Falling in love ‘only takes about a fifth of a second’

WASHINGTON – Remember the expression ‘losing your heart to someone’? Well you might have lost your brain instead, according to a new study that claims it’s your brain and not your heart that makes you fall in love.

Stephanie Ortigue at Syracuse University said that falling in love … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Falling in love ‘only takes about a fifth of a second’.

Space tourism will worsen climate change

LONDON – A decade of commercial space flight would have a devastating impact on climate change and global temperatures.

Scientists believe that vast amounts of black soot created by a new generation of spacecraft could lead to temperatures in polar regions rising by as much as one degree Celsius.
Their simulations show that space flight … Read : Space tourism will worsen climate change.

Heavy smoking in midlife ‘doubles dementia risk’

WASHINGTON – Heavy smoking in middle age is linked to more than double the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia two decades later, according to a new study.

Current estimates suggest smoking is responsible for several million deaths per year from causes such as heart disease and cancer, according to background information in … Read : Heavy smoking in midlife ‘doubles dementia risk’.

Large doses of B-complex vitamins may help slow progression of dementia

WASHINGTON – A two-year clinical trial in England has shown that large doses of B-complex vitamins could reduce the rate of brain shrinkage by half in elderly people with memory problems and slow the progression of dementia.

The study discovered that B vitamins, including B-6, B-12 and folic acid, slow down mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a … Read more : Large doses of B-complex vitamins may help slow progression of dementia.

New study on lead exposure paves way for blindness treatment

WASHINGTON – Scientists have discovered some unexpected effects of lead exposure that may one day help prevent and reverse blindness.

Donald A. Fox, a professor of vision sciences in University of Houston College of Optometry described his team’s findings in a paper titled “Low-Level Gestational Lead Exposure Increases Retinal Progenitor Cell Proliferation and Rod Photoreceptor and … Read more : New study on lead exposure paves way for blindness treatment.

Daily dose of whole body vibration may help aging bones stay healthy

WASHINGTON – Researchers of Medical College of Georgia have suggested that a daily dose of whole body vibration may help reduce the usual bone density loss that occurs with age.

Dr. Karl H. Wenger, biomedical engineer in the MCG Schools of Graduate Studies and Medicine, and his colleagues found that vibration improved density around the hip …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Daily dose of whole body vibration may help aging bones stay healthy.

Countries argue over how to save forests

NAGOYA – One hectare of a tropical forest yields us benefits worth $6,120 every year, far more than gained by cutting that forest down. But they continue to be cut down, and on Tuesday 192 countries still could not agree on how to arrest this.

The sustainable management of forests is one of the main …. Source article  : Countries argue over how to save forests.

‘Cut carbohydrate intake, live longer’

LONDON – The key to good health, energy and long life could be as simple as cutting down on your carbohydrates.

Professor Cynthia Kenyon, gerontologist at the University of California, has discovered that carbohydrates directly affect two key genes that govern youthfulness and longevity.
Kenyon, whom many believe could win the Nobel Prize for … Original source on Gaea Times at : ‘Cut carbohydrate intake, live longer’.

India ‘may not have been an isolated island-continent 50mn yrs ago’

WASHINGTON – Scientists have discovered amber deposits containing bees, termites, spiders, and flies – the find has challenged the assumption that India was an isolated island-continent in the Early Eocene, or 52-50 million years ago.

The amber is also the oldest evidence of a tropical broadleaf rainforest in Asia.

“We know India was isolated, but when and … Read : India ‘may not have been an isolated island-continent 50mn yrs ago’.

‘Universal’ robotic hand runs on coffee and party balloons!

WASHINGTON – Researchers from Cornell University, University of Chicago and iRobot have created a versatile robotic gripper using ground coffee and a latex party balloon.

They call it a universal gripper, as it conforms to the object it’s grabbing rather than being designed for particular objects, said Hod Lipson.

“This is one of the closest things … Original article on : ‘Universal’ robotic hand runs on coffee and party balloons!.

