Weather or Not

One of the great figures in biology is in trouble for remarks he made in a newspaper--and not for the first time. James Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, told the London Sunday Times that he's worried about the future of Africa, because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours, whereas all the testing says not really." The 1962 Nobel laureate has since apologized, saying he didn't mean to imply Africans are less intelligent than other people. Nevertheless, he was suspended from his post at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, and an upcoming British book tour has also been quashed.

Seismologists have known for a while that, famous though San Andreas may be, it's not the most dangerous fault in California. Another fault, the Hayward, poses a bigger risk to the San Francisco/Oakland area, largely because the public doesn't understand the threat. Geologist Andrew Alden takes us on a tour of the Hayward Fault, and tells us why we need to pay more attention to it.

Turning to local issues in science, Alabama is moving quickly toward the fall tornado season. Folks in west Alabama got a preview Thursday as two tornadoes touched down in Winston County. The National Weather Service's Birmingham office has more. NWS' Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, has great background information on the science behind tornadoes and severe storms.

Next week in the Chanticleer, look for my feature story about the present and future of Jacksonville's water system. The recent drought is making the headlines, but it's population growth that will shape the course of water supplies in Jacksonville. It depends on geology, climate, hydraulics, gravity, politics and many other factors that may give you pause next time you turn on the tap.