News in a nutshell

This week's news includes a new proposed law to protect whistleblowers from retaliation by the accused, the discovery of a new form of oxytocin, more allegations against a primate lab in Louisiana, support of amateur science, findings regarding how the blind "see," and evidence that sperm whales may have names.Proposed legislation to protect whistleblowers A proposed US federal law could make it easier for whistleblowers to point out dubious scientific research by reducing the threat of a costly defamation suit from the accused parties. The Citizen Participation Act would allow whistleblowers to recoup attorney's fees in the event that they won a case brought against them in retaliation by the subject of their accusations. But while many embrace the reform, linkurl:Nature reports,;http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110314/full/471276a.html others fear it will backfire by restricting a whistleblower's own ability to sue in response, as scientists charged with false accusations of misconduct themselves by companies...