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Two years ago, a tsunami struck Southeast Asia, leaving up to 230,000 dead in its wake. A similar scenario could happen on Europe`s coasts, with the eastern Mediterranean being particularly vulnerable. European scientists are studying the question and hope to develop a warning system for coastal populations.

Mud volcanoes are cone-shaped formations of sediment, of variable size. They are composed of a mixture of fluids (generally water and gases) and mud (undercompacted clay), which flow from one or more vent holes in the middle of the crater. During an eruption, mud volcanoes emit large amounts of methane.

Computer problems have played a major role in a number of air and rail catastrophes these past 20 years. Some high-tech space projects have also failed due to software glitches. And in our everyday lives, remote control in all its forms is becoming increasingly widespread. Today, designers are trying to rationalise software and related fields of application, with an aim to design more `intelligent` products and systems, including trains, boilers and, more prosaically, household appliances.

European specialists have uncovered the chemical mix responsible for memory through the observation of genetically modified mice. Memory is such an inherent part of life that it is easy to forget that it can be boiled down to a mere chemical reaction. And now for the first time, researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory have created an innovative model to detect the chemical processes behind memory. They focused their research on the hippocampus region of the brain, an area integral to memory formation, and the proteins and receptors responsible for receiving and interpreting sensory stimuli. They recently reported their findings in Learning and Memory.

Satellite navigation systems can be lifesavers when driving in unfamiliar territory. Be it on isolated country lanes or in a hectic city centre, SatNav systems can reduce stress by orders of magnitude by letting you rely on the digital voice to tell you exactly where you need to turn. And while SatNav offers you the possibilities of choosing the quickest route or most direct, what about those who want to take the most environmentally friendly, which may be neither of the above. A European research team is developing a product to do just that. They are attempting to develop SatNav technology that has the ability to identify the greenest route from point A to point B. A recent New Scientist article had a look at the project and discussed its chances for success with end users and other players in the production chain.

A determining factor for the success of saplings maturing into healthy trees is their hardiness. Indeed, one of the major tasks for nursery growers consists of hardening plants, or preparing them for the harsh and often varying conditions they will face in natural environments. Hardiness, and particularly cold hardiness for European purposes, is important for forestry officials coordinating reforestation efforts across the continent. A successfully completed research project funded under FP5 attempted to identify the genetic root of tree hardiness to support reforestation rates and the vitality of economically and ecologically important forest tree species.