A little science (and not-so-science) news

Mysterious carnivore spotted on Indonesia's Borneo
Environmental researchers are preparing to capture what they call a new, mysterious species of carnivore on Borneo, the first such discovery on the wildlife-rich Indonesian island in over a century.

Swiss-based environmental group WWF said on Monday its researchers photographed the strange animal, which looks like a cross between a cat and a fox, in the dense, central mountainous rainforests of Borneo.

"This could be the first time in more than a century that a new carnivore has been discovered on the island," said the WWF in a statement.

The mammal, slightly larger than a cat with red fur and a long tail, was photographed twice by a camera trap at night.

¿Podria ser? ¿Es esto el chupacabra?

Naah – but I do wonder what it is. Pretty cool.

Arkansas Scientists Make Fuel From Chicken Fat
Fuel is the thing with feathers. Hoping to find an efficient way to help power automobiles and trucks, researchers at the University of Arkansas say they have developed a way to convert chicken fat to a biodiesel fuel.

[…] R.E. Babcock, a professor of chemical engineering, said chicken-fat fuels are better for the environment and the machines.

"They burn better, create less particulate matter and actually lubricate and clean things like cylinders, pistons and fuel lines," Babcock said.

Chicken fat can be a less-expensive substitute because it is available at a low cost. However, fatty acids in raw chicken fat can lead to the creation of soap during the various chemical processes.

In his studies, Mattingly used high-quality fat (less than 2 percent fatty acid content) and low-quality, feed-grade fat (6 percent fatty acid content) obtained from Tyson Foods Inc. plants in Clarksville and Scranton.

I can see it now – Kentucky Fried Gas. There are way too many potential jokes in this little news item; I’m not going there.

UFO Claims Raise Questions
UFO stories don't get any wilder than this one. A Las Vegas man has developed a cult-like following around the world by claiming to have worked with a live extraterrestrial at Area 51.

[…] His name today is Dan Burisch. Before that it was Dan Catselas, and when Eyewitness News first ran into him, it was Dan Crain. "Doctor" Dan Crain, he says.

[…] Burisch says he worked in an underground lab at S-4 near Area 51, the same place first made public by Bob Lazar. Inside he met an extraterrestrial named Jrod and they became pals. He also met angels in the lab and they spoke in Hebrew.

[…] "It's highly improbable," said Col. John Alexander, retired army intelligence.

They must teach wry understatement in the intelligence schools. Those Hebrew-speaking angels should go manifest themselves to a few mullahs; the confrontation would be interesting to watch.

Fruit bats as reservoirs of Ebola virus (requires subscription)
Leroy, E.M et al (2005) Nature 438, 575-576.
Bat species eaten by people in central Africa show evidence of symptomless Ebola infection.

The first recorded human outbreak of Ebola virus was in 1976, but the wild reservoir of this virus is still unknown. Here we test for Ebola in more than a thousand small vertebrates that were collected during Ebola outbreaks in humans and great apes between 2001 and 2003 in Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. We find evidence of asymptomatic infection by Ebola virus in three species of fruit bat, indicating that these animals may be acting as a reservoir for this deadly virus.

[…] Although other bat and animal species may also act as Ebola virus reservoirs, insight into the behavioural ecology of the bat species identified here should help to improve protection of the great apes from Ebola virus. Human infection directly from fruit bats might in part be countered by education, as these animals are eaten by local populations living in the outbreak regions.

Interesting. Viruses as lethal as Marburg and Ebola require some sort of animal reservoir in which they are at least relatively harmless. I know that at least some Marburg infections have been associated with Central African bat caves. It would not be surprising if bats were a general reservoir for filoviruses. Good reason not to order the fruit bat en compote at the local diner.