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Coral Algae Have
"Eyes,"
The single-celled algae that set up house inside hard corals and
give reefs their vibrant colors may be able to see, a new study says. The
algae—called zooxanthellae—have mysterious crystal-like deposits, which are
made of uric acid, a common element in light-reflecting ...more
Spider Monkeys Invent
Medicated Body Scratcher
Wild spider monkeys now have a new tool under their proverbial belt:
a body scratcher that may release medicinal compounds, according to
a study published in the latest issue of the journal Primates. The
study is the first to report this spider monkey scratcher. Lead
author...more
Vegetarians 'avoid
more cancers'
Vegetarians are generally less likely than meat eaters to develop
cancer but this does not apply to all forms of the disease, a major study
has found. The study involving 60,000 people found those who followed a
vegetarian diet developed notably fewer cancers of the blood...more
dust cloud circled globe in
13 days
Dust clouds generated by a huge dust storm in China's Taklimakan
desert in 2007 made more than one full circle around the globe in
just 13 days, a Japanese study using a NASA satellite has found.
When the cloud reached the Pacific Ocean the second time, it
descended...more
Brain-Controlled
Wheelchair Is "95 % Accurate"
It may not look like much at first glance, but researchers in Japan
have pulled off a Jedi mind trick of sorts for directing electric
wheelchairs. Carmaker Toyota and research lab RIKEN have created a
wheelchair that can be controlled by thought, perhaps heralding improved
mobility for the severely disabled and elderly...more
Floating wind turbine
launched
Floating wind turbines can help shift offshore wind farms out of
sight. The world's first floating wind turbine is to be towed out to
sea. Statoil's Alexandra Beck Gjorv told the technology, the
Hywind, to be put off Norway's coast - "should help move offshore
wind farms out of sight". And it could...more
0.3 % of the Sahara
Could Power All of Europe
Solar power is an exciting source of renewable energy, but has so
far mostly been used to power little things like homes, cars and small
villages. But what if solar energy was used on a scale that would power the
majority of Europe? The Desertec Foundation, a Jordanian and German company
are hoping to secure financing for...more
Flexible Solar Powered
Rooftop Shingles
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in
Richland have developed flexible solar panels that could be
installed on roofs like shingles. This technology was originally
used to protect flat panel televisions from dampness. They used to
cover television screen with transparent, thin films that acted as
barriers...more
Largest solar tower
switches on
THE World’s largest solar power tower went into use near Sevilla.
The PS20 tower has a capacity of 20 megawatts, enough to supply 10,000
homes. The plant, located at Sanlucar la Mayor, has just undergone a three
day testing period. It is the second plant being operated...more
Fish Species Has 'Human'
Ability To Learn
A common species of fish which is found across Europe including the
UK, called the nine-spined stickleback, could be the first animal
shown to exhibit an important human social learning strategy. The
sticklebacks can compare the behaviour of other sticklebacks with
their own...more
Immune therapies
finally working against cancer
First there was surgery, then chemotherapy and radiation. Now,
doctors have overcome 30 years of false starts and found success with a
fourth way to fight cancer: using the body's natural defender, the immune
system. The approach is called a cancer vaccine, although it treats the...more
Floating wind turbine
launched
The world's first floating wind turbine is to be towed out to sea.
Statoil's Alexandra Beck Gjorv told the BBC the technology, the
Hywind, to be put off Norway's coast - "should help move offshore
wind farms out of sight". And it could lead to offshore wind farms
eventually being located...more
Malaria vaccine
enters final tests
Hopes that a malaria vaccine could be widely available by 2012 have
risen with the start of phase III trials of the world's most advanced
candidate. Five infants in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, have received Glaxo Smith
Kline's RTS,S vaccine and 16,000 children aged two and under will receive
the vaccine...more
Ancient Antarctic Mountains
Found Under Miles of Ice
In a study published by the British journal Nature, the scientists
described a vast terrain that had been hidden beneath ice up to two
miles thick for eons, until new imaging technology recently
uncovered them. "The landscape has probably been preserved beneath...more
Glowing Monkeys
Who knew artificial evolution could be cute? Common marmosets Kel
and Kou, Keio University School of Medicine in an undated photo released
have skin that glows green under UV light. Born of genetically engineered,
glowing parents, the baby monkeys came by their fluorescence...more
Man-made star to unlock
cosmic secrets
When the world's most powerful laser facility flicks the switch on
its first full-scale experiments later this month, a tiny star will
be born on Earth. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California
aims to demonstrate the feasibility of nuclear fusion, the reaction
at the heart of the Sun...more
"Missing Link"
Human Skull Found
Scientists working in Africa have discovered a Stone Age skull that
could be a link between the extinct Homo erectus species and modern humans .
