Science News – Newsletter for November 12, 2010

We are born with faculty to laugh but learn to cry during life

LONDON – Laughing at a good joke or when someone tickles us is instinctive, but crying when we’re sad is something we learn from other people, say scientists.

They say that only expressions of laughter and relief are instinctive, whereas other emotional outbursts need to be learned.

To find out which sounds are instinctive, a team led …. Read the original article  : We are born with faculty to laugh but learn to cry during life.

Detailed maps of dark matter offer clues to galaxy cluster growth

WASHINGTON – Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have created one of the sharpest and most detailed maps of dark matter in the universe by taking advantage of a giant cosmic magnifying glass.

Dark matter is an invisible and unknown substance that makes up the bulk of the universe’s mass.

The new dark matter observations may yield …. Read the original article  : Detailed maps of dark matter offer clues to galaxy cluster growth.

New mechanism regulating body’s 24-hour clock identified

WASHINGTON – Scientists have identified for the first time a novel mechanism that regulates circadian rhythm, the master clock that controls the body’s natural 24-hour physiological cycle.

These new findings by researchers from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute could provide a new target not only for jet lag, shift work, and sleep … Read more : New mechanism regulating body’s 24-hour clock identified.

New study explains formation of mysterious moon ‘bulge’

WASHINGTON – A new study has suggested that the bulge of elevated topography on the far side of the moon could be the result of tidal forces acting early in the moon’s history when its solid outer crust floated on an ocean of liquid rock.

Ian Garrick-Bethell, of the University of California, found that the shape … Read : New study explains formation of mysterious moon ‘bulge’.

Can we really see the future?

LONDON – Events that haven’t taken place yet can influence our behaviour, reveals a new study.

Parapsychologists have made outlandish claims about precognition – knowledge of unpredictable future events – for years.

The study, set to appear in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, describes a series of experiments involving more than 1000 student volunteers, reports New … Original article on : Can we really see the future?.

UK youngsters think kissing or a kick in the genitals can cause cancer

SYDNEY – Many youngsters in the UK think that kissing, toilet seats or a kick in the genitals can lead to cancer, according to a study.

The poll has shed light on the various myths common among youngsters associated with cancer.

The poll of 13 to 24-year-olds for the Teenage Cancer Trust Today’s survey of 520 … Read this article on Gaea Times at : UK youngsters think kissing or a kick in the genitals can cause cancer.

Global warming 60m years ago improved Tropical forest diversity

WASHINGTON – Global warming may not have any adverse effect on the Tropical forests, as scientists have suggested that nearly 60 million years ago rainforests prospered at temperatures that were 3-5 degrees higher and at atmospheric carbon dioxide levels 2.5 times today’s levels.

“We’re going to have a novel climate scenario,” said Joe Wright, of the …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Global warming 60m years ago improved Tropical forest diversity.

Genetically engineered mosquitoes thwart dengue spreaders

LONDON – Fight against dengue would soon become more efficient, as scientists have successfully conducted an outdoor trial of genetically modified mosquitoes to sabotage the dengue spreaders.

By the end of the six-month trial, populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which spread the dengue virus, had plummeted, reports New Scientist.

“It’s a proof of principle, that it works,” …. Source  : Genetically engineered mosquitoes thwart dengue spreaders.

Yoga gives a boost to feel-good brain chemical: Study

WASHINGTON – A new research suggests that yoga has a greater positive effect on a person’s mood and anxiety level than walking and other forms of exercise, which may be due to higher levels of the brain chemical GABA.

GABA, gamma-aminobutyric acid, is a chemical in the brain that helps to regulate nerve activity.

GABA activity … Read more >>.

World’s first robotic rotary dairy does the job of a farmer

MELBOURNE – Leaving the bed at the crack of dawn could soon become a thing of the past for Oz dairy farmers-thanks to a new robotic rotary dairy that does the job of a farmer.

