More weird X-ray pictures on Oddee
Single Brain Cell Can Hold a Memory
Memory has long been described as a function of brain cells getting together and forming connections. A new study finds single cells can remember things.
Individual nerve cells (called neurons) in the front part of the brain can hold traces of memories by themselves for up to a minute, perhaps longer.
Individual nerve cells (called neurons) in the front part of the brain can hold traces of memories by themselves for up to a minute, perhaps longer.
Read full article on LiveScience
Danube Delta Holds Answers To 'Noah's Flood' Debate
Did a catastrophic flood of biblical proportions drown the shores of the Black Sea 9,500 years ago, wiping out early Neolithic settlements around its perimeter? A geologist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and two Romanian colleagues report in the January issue of Quaternary Science Reviews that, if the flood occurred at all, it was much smaller than previously proposed by other researchers.
Full article on ScienceDaily
Baby Play Timelapse Video
Four hours of baby play that has been packed into a two minute long timelapse video. The song is “Ensemble” by the Canadian artist Coeur de Pirate.
via Kottke.org
Nine-year-old prodigy is 'world's cleverest child'
Ainan Cawley, a nine-year-old British prodigy, is thought to be one of the world's cleverest children. He is studying chemistry at college. He passed a GCSE at the age of seven.
He can recite Pi - the number starting 3.14 that gives the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter - to 518 decimal places. He also knows the periodic table by heart.
He can recite Pi - the number starting 3.14 that gives the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter - to 518 decimal places. He also knows the periodic table by heart.
Read full story on The Telegraph
Smallest Quantum Dots Ever Created
Single atom quantum dots created by researchers at Canada’s National Institute for Nanotechnology and the University of Alberta make possible a new level of control over individual electrons, a development that suddenly brings quantum dot-based devices within reach.
Full story on ScienceDaily
Truck-mounted laser shoots down spy drone
Uncrewed aerial vehicles are "revolutionary" technology that America must invest more in. Not the military's view, but that of President Obama in a statement on his defence priorities.
But a technology designed to make UAVs history is already showing promise – aerospace firm Boeing reports that their prototype truck-mounted laser has shot down a UAV at a missile range in New Mexico.
But a technology designed to make UAVs history is already showing promise – aerospace firm Boeing reports that their prototype truck-mounted laser has shot down a UAV at a missile range in New Mexico.
Full story on NewScientist
Leningrad Siege: Now and Then
“The Siege of Leningrad, also known as The Leningrad Blockade was an unsuccessful military operation by the Axis (Nazi) powers to capture Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) during World War II. The siege lasted from September 9, 1941, to January 27, 1944, when a narrow land corridor to the city was established by the Soviets. The total lifting of the siege occurred on January 27, 1944. The Siege of Leningrad was one of the longest and most destructive sieges of major cities in modern history and it was the second most costly.” - from Wikipedia.
During nine hundred (!) days a few million people city of Leningrad suffered from cold and hunger, being deprived of almost all supplies of food and fuel. Many thousands died, those who survived remember this not very willingly. The situation with food was so heavy, no food was sold/distributed among people except a few grams (not even tens or hundred grams) of bread, and not each day, that people had to eat stuff that they would never eat in normal life, like making soups of leather boots (because leather is of animal origin) or boiling the wallpaper because the glue with which they were attached to walls contained a bit of organic stuff. Of course many occasions of cannibalism occurred.
On those photos you can see some pieces of those old photos made during those black days overlaid to the modern city views, respecting the place and angle of view.
During nine hundred (!) days a few million people city of Leningrad suffered from cold and hunger, being deprived of almost all supplies of food and fuel. Many thousands died, those who survived remember this not very willingly. The situation with food was so heavy, no food was sold/distributed among people except a few grams (not even tens or hundred grams) of bread, and not each day, that people had to eat stuff that they would never eat in normal life, like making soups of leather boots (because leather is of animal origin) or boiling the wallpaper because the glue with which they were attached to walls contained a bit of organic stuff. Of course many occasions of cannibalism occurred.
