A new type of helicopter breaks speed records

THE ability of a helicopter to hover and land almost anywhere makes it an enormously useful machine. But helicopters have their limitations, particularly when it comes to flying fast. In a recent series of test flights, a new type of chopper has begun smashing speed records.

The X2 is an experimental helicopter being developed by Sikorsky, an American company, at a test-flight centre in Florida. It recently flew at more than 430kph (267mph), according to a report in Spectrum, published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The present record is held by a souped-up Westland Lynx helicopter, which managed 400kph in 1986. But most helicopters can’t fly at anything like these speeds and are typically flat out at 270kph. ...

The moves that make men attractive to women

THE need to identify a suitable mate is such a strong biological urge that the animal kingdom has spawned a bewildering array of courtship rituals. Hippo males fling their faeces; flatworms have penis-jousting contests; and humpback whales sing and leap above the ocean surface. Such competitive displays depend on the speed, strength and size of an animal, which is why they convey a measure of reproductive fitness.

Dancing is popular among animals for similar reasons. Scorpions and sandhill cranes, for instance, dance to impress. Humans also use dance as part of courtship, but it has been difficult for scientists to pin down exactly what it is about a dance that appeals to members of the opposite sex. This is because factors such as facial attractiveness, height and even social status tend to confound any attempt to judge the relative merits of a person’s gyrations. ...

A group of oceanic micro-organisms just might prove a surprising ally in the fight against climate change

UNDERSTANDING how the oceans absorb carbon dioxide is crucial to understanding the role of that gas in the climate. It is rather worrying, then, that something profound may be missing from that understanding. But if Jiao Nianzhi of Xiamen University in China is right, it is. For he suggests there is a lot of carbon floating in the oceans that has not previously been noticed. It is in the form of what is known as refractory dissolved organic matter and it has been put there by a hitherto little-regarded group of creatures called aerobic anoxygenic photoheterotrophic bacteria (AAPB). If Dr Jiao is right, a whole new “sink” for carbon dioxide from the atmosphere has been discovered.

The main way that carbon dioxide is absorbed by the ocean is through photosynthesis by planktonic algae. These algae are the basis of most food chains in the sea—being eaten by tiny animals that are, in turn, eaten by larger ones. When all these creatures die, their remains (those bits that are not immediately eaten, anyway) sink to the sea floor, where some are eaten and some are buried indefinitely. These remains are known in the jargon as particulate organic matter. ...

Colin Tennant (Lord Glenconner) and Vladimir Gavrilovich Raitz, providers of different sorts of holidays, died on August 27th and 31st respectively, aged 83 and 88

SUN, sea and alcohol, for at least two weeks a year, is now one of the unwritten rights of the British people. All classes claim it, from the scarlet-shouldered shop assistant to the pouting celebrity in Ray-Bans; and the Fates, that tricksy trio, have decreed that two men should disappear simultaneously who made both sorts happy. Colin Tennant, later Lord Glenconner, arranged holidays so exclusive that only the very rich and famous could apply for them. Vladimir Raitz invented the all-in no-frills package tour for Everyman.

On Lord Glenconner’s “fantasy island” of Mustique in the Grenadines, Michael Douglas would high-dive off cliffs into the cobalt sea, and Bianca Jagger would be carried on a palanquin under mosquito-netting to a ritual enthroning; David Bowie was the bar-room bore, while Prince Andrew and Koo Stark played flirtatious games on the beach; and most particularly, in spring and autumn, Princess Margaret would take up residence, sometimes with her gardener-lover, in her Formica-filled villa by the shore. On the package holidays Mr Raitz promoted, striving workers who had never dreamed of “abroad” suddenly found they could afford GBP40 or so to get to the Costa del Sol and back; so out of the charter flight they crowded, phrase-books and sun-oil at the ready, to pack like pilchards onto beaches and into the steadily high-rising hotels. On Mustique Lord Glenconner repelled all paparazzi, so that who was bonking whom behind the bougainvillaea stayed secret. On Mr Raitz’s tours a rayon-clad rep crammed all-comers merrily on to the coach together, with “Kiss me Quick” on their hats. ...

Hewlett-Packard is suing to block Mark Hurd, its former chief executive, from joining a rival, Oracle. HP alleges his hiring breaches Mr Hurd’s exit agreement and would result in the transfer of trade secrets. At HP, Mr Hurd attended meetings where plans for future products were discussed, the lawsuit points out. See article

HSBC’s chairman, Stephen Green, said that he would step down from his role at Europe’s biggest bank at the end of the year. He is to become trade minister in Britain’s coalition government. See article ...

As over 1m people protested on the streets, France’s government presented its pension-reform plan to the National Assembly. The government claims the overhaul, which would raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, will save €70 billion ($89.2 billion), but unions are threatening further demonstrations and strikes. See article

In a video statement, ETA, the violent Basque separatist group, said it had been operating a ceasefire for several months, but did not say how long the truce would last. The Spanish government rejected the announcement as “insufficient”, and said it would not resume peace talks. ETA’s previous ceasefire, in 2006, lasted nine months. See article ...

Tertiary education pays off, both for the individual and the wider economy. In countries where most of the workforce has an upper secondary education (ie, most industrialised countries), a college or university qualification gives recipients extra earning power and generates tax revenues for the country in which they work. On average across those rich countries that are members of the OECD, a think-tank, the total extra return for male graduates is greater than $230,000, more than half of which accrues to the individual. The net public return is almost three times the initial investment, according to OECD figures. The private return is reduced by the earnings forgone while the student was in education.

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