The face and cranium of the fossil have features found in both early and
modern human species. The skull is believed to be between 250,000 and
500,000 years old...more
House OKs $6.4 billion to
make schools greener
The House on Thursday passed a $6.4 billion school modernization
bill that would commit funds for the construction and update of more
energy-efficient school buildings The measure passed 275-155 in a
largely party-line vote, and will now move to the Senate for further ...more
New Ears Found in
Deep Fish
In the sunless abyss of the deep ocean, fish have evolved ears like
no others, a new study says. Examining several fish species collected from
waters as deep as 2.5 kilometers, researchers discovered ear structures
never seen before in other fish The strange structures may enhance...more
Star Crust Is 10 Billion
Times Stronger Than Steel
The Man of Steel has nothing on the collapsed cores of massive
snuffed-out stars, scientists say. A new computer model suggests
that the outer crusts of so-called neutron stars are the strongest
known material in the universe. To determine the breaking point of a
neutron star's crust, the team ...more
Breastfeeding
'protects mother'
Women who breastfeed their babies may be lowering their own risk of
a heart attack, heart disease or stroke, research suggests. A US study found
women who breastfed for more than a year were 10% less likely to develop the
conditions than those who never breastfed. Even breastfeeding for...more
Morning sickness :
Sign of bright baby
It may be a sign that your child is developing a high IQ. Irena
Nulman and colleagues at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto,
contacted 120 women who years earlier had called a morning sickness
hotline. Thirty did not have morning sickness, but the researchers
asked the rest to recall the...more
Scientists create
'portable lung'
Professor Bill Johns shows how the portable lung would work. A
portable lung which could help those with breathing problems lead a normal
life is being developed by scientists. Researchers say their device, which
oxygenates blood outside the body before it goes through the lungs...more
Stem cell 'deafness cure'
closer
Stem cells that could be used to restore hearing have been
successfully created, scientists have said. A Sheffield University
team took stem cells from foetuses and converted them into cells
that behave like sensory hair cells in the human inner ear. Their
discovery could ultimately help those...more
Nano-treatment to
torpedo cancer
Nanotechnology has been used for the first time to destroy cancer
cells with a highly targeted package of "tumour busting" genes. The
technique, which leaves healthy cells unaffected, could potentially offer
hope to people with hard-to-treat cancers where surgery is not possible...more
UV lights could curb TB
transmission
Using ultraviolet (UV) lights in hospital wards and waiting rooms
could cut the spread of tuberculosis (TB) in hospitals by 70 per
cent, scientists have found. Researchers hung UV lights — shielded
to protect patients — from the ceiling of a hospital ward in Lima...more
Lung cancers 'to drop by fifth'
Rates of lung cancer will drop by nearly a fifth over the next 20
years, experts predict. Cancer Research UK analysis suggests that by 2024,
40 per 100,000 people will get the cancer compared with the current rate of
50 per 100,000. Researchers said measures such as the smoking ban meant
the...more
'Ethical' stem cell creation
hope
The ability to create stem cell treatments without using embryos is
a step closer, say researchers. A UK and Canadian team have
manipulated human skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells
without using viruses - making them safer for use in humans. The
cells are ...more
A Wind Turbine for
Every Rooftop?
These days, there are more and more options for those of you who
want a small wind turbine out in the yard or on your roof. They range from
the standard to the somewhat bizarre, and come in sizes that can power
several major appliances all the way up to your whole house and beyond. In
the right...more
Bug enzyme generates fuel
from water
Light-powered, bacterial enzyme-containing nanoparticles that
release hydrogen from water could lead the way to new strategies for
generating the energy-rich gas. The lack of low-cost ways to create
hydrogen gas is one of the main barriers to the dream of economies
fuelled...more
Grape extract kills
cancer cells
An extract from grape seeds can destroy cancer cells, US research
suggests. In lab experiments, scientists found that the extract stimulated
leukaemia cells to commit suicide. Within 24 hours, 76% of leukaemia cells
exposed to the extract were killed off, while healthy cells were...more
Alien asteroid dust hints at
Earth-like planets
Dust made up of similar stuff as the Earth has been found in and
around a handful of dead stars. The dust, which was left behind when
the stars chewed up errant asteroids, suggests terrestrial planets
may be common. Six white dwarfs, the burned-out embers of Sun-like
stars, showed...more
Float hero gave
kidney to a stranger
Hooshang Torabi donated his kidney the way others might give up
spare change.
It was a simple decision, Torabi insisted. A man he never met before needed
a kidney. Torabi had one to give. "When I found out what kind of health this
gentleman was in, it was a natural decision,"...more
Whistling Orangutan May Hint
at Language Evolution
Bonnie's whistling isn't so surprising to her caregivers. The
140-pound orangutan at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has
been whistling for about two decades. Now a new study suggests that
the sounds she makes could hold clues about the origins of human
language...more
Improvements seen
four years
Four years since a 9.0-magnitude earthquake spawned massive walls of
water that swept across the Indian Ocean, leaving more than 230,000 dead
according to a United Nations estimate, improvements can be seen in many of
the devastated areas, humanitarian groups ...more
4,000-year-old Amber
Necklace Has Been Unearthed
A 4,000-year-old amber necklace has been unearthed in England. The
rare find was unearthed from a stone-lined grave – known as a Cist
- excavated by the team from The University of Manchester Field
Archaeology Centre and Mellor Archaeological Trust.
