Science News – Newsletter for September 18, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Now, smartphone app to send grumpy messages to careless fellow drivers
LONDON – Road rage, a nuisance to smooth-flowing traffic, may soon become a thing of the past – courtesy a new smartphone app called Bump.
Sending a grumpy message to a fellow driver telling them what an inconsiderate road-user or parker they are has become … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Now, smartphone app to send grumpy messages to careless fellow drivers.
New nano-sized particles set to revolutionise data storage
WASHINGTON – Researchers have discovered an entire new class of phase-change materials that could be applied to phase change random access memory (PCM) technologies and possibly optical data storage as well.
Phase-change materials’ ability to readily and swiftly transition between different phases has made them valuable as … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : New nano-sized particles set to revolutionise data storage.
Earth’s mantle and core mix 2900 km below our feet
WASHINGTON – Using X-ray diffraction at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble (France), researchers have found that the Earth’s mantle and its core mix at a distance of 2900 km under our feet in a mysterious zone.
A team of geophysicists has just …. Read the original article : Earth’s mantle and core mix 2900 km below our feet.
World’s biggest, strongest spider webs discovered
WASHINGTON – Scientists have discovered some of world’s biggest, strongest spider webs, one of which, created by Darwin’s bark spider, spans over a river in Madagascar.
In 2008, zoologists discovered a river-spanning spider web dwarfing a park ranger in Madagascar.
Made of the world’s strongest known … Read : World’s biggest, strongest spider webs discovered.
Rod cells in eyes set our internal clocks
LONDON – Solving the mystery behind circadian rhythms, researchers have found that the rod cells in our eyes set our so called internal clocks that regulate everything from our sleep-wake cycles to our appetites and hormone levels.
It was known that light coming into our brains via …. Original source : Rod cells in eyes set our internal clocks.
Here’s what your mobile handset tells about your mindset
MELBOURNE – You won’t like gardening if you have an iPhone, and travelling via planes might not be your thing in case you own a Samsung handset-these are just some of the observations researchers made after finding that mobile phones reveal quote a lot about one’s personality.
iPhone users believe computers give them more … Read more >>.
Diabetic women ‘have more C-sections and fetal complications’
WASHINGTON – A study has revealed that nearly half of women with diabetes prior to pregnancy have a potentially-avoidable C-section and their babies are twice as likely to die as those born to women without diabetes.
Researchers from St. Michael’s Hospital, the Institute … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Diabetic women ‘have more C-sections and fetal complications’.
Now, an e-shirt to keep a tab on your performance during workout
WASHINGTON – Constant update on how you are performing during physical exercise could be a great deal of help, and now you can keep a constant check on your vitals while working out, thanks to a smart ‘e-shirt’ that can measure …. Original source : Now, an e-shirt to keep a tab on your performance during workout.
3 in 4 Brit parents use Facebook to check up on their kids’ university antics
LONDON – A new study has found that three in four parents use social networking site Facebook to check up on their university going children.
The research, commissioned by insurance company Ensleigh, also found that 72 percent of 18-25-year-olds who have left home use the Internet to speak to … Read this article on Gaea Times at : 3 in 4 Brit parents use Facebook to check up on their kids’ university antics.
Lefties more likely to be angry
LONDON – Left-handed? Well, then you are more likely to be angry, says a new research.
For lefties, life holds many frustrations – from the everyday items designed for right-handers to folklore saying they are in league with the devil.
So perhaps it is the result of …. Read the original article : Lefties more likely to be angry.
A tiny dose of Prozac may help relieve women’s monthly misery
LONDON – Those five days of the month when women suffer pain and emotional stress of PMS may soon become a thing of the past, as Prozac can be a remedy to relieve them, it has emerged.
New evidences have suggested that tiny amounts of Prozac … Read more >>.
Now, 2 pound blood test to predict susceptibility to heart disease, diabetes
LONDON – Scientists have developed a simple two-pound blood test that has the potential to test a person’s chances of developing heart disease and diabetes.
The test would be made available in five years and anyone found to be prone could then take …. Read the original article : here.
‘Observe the Moon Night’ with rest of the planet on Saturday!
WASHINGTON – People around the world will gather this Saturday to observe and examine Earth’s nearest celestial neighbour as part of the first ever International Observe the Moon Night.
It is a joint effort of NASA and several partners to … Read more >>.
Potential ‘persistence’ switch for tuberculosis discovered
WASHINGTON – Rice University bioengineers have examined a portion of the tuberculosis genome that responds to stress and have found a network of genes that may “switch” the disease into dormancy.
The bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB), Mycobacterium …. Original article : Potential ‘persistence’ switch for tuberculosis discovered.
Soon, smart cars to intimate emergency services in case of crash
LONDON – Cars are set to get smarter in case of a crash, for they could soon be ringing the emergency services themselves if involved in a crisis.
In fact, sensors embedded in future vehicles could also let emergency services work out … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Soon, smart cars to intimate emergency services in case of crash.
New approach brings robot pets closer to reality
WASHINGTON – The day is not far when you would be able to keep a robot pet that can mimic the behaviour of real ones, for researchers in Taiwan have come closer to developing a robot vision module that might one-day recognize human facial expressions …. Original article : New approach brings robot pets closer to reality.
Too much thinking may not be as good as you believed
WASHINGTON – While introspection is a good thing, but too much “thinking about your thinking” might not be as beneficial as you thought.
A new study found that in people who are good at turning their thoughts inward and reflecting upon their decisions, the size … Original source on Gaea Times at : Too much thinking may not be as good as you believed.
Taiwan issues warning as Typhoon Fanapi approaches
TAIPEI – Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Saturday instructed local authorities to prepare for evacuations and to secure areas against Typhoon Fanapi, which was gaining strength as it approached the island.
The army was standing by in Hualien on the east coast, where Fanapi was expected to make landfall early Sunday, the first typhoon to hit Taiwan … Original article on : Taiwan issues warning as Typhoon Fanapi approaches.
Global wireless subscriptions to hit five bn
NEW YORK – The number of global subscriptions for wireless services is expected to reach five billion in September and be equal to 73.4 percent of the world’s population, a market research firm has said.
According to iSuppli Corp, worldwide wireless subscriptions will increase by another 100 million and hit 5.1 billion at the end of …. Source : Global wireless subscriptions to hit five bn.
Mark Twain finally gets recognition in Nevada with vote to name Lake Tahoe cove for him
Mark Twain finally gets recognition in Nevada
RENO, Nev. – Mark Twain is finally getting some recognition in the state where he assumed his pen name as a newspaper reporter nearly 150 years ago.
The Nevada State Board on Geographic Names has voted to name a cove on Lake Tahoe’s northeast shore for Samuel Clemens, Mark Twain’s …. Source article : Mark Twain finally gets recognition in Nevada with vote to name Lake Tahoe cove for him.