On those photos you can see some pieces of those old photos made during those black days overlaid to the modern city views, respecting the place and angle of view.
More pictures on EnglishRussia
Prisoners' escape stopped by a light pole
Two New Zealand prisoners who were handcuffed together as they fled a courthouse foiled their own getaway when they ran to opposite sides of a light pole, slammed into each other and fell to the ground.Jailers nabbed them as they struggled to their feet.Their escapade on Wednesday was captured by a CCTV camera at Hastings District Court on New Zealand's North Island. The footage shows the two men trying to make a break for it - but apparently forgetting they were joined at the wrist.
T-Mobile Dances Across Our Screens With Innovative Multimedia Campaign
T-Mobile unveiled a pioneering multimedia campaign that kicked off on Friday 16 January with the premiere of its ‘Dance’ television advertisement. The ad, created by Saatchi & Saatchi London, features 350 dancers breaking into a dance routine en-masse at Liverpool Street station in London. The filming of the advertisement was done in ‘guerrilla-style’, with hidden TV cameras placed around the station to capture the spontaneous reactions of London commuters as they watch the dance troupe complete moves from a range of different dance disciplines including ballroom, hip hop and well-known dances from the 60’s. ‘Dance’ was filmed and edited in just 36 hours, and premiered during the takeover of an entire commercial break during last Friday’s Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 4.The 350 dancers from across the UK were choreographed by leading choreographer, Ashley Wallen. In addition, T-Mobile ran an internal competition to find four T-Mobile staff to participate in the commercial.
via Unruly Media
Rare 1,800-Year-Old Figurine Found in Jerusalem
A 1,800-year-old figurine believed to have originated from the eastern stretches of the Roman Empire has been discovered by archaeologists outside the walls of the Old City, the Israeli Antiquities Authority said. The 2-inch marble bust depicts the head of a man with a short curly beard and almond-shaped eyes who may portray a boxer, the authority said.
Full story on Discovery News
Obama's inauguration, in two billion pixels or less
If a picture is worth a thousand words, this panorama is a J. K. Rowling–esque tome. Stitched together from 220 individual photographs, New York City photographer David Bergman's composite image of President Barack Obama's inaugural address last week boasts a whopping 1,474 megapixels.
Magnetic 'fossils' may come from big bang
The discovery of magnetic "fossils" around young stars in the Milky Way has boosted the case for the existence of magnetic fields right after the big bang.
If primordial magnetic fields existed, they would have influenced how the universe evolved. For instance, they could have skewed its expansion in one direction.
Now, Claude Catala of the Paris Observatory in France and colleagues believe they have found "fossils" of primordial magnetic fields.
If primordial magnetic fields existed, they would have influenced how the universe evolved. For instance, they could have skewed its expansion in one direction.
Now, Claude Catala of the Paris Observatory in France and colleagues believe they have found "fossils" of primordial magnetic fields.
Full article on NewScientist
Giant Ant Colony
Watch an amazing video in which scientist uncover a giant ant colony that covers 50 square metres and goes eight metres down into the earth. The ants removed 40 tonnes of material to build this enormous colony.
New Wireless Standard Promises Ultra-Fast Media Applications
Rapid transfer of a high-definition movie from a PC to a cell phone – plus a host of other media and data possibilities – is approaching reality.
Read details on ScienceDaily
Ten sci-fi devices that could soon be in your hands
Waiting for a jet pack, X-ray specs or an instant translator? Good news – these, and other life-changing devices, could be here sooner than you think
Read full article on NewScientist
Google plans to make PCs history
Google is to launch a service that would enable users to access their personal computer from any internet connection, according to industry reports. But campaigners warn that it would give the online behemoth unprecedented control over individuals' personal data.
The Google Drive, or "GDrive", could kill off the desktop computer, which relies on a powerful hard drive. Instead a user's personal files and operating system could be stored on Google's own servers and accessed via the internet.
