How apes leap huge distances

LONDON – It is well-known that gibbons are capable of leaping prodigious distances between trees, crossing gaps of more than 10m at a time. Now scientists have discovered just how they do it.

Along with colleagues at the University of Liverpool and University of Antwerp, Belgium, Anthony Channon studied the biomechanics of leaping among a group …. Original article  : How apes leap huge distances.

Link between obesity, insulin resistance paves way for safer diabetes drugs

LONDON – Researchers have found a new molecular link between obesity and the action of diabetes drugs such as Avandia and Actos, which could pave the way for improved medications that are more selective and safer.

Scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Scripps Research Institute, led by Dr. Bruce Spiegelman, conducted the above study.

“Our findings … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Link between obesity, insulin resistance paves way for safer diabetes drugs.

Childhood sexual abuse linked to greater risk for HIV in gay men

WASHINGTON – A new study has found that gay and bisexual men who experienced sexual abuse and social shaming in childhood, experience psychosocial health problems later in life, which could put them at greater risk for HIV.

The study included more than 1,000 HIV-positive and negative gay and bisexual men enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort …. Original article  : Childhood sexual abuse linked to greater risk for HIV in gay men.

Is 8000-year-old ‘dildo’ world’s oldest sex toy?

WASHINGTON – If you thought sex toys were a product of modern day life, think again – an excavation in Sweden has turned up what may be an ancient dilo.

Carved out of antler bone, the object is about 4 inches long and 0.8 inches in diameter.

“Your mind and my mind wanders away to make …. Source  : Is 8000-year-old ‘dildo’ world’s oldest sex toy?.

China holds ‘green’ funeral

BEIJING – In a first-of its-kind, China organised a mass environment-friendly funeral where the ashes of over 250 people were put in bio-degradable urns and buried or immersed in a pool.

The mass funeral was held in Tianjin city, where 251 urns filled with ashes were buried in special holes dug in the cemetery lawn, while …. Original article  : China holds ‘green’ funeral.

Human settlement on the moon not so far-fetched

LONDON – The day is not far when humans would start building homes on the moon-thanks to researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who have discovered “lunar dew” on the moon’s surface-absorbed “water” in the uppermost layers of lunar soil.

The discovery of … Read more >>.

Poplar tree protein could boost computers’ memory capacity

LONDON – Protein molecules obtained from the poplar tree in combination with memory units based on silica nanoparticles could greatly expand the memory capacity of future computers, according to scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

For showing this, the researchers have developed an … Read more >>.

Twitter mood maps reveal happiness quotient of America

LONDON – A twitter mood map developed by a computer scientist has revealed the emotional state of hundreds of millions of Americans.

Computer scientist Alan Mislove at Northeastern University in Boston and his colleagues have found that these “tweets” suggest that the west coast is happier than the east coast.

Also, the country seems happiest on Sundays …. Read the original article  : here.

Summer reading benefits students

WASHINGTON J – Encourage your children to read good books even during the summer break, and their reading skills will definitely improve, suggest researchers.

University of Tennessee, Knoxville, faculty members Richard Allington and Anne McGill-Franzen conducted a study to show a significantly higher level of reading achievement in students who received books for summer reading at … Read : Summer reading benefits students.

Gulf oil dispersants don’t seem to disrupt marine life, say scientists

WASHINGTON – Scientists have claimed that eight of the most commonly used oil dispersants used to fight oil spills appear unlikely to act as endocrine disruptors – hormone-like substances that can interfere with reproduction, development, and other biological processes.

The tested dispersants also have relatively low cell toxicity, say scientists with the U. S. Environmental Protection … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Gulf oil dispersants don’t seem to disrupt marine life, say scientists.

Brain scans could help you choose a career

WASHINGTON – Researchers are questioning the possibility of brain scans guiding a person in his/her choice of career.

General aptitude tests and specific mental ability tests are important tools for vocational guidance. And if performance on such tests is based on differences in brain structure, maybe brain scans can reveal to a person his choice of … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Brain scans could help you choose a career.

Archaeologists discover sculpture of Diana, Goddess of hunt in Serbia

BELGRADE – Archaeologists have discovered a sensational sculpture, which they think is of Diana, the Goddess of the hunt, in Serbia.

According to Blic, the sculpture was uncovered at the site of the ‘Felix Romuliana’, an imperial palace near the Town of Zajecar, Serbia by German experts of the Archaeology Institute in Frankfurt, together with the … Read more >>>.

‘Aliens could be using cosmic Twitter to contact us’

LONDON – Aliens may have been trying to contact humans by communicating in a manner similar to Twitter, believe two American researchers.

For almost half a decade, the SETI project has unsuccessfully searched for extraterrestrial life. However, SETI may be looking for the wrong kind of signals from aliens, claim University of California, Irvine, astrophysicist Gregory …. Source article  : ‘Aliens could be using cosmic Twitter to contact us’.

Mystery of gut disease finally cracked

LONDON – Scientists have cracked the mystery of coeliac disease – a feat that could pave the way for treatments for the condition that blights the lives of millions of people.

Coeliac disease is caused by intolerance to gluten found in foods like bread, pasta and biscuits.

The intolerance to gluten, the main protein in wheat, …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Mystery of gut disease finally cracked.

Soon, invisibility cloak made of glass

WASHINGTON – Ever dreamt of donning an invisibility cloak? The work of a Michigan Technological University scientist could soon help you own one.

Elena Semouchkina, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Michigan Tech, has found ways to use magnetic resonance to capture rays of visible light and route them around objects, rendering those … Original article on : Soon, invisibility cloak made of glass.

Isosceles Triangle in the Sky: A new planetary phenomenon in July

NEW YORK (GaeaTimes.com) — On July 31, all Americans are going to have a royal treat of a rare celestial event. On that day, Mars, Venus and Saturn are going to form an Isosceles Triangle. Even Mercury is reported to make a cameo!
On July 4th, all of America was busy viewing the fireworks in the …. Source  : Isosceles Triangle in the Sky: A new planetary phenomenon in July.

1,000-year-old sea creatures found

TORONTO – Canadian and Spanish scientists have discovered rare species of marine life, with some creatures more than 1,000 years old.

According to the scientists, these creatures found off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador hold clues to the secrets of ancient underwater ecosystems.
These rare marine creatures have been spotted by researchers from Fisheries and … Original article on : 1,000-year-old sea creatures found.

Marriage patterns influence fertility decline in old age

WASHINGTON – Marriage can influence the evolution of age-patterns of fertility, according to researchers at the University of Sheffield.

The scientists reached the above conclusion after applying an evolutionary ‘use it or lose it??? principle while studying past marriage patterns.

Researchers Duncan Gillespie, Dr Virpi Lummaa and Dr Andrew Russell, from the University???s Department of Animal and … Original article on : Marriage patterns influence fertility decline in old age.

3,000 years old monkey fossil found in underwater cave

LONDON – Fossilised remains of a tiny, extinct monkey have been retrieved from an underwater cave in the Dominican Republic.

On examination, scientists said that the fossil could be around 3,000 years old, but believe the species itself could be very ancient.

This reveals clues about the origin of primates in the region.

It also suggests … Read more »»».

China’s new n-reactor to be more fuel efficient

BEIJING – The development of China’s new nuclear reactor which could increase utilisation of fuel up to 70 percent succeeded in a critical test Wednesday.

The experimental fast reactors that run on mostly domestically-designed fourth-generation technology differ from others in that they are able to utilise uranium fuel in a more optimal way so as to …. Read the original article  : here.