Sulphur could contain signatures of life on Mars

LONDON – New evidence indicates that signs of life on Mars might be all over the Red Planet in the form of sulphur, and the next Mars lander should be able to detect the proof.

No mission to Mars has ever found complex carbon-based molecules, from which life as we know it is built.
But sulphur is …. Source article  : Sulphur could contain signatures of life on Mars.

Hurtling star could fire comets at Earth!

LONDON – New calculations have suggested that a hurtling star is on its path to enter our solar system in about 1.5 million years, scattering millions of comets into paths that cross Earth’s orbit.

According to a report in New Scientist, Vadim Bobylev of the Pulkovo Observatory in St Petersburg, Russia, modelled the paths of neighbouring …. Source  : Hurtling star could fire comets at Earth!.

Chemical that ‘protects’ hearts of muscular dystrophy patients discovered

WASHINGTON – University of Minnesota Medical School scientists have discovered a chemical that may, over the long term, protect the hearts of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients – a fatal and most common form of muscular dystrophy in children.

The chemical, which Medical School scientists have termed a “molecular band-aid,” seeks out tiny cuts in diseased heart … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Chemical that ‘protects’ hearts of muscular dystrophy patients discovered.

Toyota dismisses man’s account of runaway Prius, breaking silence on public relations headache

Toyota dismisses Calif. man’s runaway Prius report

SAN DIEGO – Toyota Motor Corp. was quiet last week when James Sikes told reporters how the gas pedal got stuck on his 2008 Prius, leading him on a wild ride on a Southern California freeway.
Now the Japanese automaker is talking at length about how its tests don’t support …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Demand for shark fin soup pushing some species to brink of extinction, says conservation group

Sharks threatened by Asian consumers, says group

DOHA, Qatar – Surging demand for shark fin soup among Asia’s booming middle classes is driving many species of these big fish to the brink of extinction, a marine conservation group said Tuesday.
Oceana, in a report released Tuesday at a U.N. endangered species meeting, found that up to 73 …. Read the original article  : Demand for shark fin soup pushing some species to brink of extinction, says conservation group.

Bugs on a person’s hand can act like fingerprints to nab criminals

LONDON – Scientists have said that by comparing the unique collection of bacteria found on a person’s hand to those recovered at a crime scene, microbes could act like fingerprints to nab the culprit.

Our fingers are home to a unique collection of bacteria that get left on surfaces we touch.
According to a report in New …. Source  : Bugs on a person’s hand can act like fingerprints to nab criminals.

Fertilizing oceans with iron could spark growth of toxic blooms

LONDON – Scientists have found that fertilizing the oceans with iron could spark the growth of toxic blooms, which comes in the way of the controversial idea of adding iron to the oceans to help suck up atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2).

According to a report in Nature News, the finding, from a team led by ecologist …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Fertilizing oceans with iron could spark growth of toxic blooms.

Scientists find meat-eating amphibian that appeared 70 mln yrs before first dinos

WASHINGTON – Scientists have found the fossil of a 300-million-year-old meat-eating amphibian near a major airport in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which appeared about 70 million years before the first dinosaurs appeared.

Scientists named the amphibian as ‘Fedexia strieglei’ as a gesture of thanks … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Scientists find meat-eating amphibian that appeared 70 mln yrs before first dinos.

Flowering plants may be older than previously thought

WASHINGTON – A new analysis of the plant family tree has determined that flowering plants may be considerably older than previously thought.

Previous studies suggest that flowering plants, or angiosperms, first arose 140 to 190 million years ago.
Now, a new research pushes back the age of angiosperms … Read more : Flowering plants may be older than previously thought.

After a year of record deaths, more endangered cranes survive winter, but more obstacles ahead

More whooping cranes survive winter than expected

ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, Texas – It’s been a much better year for the endangered whooping crane than biologists had hoped.
Last year a record 23 cranes died in their south Texas wintering grounds, and wildlife managers expected many to die again this season. Only one died this winter, but …. Source  : After a year of record deaths, more endangered cranes survive winter, but more obstacles ahead.

Leonardo Da Vinci used painting ‘trick’ to change Mona Lisa’s expression

LONDON – Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile was created by Leonardo Da Vinci using a special painting technique, which tricked people into believing that the expression was changing, a new study claims.

Austrian neurologists suggest Da Vinci was proficient at a technique called “sfumato”, in which [..] Read the original article: here.

How status quo bias in the brain affects decisions

WASHINGTON – Examining the neural pathways involved in ’status quo bias’ in the human brain, researchers at University College London (UCL) have found that the more difficult the decision we face, the more likely we are … Read more : How status quo bias in the brain affects decisions.

First ‘modern’ humans may have appeared in Iberian Peninsula about 33,000 yrs ago

WASHINGTON – A new research has suggested that the first ‘modern’ human beings may have appeared in the Iberian Peninsula about 33,000 years ago.

The research was carried out by a group of archaeologists from the Centre for Prehistoric Archaeological Heritage Studies of the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) at …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : First ‘modern’ humans may have appeared in Iberian Peninsula about 33,000 yrs ago.

Babies are born to dance

WASHINGTON – Infants respond to the rhythm and tempo of music and find it more engaging than speech, boffins have found.

The finding suggests that babies may be born with a predisposition to move rhythmically … Read more >>>.

Emotional, psychological maturity not linked to spiritual development

WASHINGTON – A new study claims that a person can reach a high level of spiritual development without being emotionally and psychologically mature.

Prof. Mayseless, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Haifa …. Source article  : Emotional, psychological maturity not linked to spiritual development.

Most humans have a ‘hidden’ singer inside them

WASHINGTON – If you’re one of those who avoid karaoke, then there’s something you should know: A researcher has claimed that most people possess hidden singing talent.

According to Lawrence Rosenblum, professor of psychology at the University of California, “you likely sing better than [..] Read the original article: here.

Gene switch discovery may help humans regrow body parts

LONDON – Scientists have discovered a gene which they claim could help make regrowing amputated limbs, broken backs and even damaged brains a reality.

The gene p21, researchers claim, appears to block the healing power enjoyed by some creatures including amphibians but … Read more »».

Female sex chromosomes, not just hormones, help in regulation of BP

WASHINGTON – According to Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) scientists, something in female sex chromosomes appears to trigger a rise in blood pressure after the onset of menopause.

The finding challenges the current belief that sex hormones are largely responsible for regulating blood pressure.
Published …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Female sex chromosomes, not just hormones, help in regulation of BP.

Rush is on to save 3 sick Siberian tigers at Chinese zoo where 11 starved to death

3 tigers very ill at Chinese zoo where 11 starved

BEIJING – Zookeepers are scrambling to save three seriously ill Siberian tigers at a cash-strapped zoo in northeastern China where 11 of the big cats starved to death recently.
The three tigers were shedding fur, had lost their appetites and were listless, the official Xinhua News Agency … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Rush is on to save 3 sick Siberian tigers at Chinese zoo where 11 starved to death.

Michigan’s only known wild wolverine found dead; state officials suspect natural causes

Wolverine State loses only known wild wolverine

MINDEN, Mich. – The Wolverine State has lost its only known wild wolverine.
State officials said Monday hikers found the 28-pound female over the weekend outside Minden, about 90 miles north of Detroit.
Department of Natural Resources and Environment spokeswoman Mary Dettloff says natural causes are suspected.
Hunters first spotted the wolverine … Read more : Michigan’s only known wild wolverine found dead; state officials suspect natural causes.