The real reason is that the signals generated by your radio receiver (yes, it generates signals as well as receives them) can interfere with the aeroplane’s navigation equipment.
In an article for ‘The Straight Dope’, published in 1987, Cecil Adams (who ran a similar, but far superior, column to this one) explained it far better than I could. He said,
“Most modern receivers use something called a “local oscillator,” which is sort of an internal transmitter. The oscillator generates signal A, which is mixed with the somewhat raw incoming signal B to produce nice, easy-to-work-with signal C. There’s usually some sort of shielding around the oscillator, but it’s not always effective and sometimes errant signals leak out to make life difficult for other radio equipment nearby. If the other equipment happens to be an aircraft navigation device, somebody could wind up digging furrows with a $25 million plow. So do your bit for air safety and bring a tape player instead.”
Of course, you can replace ‘tape player’ with ‘iPod’ and not lose anything in the discussion…Feasibly, you could replace ‘iPod’ with ‘smartphone’ and lose even less.
However, the oscillator isn’t always going to cause a major problem, in fact, 9 times out of 10 you’ll be fine, but is it really worth endangering the lives of every passenger aboard the plane just so you can catch up on the football results?
Any answer other than ‘no’ would be inhumanly monstrous. Unless, of course, its a penalty shootout…
Actually, I’m over-exaggerating somewhat, in fact, not even your mobile would be likely to cause that much damage. In theory it could, but the reality for phones being banned is a little bit less terrifying, as www.Wired.com’s Cliff Kuang explains:
“Sure, your mobile can interfere with avionics — in theory. But in practice, it’s far from likely. Cockpits and communications systems have been protected against electromagnetic meddling through safeguards like shielded wiring and support structures since the 1960s. So why the resistance? Part of it, naturally, comes from the call carriers. When phones ping for signals at 35,000 feet, they can hit hundreds of towers at once, necessitating complicated parsing of roaming agreements. Providers don’t want the hassle if they’re not being properly compensated, so the government has left the plane ban in place”.
So, essentially, it’s not worth the risk to use a radio receiver on a plane and you can’t make calls because it would be a bugger to regulate, as well as a logistical nightmare to deal with, for the phone companies. That’s about it, really.
Why Can’t I Use a Radio or a Phone on an Aeroplane?
Sunday, 12 January 2014
Friday, 10 January 2014
Who He is & How He Came to be A Review of Batman: Year One
“Gotham City. Maybe it’s all I deserve, now. Maybe it’s just my time in Hell…”
As an opening line, it’s right up there with the one about the dead dog in the alleyway that greets you as you first read ‘Watchmen’. Right away, you can tell that this book is something special. It just grabs you and steadfastly refuses to let go.
Ignoring the controversy caused by this particular reprinting (that’s a blog for another time), what we have here is an enduring graphic classic. It is a gritty piece of exquisitely rendered pulp-noir that has been in high demand since its first printing (in four single issues) back in 1987.
I’ll delve into the backstory, even though you probably know it all by now. In 1986, DC comics decided to revamp their entire line of characters and comic books. Following a monster comics event known as ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ the readers and creators found themselves with a veritable tabula rasa upon which to create new stories and furnish them with the rich tapestry of established DC comics concepts, characters and ideas. To this end, The Batman was given an expanded origin story that reflected the sombre, acidic, sometimes brutal nature of his more recent adventures.
Writer Frank Miller volunteered for this daunting task and hand picked rising young star David Mazzucchelli to tackle the art duties. The rest, as they say, is history.
I’m not even going to bother to find faults or flaws with this masterful piece of pulp storytelling. I’m sure they are there, if you care to look for them, but I’m afraid that, when it comes to this volume, I’m like the old man who still swears that his aged wife is as beautiful and radiant as the day he married her. I don’t see flaws, only beauty.
