Harvard AIDS researchers working with monkeys say the virus overcame an experimental vaccine by changing a single gene, killing one of the 8 animals being tested. This disappointment doesn?t mean that AIDS vaccines are doomed to fail, but it illustrates how hard it will be to produce one.

HIV is already is known to mutate and become resistant to standard AIDS drugs in at least half of all Americans who have the infection. Now researchers have seen a similar outcome with an experimental vaccine that tries to stimulate immune cells to prevent the virus from multiplying.
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I’ve discovered a book titled “The Experts Speak: The Definitive Compendium of Authoritative Misinformation” by Christopher Cerf and Victor Navasky. Some of the statements it contains are:

“Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.” – Popular Mechanics, 1949.

“Forget it. No Civil War picture ever made a nickel.” – MGM executive, advising against investing in Gone With The Wind.

“That rainbow song’s no good. Take it out.” – MGM memo after first showing of The Wizard Of Oz.

“You’d better learn secretarial skills or else get married.” – A modeling agency, rejecting Marilyn Monroe in 1944.
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Anne Strieber has noticed that a lot of unquestionable pronouncements have been made over the years by so-called ?experts,? and that a lot of these folks ended up with egg on their faces. She looks at some of the gaffes of the past and some of the ones that are likely to turn up in the future.

To read Anne?s Diary,click here.

NOTE: This news story, previously published on our old site, will have any links removed.read more

SoloTrek is a new kind of flying machine that you strap on and fly. This compact aircraft lets you takeoff vertically and land literally anywhere. Using readily available fuel, SoloTrek can hover for up to 2 hours, reach speeds of up to 70 knots, and traverse distances of up to 120 nautical miles.

It weighs 325 pounds and has so far succeeded in making a 19 second test flight (which is better than the Wright Brothers did on their first try). ?We have to walk before we can run,? says inventor Michael Moshier, who is a former Navy pilot and aerospace engineer. ?We?re getting more confident, and not yet taking it too far before we get too comfortable.?
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