Science News – Newsletter for January 14, 2011

Earth is twice as dusty as in 19th century

WASHINGTON – If your house seems dustier than usual, it may have nothing to do with your housekeeping skills.

The amount of dust in the atmosphere has doubled over the last century, according to a new study, and the dramatic increase is influencing climate and ecology around the world.
The study, led by Natalie …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

When and how continents formed

WASHINGTON – A new study attempts to bring to rest a long- standing debate – when and how continents really formed.

The continental crust formation modified the composition of the mantle and the atmosphere, it supports life and it remains a sink for carbon dioxide through weathering and erosion.

However, the timing … Read more »».

‘Jeopardy!’ champs beaten to buzzer by IBM computer ‘Watson’

WASHINGTON – IBM has after four years developed a computing system called ‘Watson’ that specializes in analysing natural human language and answering complex questions.

And to test its capabilities, the machine was pitted against the most celebrated human contestants, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, in a ‘Jeopardy!’ exhibition match.

Watson … Original source on Gaea Times at : ‘Jeopardy!’ champs beaten to buzzer by IBM computer ‘Watson’.

Extinct woolly mammoth could be reborn in four years

LONDON – The long extinct woolly mammoth could be resurrected in under four years, thanks to cloning technology breakthrough.

Previous efforts in the 1990s to recover nuclei in cells from the skin and muscle tissue of mammoths found in Siberia failed because the region’s extreme cold had damaged them.
But a technique pioneered in …. Source article  : Extinct woolly mammoth could be reborn in four years.

Top 10 global weather events in 2010

WASHINGTON – A panel of experts has ranked the top 10 global weather and climate events of 2010 as follows.

According to Christian Science Monitor, voters considered the scope and unusualness of the event, its immediate human and economic impact, and whether it is emblematic of climate trends or variability:
1.Russian-European-Asian heat waves
The heat …. Read the original article  : here.

Brain images can predict your video game performance

WASHINGTON – Want to know how well you fare in video games? Well, researchers say they need look no further than a specific region of your brain – basal ganglia.

Psychology professors at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, have said that they could now predict with ‘unprecedented accuracy’ a person’s skills at video games and other …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Brain images can predict your video game performance.

Mad cow disease can also be transmitted through air: Study

WASHINGTON – University of Zurich researchers have discovered that prions – the infectious proteins that cause mad cow disease and its human version Creutzfeldt-Jakob disorder – could also be transmitted through the air.

The surprising finding will likely mean a whole new push of precautionary measures for scientific labs, slaughterhouses and animal feed plants.

Until now, it …. Original source  : Mad cow disease can also be transmitted through air: Study.

Suicide risk greater for those living at higher altitudes

WASHINGTON – A 20-year analysis of mortality data from counties across the United States has found that living at higher altitudes may be a risk factor for suicide.

The study was conducted jointly by scientists from University Hospitals Case Medical Center (Cleveland, OH), University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (PA), and Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston).

The team … Original article on : Suicide risk greater for those living at higher altitudes.

Bacteria in the gut help control obesity and inflammation

WASHINGTON – Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston have discovered that the bacteria living in the intestines may play a far more significant role in weight loss and gastrointestinal problems than ever imagined.

They show that a deficiency of Toll-like receptor 2 (Tlr2)-used by mammals (including humans) to recognize resident microbes in the [..] Read the original article: here.

Now, a website that tells men how to seduce women into sex

MELBOURNE – American consumer products giant Procter and Gamble has come up with a website that offers advice to men on how to seduce women and get them into bed.

The site ManoftheHouse.com gives tips on grilling burgers, cleaning toilets, disciplining children, and sex too.

It promises on its site, “We’ll make men out of you yet”, …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Now, a website that tells men how to seduce women into sex.

UK to rebuild world’s first room-sized recognisably modern computer

LONDON – The first recognisably modern computer, the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (Edsac), is to be rebuilt at the UK’s former code-cracking centre Bletchley Park.

Creation of the replica, which was a room-sized behemoth built at Cambridge University that first ran in 1949, has been commissioned by the UK’s Computer Conservation Society (CCS).

Edsac was one … Read more »»».

‘Healthy mammoth could be reborn in 4 or 5 years’

LONDON – A professor has claimed that the woolly mammoth, extinct for thousands of years, could be reborn with the help of cloning technology.

Akira Iritani, a professor at Kyoto University, is reactivating a campaign to resurrect the species that died out 5,000 years ago.

“Now the technical problems have been overcome, all we need is a … Original article on : ‘Healthy mammoth could be reborn in 4 or 5 years’.

‘Longevity’ protein may ward off precursor to prostate cancer

WASHINGTON – New evidence suggests that the “longevity” protein SIRT1 can inhibit the development of a known precursor to prostate cancer, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN).

Results from the study could lead to new cancer prevention drugs that could not only block prostate cancer but promote longevity.

The study by researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : ‘Longevity’ protein may ward off precursor to prostate cancer.

Why minor details are linked to long-term memories

WASHINGTON – Scientists have found why we remember the smallest of details of an episode even after a long period of time.

“Our finding explains, at least partially, why seemingly irrelevant information like the color of the shirt of an important person is remembered as vividly as more significant information such as the person’s impressive remark …. Original source  : Why minor details are linked to long-term memories.

Why sex in space might be a bad idea

LONDON – A new study has shown that foetus of a pregnant zebrafish in space like conditions develops cranial defects, raising the possibility of same effects in humans.

Tamara Franz-Odendaal at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada, said that changes in neural crest cells are responsible for triggering the abnormalities, reports New Scientist.

Franz-Odendaal and her …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Why sex in space might be a bad idea.

Was climate change the reason behind fall of the Roman Empire?

WASHINGTON – A new study has linked climate change to the fall of the Roman Empire.

A prolonged period of wet weather triggered the spread of the Bubonic plague in medieval times and a 300-year long spell of unpredictable weather may have led to the decline of the Roman Empire, says the new study from the … Read more : Was climate change the reason behind fall of the Roman Empire?.

Gravitational lens could shed light on the origin of the Universe

LONDON – Astronomers have demonstrated how gravitational lensing, a phenomenon in which light from a distant object is bent around a massive foreground object, allows us to see the faintest and most distant galaxies.

It could us to understand the origin of the Universe, say researchers.

A team, led by Dr. Dennis Walsh of The University of … Read more »»».

Chandra images show result of star formation on overdrive

WASHINGTON – A new image captured by Chandra X-ray Observatory shows the result of star formation on overdrive.

M82 is a so-called starburst galaxy, where stars are forming at rates that are tens or even hundreds of times higher than in a normal galaxy.

Astronomers believe that the star formation in this galaxy is a … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Chandra images show result of star formation on overdrive.

New 230mn-yr-old predator ‘dawn runner’ discovered in South America

WASHINGTON – Experts have announced the discovery of a dinosaur that roamed South America approximately 230 million years ago and have dubbed it the ‘dawn runner’.

“It really is the earliest look we have at the long line of meat eaters that would ultimately culminate in Tyrannosaurus rex near the end of the dinosaur era,” said … Original article on : New 230mn-yr-old predator ‘dawn runner’ discovered in South America.

Kamasutra could make you a victim of a hack attack

WASHINGTON – According to a security research firm, the Kamasutra might make you a victim of computer hackers.

Security research firm Sophos has said that a Powerpoint file demonstrating more than a dozen different sexual positions is malware in disguise.

The file, called ‘Real kamasutra.pps.exe,’ masquerades as a legitimate PowerPoint deck but the minute you open the …. Source  : Kamasutra could make you a victim of a hack attack.