Told largely from the point of view of young Lieutenant Jim Gordon (recently transferred to the Gotham Police Department from Chicago), ‘Batman: Year One’ follows both the Dark Knight and his greatest ally through their most formative 12 months. There are no supervillains; there is no Bat-signal, no Batmobile and no Robin. There are just two men who have embarked on individual missions to make this world a better place and happen to cross paths somewhere along the way.
Everything in this book is stripped back, stark and uncompromising. A freezing cold colour palette (although that depends on which version you read) amplifies the emotional alienation of both men, as Gordon becomes slowly separated from his Wife and Bruce Wayne becomes (arguably) annexed from his sanity.
The violence is savage, claustrophobic and hard hitting. A nihilistic riposte to the day-glo captions of the Adam West and Burt Ward TV show of the 60’s, its cartoon ‘BIFFS’ and ‘POWS’ rendered here as achingly wince inducing as possible.
Here, Batman is forced to rely on training and ingenuity, he makes mistakes, but he’s still Batman and that’s what counts.
Both men are stretched to breaking point throughout the course of this book, but, crucially, both men find ways to rise above it with single-minded, (some might say obsessive) determination and a staunch clarity of vision only possible in great works of fiction.
Mention this book to any seasoned comic reader, no matter how cynical and web-weary, and they’ll grow misty-eyed and nostalgic. It is, like a classic of cinema or an album that tethers one to a benighted, embellished youth, an experience to be savoured and enjoyed. Again and again.
As an opening line, it’s right up there with the one about the dead dog in the alleyway that greets you as you first read ‘Watchmen’. Right away, you can tell that this book is something special. It just grabs you and steadfastly refuses to let go.
Ignoring the controversy caused by this particular reprinting (that’s a blog for another time), what we have here is an enduring graphic classic. It is a gritty piece of exquisitely rendered pulp-noir that has been in high demand since its first printing (in four single issues) back in 1987.
I’ll delve into the backstory, even though you probably know it all by now. In 1986, DC comics decided to revamp their entire line of characters and comic books. Following a monster comics event known as ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ the readers and creators found themselves with a veritable tabula rasa upon which to create new stories and furnish them with the rich tapestry of established DC comics concepts, characters and ideas. To this end, The Batman was given an expanded origin story that reflected the sombre, acidic, sometimes brutal nature of his more recent adventures.
Writer Frank Miller volunteered for this daunting task and hand picked rising young star David Mazzucchelli to tackle the art duties. The rest, as they say, is history.
I’m not even going to bother to find faults or flaws with this masterful piece of pulp storytelling. I’m sure they are there, if you care to look for them, but I’m afraid that, when it comes to this volume, I’m like the old man who still swears that his aged wife is as beautiful and radiant as the day he married her. I don’t see flaws, only beauty.
Told largely from the point of view of young Lieutenant Jim Gordon (recently transferred to the Gotham Police Department from Chicago), ‘Batman: Year One’ follows both the Dark Knight and his greatest ally through their most formative 12 months. There are no supervillains; there is no Bat-signal, no Batmobile and no Robin. There are just two men who have embarked on individual missions to make this world a better place and happen to cross paths somewhere along the way.
Everything in this book is stripped back, stark and uncompromising. A freezing cold colour palette (although that depends on which version you read) amplifies the emotional alienation of both men, as Gordon becomes slowly separated from his Wife and Bruce Wayne becomes (arguably) annexed from his sanity.
The violence is savage, claustrophobic and hard hitting. A nihilistic riposte to the day-glo captions of the Adam West and Burt Ward TV show of the 60’s, its cartoon ‘BIFFS’ and ‘POWS’ rendered here as achingly wince inducing as possible.
Here, Batman is forced to rely on training and ingenuity, he makes mistakes, but he’s still Batman and that’s what counts.
Both men are stretched to breaking point throughout the course of this book, but, crucially, both men find ways to rise above it with single-minded, (some might say obsessive) determination and a staunch clarity of vision only possible in great works of fiction.
Mention this book to any seasoned comic reader, no matter how cynical and web-weary, and they’ll grow misty-eyed and nostalgic. It is, like a classic of cinema or an album that tethers one to a benighted, embellished youth, an experience to be savoured and enjoyed. Again and again.
