On the Record

“There's no way that I'm ever going to be able to serve liquid nitrogen margaritas.”

Bartender Eben Klemm recognizes the limits of ‘molecular mixology’, the use of science to create innovative cocktail experiences.

“I feel that I have been in a war and under siege for six years.”

Christopher Hall reacts to the jailing of four UK animal-rights campaigners who terrorized his family's farm, which until January bred guinea pigs for research.

Source: New York Times, BBC

Scorecard

Flu fighters

A study of two old, generic drugs contradicts previous reports that they don't work against the deadly H5N1 bird-flu virus, boosting hopes that amantadine and rimantadine might help control a pandemic.

Penguins

Researchers are hunting for the source of a mysterious oil spill that has killed 100 Magellan penguins off the southern coast of Argentina.

Number Crunch

Cynics often suggest that clinical trials funded by drug companies have a knack of supporting new treatments over old. But there may be more to this than gut feeling, reveals a survey looking at trials that tested new cardiovascular therapies against established treatments.

49% of 104 trials sponsored by not-for-profit entities came to the conclusion that the newer treatments were better.

56.5% of 62 trials sponsored by partnerships between for-profit and non-profit entities favoured new treatments.

67.2% of 137 trials sponsored by for-profit funders found evidence supporting the use of the new treatment.

Source: Ridker, P. M. & Torres, J. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 295, 2270-2274 (2006).