In the News:
DNA
to Solve Tut Mystery - The new science of DNA will finally resolve
the mystery of whether King Tutankhamun was
really part of the royal lineage of the pharaohs announced Gaballah Ali
Gaballah, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, this month.
For years scientists have speculated on the relationship between Amenhotep
IV and Tut who succeeded him. Tut ruled for just 6 or 7 years and died
at age 17 some 3,300 years ago. The test will be conducted by scientists
from Japan's Waseda University and Egypt's Ein Shams University. The scientists
will compare DNA from Tut's mummy with the mummy of Amenhoptep III who
was Amenhoptep IV father.
Feathery
Fossil? - Scientists are debating over whether a dinosaur fossil
discovered in 1969 pushes back the history of birds by 75 million years.
A fossil of a small, lizard-like reptile known as Longisquama shows
long flat shapes coming off the spine which some scientists have identified
as feathers. If this is true than Longisquama may be part of a line of
dinosaurs that eventually evolved into birds. Two Canadian researchers,
in an article in this month's Nature, argue that the shapes in
the fossil do not represent feathers, but long, thick scales. Hans-Dieter
Sues and Robert R. Reisz of the University of Toronto say that the impressions
left in the fossil are too thick for feathers and the feathery barbs running
perpendicular to the "quill" up the center are actually a corrugated
patterns on the scale. Other scientists disagree calling their conclusions
"nonsense", while still others suspect that the fossil shows
a transitional structure somewhere between a scale and a feather.
Old
Meat-Eating Dino Inhabited Italy - Fossils found in northern Italy
have been identified as a new species of meat-eating dinosaur. The Saltriosaur,
named after the quarry where it was discovered, is one of the oldest carnivorous
reptiles ever found. The animal, according to Giorgio Teruzzi of Milan's
Museum of Natural History, was over 26 feet in length and had teeth almost
3 inches long. Saltriosaur lived in the early Jurassic period some 200
million years ago and is thought to be the oldest of the three-fingered
dinosaurs. There is no indication it had feathers.
Andromeda
Strain? - A high-altitude research balloon has collected a strange,
living microbe from the edge of space. According to Chandra Wickramasinghe
of Cardiff University in Wales, the bacteria, collected 10 miles up, is
unlike any found on Earth causing speculation that the microbes may have
been deposited by a passing comet or meteor. Other scientists argue that
it might be possible for Earth microbes to live at that extended height
or that the balloon's collection chamber might have been contaminated
before the balloon was launched.
Find
Turns Out to be Faked - Shinichi Fujimura, a leading Japanese archaeologist,
admitted that he faked finds in his dig of a 600,000 year-old site some
186 miles north of Tokyo. Of the 65 artifacts found, Fujimura admits he
planted 61 of them. The scandal came our after a newspaper ran three photos
showing him digging holes at the site and burying the items. Fujimura
has volunteered to resign from the Tohoku Paleolithic Institute where
he was vice-chairman.
Asteroid
Danger Downgraded - After reassessing the orbit of a mysterious object
in space, scientists have lowered the estimate of the chances of it hitting
the Earth from a high of 1-in-500. Originally there was concern that the
object, either a piece of space junk or a small asteroid, would hit the
Earth in the year 2030. However, additional observations of its movements
refined the object's orbital path. Scientists think it will be pass safely
by Earth that year but, NASA reports that it may pose a threat in the
year 2071. If the object is a small asteroid it could do considerable
damage to the region where it strikes the Earth.
What's New at the Museum:
The
Christmas Star - Just what did the Magi see in the sky 2000 years
ago that sent them on a 500 mile journey to Bethlehem? Bethlehem's
Star.
Movie
on Planet Motion - See what the Magi might have watched in the sky
long ago in our Flash movie: Conjunctions
and Occultations.
Mammoth
Mystery - Just what happened to the Mammoth and Mastodons that roamed
the world during the last last ice age? Did we do them in? The
Mystery of the Missing Mammoths.
Mammoth
Trap Movie - See how one-hundred mammoths wound up encased in stone
in a sinkhole in South Dakota. Mammoth
Trap: The Motion Picture.
