On the Record
“Perhaps what we should do is give each person a gun, and when we see a migrating bird, we can just shoot it down.”
Hong Kong lawmaker Tommy Cheung offers an unusual proposal for controlling the spread of avian flu.
“We issued a general recommendation for poultry producers to prevent the spread of the virus with the sauna.”
Sirpa Kiviruusu from Finland's agricultural ministry backs steam rooms as a disinfection method for controlling the bird flu virus.
Sources: AP, Agence France-Presse
Scorecard
Deer
In Missouri, the tables have turned and this year deer are doing the shooting. Researchers have so far collected 200 hours of film from cameras mounted on the animals to give a deer's-eye view of the world.
Wasps
Researchers in Georgia are creating a buzz with a prototype detector for explosives. The device uses wasps trained to react to certain chemicals in the air.
Pluto
As the debate about Pluto's planetary status rages on, two extra moons spotted orbiting the body may help boost its image.
Datapoint
Some countries benefit from a ‘brain drain’ of qualified doctors from elsewhere. In Britain, for instance, a recent study finds that 28% of physicians come from abroad. The top four suppliers are:
India 10.9%
Ireland 2.1%
Pakistan 1.9%
South Africa 1.4%
Source: New England Journal of Medicine
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Sidelines. Nature 438, 8 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/438008a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/438008a