Science News – Newsletter for November 28, 2010

Tiny beaked toad, two other species discovered

LONDON – Deep within the Colombian jungle, scientists have stumbled upon a bizarre-looking beaked toad, along with two hitherto unknown species.

Tinier than a human thumbnail, the beaked toad, with deep purple skin and small blue blotches, was among three new species of the amphibian discovered by a British-led scientific team.
Researchers who made the …. Original source  : Tiny beaked toad, two other species discovered.

Glasses-free 3-D devices to hit market

WASHINGTON – Wearing those glasses while watching a 3-D movie may soon become a thing of the past, as new glasses-free 3-D devices are about to hit the Japanese market.

These gadgets, described as ‘autostereo’ to distinguish them from the kind requiring eyewear, would include game consoles, cameras, cellphones, and tablet computers.

Among the first will be …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Glasses-free 3-D devices to hit market.

Facebook strengthening our social ties: Study

WASHINGTON – A University of Texas research has suggested that Facebook is making us more social, albeit in ways unique to the digital age.

While the social network site is helping to close the social media generational gap, it’s being used differently by men and women, and by current college students versus recent college graduates.

The study, …. Read the original article  : Facebook strengthening our social ties: Study.

Antibiotics named as ‘greatest medical advance of last 50 years’

LONDON – A new survey has named antibiotics as the most important medical development of the past 50 years.

After antibiotics, vaccination was named the second most important medical development in the poll of more than 650 doctors.

This was followed by the use of CT and MRI scans to help detect disease and the development in … Original article on : Antibiotics named as ‘greatest medical advance of last 50 years’.

200mn-yr-old fossils reveal how snakes’ syringe-like venom fangs evolved

LONDON – Scientists are analysing fossils of a 200 million-year-old reptile of the late Triassic period to understand how syringe-like teeth evolved in snakes that exist today.

Although not closely related to snakes, Uatchitodon’s hollow fangs suggest it was venomous.

The roots of its teeth suggest that the animal is more closely related to dinosaurs and alligators … Read more »»».

Antarctic icecaps could help scientists predict Earth’s future weather

LONDON – London’s Science Museum will feature three pieces of ice core, drilled from the Antarctic icecap, which could help scientists predict Earth’s future weather.

They will be installed in a glass-fronted freezer cabinet in the Science Museum in London’s new Atmosphere gallery.

“This gallery will show how scientists have acquired their knowledge about Earth’s climate history …. Source article  : Antarctic icecaps could help scientists predict Earth’s future weather.

A study of soil as a source of pollutants

WASHINGTON – A new study from University of Southern Maine aims to understand the role of soil as a source of pollutants.

Nearly one-fifth of the earth’s surface is comprised of mountains that play a role in the storage and distribution of fresh water, with one-tenth of the world’s population relying on that mountain snowpack as …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : A study of soil as a source of pollutants.

Improved ocean turbine design – inspired by whales!

WASHINGTON – Underwater turbines have long been thought to be sources of alternative energy – now the ocean’s largest mammals have inspired scientists to tackle one of the serious challenges of this technology: the low velocity associated with many tidal flows and the difficulty of extracting useful energy from low speed flows using current designs.

“We … Read more >>>.

New discovery in the fight against Huntington’s disease

WASHINGTON – Scientists have made a novel discovery in the fight against Huntington’s disease (HD).

HD is an incurable progressive neurodegenerative genetic disorder which affects motor coordination and leads to cognitive decline and dementia.

The disease pathology stems from a mutation in the huntingtin (Htt) gene, which results in the accumulation of toxic proteins leading to … Original article on : New discovery in the fight against Huntington’s disease.

How do jump ropes work?

WASHINGTON – Engineers have built a robotic jump rope device and used it to study the underlying physics of jumping rope.

Jump ropes are used by kids for fun and by athletes for training. But what about the underlying physics? How do jump ropes work?

