Richard Dawkins to speak at NSU
Richard Dawkins, Ph.D., an evolutionary biologist and scientific author, will speak in the Don Taft University Center on Feb. 17. He is a former Oxford University professor and an emeritus fellow of New College-University of Oxford. Dawkins will present the lecture “The Fact of Evolution” as part of the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences’ 2010-2011 Distinguished Speakers Series. Dawkins popularized the idea of gene evolution and promotes the teaching of evolution as a way to combat religious extremism. Tickets are now available.
Deadline for Undergraduate Student Symposium
The deadline for submissions to the symposium is 5 p.m. Feb. 25. The event allows undergraduate students to share their oral presentations, paper submissions and poster displays in a variety of disciplines including the artistic, scientific, computational and theoretical. For more information, log on to www.fcas.nova.edu/currentstudents/uss/.
Former FAU police officer attempts suicide in jail
A former Florida Atlantic Uni-versity police officer tried to hang himself in his jail cell on Feb. 3. Jimmy Dac Ho, 47, was arrested in Boynton Beach for his involvement in the shooting of a female escort he solicited, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken to the Wellington Regional Medical Center in serious condition.
Fake cocaine illegal in Florida
A new cocaine and LSD-like drug manufactured in China was banned on Jan. 26. The white powder is sold under the names of Ivory Wave, Vanilla Sky and Purple Rain. An emergency ruling by Attorney General Pam Bondi made it a third-degree felony to possess and distribute the sub-stance. The powerful powder can be dangerous to the consumers’ biological and mental health. It can also increase a person’s aggression.
New York parks and beaches smoke-free
The New York City Council banned smoking in city parks and on city beaches with a 36 to 12 voting ratio last week. Some residents are displeased with the decis ion claiming that the government is intruding into the lives of New Yorkers. Mayor Michael Bloomberg explained that the law’s intent was to minimize secondhand smoke.
Woman speaks after voice-box transplant
After 11 years of silence, a woman spoke for the first time thanks to a voice-box transplant. Brenda Charett Jensen, 52, was the second person to undergo the 18-hour procedure. Jensen lost her voice along with the ability to taste and smell during a surgery in 1999 when a breathing tube damaged her airway.
Antarctica cruise ship hits rock
An Antarctic cruise ship that departed from Argentina crashed into a rock in early February. The MV Polar Star held 80 travelers including 32 Americans. No one was hurt in the accident but the following scheduled Antarctica cruise on the ship was canceled.
Food more expensive across the globe
The United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization recorded January as the month with the highest food prices since 1990. Food prices are reportedly increasing across the world and will continue to do so. The only product with steady prices was meat.
Five new planets in the galaxy
NASA’s Kepler space telescope spotted five planets in the galaxy orbiting stars in the “habitable zone” with possible liquid water. According to NASA scientists, the planets are around the size of Earth and life could exist there. However, further analysis is necessary to confirm that they are habitable.
