Soybeans can provide safer sunscreens

WASHINGTON – Say goodbye to that petroleum based sunscreen lotion and get ready to grab a bottle of a more natural sun-protecting product, which is made of soybean oil.

Scientists have developed a new method for converting soybean oil into a highly effective bio-based sunscreen active ingredient, called feruloyl soy glycerides (FSG), which does not carry …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Orissa hosting world meet to save Irrawaddy dolphins

BHUBANESWAR – Around 100 participants from Asian countries like Japan, Bangladesh and Indonesia are expected at what is being called the first international workshop on Irrawaddy dolphins to be held in India from Thursday.

The two-day conference will be held in the Orissa capital. Dozens of research papers expected to be presented there are likely to … Original source on Gaea Times at : Orissa hosting world meet to save Irrawaddy dolphins.

Weather forecast system to be improved in Himachal

SHIMLA – High-tech gadgets will be installed across Himachal Pradesh to provide precise and detailed weather forecast, especially to farmers, an official said here Wednesday.

“We have plans to install two Doppler weather radars and a series of automatic weather stations and rain gauges in the state,” Manmohan Singh, director of Shimla meteorological office, told IANS. …. Original article  : Weather forecast system to be improved in Himachal.

Bihar set to witness hot summer

PATNA – Bihar is set to witness a scorching summer this year with several parts already recording temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, an official said Wednesday.

“In the last two days, day temperatures soared above 40 degrees in Gaya, Patna, Aurangabad and Jehanabad districts,” an official of the Patna meteorological centre said.
Gaya recorded the hottest … Original source on Gaea Times at : Bihar set to witness hot summer.

New way to fight fat with cold temperatures shows promise

NEW YORK – An experimental procedure has raised hopes of being a new way to decrease fatty deposits under the skin by applying cold temperatures.

The procedure, cryolipolysis, is yet to receive a green signal from the Food and Drug Administration but has been predicted as a potential “dermatologic weapon”.
Dr. Mathew Avram, director of the Massachusetts … Read more : New way to fight fat with cold temperatures shows promise.

Scientists discover first amphibious insects in Hawaii

WASHINGTON – Scientists have discovered the first truly amphibious insects in Hawaii’s fast-moving freshwater streams, which are equally at home on land or underwater.

According to a report in National Geographic News, the amphibious caterpillars belong to the moth genus Hyposmocoma, a group that includes more than 400 species.
The 14 newfound species are never seen far … Original source on Gaea Times at : Scientists discover first amphibious insects in Hawaii.

Omega-3-rich food can protect women against infertility

WASHINGTON – Women who take diets rich in Omega-3 oils may be less likely to develop endometriosis while those whose diets are heavily laden with trans fats may be more likely to develop the debilitating condition that causes infertility, according to new study.

The study is the largest to have investigated the link between diet and … Read more »».

Binge drinking the night before test doesn’t affect students’ performance

WASHINGTON – Binge-drinking on the eve of an examination does not affect a student’s performance in the test, a new American research has revealed.

The study, conducted by researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and Brown University, has been published in the April 2010 edition of the journal Addiction,
It was seen that … Original source on Gaea Times at : Binge drinking the night before test doesn’t affect students’ performance.

Hills of Himachal feel the heat

SHIMLA – Temperature continued to soar above average in Himachal Pradesh Wednesday in the absence of rain or snowfall, a day after Shimla witnessed the warmest March in six years at 25.8 degrees Celsius.

The met department said the temperatures would remain on the higher side for a few days.
“The minimum temperature Wednesday morning was … Original article on : Hills of Himachal feel the heat.

Commercial cooking large source of hazardous pollutants in environment

WASHINGTON – Scientists in Minnesota, US, are reporting that commercial cooking is a surprisingly large source of a range of air pollutants that could pose risks to human health and the environment.

According to Deborah Gross from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, commercial food cooking is a known source of air pollutants, including gases and tiny …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Commercial cooking large source of hazardous pollutants in environment.

