Your longevity depends on your brain size!

LONDON – Mammals with larger brains in relation to body size tend to have longer lives.

This finding is based on an analysis of about 500 mammal species by the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), affiliated to Universitat Aut??noma de Barcelona.
The brain size of some mammals like chimps, gorillas, whales, dolphins … Read more »»».

A third of the Chinese population uses internet

BEIJING – The number of Chinese people who use the internet has gone up to 420 million – about a third of the populaton – boosted by the rising number of cell phone connections.

This number recorded at the end of June 2010 shows an increase of 36 million from the number of internet users in …. Source article  : A third of the Chinese population uses internet.

New theory on why some mountains form, crumble

MELBOURNE – Scientists in Australia have come up with a new theory about the movement of tectonic plates that can help explain why and when some mountains form and crumble.

Geophysicist Dr Wouter Schellart, of Monash University in Melbourne, and colleagues, studied the comings and goings of mountains at subduction zones.

Ever since plate tectonic theory …. Original source  : New theory on why some mountains form, crumble.

NASA’s Messenger probe reveals new information about Mercury

WASHINGTON – The Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER), the first spacecraft designed by NASA to orbit Mercury is providing new insights on the planet’s atmosphere and evolution.

Launched in August 2004, the MESSENGER, conducted a third and final flyby of Mercury last September. The probe completed a critical manoeuvre using the planet’s gravity … Read more : NASA’s Messenger probe reveals new information about Mercury.

Under fire, ethanol industry scrambles to keep billions of dollars in incentives

Ethanol industry scrambles to keep incentives

WASHINGTON – The once-popular ethanol industry is scrambling to hold onto billions of dollars in government subsidies, fighting an increasing public skepticism of the corn-based fuel and wariness from lawmakers who may divert the money to other priorities.
The industry itself can’t agree on how to persuade Congress to keep the … Read more : Under fire, ethanol industry scrambles to keep billions of dollars in incentives.

Blame your serotonin levels for being a crybaby

WASHINGTON – Always end up crying while watching a movie high on emotional quotient? Well, blame your serotonin levels for it, says a new study.

Frederick van der Veen of the Erasmus Medical Centre and colleagues have found that due to the differences in the neurotransmitter some people are more likely to cry in emotional situations …. Original source  : Blame your serotonin levels for being a crybaby.

Egypt Ramesses II temple found in Upper Egypt

ROME – The remains of a 3,000 year old temple dating from the reign of ancient Egyptian pharaoh Rameses II have been unearthed in the excavations in Upper Egypt’s Ehnasia archaeological area.

Ramesses II ruled Egypt from 1279-1213 BC and was the son of Seti I, whose secret ‘tomb within a tomb’ was uncovered in … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Egypt Ramesses II temple found in Upper Egypt.

Titan lake-levels change due to Earth-like seasonal evaporation

WASHINGTON – The water level of lakes on Earth rises and falls with the seasons and with longer-term climate changes, as precipitation, evaporation, and runoff add and remove liquid. Now scientists have, for the first time, found compelling evidence for similar lake-level changes on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan.

Using data gathered by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft over …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Titan lake-levels change due to Earth-like seasonal evaporation.

Now radiation can track cancer, oil spills and terrorism

WASHINGTON – A study has found that a new radiation mechanism could more directly target cancer, and may someday help clean up environmental disasters such as the Gulf oil spill and detect explosive powder hidden underneath clothing.

University of Central Florida physicist Richard Klemm and a team of scientists in Japan, who developed the mechanism, reckon … Read more »».

How mice sniff out whether food is safe to eat

WASHINGTON – Scientists have revealed how mice sniff out scent of food on the breath of their fellow mice to decide whether it’s safe to eat or not.

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore knew how mice pair a particular odour with a chemical ingredient found in mouse breath.

And now they … Read more »».

Human sperm gene is 600 million years old

WASHINGTON – Mammals’ ability to produce sperm is very ancient, probably originating as early as 600 million years ago, according to new evidence found by researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

The researchers have found that there is one sex-specific gene so vital that its function has remained unaltered throughout evolution and is found … Original source on Gaea Times at : Human sperm gene is 600 million years old.

