Hot off the Press

Tourist Spaceship Design Unveiled

SpaceShipTwo—about the size of an executive jet—is planned to begin ferrying passengers into space within a couple of years, say officials from space tourism firm Virgin Galactic.

EU Court Places Online Privacy
Above the Outing of Pirates

Film studios and record labels cannot demand that internet
providers turn over the names of customers suspected of
illegally downloading movies or music.

Did Columbus Bring Syphilis to Europe? Famed explorer Christopher Columbus and his crew unleashed the scourge of syphilis on Europe, a new genetic study suggests, though some experts say the data is not conclusive. Chameleon colour not to blend in Chameleons first used colour change to make them more noticeable rather than, as is popularly believed, to blend in, a study suggests. The reptiles change colour for a variety of purposes -communication, camouflage and temperature control. However, the reason why they first evolved this ability to flash bright colours was previously unclear. Scientists report in the journal Plos Biology that it was to allow them to signal to other chameleons. Co-author Dr Devi Stuart-Fox, from The University ofMelbourne, Australia, told BBC News: "[Our research] suggests that chameleons evolved colour change for signalling, to fend off rivals or attract a mate, and not so they could match a greater variety of backgrounds." Asteroidto Whiz by Earth Next Week An asteroid at least 500-feet-long (152-meters-long) will make a rare close pass byEarth next week—but there is no chance of an impact, scientists reported Thursday. Entire Synthetic Genome Created In an important step toward the creation of synthetic life, scientists have synthesized and stitched together the genetic material of a simple bacterium. Marijuana vending machines in US Vending machines distributing the drug marijuana are to begin operating in the US state of California. The machines can only be used by people who have been prescribed the drug for health reasons. Patients will have to provide a prescription, and be fingerprinted and photographed before being allowed to use the facilities. Eleven US states allow the medicinal use of marijuana, primarily for pain relief, but it remains controversial. Vince Mehdizadeh, owner of the Herbal Nutrition Centre in Los Angeles, where one of the two first machines is based, said it would allow patients to buy extra supplies whenever needed.