185 mln yr old plant-eating dino discovered in Utah’s red rocks

WASHINGTON – In a new study, researchers have discovered a rare skeleton of a new species of plant-eating dinosaur in Utah’s red rocks that lived 185 million years ago and may have been buried alive by a collapsing sand dune.

The discovery confirms the widespread success of sauropodomorph dinosaurs during the Early Jurassic Period.
The study was …. Source article  : 185 mln yr old plant-eating dino discovered in Utah’s red rocks.

Eyes can tell what we have in our minds

WASHINGTON – Eyes are not just windows to the soul – they can also tell what we are thinking, a new research has shown.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne have been able to predict the numbers people are thinking of by analysing their eye movements.
In the study, participants were asked to state a series of …. Source  : Eyes can tell what we have in our minds.

Householders with energy-efficient homes more likely to be complacent

LONDON – People who have made their houses more energy efficient are more likely to give in to small excesses, a new British research has pointed out.

David Lomas, Loughborough University, UK, hinted such excesses could work up a big tab and cost as much as half of the anticipated savings from making homes more energy … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Householders with energy-efficient homes more likely to be complacent.

Monkey that has eluded capture in Tampa Bay area for months spotted again in a backyard pool

Elusive monkey romps in Tampa Bay area
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – In the hours after a monkey on the lam fell into a woman’s pool and then swiped some fruit from her backyard tree, fans of the wily primate cheered it for avoiding capture.

“Go little monkey, go! No cages for you,” wrote a guy named Jack … Read more >>>.

Plight of bees worsens this winter and scientists spot stew of pesticides in pollen, hives

Bees in more trouble than ever after bad winter

MERCED, Calif. – The mysterious 4-year-old crisis of disappearing honeybees is deepening. A quick federal survey indicates a heavy bee die-off this winter, while a new study shows honeybees’ pollen and hives laden with pesticides.
Two federal agencies along with regulators in California and Canada are scrambling to … Read : Plight of bees worsens this winter and scientists spot stew of pesticides in pollen, hives.

Laser security for the Internet developed

WASHINGTON – Experts have come up with a new security system for Internet using a special laser that may help keep hackers’ prying eyes off for good.

Scientists at Tel Aviv University have developed a digital security tool with existing fiber optic and computer technology that transmitts binary lock-and-key information in the form of light pulses.
The … Read : Laser security for the Internet developed.

Elusive monkey romps through Tampa Bay area for nearly a year, outwitting humans on his tail

Elusive monkey romps through Tampa Bay area

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – He’s wily, he’s smart and he’s on the move.
A male rhesus macaque monkey has avoided capture in the Tampa Bay area for nearly a year. He was spotted earlier this week in a woman’s St. Petersburg pool.
Authorities don’t know where the animal came from, but …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Elusive monkey romps through Tampa Bay area for nearly a year, outwitting humans on his tail.

Infants’ helping behaviour influenced by previous interactions

WASHINGTON – Its not just grown-ups, but infants too tend to extend their assistance to people who have helped them in the past, showed researchers at Queen’s University in Canada.

Reciprocal relationships are an important part of adult interactions and foster cooperation in society, and the new findings suggest that such behaviour may have early beginnings …. Original article  : Infants’ helping behaviour influenced by previous interactions.

Social bees have bigger brain region for learning, memory

WASHINGTON – Social bee queens- like those in the tropical sweat bee species, Megalopta genalis in Panama-have bigger brain region responsible for learning and memory than in solitary queens, according to scientists.

The study by researchers Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute is the first comparison of the brain sizes of social and non-social individuals of the same … Read more >>>.

Realistic tsunami generator would help protect against future catastrophe

WASHINGTON – Scientists have developed and successfully tested a unique wave-generating machine that mimics the activity of real-life tsunamis with unprecedented realism, which would help protect against future catastrophe.

The simulator, tested in an Oxfordshire laboratory, has copied the first massive wave of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
Developed and built with Engineering and Physical Sciences Research … Read more : Realistic tsunami generator would help protect against future catastrophe.