Coming soon: Smart cars that will report accidents to authorities

LONDON – Scientists are developing intelligent cars that can alert and send useful information to authorities during an accident.

The cars, fitted with aircraft-style black boxes, can send video footage and information about driving behaviour during accidents to the police and insurance companies.

The car, being developed at Intel, will record information about the vehicle … Original article on : Coming soon: Smart cars that will report accidents to authorities.

Smart cars with black boxes

LONDON – Computer scientists in the US are developing technology that will transform cars into intelligent vehicles fitted with aircraft-style black boxes that can record information about driving behaviour during accidents.

The car, which is being developed by researchers at computer chip giant Intel, will record information about the vehicle speed, steering and braking along … Read more >>>.

Bangladesh needs tougher law to save Royal Bengal tigers

DHAKA – Wildlife enthusiasts here have mooted tougher laws, like the ones India proposes to have, to save between 300 and 500 Royal Bengal tigers in the Sundarbans.

The punishment provided in the Bangladesh Wildlife Act is a maximum of two years imprisonment with a maximum fine of Tk 2,000 ($28.8). This needs to be revised [..] Read the original article: here.

Pregnant women ’should routinely take vitamin D supplements’

LONDON – Pregnant women should take vitamin D supplements on a daily basis, say researchers in the UK.

According to the team at University College London Institute of Child Health, official bodies currently offer conflicting advice.

The Department of Health in the UK suggests pregnant women to ensure they receive a certain level of vitamin D …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Pregnant women ’should routinely take vitamin D supplements’.

Rains cool Delhi, monsoon not far away

NEW DELHI – A light drizzle cooled Delhi down by several notches Sunday morning. The weatherman forecast more showers, adding that the monsoon wasn’t too far away.

The light drizzle was due to low pressure building up over Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and it is gradually moving towards the capital, an official of the … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Rains cool Delhi, monsoon not far away.

TV signals caused Russian rocket to miss ISS: NASA

MOSCOW/WASHINGTON – Television signals caused a Russian cargo rocket to miss its rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS), NASA officials said Saturday.

The engineers indicated they would avoid activating the system during Sunday’s second attempt to dock, NASA officials said.
The Progress 38 cargo rocket missed its rendezvous with the ISS by three km late … Read more »»».

New US Air Force satellite will monitor increasing number of satellites, debris in Earth orbit

New satellite will monitor debris in Earth orbit

DENVER – A new U.S. Air Force satellite will provide better surveillance of hundreds of satellites and thousands of pieces of space debris that could crash into American assets circling the Earth.
If all goes as planned, the $500 million Space-Based Space Surveillance satellite will have an unobstructed view …. Read the original article  : here.

Deep in Congo forest, exploding bushmeat trade threatens Pygmies’ way of life

In Congo forest, bushmeat trade threatens Pygmies
THE ITURI FOREST, Congo – They emerge from the stillness of the rainforest like a lost tribe of prehistoric warriors forgotten by time – a barefoot band of Mbuti Pygmies wielding iron-tipped spears.
The men come first, cloaked head to toe in coiled …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Deep in Congo forest, exploding bushmeat trade threatens Pygmies’ way of life.

Sultry Saturday for Delhi, monsoon likely next week

NEW DELHI – Delhi experienced a hot and humid day Saturday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures two and three notches, respectively, above average, weather officials said. Respite is in sight, however, with the monsoon expected to hit the capital next week.

While the minimum settled at 30.5 degrees Celsius, the maximum temperature … Original source on Gaea Times at : Sultry Saturday for Delhi, monsoon likely next week.

High altitude mice make efficient use of little oxygen

TORONTO – Mice make optimum use of little oxygen at high altitudes during exercise, according to Canadian and Peruvian scientists, who are keen to establish whether a similar strategy exists in humans that have evolved at high altitudes.

