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LARGEST HUMAN CHROMOSOME IS MAPPED Human chromosome 1, the largest and most information-rich of the 23 human chromosomes, has now been mapped by a team of British and U.S. scientists. The breakthrough could ultimately lead to new treatments for such conditions as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, cancer, autism, and mental retardation. Chromosome 1 contains more than 3,000 genes, a third of which had not previously been identified, according to lead researcher Simon G. Gregory of the Duke University Center for Human Genetics. Mutations of this chromosome have been linked to more than 350 human diseases. "Given the key roles of chromosome 1, the completion of this project has many exciting implications for the scientific and medical communities," says Gregory. "We are eager to apply this new wealth of genetic information about the composition and structure of the chromosome to important matters of health and disease." SOURCE: Duke University Medical Center, http://dukemednews.duke.edu/news/article.php?id=9661 POLITICAL ACTIVISTS AND THE INTERNET War coverage and antiwar movements have changed dramatically in the Information Age. Big media and big government are no longer the sole purveyors of facts and analysis of events, thanks to an assortment of Internet-enabled communications media. The Internet can unite groups and individuals into global networks, through which information (and disinformation) spreads instantaneously, then mobilize them into action. Peace campaigns, for instance, have seen a dramatic increase among a growing variety of groups--pacifists, socialists, anarchists, feminists, religious groups, and so on, says University of Leicester geographer Jenny Pickerill. The "information environment" of war and peace will only become more complicated as new technologies put instant global communication in the hands of more individuals and groups, says Pickerill, who is leading a research team to study the impacts of information technologies on activism. SOURCE: University of Leicester, http://www2.le.ac.uk/ebulletin/news/press-releases/2000-2009/2006/05/nparticle-mh6-t64-hnd GREEN ENGINEERING The planet "is a finite place with finite resources," so tomorrow's engineers will need to incorporate sustainability into the structures, products, and processes they design, says University of Pittsburgh engineering professor Eric Beckman. Pitt's new Sustainable Engineering Fellowship Program, to begin in fall 2006, will support multidisciplinary research and studies in design that is conscious of environmental constraints. The goal is to train the next generation of engineers to "think green." The program also will build on international research collaborations in such fields as community development, green construction, and sustainable water-use technologies. SOURCE: University of Pittsburgh, ************************************ Nanotech, energy, nuclear disarmament, intelligence and diplomacy, the rise of China and India, and new models for education and health care are among the hot topics receiving the critical attention of futurists attending this year's World Future Society conference. Register now to join the nearly 1,000 international experts who will converge in Toronto July 28-30 for WorldFuture 2006: Creating Global Strategies for Humanity's Future, including inventor Ray Kurzweil, author of THE SINGULARITY IS NEAR, and journalist Joel Garreau, author of RADICAL EVOLUTION. *********************************** VIRTUAL REALITY TO TREAT HALLUCINATIONS Researchers in Spain have developed a way to deploy virtual-reality technologies to help psychotic patients recognize hallucinations. In computer simulations of complex situations, such as an assembly line, the patients must focus on specific images and identify any that do not match predetermined objects. "The aim is not to recreate the hallucinations of patients, but to train their attention in order to reduce them or stop them from appearing," according to project leader Beatriz López Luengo of the University of Jaen. SOURCE: Andalucía Investiga, http://www.andaluciainvestiga.com/espanol/noticias/8/2971.asp INVENTIONS OF THE YEAR A "breathalyzer" type device to detect whether a patient is infected by disease or by biochemical attack has been named by Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory as one of last year's top inventions. The mask-like device collects and analyzes proteins in the patient's breath so that medical personnel can rapidly determine whether the symptoms are caused by a biological or chemical attack or by an illness such as the flu. It was developed by Johns Hopkins senior scientist Joany Jackman and researcher Nathan Boggs. Other top inventions include a device giving amputees more-precise control for prosthetic limbs and a software model for predicting dust storms, which regularly disrupt military and commercial operations in the Middle East, Africa, and Southwest Asia. SOURCE: Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory, http://www.jhuapl.edu/newscenter/pressreleases/2006/060524d.asp CLICK OF THE MONTH: CAREER VOYAGES http://www.careervoyages.govAs a new crop of graduates sets out on the path to future career success, the U.S. Department of Labor offers a roadmap to help guide the way. Career Voyages provides clear and useful information on industries with bright prospects, including resources for both new careerists and mid-career opportunity seekers. Emerging industries showcased on the site are biotech, geospatial technology, and nanotech. Other top industries featured include advanced manufacturing, automotive, construction, energy, health care, hospitality, and IT. NEWS FROM THE FUTURIST COMMUNITY
FUTURIST UPDATE: News & Previews from the World Future Society is an e-mail
newsletter published monthly as a supplement to THE FUTURIST magazine. Editor: Cindy Wagner To subscribe, send an e-mail message to mailto:majordomo@wfs.org
with "subscribe futurist-update" in the BODY of the message. The WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY is a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific and educational association with a global membership. Regular membership in the Society, including a subscription to THE FUTURIST, is $49 per year, or $20 for full-time students under age 25. Professional and Institutional membership programs are also offered; contact Society headquarters for details: http://www.wfs.org |
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