Beyond the words

AIDS Film Festival takes viewers deeper into pandemic

With the unfortunate abundance of medical epidemics occurring worldwide in recent decades, it’s sometimes hard for one to decide on which to support. But at the XVI International AIDS Conference, held in Toronto this past August 2006, the expression “seeing is believing” rung true.

Aside from colossal displays of advocacy through concerts, ceremonies and seminars, the Royal Ontario Museum was transformed into a place where both delegates and the general public could immerse themselves into an actual AIDS experience.

The AIDS Film Festival, showcasing a series of documentaries and re-enactments of the disease’s victims, kicked off one day before the opening ceremonies for the Conference.

Prior to the screening of the first film, an eye-catching sculpture featuring the word “AIDS” in large block letters created by the acclaimed Canadian artist collective General Idea was unveiled at the Museum.

The six-foot sculpture, illuminated at night and with bilingual text, was created in 1989 and inspired by Robert Indiana’s LOVE sculpture from 1970.

“By bringing this important sculpture again into public view, we remember that AIDS continues to affect people in Canada and in many other parts of the world,” said William Thorsell, CEO and Director of the Royal Ontario Museum.

But the sculpture only acted as a precursor to what was seen on screen.

Though the first film of the festival boasted a dream Hollywood cast (Stockard Channing, Shawn Ashmore, Chloe Sevigny and Lucy Liu), the most compelling were the roughly cut, shakily edited documentaries, sans sweeping effects and epic music.

One such film was This Is My Sister, created in cooperation with the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF). It tells a tale of two siblings living in Nairobi, mainly focusing on Jane, the younger sister.

When Jane realizes that her five-year-old son is infected with tuberculosis, she is prompted to get herself examined for similar diseases, and is told that she has HIV/AIDS. Her sister, Martha, is an uninfected businesswoman striving to make a living by opening her own hair salon and picking rice in local fields. She desperately tries to gain answers and advice from medical counsellors to help Jane but is unsuccessful.

The story follows Jane as she falls deeper into depression, and as Martha continuously tries to pull her out. Jane’s heroic triumph of overcoming her depression at the film’s end was thrilling, satisfying and heartfelt, as viewers are captured by the grim reality of having to cope with a loved one’s fatal disease and innately hoping that he or she will continue to battle for her life.

Dr. Daraus Bukenya, AMREF’s HIV Programme Leader, said in his closing statement that the series of events at the Conference, including the film festival, was to remind people that for HIV interventions to work, everyone must first “Understand Africa”, the organization’s ongoing theme.

“Understand Africa” went alongside this year’s Conference motto, “Time to Deliver”, which both summed up the event in its entirety.

The film following This is My Sister, was the gruesome, yet equally heartwrenching, documentary No Past to Speak Of: A Story of Infant Rape in South Africa.

No Past to Speak Of was one of those films you couldn’t bear to watch, and yet somehow you couldn’t bring yourself to stop watching. It follows the life of American Claudia Ford, who becomes appalled when arriving in Johannesburg and learns about the act of infant rape in the city. Upon discovering this gruesome crime, she adopts Vyanna, who was raped at an unbelievable age of five months.

Ford journeys through the years delving into the realms of this violent, yet common, crime in South Africa, interviewing local medical officials and social workers. She learns that infant rapists are plagued with the idea that sex with young individuals can cure HIV/AIDS, and the chances of a cure depends on how young their sexual partners are.

Though the film doesn’t graphically depict the act of infant rape, describing actions through dialogue was enough to immerse the viewers into an extremely dark, often frightening, and unavoidably honest perspective of AIDS.

Both of these films, along with the star-studded 3 Needles and the rest of the documentaries, accentuated and further proved what the Conference’s main objective is: for the world to understand the graveness of this disease and to gather voices to help fight against it.

The next International AIDS Conference will be held in Mexico City from August 3 to 8, 2008. For more information on the XVII International AIDS Conference in 2008, please keep checking back to the International AIDS Society website at www.iasociety.org

Photography: African Medical and Research Foundation

Source: SceneandHeard.ca, Volume 6 Issue 6

Public promenade not public enough

Uneventful Toronto Waterfront exhibition was nearly missed

The Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Group (TWRG) recently created a public promenade stretching across Toronto’s busy Harbourfront area in efforts to promote a new design connecting Queens Quay right to the waters edge for easy public access.

The unveiling happened during Quay to the City, a supposed “extravaganza” that boasted -- according to the TWRG’s website -- a weeklong series of events bound to spark general interest.

The $900,000 promenade took place from August 12 to 20, beginning with a grand ceremony with Mayor David Miller painting a stripe that completed Martin Goodman Trail -- a popular bike path that will extend along Queen’s Quay, from York Street to Spadina Avenue.

The temporary instalment replaced car traffic with bike lanes and a kilometre-long stretch of 12,000 red geraniums and picnic grass.

Michael Chong, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Sport, said the Quay to the City event was to “showcase the waterfront in ten days of fun, activities, and events.”

But while this was an event attempting to promote a revamping of Toronto’s waterfront, only a handful of the scheduled events happened on the premises. In fact, most were held in the Harbourfront Centre, taking away the general focus of the entire event altogether.

Upon first visit to the promenade, I walked straight past it, not noticing the geraniums at first glance.

Harbourfront Centre was holding the Ho-Hai-Yan Taiwan Festival at the time, which was listed on the Quay to the City schedule. However, there was no indication at the Taiwan Festival that it had any affiliation with the waterfront project.

Doubling back to the geraniums, I realized there was an empty white tent with the “Quay to the City” sign, situated right next to a lounging area where passers-by could put their feet up in wooden lawn chairs. I was standing right in the middle of the promenade, without even knowing.

