US court gives original owners the right to deep-sea treasure

Article Abstract:

The Supreme Court let stand a ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, VA, that property lost at sea can be considered abandoned only when insurers fail to appear in court or if the insurers provide a written statement relinquishing rights to the property. The ruling gives Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company and eight other insurers the right to a ton of gold recovered by the Columbus-America Discovery Group from the SS Central America, which was sunk off the coast of South Carolina in 1857. The ruling's possible effects on investments to develop technology for shipwreck recovery are discussed.

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Global project under way to sample genetic diversity

Article Abstract:

The Human Genome Diversity Project is seeking funding to create thousands of cell lines from human nuclear DNA. The cell lines would be drawn from different human populations and might facilitate the study of ancient migration patterns, the roles of selection and drift in evolution and disease distribution. Project directors are seeking $25 million over five years. They have applied to the US National Institute of Health and hope to be part of a five-year plan being created by the Human Genome Project.

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Filling in the gaps

Article Abstract:

Genetic research and the eradication of some serious genetically inheritated illness are benefiting from the sequence mapping of the human genome.

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