What's New Friday September 21, 2007

WHAT’S NEW   Robert L. Park   Friday, 21 Sep 07   Washington, DC

1. THE MORAL LAW: THE GENETIC BASIS OF THE GOLDEN RULE.  
The feature story in the Science Times section of Tuesday’s NY Times is 
based on the work of psychologist Jonathan Haidt, University of Virginia.  
It reinforces recent brain scanning studies that found "mirror cells" in 
the motor cortex  http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN07/wn081707.html .  For 
the full story of how evolution designed our universal sense of right and 
wrong, see "Moral Minds" by Marc D. Hauser (Harper-Collins, 2006).

2. EVOLUTION: HOW OUR GENES CHANGE TO FIT OUR DIET.
Gene mixing among populations slows things down, but in spite of a lot of 
sleeping around, humans are evolving.  A Monday NY Times story by Nicholas 
Wade, reports that people in populations with high starch diets, produce 
considerably more amylase, the enzyme that converts starch to simple 
sugars.  In fact, they have many extra copies of the amylase gene.  Last 
year, WN reported that University of Maryland biologist Sarah Tishkoff led 
a team that found four distinct mutations that confer adult lactose 
tolerance.  Originating in herding populations, adult lactose tolerance is 
spreading around the world.

3. X-CONFERENCE: THE LOOPHOLE IN ALIEN REFORM LEGISLATION.
For two years Congress has struggled to find a way to deal with illegal 
aliens, but, according to the Paradigm Research Group, Congress is focused 
on the wrong aliens.  PRG held a press conference Monday in the National 
Press Club to demand that presidential candidates support a "truth 
amnesty" to end the "government-imposed truth embargo on the facts 
confirming an  extraterrestrial presence."  According to a Wash Post story 
by Dana Milbank, the candidates seem to be ducking the issue; the response 
of a Hillary Clinton spokesman was, "Let me check with the mother ship."  
PRG alleges the CIA entered into a top-secret liaison program with the 
extraterrestrials "approximately 60 years ago," which would explain a 
lot.  There must have been leaks; polls report that half the public knows 
space aliens are here.  All we know is that aliens, and alien believers, 
don’t have a sense of humor.

4. EARMARKS: NEW AGE INSTITUTE TAPS INTO DEFENSE DOLLARS.  
The House defense-spending bill earmarks $2M for the nonprofit Samueli 
Institute to research alternative medicine, yoga and “bioenergy” 
http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN05/wn071505.html .  A Bloomberg.com story 
by Brian Faler says the institute was started by Henry Samueli, Chairman 
of Broadcom Corp., and his wife, Susan.  The earmark was inserted by Peter 
Visclosky (D-IN) who has received large campaign contributions from the 
Samuelis.  In Washington, you get what you pay for.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
---
Archives of What's New can be found at http://www.bobpark.org
What's New is moving to a different listserver and our
subscription process has changed. To change your subscription
status please visit this link:
http://listserv.umd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=bobparks-whatsnew&A=1