Scientists come a step closer to unlocking secrets of photosynthesis
WASHINGTON – An international team of scientists has taken a significant step closer to unlocking the secrets of photosynthesis, and possibly to cleaner fuels.

Plants and algae, as well as cyanobacteria, use photosynthesis to produce oxygen and “fuels,” the latter being oxidizable …. Original article  : Scientists come a step closer to unlocking secrets of photosynthesis.

Philippines triples its rice yield in last 50 years
WASHINGTON – Reports indicate that in the last fifty years, the Philippines has more than tripled its rice yield, while the world average rice yield has increased only about 2.3 times.

Despite being criticized as a poor rice producer because of … Read more >>.

Dust storms from Arctic may affect climate and health in the Americas and Europe
WASHINGTON – New evidence has emerged which indicates that dust storms in the arctic, possibly caused by receding glaciers, may be making similar deposits in northern Europe and North America, thus affecting the health of the people in the countries there.

Joseph …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Dust storms from Arctic may affect climate and health in the Americas and Europe.

Scientists develop easier way to predict snowfall
WASHINGTON – Scientists from the University of Utah, US, have developed an easier way for meteorologists to predict snowfall amounts and density.

Based on a study of 457 winter storms during eight years at 9,644 feet in the Wasatch Range at Utah’s …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Scientists develop easier way to predict snowfall.

iPhone’s ‘wobbling breasts’ app sparks row
LONDON – Apple has decided to pull the plug on its application called Wobble iBoobs after receiving “numerous complaints” from customers.

The application that let users to watch breasts bounce was said to have earned more than 150,000 pounds.
Developer ChilliFresh said Apple originally deemed it suitable for distribution … Read : iPhone’s ‘wobbling breasts’ app sparks row.

Space shuttle Endeavour set to return to Earth on Feb 21
WASHINGTON – Reports indicate that Space shuttle Endeavour and its six-member crew are expected to return to Earth on Sunday, February 21, after a 14-day mission.

NASA managers will evaluate weather conditions at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida before permitting Endeavour to land.
If Endeavour lands on Feb 21 in …. Source  : Space shuttle Endeavour set to return to Earth on Feb 21.

Dinosaurs were also marine creatures, not just land dwellers
WASHINGTON – Researchers have found evidence of dinosaurs that spent much of their time in water, which shows that the prehistoric beasts were not in fact restricted to land as had been previously thought.

Romain Amiot at the University of Lyon in France and a team … Read more »»».

Dramatic rise in genetic information about diseases
SYDNEY – Scientists have dramatically expanded the volume of genetic information about complex human diseases and their potential treatment.

A team of researchers from Childrens Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research (CCIA), University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Penn State University, sequenced the genomes of indigenous Africans and found them to be among the worlds …. Source  : Dramatic rise in genetic information about diseases.

Indian-origin Kiwi scientist aiming to regrow human organs
WELLINGTON – A breakthrough research by an Indian-origin Kiwi scientist may soon enable humans to regrow parts of their body in the same way some amphibians do.

Vishal Bhasin, a former Wellingtonian, has spent the past six years in Sydney researching tissue regeneration, reports Stuff.co.nz.
He said. “I’ve already managed to turn [skin] cells into fat cells …. Original source  : Indian-origin Kiwi scientist aiming to regrow human organs.

New technique shakes brain cancer cells to death
WASHINGTON – Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago Medical Center have created a technique to combat brain cancer using tiny, nano-sized discs that shake the tumor cells to death – literally.

The method, however, is only in the early stages of development, the boffins stressed.
The new technique …. Original source  : New technique shakes brain cancer cells to death.

Fungal fumes prove deadly for destructive pests
WASHINGTON – A cocktail of compounds emitted by the beneficial fungus Muscodor albus may offer a biological way to fumigate certain crops and rid them of destructive pests.

That is what Agricultural Research Service (ARS) studies suggest, in which scientists pitted Muscodor against potato tuber moths, apple coddling moths and Tilletia fungi that cause bunt …. Source  : Fungal fumes prove deadly for destructive pests.

Giant ‘atom smasher’ to be switched on again next week
LONDON – Scientists at the laboratory that operates the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have said that the giant atom smasher will be switched on again next week.

The particle accelerator was shut down for the Christmas period shortly after setting the record for the highest particle energies ever attained.
According to BBC News, over the coming months, …. Original article  : Giant ‘atom smasher’ to be switched on again next week.

Scientists find mouse that eats like the dinosaurs
LONDON – Scientists have determined that the European woodmouse has a unique taste for ferns, a food once eaten by long-extinct dinosaurs.

According to a report by BBC News, the mouse regularly devours the spores of the endemic European fern Culcita macrocarpa, the only small mammal known to do so.
It is rare for modern vertebrates to …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Scientists find mouse that eats like the dinosaurs.

Critical enzyme in healthy heart function identified
WASHINGTON – Scientists at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have shown that the enzyme calcineurin is critical in controlling normal development and function of heart cells, and that loss of the protein leads to heart problems and death in genetically modified mice.

The study will be published in Feb. 26 …. Source article  : Critical enzyme in healthy heart function identified.

Women’s looks sway men, even in the virtual world
LONDON – Men judge women on the basis of their looks, even in the virtual world, a researcher has found.

Avatars and robots are increasingly appealing people these days, courtesy video games and blockbuster movies.
Now, Karl MacDorman of Indiana University in Indianapolis, Indiana, wanted to find out how people treated avatars when faced with an ethical … Read more >>>.

We are 93 percent predictable
LONDON – Whether you are a homebody or a frequent flier, your movements are predictable – theoretically speaking, according to a study of the traces left by 50,000 cellphone users.

“We are all in one way or another boring,” says Albert-L??szl?? Barab??si at the Center for Complex Network Research at Northeastern University in Boston, who co-wrote … Read more »».

Robot bird given extra powers to scare off pesky pigeons
EDINBURGH – A robotic bird has been rebooted with extra features that would enable it to scare off pesky pigeons.

Earlier, the robot, invented by John Donald, an entrepreneur with a science background, couldn’t fool some particularly wily pigeons.
Known as Robop, it has been sold around the world, but has failed to prove effective in some …. Original source  : Robot bird given extra powers to scare off pesky pigeons.

Endeavour undocks from International Space Station
LOS ANGELES – Space shuttle Endeavour has undocked from the International Space Station after successfully installing an additional observation deck at the research centre.

The six-member mission left the station Friday and will reach the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida Monday, NASA said in a press release.
As the vehicle parted with the ISS at 7.54 …. Source article  : Endeavour undocks from International Space Station.

Delhi continues to feel the chill
NEW DELHI – A bright morning greeted Delhiites Saturday but cool winds and temperatures below average ensured that the chill continued in the capital.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature recorded early Saturday was a notch below average at 9.7 degrees Celsius.
“The temperatures have been below average over the past few …. Source  : Delhi continues to feel the chill.

Thanks but no thanks: Most states pass on their share of $5B in stimulus cash for welfare jobs

$3.8B in stimulus funds for welfare jobs untouched

ATLANTA – Desperate though they are to fill gaps in their budgets, more than half the states in the country haven’t touched a $5 billion pot of federal stimulus funds meant to find work for welfare recipients.
Leaders in most states have hesitated to pony up the matching funds …. Source article  : Thanks but no thanks: Most states pass on their share of $5B in stimulus cash for welfare jobs.