Now, Jeff Aristoff and Howard Stone of Princeton University have developed … Original source on Gaea Times at : How do jump ropes work?.

Jellyfish inspire flexible pumps

WASHINGTON – A student at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena thinks that jellyfish’s unique propulsion system might be the perfect model for tiny pumps that can be implanted in peoples’ bodies, or used in soft robotics.

To the causal aquarium visitor, the jellyfish doesn’t seem to be a particularly powerful swimmer; compared to a … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Jellyfish inspire flexible pumps.

Heavy snow forces Chinese airport to shut down

SHANGHAI – Overnight snow in most parts of northeast China brought down temperatures to several degrees below minus and forced an airport to shut down twice in a day due to a blizzard, a media report said Sunday.

An airport in Changchun, capital of Jilin province, was closed twice Saturday because of blizzards, with at …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Heavy snow forces Chinese airport to shut down.

Twitter handy tool for foreign language teaching

WASHINGTON – Twitter, mostly famous for celebrity gossips, is being transformed into more purposeful social media tool for teaching foreign language at the University of South Carolina.

Professors Lara Ducate and Lara Lomicka Anderson are using Twitter as a learning aid to inject a little fun and spontaneity into foreign language instruction.

“One of my main goals [..] Read the original article: here.

Indonesian volcano eruptions raise alert level

JAKARTA – Mount Bromo volcano on Indonesia’s Java island spewed ash into the air from a series of minor eruptions Sunday, prompting scientists to warn of possible danger to flights.

Gede Suantika, head of the Centre of Vulcanology and Geological Mitigation, said the ash had reached the Abdurahman Saleh Airport in nearby city of Malang.
…. Source article  : Indonesian volcano eruptions raise alert level.

Five-day centenary programme to honour Dwarkanath Kotnis

SINDHUDURG – Celebrating the centenary of Dwarkanath Kotnis, the noted Indian doctor who rendered yeoman services in China in the 1930s, several commemorative programmes have been organized in the southern Konkan region starting Sunday.

Two social organisations – Soham Pratisthan and Samvedna Arts – have joined hands to highlight the life and works of the … Read more >>>.

Twitter lacks ‘clear long term vision’ says new CEO

LONDON – Twitter, the microblogging website, currently lacks a clear long-term vision, new CEO has admitted.

Dick Costolo, formerly the chief operating officer of Twitter, took over as the company’s chief executive officer last month.

“I am working on clarity around that at the moment. I am currently trying to define what Twitter’s purpose is in … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Twitter lacks ‘clear long term vision’ says new CEO.

Cosmos may provide clues to events before Big Bang

LONDON – Cosmos may provide some clues into events that happened before the Big Bang, according to an expert.

Renowned cosmologist Roger Penrose said that the evidence of events that happened before the Big Bang could be seen in the glow of microwave radiation that fills the Universe.

The events appear as “rings” around galaxy clusters in …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Ancient town found in Myanmar

YANGON – Archaeologists in Myanmar have discovered parts of a religious building and a wall that circled an ancient town dating back to 100 B.C. during the Pyu era, a media report said Sunday.

The town remnants were found after an excavation in two sites in Wadee in central Myanmar during July-August this year, Xinhua [..] Read the original article: here.

Light fog gives way to bright Sunday

NEW DELHI – The national capital saw shallow fog early Sunday but it soon lifted, giving way to a bright and sunny day.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature recorded was two degrees above the average at 11.7 degrees Celsius.
“The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 25 degrees …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Light fog gives way to bright Sunday.

Human onslaught weighs heavy on Himalayan town (Letter from Himachal)

REKONG PEO – It is a picturesque town located at a height of 2,670 metres with the Kinner Kailash range of the Himalayas as its backdrop, but Rekong Peo is cracking up under the onslaught of heavy rains and human interference.

Some cracks that surfaced for the first time in September have now widened.
The … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Human onslaught weighs heavy on Himalayan town (Letter from Himachal).