Saturday, 4 January 2014
The revolution of that smart TV
The plasma TV is fast turning into one of those ‘every home should have one’ things. These days, almost every friend I visit has some variation on the LCD television against their wall or tucked in the corner of the living room somewhere.
The advantages of plasma television are numerous, aside from improved picture, which is a given, plasma TV is also easier to attach modern peripherals to and is entirely digital of course. It even takes up far less space in the room than the bulkier models. It is utterly modern, and it looks as swish as swish can look.
On an LCD television, I watched ‘Evil Dead’ and it was like Bruce Campbell was coming right at me! The picture quality is simply outstanding. Everything is so clear, it’s like you’ve been watching TV with cataracts your entire life. A plasma TV says something about you, it says that you are the kind of devil-may-care rogue who isn’t satisfied with merely watching ‘Evil Dead’. Oh no, not you. You want to be splattered with dog food and karo syrup too! (nerd joke).
Of course, if you hook it up with a Blu Ray player and 5.1 surround sound, then you’re really setting a dangerous precedent. You might think your plasma tv is real life and mistake your Blu Ray collection for actual memories. Imagine, if you will, texting your best mate thus: ‘Can’t come over 2nite m8, got to blow up the Death Star then raid the lost ark.’ Though, knowing my friends, they would probably think the second one was a rude euphemism, and it’s doubtful that ‘Death star’ is on predictive text.
Work days would fly by, rent and phone bills would go unpaid, but what could you do? You were at Woodstock…Your girl/boyfriend would shack up with your best mate/sibling (whichever sounds worst) and sooner or later the police would kick down your door and find you in your dressing gown swinging a flashlight around and calling yourself ‘Obi Wan’. But you know what? There’s every chance that you won’t end up being a plasma TV casualty. In fact, there’s every chance you will simply vastly improve your home entertainment system. However, I’m still not responsible if you stick cutlery between your fingers, gel up your hair and make people call you ‘Wolverine.’
The advantages of plasma television are numerous, aside from improved picture, which is a given, plasma TV is also easier to attach modern peripherals to and is entirely digital of course. It even takes up far less space in the room than the bulkier models. It is utterly modern, and it looks as swish as swish can look.
On an LCD television, I watched ‘Evil Dead’ and it was like Bruce Campbell was coming right at me! The picture quality is simply outstanding. Everything is so clear, it’s like you’ve been watching TV with cataracts your entire life. A plasma TV says something about you, it says that you are the kind of devil-may-care rogue who isn’t satisfied with merely watching ‘Evil Dead’. Oh no, not you. You want to be splattered with dog food and karo syrup too! (nerd joke).
Of course, if you hook it up with a Blu Ray player and 5.1 surround sound, then you’re really setting a dangerous precedent. You might think your plasma tv is real life and mistake your Blu Ray collection for actual memories. Imagine, if you will, texting your best mate thus: ‘Can’t come over 2nite m8, got to blow up the Death Star then raid the lost ark.’ Though, knowing my friends, they would probably think the second one was a rude euphemism, and it’s doubtful that ‘Death star’ is on predictive text.
Work days would fly by, rent and phone bills would go unpaid, but what could you do? You were at Woodstock…Your girl/boyfriend would shack up with your best mate/sibling (whichever sounds worst) and sooner or later the police would kick down your door and find you in your dressing gown swinging a flashlight around and calling yourself ‘Obi Wan’. But you know what? There’s every chance that you won’t end up being a plasma TV casualty. In fact, there’s every chance you will simply vastly improve your home entertainment system. However, I’m still not responsible if you stick cutlery between your fingers, gel up your hair and make people call you ‘Wolverine.’
Friday, 3 January 2014
The LeapPad Explorer 2 Kid’sTablet Review
So let’s face facts, your kids can (and will) eventually get hold of your tablet. The lure of it being a “grown up” toy, combined with the fact that it both lights up and has buttons, not to mention the many, many warnings you’ve given them not to touch it will by now have made it an irresistible goal. In all probability, they are planning to grab your prize technological possession as you read this.