It is the first time a...more
First Contact With
Inner Earth
A drilling crew recently cracked through rock layers deep beneath
Hawaii and accidentally became the first humans known to have drilled into
magma—the melted form of rock that sometimes erupts to the surface as
lava—in its natural environment, scientists announced ...more
Dinosaur Dads Played "Mr.
Mom"
The paternal care common among birds may have its origins among
dinosaurs closely related to Velociraptor, reports a new study.
Researchers studying the evolution of reproduction in the swift and
carnivorous creatures, which are believed to have evolved into...more
Water found in hot
planet's orbit
Scientists say they have found evidence for water vapour in the
atmosphere of a planet 63 light-years from Earth. The "hot Jupiter" planet's
surface temperatures exceed 900C. Writing in the journal Nature, the
scientists say their discovery may help find planets that can support life.
In a separate study...more
Wild Elephants Live Longer
Than Their Zoo Counterparts
Wild elephants in protected areas of Africa and Asia live more than
twice as long as those in European zoos, a new study has found.
Animal welfare advocates have long clashed with zoo officials over
concerns about the physical and mental health of elephants in
captivity. British and Canadian scientists who conducted the...more
Librarian leaves
$2.2 million to her colleges
A retired Virginia school teacher and librarian who died two years
ago left more than $2 million to split between the universities she
attended, the schools announced. Jane Iris Crutchfield's estate will donate
$1.1 million each to the School of Information and Library Science at the
University of North Carolina at...more
David and Goliath" City
Found in Israel?
The remains of an ancient gate have pinpointed the location of the
biblical city Sha'arayim, say archaeologists working in Israel. In
the Bible young David, a future king, is described as battling
Goliath in the Elah Valley near Sha'arayim. The fortified gate at
the Elah Fortress—the second to be found at the site—proves...more
Mammoth Genome Decoded --
Clones on the Way
Using hairs from woolly mammoths, scientists have sequenced an
extensive genome of these elephant cousins, a new report says. The
development brings researchers a step closer to "resurrecting" the extinct
species via cloning, though so many technical obstacles stand in the way
that some...more
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New Songbird Sports
Wispy "Mohawk"
Sporting a mostly bald head, this
new songbird species, dubbed the bare-faced bulbul, has been discovered
on rugged limestone peaks in Laos. The thrush-size creature is the first
bald songbird yet discovered in mainland Asia and one of only 40 or so
known bald songbirds in the world, say experts with the Wildlife
Conservation Society and Australia's University of Melbourne, who found
the species. The bulbul...more
Century’s Longest
Solar Eclipse
A long wait by sky gazers to look
at a rare celestial event ended on July 22 when the longest total solar
eclipse of the 21st century was seen. The intensely bright disk of the
Sun is replaced by the dark silhouette of the Moon. During the total
eclipse, totality was visible only from a narrow track on the surface of
the Earth. The countries to witness the path of the Moon’s umbral shadow
were India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan...more
Rare Albino Whale
Spotted
Migaloo, a twenty something rare
white humpback whale was seen along Australia's east coast, where
he's migrating northward with other humpbacks as he migrated northward
along the Australian coast. Migaloo was swimming with a small group of
whales, and watchers set sail from the Gold Coast to get a glimpse of
the endangered whale. Humpback whales have been heading north to warmer
waters...more
The blues are back
Thirty years ago it was officially
declared extinct in Britain. But the beautiful large blue butterfly has
made an astonishing return. Around 20,000 will be flitting through the
countryside this summer as a result of reintroduction efforts,
scientists say. It is one of the world’s most threatened species – and
one of the most choosy. Large blues can only live on closely grazed
hillsides and meadows where a particular...more
FATHER'S DAY : Best
Dads
Father's Day, annually honors
committed human dads. But seahorse fathers might just blow those
proud papas out of the water. Seahorses are a type of fish in which the
males actually get "pregnant." The female seahorse deposits her eggs in
the male's specialized pouch, and the male carries up to 2,000 babies
during its 10- to 25-day pregnancy....more
Rare Snow Cats
Caught by Camera
Tail raised, a snow leopard, likely
marking its territory, is caught in the act by a camera trap, in eastern
Afghanistan's mountainous Wakhan Corridor. Four of five heat-sensitive
traps placed throughout the rugged region--a narrow strip that straddles
Tajikistan to the north and Pakistan to the south--photographed
different snow leopards on several occasions. The relatively large
number...more
Apes Laugh, Tickle
What happens if you tickle a
gorilla? According to a new study, the ape laughs—which would mean we're
not the only animals born with funny bones. By tickling young gorillas,
chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans, researchers say they learned that
all great apes laugh. Their findings suggest we inherited our own
ability to laugh from the last common ancestor from which humans and
great apes evolved...more
Contact lens stem
cell sight aid
Scientists have used stem cells
grown onto contact lenses to improve the sight of people with cornea
damage. The treatment was given to three patients by a team from
Australia's University of New South Wales. All saw improvements within
weeks. They used the patients' own stem cells in the treatment, detailed
in the journal Transplantation, and a type of lens already used after
eye surgery. UK experts said the small-scale...more
"MISSING LINK" FOUND
Meet "Ida," the small "missing
link" found in Germany that's created a big
media splash and will likely continue to make
waves among those who study human origins. In a
new book, documentary, and promotional Web site,
paleontologist Jorn Hurum, who led the team that
analyzed the 47-million-year-old fossil seen
above, suggests Ida is a critical missing-link
species in primate evolution...more
Scientists find 200
new frog species
Scientists have found more than 200
new species of frogs in Madagascar but a
political crisis is hurting conservation of the
Indian Ocean island's unique wildlife, a study
shows. The discovery, which almost doubles the
number of known amphibians in Madagascar,
illustrates an underestimation of the natural
riches that have helped spawn a
$390-million-a-year tourism industry. However,
months of....more
Birds Can Dance
His tastes may be sooo ten years
ago, but the Backstreet Boys' smallest fan has
helped scientists make an all-new discovery:
Birds can dance. Snowball the dancing parrot
shifts rhythm as music changes. And so far,
they're the only known animals to display such
rhythm. Cats, dogs, and lab monkeys spend lots
of time around human music. But no animal had
ever been confirmed as moving to a beat—leading
to the common...more
6,000 Rare Dolphins
Found in South Asia
A huge population of rare dolphins
threatened by climate change and fishing nets
has been discovered in South Asia. Researchers
with the Wildlife Conservation Society estimate
that nearly 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins, marine
mammals that are related to orcas or killer
whales, were found living in freshwater regions
of Bangladesh’s Sundarbans mangrove forest and
adjacent waters of the Bay of Bengal...more
Caught a rope to
save her baby
All mothers know there is no limit
to what they will do to protect their children.
