(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I'm FaithLapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. On our program this week: a possible healthrisk for users of cellular telephones and we answer a listener'squestion about computers.

VOICE ONE:

But first, a discovery that could help scientists betterunderstand how great apes developed.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Research scientists in Spain havediscovered fossil remains of an ape-like animal that lived aboutthirteen million years ago. The researchers believe the fossilsmight be from the last common ancestor of all great apes alivetoday. Or, they say the fossils might be from a creature similar tothe last ancestor.

The researchers found more than eighty bones or pieces of bonefrom the same animal. The bones form one of the most complete knownape skeletons from the Miocene Epoch. That period began abouttwenty-two million years ago. It ended about five million years ago.

VOICE TWO:

Salvador Moya-Sola led the team that found the fossils. He saysthis marks the first time that a modern ape-like system of chestbones has been discovered. Mister Moya-Sola works for the MiquelCrusafont Institute of Paleontology in Barcelona, Spain. His teamreported its findings in Science magazine.

The fossils were found near Barcelona. An earth-moving vehicleuncovered a tooth. Then the researchers found other bones from thehead, chest, back, hands and feet of the ape-like creature. Theynamed it Pierolapithecus catalaunicus (pyair-o-la-PITH-ee-cusscat-a-LOON-ih-cuss).

VOICE ONE:

The researchers say the individual they uncovered probably wasmale and weighed about thirty-five kilograms. They sayPierolapithecus had firm bones in its lower back and could move itswrists in different directions. They say this made climbingpossible. The creature also appears to have had teeth that couldcrush fruit.

The researchers say Pierolapithecus had shoulders like moderngreat apes, such as chimpanzees, gorillas and human beings. However,the shoulders are different from those of monkeys. Monkey shouldersare like those of dogs.

VOICE TWO:

Modern great apes are thought to have developed from Old Worldmonkeys. The great apes then divided from lesser apes. That happenedbetween eleven million and sixteen million years ago.

For many years, scientists have been attempting to find ancestorsof the great ape that developed after this division. Skeletons ofother ape-like animals were found. But they appear to have been lesswell developed than the newly-found fossils.

VOICE ONE:

The researchers say the lower back of Pierolapithecus is muchlike that of modern great apes. They say the head bones of thefossil and great apes also are similar.

Mister Moya-Sola says he believes Pierolapithecus lived in Africain addition to what became Spain. He also says he believes this kindof animal probably first developed in Africa.

Scientists unconnected with the study have praised the findings.Other scientists said more studies are needed to satisfy questionsabout how great apes developed.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

A Swedish study suggests that people who use cellular phones forat least ten years might be at greater risk for developing a rare,non-cancerous tumor. These tumors are called acoustic neuromas. Theygrow on the nerve that leads from the inner ear to the brain. Therisk was higher on the side of the head where the phone was usuallyheld.

Acoustic neuromas affect fewer than one in one hundred thousandpeople a year. They grow slowly and can take several years to bediscovered. The tumor pushes on the surface of the brain, but doesnot grow into the brain itself.

VOICE ONE:

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, ledthe study. It was published in the International Journal ofEpidemiology.

The study involved seven hundred fifty Swedes. About one hundredfifty of them had acoustic neuromas. About six hundred other peopledid not. Researchers asked all of the people about their cell phoneuse.

The researchers found that those people who had used cell phonesfor at least ten years had almost two times the risk of developingacoustic neuromas. Also, the tumor risk was almost four times higheron the side of the head where the phone was usually held. There wasno increased risk for those who had used cell phones for fewer thanten years.

VOICE TWO:

At the time the study was done, only analog phones had been inuse for ten years. Almost all early analog cell phones released moreelectromagnetic radiation than the digital phones now being sold.But researchers say they cannot be sure if the results are justlinked to the use of analog phones. They say additional study isneeded.

Earlier experiments have shown radiation from cellular phones canaffect brain cells in a laboratory. But studies on people found noevidence that the phones present a health risk. However, experts saychildren should avoid using the phones for long periods becausetheir brains are still developing.

The study is part of a research program known as the Interphonestudy. The World Health Organization's cancer research instituteorganized the research. It is attempting to learn if electromagneticradiation from cell phones damages health. Final results of thestudy are to be released early next year.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

We recently received a message from a listener in Nepal. Lok RajJoshi asks, "How can you define 'computer'?"

That is a big question. We immediately went to our computer. Weasked the Google search engine for a definition. Answers appearedalmost immediately. Many of the definitions were similar. Theygenerally said a computer is an electronic device that executes theorders in a program. A computer stores, processes and providesinformation for users.

VOICE TWO:

There are several kinds of computers. Supercomputers are thefastest and most powerful. These computers carry out complexmathematical problems, mostly in connection with large systems. Theyare important for work including engineering design and weatherscience.

Supercomputers are rare and very costly. Personal computers aremuch more common. You will find them in someone's home or car. Thereare personal computers small enough to carry in your hand. Peopleoften use computers at work. They help people communicate and worktogether without having to be near each other.

VOICE ONE:

Computers can be linked together through a simple telephone lineor through more complex wireless technology. One huge system ofthese connections is called the Internet. It includes the World WideWeb and electronic mail operations.

This communication system linked only about two-hundred computersin nineteen-eighty-one. In less than ten years, that number washundreds of thousands. Today, experts say it is not possible to knowexactly how many computers have Internet links. But, they say theestimates begin in the hundreds of millions.

VOICE TWO:

The Internet makes it possible for people to find informationwithin seconds. Newspapers and magazines often have an Internetwebsite. Organizations of all kinds also create their own websites.

Reporters use the Internet to help them write stories. Doctorsuse it to compare information about medical treatments. Teachers,farmers, and truckers also use the Internet. And, many people searchthe World Wide Web for non-work purposes.

VOICE ONE:

The Internet has led to changes in the way people live. Manypeople praise it as an open exchange for ideas and information. Yetgovernment officials and industry experts have expressed concernabout a lack of control over the Internet. Some groups protestsexual or violent images and writing placed on the World Wide Web.Other critics question the trustworthiness of information foundthrough the Internet.

The Internet is surely part of any larger explanation of acomputer. But maybe our listener in Nepal wanted a more personaldefinition. One well-known American recently wrote that his hope forthe future of computers has never been greater. Microsoft founderBill Gates wrote that he expects computing to change how peoplelive, work, learn and are entertained as deeply in the nexttwenty-five years as in the last.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written by Cynthia Kirk, Jerilyn Watson, andCaty Weaver. Cynthia Kirk was our producer. And, our engineer wasDwayne Collins. I'm Bob Doughty.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for Science in theNews in VOA Special English.