New mongoose-like species found in Madagascar

LONDON – A new species of cat sized carnivores has been discovered in Madagascar.

The speckled brown mammal belongs to a family of mongoose-like animals found only on the Indian Ocean island, one of the most threatened species in the world, conservationists said.
The species, named Durrell’s Vontsira (Salanoia durrelli), was identified by researchers from … Original source on Gaea Times at : New mongoose-like species found in Madagascar.

Squeezable cell phone to give you status info without having to look at it

LONDON – Scientists have developed a squeezable cellphone – SqueezeBlock – using tiny motors built into the casing to mimic the behaviour of a spring.

The shape-shifter smartphone, developed by Shwetak Patel, a computer science and engineering researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues, would able to alter its appearance to signal an …. Read the original article  : Squeezable cell phone to give you status info without having to look at it.

Airplanes that also travel in space to be ‘the holy grail’ of aeronautics

WASHINGTON – A British firm is working on an airplane that would also travel in space.

Reaction Engines is constructing a prototype of a critical piece of its spaceplane’s technology, which will be tested on a conventional jet engine.

The ultimate objective is Skylon, an unpiloted, air-breathing vehicle that takes off and lands on a runway, and …. Original article  : Airplanes that also travel in space to be ‘the holy grail’ of aeronautics.

Microsoft launches Windows Phone 7 range

LONDON – Microsoft has unveiled a new range of smartphones to rival the phenomenal success of Apple’s iPhone.

The company wants its new operating system, Windows Phone 7 (WP7), to put its mobile business back in the running against not just Apple, but also Google, which makes the Android phone software, among others.
Speaking at …. Read the original article  : Microsoft launches Windows Phone 7 range.

Was Oz-Indian scientist first to discover recently found Earth-like planet?

MELBOURNE – The recent discovery of ‘Earth-like’ planet caused a tizzy in the science world, but many are still sceptical of the claim.

Steven Vogt, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, and his colleague Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington announced the Gliese 581g finding in a press conference … Read more >>.

‘Mona Lisa’ model remains ‘found in Florence municipal dump’

LONDON – In a tragic turn of events, the remains of the Italian woman who modelled for Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ were found lying in a municipal rubbish tip, an Italian expert has claimed.

First a tobacco factory, then a university teaching facility and recently being converted into barracks for Italy’s tax police, the …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : ‘Mona Lisa’ model remains ‘found in Florence municipal dump’.

On Facebook, the more apps you add ‘the more popular you are’

LONDON – An Oxford University-led research has found that users calculate their popularity quotient based on how many Facebook applications they add onto their profile.

The researchers found people display a herding instinct, making them want to use the same product as others – but only once it has reached a certain level of popularity.

“Users only …. Original source  : On Facebook, the more apps you add ‘the more popular you are’.

iPod stations for sailors on British warship

LONDON – Soldiers on board a British destroyer can now let their hair down as their ship is fitted with state-of-the-art iPod plugging stations.

The 7,500-tonne HMS Duncan, built at a cost of one billion pounds, was launched Monday at the Govan shipyard in Glasgow, The Sun reported.
The destroyer not only packs Tomahawk and [..] Read the original article: here.

Fish were the first to have sex for fun, fossils suggest

WASHINGTON – New research from the Gogo Formation of Western Australia suggests that fish were the first to have intimate sex by copulation.

Well-preserved fossils of extinct armoured fish belonging to in the early Devonian Period around 400 to 410 million years ago suggest that the activity of sex wasn’t just “spawning in water, but sex … Read more »»».

Man to ‘fly around Moon for the first time’

LONDON – Russian, European and US space agencies are considering the possibility of flying a manned mission around the Moon using the space station as a launching point.

The agencies want the station to become more than just a high-flying platform for doing experiments in microgravity – they want to see it become a testbed for … Read : Man to ‘fly around Moon for the first time’.

Sometimes, even dogs ’see the glass half empty’

WASHINGTON – It seems unlikely that a dog could be pessimistic, but a new study suggests that sometimes even they see the glass half empty.

A study at the University of Bristol has shown that “a ‘glass-half-full’ dog is less likely to be anxious when left alone than one with a more ‘pessimistic’ nature.”