The Google Drive, or "GDrive", could kill off the desktop computer, which relies on a powerful hard drive. Instead a user's personal files and operating system could be stored on Google's own servers and accessed via the internet.
Full article on The Guardian
Virgin: the world's best passenger complaint letter?
A complaint letter sent to Sir Richard Branson is currently being emailed globally and is considered by many to be the world's funniest passenger complaint letter.
Enjoy it:
Dear Mr Branson
REF: Mumbai to Heathrow 7th December 2008
I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years. This latest incident takes the biscuit.
Ironically, by the end of the flight I would have gladly paid over a thousand rupees for a single biscuit following the culinary journey of hell I was subjected to at thehands of your corporation.
Look at this Richard. Just look at it: [see image 1, above].
REF: Mumbai to Heathrow 7th December 2008
I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years. This latest incident takes the biscuit.
Ironically, by the end of the flight I would have gladly paid over a thousand rupees for a single biscuit following the culinary journey of hell I was subjected to at thehands of your corporation.
Look at this Richard. Just look at it: [see image 1, above].
I imagine the same questions are racing through your brilliant mind as were racing through mine on that fateful day. What is this? Why have I been given it? What have I done to deserve this? And, which one is the starter, which one is the desert?
You don’t get to a position like yours Richard with anything less than a generous sprinkling of observational power so I KNOW you will have spotted the tomato next to the two yellow shafts of sponge on the left. Yes, it’s next to the sponge shaft without the green paste. That’s got to be the clue hasn’t it. No sane person would serve a desert with a tomato would they. Well answer me this Richard, what sort of animal would serve a desert with peas in: [see image 2, above].
I know it looks like a baaji but it’s in custard Richard, custard. It must be the pudding. Well you’ll be fascinated to hear that it wasn't custard. It was a sour gel with a clear oil on top. It’s only redeeming feature was that it managed to be so alien to my palette that it took away the taste of the curry emanating from our miscellaneous central cuboid of beige matter. Perhaps the meal on the left might be the desert after all.
Anyway, this is all irrelevant at the moment. I was raised strictly but neatly by my parents and if they knew I had started desert before the main course, a sponge shaft would be the least of my worries. So lets peel back the tin-foil on the main dish and see what’s on offer.
I’ll try and explain how this felt. Imagine being a twelve year old boy Richard. Now imagine it’s Christmas morning and you’re sat their with your final present to open. It’s a big one, and you know what it is. It’s that Goodmans stereo you picked out the catalogue and wrote to Santa about.
I know it looks like a baaji but it’s in custard Richard, custard. It must be the pudding. Well you’ll be fascinated to hear that it wasn't custard. It was a sour gel with a clear oil on top. It’s only redeeming feature was that it managed to be so alien to my palette that it took away the taste of the curry emanating from our miscellaneous central cuboid of beige matter. Perhaps the meal on the left might be the desert after all.
Anyway, this is all irrelevant at the moment. I was raised strictly but neatly by my parents and if they knew I had started desert before the main course, a sponge shaft would be the least of my worries. So lets peel back the tin-foil on the main dish and see what’s on offer.
I’ll try and explain how this felt. Imagine being a twelve year old boy Richard. Now imagine it’s Christmas morning and you’re sat their with your final present to open. It’s a big one, and you know what it is. It’s that Goodmans stereo you picked out the catalogue and wrote to Santa about.
Only you open the present and it’s not in there. It’s your hamster Richard. It’s your hamster in the box and it’s not breathing. That’s how I felt when I peeled back the foil and saw this: [see image 3, above].
Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking it’s more of that Baaji custard. I admit I thought the same too, but no. It’s mustard Richard. MUSTARD. More mustard than any man could consume in a month. On the left we have a piece of broccoli and some peppers in a brown glue-like oil and on the right the chef had prepared some mashed potato. The potato masher had obviously broken and so it was decided the next best thing would be to pass the potatoes through the digestive tract of a bird.
Once it was regurgitated it was clearly then blended and mixed with a bit of mustard. Everybody likes a bit of mustard Richard.
Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking it’s more of that Baaji custard. I admit I thought the same too, but no. It’s mustard Richard. MUSTARD. More mustard than any man could consume in a month. On the left we have a piece of broccoli and some peppers in a brown glue-like oil and on the right the chef had prepared some mashed potato. The potato masher had obviously broken and so it was decided the next best thing would be to pass the potatoes through the digestive tract of a bird.
Once it was regurgitated it was clearly then blended and mixed with a bit of mustard. Everybody likes a bit of mustard Richard.
By now I was actually starting to feel a little hypoglycaemic. I needed a sugar hit. Luckily there was a small cookie provided. It had caught my eye earlier due to it’s baffling presentation: [see image 4, above].It appears to be in an evidence bag from the scene of a crime. A CRIME AGAINST BLOODY COOKING. Either that or some sort of back-street underground cookie, purchased off a gun-toting maniac high on his own supply of yeast. You certainly wouldn’t want to be caught carrying one of these through customs. Imagine biting into a piece of brass Richard. That would be softer on the teeth than the specimen above.
I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was relax but obviously I had to sit with that mess in front of me for half an hour. I swear the sponge shafts moved at one point.
Once cleared, I decided to relax with a bit of your world-famous onboard entertainment. I switched it on: [see image 5, above].
I apologise for the quality of the photo, it’s just it was incredibly hard to capture Boris Johnson’s face through the flickering white lines running up and down the screen. Perhaps it would be better on another channel: [see image 6, above].
Is that Ray Liotta? A question I found myself asking over and over again throughout the gruelling half-hour I attempted to watch the film like this. After that I switched off. I’d had enough. I was the hungriest I’d been in my adult life and I had a splitting headache from squinting at a crackling screen.
Is that Ray Liotta? A question I found myself asking over and over again throughout the gruelling half-hour I attempted to watch the film like this. After that I switched off. I’d had enough. I was the hungriest I’d been in my adult life and I had a splitting headache from squinting at a crackling screen.
My only option was to simply stare at the seat in front and wait for either food, or sleep. Neither came for an incredibly long time. But when it did it surpassed my wildest expectations: [see image 7, above].
Yes! It’s another crime-scene cookie. Only this time you dunk it in the white stuff.
Richard…. What is that white stuff? It looked like it was going to be yoghurt. It finally dawned on me what it was after staring at it. It was a mixture between the Baaji custard and the Mustard sauce. It reminded me of my first week at university. I had overheard that you could make a drink by mixing vodka and refreshers. I lied to my new friends and told them I’d done it loads of times. When I attempted to make the drink in a big bowl it formed a cheese Richard, a cheese. That cheese looked a lot like your baaji-mustard.
So that was that Richard. I didn’t eat a bloody thing. My only question is: How can you live like this? I can’t imagine what dinner round your house is like, it must be like something out of a nature documentary.
As I said at the start I love your brand, I really do. It’s just a shame such a simple thing could bring it crashing to it’s knees and begging for sustenance.
Yours Sincererly
XXXX
Yes! It’s another crime-scene cookie. Only this time you dunk it in the white stuff.
Richard…. What is that white stuff? It looked like it was going to be yoghurt. It finally dawned on me what it was after staring at it. It was a mixture between the Baaji custard and the Mustard sauce. It reminded me of my first week at university. I had overheard that you could make a drink by mixing vodka and refreshers. I lied to my new friends and told them I’d done it loads of times. When I attempted to make the drink in a big bowl it formed a cheese Richard, a cheese. That cheese looked a lot like your baaji-mustard.
So that was that Richard. I didn’t eat a bloody thing. My only question is: How can you live like this? I can’t imagine what dinner round your house is like, it must be like something out of a nature documentary.
As I said at the start I love your brand, I really do. It’s just a shame such a simple thing could bring it crashing to it’s knees and begging for sustenance.