While the lounging area was an intelligent idea on the Group’s behalf, nobody was there to acknowledge the purpose of it being there.

Upon second visit, I realized the tent was empty once more, but a small crowd had gathered around rock balancer, Daryl Maddeux, one of the few performances that took place right on the green.

When asked about the promenade, one spectator said he didn’t even know what was going on.

“Nothing really seems different to me except for the flowers,” the spectator said, refusing to be identified for privacy purposes. “Nice lawn chairs though, and what’s with that bike thing?”

The “bike thing” he was referring to was the massive four-storey archway -- arguably one the largest art installation in Toronto’s history -- adorned with used bicycles and honouring the vast amount of cyclists in the area.

“We chose to have this Arc de Triomphe to mark this as a gateway for bike paradise,” Mark Ryan, an urban designer for West 8, the winner of the design competition juried in June, told the Globe and Mail. “Our theme is 'Bicycles first’.”

The “bike paradise” seemed legitimate. However, the TWRG plans to invest about $60 million to make the promenade a reality, which some say is a pretty hefty price tag, especially when its “trial run” cost close to $1 million as it is.

The “extravaganza” ended off with a free concert by Canadian R&B artist, jacksoul, which was probably the biggest hit of the entire event. Unfortunately, most of the other interesting things were regular events, not really introducing anything new and inventive.

The Hot and Spicy Food Festival was in its ninth year, Toronto Music Garden in its fifth, and I remember catching The Wizard of Oz at last year’s Free Flicks by the Lake.

At the very least, the only thing the promenade did was obstruct traffic to keep some bikers active, even only for ten days.

The TWRG plans to have the Quay revamped by 2008, with construction beginning next spring.

Source: SceneandHeard.ca, Volume 6 Issue 6

Keshia at the Café

TIFF Music Café rocks it out with Canadian artists

The 2006 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) kicked off this past Thursday, celebrating the best in international, Hollywood, independent, and of course, Canadian film. But what is film without a soundtrack?

The Canadian Music Café returns this year, once again running alongside the festival in a three-day musical showdown at the Rivoli.

The showcase will have some of the best Canadian artists featured on original film soundtracks premiering at the festival.

It will kick off on Sept. 12 with Toronto’s own Matt Dusk, and the Trews, named as one of “Canada’s hardest working bands” (as per the Café website).

Also among the artists is 18-year-old Juno Award-winning Keshia Chanté, one of the Café’s youngest artist. Keshia -- who will be performing in the Sept. 13 line-up -- took the time to sit down with S&H.ca to discuss her latest album, her inspirations, and why she’s excited to come home.

Kimberly Fu: First of all, Keshia, thanks for agreeing to speak to me. I know you must be a pretty busy woman with everything going on.

Keshia Chanté: No problem!

KF: By the way, congratulations on all your successes up until now. You won a Juno and several Urban Music Awards at such a young age. That’s really admirable. I’m only a couple years older than you and I must say that what you’ve done so far is really, really great.

KC: Oh thank you. Thank you so much.

KF: Can you tell me a bit about how you got signed and how you got here?

KC: Well, I was six-years-old when I did my first performance. It was for Black History Month. My mom and mom’s friend got me into it. I sang ‘Dear Mama’ by Tupac [Shakur]. I worked for like, three weeks before the performance and when I did the show, the audience was screaming for me the whole time. I got my first standing ovation! I remember running off the stage and telling my mom, “Mommy! This is what I want to do for the rest of my life!” Ever since then I’ve been pretty driven, going to talent shows, and all that. An agent actually got one of the tapes of one of my performances and he liked it. He sent it to Ivan Berry at Sony BMG, who is now my manager. I know I’m only 18, but this year has been a lot of growth for me. I’ve grown a lot.

KF: You’re branching off into the American market, which is fantastic. Tell me a bit about your next album.

KC: My next album is a joint venture between Sony BMG Canada and Sony Epic [in the States]. Making this album was crazy because for the first album I was blessed and I was a sponge and I got all this information from those producing the album. For this album it was crazy just to show how much I know. I had so much say, I had so much creative control, and showing different things I didn’t know I knew and I learned [from the last album]. I am so excited about it. The producers and the writers were like, “What is going on here?” when they saw how much I knew. That’s exciting for an artist, to have the producers be so flustered.

KF: What compelled you to come back and do something like the Canadian Music Café?

KC: It’s very exciting. It’s so important to me. This is where I came from. I shot my first video here. I don’t forget where I came from. This is my home. I’ve been here for four years. I’m branching off, but it feels good to come home.

KF: Are you going to attend the Toronto Film Festival?

KC: Yeah, I think so, I’m flying back and forth but I definitely hope that I will be able to.

KF: Do you still get star struck when you meet big name stars?

KC: Not really. I would just talk to them. I met Destiny’s Child and Alicia Keys. But it wasn’t really “Oh my god!” I was more like, “I really love your stuff.” It was weird.

KF: Who are your biggest inspirations anyway?

KC: Tupac Shakur, even though he wasn’t a vocalist. He’s a true artist. Beyond any negativity, he was a very positive role model. He pretty much set the bar for me. When I see something of Tupac, I’m just taken aback by the way he speaks. He’s never disappointed me, him as an artist. So I keep those comments and thoughts in my mind when someone comes up to me saying that I’m their inspiration.

KF: Well, I think that’s all for now. Again, thanks for agreeing to speak with me and good luck on the 13th. I hope to catch your show!

KC: No problem! Thanks!