But this mother orang-utan proved that the
selfless sentiment extends to the animal kingdom
also. These astonishing pictures from the World
Wildlife Fund capture the moment the terrified
mother caught a rope thrown to her by humans and
swam across a flooded river to bring her baby to
safety...more
Fish With
Transparent Head
With a head like a fighter-plane
cockpit, a Pacific barreleye fish shows off its
highly sensitive, barrel-like eyes--topped by
green, orblike lenses--in a picture released
today but taken in 2004. The fish, discovered
alive in the deep water off California's central
coast by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research
Institute (MBARI), is the first specimen of its
kind to be found with its soft transparent dome
intact. The 6-inch...more
Ants Smell Cheaters
and Assault ThemIf a worker ant dares to reproduce
in the presence of the queen, her sisters will
smell her attempt and attack, according to a new
study. Typically, only queens produce offspring
in an ant colony, and males die after mating.
The sons and the daughter queens fly away, with
hopes of reproducing elsewhere, while the worker
daughters stay on to build the colony and care
for the next generation. ...more
Boy stops pit bull
attack with jujitsu
A 9-year-old Bakersfield boy is
being called a hero after he saved a girl and
her dog from a pit bull attack. Drew Heredia
said he and a friend were walking a small dog
Dec. 30 when a pit bull jumped on the dog. The
unidentified 12-year-old girl reportedly tried
to save her dog, prompting the pit bull to turn
on her. Heredia said he jumped on the pit bull
and applied a choke hold that he learned while
taking classes...more
Genes give Africans
a better sense of taste
Some put forward France's decadent
sauces or Spain's creative tapas as evidence of
Europeans' delicate taste for food, while Asian
gourmands would sing the praises of sushi. But
they might all be wrong. New research suggests
that Africans have more sensitive palettes than
Europeans and Asians – at least for bitter
tastes. A survey of numerous African populations
in Kenya and Cameroon found a striking amount of ...more
Giant Raptor Found
Scientists have discovered what
they say is a completely unexpected new giant
dinosaur that lived 70 million years ago in
Argentina. At 16.5 to 21 feet long long,
depending on its tail size, Austroraptor cabazai
is among the largest of the slender,
carnivorous, two-legged dinosaurs called
raptors, said Fernando Novas, the lead
researcher behind the discovery. The dinosaur's
incomplete skeleton—including head, neck, back...more
Huge Dinosaur and
Pterosaur
Found in Sahara
Africa's Sahara desert has yielded
two potentially new prehistoric species to
explorers who traveled 8,000 kilometers over
mountains and through sandstorms to a site in
southeastern Morocco. New types of sauropod and
pterosaur both of which lived almost a hundred
million years ago, in the Cretaceous period. The
team unearthed a three-foot-high bone from the
sauropod, which means the long-necked herbivore
was almost...more
Happiness is
contagious
Study of the relationships of
nearly 5,000 people tracked for decades in the
Framingham Heart Study shows that good cheer
spreads through social networks of nearby
family, friends and neighbors. They say misery
loves company, but the same may be even more
true of happiness. In a study published online
today in the British Medical Journal, scientists
from Harvard University and UC San Diego showed
that happiness...more
Oldest Turtle Found
Fossils of the oldest known
turtles, unearthed in southwestern China, may
help answer an evolutionary enigma—how did the
turtle get its shell? The 220-million-year-old
animals did not have full shells, or carapaces,
on their backs, researchers found. But the
newfound creatures did sport fully developed
plastrons—the flat part of a turtle shell that
covers and protects the belly. The discovery
supports the theory that turtle...more
Woman receives
windpipe built from her stem cells
A Colombian woman has become the
world's first recipient of windpipe tissue
constructed from a combination of donated tissue
and her own cells. Stem cells harvested from the
woman's bone marrow were used to populate a
stripped-down section of windpipe received from
a donor, which was then transplanted into her
body in June. "Surgeons can now start to see and
understand the very real potential...more
4,300 Year Old
Queen's Tomb Found
A new pyramid has been discovered
deep beneath Egyptian sands, archaeologists
announced. The 4,300-year-old monument is
believed to be the tomb of Queen Sesheshet, the
mother of Pharaoh Teti, the founder ancient
Egypt's 6th dynasty. Once nearly five stories
tall, the pyramid—or at least what remains of
it—lay beneath 23 feet (7 meters) of sand. The
discovery is the third known subsidiary, or
satellite...more
Woman pilot without
arms
Woman Born Without Arms Becomes the
First Person to Earn her Pilot's License. Just
three years ago, 25-year-old Jessica Cox had
never been in a small airplane and certainly
never imagined one day piloting one. That all
changed on October 10th, 2008 when Jessica not
only piloted the aircraft, she earned her
Airman's Certificate in a 1945 Ercoupe 415C, an
airplane designed to bring the postwar
generation into the sky...more
India Heads to Moon
