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Rat DNA clues to sea migration This carving shows Pacific rats on the face of a Polynesian ancestor Scientists have used DNA from rats to trace migration patterns of the ancestors of today's Polynesians. People are thought to have arrived in Polynesia, comprising the Pacific islands of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, by boat some 3,000 years ago. Rat data suggests the journey was more complex than the popular "Express Train" theory, which proposes a rapid dispersal of people from South Asia. Details appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Elizabeth Matisoo-Smith and Judith Robins from the University of...

Airport security: The device uses an air blast and electronics to detect residue from dangerous materials Salt Lake City International Airport's latest security measure may make you jump. Step into the General Electric Entry Scan, an "explosive trace portal" (ETP), and you'll feel short bursts of air from head to toe. The plume of air is then vacuumed up and, for 17 seconds, analyzed for traces of materials used in explosive devices. If you pass, the glass doors on the phone-boothlike contraption will open, allowing you to step out and clear the next security hurdle - the metal detector. "I'd...