To verify the …. Source article  : Sometimes, even dogs ’see the glass half empty’.

Paralysed patient becomes world’s first to get stem cell therapy

LONDON – For the first time, scientists have used human embryonic stem cells to treat a paralysed patient in a study described as the “dawn” of a new age of medicine.

Carried out at the Shepherd Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, the trial on a patient with severe spinal injuries is the first to test a …. Source  : Paralysed patient becomes world’s first to get stem cell therapy.

Coming soon: ‘Magic pill’ for men with aggressive prostate cancer

LONDON – A study from the Institute of Cancer Research based in London and Surrey indicates that a potentially life-prolonging pill for men with aggressive prostate cancer could be available within a year.

The abiraterone acetate drug, for which phase three trials were halted on ethical grounds, will offer new hope to men with advanced prostate …. Read the original article  : Coming soon: ‘Magic pill’ for men with aggressive prostate cancer.

55-million-year-old fossil sheds light on bizarre extinct mammal

WASHINGTON – University of Florida researchers, who found a well-preserved 55-million-year-old North American mammal, have discovered that it shares a common ancestor with rodents and primates, including humans.

High resolution CT scans of the extinct mammal, Labidolemur kayi, showed that it is related to rodents, rabbits, flying lemurs, tree shrews and primates.

“The specimens are among … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : 55-million-year-old fossil sheds light on bizarre extinct mammal.

Space technology-inspired high-resolution X-ray camera to help dentists

WASHINGTON – A Swedish company has taken inspiration from an advanced technique used for miniaturising space hardware to make a visit to the dentist a little more comfortable.

The tiny new high-resolution X-ray camera captures pictures that are dramatically more detailed and with higher contrast than the conventional X-ray machines widely used.

The heart of the … Original source on Gaea Times at : Space technology-inspired high-resolution X-ray camera to help dentists.

New find points toward habitable environments deep in Martian crust

LONDON – A Planetary Science Institute researcher has said that a new discovery of hydrothermally altered carbonate-bearing rocks on Mars points toward habitable environments deep in the Martian crust.

A deposit of carbonate rocks that once existed 6 km (about 4 miles) below the surface of Mars was uplifted and exposed by an ancient meteor impact, [..] Read the original article: here.

Apple’s iPad named ‘Gadget of the Year’

LONDON – Apple’s iPad has been named Gadget of the Year at the technology grant equivalent of the Oscars.

The US electronics giant bagged five top gongs at the T3 Gadget Awards 2010 in London, reports the Sun.

The ten-inch touchscreen tablet computer was also Innovation of the Year, while the iPhone 4 won Commuter Gadget. … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Apple’s iPad named ‘Gadget of the Year’.

Coming soon: ‘Magic pill’ for men with aggressive prostate cancer

LONDON – A study from the Institute of Cancer Research based in London and Surrey indicates that a potentially life-prolonging pill for men with aggressive prostate cancer could be available within a year.

The abiraterone acetate drug, for which phase three trials were halted on ethical grounds, will offer new hope to men with advanced prostate … Read : Coming soon: ‘Magic pill’ for men with aggressive prostate cancer.

55-million-year-old fossil sheds light on bizarre extinct mammal

WASHINGTON – University of Florida researchers, who found a well-preserved 55-million-year-old North American mammal, have discovered that it shares a common ancestor with rodents and primates, including humans.

High resolution CT scans of the extinct mammal, Labidolemur kayi, showed that it is related to rodents, rabbits, flying lemurs, tree shrews and primates.

“The specimens are among … Read : 55-million-year-old fossil sheds light on bizarre extinct mammal.

Space technology-inspired high-resolution X-ray camera to help dentists

WASHINGTON – A Swedish company has taken inspiration from an advanced technique used for miniaturising space hardware to make a visit to the dentist a little more comfortable.

The tiny new high-resolution X-ray camera captures pictures that are dramatically more detailed and with higher contrast than the conventional X-ray machines widely used.

The heart of the …. Read the original article  : Space technology-inspired high-resolution X-ray camera to help dentists.