MAY 2004

This section features key science stories from The Daily Telegraph's online news service at www.telegraph.co.uk. Click on the links for the full story.

Scientists lobby the UN to ban cloning
Scientists from four continents are to gather at the United Nations to fight for a ban on baby cloning.

31 May 2004

18th-century eruptions linked to 10,000 deaths
Scientists believe that volcanic eruptions in Iceland caused a surge in deaths in England more than two centuries ago.

31 May 2004

Researchers ignore 'inconvenient' drug trial results
Scientists are routinely cherry-picking the results of clinical trials so they can present the findings they want, a study by academics at Oxford University shows.

30 May 2004

Sky 'fell in' on Everest
The eight climbers killed on the single deadliest day on Everest may have been victims of the "sky falling in", according to a study.

27 May 2004

Obesity kills child aged three
A grossly overweight three-year-old child died from heart failure in hospital, says a damning report on the scale of the country's obesity epidemic.

27 May 2004

EU 'control over health policies'
British industry is alarmed over a new clause slipped into the draft European constitution at the last moment giving Brussels control over almost all areas of health policy.

27 May 2004

Ethics of clone banking
Roger Highfield reports on the debate surrounding access to the first stem cell bank.

26 May 2004

Worms, mutants... and the universe
Six very fine books have been shortlisted for the prestigious Aventis Prize. Robert Matthews describes their contents and authors.

26 May 2004

Public still in the dark over Beagle
The Government and European space chiefs have refused to publish the full report into the loss of the Beagle 2 Mars probe, even though British taxpayers contributed more than £22 million to the cost of the mission.

25 May 2004

Doctors' germ-filled ties 'are as deadly as Typhoid Mary'
Ties worn by hospital doctors to impress their patients harbour a hidden danger: almost half of them seethe with potentially harmful bacteria, according to a new survey.

25 May 2004

'If we go back to Mars, we must master this technology'
If the 19 findings from the inquiry report are accepted, another eccentric, "seat of the pants" space mission such as Beagle 2 could never happen again with public money.

25 May 2004

Painkillers could prove a headache for baby boys
Common painkillers could make the brain of an unborn baby boy less masculine, reducing sex drive in later life, according to a new study.

24 May 2004

Male breast cancer is on the increase, says study
Male breast cancer appears to be on the rise in the West, according to the largest study of its kind.

24 May 2004

A true scientific breakthrough: the blue rose
It is the "Holy Grail" of horticulture and soon it could make the perfect present for Mother's Day: scientists have found a way to produce a blue rose.

23 May 2004

Beagle 2 mission was doomed long before take-off, claims inquiry
The Beagle 2 mission to Mars was a disaster waiting to happen, according to the official inquiry into the debacle.

23 May 2004

Minister backs centre to cut tests on animals
Proposals for a national centre designed to cut the use of animals in experiments and minimise their suffering have been unveiled.

22 May 2004

Gene study cuts hound's link to Egyptian tombs
The first detailed genetic comparison of pure bred domestic dogs that will change the way breeds are classified and help new treatment for many human diseases have been unveiled.

21 May 2004

'The sooner victims get this drug the better'
A teenager who was close to death when he became the first patient to receive radical treatment for the human form of mad cow disease is surviving and able to speak.

21 May 2004

Mystery over how many will die from CJD
Between 1,300 and 16,000 people may be harbouring the human form of BSE, depending on how a new study is interpreted.

21 May 2004

Politicians to blame for years of confusion
Many people could be forgiven for feeling bewildered by how scientists can now forecast 16,000 cases or more of variant CJD - human BSE - when the current figures show that, if anything, the epidemic appears to be in decline.

21 May 2004

'The sooner victims get this drug the better'
A teenager who was close to death when he became the first patient to receive radical treatment for the human form of mad cow disease is surviving and able to speak.

21 May 2004

Gene study cuts hound's link to Egyptian tombs
The first detailed genetic comparison of pure bred domestic dogs that will change the way breeds are classified and help new treatment for many human diseases have been unveiled.

21 May 2004

Why the teens are a difficult time
Have you ever wondered why adolescence is such a turbulent time? The passage to adulthood has captivated many but remains a mystery to most scientists.

