Science News – Newsletter for February 24, 2011

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Metaphors can sway thinking on crime fighting

WASHINGTON – Imagine robberies are on the rise, homes are being broken into, and murder rates have nearly doubled. What should city officials do – hire more cops and lock thugs away in prisons?

Your answer and the reasoning behind it, can hinge on the metaphor being used to describe the problem, according to Stanford …. Source article : Metaphors can sway thinking on crime fighting.

Researchers 1 step closer to solving mystery of famous bluestones of Stonehenge

LONDON – Researchers are one step closer to solving the puzzle of how the famous bluestones of the Stonehenge originated.

New findings from geologists at the National Museum museum in Cardiff believe they have identified the source of one of the rhyolite types.

One type of bluestone, the so-called spotted dolerite, was convincingly traced to the …. Source article on Gaea Times at : Researchers 1 step closer to solving mystery of famous bluestones of Stonehenge.

Scientists make volunteers experience illusion of having 3 arms

WASHINGTON – In an astounding experiment, scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have shown that it is possible to make healthy volunteers experience having three arms at the same time.

The participant is seated at the table having a realistic prosthetic arm placed next to their right arm. The subject then sees her two …. Source article : Scientists make volunteers experience illusion of having 3 arms.

Children living on farms ‘less prone to asthma than others’

LONDON – A new study has confirmed that children living on farms are significantly less likely to develop asthma than others.

The study conducted by an international team of researchers including Dr. Markus Ege and Professor Erika von Mutius of Children’s Surgical Clinic in the Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital (Medical Center of the University … Read more >>>.

NASA delays Glory launch for 24 hours

WASHINGTON – NASA has postponed the launch of its Glory spacecraft due to technical problems.

The launch of the spacecraft from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is currently planned for no earlier than Friday, Feb. 25 at 5:09 a.m.

Engineers from NASA and Orbital Sciences Corp. continue to troubleshoot the technical issue that arose during … Read more »».

Humans stink worse than other animals

WASHINGTON – While we tend to think of other animals as smelling more unpleasantly than we do, a new study suggests that the truth may actually be the opposite.

Strong body odor from sweaty adult human skin is unique in the animal kingdom. Humans turn out to be particularly smelly because odors are released from nearly … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Humans stink worse than other animals.

68pc of beaches in New England, Mid-Atlantic region eroding: Study

WASHINGTON – A U.S. Geological Survey report has reported that an assessment of coastal change over the past 150 years has found 68 percent of beaches in the New England and Mid-Atlantic region are eroding.

Scientists studied more than 650 miles of the New England and Mid-Atlantic coasts and found the average rate of coastal change …. Source : 68pc of beaches in New England, Mid-Atlantic region eroding: Study.

Most people with ‘locked in’ syndrome are happy: Survey

LONDON – A new survey has found that despite living life using only rudimentary speech or limited movements such as blinking or moving eyes, most people suffering from the ‘locked in’ syndrome are happy with their lives.

In the largest survey ever of the condition, 72 per cent communicated that they were happy with their lot.

“Many … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Most people with ‘locked in’ syndrome are happy: Survey.

Chemist claims oil droplets mimic early life

LONDON – A new study by a chemist claims that oil droplets mimic early life in the manner they that creep purposefully through their watery environment, metabolize fuel, sense their surroundings and replicate.

Martin Hanczyc at the University of Southern Denmark put oil droplets in a highly alkaline solution (pH 12) and fuelled them with a … Read more >>.

‘Walking cactus’ sheds light on the evolution of insects, spiders

LONDON – Fossils of an extinct creature, dubbed the ‘walking cactus’ – that lived around 500 million years ago, could be arthropods’ lost relative, according to a new Chinese study.

The Diania cactiformis fossil, discovered in southwestern China, sheds light on how arthropods – the group of more than a million invertebrate species that includes insects, …. Original article : ‘Walking cactus’ sheds light on the evolution of insects, spiders.

World’s coral reefs ‘at risk due to overfishing, climate change’

LONDON – A major new assessment says that three-quarters of the world’s coral reefs are at risk due to overfishing, pollution, climate change and other factors.

Researchers say that the biggest threat is exploitative fishing, though most reefs will be feeling the impact of climate change within 20 years.

The report is compiled by a group … Read : World’s coral reefs ‘at risk due to overfishing, climate change’.

People with low self esteem more prejudiced

WASHINGTON – When people feel badly about themselves, they’re more likely to show bias against people who are different, research shows.

Says Jeffrey Sherman of the University of California-Davis: “When we feel bad about ourselves, we can denigrate other people, and that makes us feel better about ourselves.”
Sherman and his co-author … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : People with low self esteem more prejudiced.

Shimla wrapped up in white blanket again

SHIMLA – Himachal Pradesh’s capital Shimla and its nearby tourist spots Thursday woke up to a white sheet of snow, turning the hill stations more picturesque. The minimum temperature recorded here was 0.8 degree Celsius.

This was the season’s fourth snowfall that froze the “Queen of Hills”, as Shimla was fondly called by the British.
…. Original source : Shimla wrapped up in white blanket again.

Glowing trees to replace street lights? Impractical, says Aussie scientist

MELBOURNE – An Australian scientist has said that a radical idea to replace street lamps with trees that glow in the dark may not be as practical as it sounds.

Yen-Hsun Su of the Research Centre for Applied Science in Taiwan last year floated the idea of injecting leaves with gold nanoparticles in a bid … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Glowing trees to replace street lights? Impractical, says Aussie scientist.

Low cost filter to provide safe water in a jiffy

TORONTO – A low cost filter would provide safe drinking water in a jiffy during emergencies or at a short notice.

Floods, tsunamis, and earthquakes often spread infections like gastroenteritis, giardiasis and even cholera because of a dearth of clean drinking water.
Researchers have taken a key step towards making a cheap, portable, … Read more : Low cost filter to provide safe water in a jiffy.

Electric cars ‘are as dirty as diesel cars’

LONDON – The amount of pollution generated by electric cars is similar to that of a frugal conventional diesel car, according to UK consumer watchdogs.

Experts at Which? said electric cars are a lot more expensive to buy, though they are generally cheaper to run as they plug in for their power from the domestic mains. …. Source : Electric cars ‘are as dirty as diesel cars’.

Despite high popularity, Facebook pulls the plug on ‘Breakup Notifier’

NEW YORK – It seems the idea of ’stalking’ their crush on Facebook had appealed to millions but the company has shut down the application.

The social networking giant pulled the plug on the application that allowed users to select “friends” whose relationship status they wished to closely monitor – or stalk, depending on your definition.

The … Read : Despite high popularity, Facebook pulls the plug on ‘Breakup Notifier’.