India launched its first unmanned
moon mission following in the footsteps of Asian
rival China, as the country celebrated its space
ambitions and scientific prowess. Chandrayaan-1
(Moon vehicle), a cuboid spacecraft built by the
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
blasted off from a southern Indian space center
shortly after dawn....more
India's humble
rickshaw goes solar
A state-of-the-art, solar powered
version of the humble cycle-rickshaw promises to
offer a solution to urban India's traffic woes,
chronic pollution and fossil fuel dependence, as
well as an escape from backbreaking human toil.
The "soleckshaw", unveiled this month in New
Delhi, is a motorised cycle rickshaw that can be
pedalled normally or run on a 36-volt solar
battery. Developed by the state-run Centre for...more
He needed a hand —
and got 2
A German farmer who received the
world's first complete double arm transplant
said that incredulity gave way to joy when
he woke from surgery to discover he had arms
again. Karl Merk, who lost his arms in a farming
accident six years ago, said he at first could
not believe that the transplant appeared to have
been successful....more
Caring Makes Us
Human
When the scruffy orange cat showed
up in the prison yard, I was one of the first to
go out there and pet it. I hadn't touched a cat
or a dog in over 20 years. I spent at least 20
minutes crouched down by the Dumpster behind the
kitchen as the cat rolled around and luxuriated
beneath my attention. What he was expressing
outwardly I was feeling inwardly. It was an
amazing bit of grace to feel him under my hand
and know...more
Boy, 3, praised for
saving mother
A three-year-old boy has saved his
mother's life by dialling 999 after she suffered
an epileptic fit. Jack Thomson used his mother's
mobile to call the emergency services and told
them she was lying sick in the hallway and his
father was at work. The phone then cut-out.
Undeterred, the youngster found another mobile
and dialled 999 again. He was unable to say
where he lived but the second call enabled
operators...more
Cat returns after 9
years
A British couple have been reunited
with their missing cat after nine years, the
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (RSPCA). Dixie, a 15-year-old ginger
cat, disappeared in 1999 and her owners thought
she had been killed by a car. She was found less
than half a mile from her home in Birmingham
after a concerned resident rang the animal
charity to report a thin and disheveled cat who
had been...more
Good girl! Pooch
comes to sick neighbor's aid
A fluffy little dog named Lexi is
being called a hero for helping to rescue an
85-year-old neighbor who collapsed in his
Brooklyn apartment. Linda Deutsch concedes that
she thought Lexi — a white bichon frise — was
being naughty when she refused to get into the
elevator for their walk. Finally, though,
Deutsch let Lexi lead her down the hall. That's
when she heard a cry for help. The building
superintendent was...more
Black Hole Seen in
Closest Look Ever
A supermassive black hole at the
center of the Milky Way has wound up in the
crosshairs of a virtual telescope spanning 2,800
miles (4,506 kilometers). Ground-based radio
telescopes in Hawaii, Arizona, and California
aimed at Sagittarius A*—also called
A-star—obtained the image (above, a previous
image of the black hole). The star is believed
to mark the position of a black hole four
million times the sun's mass. ...more
Monkeys Enjoy Giving
To Others
Researchers at the Yerkes National
Primate Research Center, Emory University, have
shown capuchin monkeys, just like humans, find
giving to be a satisfying experience. This
finding comes on the coattails of a recent
imaging study in humans that documented activity
in reward centers of the brain after humans gave
to charity. Empathy in seeing the pleasure of
another's fortune is thought to be the impetus...more
Little robin is
newest species
A red-breasted bird discovered by
accident in the forests of Gabon is a new
species. They have named the little bird the
olive-backed forest robin, or Stiphrornis
pyrrholaemus, but say they know little about it
yet. The Smithsonian Institution team found the
bird while visiting the forest on a biodiversity
project, said Brian Schmidt, a research
ornithologist at the Smithsonian's National
Museum of Natural History...more
God has always been
planning things for me
Naga Naresh Karuturi has just
passed out of IIT Madras in Computer Science and
has joined Google in Bangalore. You may ask,
what's so special about this 21-year-old when
there are hundreds of students passing out from
various IITs and joining big companies like
Google? Naresh is special. His parents are
illiterate. He has no legs and moves around in
his powered wheel chair. Ever smiling,
optimistic ...more
Golden retriever
adopts tiger cubs
A dog at a southeast Kansas zoo has
adopted three tiger cubs abandoned by their
mother. Safari Zoological Park owner Tom Harvey
said the tiger cubs were born Sunday, but the
mother had problems with them. A day later, the
mother stopped caring for them. Harvey said the
cubs were wandering around, trying to find their
birth mother, who wouldn't pay attention to them...more
Boy helps rescue
neighbor after fall
A week and a half ago, George Bell
was faced with the possibility of
being paralyzed for the rest of his life.
