Scientists genetically engineer female 'Frankenstein' goats in male bodies to create 'human' breast milk

By Daily Mail Reporter


Genetic engineers are deliberately breeding transgender goats to see if their milk is similar to that produced by humans.

The goats being created are effectively a female trapped in a male’s body, complete with the full male anatomy.

The company behind them wants to see if their milk contains the same proteins as human breast milk - with a view to one day possibly selling it in stores.

The goats have been christened ‘goys’, a mixture of ‘girl’ and ‘boy’ and 15 have been bred at the research facility in New Zealand.

Critics have however already called for the breeding programme to be closed down amid concerns the scientists are ‘playing God’.

They have also asked about the dangers posed if the goats escaped and their DNA was introduced to the wider gene pool.

AgResearch has said that 75 per cent of the goats bred at its facility in Hamilton are transgender as a result of the programme.

All the ‘males’ have been sterilised to stop them breeding.

In total there are 15 ‘goys’ and one of them has so far produced milk at the age of six months.

The development sparked an appalled reaction on blogs and comment posts.

On one blog Carol Hill wrote: ‘I shudder to think what mankind is doing to innocent animals to help out mankind and kill off these innocent animals.

‘I just don't get it at all, I simply don't’.

Another woman wrote: ‘These ‘goys’ are living, breathing, feeling creatures, and I don’t think that we have the right to manipulate their very beings that way.’

Steffan Browning, an official from New Zealand's Soil and Health Department who recently toured the facility, added that he wanted it closed down immediately because of his concerns of the risk of contamination with normal goats.

He also had issues over the experiments being carried out there and some of the pharmacological studies.

Dr Jimmy Suttie, AgResearch's general manager of applied biosciences, said that the transgender goats had nothing to do with genetic engineering.

‘It was inadvertent. This is something which normally happens about 10 to 15 per cent of the time in this breed of goat.

‘It just happens to be the cell line that was used.’

He added: ‘We take animal ethics very, very seriously at AgResearch.

‘All these experiments are supervised by vets and the animal ethics committee, and they have given us no concerns at all.’


source:dailymail

Beats a suit and tie! Telecoms worker storms office wearing Iron Man costume

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Ready for anything: Telecoms worker Wang Kang wears his Iron Man armour to his workplace in Shanghai, China. The foam costume took three months and $450 to make and weighs 50kg


Well it's certainly one way to get your boss to notice you.

A telecoms worker has become an internet sensation in China after ditching his shirt and tie and wearing this home-made Iron Man costume to work instead.

Wang Kang left his colleagues stunned when he strolled through the Shanghai office entrance unannounced and began strutting along the corridors in the formidable ensemble.


Making a statement: Wang's costume attracts a quizzical stare from a co-worker. Others were frightened when he turned up wearing it announced, and some even screamed


'No colleagues knew my mission, and some of them froze there in seeing me approach,' he said.

'Some were even screaming for being scared.'

The 25-year-old came up with the idea after seeing the 2008 hit movie starring Robert Downey Junior.

He began building the costume at the end of February and it took him around three months to complete, at a cost of around $450.


Hot property: Wang's costume has attracted praise from his boss and compliments from women


But Wang said the effort had been well worth it - with his costume drawing praise from his bosses and compliments from women.

He claimed some had even 'fallen in love' with him because of it.

'They said I am a happy and creative man, and they wanted to know me,' he said.

The main material he used was EVA foam, which was glued onto an aluminium frame.
Soldering irons were used to create the effect of rough iron plates and the whole armour was then painted the colour of aged iron.


Inspiration: Robert Downey Jr in costume for the 2008 film Iron man


After the frame and plates were completed, installed wires, pipes and circuits.
He said: 'I sometimes thought of quitting it, as the project was very time and energy-consuming and I had to do it during my free time.

'I just wanted to share the happiness with friends.

'Life needs passion, and I hoped my armour could trigger their passion for life.'

Wang is determined the first costume - the Mk1 - will be the start of many, and hopes to improve the design so it is lighter and more user-friendly.

The current model weighs 50kg and takes ten minutes to put on.