NASA confirms presence of ‘baked cometary planet’

WASHINGTON – NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has enabled scientists to confirm the existence of a super hot “cometary planet.” The gas giant planet, named HD 209458b, is orbiting so close to its star that its heated atmosphere is escaping into space.

Observations taken with Hubble’s Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) suggest powerful stellar winds are sweeping the … Original article on : NASA confirms presence of ‘baked cometary planet’.

Calif. dairy owners promote benefits of camel milk despite federal sales ban

Dairy owners promote camel milk benefits
LOS ANGELES – To milk a camel, you need warm hands, a gentle touch and quick timing – camels give milk only in 90-second bursts.

Gil and Nancy Riegler, owners of the nation’s largest camel dairy near San Diego, said the extra work pays off with milk that is therapeutic, nutritious [..] Read the original article: here.

Australian scientists find cave of marsupial fossils in Outback; some similarities to kangaroo

Cave of marsupial fossils discovered in Outback

SYDNEY – Scientists have discovered a cave filled with 15-million-year-old fossils of prehistoric marsupials in the Outback, a rare find that has revealed some surprising similarities between the creatures and modern-day kangaroos and koalas.
Researchers have unearthed a treasure trove of beautifully preserved fossils from the cave, including 26 skulls … Read more >>.

Why walking flat-footed hurts habitual high-heel wearers

WASHINGTON – One would think wearing a pair of high-heeled Jimmy Choos was painful for your ankles, but many a time, habitual stiletto wearers feel discomfort while walking flat footed.

In a study, Marco Narici from Manchester Metropolitan University and Robert Csapo, from the University of Vienna, Austria, compared two groups of women – one regular … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Why walking flat-footed hurts habitual high-heel wearers.

Mammals with larger brain sizes live longer: Study

WASHINGTON – A new study claims that mammals with larger brains in relation to body size tend to live longer.

One existing hypothesis suggests that a larger brain provides more flexibility in behaviour when facing changes in the environment and makes learning easier making ecological challenges easier.

CREAF researchers Cesar Gonzalez-Lagos and Daniel Sol, together with Simon … Read : Mammals with larger brain sizes live longer: Study.

Why Leonardo Da Vinci’s faces were so perfect

WASHINGTON – Scientists may have unlocked the mystery behind Leonardo Da Vinci’s perfect faces, like the Mona Lisa.

Philippe Walter, of the Laboratoire du Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musees de France and his colleagues conducted a first time quantitative chemical analysis on seven paintings from the Louvre Museum.

Da Vinci’s paintings are especially fascinating …. Original source  : Why Leonardo Da Vinci’s faces were so perfect.

Now, a ‘universal’ vaccine that could fend off all types of flu

LONDON – A ‘universal’ flu vaccine could be the ‘one fits all’ jab – a new two-step approach to immunisation.

Working with mice, ferrets and monkeys, the US team ‘primed’ the immune system with a ‘base’ of influenza DNA.

They added a ‘booster’ consisting of a regular seasonal flu vaccine, which increased and broadened its immunity.

According to [..] Read the original article: here.

Boffins create malaria-proof mosquito

WASHINGTON – American scientists have broken new ground by creating genetically altered mosquitoes that cannot infect humans with malaria.

Led by Michael Riehle, University of Arizona entomologists introduced genetic modifications in mosquitoes in a way that renders them completely immune to the parasite, a single-celled organism called Plasmodium. Someday researchers hope to replace wild mosquitoes …. Source  : Boffins create malaria-proof mosquito.

Scientists create nano-materials to trap record amounts of CO2

WASHINGTON – Scientists have achieved world records for creating both porosity and carbon dioxide storage capacity in an important class of materials known as MOFs, or metal-organic frameworks.

MOFs are crystal sponges with pores that can store gases that are usually difficult to store and transport.

Porosity is crucial for compacting large amounts of gases into …. Source  : Scientists create nano-materials to trap record amounts of CO2.