19 May 2004

Meet the world's most perfect mutant
Beauty is more than a matter of good health – it is also down to genetics and a mixed ancestry, argues Armand Marie Leroi.

19 May 2004

First embryo cell bank to open
The first deposits are to be made in a unique bank, the world's first to store cells isolated from early human embryos.

19 May 2004

Celebrity smiles behind drive for perfect teeth
Manufactured celebrity smiles are making young people needlessly paranoid about the state of their teeth, according to research.

19 May 2004

Car fumes 'may cause one in six cot deaths'
Exhaust fumes from vehicles may be to blame for up to a sixth of cot deaths, says an international study.

18 May 2004

Drug may help control Huntington's disease
British scientists may have discovered a way to control the debilitating brain condition Huntington's disease.

17 May 2004

Dandruff is not a problem for dolphins
Dolphins shed a continuous stream of "dandruff" to help them glide smoothly and quickly through the oceans, according to a study.

15 May 2004

Billionaire's rocket flies pilot to the edge of space
A rocket funded by a billionaire has taken a solo pilot to the edge of space.

15 May 2004

Breastfeeding 'cuts heart risks in adult life'
Breastfeeding protects babies against strokes and heart disease later in life, according to scientists.

14 May 2004

Giant crater clue to extinction disaster
The scar of a huge comet or asteroid impact believed to have triggered the largest extinction event in history has been discovered off the north-west coast of Australia.

14 May 2004

How café culture can beat fatigue
Small, regular shots of tea and coffee may be more effective than big mugfuls in helping workers to stay awake, according to a study.

12 May 2004

Of mice and the obsolescence of men
Roger Highfield reports on the aftermath of Kaguya, the first mammal to be born without any male input.

12 May 2004

'Peter's art taught us a great deal'
Roger Highfield explains how pictures helped scientists to understand autism.

12 May 2004

Measured approach gives distant pointer to sun
Each of the six transits of Venus that have taken place since the invention of the telescope has taught astronomers more about the nature of the universe.

12 May 2004

Venus transit 'chance of a lifetime'
A once in a lifetime chance to see a transit of Venus, the passing of Earth's sister planet in front of the sun, takes place next month for the first time in 122 years.

12 May 2004

Tracks of vicious dinosaur that ate its young are found on Skye
The footprints of a carnivorous dinosaur that hunted in packs and ate its own young have been discovered on the Isle of Skye.

11 May 2004

'Child-friendly' veg may lose anti-cancer effect
Crop scientists developing "child-friendly" varieties of cabbage, sprouts and broccoli may be unwittingly sacrificing their anti-cancer properties for a sweeter taste, it has been claimed.

11 May 2004

Heatwave Britain - when the trees turn toxic
With May offering a bizarre mix of weather, scientists discover another surprising danger to worry about when summer finally arrives.

10 May 2004

'Fairy circles' of Africa baffle scientists
Despite 25 years of research, scientists have been unable to find the cause of a mysterious natural phenomenon, reports Tim Butcher at Wolwedans Camp.

10 May 2004

Be ready for the abnormal, as usual
Unusual or abnormal weather events are, and always have been, a natural part of the British climate.

10 May 2004

Remains of dozens of sea dinosaurs are found
The world's biggest and best-preserved collection of marine dinosaur bones, offering scientists vital clues about how prehistoric animals swam and moved, has been excavated from a site in southern Germany.

09 May 2004

Brain memory bank is 'key' to Alzheimer's
Scientists have identified the region of the brain responsible for long-term memory, bringing closer the development of treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

08 May 2004

Scientist attacks ministers over horse cloning ban
Weak and "timorous" ministers have been blamed for blocking the cloning of horses in Britain.

06 May 2004

Did you see the gorilla?
Our Stone Age brains may simply be unable to cope with the pace of modern life, says Roger Highfield.

05 May 2004

Higher, higher and higher go redwoods
Daredevil scientists climbed to the top of the world's tallest tree – only to discover that the 30- storey redwood has yet to achieve its full potential.

05 May 2004

Medieval sea chart was in line with current thinking
The 16th-century Carta Marina, complete with sea monsters, gives an accurate location for dangerous eddies. Roger Highfield reports.

04 May 2004