'I want to accumulate more experience via making the MK1 so I can make the MK2 armour really well,' he said.

IRON MAN - MARK 1 - COMPLETE - Foam Armor Costume - Artist - Wang Kang - ( Shanghai, CHINA)



source :dailymail

How will they keep the bugs off the windscreen? Airbus unveil the transparent plane we'll be flying around in come 2050 (but maybe not those with a fe

By Daily Mail Reporter


Window on the world: Gone are the small aircraft windows in the 'vitalising zone' which provides a panoramic view for passengers


With its see-through aircraft cabin, passengers of the future will get a get a window on the world as they fly through the sky.

For this plane with it's 'intelligent' cabin wall membrane and interactive games, may be everyday air transport in 2050.

The futuristic concept for travel in 40 years time has been unveiled in London by planemakers Airbus - and it'll terrify those who already have a fear of flying.

Flight of fancy? An artist's impression of an X-ray of an 'intelligent' concept cabin of an aircraft of the future


First, business and economy cabins are replaced by zones for relaxation in the front, work in the back, and a fully-stocked bar for socialising.

Passengers will be able to see everything to the sides and in front of them. So blindfolds might be handy come take-off and landing time.

The aircraft's walls change according to light conditions. There are holographic pop-up gaming displays and in-flight entertainment powered by the heat of passengers' bodies.

The technology could mean travellers might even be able to read bedtime stories to their children back home.

Most of the basic technology such as moulding seats and 'head-up displays' already exist, but how Airbus plan to make the plant-based, transparent 'skin' of the plane remains a mystery.

Starry skies: The cabin wall membrane controls air temperature and can become transparent to give passengers views throughout the day and night

Voyage of discovery: Artist's impression of how the aircraft of 2050 will look on the outside at night


The concept cabin would be a bionic structure that 'mimics' the efficiency of bird bone, claim Airbus.

It would provide strength where needed, and also allows for an 'intelligent' cabin wall membrane which controls air temperature and can become transparent to give passengers open, panoramic views.

Airbus believes that mid-century passengers might be able to enjoy a game of virtual golf or take part in interactive conferences, while the cabin 'identifies and responds' to travellers’ needs.

The cabin of the future follows last year’s unveiling of the Airbus concept plane, packed with technologies to reduce fuel burn, emissions, waste and noise.

In the cabin concept, the 'vitalising zone' helps passengers relax, with vitamin and antioxidant-enriched air, mood lighting, aromatherapy and acupressure treatments.

Anyone seen my ball? Passengers will be able to play virtual golf in the interaction zone on the plane

Sky's the limit: Charles Champion, Airbus's Executive Vice President of Engineering, unveils the Airbus Concept Cabin at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London


In the 'interactive zone' there are virtual pop-up projections taking passengers to whichever social scene they want to be in, from holographic gaming to virtual changing rooms for active shoppers.

The 'smart tech zone' is tailored towards the more functional-orientated passenger with what Airbus describes as 'a chameleon-style offering.'

It aims to meet individual needs ranging from a simple to a complete luxury service, but all allowing you to continue life as if on the ground'.

Airbus engineering executive vice-president Charles Champion said: 'Our research shows that passengers of 2050 will expect a seamless travel experience while also caring for the environment.

'The concept cabin is designed with that in mind, and shows that the journey can be as much a voyage of discovery as the destination.'


source:dailymail

A look back at Endeavour: NASA releases first-ever pictures of space shuttle docked on International Space Station

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Flying high: The International Space Station is seen with the docked space shuttle Endeavour in this photo taken on May 23


NASA has released the first-ever images of a space shuttle linked to the International Space Station taken from a departing spaceship.

Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli took the photos two weeks ago from inside a Russian Soyuz capsule soon after he left the space station for the trip back to Earth.

The shuttle Endeavour is pictured attached to the bow of the space station and was captured by the capsule as it orbited at 17,000mph at 220 miles above Earth.


One final journey: Days after the photos were taken, Endeavour landed at Kennedy Space Center on June 1, bringing to an end NASA's 30-year shuttle programme .


