Science News – Newsletter for January 30, 2011

New Google service solves sudoku

BERLIN – If you’re stuck on your sudoku puzzle, there’s hope. New photo recognition software for Android mobiles – Goggles – can help solve the puzzle.

Just hold the numerical puzzle up to the camera on your mobile. Goggles will then recognize the numbers already in the puzzle and calculate the missing values.
Goggles, now … Read : New Google service solves sudoku.

Blood-clotting bandage to help save lives on the battlefield

LONDON – Scottish scientists are developing a new chemical bandage that will help save lives on the battlefield by instantly helping to clot blood and staunch wounds.

The authors have discovered a group of polymers – molecules used in the manufacture of plastics – that accelerate the crucial clotting properties of platelets in blood, reports the … Read more »»».

What your mobile phone says about you

MELBOURNE – New research has found that mobile phones say quite a lot about their owners.

Social analyst David Chalke says that people’s cell phones can give an insight into their personalities.

“Twenty years ago when you said ‘your phone’, you meant the white Telecom commander on the wall in the kitchen, but it doesn’t mean that … Read more : What your mobile phone says about you.

Where does our sense of time come from?

WASHINGTON – A new research has found that humans use their senses to help keep track of short intervals of time, and this suggests that our perception of time is not maintained by an internal body clock alone.

Scientists from University College London (UCL) set out to answer the question “Where does our sense of time …. Source article  : Where does our sense of time come from?.

Himachal sees fresh snowfall, gets colder

SHIMLA – The hills of Himachal Pradesh experienced a fresh spell of snowfall early Sunday, intensifying the cold wave in the region with Shimla recording a low of 2.6 degrees Celsius and Keylong shivering at minus 8.9 degrees.

The entire higher reaches in Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, Kullu and Chamba districts have been experiencing intermittent …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Himachal sees fresh snowfall, gets colder.

Fresh snowfall closes Srinagar-Jammu highway

SRINAGAR – Fresh snowfall across the Kashmir Valley Sunday closed the strategic Srinagar-Jammu national highway as the minimum temperature rose above the freezing point after two months in summer capital Srinagar.

The 40-day long harshest period of winter, “Chilla Kalan” also ended Sunday.
“Due to fresh snowfall and slippery road conditions in Patnitop and Bannihal …. Source article  : Fresh snowfall closes Srinagar-Jammu highway.

Ancient Roman love was about sex, lust and death

WASHINGTON – While modern day definition of love includes sharing, caring and friendship, for ancient Roman lovers it was nothing more than sexual pleasure, says a Hamilton College Classics Professor.

According Barbara Gold, the idea of sharing or caring didn’t exist for Roman lovers.

They described themselves as “‘wounded, wretched, enslaved by their lovers, having their bone …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Ancient Roman love was about sex, lust and death.

Less time with fathers ‘can lead kids to bullying’

WASHINGTON – Children who feel they do not get to spend sufficient time with their fathers are more likely to become bullies, new research suggests.

“Our behavior is driven by our perception of our world, so if children feel they are not getting enough time and attention from parents then those feelings have to go somewhere …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Light rains in Delhi, temperature up

NEW DELHI – The capital saw light rainfall Sunday morning that raised the minimum temperature to 6.5 degrees Celsius, a degree above from Saturday’s temperature, a met official said.

“The sky is likely to remain cloudy during the day. Light rainfall is expected in some parts towards the evening,” a met department official said.
The … Read more : Light rains in Delhi, temperature up.

Bad taste in music really can ruin a relationship

LONDON – Wondering why your last relationship ended on the wrong note? Well, the reason could be your taste in music.

A new study has suggested that music actually predicts sexual attraction.

The most recent issue of Psychology of Music exmaines the link between identity, music and what makes people ‘click’.

This had led the LA Weekly … Read more »»».

Getting mad at your spouse may be the secret to a happy married life

WASHINGTON – It may not be a good idea to forgive your spouse for all the mistakes, as those who do are more likely to face additional bad behavior compared to those who stay angry, suggests a new study.

Study author James McNulty, of the University of Tennessee said that the benefits of forgiveness might need … Read : Getting mad at your spouse may be the secret to a happy married life.

A man’s stare causes women to score low on math!

WASHINGTON – A new study claims that getting stared at by a man causes a woman to score low in math problems.

“It creates this vicious cycle for women in which they’re underperforming in math or work domains, but they’re continuing to want to interact with the person who is making them underperform in the first … Original source on Gaea Times at : A man’s stare causes women to score low on math!.

New, self-healing sticky gel that sticks underwater too

WASHINGTON – Scientists are on their way to creating a new type of self-healing sticky gel that could be used as an adhesive or coating for underwater machinery or in biomedical settings as a surgical adhesive or bonding agent for implants.

The idea was inspired from the hair-thin holdfast fibers that mussels secrete to stick against …. Source  : New, self-healing sticky gel that sticks underwater too.

Tea house, pagoda huts et al – a Japanese Garden in Chandigarh!

CHANDIGARH – Already famous for its gardens and dense green cover, this joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, visited by nearly one million tourists each year, is all set to get a theme-based ‘Japanese Garden’ with a Japanese-styled tower, lanterns, tea house and pagoda huts.

The union tourism ministry has sanctioned a grant of over … Read : Tea house, pagoda huts et al – a Japanese Garden in Chandigarh!.

Visit Mexican museums, archaeological sites via Google

Mexico City, Jan 30 (IANS/EFE) About 180 Mexican archaeological sites and 116 museums are being made available for virtual visits via the Google Earth platform from any part of the world, Mexican authorities and executives of Google Latin America said.

During the platform’s presentation at Chapultepec Castle in the Mexican capital, the National Anthropology …. Original source  : Visit Mexican museums, archaeological sites via Google.

Warm, pleasant day in Delhi

NEW DELHI – Delhi was greeted by a slightly misty morning, but it was a relatively warm Saturday as the maximum temperature was recorded at 23.3 degrees Celsius, a degree above the season’s average.

The day began on a pleasant note for Delhiites with the misty morning and mild sunshine.
The maximum temperature was recorded … Read more »»».

Himachal bans plastic cups, plates

SHIMLA – After imposing a ban on the use of all types of polythene bags made of non-biodegradable materials, Himachal Pradesh has decided to ban disposable plastic products from August this year, an official said here Saturday.

“From Aug 15, there would a complete ban on the storage and use of non-biodegradable disposable plastic products … Original source on Gaea Times at : Himachal bans plastic cups, plates.

Transcranial magnetic brain stimulation key to treating brain disorders

WASHINGTON – A new study has found that the activity of certain brain nerve cells can be deliberately influenced by using magnetic stimulation.

The study could mean use of cerebral stimulation to treat functional disorders … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Transcranial magnetic brain stimulation key to treating brain disorders.

New study applies existing theory to predict floods

WASHINGTON – A new study shows how Shannon’s Information Theory can also be applied to studying high water and flooding.

Information theory, first devised in 1948 by Claude Shannon, sees information and uncertainty as numerical quantities, measured in ‘bits’, that correspond with the extent to which the recipient of a message …. Source article  : New study applies existing theory to predict floods.

Do plants pay a price for evolving with complex defense mechanisms?

WASHINGTON – A new study examines whether the production of defense traits against insects and mammals incurs costs to the plants.

University of Zurich together with their American colleagues planted different knockout-mutants of the same genotype of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana …. Source  : Gaea News Network.