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Join the biggest climate change experiment ever launched...
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This week's Science & Nature newsletter is devoted to BBC coverage of climate change and energy issues.

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** The BBC Climate Change Experiment **

Computer predictions of future climate are highly complex and usually rely on supercomputers.

Now though, you can become part of a global supercomputer, by running one fragment of a giant climate change experiment on your PC.

The experiment uses your computer's spare processing power. It's science you barely have to lift a finger for. http://www.bbc.co.uk/climatechange

Please bear in mind that your computer must be:

1. a Windows 2000 or Windows XP desktop PC, not a laptop


2. connected to the Internet via broadband, not dial up


3. with 256MB of RAM, 1GB of free disk space and a processor equivalent to a 1.6GHz Pentium 4 or better.

The Frequently Asked Questions include more about whether your computer is suitable, as well as other advice. http://bbc.cpdn.org/help.php

Linux and Mac users can help the scientists too. http://bbc.cpdn.org/help.php#maclinux

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** Climate Change season **

Meanwhile BBC Four is devoting much of next week's schedule to programmes about climate change. http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/listings/week/

Case studies from Essex to Tuvalu illustrate the tough choices people will face if predictions for sea level rise and weather fluctuations do come true.

Plus, Climate Conspiracy or Global Catastrophe? offers a guide to the sometimes bewildering scientific evidence.

See more about the BBC Climate Change Experiment in A Global Warming Journey - Meltdown. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/hottopics/climatechange/programmes1.shtml

Times for all these programmes are in the TV choices - scroll down.

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** Fuelling the Future **

Radio 4 and the World Service is tackling a related subject in depth, with a season of programmes about energy. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1349_energy/

The cost of crude oil, plus its environmental price, are high on political agendas around the world.

While the USA struggles with its new self-applied label of "oil addict"... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/4671880.stm

...Sweden is confident it can end reliance on fossil fuels by 2020. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2006/energy/default.stm

You can read about or listen online to all the programmes in the Fuelling the Future season. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2006/energy/default.stm

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** TV & RADIO CHOICES THIS WEEK **

** Climate Change season **
Eight hours of documentary films over three nights.
Monday 20 to Wednesday 22 February, from 7pm on BBC Four
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/hottopics/climatechange/programmes1.shtml

** Reports from the Front Line of Global Warming**
Two-minute films profile environments threatened by climate change. Daily Monday 20 to Thursday 23 February, 7pm and 7.55pm BBC Four

** A Global Warming Journey - Meltdown **
Polar explorer Paul Rose wanted to see for himself the effects of climate change. And see how we could all make a difference. Monday 20 February, 9pm BBC Four

** Climate Conspiracy or Global Catastrophe? **
The evidence about climate change convinces some but leaves others cold. How can you decide where you stand? Tuesday 21 February, 10pm BBC Four

** Discovery **
What technologies could help countries cope with burgeoning energy demands? Wednesday 22 February, 10.05am, 3.05pm or 8.05pm BBC World Service
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/discovery.shtml

** Horizon **
A second chance to see an edition about 'global dimming', an effect thought to have masked some elements of climate change. Wednesday 22 February, 7.05pm BBC Four http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/dimming_prog_summary.shtml

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** YOU AND THIS NEWSLETTER **

To join this mailing list - if you were sent this newsletter by a friend - go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/newsletter/

I want to be Odd!

Pootling around n the thesaurus to see if we have a better term than 'Honours' to cover the concept of fellowships and honorary academic positions, I found this:

Independent Order of Odd Fellows (ORG)

Independent Order of Odd Fellows

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) is a fraternal organization derived from English Odd Fellows orders of the mid-1700s.

The Patriotic Order in England was followed by the Union of United Orders and the Loyal Order. In 1813, various lodges of the Union Order organized the Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows. Several unofficial lodges existed in New York City, but American Odd Fellowship is regarded as being founded in Baltimore in 1819, by Thomas Wildey, and the following year affiliated with the Manchester Unity. Within a few years the new American separated from the English Orders and formed the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Its ladies' auxiliary is known as the Rebekahs. Both the Odd Fellows and Rebakahs have higher branches known as Encampments and Patriarchs Militant.

Today, some branches of the order ="http://en.wikipedia.org/i.e.: some countries) allow women to join the Odd Fellows itself, leading the Rebekahs to have declined in importance. The higher branches and their degrees is somewhere regarded as being of less importance, or too time-consuming, and are ="http://en.wikipedia.org/in some countries) gradually being abandoned.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Order_of_Odd_Fellows

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The Sovereign Grand Lodge Independent Order of Odd Fellows

Odd Fellows Lodges, Rebekah Lodges, Encampments, Cantons & Auxiliaries, Junior Lodges and Theta Rho Girls' Clubs:

To Improve and Elevate the Character of Man

In 17th century England, it was odd to find people organized for the purpose of giving aid to those in need and of pursuing projects for the benefit of all mankind. Those who belonged to such an organization were called "Odd Fellows". Odd Fellows are also known as "The Three Link Fraternity" which stands for Friendship, Love and Truth.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was founded on the North American Continent in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 26, 1819 when Thomas Wildey and four members of the Order from England instituted Washington Lodge No. 1. This lodge received its charter from Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows in England.

Odd Fellowship became the 1st national fraternity to include both men and women when it adopted the beautiful Rebekah Degree on September 20, 1851. This degree is based on the teachings found in the Holy Bible, and was written by the Honourable Schuyler Colfax who was Vice President of the United States during the period 1868-1873. Odd Fellows and Rebekahs were also the first fraternal organization to establish homes for our senior members and for orphaned children.

( Symbols )

UK version: http://www.oddfellows.co.uk/

Dyslexics excel at Japanese

From the Guardian: .

"When it comes to learning Japanese, the highest achievers could be dyslexic children. Research at a school in Somerset shows dyslexics find the language easier to learn than French, Spanish or German.

After a series of papers that showed how well children could do at Japanese, Millfield school added the language to its curriculum. Bill Penty, head of modern languages, said: ‘Japanese is written syllabically, so that what you read is what you hear. Grammatically it is exceedingly straightforward up to a certain point. It is also elliptical, which means that if it doesn’t need to say something it won’t say it.’ He said that at a basic level all the verbs except one ended in the same sound. Dyslexic children performed particularly well in exams, he added."

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1707967,00.html