So what can you do?
Well, our advice is to look into getting them their own tablets. That’s right, they make tablets for kids.
I’m talking about tablets that look good with rice crispies and snot smeared across the screen, tablets that can be thrown down the stairs twenty-three times a day and still function happily, tablets with buttons that are specially designed for little fingers to press.
Not only are these tablets wonderfully designed and made, they also come complete with a vast (and growing) collection of educational apps. So the kids will be learning something at the same time as playing.
I reviewed one such tablet, the LeapPad Explorer 2, and this is what I thought.
THE SPECS
The tough screen, thick outer casing (described on at least one site as “tantrum proof”) and heavyset design of the LeapPad 2 all speak to adult concerns about technology in the hands of children. However, the bright colours and toylike plastics demarcate this model very clearly as your child’s tablet, setting it apart from your own version.
The screen’s resolution (480 x 272) is pretty terrible, but perhaps not so much when you consider the mess your boy or girl probably makes of a bowl of spaghetti. Screen wise, the major screen problem here is not low resolution, but is, in fact, the stylus, which can often miss the target completely (spaghetti or no spaghetti).
Elsewhere, the 500MHz processor isn’t really up to much and tends to be prone to odd slip up here and there, even when its only processing 2D puzzle game apps.
The LeapPad runs on four AA batteries (up to nine hours), or an optional charger, although the amount of charged stored is, frankly, abysmal.
THE PRICE
£62 is a great price for a tablet, but is perhaps a bit much for a children’s toy. However, if you want a decent junior tablet, then this price (and up) is what you’re likely to be looking at, I’m afraid.
THE PERFORMANCE
Reading all that back to myself, it does seem like I have a bit of a downer on this tablet, but honestly, I really don’t.
All told, the LeapPad Explorer 2 is a fine little device. As a junior tablet, the LeapPad is fun and uncomplicated in all the right ways and its special kid-friendly operating system is a great first step towards the more demanding worlds of iOS, Windows or Android.
The apps are generally good, with rudimentary puzzle games and learning software based around science, music, maths and even foreign languages. On the downside, the apps, while mostly very good, can be a bit pricey. To make matters worse, a lot of them are depressingly simplistic, even for a five year old. Being shown what to do at the start of every turn quickly becomes depressingly repetitive, no matter how old you are (which also serves as a sorry testament to how many times I had to go back and restart them during testing).
Aside from the minor niggles, however, this tablet generally performs very well.
THE VERDICT
As a way to prevent little hands from finding their way to your iPad or Surface, the LeapPad is an excellent purchase. As a learning tool, it is both well designed and fun, but as a tablet, it leaves rather a lot to be desired.
It is easy to imagine children getting annoyed with the slow response times, occasionally choppy animations (due to lack of processing power) and apps that, whilst generally fun and likeable, can also be annoying and overly patronizing. The other worry here is that your little ones may well outgrow this tablet before you finish paying for it.
However, all things considered, this is a fun little device that should, at worst, provide a few weeks’ distraction and, at best, give your children a helpful leg up into multiple scholastic areas, as well as information technology.
Get the Leappad 2 from amazon here
So what can you do?
Well, our advice is to look into getting them their own tablets. That’s right, they make tablets for kids.
I’m talking about tablets that look good with rice crispies and snot smeared across the screen, tablets that can be thrown down the stairs twenty-three times a day and still function happily, tablets with buttons that are specially designed for little fingers to press.
Not only are these tablets wonderfully designed and made, they also come complete with a vast (and growing) collection of educational apps. So the kids will be learning something at the same time as playing.
I reviewed one such tablet, the LeapPad Explorer 2, and this is what I thought.
THE SPECS
The tough screen, thick outer casing (described on at least one site as “tantrum proof”) and heavyset design of the LeapPad 2 all speak to adult concerns about technology in the hands of children. However, the bright colours and toylike plastics demarcate this model very clearly as your child’s tablet, setting it apart from your own version.