Bigfoot?
- On December 26, 1975, two teenage girls near Vaughn, Montana, were
checking on horses when they observed a seven and one half foot tall,
hairy, manlike creature at a distance of 200 yards. Hoping to frighten
it off one of the girls fired a 22 rifle in the air twice. After the second
shot the creature dropped to all fours and crawled to where it joined
several other creatures of the same type. Authorities were skeptical of
the girl's story until they submitted to a polygraph test, which they
passed
In the Sky:
Geminid
- In the mood for a meteor shower? Not as spectacular as the Leonids,
the Geminid shower occurs on the night of December 13. Under good conditions
you can see one shooting star a minute, but a bright moon will make observation
this year a little more difficult. The shower can be observed best by
getting a blanket and laying on the ground while looking up at the sky.
Observed:
Court
Fines Crop Circle Maker - A 29-year-old British man was fined when
he admitted creating a crop circle on a farm
field. Matthew Williams told the court he and a friend made a seven-pointed
star in attempt to show that cope circles could be faked. The farmer,
who did not give Matthew permission for the activity, claimed the pair
did $300 worth of damage. Williams was fined $150.
Count
Dracula having Troubles - Count Dracula is having problem with the
locals. In this case its not the peasants, but neo-nazis. Ottomar Rodolphe
Vlad Dracula Prince Kretzulesco is adopted son of the Princess Kretsulesco
Caradja and heir of the 15th century Transylvanian prince who inspired
Bram Stoker's story. The 60-year-old German owns an estate near Berlin
which he has turned into a restaurant using the Dracula name as an attraction.
Dracula has been having trouble with local neo-nazis who apparently have
defaced his property because it at one time belonged to a prominent Jewish
family.
On the Tube:
Currently we are only able to give accurate times and dates for these programs in the United States. Check local listings in other locations.
Pyramids
- This History Channel world premier tells the stories of the great
pyramids from the Egyptian monuments, to the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas,
to the Transamerica Tower in San Francisco. Dec. 27 at 9PM and 11PM ET
and 10PM 12AM PT.
Biblical
Disasters - Travel back to ancient times as this History Channel
world premier explores the earthquakes, floods and other disasters detailed
in the Bible. Can we find modern evidence of their existence? Dec. 23
at 9PM and Dec. 25 at 12PM and 5PM ET/PT.
Unwrapped:
The Mysterious World of Mummies - Discover the secrets of the ancient
mummies in this series of specials from TCL. Mummies Revealed Dec.3
and 8 at 8PM, 11PM and Dec. 9 at 5PM. The Power of Mummies Dec.
3 and 8 at 9PM and Midnight and Dec. 9 at 6PM. Secrets of the Mummies
Dec. 3 and 8 at 10PM and 1AM and Dec. 9 at 7PM ET/PT.
Inside
the Space Station - Meet the people who are building the International
Space Station on this Discovery Channel Special. Dec. 17 at 6PM, Dec.
18 at 9PM and 1AM and Dec. 23 at 5PM ET/PT.
The
Great Siberian Explosion - In 1908 a something fell out of the sky
with enough force to level hundreds of square miles of forest. What was
it? Find out what this Discovery Channel has to say about it. Dec. 7 at
9PM and 1AM repeats Dec. 9 at 5PM. ET/PT.
How
Did Dinosaurs Fly? - Some people think that birds descended from dinosaurs.
In this episode in the Science Mysteries scientists explain how
they think dinos learned to fly. On the Discovery Channel. Dec. 7 at 10PM
and 2AM repeats Dec. 9 at 4PM ET/PT.
Sea
Serpent - Part of the Into the Unknown series on the Discovery
Channel. Tales of sea monsters are as old as sailing. Are they true? Dec.
15 9:30PM and 1:30PM repeats Dec. 16 at 12:30PM ET/PT.
Atlantis-
The Lost Continent - Explore the mystery and myth surrounding the
legend of Atlantis. Dec. 5 at 9PM and 12AM ET/PT on TCL.
LGM:
Science over the Edge Archives
Copyright Lee Krystek 2000. All Rights Reserved.