To check out the full schedule of the Canadian Music Café, please visit www.canadianmusiccafe.com. The showcase will wrap up on Sept. 14

Source: SceneandHeard.ca, Volume 6 Issue 5

Pharrell

In My Mind
Interscope Records/Universal

There are so many things that could be said about Pharrell Williams’s debut album, but not one of them is exceptionally exciting.

While his first instalment, In My Mind, brings in several cameo appearances by major chart-topping artists like Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, and Kanye West, nothing can really save Williams from his bland, same-old-same-old sounds.

Sure, he was the driving force behind The Neptunes (N*E*R*D) and his success with the group may have encouraged him to branch out on his own. But all in all, this album needs some bigger, catchier hits like ‘Margaritas’, his collaboration with Sleepy Brown and Big Boi. Unfortunately it is not on this album. That would give him Beyoncé-style stardom.

Although his voice is his trademark (also due to his exposure from N*E*R*D) and he’s popular enough for N*E*R*D fans to recognize his tunes on the radio, some tracks can be classified as “single-worthy” like ‘Angel’ and ‘Baby’. But as a debut, this album is a mediocre launching off point to reach his final goal as a successful solo artist.

Source: SceneandHeard.ca, Volume 6 Issue 5

John Tucker Must Die

Original Soundtrack
Wind-Up Records

The soundtrack to the teen comedy John Tucker Must Die boasts a compilation of today’s hottest rock/alternative songs that bring you back to the age of classic boy-meets-girl films like She’s All That and 10 Things I Hate About You.

The All American Rejects' ‘Dirty Little Secret’ kicks off the album, followed by equally catchy hits by Cartel, Stefy, and OK GO.

The soundtrack matches the storyline perfectly. One could easily predict that John Tucker would be about a popular boy who dates every girl in school at his leisure, who then encounters someone that makes him change his flirtatious ways. And that is just an offhand guess.

The predictable plotline conjures a series of upbeat tracks that gradually slow down as the main character reaches his epiphany about this new girl in town. The Jack Johnson-esque track ‘Float On’ by Australian rock phenomenon Ben Lee could easily be played during the scene where Jesse Metcalfe’s character realizes that, yes, he is in love with Brittany Snow’s character even though she doesn't fit his criteria of a perfect girl.

Other notable tracks include an impressive cover of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’ by Minneapolis-based newcomers, Quietdrive, and ‘Better Open the Door’ by Motion City Soundtrack.

The album ends with Rockett Queen’s ‘The Next Big Thing’, which was probably played either during the final scene when Metcalfe wins over Snow’s heart, the last punchline is said and the credits start rolling.

In this respect, the album ends off just as well as it begins, which compels you to hit the replay button over and over again.

Source: SceneandHeard.ca, Volume 6 Issue 5

Seether

One Cold Night
Wind-up Records

Despite recent reports of lead singer Shaun Morgan's ongoing battle with substance abuse, Seether's DVD/CD instalment has made a significant impact on the band’s growing career in the industry.

Morgan and bandmates Dale Stewart and John Humphrey offer up a great deal on this album, showing that a decent record can still be produced without the effect of personal livelihoods.

Considered their most intimate record, One Cold Night is a live compilation of some of the band's greatest hits, including tracks from their debut album Disclaimer and Disclaimer II, and their current gold certified album, Karma and Effect. It combines a number of mellowed-out tracks with hardcore favourites like ‘Gasoline’ and ‘Truth’, for those who have always enjoyed the band's original sound.

Recorded in an acoustic setting in Philadelphia, the band found time to produce the album during their busy schedule. And it paid off; the disc has depth and proves they haven't missed a beat since their debut in 2002.

The DVD is packed with a bunch of goodies, including a special cover performance of Pearl Jam's ‘Immortality’, in-depth interviews with the band, and a behind-the-scenes package from the ‘Oaxaca’ video shoot.

The band's tour throughout the U.S. was cancelled due to Morgan's scheduled rehabilitation, but, on the strength of this album and DVD, fans can be sure they will make a strong comeback once they return to their craft.

Source: SceneandHeard.ca, Volume 6 Issue 4

Sonic City

S/T
Independent

The first thing I thought when I listened to Sonic City's self-titled debut album was, "Pretty good guitar riffs, decent singing. Not bad for a first instalment." Then I visited the band's website and was blown away by what I read.

Lead guitarist, Danny Sveinson, is a 12-year-old. Not just any 12-year-old, as the band's fans can probably attest to, but an off-the-roof-talented kid and star-in-the-making who has brought the album to life with his non-apologetic, bold playing. Later I listened to the disc again, paying more attention to the background music this time (as opposed to the lyrics and rhythms) and was even more impressed. Forget about slowly making your way to the top. This could be it.

The Vancouver band consists of Sveinson, vocalist Rod Burn, drummer Dean Richards, and bassists Matt Grose and James Green, coming together to make a strong entrance into the Canadian music industry. Sveinson, dubbed by locals as "The Rock and Roll Kid" since he was ten, has already opened up for an impressive lineup of big-name acts like Colin James and April Wine.

‘Stay With Me’ is the album’s first single, and appears twice on the disc, once as the original cut and then as the radio edit. Both versions are just as good, and prove it is clearly a good pick to help accelerate this debut.

Needless to say, those who enjoy alternative rock will not be disappointed with this album, which runs smoothly from beginning to end.

Source: SceneandHeard.ca, Volume 6 Issue 4

Dashboard Confessional

Dusk and Summer
Vagrant Records/Universal

There’s a secret that we keep
I won’t sleep if you won’t sleep
Because tonight might be the last chance we’ll be given
We are compelled to do what we must do
We are compelled to do what we have been forbidden
- ‘The Secret’s in the Telling’

The elements that draw listeners to Dashboard Confessional’s albums are firmly in place on their latest release, Dusk and Summer. The unmistakeable, heart wrenching, compelling lyrics, are still as emotional as they were when they first began making music in 2000.

