Science and Technology: Turkish prime minister visits CERN in Geneva

24/11/2008

Turkey's prime minister visits the European Organisation for Nuclear Research in Geneva. Also in science and technology news: the Romanian government approves the creation of the National Institute for Aero-Spatial Research and Development, and a Turkish professor receives the Benjamin Baker Engineer's Award.

Nearly 100 Turkish researchers contribute to the work at CERN. [CERN]

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva on November 17th. CERN Director Robert Aymar briefed Erdogan on studies conducted by the organisation. He said Turkey is among the leading observer countries in CERN. Nearly 100 Turkish researchers are contributing to the organisation's work, said Aymar.

***

The Romanian government has approved the creation of a National Institute for Aero-Spatial Research and Development. The Elie Carafoli Institute is the first of its kind in the country, according to the education, research and youth ministry on November 14th. The institute will focus on scientific research and technological development in aeronautics and space sciences.

***

Cukrova University professor Galip Seckin in Turkey received the Baker Medal from the United Kingdom's Institution of Civil Engineers. Seckin won the prize for his project on flood protection. Engineers implemented Seckin's theory on the United States' Mississippi River in 1998.

***

The mass media and communications department of the University of Athens presented a study on Greek-based satellite television channels and Greek expatriates' viewing preferences. The majority of respondents (46%) said they prefer state broadcaster ERT-World, while 35% favoured the Athens-based Antenna network's satellite channels.

***

Archaeologists found a Neolithic settlement in central Greece, media reported on Thursday (November 20th). They discovered the ruins during the construction of a gas pipeline in Thessalia, about 280km north of Athens. According to archaeologists, the settlement existed more than 6,500 years ago and housed about 300 people.

***

A team of Croatian scientists headed by Miroslav Radman isolated highly resistant organisms that possess small molecules able to protect proteins, including "protein doctors" that repair cell damage. Radman and his colleagues' research may enable the discovery of an "elixir of youth", they said at a two-day scientific symposium that opened on Thursday (November 20th). It commemorated 50 years of molecular biology research in Zagreb.

***

One month after archaeologists from Stip unearthed a ritual tomb in Macedonia's Konce municipality, they found new artefacts from the early Roman period, the head of the archaeological mission in the location, Trajce Nacev, announced. He said that in the first stage of the excavations, the team found about 130 ceramic vessels and some bronze items.

(Various sources – 17/11/08-24/11/08)