The screen’s resolution (480 x 272) is pretty terrible, but perhaps not so much when you consider the mess your boy or girl probably makes of a bowl of spaghetti. Screen wise, the major screen problem here is not low resolution, but is, in fact, the stylus, which can often miss the target completely (spaghetti or no spaghetti).
Elsewhere, the 500MHz processor isn’t really up to much and tends to be prone to odd slip up here and there, even when its only processing 2D puzzle game apps.
The LeapPad runs on four AA batteries (up to nine hours), or an optional charger, although the amount of charged stored is, frankly, abysmal.
THE PRICE
£62 is a great price for a tablet, but is perhaps a bit much for a children’s toy. However, if you want a decent junior tablet, then this price (and up) is what you’re likely to be looking at, I’m afraid.
THE PERFORMANCE
Reading all that back to myself, it does seem like I have a bit of a downer on this tablet, but honestly, I really don’t.
All told, the LeapPad Explorer 2 is a fine little device. As a junior tablet, the LeapPad is fun and uncomplicated in all the right ways and its special kid-friendly operating system is a great first step towards the more demanding worlds of iOS, Windows or Android.
The apps are generally good, with rudimentary puzzle games and learning software based around science, music, maths and even foreign languages. On the downside, the apps, while mostly very good, can be a bit pricey. To make matters worse, a lot of them are depressingly simplistic, even for a five year old. Being shown what to do at the start of every turn quickly becomes depressingly repetitive, no matter how old you are (which also serves as a sorry testament to how many times I had to go back and restart them during testing).
Aside from the minor niggles, however, this tablet generally performs very well.
THE VERDICT
As a way to prevent little hands from finding their way to your iPad or Surface, the LeapPad is an excellent purchase. As a learning tool, it is both well designed and fun, but as a tablet, it leaves rather a lot to be desired.
It is easy to imagine children getting annoyed with the slow response times, occasionally choppy animations (due to lack of processing power) and apps that, whilst generally fun and likeable, can also be annoying and overly patronizing. The other worry here is that your little ones may well outgrow this tablet before you finish paying for it.
However, all things considered, this is a fun little device that should, at worst, provide a few weeks’ distraction and, at best, give your children a helpful leg up into multiple scholastic areas, as well as information technology.
Get the Leappad 2 from amazon here
Thursday, 26 December 2013
Author Neil Gaiman Defends Children’s Literature From Adult ‘Snobbery’
52-year-old British author Neil Gaiman has spoken out against ‘snobbish’ adult judgements being placed upon children’s literature.
The author, who delivered the second annual Reading Agency lecture in central London this week, chose to use this time, at least in part, to speak out against what he feels is a damaging trend in modern literary criticism.
“I don’t think there is such a thing as a bad book for children,” began the author, addressing a crowd that included many leading figures from the arts and entertainment world, as well as several representatives from educational institutions.
“Every now and again it becomes fashionable among some adults to point at a subset of children’s books, a genre, perhaps, or an author, and to declare them bad books, books that children should be stopped from reading,”
“I’ve seen it happen over and over; Enid Blyton was declared a bad author, so was (‘Goosebumps’ author) RL Stine, so were dozens of others. Comics have been decried as fostering illiteracy”.
“It’s tosh, it’s snobbery and it’s foolishness”, he continued.
Mr Gaiman, who’s works include children’s books (Odd & The Frost Giants), comic books (Sandman, 1602) and prize winning novels (The Graveyard Book, Coraline, American Gods), has seen his works adapted into popular films (Stardust, Coraline), and has written for several TV shows (Babylon 5, Dr. Who, Neverwhere). He is generally considered to be one of the most prolific and celebrated authors of his generation, so it is likely that his criticisms will carry some weight.
Gaiman continued, saying that, “There are no bad authors for children, that children like and want to read and seek out, because every child is different. They can find the stories they need to, and they bring themselves to stories”.