Yours Sincererly
XXXX
Paul Charles, Virgin’s Director of Corporate Communications, confirmed that Richard Branson had called the author of the letter and had thanked him for his "constructive if tongue-in-cheek" email. Mr Charles said that Virgin was sorry the passenger had not liked the in-flight meals which he said were "award-winning food which is very popular on our Indian routes."
Odd Asteroid Hangs Out with Earth
Newly-discovered asteroid 2009 BD is slowly passing by Earth today only 400,000 miles away. The small 10m-wide space rock poses no threat, but it merits attention anyway. The orbit of 2009 BD appears to be almost identical to the orbit of Earth. 2009 BD may be a rare co-orbital asteroid, circling the sun in near-tandem with our planet. Extrapolating the motion of 2009 BD into the future, we see that it remains in the vicinity of Earth for many months to come, never receding farther than 0.1 AU (9.3 million miles) until Nov. 2010
Stay tuned on Spaceweather.com for further news aboud 2009 BD
Reptile Becomes Dad at Age 111
A captive reptile in New Zealand has unexpectedly become a father at the ripe old age of 111 after receiving treatment for a cancer that made him hostile toward prospective mates.
The centenarian tuatara, named Henry, was thought well past the mating game until he was caught canoodling with a female named Mildred last March -- a consummation that resulted in 11 babies being hatched on Monday.
The centenarian tuatara, named Henry, was thought well past the mating game until he was caught canoodling with a female named Mildred last March -- a consummation that resulted in 11 babies being hatched on Monday.
Full story on Discovery News
NASA Sees the Dark Side of the Sun
Last friday NASA researchers announced an event that will transform our view of the Sun and super-charge the field of solar physics for many years to come. On February 6, 2011, NASA's two STEREO spacecraft will be 180 degrees apart and will image the entire Sun for the first time in history.
Full story on NASA Science
Failed Telecommunications Satellite Drifts Out of Control
The Astra 5A commercial telecommunications satellite (the one in the picture) is out of control after an unexplained failure Jan. 15 and is drifting eastward along the geostationary orbital arc, with ground controllers pessimistic about their ability to re-establish sufficient communications to guide it into a graveyard orbit, industry officials said Thursday.
Officials said Astra 5A used a large portion of its remaining fuel during the hours following the initial loss of attitude control Jan. 15. They described several chaotic hours during which Astra 5A's sun sensors, which help keep the spacecraft oriented toward the sun so it can recharge its batteries, failed in turn
The satellite subsequently went into an uncontrolled spin on its axis, which ground teams attempted to stop by firing its on-board motors. Most of Astra 5A's remaining on-board fuel was depleted in the attempt, and even then the situation could not be salvaged.
Officials said Astra 5A used a large portion of its remaining fuel during the hours following the initial loss of attitude control Jan. 15. They described several chaotic hours during which Astra 5A's sun sensors, which help keep the spacecraft oriented toward the sun so it can recharge its batteries, failed in turn
The satellite subsequently went into an uncontrolled spin on its axis, which ground teams attempted to stop by firing its on-board motors. Most of Astra 5A's remaining on-board fuel was depleted in the attempt, and even then the situation could not be salvaged.
Full story on Space.com
US Supreme Court may hear exorcism case
LegalNewsline reports that the US Supreme Court has been asked to hear the case of a former Texas woman who claims she was abused during a forced exorcism in 1996. Laura Schubert, 29, says she was cut and bruised and later experienced hallucinations after the members of the Pleasant Glade Assembly of God performed an exorcism on her in 1996.
Full story on The Examiner
Secrets Of Stradivarius' Unique Violin Sound Revealed, Professor Says
For centuries, violin makers have tried and failed to reproduce the pristine sound of Stradivarius and Guarneri violins, but after 33 years of work put into the project, a Texas A&M University professor is confident the veil of mystery has now been lifted.
Full story on ScienceDaily
Dark flow: Proof of another universe?
For most of us the universe is unimaginably vast. But not for cosmologists. They feel decidedly hemmed in. No matter how big they build their telescopes, they can only see so far before hitting a wall. Approximately 45 billion light years away lies the cosmic horizon, the ultimate barrier because light beyond it not has not had time to reach us.