“Everyone’s saying, ‘Oh, you’re lucky,’ ” Bell
said, sitting on his couch Monday afternoon.
“I’m not lucky. I put it in God’s hands. If He
didn’t want it to be that way, it wouldn’t have
been that way.” Bell, a deacon at Ransomville
Free Methodist Church, show...more
For Happiness,
Seek Family, Not Fortune
Money might buy happiness for some,
but for most people having strong family ties is
a much bigger predictor of contentment than
income, a new study shows. When researchers
analyzed data tracking married people over a
decade, they found that while income did
contribute to happiness up to a point, the
quality of family...more
Who's happier --
older or younger?
Newsflash for rock stars and
teenagers: It turns out everything doesn't go downhill as we age -- the
golden years really are golden. That's according to eye-opening research
that found the happiest Americans are the oldest, and older adults are
more socially active than the stereotype of the lonely senior suggests.
The two go hand-in-hand...more
 Happy to be alive
TO cheat death once is lucky. To
cheat it twice is little less than a miracle.
Yet one woman is living proof that miracles do
happen. Sheila Dolan knows she shouldn't be here
after beating breast cancer and a blood cot on
the brain but she's not about to apologise for
her extraordinary good fortune. Like so many who
have dodged the reaper's...more
Money can buy
happiness
Does money buy happiness?
Researchers and bar-goers alike have long debated this slippery
question. The verdict is far from clear. Studies show that money does
make people happier, but only up to a point. Beyond a certain level,
additional income yields hardly any additional happiness...more
Happiness may be
good for your health
A happy heart just might be a
healthier one as well, new research suggests. In a study of nearly 3,000
healthy British adults, lead by Dr. Andrew Steptoe of University College
London, found that those who reported upbeat moods had lower levels of
cortisol -- a "stress" hormone that, when chronically...more
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'New way' to
repair heart damage
Scientists say they have found a new way to mend damage to the heart. When
cells turn into fully-formed adult heart muscle they stop dividing, and
cannot replace tissue damaged by disease or deformity. But a US team have
found a way to coax the cells to start dividing again, raising hopes they...more
World's
Biggest Cave Found in Vietnam
A massive cave recently uncovered in a remote Vietnamese jungle is the
largest single cave passage yet found, a new survey shows. At 262-by-262
feet in most places, the Son Doong cave beats out the previous world-record
holder, Deer Cave in the Malaysian section of the island of Borneo. Deer
Cave is no...more
Smallest
Elephant Ancestor Found
After the dinosaurs perished, life on Earth didn't take long to bounce back,
a new study suggests. A newfound 60-million-year-old creature called
Eritherium azzouzorum—the oldest known elephant ancestor—bolsters the case
that whole new orders of mammals were already around less than 6 million...more
Humans Can
Learn to "See" With Sound
With just a click of the tongue, anyone can learn to "see" with their ears,
according to a new study of human echolocation. Several animals, such as
bats, dolphins, whales, and some shrews, are known to use echolocation—sound
waves bounced off nearby objects—to sense what's around...more
Most complete
Earth map published
The most complete terrain map of the Earth's surface has been published. The
data, comprising 1.3 million images, come from a collaboration between the
US space agency Nasa and the Japanese trade ministry. The images were taken
by Japan's Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission...more
Huge
Underground Chamber Found
A 2,000-year-old underground chamber has been discovered in Israel's Jordan
Valley. The largest human-made cave in Israel, the 1-acre space is thought
to have begun as a quarry. In subsequent centuries it may have served as a
monastery, hideout for persecuted Christians, or Roman army base, experts
say...more
River Reborn
from the Ashes
The first time Gene Roberts fell into the Cuyahoga River, he worried he
might die. The year was 1963, and the river was still an open sewer for
industrial waste. Walking home, Mr. Roberts smelled so bad that his friends
ran to stay upwind of him. Recently, Mr. Roberts returned to the river
carrying his fly-fishing rod...more
Bone Flute Is
Oldest Instrument
A vulture-bone flute discovered in a European cave is likely the world's
oldest recognizable musical instrument and pushes back humanity's musical
roots, a new study says. Found with fragments of mammoth-ivory flutes, the
40,000-year-old artifact also adds to evidence that music may have given...more
Fossil Fingers Solve Bird Wing Mystery?
