Science News Roundup: Cosmic Titan, Modified cotton, cosmonaut shrugs off an emergency landing

Scientists in Chile unveil 'A Cosmic Titan' cluster of galaxies

Astronomers peering billions of light years into space have detected the largest, most extensive collection of galaxies ever registered in the early days of the universe, a "proto-supercluster" they nicknamed Hyperion after a titan from Greek mythology. Hyperion has a mass 1 million billion times greater than the sun and is so distant that it is viewed from earth as it looked billions of years ago.

Modified cotton could be human food source after U.S. green light

U.S. regulators have cleared the way for farmers to grow a cotton plant genetically modified to make the cottonseed edible for people, a protein-packed potential new food source that could be especially useful in cotton-growing countries beset with malnutrition. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on Tuesday lifted the regulatory prohibition on cultivation by farmers of the cotton plant, which was developed by Texas A&M University scientists. The plant's cottonseed cannot be used as food for people or as animal feed yet in the United States because it lacks Food and Drug Administration approval.

No time to be nervous: cosmonaut shrugs off an emergency landing

Russian cosmonaut Alexei Ovchinin shrugged off on Tuesday his emergency landing last week, saying there had been no time to worry as his capsule plunged back to earth. Ovchinin and American astronaut Nick Hague had to abort their mission on Oct. 11 after the Soyuz rocket supposed to carry them to the International Space Station failed.

Exclusive: Science journal to withdraw chronic fatigue review amid patient activist complaints

A respected science journal is to withdraw a much-cited review of evidence on an illness known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) amid fierce criticism and pressure from activists and patients. The decision, described by the scientists involved as "disproportionate and poorly justified", is being seen as a victory for activists in a research field plagued by uncertainty and dispute over whether CFS, also known as myalgic encephalopathy (ME), has physical and psychological elements.

(With inputs from Reuters)

(With inputs from agencies.)