviously, this analysis doesn’t apply to your diarist; for the rest of you, check out www2.lse.ac.uk/CPNSS/events/Trivers.aspx