This EP, however, has a more mellowed-out sound, with elements of aggressive and foreboding tones on only a number of tracks.

Chris Carrabba, the creative force behind the band, said this album is all about “stripping down” and letting his voice carry the music, which was achieved successfully via hits like ‘Don’t Wait’ and ‘The Secret’s in the Telling’.

Other notable songs include the disc’s hit title track and the piano-led, “So Long, So Long”, with Counting Crows’ front man Adam Duritz on background vocals.

Although no summer anthem has come out of Dusk and Summer like the 2004 Spiderman contribution ‘Vindicated’, it’ll be easy for fans to throw the disc on for some good emotional lovin’.

Source: SceneandHeard.ca, Volume 6 Issue 4

Back and forth on the butts

Ontario smoking ban may be a thorn in bar owners’ side.

Owners of entertainment venues in and around the Greater Toronto Area are starting to feel the burn of cigarette butts -- or lack thereof -- as the summer comes to a heartbreaking, inevitable close.

The Ontario smoking ban, issued in May of this year, has put a strain on bar and club owners in particular, who have seen significant revenue differences. And between now and the end of August, there is no doubt these owners will try and get as much as they can out of their biggest cash cows.

Take Lauren Reid, for example. The 22-year-old avid partier is also an avid smoker, and yet the smoking ban hasn’t prevented her from going to her favourite bars and clubs in downtown Toronto. In fact, she is probably the ideal consumer for this type of situation -- one who is willing to take her smoke outside, and not let something like the ban get in the way of a good time.

“I much prefer fresh, clean air in a bar or club,” she said. “If I want to have a cigarette, I just step out onto the patio or back door. That way nobody is bothered by a smoky room.”

But those handling the cash may beg to differ. After all, not everyone is like Reid and would prefer the convenience of having a cigarette whenever and wherever they choose.

This is especially true since the fall season is approaching; temperatures will be dropping, and no longer will the outdoor designated smoking areas be a welcoming place to light up.

The Ontario smoking ban, in conjunction with a similar one issued in Quebec, indicates that smoking is no longer allowed in enclosed spaces, particularly in a restaurant or entertainment environment. This also means patios with rooftops and employee break rooms are banned, according to the Canadian Restaurants and Food Services Association (CRFSA).

Michael Ferrabee, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs with the CRFA, said business owners have taken the greatest hit from the smoking ban, and the ban on patios in particular was an anticipated problem long before the ban was finalized.

“It is important to recognize that restaurant and bar owners have made capital expenditures to build patios that comply with municipal bylaws,”he said. “For many, being able to allow their patrons to smoke on outdoor patios will be critical to their business survival.”

So far, the CRFA reported that bars, pubs, and nightclubs in Ontario have plummeted by 17 per cent between 2001 and 2005. The 2006 results are yet to come out, but officials have said previous decline was mainly due to a one-two punch of fewer customers and rising operation costs.

While this may not directly put the blame on the smoking ban, officials of other entertainment venues are certainly assuming it is the reason behind revenue decline.

Almost immediately following the ban issue in May, the city of Windsor has been struggling to keep its business’ doors open. The Bingo City, as it has been nicknamed, suffered a decline from five to 13 per cent in bingo hall revenue after the ban was finalized. Last year, bingo halls across the city earned over $15 million, supporting over 600 local charities.

And most recently, just last month Casino Windsor laid-off over 300 employees in part due to the smoking ban, according to casino officials.

Holly Ward, Director of Communications at the casino, said the smoking ban was partially to blame, although construction, the U.S. exchange rate, and high gas prices were also factors, the Toronto Star reported.

But some are saying the cutbacks are just investments in better healthy lifestyles.

In fact, Francis Thompson of the Non-Smokers Rights Association said revenue should actually be going up, if not breaking even.

“Keep in mind that daily smokers now account for just 15 per cent of the Canadian population,” she noted. “It would be very surprising indeed if this measure will cause some smokers to stay home, but it is almost certain to increase the willingness of non-smokers to spend times in restaurants and bars.

“Finally, even if there was a negative economic impact from smoke-free policies -- for which there is no empirical evidence -- what's more important: Human lives or the profits of some bar and restaurant owners?”

Restaurant and bar officials are now asking the Ontario legislature to issue permits specifically designed for designated smoking rooms, although there has been some negative responses.

The second level of the ban, currently pending, outlines how convenience store owners should hide tobacco products from the consumer’s view, a proposal that has also sparked continuous debate.

For more information on anti-smoking laws in Ontario, please visit Health Canada at www.health.gov.on.ca

Illustration: Trevor Turner

Source: Scene and Heard.ca (www.sceneandheard.ca), Volume 6 Issue 4

'Live' supernova recorded from 440 light years

Scientists have discovered they were able to record the beginnings of a supernova in real-time, after NASA's Swift satellite picked up a release of energy that led to the dying star being "caught on tape".

A team of astronomers from the U.S., U.K., and Italy noticed what turned out to be an unusually-long gamma ray burst - 100 times longer than a typical outpouring, which only lasts from a few milliseconds to tens of seconds.

Recorded in February, the gamma ray burst was also 25 times closer than average, at 440 light years.

Swift was designed to seek out gamma ray bursts and other releases of energy, but after carefully observing the recording, the scientists say that this particular burst was unlike any recorded in the past.

