World’s biggest automaker Toyota posts $2.2 billion quarterly profit despite recall crisis

Toyota posts $2.2 bln profit as car sales recover

TOKYO – Toyota reported a quarterly profit of $2.2 billion, reversing from red ink a year earlier as the world’s top automaker benefited from a global sales recovery that offset lingering doubts about the safety of its cars.
The company, which makes the Camry sedan and Prius hybrid, [..] Read the original article: here.

Amateur scientist discovers snails ‘have a homing instinct’

LONDON – A 69-year-old amateur scientist has discovered that her garden snails can apparently find their way back home.

Dr Dave Hodgson from Exeter University conducted the experiment.

The idea formulated when Ruth Brooks, exasperated with snails that were wreaking havoc with her garden, took them away to a nearby piece of wasteland.

But she found that they …. Read the original article  : Amateur scientist discovers snails ‘have a homing instinct’.

Culture affects how our brain works

WASHINGTON – Where you grow up can have a big impact on how your brain works, according to a study by psychological scientists Denise C. Park from the University of Texas at Dallas and Chih-Mao Huang from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The researchers have discussed ways in which brain structure and function may be …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Culture affects how our brain works.

Changes in sun’s conveyor belt could be behind prolonged solar cycle

WASHINGTON – Changes in the Sun’s conveyor belt could have caused the prolonged solar cycle 23, which ended recently.

The Sun goes through cycles lasting approximately 11 years that include phases with increased magnetic activity, more sunspots, and more solar flares, and phases with less activity.

The level of activity on the Sun can affect navigation … Read more »».

Venus Flytrap is not as merciless a killer as is believed

WASHINGTON – While it is known for its carnivorous nature, Venus Flytrap is not that merciless a killer as it is projected to be, found a new study.

Dr Andrej Pavlovic of Comenius University, Slovakia, has been studying the plants with the help of some specialised equipment and a few unlucky insects.

In the wild the Venus … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Venus Flytrap is not as merciless a killer as is believed.

‘Virtual mates’ shed light on role of romance in parrot calls

WASHINGTON – Challenging traditional understandings of the difference between birds ’songs’ and ‘calls’, scientists used ‘virtual mates’ to discover if female parrots judge male contact calls when deciding on a mate.

Parrots are among the few species of bird to have developed the ability to quickly learn and mimic new sounds, but the evolutionary reason for …. Source  : ‘Virtual mates’ shed light on role of romance in parrot calls.

Catch The Northern Lights on August 3

MONTANA (GaeaTimes.com) — People around the North America are waiting with bated breath for the spectacular Northern Lights. This phenomenon was last seen in 2003 in Soldotna, Alaska.
The Spectacular light show in the sky will be seen as the solar flares reaches the earth on Aug 3 and 4. The Phenomenon is also known …. Original article  : Catch The Northern Lights on August 3.

420 mn Chinese now use the internet

BEIJING – The number of Chinese internet users has reached a staggering 420 million, authorities said.

Website sina.com.cn citing a report published by China Internet Network Information Center (CINIC) reported that 277 million people access the internet via cell phones.
The population of China’s internet users climbed to 420 million as of June 2010, 36 … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : 420 mn Chinese now use the internet.

Snoring husbands turn women into beastly bedfellows

LONDON – All it takes is a gentle snore to turn a woman into a beastly bedfellow.

Watching her husband nod off the moment his head hits the pillow unleashes deeply hurt feelings in a woman. One in four wives admitted waking their husbands up because of sleep envy.
The most common revenge is …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Snoring husbands turn women into beastly bedfellows.

Most Haryana areas get more rain

CHANDIGARH – Haryana received 4,472 milimetres (mm) more rain in July this year compared to the corresponding period in 2009.

A spokesman for the revenue department said Wednesday that the entire state got 15,006 mm rainfall during July this year.
Some districts, including Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Sirsa and Yamunanagar, were lashed by heavy rainfall last month, …. Source article  : Most Haryana areas get more rain.