So here we are, stuck inside our patch of universe, wondering what lies beyond and resigned to that fact we may never know. The best we can hope for, through some combination of luck and vigilance, is to spot a crack in the structure of things, a possible window to that hidden place beyond the edge of the universe. Now Sasha Kashlinsky believes he has stumbled upon such a window.
So here we are, stuck inside our patch of universe, wondering what lies beyond and resigned to that fact we may never know. The best we can hope for, through some combination of luck and vigilance, is to spot a crack in the structure of things, a possible window to that hidden place beyond the edge of the universe. Now Sasha Kashlinsky believes he has stumbled upon such a window.
Full story on NewScientist
Worm Infects Millions of Computers Worldwide
A new digital plague has hit the Internet, infecting millions of personal and business computers in what seems to be the first step of a multistage attack. The world’s leading computer security experts do not yet know who programmed the infection, or what the next stage will be.
“If you’re looking for a digital Pearl Harbor, we now have the Japanese ships steaming toward us on the horizon,” said Rick Wesson, chief executive of Support Intelligence, a computer security consulting firm based in San Francisco.
Full story on The New York Times
Quantum Leap: Information Teleported between Ions at a Distance
Quantum entanglement, whereby two or more objects are linked by an unseen connection, has some famously spooky effects. As quantum researcher Anton Zeilinger has said, entanglement can be thought of as a pair of dice that always land on the same number.One of the most intriguing applications of this entanglement is quantum teleportation, in which the quantum state of a particle or atom is transferred to its entangled partner, even if they are separated physically. Such relaying of quantum information could form the backbone of long-distance quantum communication channels, but such a network remains far on the horizon.
Full article on Scientific American
Nazi angel of death Josef Mengele 'created twin town in Brazil'
The steely hearted "Angel of Death", whose mission was to create a master race fit for the Third Reich, was the resident medic at Auschwitz from May 1943 until his flight in the face of the Red Army advance in January 1945.
His task was to carry out experiments to discover by what method of genetic quirk twins were produced – and then to artificially increase the Aryan birthrate for his master, Adolf Hitler.
Now, a historian claims, Mengele's notorious experiments may have borne fruit.
His task was to carry out experiments to discover by what method of genetic quirk twins were produced – and then to artificially increase the Aryan birthrate for his master, Adolf Hitler.
Now, a historian claims, Mengele's notorious experiments may have borne fruit.
Full story on The Telegraph
Has the Moon Changed Its Face?
The moon's "near side" always faces Earth, because the moon spins once on its axis in precisely the same amount of time it takes to revolve around the Earth. But things could have been different billions of years ago. A computer analysis of the amount of craters on the different hemispheres of the Moon shows that the far side may have once been facing Earth. A large asteroid impact may caused the moon to change the way its faces Earth.
Full article by Nancy Atkinson on Universe Today
China: Dazzling UFO seen and flimed by eight firefighters
A remarkable UFO was seen and filmed in China by an entire squadron of fire-fighters in Liu Pan Shui City in the province of Guizhou through a camera with a 700X zoom capability.
Full article on All News Web
Top Secret: What Did That Delta IV Heavy Take into Space?
On Saturday, very little was known about the mammoth payload a Delta IV Heavy was carrying into space. Launching from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the 70 metre-high rocket blasted into the atmosphere with a mystery satellite known only as the NROL-26 mission. As the acronym suggests, the mission was carrying a National Reconnaissance Office satellite. However, a little after T+7 minutes 40 seconds, shortly after the second stage engines had fired, a media blackout prevented the world from knowing where the payload was going.
Four days on from this secretive rocket launch, what do we know about NROL-26?
Four days on from this secretive rocket launch, what do we know about NROL-26?
Read the rest of Ian O'Neill's article on Universe Today
Holographic discs set to smash storage records
Just as Blu-ray is starting to replace the DVD in our homes, another technology is developed that could sound its death knell.
