Science News – Newsletter for February 22, 2010

Monday, February 22, 2010

Scientists hit by fallout from loss of public confidence in climate science

LONDON – A top US academic has claimed that the fallout from a loss of public confidence in climate science is affecting other fields of research.

American opinion polls point to a general deterioration in people’s faith in science, Dr Ralph Cicerone, president …. Original article  : Scientists hit by fallout from loss of public confidence in climate science.

Global warming both bane and boon for world’s poor

WASHINGTON – A new study by researchers at Stanford University, US, has determined that global warming may have an adverse impact on food prices and hunger in poor populations of the world, while others would be helped out of poverty because of it.

Researchers say that higher temperatures … Read more >>>.

7,000-year-old bricks discovered in China

NEW DELHI – Archaeologists have unearthed bricks dating back 5,000 to 7,000 years in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, adding between 1,000 to 2,000 years onto Chinese brick-making history.

“The five calcined bricks were unearthed from a site of the Yangshao Culture Period … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : 7,000-year-old bricks discovered in China.

Diabetes drug ‘ups heart disease, death risk’

LONDON – US senators have linked a diabetes drug to heart disease and death.
They have claimed that the drug Avandia used by tens of thousands of Britons increases the risk of heart problems and could even lead to death, reports the Telegraph.he US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the medicines …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Most test tube babies kids are ‘healthy’

WASHINGTON – Scientists have found only a few medical differences between children born as a result of assisted reproduction and kids conceived in the traditional way.

More than three million children have been born worldwide as a result of assisted reproductive technologies since the birth of the first …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Most test tube babies kids are ‘healthy’.

High Vitamin D levels in middle-age cut down heart disease risk

LONDON – The middle-aged and the elderly with high vitamin D levels could cut down risks of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43 percent, says a new research.

A Warwick Medical School research team carried out a systematic review of studies examining vitamin D and cardiometabolic disorders.
Cardiometabolic disorders include cardiovascular disease, type … Read more »»».

US plastic bag fee forces question from ‘paper or plastic?’ to ‘pay or no bag?’

Plastic bags in US _ to pay or not to pay?

WASHINGTON – For decades the standard question at U.S. grocery store check-out counters has been “Paper or Plastic?” But since January, consumers in the U.S. capital have faced a different question: “Will you pay 5 cents for a bag?”
Europeans have long accepted the idea of … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : US plastic bag fee forces question from ‘paper or plastic?’ to ‘pay or no bag?’.

‘Cosmic candles’ result of colliding dead stars

SYDNEY – In a new research, scientists have found that supernova, which are ‘cosmic candles’ used to fix the distance of objects in the universe, are caused by the merger of two small dead stars called white dwarfs.

For some time, there have been two most likely scenarios for what is causing these most generic explosions … Read this article on Gaea Times at : ‘Cosmic candles’ result of colliding dead stars.

Corals reef in danger of being wiped off the face of the Earth

WASHINGTON – If reports are anything to go by, then coral reefs are in danger of being wiped off the face of the Earth, all due to global warming.

Corals get most of their energy from microscopic algae that live in their tissue. These algae are colourful and are what gives corals their vivid hue.
When environmental …. Read the original article  : here.

Governments ‘underestimating’ scale of CO2 emissions

WASHINGTON – A new research has concluded that policymakers in Europe and US are markedly underestimating the changes needed to mitigate carbon dioxide (CO2) emission required to prevent dangerous climate change because they work in ’silos’.

Dr Sebastian Carney, from The University of Manchester, UK, discovered that the lack of communication between government departments, NGOs and …. Original article  : Governments ‘underestimating’ scale of CO2 emissions.

Ultra-fast tabletop X-ray laser may be used for high-resolution imaging

WASHINGTON – Recent breakthroughs by a team of scientists have paved the way on how to build a ultra-fast tabletop X-ray laser that could be used for super high-resolution imaging.

Both of these feats could lead to major breakthroughs in many fields including medicine, biology and nanotechnology development.
Research into the field is being carried out by …. Read the original article  : here.

Siesta makes you smarter

WASHINGTON – If you see a student dozing in the library or a co-worker catching 40 winks in her cubicle, don’t snigger. New research from the University of California, Berkeley (UC-B) shows that an hour’s nap can dramatically boost and restore brain power.

The findings suggest that a biphasic sleep (sleeping twice in a 24-hour …. Read the original article  : Siesta makes you smarter.

Midday napping can make you smarter

WASHINGTON – Taking a midday nap can dramatically boost brain’s learning capacity power, according to a new study.

The new research suggests that a biphasic sleep schedule not only refreshes the mind, but can also make you smarter.
On the other hand, the more hours we spend awake, the more sluggish our minds become, according to the … Read : Midday napping can make you smarter.

Sea levels wouldn’t rise by 82 cms by century end, say scientists

LONDON – The author of a study that claimed in 2009 that sea levels would rise by up to 82cm by the end of century, is now saying that the true estimate is still unknown, which seems like the fall out of the goof-up on the melting of the Himalayan glaciers.

The study, published in 2009 …. Original source  : Sea levels wouldn’t rise by 82 cms by century end, say scientists.

Soon, wearable solar cells to charge gadgets while on the move

LONDON – Charging gadgets while on the move may soon be possible, as scientists have developed a flexible solar cell that can be built into clothing.

Harry Atwater and his team at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena have made the bendy cell from an array of microwires encased in a clear flexible polymer.
It uses … Read more »».

Boiling shrimps may reduce shellfish allergens: Study

WASHINGTON – A new study has found that boiling shrimp for 10 minutes may reduce allergenic properties of total shrimp extracts.

Researchers from Jimei University in Fujian China and the Agricultural Research Service in New Orleans, LA examined shrimp extracts from both raw and boiled shrimp, which were ground and then freeze-dried.
The research showed that boiling …. Read the original article  : Boiling shrimps may reduce shellfish allergens: Study.

Scientists sequence giant panda genome to shed new light into the bear’s diet

WASHINGTON – By successfully sequencing the panda genome for the first time, an international team of scientists has shed new light on some of the giant panda’s unusual biological traits, including its famously restricted diet.

Professor Mike Bruford, Cardiff School of Biosciences, worked on the study as part of an ongoing collaboration with the Chinese Academy … Read more »».

Monkeys more sensitive to damage to their habitat than previously thought

WASHINGTON – A new research has determined that monkey populations in threatened forests are far more sensitive to damage to their habitat than previously thought.

The research was conducted by Dr Andrew Marshall, from the Environment Department at the University of York and Director of Conservation at Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo, in collaboration with … Read more »».

Magnetic fields play important role in birth of massive stars

LONDON – In a new research, astronomers have used the MERLIN radio telescope network centered on the Jodrell Bank Observatory to show that magnetic fields play an important role during the birth of massive stars.

Magnetic fields are already known to strongly influence the formation of lower-mass stars like our Sun.
This new study reveals that the …. Original source  : Magnetic fields play important role in birth of massive stars.

Reed canary grass can provide excellent ‘green’ fuel

WASHINGTON – A long-term research has revealed that reed canary grass can be turned into an excellent ‘green’ fuel for biomass power stations and, on a smaller scale, boilers in buildings like schools.

The five-year research project was carried out by researchers from Teesside University’s Contaminated Land and Water Centre.
Reed canary grass, which is native to …. Source  : Reed canary grass can provide excellent ‘green’ fuel.