The fossil hand of a long-necked, ostrich-like dinosaur recently found in
China may help solve the mystery of how bird wings evolved from dinosaur
limbs, according to a new study. The ancient digits belonged to a
159-million-year-old theropod dinosaur dubbed Limusaurus inextricabilis.
Theropods...more
Early "Human"
Is Ape After All
Nearly 15 years ago Russell Ciochon shook our family tree when he announced
that a fossil found in a Chinese cave was evidence of a new form of early
human. Today the anthropologist announced that the fossil, a partial jaw, is
from an ape after all—a "mystery ape." And as controversial as the original
theory...more
Famous Star Is Shrinking
One of the largest known stars in the universe is shrinking rapidly, and
astronomers don't know why. Betelgeuse (pronounced almost like "beetle
juice") is a red supergiant star 600 light-years away in the constellation
Orion. From Earth the star is clearly visible with the naked eye as the
reddish dot that...more
Oldest Art
Found on Mammoth Bone?
The Americas' oldest known artist may have been an Ice Age hunter in what is
now Florida, according to an anthropologist who has examined a
13,000-year-old bone etching. The carved bone, which depicts a walking
mammoth, was found near Vero Beach in east-central Florida. The now
exclusive area...more
Arctic May Boost Oil and Gas Reserves
The first-ever comprehensive assessment of Arctic oil and gas deposits
reveals that 13% of the world's undiscovered oil and 30% of its undiscovered
natural gas could be trapped beneath the far north's barren land and icy
waters. The potential resources are unlikely to alter world trends in oil...more
rocks could
signal Mars water
Fist-sized stones scattered around Victoria Crater on Mars appear to be
meteorites – and might be fragments of the object that punched out the
crater, researchers say. Because the rocks contain iron, which rusts in the
presence of water, they could provide a sensitive gauge of how much
weathering...more
Real Winner
Like millions of others, the mum-of-five had dreamed of winning the Lottery
and buying cars, houses and designer clothes. But she also had another wish
— to help the plight of countless starving children in Ethiopia she had seen
on television over the years. So when Jane scooped a £7.5million jackpot
five months ago...more
Good game
VIDEO games get a bad press. Many are unquestionably violent and, as has
been the way with new media from novels to comic books to television, they
have been accused of corrupting the moral fabric of youth. Nor are such
accusations without merit. There is a body of research...more
New Species Found at Great Barrier Reef
In and around Australia's Great Barrier Reef, researchers with the Census of
Marine Life have discovered hundreds of new species. Its a whole wide world
under here with some prime real estate and colorful characters. this is
australia's great barrier reef. The largest reef in...more
Astronauts
complete tricky Hubble surgery
In an orbital first, astronauts opened up and installed new electronics on
one of the Hubble Space Telescope's most important instruments on Saturday.
But NASA must now wait for the results of a battery of tests to see if the
ambitious repair job was a success. The space shuttle Atlantis is currently
orbiting....more
World’s First 100% Solar-Powered Stadium
The new main stadium for the World Games 2009 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan boasts
Taiwan's largest solar panel installation to date and is also the world's
biggest solar powered sports facility. 8,844 solar panels covering an area
of 14,155m2 are integrated into the roof construction of the sports facility...more
Habitat for
Humanity gets $100M Gift
The housing market may be sputtering, but Habitat for Humanity is getting a
$100 million jolt. The nonprofit told The Associated Press a nine-figure
gift from Atlanta-based developer J. Ronald Terwilliger will help it build
60,000 homes worldwide. It's the largest single contribution in the
organization's...more
Rare "Snubby" Dolphins Spit to Hunt
Spitting in public isn't rude in snubfin dolphin society—it's expected. The
rare marine mammals hunt together by chasing fish to the surface and then
"spitting" water at them to herd them for the kill, researchers with the
conservation nonprofit WWF recently discovered. As their name implies,
snubfin...more
"Dark Age"
Temple Found in Turkey
An ancient temple in Turkey has been found filled with broken metal, ivory
carvings, and stone slabs engraved with a dead language. The find is casting
new light on the "dark age" that was thought to have engulfed the region
from 1200 to 900 B.C. Written sources from the era—including the Old
Testament ...more
Seeds hope in 5 million new trees
Campaign season has arrived in Macedonia, with presidential and municipal
elections. Nevertheless, the locals made time for the third installment of
the “Day of the Tree” initiative that began last March to help reforest this
small Balkan country and raise ecological awareness. On that first showing...more
Stolen Afghan
Artifacts Return to Kabul
With so much bad news coming out of Afghanistan these days—a resurgent
Taliban, spreading violence, and a booming opium trade—it might be easy to
overlook another tragedy taking place: Across the war-shattered nation,
scavengers, looters, and thieves are pillaging...more
Bionic eye gives blind man sight
Ron explains how being fitted with a 'bionic eye' has changed his life. A
man who lost his sight 30 years ago says he can now see flashes of light
after being fitted with a bionic eye. Ron, 73, had the experimental surgery
seven months ago at London's Moorfield's eye hospital. He says he can now...more
India's trees
are potential Tamiflu source
Trees growing in a biodiversity hotspot in western India could yield a key
substance needed to make the bird flu drug Tamiflu. A team of scientists in
Bangalore reported in Current Science last week (25 March) that they have
identified several tree species that contain shikimic acid, a crucial
component...more
BMW Will Have All-Electric Mini Coopers
BMW beat out other motor companeis in the race to deliver a fully
alternative-fuel vehicle to drivers. The German automakers will lease new
all-electric Mini Coopers in Southern California and New York and New Jersey
by March 2009, Bloomberg reports. Drivers will be paying triple the cost of
the gasoline-powered model...more
We're Talking
Gigawatts
The largest series of solar
installations in history, more than 1,300 megawatts, is planned for the
desert outside Los Angeles, according to a new deal between the utility
Southern California Edison and solar power plant maker, BrightSource. The
momentous deal will deliver more electricity than even the largest...more
Queen's Mummy Found In 4300 Year Old Pyramid
Parts of a mummy found inside a 4,300-year-old pyramid could be Queen
Seshseshet, the mother of the first pharaoh of Egypt's 6th dynasty,
archaeologists have announced. A skull, pelvis, legs, and pieces of a torso
wrapped in linen lay inside a 16-foot-tall pyramid—the third "subsidiary"
tomb found next to...more
Mystery
Pyramid Built by Newfound Ancient Culture
Several stone sculptures
recently found in central Mexico point to a previously unknown culture that
likely built a mysterious pyramid in the region, archaeologists say.
