Science News – Newsletter for February 21, 2011

Life in the Metro: A networking site to find love, pals

NEW DELHI – Here’s good news for Delhi Metro users. If you are bored of commuting alone and eager to find a match or make friends, there is a social networking site just for you.

The brainchild of 24-year-old management student Sameer Suri, the portal www.metromates.in is fast becoming popular among young Metro commuters.
…. Read the original article  : here.

Starless planets could be warm enough for human survival: Study

LONDON – It seems that starless planets may be able to harbour human life after all.

In what has offered new possiblies of life around the galaxy, it has emerged that water can remain in its liquid form even in a starless planet.

Regardless of the force of gravity among planets – that could cause the ejection …. Original article  : Starless planets could be warm enough for human survival: Study.

How you can cut the risk of being affected by dementia

WASHINGTON – With age, a person’s risk for dementia increases – now Swedish scientist Laura Fratiglioni has shown how everyone can minimize this risk.

Laura Fratiglioni’s research group at Karolinska Institutet has shown that the risk is partly determined by an individual genetic susceptibility, and that active involvement in mental, physical and social activities can delay …. Read the original article  : How you can cut the risk of being affected by dementia.

‘Skin-printing’ device could rebuild damaged, burnt skin

WASHINGTON – Scientists at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine are working on a specialized skin “printing” system that could be used to rebuild damaged or burned skin.

The researchers were inspired by standard inkjet printers found in many home offices, reports the CNN.

“We started out by taking a typical desktop inkjet cartridge. Instead of … Read more >>>.

How it may be now possible to leave your body and enter another!

WASHINGTON – In a series of studies, a Swedish neuroscientist has found that the brain’s perception of its own body can alter remarkably.

Through the coordinated manipulation of the different senses, subjects can be made to feel that their body suddenly includes artificial objects or that they have departed their body entirely to enter another. …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : How it may be now possible to leave your body and enter another!.

Fish ‘n’ chips taste better beside the seaside, say experts

LONDON – Psychologists have said that fish and chips taste much better when you eat them using your fingers and at the seaside.

It’s not just the touch, look, smell and taste of the fries but also the right “ambient sound,” like waves crashing on to the shore that can make all the difference.

“Given the association …. Source article  : Fish ‘n’ chips taste better beside the seaside, say experts.

Now, a smart way to control molecules for new breed of electronics

LONDON – An Arizona State University researcher has demonstrated a smart way of controlling electrical conductance of a single molecule, by exploiting its mechanical properties.

This may prove useful in designing of ultra-tiny electrical gadgets, created to perform myriad useful tasks, from biological and chemical sensing to improving telecommunications and computer memory.

Nongjian ‘NJ’ Tao, of the …. Source  : Now, a smart way to control molecules for new breed of electronics.

Mimicking photosynthesis key to inexpensive solar-powered jet fuel

WASHINGTON – Scientists at the Penn State University have said that making cheap hydrogen for automotive or jet fuel is possible by mimicking photosynthesis.

“We are focused on the hardest way to make fuel. We are creating an artificial system that mimics photosynthesis, but it will be practical only when it is as cheap as …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

‘Quantum dots’ technology to make solar cells more efficient, cheaper

WASHINGTON – Stanford researchers have developed a new technology that would increase the efficiency of solar cells three-fold and could lead to cheaper, more efficient solar panels.

The researchers stated that by adding a single layer of organic molecules such efficiency could be attained.

These solar cells used tiny particles of semiconductors called ‘quantum dots.’ Quantum …. Read the original article  : ‘Quantum dots’ technology to make solar cells more efficient, cheaper.

Effective family planning in developing countries may limit population growth

WASHINGTON – Experts have said that an effective family planning in developing countries could control the population growth, projected to peak at more than 9 billion people by 2050.

A new research has suggested that prevention of unwanted births may actually be a larger factor for the decline in fertility rates in developing, low-income countries.

The advent …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Effective family planning in developing countries may limit population growth.

Finger-tapping to music could reveal how kids master speech

WASHINGTON – Researchers are one step closer to unlocking a medical mystery that has perplexed scientists for years – what causes people to stutter?ccording to University of Toronto speech-language pathologist Luc De Nil, finger-tapping beats could reveal such things as how children master one of the most complex tasks of all – speech.

“The rapid and …. Read the original article  : here.

Dispersing fungal spores over water kills malaria mosquito larvae

WASHINGTON – A new research presents a method of dispersing pathogenic fungi as a means of preventing the spread of malaria.

Malaria is spread by mosquitoes which breed in open water and spend much of their larval stage feeding on fungi and microorganisms at the water surface.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are over 200 …. Original source  : Dispersing fungal spores over water kills malaria mosquito larvae.

World population to hit 9bn in 2050 – true or false?

WASHINGTON – The United Nations has predicted that the Earth’s population will reach seven billion this year, and climb to nine billion by 2050, peak at 9.5 billion, stabilize temporarily, and then decline.

However, population experts have said that the actual population trajectory is highly uncertain.

What could happen depends on trends in fertility and mortality-and both …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : World population to hit 9bn in 2050 – true or false?.

Spent nuclear fuel ‘is anything but waste’, says expert

WASHINGTON – An expert has claimed that spent nuclear fuel, which includes some plutonium, often is inaccurately referred to as waste but it’s not.

The US’s inability to recycle spent nuclear fuel has put the superpower far behind other countries and represents a missed opportunity to enhance the nation’s energy security and influence other countries, he … Read more »».

Now, easy to wear, more accurate watch-like device to measure BP

WASHINGTON – The way patients’ blood pressure is measured is set to improve thanks to a new blood pressure measurement device.

The new approach, invented by scientists at the University of Leicester and in Singapore, has the potential to enable doctors to treat their patients more effectively because it gives a more accurate reading than the …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Now, easy to wear, more accurate watch-like device to measure BP.

Shocking images reveal oil spill still stuck at the bottom of the Gulf

LONDON – A scientist has shown that oil from the BP spill still remains stuck on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

Samantha Joye, a professor at the University of Georgia, has video and slides that she says demonstrate the oil isn’t degrading as hoped and has decimated life on parts of the sea floor, … Original article on : Shocking images reveal oil spill still stuck at the bottom of the Gulf.

How climate change can affect our health within 30 years

WASHINGTON – Scientists have demonstrated how climate change could increase exposure and risk of human illness originating from ocean, coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems, with some studies projecting impacts to be felt within 30 years.

Using cutting-edge technologies to model future ocean and weather patterns, Stephanie Moore, with NOAA’s West Coast Center for Oceans and Human …. Source article  : How climate change can affect our health within 30 years.

Volcano erupts in the Philippines

MANILA – A volcano erupted Monday in central Philippines with ash reaching as high as two km, authorities said.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOCS) said a deafening noise was reported at 9.15 a.m.
Ash from the steam-triggered eruption hit as high as two km, Xinhua news agency quoted an official Renato Solidum … Read more : Volcano erupts in the Philippines.

Story repetition helps kids acquire new vocabulary

SYDNEY – Academics have indicated that children who demand the same story be read to them over and over again may be learning more than those who choose a different tale every time.

Research at the University of Sussex has found that repetition in reading storybooks is more likely to help a child acquire a new …. Read the original article  : here.

Booze will ‘kill 250K people in the UK over the next 20 yrs’

LONDON – Health experts have warned that alcohol consumption will kill up to 250,000 extra people in England and Wales over the next 20 years.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show there were 8,664 such deaths in the UK during 2009 – up from 6,884 in 2000.

But three leading experts have claimed that we … Original article on : Booze will ‘kill 250K people in the UK over the next 20 yrs’.