A dual-layer Blu-ray disc can store an impressive 50 gigabytes, but discs which can hold 20 times as much data just took a step closer, thanks to new materials that make reading and writing 3D holograms more reliable.
Full story on NewScientist
Lego Obama Presidential Inauguration
There's also hope and change in the land of the brick: Behold the Presidential inauguration of Barack Obama in Lego bricks, complete with every single character that will be at the Capitol, including Lego Oprah.
They have every single character there, from his wife Michelle and his daughters Malia Ann and Sasha—the youngest resident of the White House since JFK Jr—to Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, VP Dick Cheney and wife Lynn, George Bush Sr. and Barbara Bush. as well as Dr. Rick Warren.
The fun thing is that every single one of them can actually be recognized (specially Barbara Bush, that's genius), according to Lego designers who did the brick caricatures of the main characters as well as Senator Dianne Feinstein, Aretha Franklin, John Williams and performers Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo-Ma, Gabriela Montero, Anthony McGill, the Unites States Marine Band, the San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus. Even Oprah Winfrey is in the crowd.
via Gizmodo
New Species Hotspot In Remote Cambodian Mekong
Cantor’s Giant softshell turtle, thought to be extinct in Cambodia since 2003 has been rediscovered in a section of the Mekong River almost untouched by humans.
The discovery was one of a raft of species new to the region, 24 in all, and a previously unknown “corpse plant” notable for emitting an odour of decaying flesh.
Full article on ScienceDaily
Russia Proposes Mission to Search for Evidence of Astroengineering
It is probably the most seductive urge for mankind: search for extraterrestrial life. There are many ways to look for life; from digging into the Martian dirt with robotic landers looking for pre-biotic compounds, to building vast radio antennae to "listen" out for distant communications either leaked or transmitted deliberately from a distant star system from a developed, intelligent civilization. However, despite our best efforts, we appear to be the only form of life for hundreds of lightyears around. It is eerily quiet out there…
Although we appear to be drawing blanks so far, it doesn't stop us from trying to work out what we should be looking for. In the quest to find a vastly advanced alien civilization, a forthcoming Russian space telescope hopes to bridge the gap between science fiction and science fact, attempting to find evidence (or lack thereof) of observable attempts of astroengineering by an alien race…
Although we appear to be drawing blanks so far, it doesn't stop us from trying to work out what we should be looking for. In the quest to find a vastly advanced alien civilization, a forthcoming Russian space telescope hopes to bridge the gap between science fiction and science fact, attempting to find evidence (or lack thereof) of observable attempts of astroengineering by an alien race…
Full article by Ian O'Neill on Universe Today
92 years-old woman pregnant for 60 years since 1948 stuns docs
Doctors treating an elderly Chinese woman for stomach ache were stunned when they found that she had been carrying an unborn child for 60 years. Ninety-two-year-old Huang Yijun, of Huangjiaotan, revealed that her child had died in the womb way back in 1948, and that she did not have it removed because doctors would charge 100 pounds for the job.
Full story on China National News
Listen to new U2 single online
U2 have released the first single "Get On Your Boots" from their new album and it's available in full streaming on Last.fm
The album, "No Line on the Horizon", is the band's first in five years and goes on release on 2 March in the UK.
This is the band's 12th studio album and it took two years to complete. It was recorded in Morocco, London and Dublin with producers Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois and Steve Lillywhite.
The album, "No Line on the Horizon", is the band's first in five years and goes on release on 2 March in the UK.
This is the band's 12th studio album and it took two years to complete. It was recorded in Morocco, London and Dublin with producers Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois and Steve Lillywhite.
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'Hobbit' Skull Study Finds Hobbit Is Not Human
In a an analysis of the size, shape and asymmetry of the cranium of Homo floresiensis, Karen Baab, Ph.D., a researcher in the Department of Anatomical Scienes at Stony Brook University, and colleagues conclude that the fossil, found in Indonesia in 2003 and known as the “Hobbit,” is not human.
