Topic
30, 000-Year-Old Virus Reappears
Instructions
Find and include a minimum of one current event clipped from the popular media (newspapers, magazines, etc.) for each of the discussion topics listed on the syllabus. Popular media does not include scientific journals and periodicals. Write a one or two page paper about the significance of the event and its relationship to the discussion topic.
Answer preview
On 4th March 2014 scientists from the National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS) at the University of Aix-Marseille in France, uncovered the reappearance of the biggest virus that had lied inactive for approximately 30, 000 years. The virus was traced on the Siberian permafrost frozen in a deep layer. The scientists from the department of Science and Environment realized that the ancient virus was communicable after it defrosted. The natural scientists from France reassured the world that the virus was harmless to the humans and even the animals. However, the experts warned that as the exposure of the layers continues other dangerous viruses could arise. The investigation was exposed during the Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and poses a challenge to the natural science community.
Word count: 648