LONDON, May 15 /PRNewswire/ --

Perenco Ecuador Limited (Perenco) announced today that on May 8, 2009, a three member international arbitration tribunal constituted under the auspices of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment disputes (ICSID) unanimously ordered that the Republic of Ecuador and Empresa Estatal Petroleos del Ecuador (Petroecuador) were restrained from instituting or further pursuing any action to collect from Perenco any payments they claim are owed pursuant to Law 42.

Have you ever thought about what's going on in your brain when you look at a painting that you like a lot?  While Neuroscientist Dr. Edward Vessel has and he's done brain imaging experiments to figure it out.

What happens in your brain when you have a pleasurable experience -- for example, when you see at a painting that you like very much.  Scientists describe this as an aesthetically pleasing experience.  They want to know if simply seeing a painting that you enjoy engages an emotional response and triggers the emotion circuits in your brain.

Did Language Invent Humans ?

Writing is a human invention.  We have plenty of evidence of its invention and of its improvement down the ages.  It would make no sense to assume that writing somehow 'just appeared'.  A magical origin of writing would presuppose that our brains are hard wired to read, but we all know that reading and writing are skills that must be taught in a formal manner.  Again, if we were 'hard wired' for written language then we would all use a single writing method, regardless of language.  Writing is most definitely invented.

MEXICO CITY, May 15 /PRNewswire/ --

- Discarded degradable metallic packaging disintegrates in 3 to 5 years

- The company intends to use degradable metallic packaging for all its products by the first quarter of 2011

Mexican leading baked goods company Grupo Bimbo, the world leader in production and sales volume, with presence in 18 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia, announced that Organizacion Barcel, one of its subsidiaries, has begun using degradable metallic polypropylene packaging for its products, which disintegrates within a period of 3 to 5 years after the product's shelf life.

Following on from the previous post, I wanted to pull out another couple of 'pointers to God' that Francis Collins and BioLogos like to present as part of their argument for belief. I like them because, far from being pointers to god, they are in fact powerful examples of the power of science and the weakness of religion as a tool to help us understand morality. They're great examples of how science is encroaching into what was once regarding as purely religious territory.

First example is this one - "Why is it wrong to torture an individual for the greater good?"

Although the theoretical applications for stem cell research are seemingly endless, the far-off possibilities are not as awe-inspiring as some scientists would like. Setbacks, ethical concerns and funding are all part of the hurdles that face all new scientific research, stem cell research especially. However, drastic results and benefits may be closer than previously thought.

    Last week I described how John Oro discovered that five hydrogen cyanide molecules (HCN) could react to produce adenine (H₅C₅N₅) one of the primary components of nucleic acids. 

MENLO PARK, California, May 14 /PRNewswire/ --

- Use of the MitraClip(R) Therapy Continues to Expand in Europe

LEUVEN, Belgium, May 14 /PRNewswire/ --

- Regulated Information

- Disclosure in Accordance With the Law of May 2, 2007

ThromboGenics NV (Euronext Brussels: THR), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of innovative treatments for eye disease, vascular disease and cancer, is today issuing a business update for the three month period ending 31 March, 2009.

MAIDENHEAD, England, May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- In the news release, Exciting new War Graves Education Website and Visitor Guide Launched issued on 14 May 2009 13:31 GMT, by The Commonwealth War Graves Commission over PR Newswire, we are advised by a representative of the company that a Notes to Editors section should append this release. Complete, corrected release follows:

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission today unveiled its innovative online education resource and visitor guide, which will help children and adults alike to better understand the sacrifice made by millions of servicemen and women during the two world wars.