Dose of the ‘blues’ could help people overcome depression

LONDON – A new research suggests that a dose of the “blues” could help people overcome depression and other mood disorders.

A team, led by Dr Gilles Vandewalle from the University of Liege in Belgium, found that exposure to blue light boosts activity in the parts of the brain that handle emotions.

They believe the findings could …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Dose of the ‘blues’ could help people overcome depression.

Odor coding in mammals much more complex than previously thought

WASHINGTON – A new study has shown that the contribution of odorant receptors (ORs) to olfactory response in mammals is much more complex than previously thought, with important consequences for odorant encoding and information transfer about odorants to the brain.

ORs, which provide a system for mammals to discriminate between many different odors, form a large, …. Original source  : Odor coding in mammals much more complex than previously thought.

Ocean asteroid impact could damage Earth’s protective ozone layer

LONDON – If a medium-sized asteroid were to land in the oceans a tsunami wouldn’t be the only worry, say scientists- the Earth’s ozone layer could be at risk too.

A new computer simulation suggests that the water vapour and sea salt thrown up by the impact could damage the protective ozone layer, leading to record …. Read the original article  : Ocean asteroid impact could damage Earth’s protective ozone layer.

Listeria ‘tricks’ intestinal cells to cause sickness: Indian origin scientist

WASHINGTON – A new study has found that pathogenic listeria tricks intestinal cells into helping it pass through those cells to make people ill, and, if that doesn’t work, the bacteria simply goes around the cells.

Arun Bhunia of the University or Purdue and Kristin Burkholder of the University of Michigan Medical School, found that listeria, … Original article on : Listeria ‘tricks’ intestinal cells to cause sickness: Indian origin scientist.

Plant stem cells pave way for low-cost cancer drug

LONDON – A new study has suggested that a well-known cancer drug could be produced cheaply and sustainably using stem cells derived from trees.

University of Edinburgh researchers have isolated and grown stem cells from a yew tree whose bark is a natural source of the anticancer compound paclitaxel.

The development could enable the compound to be …. Original source  : Plant stem cells pave way for low-cost cancer drug.

Modern humans emerged far earlier than thought, fossils in China suggest

WASHINGTON – Researchers have discovered well-dated human fossils in southern China that markedly change anthropologists’ perceptions of the emergence of modern humans in the eastern Old World.

The discovery of early modern human fossil remains in the Zhirendong (Zhiren Cave) in south China that are at least 100,000 years old provides the earliest evidence for the … Read more : Modern humans emerged far earlier than thought, fossils in China suggest.

Why some women make excuses for not wanting to have sex

LONDON – Some women claim to have a headache while others pretended they are too tired. But now, experts have a scientific explanation as to why such women give their husbands excuses for not wanting to have sex.

They have found that the brains of females with a low libido behave completely differently to those with … Read : Why some women make excuses for not wanting to have sex.

Why lack of sleep keeps some chirpy while others grumpy

WASHINGTON – Ever wondered how some stay perky all day with just a few hours of sleep, while others remain cranky all day? Scientists believe it’s all in the genes.

The study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia looked at people who have a gene variant called DQB1 *0602 that is …. Read the original article  : here.

Aspirin use ‘cuts risk of death from prostate cancer by more than half’

WASHINGTON – A new study has suggested that men with prostate cancer who take anticoagulants like aspirin in addition to radiation therapy or surgery may be able to cut their risk of dying of the disease by more than half.

“Evidence has shown that anticoagulants may interfere with cancer growth and spread,” Kevin Choe, lead author …. Source  : Aspirin use ‘cuts risk of death from prostate cancer by more than half’.

Men never forget sexy women’s sexual overtures even years after event

WASHINGTON – A new study suggests that college-aged men are very likely to remember a woman’s initial sexual interest (attraction or rejection), especially when the woman in question is thought to be attractive, is dressed more provocatively, and expresses positive sexual interest.

Men who were shown full-body photographs of college-aged women who expressed cues of sexual …. Original article  : Men never forget sexy women’s sexual overtures even years after event.