“A hackneyed, worn-out idea isn’t hackneyed and worn out to them. This is the first time the child has encountered it. Do not discourage children from reading because you feel they are reading the wrong thing. Fiction you do not like is the gateway drug to other books you may prefer. And not everyone has the same taste as you.
He continued with a warning to parents, teachers and even older siblings, when he said that,
“Well-meaning adults can easily destroy a child’s love of reading: stop them reading what they enjoy, or give them worthy-but-dull books that you like, the 21st Century equivalents of Victorian ‘improving’ literature. You’ll wind up with a generation convinced that reading is uncool and worse, unpleasant.”
Gaiman’s own book, ‘Neverwhere’ was recently removed from a High School reading list in New Mexico after a parent complained that it was inappropriate.
Gaiman’s response to this was wry and well-considered, as he told a BBC reporter, “I tend to take books of mine being challenged and occasionally being banned – and very occasionally being burned – as a kind of badge of honour. You know you are doing something right.”
Mr. Gaiman’s concerns were echoed by a number of the lecture’s attendees.
SOURCES:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24521225
The author, who delivered the second annual Reading Agency lecture in central London this week, chose to use this time, at least in part, to speak out against what he feels is a damaging trend in modern literary criticism.
“I don’t think there is such a thing as a bad book for children,” began the author, addressing a crowd that included many leading figures from the arts and entertainment world, as well as several representatives from educational institutions.
“Every now and again it becomes fashionable among some adults to point at a subset of children’s books, a genre, perhaps, or an author, and to declare them bad books, books that children should be stopped from reading,”
“I’ve seen it happen over and over; Enid Blyton was declared a bad author, so was (‘Goosebumps’ author) RL Stine, so were dozens of others. Comics have been decried as fostering illiteracy”.
“It’s tosh, it’s snobbery and it’s foolishness”, he continued.
Mr Gaiman, who’s works include children’s books (Odd & The Frost Giants), comic books (Sandman, 1602) and prize winning novels (The Graveyard Book, Coraline, American Gods), has seen his works adapted into popular films (Stardust, Coraline), and has written for several TV shows (Babylon 5, Dr. Who, Neverwhere). He is generally considered to be one of the most prolific and celebrated authors of his generation, so it is likely that his criticisms will carry some weight.
Gaiman continued, saying that, “There are no bad authors for children, that children like and want to read and seek out, because every child is different. They can find the stories they need to, and they bring themselves to stories”.
“A hackneyed, worn-out idea isn’t hackneyed and worn out to them. This is the first time the child has encountered it. Do not discourage children from reading because you feel they are reading the wrong thing. Fiction you do not like is the gateway drug to other books you may prefer. And not everyone has the same taste as you.
He continued with a warning to parents, teachers and even older siblings, when he said that,
“Well-meaning adults can easily destroy a child’s love of reading: stop them reading what they enjoy, or give them worthy-but-dull books that you like, the 21st Century equivalents of Victorian ‘improving’ literature. You’ll wind up with a generation convinced that reading is uncool and worse, unpleasant.”
Gaiman’s own book, ‘Neverwhere’ was recently removed from a High School reading list in New Mexico after a parent complained that it was inappropriate.
Gaiman’s response to this was wry and well-considered, as he told a BBC reporter, “I tend to take books of mine being challenged and occasionally being banned – and very occasionally being burned – as a kind of badge of honour. You know you are doing something right.”
Mr. Gaiman’s concerns were echoed by a number of the lecture’s attendees.
SOURCES:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24521225
Wednesday, 25 December 2013
Wonderful New Year|Merry Christmas to everybody
It is upon us and it’s time to relax, happy Christmas to all our visitors
Thursday, 19 December 2013
Iceman’s Living Relatives Discovered
A team of Austrian scientists has identified living relatives of Oetzi the Iceman, the 5,300-year-old body discovered in the Italian Alps in 1991.
