Science News – Newsletter for December 22, 2010

LittleGossip.com allows you to make obscene comments

LONDON – A new website that encourages schoolkids to write anonymous and obscene comments about their peers has exploded in popularity among pupils in the past month.

Perhaps surprisingly, they are the pupils from some of the most prestigious institutions like Eton, St Paul’s, Harrow and others here that appear to be the most enthusiastic …. Source article  : LittleGossip.com allows you to make obscene comments.

Marathon runners who finish first lose maximum weight

LONDON – Marathon runners who finish a race fastest, also lose the largest proportion of their body weight, according to a study.

Conversely, those who actually gain weight during the race, performed the worst.
The runners were advised to drink 250 ml of either water or a sports drink every 20 minutes … Read more >>.

Mums who take folic acid, iron during pregnancy have smarter kids

WASHINGTON – A new study has revealed that mothers who take folic acid, iron during pregnancy have smarter kids.

In developing countries where iron deficiency is prevalent, prenatal iron-folic acid supplementation could increase intellectual and motor functioning in offspring, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

They examined the intellectual and …. Original source  : Mums who take folic acid, iron during pregnancy have smarter kids.

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captures dramatic views of Saturn’s 2nd largest moon

WASHINGTON – NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has captured some dramatic views of Saturn’s second largest moon Rhea.

Pictures reveal fractures cutting through craters on the moon’s surface, revealing a history of tectonic rumbling.

“These recent, high-resolution Cassini images help us put Saturn’s moon in the context of the moons’ geological family tree,” said Paul Helfenstein, Cassini imaging … Original article on : NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captures dramatic views of Saturn’s 2nd largest moon.

Africa has two, not one, species of elephant

WASHINGTON – A new research has resolved a long-standing debate after confirming that Africa has two-not one-species of elephant.

Using genetic analysis, scientists from Harvard, the University of Illinois and the University of York in the UK have shown that the African savanna elephant and the smaller African forest elephant have been largely separated for several … Read : Africa has two, not one, species of elephant.

Eating orange is better than popping vitamin pills

WASHINGTON – Eating an orange is much better for one’s health than simply taking vitamin C pills.

A host of antioxidants in orange work together to retard ageing and possibly keep heart disease and cancer at bay, the Journal of Food Science reports.
“There is something about an orange that’s better than taking a …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Eating orange is better than popping vitamin pills.

Chilli compound shows pain relief promise

LONDON – Researchers at Aberdeen University are using the compound that gives chillies their kick in the fight against chronic pain.hey have identified how genes are ‘turned on’ to make humans feel pain. apsaicin, the compound in chillies, can also turn on the switch.

According to researchers, their study could herald the development of new … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Chilli compound shows pain relief promise.

Obesity increases death risk in vehicle crashes

WASHINGTON – Obesity spells a higher death risk in severe vehicular crashes.

In a motor crash or collision, a moderately obese driver faces a 21 percent higher risk of death, while it is 56 percent more risky for the morbidly obese, says a study.
Dietrich Jehle, professor of emergency medicine at University at … Read more >>>.

Scientists produce first-ever, 100 times brighter rare colour of laser light

WASHINGTON – Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility have produced a rare colour of laser light 100 times brighter than any other source, for the first time.

It is called vacuum ultraviolet and is in the form of 10 eV photons.

“Using a hole out-coupling mirror on the Jefferson Lab Ultraviolet …. Source  : Scientists produce first-ever, 100 times brighter rare colour of laser light.

Delayed, longer weaning ‘could have led to woolly mammoths’ extinction’

WASHINGTON – Researchers believe that the weaning pattern of woolly mammoths could have contributed to the extinction of the giant animals.

University of Western Ontario investigators found that the mammoths began weaning infants up to three years later than modern day African elephants due to prolonged hours of darkness.

Student Jessica Metcalfe and professor Fred Longstaffe determined …. Original article  : Delayed, longer weaning ‘could have led to woolly mammoths’ extinction’.

