On the radar

The pick of the science news

Nano-opinion

Do you want a voice in the nanotechnology revolution? Then air your views through the “Your Science Your Say” initiative. Scientists have three minutes on camera to explain their work in nanotechnology, then members of the public can leave comments or a video response on YouTube.

The Environmental Protection Agency will use the results to gauge public response to nanotechnology. So grab your chance at Your Science Your Say: Nano at Dublin’s Science Gallery until July 31st, or you can visit www.yourscienceyoursay.com.

Volcanic Venus

Venus may once have been more Earth-like, according to analysis of images from our neighbouring planet. Orbiting spacecraft Venus Express

collected more than 1,000 images of the planet’s southern hemisphere. The data suggests that highland plateaus of Venus are ancient continents that were once surrounded by ocean and produced by past volcanic activity. And while the mission picked up no evidence of current volcanoes, scientist Nils Müller, who headed the research, doesn’t rule it out. “Venus is a big planet, being heated by radioactive elements in its interior. It should have as much volcanic activity as Earth,” he says.

“People think this pathogen may be similar to seasonal influenza. This study shows that is not the case."

– Prof Yoshihiro Kawaoka, commenting on his lab results that show the pandemic H1N1 virus can invade deep within the lungs in animal models

By numbers

10.4

The diameter, in metres, of the mirror on the world’s largest telescope, the Gran Telescopio Canarias, which is to be inaugurated next week on La Palma.

150

The number of years a bat specimen lay in a collection at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia before being “discovered” as a new species that is now probably extinct.