A Soyuz capsule had never headed for home while a shuttle was parked at the space station due to safety procedures. However, space officials made a rare exception to capture a picture of the shuttle for posterity. The ISS was even commanded to rotate 130 degrees to get the best shot.

The photo was taken by Expedition 27 crew member Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA-20 when it was 600ft away from the station on May 23, 2011.

The camera is pointed along the ISS's backbone, which holds the four sets of solar wings that power the craft. A European ATV cargo carrier can be seen on the far right.

The European Space Agency astronaut had around half an hour to capture high resolution digital photos and videos of Space Shuttle Endeavour docked to the orbiting lab for the very last time.


Here's looking at you: Astronaut Paolo Nespoli's camera can be glimpsed in the Soyuz window as they head back to Earth


The Expedition 27 crew was made up of Paolo Nespoli, Russian Commander Dmitry Kondratyev and NASA astronaut Cady Coleman.

The trio began their mission with the departure of the Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft on March 16 and spent two months on the ISS working on microgravity experiments.

They landed in Kazakhstan on May 24, days before Endeavour concluded its final mission, which marked the completion of NASA's 30-year space shuttle programme. At the time, Endeavour was on the next-to-last shuttle mission.

NASA's shuttle fleet is retiring after one last flight next month with a load of supplies for the station.


Unprecedented images: Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli took the photos from inside a Russian Soyuz capsule soon after he left the space station for the trip back to Earth


Endeavour landed at Kennedy Space Center on June 1, bringing to an end to America's 30-year shuttle programme.

Commander Mark Kelly, Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori and Endeavour's four other astronauts - Gregory Johnson, Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff and Andrew Feustel - had returned to Earth after 16 days in space of repairs at International Space Station.

The crew installed a $2billion cosmic ray detector, an extension beam and a platform full of spare parts, enough to keep the station operating in the shuttle-less decade ahead.



Into the future: NASA is leaving the Earth-to-orbit business behind to focus on expeditions to asteroids and Mars


The $2.2billion ship, the youngest of the shuttles with 123 million miles over 25 flights, is now bound for the California Space Center in Los Angeles.

NASA is leaving the Earth-to-orbit business behind to focus on expedition to asteroids and Mars.

Private companies hope to pick up the slack for cargo and crew hauls to the space station.

Until then, Americans will continue hitching rides to the station aboard Russian Soyuz capsules at the cost of tens of millions of dollars a seat.


source: dailymail

Final spacewalkers of Nasa's 30-year shuttle mission

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Space Shuttle Endeavour astronaut Greg Chamitoff is seen outside the International Space Station in this photo taken by Mike Fincke


159 space walks totalling 1,000 hours to build the station and keep it running

These stunning images capture the final stage of the construction of the International Space Station.

But as they marked the beginning of a new era in space exploration, the spacewalk undertaken by Gregory Chamitoff and Mike Fincke also represented an end - of Nasa's 30-year shuttle programme.

All future spacewalks - including one during the final shuttle voyage this summer - will be performed by full-time space station residents.


The space shuttle Endeavour, seen docked to the International Space Station, will be returning to earth in just a few days as the Nasa space shuttle mission draws to a close


'This space station is the pinnacle of human achievement and international co-operation,' spacewalker Gregory Chamitoff observed before heading back inside.

'Twelve years of building and 15 countries and now it's the Parthenon in the sky and hopefully the doorstep to our future. So congratulations everybody on assembly complete.'

The two astronauts completed construction of the International Space Station with the smooth addition of an extension boom.

Mr Chamitoff said it was fitting for Endeavour to be present for the last spacewalk by a shuttle crew - conducted on the next-to-last flight of the shuttle era - since it was present for the first in December 1998. It was the fourth spacewalk in a week for the Endeavour astronauts, who will head back to Earth in just a few days.

Mr Chamitoff and his spacewalking partner, Mike Fincke, teamed up with robot arm operator Gregory Johnson to accomplish the last construction job.


The space shuttle Endeavour first made the voyage to the International Space Station in 1992


The Russian Soyuz capsule is seen docked to the International Space Station with the earth's horizon and the sun in the background


Mr Fincke is due to pass the US record of 377 days in space. He spent six months living on the space station - twice. This is his first shuttle trip; he previously rode Russian Soyuz rockets into orbit.