Archaeologists unearth 67,000-year-old human bone

LONDON – Archaeologists have unearthed a 67,000-year-old human bone they claim proves the area was settled by man 20,000 years earlier than previously thought.

The discovery was made at the Callao caves near Penablanca, 210 miles north of Manila in Philippines.
The foot bone – found during a four-year excavation project of a network of …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Archaeologists unearth 67,000-year-old human bone.

Quit-smoking drug ‘instigates suicidal tendencies’

MELBOURNE – As many as 15 people have committed suicide and hundreds have thought of killing themselves while taking the popular quit-smoking pill ‘Champix’ since 2008, data from Australia’s drug regulator revealed.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said 206 “suicide-related events” and 15 suicides had been linked to the drug, which has been prescribed more than … Read : Quit-smoking drug ‘instigates suicidal tendencies’.

Memory-boosting drug may prevent relapse in drug-addicts

WASHINGTON – A memory-boosting medication paired with behavioral therapy could help addicts stay clean, animal study suggests.

The study has suggested that D-cycloserine, previously used in the lab to treat fear and anxiety disorders, could help an addict resist drugs even when confronted with drug-related cues outside of rehab.

Substance abusers have high rates of relapse, …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Memory-boosting drug may prevent relapse in drug-addicts.

Happy extroverts ‘more creative’

LONDON – When it comes to creativity, outgoing people in a good mood are better than introverts, according to a new study.

Lorenzo Stafford, University of Portsmouth psychologist, found that extrovert people in a good mood are the most creative thinkers because they have more of the ‘happiness chemical’ dopamine.

However, people who keep themselves to …. Source  : Happy extroverts ‘more creative’.

All-over tan is impossible: Study

WASHINGTON – Getting a consistent tan all over the body is impossible as some parts are much more resistant to tanning than others, according to a new study.

The research said that getting a full uniform body tan has been deemed as a myth.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh said that the results of the study [..] Read the original article: here.

Women who smoke, pierce nipples ‘more likely to develop breast abscess’

WASHINGTON – A new study has revealed that women who smoke or pierce their nipples are more likely to develop a breast abscess.

Researchers at the University of Iowa found the odds of developing primary breast abscess were six times higher in smokers than in nonsmokers, and smokers were 11 times more likely to develop subareolar …. Read the original article  : here.

Parents of grown kids with autism ‘more likely to divorce’

WASHINGTON – A new data from a large longitudinal study of families of adolescents and adults with autism has found that the parents of grown children with autism are more likely to divorce than couples with typically developing children.

The study is the first to track marital history of parents of adult children with autism. …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Parents of grown kids with autism ‘more likely to divorce’.

Foetal exposure to plastic bottles, cans behind high testicular cancer rates

LONDON – Foetal exposure to common environmental chemicals, called phthalates-which are used in many different household items, including plastic furniture and packaging-could be responsible for rising testicular cancer rates.

According to experts, exposure while in the womb might explain why the rate of this cancer has doubled in 35 years.

The Edinburgh team told Human Reproduction …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Foetal exposure to plastic bottles, cans behind high testicular cancer rates.

Just like humans, animals too make choices based on their emotions

WASHINGTON – Just like humans, animals too make choices based on their emotional states, says a new study.

Bristol University’s Professor Mike Mendl and Dr Liz Paul and Lincoln University’s Dr Oliver Burman conducted the study.

An animal in surroundings threatened by predators feels anxious, whereas one in an environment with plenty of opportunities to acquire resources …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Just like humans, animals too make choices based on their emotions.

New model could help deliver drugs at controlled rate

WASHINGTON – Scientists are working on a theoretical model that compares the transport characteristics octopus-like polymer – that “walks” along the wall of a narrow channel as it is pushed through by a solvent.

The find could aid them in the development of carrier molecules for delivering drugs at a controlled rate in the body.

Results of … Read more : New model could help deliver drugs at controlled rate.