Archaeologists first found the objects about 15 years ago in the valley of
Tulancingo, a major canyon that drops off into Mexico's Gulf Coast...more
Pterosaurs Took Flight on All Fours
Pterosaurs took flight using all fours, a discovery that flies in the face
of previous research on the ancient reptiles, a new study says. Two of the
giant creatures' "legs" were extremely strong wings, which when folded,
created "knuckles" that allowed the animals to walk and jump . The way a
bird...more
"Warm Plasma
Cloak" Discovered
The Earth is dressed in
layers that protect it from the sun's fierce winds, and scientists have
identified a new one they call a "warm plasma cloak." The magnetosphere—the
shield of ions and electrons that envelops Earth—extends far beyond the
atmosphere, defending the planet from the harmful solar...more
"Extinct" Primate Found
It may look like a gremlin, but this tiny animal is actually a pygmy
tarsier, recently rediscovered in the forests of Indonesia. The 2-ounce
carnivorous primate had not been seen alive since the 1920s. That was until
researchers on a summer expedition captured, tagged...more
Ancient water
source vital for Australia
An ancient underground
water basin the size of Libya holds the key to Australia avoiding a water
crisis as climate change bites the drought-hit nation.
Australia's Great Artesian Basin is one of the largest artesian groundwater
basins in the world, covering 1.7 million sq kms and lying beneath...more
Malaria vaccine trials show promise
British researchers, reporting success with malaria vaccine trials, are
calling for the next phase of development -- a broader vaccination base.
Experts from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said the
trial has proven successful among infants and toddlers in Tanzania and
Kenya, the school reported in a...more
Water found
in hot planet's orbit
Scientists say they have
found evidence for water vapour in the atmosphere of a planet 63 light-years
from Earth. The "hot Jupiter" planet's surface temperatures exceed 900C.
Writing in the journal Nature, the scientists say their discovery may help
find planets that can support life. In a separate study...more
Carbonate minerals found on Mars
Carbonates minerals, which form in the presence of water and have previously
been found only in trace amounts on Mars, have been spotted in outcrops of
rock on the Red Planet, new observations reveal. Since acidic conditions can
prevent carbonates from forming, the discovery suggests that ...more
Dogs Can Feel
Envy
The first scientific study
to find envy in non-primates affirms what many already know: dogs can get
jealous. "Everybody who has a dog at home probably that dogs can be
very jealous of other dogs and also of people," said lead author Friederike
Range of the University of Vienna, Austria...more
Newest Source of Biofuel: Fungus
It was recently discovered that a fungus found in the Patagonian Rain Forest
in South America could potentially be used to fuel vehicles in the future.
Yes, you heard right - Patagonian fungus, the next biofuel. Researchers
claim that the fungus, Gliocladium roseum, has the ability to produce a
plethora of unique combinations of hydrogen...more
Ocean
currents can power the world
The technology can generate
electricity in water flowing at a rate of less than one knot - about one
mile an hour - meaning it could operate on most waterways and sea beds
around the globe. Existing technologies which use water power, relying on
the action of waves, tides or faster currents created by dams...more
Light-wave implant hope for deaf
An implant which works by firing infrared light into the inner ear is being
investigated by US researchers.
Nerves in the ear can be stimulated by light as well as sound and the team
from Northwestern University, Illinois, is aiming to harness this. Infrared
light shone onto guinea pig nerve cells produced better results than
standard cochlear implants...more
Ocean
currents can power the world
The technology can generate
electricity in water flowing at a rate of less than one knot - about one
mile an hour - meaning it could operate on most waterways and sea beds
around the globe. Existing technologies which use water power, relying on
the action of waves, tides or faster currents created by dams, are far more
limited in where they can...more
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