'I could not share this moment with a group of better people, including our friends on the ground,' he radioed.

Endeavour and its crew of six will leave the space station late on Sunday night. Landing is set for the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday during a rare touchdown in darkness.



The space shuttle Endeavour is seen docked to the International Space Station


source: dailymail

Fears of mass whale stranding as experts rush to remote Western Isles to treat 100 injured mammals

By Daily Mail Reporter


-Many of the mammals have head injuries

Cause for concern: Up to 100 whales have been spotted off the coast of South Uist, near Loch Carnan - and a large number appeared to have head injuries


Marine experts have been deployed to the Western Isles to try to prevent a mass stranding of pilot whales.

Up to 100 whales have been spotted off the coast of South Uist, near Loch Carnan - and a large number appeared to have head injuries.

A spokesman for animal welfare charity Scottish SPCA said the first estimate was that between 60 and 70 of the mammals were stranded, but it is believed the true figure may be nearer 100.

Volunteers from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) travelled overnight in an attempt to reach the whales.

Calum Watt, the Scottish SPCA's senior inspector, was making his way from the mainland to assist them.

If any of the whales in the group are unwell they could try to beach themselves and the others are likely to follow.

A spokesman for charity said: 'One of our senior inspectors is on his way to the scene now. We are assisting the BDMLR with their operation.'

At the end of October last year, a pod of pilot whales were in danger of becoming stranded in the same sea loch.

After being monitored closely by the coastguard, BDMLR and the Scottish SPCA, they moved safely back to sea.

But less than a week later a pod of 33 whales - believed to be the same group - were discovered dead on a beach in Co Donegal.

The Scottish SPCA spokesman said: 'If they are sick they will try to beach themselves, and the healthy ones will follow.

'There is a worry that they could move on and turn up somewhere else. We are going to do all we can to make sure that doesn't happen.'

Head injuries: The unwell whales in the group could try to beach themselves and the others are likely to follow

Volunteers from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) travelled overnight in an attempt to reach the whales


The Scottish SPCA spokesman said: 'If they are sick they will try to beach themselves, and the healthy ones will follow.

'There is a worry that they could move on and turn up somewhere else. We are going to do all we can to make sure that doesn't happen.'

Alistair Jack, BDMLR's Scottish co-ordinator, said: 'We first became aware of the incident late yesterday and have immediately responded.

'We anticipate having trained medics and rescue equipment on the scene by mid morning. This is one of the largest events of this kind ever in the country.'

Mr Jack said arrangements are being made for other sets of specialised rescue equipment to be flown to the island to assist with the rescue attempt.




source:dailymail

Is it a unicycle? Is it a motorbike? Unveiled: The transforming 'dicycle' that can fit in a lift

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Transformers: The electric-powered Uno III Streetbike - or U3 - can convert itself with the push of a button from a conventional motorbike to unicycle-style machine


Dispatch riders and couriers know the fastest way to weave through heavy traffic is on a motorbike.

But for those jams even two wheels can't navigate, a new solution has been developed.

Just like a Transformer, the Uno III Streetbike - or U3 - can convert itself with the push of a button from a conventional motorbike to unicycle-style machine.


Robots in disguise: The Tron style motorcycle leathers are optional


The electric-powered machine balances on two parallel rear wheels, the front retracting between them to allow it to manoeuvre through spaces so tight it can be driven into a building - and even fit in the lift.

Then, when it's time to zoom off into the sunset, the front wheel slides forward as the rear pair move back, giving the vehicle the stability to pick up speeds of up to 30mph.

It can travel between 30 to 35 miles on a single three to four hour charge.


Through the evil eye: This diagram shows the mechanism which allows the U3's transformation


Now the remarkable vehicle is being produced by his own motor design company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, called BPG Motors.

Small enough to fit in indoors, but powerful enough to tackle the road, the makers hope the cutting edge $7,500 (£4,600) ride will revolutionise the morning commute.


BPG Motors: Transforming UNO Video



source: dailymail