In order to fully capture the length of this outburst, the scientists had to use three more telescopes aboard Swift.

The astronomers say that the exceptionally long burst pierced through the core of the star and sent out a warning within minutes that a supernova was going to occur.

As the gamma ray burst faded, the massive ignited, the scientists say.

The scientists claim that this is the first time a gamma ray burst warned of a supernova.

The groups of astronomers gathered data on the event and have published separate research papers in today's issue of Nature.

Photography: NASA

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 31 edition

Baby rats give rise to mice

Researchers have successfully produced baby rats from mice, confirming the theory that different animal species could become surrogate parents to one another.

Scientists have known since 1996 that stem cells from rat sperm inserted into mouse testicles can generate viable rat sperm.

Now Japanese scientists from Kyoto University have tested this theory by using a method called in vitro microinsemination.

This technique involves fertilizing rat eggs with mouse-grown rat sperm.

The rat sperm is then put in a Petri dish with rat eggs.

If all goes well, one or more of the rat eggs is fertilized by the rat sperm.

Finally, the rat eggs are inserted into the uterus of mice.

So far, this technique has produced 15 rats.

The scientists say that the use of small surrogate animals may be beneficial for future experiments involving larger animals, such as cattle.

The scientists say it's possible to grow bull sperm in mice to help cattle producers save on space and food.

The rat/mouse study was published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Photography: Martin Krzywinski

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 31 edition

Frozen 500-year-old mummy starting to thaw

Moisture may destroy Peru's famous "Ice Maiden" - one of the world's longest preserved mummies, say local reports.

The 500-year-old body of an Inca girl is enclosed in glass at the Santuarios de Altura museum in Arequipa, Peru.

An expert from the Smithsonian Institution who was visiting Arequipa on vacation first discovered dampness inside the glass case.

The expert then notified Peruvian authorities, saying that the mummy could be damaged beyond repair within five years if the problem wasn't fixed.

The Ice Maiden was discovered in 1995 by a U.S. archaeologist. She was unearthed from a burial pit near the top of Mount Ampato near Arequipa.

The Inca mummy was named one of the best preserved in the world until 1999 when three other mummies were found atop a mountain in Argentina.

A group of specialists from Peru's National Institute of Culture will be inspecting the Ice Maiden this week to see how much damage has already occurred.

Photography: CBS News

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 31 edition

Growing male population could lead to increase in crime: researchers

U.K. and Chinese scientists say that an influx of unmarried men into society in the next few decades could lead to a global increase in organized crime and terrorism.

Researchers from University College London's Institute of Child Health as well as Zhejiang Normal University in China wrote a paper about the consequences of having a surplus of men in a densely populated society.

The scientists claim that couples in male-favouring cultures have bred a surplus of boys who will eventually struggle to find sexual partners.

These men - the researchers say - could end up feeling marginalized in society, as the ratio of men to women gets distorted as time goes on.

For example, in parts of China and India, there will be a 12 to 15 per cent excess of young men over women in the next 20 years, the study shows.

In most societies with a surplus of men, the researchers say, women can be more selective about who they choose to marry, which can leave the least desirable men with no marriage prospects and a lot of frustration.

The researchers say that 94 per cent of all unmarried people in China, aged 28 to 49, are male. Roughly 97 per cent of those men have not completed high school.

This marginalization can lead to increased levels of antisocial behaviour and violence, the scientists say.

But the researchers say that this situation should be improving, as a recent national survey showed 37 per cent of Chinese women had no gender preference when it came to their children.

In recent decades, women in China have been encouraged to bear sons, in order to control a massive population explosion in that country.

The researchers' study was published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Photography: Virtual Tourist

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 30 edition

Fuel-cell aircraft runs on hydrogen, emits water: Researchers

U.S. researchers have successfully tested an unmanned aircraft capable of flying on compressed hydrogen, with hopes to eventually build a similar aircraft able to manage a trans-Atlantic flight.

Scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology claim that this aircraft is the largest to fly on a hydrogen fuel cell.

The fuel cell in the model-sized plane generates about 500 watts. That's about 1/100th the power of a hybrid car, such as a Toyota Prius.

The researchers say the power-plant in the plane - as with all fuel-cell-powered vehicles - creates an electrical current by converting hydrogen and oxygen into water.

This current creates high energy, which translates into longer endurance, the scientists say.

While fuel cells don't produce enough power for commercial passenger aircrafts, they can power smaller, slower vehicles like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

UAVs, according to the scientists, can also track hurricanes and patrol borders.

The researchers tested the fuel-cell-powered UAVs at the Atlanta Dragway this past June.

Four flights were conducted, with the UAV traveling between 2.5 and 3.7 metres above ground, for up to a minute at a time.

The team of researchers will be continuing to test and refine the aircraft to make it more reliable, predicting that a hydrogen-powered, trans-Atlantic flight may be possible within the next five years.

The details of the project will be presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers' Power System Conference in New Orleans in November.

Photography: Fuel Cell Works

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 30 edition

Mars sports highest clouds in the inner solar system: scientists

French scientists have discovered the highest clouds above the surface of any of the inner planets, using the SPICAM instrument aboard the European Space Agency's Mars Express, in orbit around the Red Planet.

For years, scientists believed that there were only clouds in the lower reaches of the Martian atmosphere. But upon further research, scientists from the Service d'Aeronomie in France found a layer of clouds at an altitude between 80 and 100 kilometres above Mars' surface.

The scientists say the formations look similar to mesospheric clouds on Earth, found about 80 kilometres above our planet's surface.

