Science News – Newsletter for December 12, 2010

Quake hits three northeastern states

SHILLONG – An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale rocked three northeastern states Sunday morning, triggering panic among residents. No casualties were reported, an official said.

According to the Regional Seismological Centre here, the tremor was felt at 7.10 a.m. in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. Assam and Manipur were the other state hit … Read more »»».

Drinking and walking can be lethal: Experts

WASHINGTON – Most people know how unsafe drinking and driving can be, but how about drinking and walking?

Thomas Esposito of the Loyola University has witnessed the tragic aftermath of drunken walking in his own family as several years ago; his cousin who opted to walk instead of driving home from a party was killed on …. Source article  : Drinking and walking can be lethal: Experts.

What tech surprises lie in store for 2011

WASHINGTON – What’s in store for technology in 2011? Plenty. While 2010 saw the unveiling of hot products like the iPad and iPhone 4 – 2011 looks poised to build on the best of what the preceding year had to offer.

Apple’s iPad was just the beginning. In 2011, expect an onslaught of competitors …. Source article  : What tech surprises lie in store for 2011.

Google Earth integrates Street View’s 3D maps

BERLIN – By combining two services, Google has now made it possible to pick points on the globe, look at them from outer space, and then zoom all the way in for a street-level view.

Google has done this by pulling its Street View out of browsers and integrating it with Google Earth. The combination …. Source  : Google Earth integrates Street View’s 3D maps.

2,000-year-old temple ruins found in Syria

DAMASCUS – Syria has unearthed ruins of a 2,000-year-old temple, Xinhua reported Sunday.

The temple dates back to the Nabataean era (169 B.C.-106 A.D.) in Swaida, 106 km to the south of Damascus.
Yaser Shaar, an archaeologist, said that the temple was built on the ruins of an older temple from the pre-Hellenistic period.
…. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Obama congratulates Mexico for climate summit success

WASHINGTON – US President Barack Obama congratulated his Mexican counterpart Felipe Calderon on the success of the climate summit in Cancun Saturday.

Mexico managed the negotiations in a way that allowed the agreements achieved at Cancun to build on the Copenhagen accords of last year, the White House quoted the president as saying.
In a … Read more : Obama congratulates Mexico for climate summit success.

Himachal freezes at sub-zero temperatures

SHIMLA – Large parts of Himachal Pradesh reeled under severe cold Saturday, with minimum temperature staying below freezing point in many areas, officials said.

Keylong, the headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti district, was the coldest place, with minimum temperature at minus 5.7 degrees Celsius, down 0.7 degree from Friday’s.
Most of the high-altitude … Read : Himachal freezes at sub-zero temperatures.

Delhi experiences season’s coldest day so far

NEW DELHI – With most of north India shivering due to the chilly winter winds, Delhi too Saturday witnessed its coldest day of the season so far with the maximum and minimum temperatures touching their lowest marks.

“It is the coldest day of this winter season today (Saturday) and the temperatures are expected … Read : Delhi experiences season’s coldest day so far.

Children with ADHD have more difficulties on math and reading tests

WASHINGTON – A new study concluded that children with ADHD can sometimes have more difficulties on math and reading tests compared to their peers.

Researchers used identical and fraternal twins to look at the genetic and environmental influences underlying ADHD behaviors, …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Trio of drugs may help fight ‘triple negative’ breast cancer

WASHINGTON – Scientists at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have tested a blend of three drugs that could treat so called triple negative breast cancer.

Women with such cancers lack all three hormone receptors – estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) and currently, treatments … Read : Trio of drugs may help fight ‘triple negative’ breast cancer.

Bones of gladiator provide clues to York’s Roman amphitheatre

LONDON – The bones of a Roman gladiator, who was stabbed least six times in a fatal attack, could be a clue in the search for York’s Roman amphitheatre.

The remains were found beneath the Yorkshire Museum during the museum’s refurbishment.

The skeleton is that of a large powerful, athletic male, …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Bones of gladiator provide clues to York’s Roman amphitheatre.

Climate summit reaches agreement – without commitments

CANCUN – The UN climate summit reached the Cancun Agreement in the early hours of Saturday at the end of fortnight-long tortuous negotiations at this Caribbean beach resort. After the fiasco of last year’s Copenhagen summit, it brought 193 countries back on the road to tackle global warming, but with so many compromises that it … Read more : Climate summit reaches agreement – without commitments.

‘Angry Birds’ tops iPhone app downloads for 2010

LONDON – ‘Angry Birds’ was the most downloaded paid-for app on the iTunes store in 2010, reveals Apple.

It is a popular game in which cartoon birds are catapulted towards pigs balancing on teetering structures.

The ‘Lite’ version of the game, which allows people to try out the game before spending 59p on the full version, was …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Similarities between DNA repair systems of bacteria, humans greater than thought

WASHINGTON – A new study has revealed that there are greater similarities between the DNA repair systems of bacteria and humans than previously thought.

The University of Bristol researchers have discovered how a network of repair proteins enables bacteria to prioritise the repair of the most heavily used regions of the DNA molecules that carry …. Original source  : Similarities between DNA repair systems of bacteria, humans greater than thought.

First impression is truly the last impression!

WASHINGTON – They say ‘first impression is the last impression’, and it seems to be true. A new study has found that a professor’s first interaction with pupils has a strong impact on them.

Students in a physiology course at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine were asked to evaluate 16 professors who lectured during …. Read the original article  : First impression is truly the last impression!.

Caterpillars whistle to fend off attacking birds: Study

WASHINGTON – A new study has found that caterpillars can whistle to fend off attacking birds.

The walnut sphinx caterpillar, a type of moth larva, doesn’t whistle by puckering their lips and blowing, as they don’t have lips.

They blow out their sides, said researchers.

Jayne Yack at Carleton University in Ottawa revealed that walnut sphinx caterpillars (Amorpha …. Source  : Caterpillars whistle to fend off attacking birds: Study.

How ‘bees see world’

WASHINGTON – Scientists have developed FReD – the Floral Reflectance Database – which holds data on what colours flowers appear to be, to bees.

The work by researchers at Queen Mary, University of London and Imperial College London addresses the existing issue that records of flower colours do not take the visual systems of pollinator … Read more >>.

Geminid meteor shower to offer dazzling spectacle on Dec 14

WASHINGTON – This December seems to be a great month for astronomers and all those who want to gaze the night sky.

The Geminid meteor shower will be at its best a few hours before dawn on December 14, according to the editors of StarDate magazine.

The Geminids are one of the most reliable meteor showers. This …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Geminid meteor shower to offer dazzling spectacle on Dec 14.

When Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon for the first time

WASHINGTON – Wonder what really happened when Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon? Well, here’s what he wrote to NPR blogger Robert Krulwich that may quench your curiosity too.

In an article he wrote for ‘Krulwich Wonders,’ Krulwich pondered why the 1969 Apollo 11 astronauts didn’t venture more than 90 yards from the Lunar Module.

And …. Read the original article  : When Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon for the first time.

Personalized molecular therapy ‘effective for advanced lung cancer’

WASHINGTON – A new study has pointed out that a combination of epigenetic therapy and molecular targeted therapy has promising results at combating advanced lung cancer.

Epigenetic therapy is an approach designed to control the expression of good and bad genes that influence the development of resistance to targeted therapies.

The study, called ENCORE 401, was …. Source article  : Personalized molecular therapy ‘effective for advanced lung cancer’.