Science Tuesday - Mayan tomb, Bottled Water, Local News, and Malaria

Maya Tomb Tells Tale of Two Women, Elite but Doomed
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD, The New York Times, June 14, 2005


In their more scholarly moments, archaeologists may speak earnestly of settlement patterns and cultural transitions, the analytical thrusts of their research. But down deep, they live for the thrill of turning stones aside and finding a full tomb, especially if they are searching around Maya ruins in Guatemala.
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The Claim: Bottled Water Is Cleaner Than Tap Water
By ANAHAD O'CONNOR, The New York Times, June 14, 2005


THE FACTS It's no secret that many Americans are suspicious of what comes out of their taps. According to surveys, public concern about tap water is in part why sales of bottled water have tripled in the last decade. But are people getting their money's worth?

Not exactly. While many large cities are required to regularly disinfect their water supplies and test for parasites, bottled-water manufacturers are not.
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Study: Fertilizers Harm Freshwater Lakes
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, The New York Times, June 13, 2005


MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Farmers' routine application of chemical fertilizers and manure to the land poses a far greater environmental problem to freshwater lakes than previously thought, potentially polluting the water for hundreds of years, according to research published Monday.
( So, is that why people get rashes when swimming in Lake Monona? )

A Program to Fight Malaria in Africa Draws Questions
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr., The New York Times, June 11, 2005


Though its budget for fighting malaria has risen since 1998 to $90 million from $14 million, the United States' foreign aid agency is spending 95 percent of the money on consultants and less than 5 percent on mosquito nets, drugs and insecticide spraying to fight the disease.
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Lynching in America

A Senate Apology for History on Lynching
Vote Condemns Past Failure to Act
By Avis Thomas-Lester, Washington Post Staff Writer, Tuesday, June 14, 2005; A12


The U.S. Senate last night approved a resolution apologizing for its failure to enact federal anti-lynching legislation decades ago, marking the first time the body has apologized for the nation's treatment of African Americans.

One-hundred and five years after the first anti-lynching bill was proposed by a black congressman, senators approved by a voice vote Resolution 39, which called for the lawmakers to apologize to lynching victims, survivors and their descendants, several of whom watched from the gallery.

"There may be no other injustice in American history for which the Senate so uniquely bears responsibility," Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said before the vote.

Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), who with Landrieu led the resolution effort, said the vote finally put the Senate "on the record condemning the brutal atrocity that plagued our great nation."

The moment lacked the drama of the fiery Senate filibusters that blocked the legislation three times in the past century. There were few senators on the floor last night and no roll call, no accounting for each vote. But 80 of the Senate's 100 members signed on as co-sponsors, signaling their support.

Missing from that list were senators from the state that reported the most lynching incidents: Mississippi Republicans Trent Lott and Thad Cochran.
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