Instead of the farmer putting the milking cups on the cows’ udders by hand, two robotic arms come out when a …. Read the original article  : here.

Earth had enough oxygen to start life ‘400mn yrs earlier than thought’

LONDON – Scientists have found that oxygen had reached a level where it could have supported life much earlier than thought – 400 million years further back in time.

The evidence is found in 1.2-billion-year-old rocks from Scotland, which show signatures of bacterial activity known to occur when there is copious atmospheric oxygen.

This is not to …. Source article  : Earth had enough oxygen to start life ‘400mn yrs earlier than thought’.

Fruitfly study leads to human pain gene discovery

WASHINGTON – Researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston have reported the find of a novel pain gene.

People with minor variations in this gene showed clear differences in susceptibility to acute heat pain and chronic back pain.

The discovery, uncovered in a genome-wide hunt for pain genes in fruit flies, will lead to the development of new analgesics, … Read : Fruitfly study leads to human pain gene discovery.

Want to stop daydreaming? Have sex!

LONDON – We often find ourselves drifting away while at work or studying but experts have said that it’s bad for health – and now the best way to avoid daydreaming is to make love, it seems.

Mind-wandering turns out to be extremely common – users reported daydreaming almost 50 per cent of the time – … Read more >>.

India should focus on domestic climate change: Ramesh

NEW DELHI – Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Friday said that India’s approach on climate change has been unduly influenced by international negotiations and the country needs to focus on the domestic process.

Speaking at the National Policy Dialogue on Climate Change Actions here, Ramesh said adaptation to climate change has to be a community driven …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : India should focus on domestic climate change: Ramesh.

Oil spills pose threat to China’s oceans, says think tank

BEIJING – The China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development has said that oil spills are posing an increasing threat to the country’s marine environment even as energy demand grows.

In a report released Thursday, the CCIC said the volume of China’s oil transported by sea now ranked third in the world following the …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Oil spills pose threat to China’s oceans, says think tank.

How cats lap up milk so elegantly

WASHINGTON – A team of researchers think they have the answer to a mystery that has long puzzled cat lovers: exactly how do their feline friends lap up milk so elegantly?

Researchers at MIT, Virginia Tech and Princeton University analyzed the way domestic and big cats lap and found that felines of all sizes take advantage …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Tiny bubbles ‘could deliver stroke drugs directly into the brain’

LONDON – Scientists believe that bubbles could deliver a devastating blow to disease.

Injected into the blood, tiny bubbles of gas can ease the passage of vital stroke drugs into the brain, helping prevent damage to the grey matter.

Now, a group of researchers calling themselves ‘the bubble community’ are studying how they could help fight disease.

They … Original source on Gaea Times at : Tiny bubbles ‘could deliver stroke drugs directly into the brain’.

Diabetes drug may retard growth of cysts in polycystic kidney disease

WASHINGTON – A new study has found that a drug usually used to treat diabetes may also retard the growth of fluid-filled cysts of the most common genetic disorder-polycystic kidney disease.

Researchers of the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and colleagues from the Mayo Clinic reported that pioglitazone appeared to control the growth of PKD cysts.

Using a … Read more >>.

Severe acne may raise suicide risk

LONDON – Individuals who have a severe acne problem are at a higher risk of attempting suicide, reveals a new study.

The study has also found that an additional risk may be present during and up to one year after treatment with isotretinoin, a commonly prescribed drug for severe acne.

However, the authors stressed that the additional …. Read the original article  : Severe acne may raise suicide risk.

30-second test to predict Alzheimer’s on the anvil

LONDON – Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease decades before symptoms appear would soon be possible, courtesy a 30-second test being developed by scientists.

The simple procedure, which detects the signs of Alzheimer’s in those in their 40s, brings the hope of routine screening for dementia in as little as two years.

Those found to have a tiny piece … Original article on : 30-second test to predict Alzheimer’s on the anvil.