The researchers say that the Martian clouds are most likely made of carbon dioxide. They can only be viewed at night, as they are very faint and can just be seen reflecting sunlight against the darkness of the sky.

Using the SPICAM, the scientists observed sweeps of starlight - called profiles - as the light travelled through the Martian atmosphere.

After observing about 600 profiles in the atmosphere, the SPICAM showed that about one per cent of the stars dimmed noticeably when behind the 90 to 100-kilometre-high atmospheric layer.

The researchers concluded that miniscule dust grains 60 kilometres above the Martian atmosphere were likely where the carbon dioxide formed to make clouds, as vapour needs particles to form around in order to condense.

The dust grains were either originally chipped from rocks on the surface or debris from meteors, the scientists say.

The high-altitude clouds suggest the upper layers of Mars' atmosphere are denser than experts previously thought.

This would be a vital piece of information for mission planners who use the Martian atmosphere to "aerobrake", using friction in the outer atmosphere to slow down incoming spacecraft.

Photography: Solar Views

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 30 edition

Earth could right itself if unbalanced: Researchers

U.S. researchers have discovered that the Earth may have the ability to restore its own balance if an unequal weight distribution ever developed on its surface.

A team of scientists from Princeton, Harvard, Caltech, and MIT, have revealed evidence that the Earth could tilt so far that Alaska could end up near the equator.

The theory, called true polar wander, suggests that large objects - such as super-sized volcanoes - formed far from the equator and caused the Earth to be heavier on one side than the other.

For further evidence of this, the team analysed the magnetic composition of ancient rock particles found in Svalbard, a cluster of islands in Norway.

Their findings suggested that such an imbalance might have occurred some 800 million years ago.

When rock particles sink into the ocean floor, it begins to form layers of new sediment. Tiny magnetic grains within the particles then align themselves with the magnetic lines of the Earth.

The team says that when the rock hardens, these grains can provide evidence of what direction the Earth's magnetic field was pointing to at the time of the rock's formation.

So if a rock spun around during a dramatic geological event - like a tilt in the Earth's axis - its magnetic field would serve as proof of the polar wander theory.

The team now plans to travel the world to seek supporting evidence in sediments similar in age to the ones found in Svalbard.

The researchers' study was published this past weekend in the Geological Society of American Bulletin.

Photography: Solstation

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 29 edition

New roofing material could let builders roll out the 'green' carpet

Summer may be coming to an end, but there may still be time for home renovations - starting with a little bit of grass on your roof.

Researchers from Toyota Roof Garden in Japan are now taking orders for grass tiles, called the TM9 turf mats, to help reduce urban heat island effects and cool down metropolitan areas.

The urban heat island effect is the name for the phenomenon of densely populated urban areas having significantly higher temperatures than surrounding areas. Concrete, which holds heat, is seen as a large contributor. Cities can combat the problem with green spaces - and increasingly green roofs.

Green thumb, meet handyman
"Green roofing", as it has been dubbed, is made up of vegetation, a growing medium, a filter layer, a drainage layer, a root resistance layer, and a waterproof membrane.

This combination will allow water to effectively drain straight into the roots of the grass, making the mats easy to maintain.

TheTM9 mats incorporate all this growing technology in twenty-inch square tiles, two inches thick. They're made from a special brand of Korean velvet grass that only needs to be cut once per year.

The price is a lot steeper than your typical asphalt shingle at $43 US per square yard.

Green roofing has been a widely discussed topic among environmentalists over the years, and has sparked many citywide projects in efforts to build more "greener" communities.

In Canada's biggest city, officials have proposed the Green Roof Pilot Program, which will showcase a variety of green roof types to encourage this type of construction in Toronto.

City officials are putting aside $200,000 of Toronto's Water budget for green roof construction, offering grants for up to $10 per square metre to all those looking to build their own green roofs.

York University, one of the largest institutions in Toronto, added a green roof to its computer science building in 2003.

Photography: Garden Visit

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 28 edition

Whales don't need marriage counselling: study

Scientists have long known that some species, aside from humans, know how to reconcile their differences after an argument - such as bonobos that have sex to overcome aggression or chimpanzees that kiss and make-up.

Now a researcher from Canisius College in Buffalo has noticed similar patterns in the killer whale.

No need for mediation
Michael Noonan, a professor in animal behaviour at the College, studied killer whales at Marineland Amusement Park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and noticed that pairs of whales would engage in "intimate swims" after a dispute.

Killer whales don't usually have aggressive behaviour, Noonan explains, but during his study he noticed about 21 arguments between the animals.

Eight of the disputes were between a mother and a father, for which the female would chase the male, who would be trying to evade her.

After several minutes of chasing, the two would split apart as to "cool down", and then reconcile by swimming side-by-side for about six to ten minutes, what Noonan calls an echelon - or synchronous - swim.

The study concluded that, like humans, whales also have a pro-social, affiliated behaviour to move past hostility and undergo a reconciliation process.

Noonan recorded about 2,800 hours of killer whale footage before arriving at these conclusions.

His findings were presented earlier this month at the Animal Behaviour Society conference in Salt Lake City.

Photography: Monterey Bay Whale Watch

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 25 edition

Rural country cows learn farmer accents: linguists

U.K. dairy farmers are realizing that cows of different regions are adopting distinct accents, after listening to herds 'moo' at each other in England's countryside.

The farmers - who are part of the West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers group in Somerset, England - have witnessed cows that had the "Somerset drawl" when they moo, which sounds more like "moo-arr".

Not a 'moo' point
Phonetics specialists from the University of London say that these country accents may have been taken from their farmers.

As the bond between farmer and cow grows stronger, so does the accent, since cows are most affected by their immediate peer groups.

