March 2004 Predictions

[YOUR FUTURE - INVENTIONS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE]
Engineers have invented strap-on bionic robotic legs to help people, especially soldiers, carry heavy loads over long distances.

The Israeli military is equipping its forces with a new range of tiny spy drone planes small enough to fit in a soldier's backpack.

British scientists say they are studying the flight of bees to see whether a tiny plane could be built with flappable wings for military or industrial spying.

'Veggie' fuel is now available at the pump - The first retail outlet to offer the vegetable-based biodiesel fuel to the general public has opened, north of Toronto, Canada.

[HOT TRENDS]
Thanks to Nokia soon your phone could be keeping a record of everything you do.

More than two-thirds of children have a computer, games machine or TV in their bedroom and are losing out on sleep as a result, research suggests.

A wave of computer worms and viruses has been sweeping cyberspace in the past few days, wreaking havoc on some systems and testing the software defences of networks, experts say. "Unprecedented" numbers of Windows virus variants are spreading.

The diversity of plants and animals in Britain has declined sharply, according to two new studies that bolster fears the Earth is heading toward a mass extinction.

Scientists are saying that we are facing a loss of 65 to 95 percent of the world's species, extinction on the scale of an ice age or the meteorite that may have wiped out the dinosaurs.


[ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS]
New research supports the theory that a comet may have caused the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The same night Chicago saw a deadly blaze, similar blazes hit upstate portions of Michigan and Wisconsin.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, one of the richest men on Earth, has pledged to donate $13.5 million for the search for extra-terrestrial life.

[BIOLOGY PREDICTIONS]
Vets could soon be analysing breath samples from animals to diagnose disease, Glasgow researchers say.

Scientists believe it may be possible to modify a mosquito's immune response to block malaria being transmitted to humans.

The leatherback turtle population of the Pacific Ocean is now so imperilled it could die out in 10 years, conservationists believe.

A study of species extinctions in the U.K. suggests Britain's wildlife is heading into crisis because of human activity.

[HEALTH PREDICTIONS]
The brains of children in many parts of Europe are suffering greater damage from environmental risks than previously recognised, scientists say. The findings suggest lead is the single most important damaging chemical for children.

The vaccination of chickens against avian flu in Asia could lead to new strains which are a greater danger to humans.

Aspirin and other similar painkillers may be able to fight ovarian cancer, a study suggests. Previous studies have suggested it may protect against a range of cancers, including breast, colon and bowel. A study published earlier this year suggested that regular long-term use of aspirin could increase the risks of pancreatic cancer.

Babies born during cold weather may be more likely to develop heart disease later in life, a study suggests.

A new report finds the risk of getting disfiguring ear infections is almost four times greater if the upper ear cartilage is pierced rather than the lower ear lobe.

Scientists have developed a way to protect the skin from harmful UV rays by the application of a sunscreen made of a short strand of DNA.

Scientists have developed a device, a clip, which they say could help patients who would otherwise need heart surgery.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is investigating chemicals in microwave popcorn that have been linked to a rare lung disease in people who work in factories that produce popcorn.

Computer keyboards, computer mice and especially telephone dials are more infested with microbes than toilet seats, according to a U.S. study.

Scientists have found a way to predict whether skin cancers will spread to other organs.

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown virus - a cousin to SARS - that causes respiratory sickness and is likely to have spread around the world.

Smoking speeds up brain decline in the elderly, a study suggests.

Though the scourge of HIV/AIDS appeared late in the former Soviet republics, in recent years it has spread so rapidly that one in 100 adults in Russia, Estonia and Ukraine are infected.

Cigarette smoke particles even in household dust can increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a study has found.

[LONG-TERM CLIMATE PREDICTIONS]
Australia's weather is changing, with more hot days and fewer cold nights, the director of the Bureau of Meteorology says. Plus the number of extreme weather events in the country is increasing. Another sign of Australia's changing weather is the drop-off in the number of tropical cyclones.

The world is overestimating the dangers of global terrorism, especially when compared with a possible greater threat posed by environmental risks, according to former U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix.

One-eighth of the world's bird species are at risk of extinction because of climate change and habitat destruction, according to a new report.

Scientists worry that changes in Brazil's tropical rainforests may affect climate change and many species.

The U.S. will have to help combat climate change if extreme weather events are to be avoided, the government's chief scientist has warned.

[ODDITIES]
Authorities in Papua New Guinea have ordered police to search part of a remote island after locals told of seeing a giant dinosaur-like creature roaming the area, local media reported.

The mystery fires that have plagued Caronia, a small town in Sicily, have returned. The fires, which generally start in appliances, have baffled police. Even appliances that are not plugged in will spontaneously begin burning. At the same time, power locks on car doors lock themselves and cellphones ring and will not stop. This has happened before in Italy. The Fortean Times reported that in February of 1990, the same thing took place in San Gottardo, near Venice. So far, there is no scientific explanation for the situation. It has been theorized that high-energy emissions of military origin could be involved, but no sources have been identified in either area.

[POLITICAL PREDICTIONS]
Prince Hassan of Jordan says the violence in the Middle East could lead to a third world war.

As many as 40 Soviet-era biological weapons facilities are at risk due to poor security and inadequate inventory controls, a Pentagon official says.

The next wave of terrorist attacks will be bombs planted on freight ships and detonated at ports such as Sydney or Melbourne, an international affairs expert predicts.

[SPIRITUAL PREDICTIONS]
'God particle' may have been seen - Scientists say they might have detected one of the most elusive particles in nature - the so-called Higgs boson.

Women see dead people but men are more likely to believe in aliens, according to a poll suggesting Australians are willing to accept the paranormal.