The research highlights 19 Tyrolean men, all of whom bear distinct genetic similarities to samples taken from the body of Oetzi (so named because he was discovered in the valley of Oetz).
It is thought that the same genetic mutation that was found in Oetzi’s ancient DNA will also be discovered in the nearby Swiss region of Engadine.
The men have not been informed about their famous heritage and their connection to the Iceman is known only from analysis of their blood after donation. Women were not included in this particular study, as a different procedure would be required to match their samples to Oetzi’s.
The Austrian team has announced that it will be working with Swiss and Italian partners in order to further their research.
Since hikers discovered the body in 1991, Oetzi has been a source of constant fascination to historians, geneticists, archaeologists and interested media outlets. A high level of research has uncovered how Oetzi died, what his last meal consisted of and even what his face might very well have looked like (he had brown eyes). In addition, the Iceman’s entire genome was mapped and published last February.
In life, Oetzi stood at about 5ft 2in, lived to be approximately 46 years old and suffered from (amongst other things) arthritis and a whipworm infestation.
However, the discovery of living relatives to the 5,300-year-old corpse definitely represents a milestone in a case that has been called ‘the world’s oldest murder mystery’ by some.
Since Oetzi’s discovery in 1991, debates have raged about the Iceman’s final moments, there has even been some speculation that he was buried, but why and by whom remains a mystery.
In addition, a court case raged for years between the body’s discoverers and the local authorities, regarding a 25% finders fee that the authorities declined to pay in full. The court case was eventually settled in 2008.
The Iceman has made news in other areas as well; seven people involved in the discovery of Oetzi have died under allegedly ‘mysterious’ circumstances, leading some to speculate as to the existence of a curse.
Last year, Oetzi made the news yet again, as Italian scientists determined that there were red blood cells around Oetzi’s wounds. This was remarkable news as previously no blood was found within the body. These findings made Oetzi’s blood the oldest in the world, but, amazingly, his bloodline continues to this day.
SOURCES:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17909396
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17909396
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7643286.stm
The research highlights 19 Tyrolean men, all of whom bear distinct genetic similarities to samples taken from the body of Oetzi (so named because he was discovered in the valley of Oetz).
It is thought that the same genetic mutation that was found in Oetzi’s ancient DNA will also be discovered in the nearby Swiss region of Engadine.
The men have not been informed about their famous heritage and their connection to the Iceman is known only from analysis of their blood after donation. Women were not included in this particular study, as a different procedure would be required to match their samples to Oetzi’s.
The Austrian team has announced that it will be working with Swiss and Italian partners in order to further their research.
Since hikers discovered the body in 1991, Oetzi has been a source of constant fascination to historians, geneticists, archaeologists and interested media outlets. A high level of research has uncovered how Oetzi died, what his last meal consisted of and even what his face might very well have looked like (he had brown eyes). In addition, the Iceman’s entire genome was mapped and published last February.
In life, Oetzi stood at about 5ft 2in, lived to be approximately 46 years old and suffered from (amongst other things) arthritis and a whipworm infestation.
However, the discovery of living relatives to the 5,300-year-old corpse definitely represents a milestone in a case that has been called ‘the world’s oldest murder mystery’ by some.
Since Oetzi’s discovery in 1991, debates have raged about the Iceman’s final moments, there has even been some speculation that he was buried, but why and by whom remains a mystery.
In addition, a court case raged for years between the body’s discoverers and the local authorities, regarding a 25% finders fee that the authorities declined to pay in full. The court case was eventually settled in 2008.
The Iceman has made news in other areas as well; seven people involved in the discovery of Oetzi have died under allegedly ‘mysterious’ circumstances, leading some to speculate as to the existence of a curse.
Last year, Oetzi made the news yet again, as Italian scientists determined that there were red blood cells around Oetzi’s wounds. This was remarkable news as previously no blood was found within the body. These findings made Oetzi’s blood the oldest in the world, but, amazingly, his bloodline continues to this day.
SOURCES:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17909396
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17909396
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7643286.stm
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