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SCIENCEMonday 26 October 2015
Plague spread 3,000 years earlier than 1st thought: 2,800 BC
MARIA CHENG In this undated photo released by Cell journal, the Sope I grave in Estonia, where plague DNA half of Europe, the Bronze
Associated Press was found in a tooth from this individual and is the earliest evidence of plague found in Europe. Age plague revealed by
LONDON (AP) — The The plague was spreading nearly 3,000-years before previously thought, according to findings the new study could not
plague was spreading published Thursday Oct. 22, 2015, in the journal Cell. be spread by fleas be-
nearly 3,000 years before cause it lacked a crucial
previously thought, scien- (Harri Moora / Cell 2015 via AP) gene. So it was probably
tists say after finding traces less able to infect people
of the disease in the teeth it was supposed to exist,” Rasmussen said the plague Black Death that swept over wide regions. But Ras-
of ancient people — a dis- said Rasmussen, one of the they found was a different across Medieval Europe. In mussen said knowing that
covery that could provide study authors. The research strain from the one that contrast to later strains, in- plague existed thousands
clues to how dangerous was published online Thurs- caused the three known cluding the one estimated of years earlier than had
diseases evolve. day in the journal, Cell. pandemics, including the to have wiped out about been believed might ex-
To find evidence of the pre- plain some unsolved histori-
historic infection, research- cal mysteries, including the
ers drilled into the teeth of “Plague of Athens,” a hor-
101 individuals who lived rifying unknown epidemic
in Central Asia and Eu- that struck the Greek capi-
rope some 2,800 to 5,000 tal in 430 B.C. It killed up to
years ago. The drilling pro- 100,000 people during the
duced a powder that the Peloponnesian War.
researchers examined for “People have been specu-
DNA from plague bacte- lating about what this was,
ria. They found it in samples like was this measles or ty-
from seven people. phus, but it could well have
Before the study, the earli- been plague,” Rasmussen
est evidence of the plague said.
was from A.D. 540, said He said tracking how the
Simon Rasmussen of the plague evolved from be-
Technical University of Den- ing an intestinal infection
mark. He and colleagues to “one of the most deadly
found it as early as 2,800 diseases ever encountered
B.C. by humans” could help sci-
“We were very surprised to entists predict the disease’s
find it 3,000 years before future path.q
Princeton honors memory of ‘Mind’ mathematician John Nash
PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — The Ivy League university’s Nasar said at the lecture. Princeton University, receiv- at Princeton since 1995 and
Princeton University said goodbye included a public Nasar fondly recalled ing his doctorate in math- was renowned for his work
farewell to late mathema- lecture from author Sylvia Nash’s wife, Alicia Nash, ematics there in 1950 after in game theory.
tician and faculty member Nasar, whose biography saying she was the “hero” he got his graduate and Crowe played him in “A
John Nash, whose life and formed the basis for the of his story. bachelor’s degrees from Beautiful Mind,” which won
battle with schizophrenia 2001 movie, and a chapel The Nashes, who were in the Carnegie Institute of the Academy Award for
were chronicled in the Rus- service that opened with their 80s, were killed in a Technology (now Carnegie best picture. Crowe was
sell Crowe movie “A Beauti- Bach’s fugue in G minor, a taxi crash on the New Jer- Mellon University) in 1948. nominated for an Oscar
ful Mind,” with a day of re- favorite of Nash’s. sey Turnpike in May. Nash, the 1994 Nobel Prize for best actor, and Jenni-
membrance events and a “We may not see the likes John Nash, who was known winner in economics, had fer Connelly, who played
panel discussion about him of John Nash again, but his as brilliant and eccentric, held the position of senior his wife, won the Oscar for
on Saturday. story is one for the ages,” had a long connection with research mathematician best supporting actress.q
