Hailstorm damages houses, crops in northeast India

AGARTALA/AIZAWL – Hundreds of houses were destroyed, a large number of trees, electric and telephone posts uprooted and crops heavily damaged in pre-monsoon rains accompanied by strong wind and hailstorm in Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur, official sources said here Tuesday.

Officials in the state capitals said the seasonal cyclonic rainstorm accompanied by heavy lightning, which lashed …. Source  : Hailstorm damages houses, crops in northeast India.

Love turns fatal as jumbos clash over female

RAIPUR – A tragic love story played out in the jungles of Chhattisgarh when two male jumbos clashed for several hours over a female elephant, eventually killing one of them, a forest official said Tuesday.

“Two male wild jumbos fought a fatal war in Gharghora forest circle of Raigarh district for several hours Monday to have … Read more »».

‘Door to afterlife’ unearthed at Karnak temple in Egypt

WASHINGTON – Reports indicate that an Egyptian excavation team has unearthed a 3,500-year-old door to the afterlife from the tomb of a high-ranking Egyptian official near Karnak temple in Luxor.

Engraved with religious texts, the six-foot-tall red granite door belonged to the tomb … Read more »».

Biblical plagues happened in reality, say scientists

LONDON – Scientists have claimed that the Biblical plagues that devastated Ancient Egypt in the Old Testament really happened and were the result of global warming and a volcanic eruption.

According to a report in The Telegraph, researchers believe they … Read : Biblical plagues happened in reality, say scientists.

Tiny dinosaur tailor-made for running discovered

LONDON – Scientists have discovered a tiny dinosaur tailor-made for running, according to a new Chinese-Canadian-British study.

The fossil skeleton of the tiny animal, named Xixianykus Zhangi, is incomplete but would probably have been half-a-metre long. The specimen comes from Xixia County in Henan province, China.
This late Cretaceous ‘road-runner’ had a number of adaptations …. Source  : Tiny dinosaur tailor-made for running discovered.

World’s smallest superconductor discovered

WASHINGTON – Reports indicate that scientists have discovered the world’s smallest superconductor, which is a sheet of four pairs of molecules less than one nanometer wide.

The Ohio University-led study provides the first evidence that nanoscale molecular superconducting wires can be fabricated, which … Read more »».

Climate change may have rang the death knell for Angkor’s Khmer civilization

WASHINGTON – In a new study, researchers have come across evidence which suggests that climate change may have helped bring about the fall of Cambodia’s ancient Khmer civilization at Angkor nearly 600 years ago.

Historians have offered various explanations for the fall of … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Climate change may have rang the death knell for Angkor’s Khmer civilization.

See Venus and Mercury pair up in twilight for next 2 weeks

WASHINGTON – Reports indicate that sky gazers are going be treated with the rare spectacle of Venus and Mercury forming an eye-catching pair for nearly the next two weeks, about 30 to 60 minutes after sunset.

“Mercury is pretty hard to spot most of the time, so a lot …. Original article  : See Venus and Mercury pair up in twilight for next 2 weeks.

Hyenas’ laughter signals decoded

WASHINGTON – The giggling sounds of a hyena contain important information about the animal’s age, dominance and identity, scientists have found.

In the study, researchers recorded the calls of 26 hyenas in captivity and found that variations in the giggles’ pitch and …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Hyenas’ laughter signals decoded.

Bats rely on sun’s position at sunset to navigate

WASHINGTON – Despite the fact that bats are nocturnal creatures, they rely on the position of the sun at sunset to navigate, a new study has found.

For the study, scientists at the Max Planck Institute examined greater mouse-eared bats to see if they could …. Read the original article  : Bats rely on sun’s position at sunset to navigate.

Kids’ perception of threat from parental fighting determines trauma symptoms

WASHINGTON – A new study by researchers in the US has suggested that if kids feel threatened by even very low levels of violence between their parents, they may be at increased risk for developing trauma symptoms.

The research showed …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Kids’ perception of threat from parental fighting determines trauma symptoms.

Blocking protein activity prevents Alzheimer’s-like memory loss in fruit flies

WASHINGTON – Blocking the cellular signalling activity of a protein, called PI3 kinase, could prevent memory loss in fruit flies caused by brain plaques similar to those characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease in humans, according to a study.

Conducted by neuroscientists at …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Blocking protein activity prevents Alzheimer’s-like memory loss in fruit flies.

Renaissance painters ‘cheated’ with optical aids, say experts

LONDON – Analysing a 16th-century artwork dubbed a “Rosetta stone” for optical techniques, art experts have said that some Renaissance artists used lenses or mirrors to help them paint more accurately.

In 2000, artist David Hockney and optical scientist Charles Falco of the University of Arizona in Tucson, proposed the theory … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Renaissance painters ‘cheated’ with optical aids, say experts.

Brainstorming and creativity do not go hand in hand

WASHINGTON – Brainstorming may not be the best way to get creative juices flowing among people, groups, or organizations, according to an upcoming study from Applied Cognitive Psychology.

The researchers from Texas A and … Read more »».

First-ever single-claw dinosaur fossil found in China

NEW DELHI – Reports indicate that Chinese scientists have found what is believed to be one of the oldest ever fossils of the “one claw” species of dinosaur.

The fossil was discovered at the Upper Cretaceous Majiacun Formation of Xixia County, in central China’s Henan Province.
It dates back more than 63 million years, and represented one …. Source article  : First-ever single-claw dinosaur fossil found in China.

“Pac-Man” eats dots on Saturn’s icy moon Mimas!

WASHINGTON – An interesting new temperature map of Saturn’s tiny moon Mimas has revealed an unexpected hot region that resembles “Pac-Man” eating a dot.

The highest-resolution-yet temperature map and images of the icy moon Mimas was obtained by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft.
It has revealed surprising patterns on the surface of the small moon, including unexpected hot regions …. Source  : “Pac-Man” eats dots on Saturn’s icy moon Mimas!.

Scientists create Alzheimer’s rat for human research

WASHINGTON – A group of scientists has genetically manipulated rat to create ideal model for studying Alzheimer’s disease in humans.

Prof. Claudio Cuello at McGill University and his collaborators have genetically manipulated rats that can emulate Alzheimer’s disease in humans, enabling research that will include the development of new treatments.
Alzheimer’s is a brain condition leading to … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Scientists create Alzheimer’s rat for human research.

Potential new target for treating hepatitis C identified

WASHINGTON – A team of researchers has discovered that binding of a potent inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) to the genetic material of the virus causes a major conformational change that may adversely affect the ability of the virus to replicate.

This discovery, published in the March 29 early edition of the Proceedings of … Read more »».

Nanosatellite set to rid space of dangerous junk

LONDON – A tiny three-kg satellite or “nanosatellite” will rid the space of dangerous clouds of junk hurtling around in the earth’s lower orbit.

More than 5,500 tonnes of junk is believed to be cluttering space around the planet as a result of 50 years of abandoned spacecraft.
The junk opens the possibility of collision … Read more »».

Scorpion venom may help understand cause, treatment of pancreatitis

WASHINGTON – Researchers at North Carolina State University and East Carolina University have gained insight into scorpion venom’s effects on the ability of certain cells to release critical components – a finding that may prove useful in understanding diseases like pancreatitis or … Read more : Scorpion venom may help understand cause, treatment of pancreatitis.