Matzi

I think it is defintely so, though I suppose the protection is mainly better against UV radiation. I would doubt that dark-skinned people are more resistant against alpha-radiation for instance. I do not know exactly what kind of radiation is of significance for astronauts but the NASA and the other organisations will certainly have considered this already.

besides science? Uh, some sports (Tennis, Basketball, Running) and reading (though this mostly has to do with science).

At the moment I am reading (or trying to find time to read) Immunobiology On the Origin of Species

Some pictures in the newspaper or the internet but, I have to admit, I have not really informed myself in detail about what the media broadcast. I think it's very unlikely as well.

I suppose you all have heard that some sect in the US announced that the first cloned human has been born. 1. Do think that the baby was really born? 2. What do you think about the first cloned human? Do you see any ethical problems?

I think so, yes, since for example in people having albinism the melanin is lacking at all, an thus they do even not have any pigments in their eyes, thus have red eyes, I think. However, most white people do have "colored". It might be similar with the hair colors.

Ok, you are probably right. There is a great amount of parallels and details viruses and cells have in common.

Hallo! I think this is a very interesitng question and answering is not that easy for me. Actually, viruses do not live but they need cells to replicate in (either prokaryotic or eukaryotic) (another question might be: What evolved first: phages or viruses?). I think it's in a way paradoxical that a complex of molecules defined as non-living evolves from a living cell. On the other hand, I do not think that a combination of molecules is that unlikely since that's the way life evolved and why shouldn't viral complexes have evolved this way, either. Matzi