“Andean mouse species have independently evolved a strategy to maximise energy yield when little oxygen is available,” explain …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : High altitude mice make efficient use of little oxygen.

Russian spaceship ready to dock with ISS again

Moscow, July 3 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian cargo spaceship Progress M-06M which failed to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) Friday is ready for yet another attempt Sunday.

The orbit of the spaceship will be adjusted twice to ensure a successful docking, a source at the Mission Control Center said.
Friday’s docking for the Progress M-06M, …. Original source  : Russian spaceship ready to dock with ISS again.

New iPhone apps for ‘Twilight’ fans to sink their teeth into

NEW YORK – ‘Twilight’ fans, who have not had enough of the franchise, can now satiate their appetite with a few new iPhone applications.

According to MTV Mulitplayer, GameHouse has released two apps – just in time for Twi-hards to play while waiting on line for the newest film.

‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Movie Game’ lets users … Read more : New iPhone apps for ‘Twilight’ fans to sink their teeth into.

Humans as predators led to the extinction of woolly mammoths

WASHINGTON – Life scientists have found what led to the extinction of woolly mammoths and other large mammals more than 10,000 years ago- entry of humans as predators.

Researchers have said that the same type of cascade of ecosystem disruption that is being caused today by the global decline of predators such as wolves, cougars and … Read more : Humans as predators led to the extinction of woolly mammoths.

Halting carbon dioxide emissions cannot avert climate change

WASHINGTON – With carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air approaching alarming levels, even halting emissions altogether may not be enough to avert catastrophic climate change. Could scrubbing carbon dioxide from the air be a viable solution?

A new study by Carnegie Institution scientists suggests that while removing excess CO2 would cool the planet, carbon cycle complexities …. Source  : Halting carbon dioxide emissions cannot avert climate change.

Cellphones are as good forensic tools as fingerprints

WASHINGTON – Cellphones and other mobile devices are as much reliable as fingerprints for criminal investigations, according to a study.

Clues to crimes today are as likely to be found by examining the data stored in a cellphone or other mobile device as they are by dusting a crime scene for fingerprints. …. Source article  : Cellphones are as good forensic tools as fingerprints.

New discovery takes scientists a step closer to quantum computers

LONDON – Taking a step nearer to quantum computers, University of Maryland researchers have used a unique hybrid nanostructure to show a new type of light-matter interaction.

They also demonstrated the first full quantum control of qubit spin within very tiny colloidal … Original source on Gaea Times at : New discovery takes scientists a step closer to quantum computers.

Wallabies, bats harbour ‘fossil’ genes from deadly human viruses

WASHINGTON – Modern marsupials, like wallabies and bats, harbour a “fossil” copy of a gene that codes for filoviruses, which cause Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fevers and are the most lethal viruses known to humans, revealed University at Buffalo biologists.

The study … Read more : Wallabies, bats harbour ‘fossil’ genes from deadly human viruses.

Why one should never arm-wrestle a saber-toothed tiger

WASHINGTON – Researchers have found why saber-toothed tigers were a force to reckon with when it came to arm wrestling.

A new study has revealed that saber-toothed cats-best known for their supersized canines- also had exceptionally strong forelimbs for pinning prey before delivering the fatal bite.

Commonly called …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Why one should never arm-wrestle a saber-toothed tiger.

Beware of Internet-based medicine info

WASHINGTON – A new study has found that the quality of online information about the most common sports medicine diagnoses varies widely.

Therefore, patients who use the Internet to help make medical decisions need to know that the web may not be giving the whole picture, suggests the study.

“The reason that we decided to undertake this …. Source  : Beware of Internet-based medicine info.

World must expect more oil spills, says scientist

WASHINGTON – The world should expect more disasters like the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as the days of easy oil are over, a scientist says.

“BP and other oil companies have tried to portray this spill as an accident or an aberration, but in fact there are spills on off-shore and on-shore sites …. Source article  : World must expect more oil spills, says scientist.