2004 Digested
At the x-change, the BA’s discussion event at the Dana Centre, London, Toby Murcott always asks the panellists “What’s got your goat this month?”, in other words, which science stories have grabbed their attention and provoked a reaction. Throughout the year, as I compile the Science News Digest for BA members, I am constantly finding stories that ‘get my goat’, some in a cute, fluffy, kid way, others in a wild, angry, horns-sharpened manner.
The following is a selection of stories that got my goat from 2004, some serious, some irreverent, some just downright odd. It was a year of clones, hobbits and 21-year old babies, of 4x4s, missing Beagles and kamikaze pigeons. And, of course, George Bush.
By Craig Brierley (Press Officer)
January
After weeks of over-indulging on mince pies, brandy and Quality Street, the nation takes on the latest weight loss fad from the States, air-guitar aerobics. Colin Pillinger finally concedes that Beagle 2 has gone walkabout and will never be heard of again, evoking memories of the line from War of the Worlds – “The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one”.
A 43-year old woman gives birth to her granddaughter, causing moral outrage amongst some columnists, but this is quickly forgotten as Panos Zavos claims to have begun human cloning experiments, implanting a cloned embryo into the womb of a 35-year old woman.
Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir David King announces that he believes climate change is the number one threat to the world, over and above terrorism.
February
More genetics controversy as South Korean researchers clone thirty human embryos. The announcement kicks of the AAAS annual meeting in Seattle, where David King fails to make an impact with his criticisms of the Bush administration’s stance on climate change.
Also at the AAAS, a US psychologist claims his mathematical model can predict with 94% accuracy which couple will divorce. What chances would he have given Britney Spears and Jason Alexander? Their marriage lasted all of 55 hours.
March
Free Viagra! Free $1million dollars!! Free penile extensions!!! The world celebrates 10 years of spam!!!!
The Government approves commercial growing of a variety of GM maize, but it’s not enough for Bayer CropScience, who announce that they are shelving plans to grow GM crops in the UK.
Meanwhile, devastated that Hull is revealed as the chubbiest town in Britain, a hotel in Scotland fights back with its deep-fried chocolate sandwich. Atkins dieters across the land attempt to weep in despair, but their high-carb diet has apparently turned them into emotional zombies.
April
The army considered plans to fill nuclear landmines with chickens… The universe is a Pringle crisp… NASA fear astronauts will try to join the million-mile-high club… April Fool jokes? Nope, the real thing.
Elsewhere, scientists develop an online calculator which predicts the effects of an asteroid colliding with the Earth. If the unthinkable ever does happen, you could do worse than getting on your knees and praying – a mathematician has proved that the odds of God existing are 2 to 1 in favour.
May
The movie The Day After Tomorrow opens, bringing with it cinema’s most unlikely villain – climate change. Hailstones the size of grapefruits! Tidal waves that engulf the Statue of Liberty! Frost that chases you down corridors! In real life, Russia’s President Putin offers hope on ratifying the Kyoto treaty.
Following last month’s news about chickens in nuclear landmines comes news of another of Britain’s secret Cold War weapon, kamikaze pigeons.
A baby is born with sperm frozen for a record 21 years. Scientists deny that its bad hair is down to the recently-discovered “frizzled 6” gene, but rather that it is just a child of the Eighties.
June
Health Secretary John Reid upsets health campaigners by claiming that smoking is one of the few pleasures left to people on sink estates and in working men’s clubs. Presumably he believes these same people will be heartened by a ruling by the US Dept of Agriculture which reclassifies French fries as a vegetable.
Travel writer and humorist Bill Bryson scoops the Aventis Prize for Science Writing with his A Short History of Nearly Everything.
As Euro 2004 kicks off, Scottish researchers discover that watching football tournaments is good for your health – emergency psychiatric admissions tend to fall during and after the finals.
Rico the Border collie amazes scientists by understanding an incredible 200 words, just in time for the latest series of Big Brother.
July to December digested
The views represented in this article do not represent the views of the BA.
The following is a selection of stories that got my goat from 2004, some serious, some irreverent, some just downright odd. It was a year of clones, hobbits and 21-year old babies, of 4x4s, missing Beagles and kamikaze pigeons. And, of course, George Bush.
By Craig Brierley (Press Officer)
January
After weeks of over-indulging on mince pies, brandy and Quality Street, the nation takes on the latest weight loss fad from the States, air-guitar aerobics. Colin Pillinger finally concedes that Beagle 2 has gone walkabout and will never be heard of again, evoking memories of the line from War of the Worlds – “The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one”.
A 43-year old woman gives birth to her granddaughter, causing moral outrage amongst some columnists, but this is quickly forgotten as Panos Zavos claims to have begun human cloning experiments, implanting a cloned embryo into the womb of a 35-year old woman.
Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir David King announces that he believes climate change is the number one threat to the world, over and above terrorism.
February
More genetics controversy as South Korean researchers clone thirty human embryos. The announcement kicks of the AAAS annual meeting in Seattle, where David King fails to make an impact with his criticisms of the Bush administration’s stance on climate change.
Also at the AAAS, a US psychologist claims his mathematical model can predict with 94% accuracy which couple will divorce. What chances would he have given Britney Spears and Jason Alexander? Their marriage lasted all of 55 hours.
March
Free Viagra! Free $1million dollars!! Free penile extensions!!! The world celebrates 10 years of spam!!!!
The Government approves commercial growing of a variety of GM maize, but it’s not enough for Bayer CropScience, who announce that they are shelving plans to grow GM crops in the UK.
Meanwhile, devastated that Hull is revealed as the chubbiest town in Britain, a hotel in Scotland fights back with its deep-fried chocolate sandwich. Atkins dieters across the land attempt to weep in despair, but their high-carb diet has apparently turned them into emotional zombies.
April
The army considered plans to fill nuclear landmines with chickens… The universe is a Pringle crisp… NASA fear astronauts will try to join the million-mile-high club… April Fool jokes? Nope, the real thing.
Elsewhere, scientists develop an online calculator which predicts the effects of an asteroid colliding with the Earth. If the unthinkable ever does happen, you could do worse than getting on your knees and praying – a mathematician has proved that the odds of God existing are 2 to 1 in favour.
May
The movie The Day After Tomorrow opens, bringing with it cinema’s most unlikely villain – climate change. Hailstones the size of grapefruits! Tidal waves that engulf the Statue of Liberty! Frost that chases you down corridors! In real life, Russia’s President Putin offers hope on ratifying the Kyoto treaty.
Following last month’s news about chickens in nuclear landmines comes news of another of Britain’s secret Cold War weapon, kamikaze pigeons.
A baby is born with sperm frozen for a record 21 years. Scientists deny that its bad hair is down to the recently-discovered “frizzled 6” gene, but rather that it is just a child of the Eighties.
June
Health Secretary John Reid upsets health campaigners by claiming that smoking is one of the few pleasures left to people on sink estates and in working men’s clubs. Presumably he believes these same people will be heartened by a ruling by the US Dept of Agriculture which reclassifies French fries as a vegetable.
Travel writer and humorist Bill Bryson scoops the Aventis Prize for Science Writing with his A Short History of Nearly Everything.
As Euro 2004 kicks off, Scottish researchers discover that watching football tournaments is good for your health – emergency psychiatric admissions tend to fall during and after the finals.
Rico the Border collie amazes scientists by understanding an incredible 200 words, just in time for the latest series of Big Brother.
July to December digested
The views represented in this article do not represent the views of the BA.
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