Science News – Newsletter for January 13, 2011

World’s fastest ‘molecular movie’ recorded

LONDON – Scientists at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fur Materialien und Energie (HZB) and the Technische Uni-versitat Berlin (TUB) have successfully come one step closer to recording a ‘molecular movie.’

Molecular level process are not just miniscule, they are often extremely fast, and therefore difficult to capture in action.

But …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : World’s fastest ‘molecular movie’ recorded.

1 ounce of new ‘frozen smoke’ can carpet 3 football fields!

WASHINGTON – Scientists have developed a new, ultra-light form of “frozen smoke” – renowned as the world’s lightest solid material – one ounce of which can carpet three football fields, they claim.

Called multiwalled carbon nanotube (MCNT) aerogel, the substance can be used …. Read the original article  : 1 ounce of new ‘frozen smoke’ can carpet 3 football fields!.

Soon, a Pied Piper’s flute deadly for rats but harmless for humans, plants

WASHINGTON – Scientists are on a mission to create a life-like version of the Pied Piper that will specifically target rodents but pose no harm to other animals, people or plants.

According to C and EN Associate Editor Jyllian Kemsley, rats not only … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Soon, a Pied Piper’s flute deadly for rats but harmless for humans, plants.

Scientists dissect anatomy of conflict in love

WASHINGTON – Some of the most intense or volatile emotions felt by people occur during a conflict in romantic relationships.

A research turns the spotlight on how a person perceives his or her partner’s emotion during a conflict that greatly influences different types of thoughts, feelings and reactions in themselves, the journal Personal Relationships … Original article on : Scientists dissect anatomy of conflict in love.

Your sense of smell could foretell death

LONDON – Losing your sense of smell at an old age could mean that your days are already numbered, a study suggests.

Scientists from Rush University Medical Centre in Chicago in the US found that the more daily smells one could identify, the more likely he was to stay alive longer.
The team gave more … Read more »».

Facebook’s Amber Alerts to help locate missing children

WASHINGTON – Facebook is teaming up with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to launch a new system called Amber alerts to issue bulletins about child abductions.

Each state has its own Facebook Amber Alert page, and users who become a …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Another leopard becomes victim of human fury

BHUBANESWAR – In yet another incident of human fury against animals, angry villagers Thursday beat a leopard to death with wooden sticks and cricket bats on the outskirts of this Orissa capital after it injured two people, an official said.

The leopard, which was believed to have sneaked into the area near Gandarpur village from …. Original source  : Another leopard becomes victim of human fury.

Courtship affects gene expression in flies

WASHINGTON – A new study has suggested that courtship behaviors may be far more influenced by genes than previously thought.

Scientists from Texas made an important step toward understanding human mating behavior by showing that certain genes become activated in fruit flies when they interact with the opposite sex.

This research has shown has also shed light …. Source article  : Courtship affects gene expression in flies.

New tests support effectiveness of Chinese drug for cataracts

WASHINGTON – A widely used non-prescription drug in China and certain other countries can prevent and treat cataracts, scientists have reported.

In the study, Tzu-Hua Wu, Fu-Yung Huang, Shih-Hsiung Wu and colleagues note that eye drops containing pirenoxine, or PRX, have been reputed as a cataract remedy for almost 60 years.

Currently, the only treatment for cataracts …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : New tests support effectiveness of Chinese drug for cataracts.

Nerve stimulation may thwart tinnitus: Study

LONDON – A new study found that researchers were able to eliminate tinnitus in a group of rats by stimulating a nerve in the neck while simultaneously playing a variety of sound tones over an extended period of time.

This new therapy was found to help retrain the part of the brain that interprets sound so …. Source article  : Nerve stimulation may thwart tinnitus: Study.

Indian youngsters lag behind in mobile Internet use

LONDON – Indian youngsters are less tech-savvy as compared to their global counterparts, if the recent research by Nielsen is anything to go by.

The study on youth and cellphone usage published on January 11 states that less than 10 percent of Indian youth used their mobile devices to access the Internet last month, while 73 … Read more : Indian youngsters lag behind in mobile Internet use.

Rolled out cigarettes more addictive, shows study

WELLINGTON – Smokers who prefer roll-your-own tobacco may be more intensely addicted to the habit than those who puff on readymade cigarettes.

Doctoral graduate Amy Lewis at the Victoria University in New Zealand investigated how tobacco smoke influences proteins involved in cigarette addiction.
These include monoamine oxidase enzymes or MAOs that break down brain [..] Read the original article: here.

Does courtship bring genes into play?

WASHINGTON – Being around the opposite sex activates genes to perform certain courtship rituals, says a new study.

Scientists have edged closer to understanding our mating behaviour by studying how genes interact in fruit flies during such interactions.
This research by Texas A&M University shows that courtship behaviours may be far more influenced by … Original source on Gaea Times at : Does courtship bring genes into play?.

Coming soon: Camera that ’sees the invisible’

WASHINGTON – Chemists from the University of South Carolina are reportedly developing a camera that has the ability to see the invisible – be it bloodstains or any other substances.

Called multimode imaging in the thermal infrared, they claim the new technology could help in crime scene investigations.

Michael Myrick, Stephen Morgan and their graduate student colleagues … Read more : Coming soon: Camera that ’sees the invisible’.

For some, music gives the same high as sex

LONDON – A new study from the McGill University has revealed that listening to music is just as pleasurable as food, drugs and sex.

Listening to music releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain important for more tangible pleasures associated with sex or great food.

The study found that dopamine release in response to music elicited … Read : For some, music gives the same high as sex.

New study explains ‘yo-yo effect’ of slimming diets

WASHINGTON – A new study has found that the hormones related to appetite play an important role in the likelihood of regaining weight after dieting.

The study found that people with the highest levels of leptin and lowest levels of ghrelin are more likely to put on pounds again after dieting.

This is called the ‘yo-yo’ effect, … Read more »»».

Emotional stress can change brain function

WASHINGTON – Researchers have found that a single exposure to acute stress affected information processing in the cerebellum – the area of the brain responsible for motor control and movement coordination and also involved in learning and memory formation.

The study was conducted by Iaroslav Savtchouk, a graduate student, and S. June Liu, Associate Professor … Original source on Gaea Times at : Emotional stress can change brain function.

Feeding 9 billion people predicted for 2050 will be possible: Report

LONDON – A new report suggests that the world will be able to feed the predicted 2050 population of nine billion people.

In the joint report, two French agricultural research organizations lay out findings gleaned from 2006 to 2008 that could overturn some current assumptions about the state of global farming.

Agricultural productivity in Africa doubled between …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Srinagar minimum temperature rises, snowfall likely in valley

SRINAGAR – The minimum temperature in summer capital Srinagar was four degrees above normal and in winter capital Jammu it was three degrees below normal Thursday as the weather office forecast moderate to heavy snowfall across Kashmir Valley.

The minimum temperature was 1.6 degrees Celsius in Srinagar Thursday while it was 5.2 degrees in winter … Read : Srinagar minimum temperature rises, snowfall likely in valley.

People ignore their personalities when predicting future happiness

WASHINGTON – Scientists have explained why humans are notoriously bad at predicting their future happiness.

Jordi Quoidbach from the University of Liege, Belgium, suggested that part of the reason for these mispredictions lies in failing to recognize the key role played by one’s own personality when determining future emotional reactions.

Quoidbach and his partner, Elizabeth Dunn, …. Source  : Gaea News Network.