There is even a possibility of the cows passing the accent onto their offspring much like how we adopt our parent's basic language variety, the linguists claim.

The group of farmers have also noted distinct accents in cows from Midlands, Essex, Norfolk and Lancashire.

In previous studies, birds of the same species living in different locations were also known to have chirping accents that were distinguishable from each other.

Photography: Cow Sensation Germany

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 25 edition

The universe is a dark, dark place: evidence of 'dark matter' found

Scientists from the University of Arizona have discovered evidence proving that dark matter in the universe actually does exist.

Since the 1930's scientists have theorized the existence of dark matter - so much of it, that there is at least five times more dark matter in the universe than normal matter.

Although it couldn't be ssin, astronomers assumed it must be there because of the way gravity works - though there were some alternative theories.

Now dark matter has been seen. Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, the researchers took images of two large clusters of galaxies merging. The process is thought to go on all the time, but this view - only 100 million years after the merger - allowed for a close-up peek at the outcome.

The merger showed a distinct separation between the dark and normal matter.

Bending light to form the picture
A galaxy cluster's normal mass is in its hot gas clouds, which are left behind after a merger of this sort, the scientists say.

But when the researchers observed the area around these galaxies, they discovered there was far more mass than the clouds.

To be sure, the team analysed gravitational lensing - when gravity bends light around distant objects, like galaxies - in this area using projected images from three additional observatories: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, the European Southern Observatory's Wide-Field Imager and one of the two Magellan telescopes.

By viewing the shapes and patterns that were made from the distorted light, the researchers found a mass of non-luminous - or dark - matter that was a far greater mass than the normal matter.

The scientists say that the next step would be to analyse what this dark matter is made of, now that it has been discovered.

The research will be published in the upcoming issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Photography: San Diego Supercomputer Center

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 24 edition

Ban on CFCs credited for holding off ozone depletion

A team of scientists is confirming that a hole in the ozone layer, that was discovered twenty years ago, has stopped growing.

Back in the 1980's, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), NASA, and two universities paid a visit to Antarctica to determine the cause of this hole.

The scientists theorized the causes could have been solar activity affecting the magnetic field or atmospheric motions.

But it was also concluded the production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) - chemicals found in products like aerosol sprays and refrigerators - could have contributed to the ozone loss.

Good news and bad news
Now, two NOAA scientists from the same team have announced that the efforts to phase out these chemicals have proven to be successful.

The news was announced this week at a conference in Washington, D.C.

The production of these chemicals has been restricted since 1987 by the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer and was replaced by similar, but less ozone-threatening,substances.

However, the scientists say that the replacement chemicals are not benign, and can contribute to global warming.

The NOAA team will continue to monitor the ozone and ozone-depleting gases, on a new scale NOAA calls the Ozone Depleting Gas Index.

Photography: MSN Encarta

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 24 edition

Steel-like material replaces silicon for tiny video projector

U.S. researchers have developed a more reliable way of developing microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), tiny machines that could make small video projectors on a chip.

For years engineers have used silicon as a material to create these machines, but researchers from Cornell University found that the material was easy to break, which made it too unreliable for systems that required flexibility.

So the researchers tested carbon fibre - the same material used to reinforce auto and aircraft body parts, bicycle frames, and fishing rods - to create a practical, though tiny, MEMS video display device.

The carbon fibre was able to bend past 90 degrees, and vibrate billions of times without breaking, which proved to be valuable for the scientists since the device needed a resonant frequency of 60,000 times a second - the line-scanning rate of most video displays.

Carbon is usually a brittle material, but when it is transformed into fibres, the Cornell group claims the material is stronger than steel.

Carry a projector in your pocket
The video display was made up of a tiny rectangular mirror measuring about 400 by 500 microns, and is supported by two carbon-fibre hinges.

It was made to oscillate at around 2.5 kHz, with the mirror generating a laser beam to scan across a range of up to 180 degrees.

When putting together an array of mirrors with the same functions, the scientists say this could produce an image the same way a moving electron beam creates an image on a television screen. Only it would be small enough to fit in a cellphone.

The study was published in the July issue of the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering.

Photography: MEMS Adaptive Optics

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 23 edition

Elephants can hit the ground running

What do you call an elephant moving at top speed? According to a new UK study, "running".

A team of researchers from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) in Swindon, UK, claim that an elephant can actually move to a point where all its feet is off the ground at the same time, which scientists consider to be running.

Run, Dumbo, run!
The researchers used Hollywood-style technology to conduct the study.

They attached 15 temporary markers on an elephant's joints and then had the animal move past a motion capture camera, recording at 240 frames per second.

The team then used the recorded footage, along with MRI and CT scans of the elephant, to reconstruct the rotations of the animal's joints on a computer.

A 3D model was then created to show the forces and stresses at work on the elephant's muscles, tendons, and bones.

The researchers believe that by studying an elephant's locomotion, it could help construct more accurate versions of man-made walking robots.

They claim that an elephant's leg has surprising similarities to our own, as it has roughly the same structure with a long thigh and a short foot.

The team will be traveling to Thailand and Africa shortly to conduct more studies, as they have only been testing this theory on captive elephants at UK wildlife and safari parks.

Photography: Dauger.com

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 22 edition

The oceans are getting louder, and it's not the waves

With population increases and booming construction occurring worldwide, excessive din on land should be expected - but a new study done by U.S. researchers shows that life underwater is not that much different.

Researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California conducted a study showing that underwater marine life may be suffering from an excess of noise - increasing over time.

The researchers compared acoustic data recorded between 1964 and 1966 to data collected between 2003 and 2004.