Men, women still follow ancient rituals while shopping

WASHINGTON – Men and women still follow ancient rituals while shopping, says a new study.

For instance, during the last-minute holiday rush, men seek their prized item, pay, and leave without much ado. Women study the fabrics, colour, texture and price.
The hunting and gathering ritual of yesteryear continues today in malls around the world, … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Men, women still follow ancient rituals while shopping.

Stress can improve ordinary, unrelated memories: Study

WASHINGTON – A team of neuroscientists has discovered that stress can enhance ordinary, unrelated memories.

Their results could offer a pathway for addressing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related afflictions.

Researchers at the Czech Republic’s Academy of Sciences, the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center, and Rockefeller University conducted the study using laboratory …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Stress can improve ordinary, unrelated memories: Study.

49,000-yr-old Spanish murder site indicates ‘Neanderthals were cannibals’

WASHINGTON – Researchers have discovered an ancient mass murder site in Spain that indicates that Neanderthals could have feasted on the bodies of their family members too.

The 49,000 years old site contains butchered remains of 12 men, women, and children who belonged to an extended Neanderthal family and were eaten by their fellow Neanderthals.

After analysing …. Original article  : 49,000-yr-old Spanish murder site indicates ‘Neanderthals were cannibals’.

Test to detect Alzheimer’s at its earliest stage ’seems possible’

LONDON – UK researchers believe they can now detect the most common form of dementia – Alzheimer’s disease – at its earliest stage, many years before symptoms appear.

They reckon that a lumbar puncture test combined with a brain scan can identify patients with early tell-tale signs of dementia, reports the BBC.

Jonathan Schott and colleagues at …. Source  : Test to detect Alzheimer’s at its earliest stage ’seems possible’.

DigniCap may help cancer patients undergoing chemo keep hair

NEW YORK – A new frozen gel-filled cap- called DigniCap-may one day help cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy prevent hair loss.

According to Msnbc.com, four patients in the U.S. are trying out the DigniCap-a hat that contains a cooling gel and fits tightly on the head.

During the treatment, the gel chills the hair follicles, thus restricting the …. Read the original article  : here.

Is it clockwise or anticlockwise? Study debunks Silhouette Illusion myth

WASHINGTON – Most of us are familiar with the Silhouette Illusion, which appears to some as spinning clockwise and anticlockwise to others – now a new study debunks a common myth associated with this illusion.

Earlier studies have claimed that the spin direction of the illusion is based on whether viewers are left or right-brained or …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Could Jupiter solve the mystery of The Star of Bethlehem?

WASHINGTON – BBC astronomer and Discovery News contributor Mark Thompson is trying to solve the mystery behind ‘The Star of Bethlehem’ and believes that Jupiter could be the key.

Thompson went through historical records and used computer simulations of the positions of the planets and stars as they would have appeared.

Between Sept. 3 B.C. and May …. Read the original article  : Could Jupiter solve the mystery of The Star of Bethlehem?.

Blue-green algae used for treating Lou Gehrig’s disease in mice model

WASHINGTON – In a new study, University of South Florida neuroscientists found that nutritional supplementation with Spirulina, a nutrient-rich, blue-green algae, provided neuroprotective support for dying motor neurons in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

They suggest that a spirulina-supplemented diet may provide clinical benefits for ALS patients.

In [..] Read the original article: here.

ESA’s latest map of world’s land cover unveiled

WASHINGTON – ESA’s 2009 global land cover map has been unveiled and is available on the ‘GlobCover’ website.

The map was produced using 12 months of data from Envisat’s Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer at a resolution of 300 m.

ESA and Belgium’s Universite catholique de Louvain created the map using software developed by Medias France and Germany’s … Read : ESA’s latest map of world’s land cover unveiled.

Cellular mechanism behind chronic inflammation, type 2 diabetes identified

WASHINGTON – Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have uncovered the cellular mechanism responsible for chronic inflammation and type 2 diabetes.

They demonstrated that certain T cells require input from monocytes in order to maintain their pro-inflammatory response in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

The study also showed, for the first time, how … Read more >>.