Chocolate Genome Project

Mars has announced that it is to decode the genetic structure of the cocoa tree via the Chocolate Genome Project, a joint research project with the US Department of Agriculture and IT firm IBM. They believe understanding the tree's DNA could make crop production more resistant to pests, diseases, and water shortages that may come from a warming climate. The experts believe it would take approximately five years to sequence, assemble, annotate and analyze the cocoa genome; the information would be available before then, as it is gathered, through the Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture (PIPRA). DNA sequence information would be publicly available for no charge and no information will be patented.

Useful links:
www.m-ms.com
www.usda.gov
www.pipra.org
www.watson.ibm.com
www.nri.org
www.jic.ac.uk

Atul Gawande

I found Atul Gawande's article on Itch @ http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/30/080630fa_fact_gawande/?currentPage=all educational and insightful. Itching is definitely a peculiar and diabolical sensation. What's amazing to me is despite centuries spent mapping the body’s nervous circuitry, we are still learning about the curious link between our brains and bodies.

The Colossus

According to José Luis Díez, the curator of 19th century art at Madrid's Prado Museum, the Colossus could have been painted by the little-known Asensio Juli, an assistant in Goya's workshop. Díez, who carried out a detailed analysis of the picture, claims the initials in the bottom left-hand corner read 'AJ'. Goya experts are split over the surprise claim. Go to www.museodelprado.es for further information.

Venezuelan Diamonds

The head of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) is calling on its 29 member bourses to avoid trading, directly or indirectly, in diamonds from Venezuela, after the South American country's declaration that it will suspend itself from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). Go to www.worldfed.com for further information.

One Perfect Day

One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding by Rebecca Mead is a fascinating book on the wedding industry. According to Mead, America's wedding industry exceeds $161 billion annually -- an enormous sum that suggests how much weddings have become not only big business, but big fantasy. In my view, it has become a global phenomenon.

Useful link:
www.rebeccamead.com

Hirschsprung Museum

The Hirschsprung Collection is beautifully situated in the green parklands of the Østre Anlæg on the old ramparts of Copenhagen. The museum houses Heinrich and Pauline Hirschsprung's collection of Danish art and first opened its doors to the public in the summer of 1911. The 20 Major Works provides information about many of the museum's premier works, including paintings from the Danish Golden Age and works by the Skagen painters and Danish Symbolists. A must-visit.

Useful link:
http://hirschsprung.dynamicweb.dk

Coulée de Serrant

Nicolas Joly is one of France's most polemical vignerons and one of its best: his Coulée de Serrant, from a plot first tended by Cistercian monks in the 12th century, ranks among the world's top whites. Despite high prices, this estate has no trouble selling its wines - demand far outstrips supply. A must-visit.

Useful link:

www.coulee-de-serrant.com

The Shack

The Shack by William P. Young is an interesting book. He has written a remarkable tale in a fictional form that will continue to inspire people for years to come, really.

Useful link:

www.theshackbook.com

Word-of-mouth phenomenon = Blockbuster