The results showed that the noise levels in the more recent years were ten to 12 decibels higher than the older data.

The scientists say that this increase is mainly due to an increase in global shipping trade, with ships using higher speeds and more propulsion power.

The number of commercial fleets has doubled in the past 38 years, from about 40,000 to close to 90,000 fleets, according to the study.

In order to fully understand the type of impact this puts on sound-dependent marine life, the researchers say further acoustic measurements will have to be done.

The researchers' study was published in the August issue of the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

Photography: NOAA

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 22 edition

Sun creates 'hot springs' on Mars: researchers

A multitude of geysers - types of hot springs that erupt periodically - are spewing sand and dust on Mars, according to U.S. researchers.

Scientists from Arizona State University have theorized the geysers after carefully examining images captured with an orbiting camera called the Thermal Emissions Imaging System (THEMIS), located on the Mars Odyssey probe.

The THEMIS images, captured between seasons as the sun heated up the surface, showed progressive dark spots and fans of dark areas spread across the ice in the southern part of the planet. Because of the progressive change the scientists concluded that debris is constantly being spread over the ice, in streams of more than 100 km/h.

The scientists say that the Sun warms up the surface of the planet, causing polar ice caps to break apart and cast materials about 30 metres above the surface.

The carbon dioxide collects underneath the ice until the pressure causes the surface layer to break.

The research report is published in the latest edition of Nature.

Photography: Wikipedia France

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 21 edition

Australian fossil find changes whales' evolutionary history

Australian researchers have found evidence that modern baleen whales - now docile filter-feeders - derived from a beast with razor sharp teeth and ferocious eating habits.

The findings are based on research of a 25-million year old fossil skull uncovered among cliffs in Southern Australia. The specimen, called Janjucetus hunderi was unveiled at the Melbourne Museum this week.

Caught up in a different crowd
In the past, scientists divided whale ancestors into two groups.

One group is made up of the filter fed whales which evolved into their modern filter feeders like the baleen whale.

The other group included whales that hunted and evolved into toothed species like the dolphin, sperm whale, and killer whale.

This new research, conducted by Monash University researcher and Victoria Museum research associate Erich Fitzgerald, suggests that the ancestor of the baleen whale may have been classified with their hunting relatives.

A change of diet
Modern-day baleen whales usually feed with a comb-like structure between their jaws, which filters out plankton and small fish.

But the ancient species, the research shows, had large teeth to help capture and chew their prey, which included sharks and other large fish.

Fitzgerald found distinctive features in the species' skull to classify it as an ancestor of the baleen whale.

The ancient species also had particularly large eyes, which the researchers suggest may have helped its hunting habits.

The study appeared in a recent edition in Proceeding of the Royal Society B.

Photography: Futura Sciences

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 19 edition

As dumb as a dolphin? Study shows big brain doesn't equal big smarts

Dolphins may be one of the friendliest animals out there, but - contrary to widely-held belief - they may not be the brightest.

Researchers from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg say that a dolphin's large brain may not correlate to intelligence - in fact, its size is influenced by climate.

Dr. Paul Manger, who led the study, says that a dolphin's brain develops a lot of insulating material called "glia" to protect it from the dolphin's cold habitats.

While there is a lot of glia in the brain, there aren't many neurons, which essentially help the dolphins think and gain knowledge.

However, Manger says even though dolphins are not as intelligent as other species like goldfish - which can jump out of an enclosed space, a feat that dolphins can't overcome according to the study - they certainly are as happy as we perceive.

The scientists found an increased amount of serotonin in dolphins, which Manger describes as "the happy drug".

Dolphin intelligence still supported
But scientists from the Vancouver Aquarium are saying that this research could still be unreliable.

They say that dolphins live very complex and social lives, and are still able to keep account of their surroundings and encounters.

The study was published in the journal, Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society.
Photography: Hawai'i Coral Reef Network

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 18 edition

Online 'dating service' in the works for orangutans

Single, male, 180 lbs with red hair, seeks female for long-distance relationship, with possibility of meeting and having children. Interests include tree climbing, grooming and long walks in the rainforest.

Zookeepers in the Netherlands are creating an online "dating service" to connect Dutch and Indonesian orangutans, in hopes that they can source out compatible mates.

An Internet connection will allow the apes to view each other with a press of a button and watch each other eat or groom.

Another aim of the system is to raise public awareness for the apes, as oil plantations and logging are threatening the species in Indonesia's Borneo Island, activists claim.

Only orangutans that have expressed interest and aptitude will take part in testing the system.

The zookeepers say that having two apes eventually meet may be difficult, considering the distance between the Netherlands and Indonesia, but experts have not ruled out the idea.

Meanwhile, the zookeepers say the equipment still needs to be ape-proofed, though they hope to have the orangutans online by the end of 2007.

Photography: Columbia University

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 17 edition

Australia's make-up came from other continents: research

A new study shows that Australia was the result of an ancient collision between three distinct pieces of land

PhD student Kate Selway at the University of Adelaide's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences say that Northern, Western, and Central Australia were part of other continents some two billion years ago.

Back then - the researchers claim - if you were to stand at the edge of Alice Springs in Central Australia, you would have seen an ocean rather than land.

Using a geophysical technique called magnetotellurics, the scientists measured the electrical conductivity of different parts of Australia and found that Northern and Central Australia are separated by a boundary 150 kilometres deep.

Selway claims this is strong evidence of a massive collision zone.

She hopes that this will lead to finding new mineral deposits where the separate pieces joined to form Australia.

The research was carried out in collaboration with the Northern Territory Geological Survey.

Photography: Bugbog

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 17 edition