(THEME)

VOICE ONE:

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

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. This week ... new thinking about an ancientpeople.

VOICE ONE:

Concerns about a possible shortage of American scientists.

VOICE TWO:

Some places to go for health information on the Internet.

VOICE ONE:

And, just how much water do we really need to drink?

(THEME)

VOICE TWO:

In Central America, scientistshave made some recent discoveries about the ancient Maya people.These findings show that the Maya developed their civilizationcenturies earlier than experts thought. Three separate teams madethe discoveries in the rainforest of Guatemala.

Experts call the time between the year two-fifty and the yearnine-hundred the Classic Maya period. It was a period of greatcivilization. Until now, scientists thought that earlier Maya peoplewere simple farmers. The discoveries show that they used writing,drew pictures and built complex structures sooner than the expertsknew.

VOICE ONE:

Scientists have found some things they say are more thantwo-thousand years old. For example, a team found two masks insidethe main pyramid in the city of Cival. These masks are three meterstall. They are cut in the image of a sun god. The Maya used thepyramid as a temple. The masks may have been a part of ceremoniesled by a king. Experts from Vanderbilt University in Nashville,Tennessee, made the discovery.

Another Vanderbilt team reported on new research at the city ofCancuen. And scientists from Southern Methodist University inDallas, Texas, made discoveries at the ancient city of Waka[wah-KAH]. The National Geographic Society supported all theresearch.

VOICE TWO:

At Waka, scientists found theburial place of a woman they think was a Maya queen. They do notknow her name. But they believe she ruled more thanone-thousand-two-hundred years ago.

Her bones were lying on a stone table. Many jewels surrounded herremains. The team also found pieces of green stone that appeared tobe the remains of the kind of war helmet worn by rulers.

Scientists say the discovery will help then understand how Mayawomen shared power with men. Not many burial places of importantroyal women have been found.

Tens of thousands of people may have lived in the ancient city ofWaka. Today it is called El Peru.

The Waka project is part of an effort to save an area ofrainforest from farming and other illegal activities inside anational park.

VOICE ONE:

Also in northern Guatemala, scientists found a stone showing aneighth-century king playing a game of ball with visiting rulers. Itis the third such stone found at the city of Cancuen.

They also found large pieces of stone with writing and picturesof leaders. A Guatemalan expert called it one of the greatermasterpieces of Maya art ever discovered in Guatemala.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

A new government report warns that the United States may not haveenough scientists in the future. The National Science Board says thesituation threatens the economic health and security of the country.

The United States is now seventeenth in its share of young peoplewho train in science and engineering. In nineteen-seventy-five, theUnited States was third among nations in the number of peoplestudying science.

The report says the number of American jobs that require scienceand engineering will continue to grow. But the number of peopleprepared for those jobs will not.

Today, thirty-eight percent of all the scientists and engineersin the United States are foreign born. But the National ScienceBoard says the number of people with scientific training who come tothe United States will decrease.

One reason is because of limits to entry since the terroristattacks of September eleventh, two-thousand-one. But there is alsointense competition around the world for people with scientificskills.

VOICE ONE:

The National Science Board says that even if action is beguntoday, the situation will not improve for ten to twenty years. Thatis because students have to prepare at a young age if they want tobecome scientists or engineers. They must take the necessary mathclasses in middle school.

The twenty-four member board governs the National ScienceFoundation. This independent federal agency advises Congress and thepresident. The report says the government has a responsibility tosupport education in science and technology at levels that willappeal to more students.

VOICE TWO:

Americans do still publish almost thirty-three percent of allscientific papers. This is one reason why not all scientists agreeabout the dangers to the health of American science.

Still, they say schools and scientists themselves should be doingmore to get young people to choose science over business or otherjobs. For one thing, many older scientists will retire in the nextten years.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

You are listening to SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English.

The National Library of Medicine, near Washington, D.C, is thelargest center of medical information in the world. It is part ofthe National Institutes of Health. Doctors and scientists use thislibrary. So do people from around the world who just want somehealth information.

The library has a service on the Internet called MedlinePlus.This offers general information about more than six-hundred-fiftydiseases and conditions. There is also a medical dictionary, andinformation about medicines. The Web site is medlineplus.gov. Again,the address is medlineplus dot g-o-v.

The National Library of Medicine also has a Web site for olderadults and their families. This service is called N.I.H. SeniorHealth. The address is nihseniorhealth.gov. The library created thissite with the National Institute on Aging. Again, the site isnihseniorhealth, all one word, dot g-o-v.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Many people believe they are supposed to drink eight glasses ofwater a day, or about two liters. Why? Because that is what theyhave been told all their life. But a recent report offers somedifferent advice. Experts say people should obey their bodies; theyshould drink as much water as they feel like drinking.

The report says most healthy people meet their daily needs forliquid by letting thirst be their guide. The report is from theInstitute of Medicine, part of the National Academies. Thisorganization provides scientific and technical advice to thegovernment and the public.

The report contains some general suggestions. The experts saywomen should get about two-point-seven liters of water daily. Menshould get about three-point-seven liters. But wait -- in each case,that is more than eight glasses.

VOICE ONE:

There is one important difference. The report does not tellpeople how many glasses of water to drink. In fact, the experts sayit may be impossible to know how many glasses are needed to meetthese guidelines. This is because the daily water requirement caninclude the water content in foods.

People do not get water only by forcing themselves to drink a setnumber of glasses per day. People also drink fruit juices and sodasand milk. They drink coffee and tea. These all contain water. Yetsome also contain caffeine. This causes the body to expel morewater. But the writers of the report say this does not mean the bodyloses too much water.

As you might expect, the Institute of Medicine says people needto drink more water when they are physically active. The same istrue of those who live in hot climates. Depending on heat andactivity, people could need two times as much water as others do.

All this, however, does not answer one question. No one seemssure why people have the idea that good health requires eightglasses of water daily.

VOICE TWO:

It may have started with a misunderstanding. Innineteen-forty-five, the National Academy of Sciences published someguidelines. Its Food and Nutrition Board said a good amount of waterfor most adults was two-point-five liters daily. This was based onan average of one milliliter for each calorie of food eaten.

But that was only part of what the board said. It also said thatmost of this amount is contained in prepared foods.

(THEME)

VOICE ONE:

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Nancy Steinbach and JerilynWatson. Cynthia Kirk was our producer. This is Sarah Long.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Bob Doughty. Listen again next week for more newsabout science, in Special English, on the Voice of America.