They used 3-D shape analysis to study the LB1 skull of the hobbit and found the shape of the skull to be consistent with a scaled down human ancestor but not modern humans. Their findings, reported in the current online edition of the Journal of Human Evolution, add to the evidence that the hobbit is a new species.
Full story on ScienceDaily
Unusual fossil may rule out ancient flood
It is said that in the mists of time, the islands of New Zealand were lost, Atlantis-like, beneath the ocean. But a newly discovered fossil reptile suggests this theory does not hold water.
Full story on NewScientist
How Did Galileo Do It? Astronomer's DNA May Hold Clues
Italian scientists are trying to get Galileo's DNA in order to figure out how the astronomer forged groundbreaking theories on the universe while gradually becoming blind, a historian said Monday.
Scientists at Florence's Institute and Museum of the History of Science want to exhume the body of 17th Century astronomer Galileo Galilei to find out exactly what he could see through his telescope.
Scientists at Florence's Institute and Museum of the History of Science want to exhume the body of 17th Century astronomer Galileo Galilei to find out exactly what he could see through his telescope.
Full story on Discovery News
"Google Satellite" Will Have an Orbital View Over Obama's Inauguration
President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration on Capitol Hill will be the place-to-be on Tuesday (January 20th). According to some news sources, tickets for the event were trading for a price exceeding 5 figures (in one case, according to CNN in November, an online vendor was asking for $20,095 for a single ticket)
However, there is a far cheaper (and less crowded) alternative to view Obama and Biden getting sworn into office. A satellite called GeoEye-1 will be orbiting 423 miles above Washington D.C. looking down at the vast crowd minutes before the excitement begins…
Full story on Universe Today
Scientists Resolve Mystery Of How Massive Stars Form
Scientists may have solved one of the most longstanding astrophysical mysteries of all times: How massive stars – up to 120 times the mass of our sun – form without blowing away the clouds of gas and dust that feed their growth.
Full story on ScienceDaily
Dark (in)side of the moon: Orbiting radar illuminates previously unseen crater interiors
A NASA instrument aboard the moon-orbiting Indian satellite Chandrayaan-1 has provided the first glimpses inside shadowy lunar craters. The instrument, known as Mini-SAR, used radar soundings to map the floors of polar craters that are continually hidden from view.
Full story on Scientific American
Does Dark Matter Encircle Earth?
Dark matter is five times as abundant as normal matter in the universe. But it continues to be an enigma because it is invisible and nearly always passes right through normal matter. Astronomers only found out about dark matter by inferring its presence from the gravity it exerts—notably, it keeps spinning galaxies from flying apart. Rather than peering at distant galaxies to study it, though, astronomers might want to look closer to home: dark matter could be exerting measurable effects in our own solar system.
Specifically, investigators should target Earth and the moon, insists theoretical physicist Stephen Adler of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J. If the mass of Earth and the moon when measured together seems greater than their masses separately, he explains, the difference could be attributed to a halo of dark matter in between.
Specifically, investigators should target Earth and the moon, insists theoretical physicist Stephen Adler of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J. If the mass of Earth and the moon when measured together seems greater than their masses separately, he explains, the difference could be attributed to a halo of dark matter in between.
Full story on Scientific American
Comet Lulin is On the Way
A new comet is swinging around the sun, and soon it will be more visible to stargazers, perhaps even with the naked eye. Both professional and amateur astronomers have been tracking this unusual comet, named Comet Lulin.
Full story on Universe Today
Girl laughs for 12 years
A Chinese couple are desperately seeking a cure for their daughter who has been laughing non-stop for 12 years.
The mother, Yang Longying, of Chongqing, says it started when her second child, Xu Pinghui, had a fever when she was just eight months old.
"Ever since then, she has been laughing uncontrollably," she told the Chongqing Evening Post.
The couple say the situation worsened when she reached two years old because she lost her ability to speak and could only laugh.
The girl's father, Xu Weiming, a construction worker, has spent virtually all of his wages, plus extra money he has borrowed, for medical treatment but to no avail.
"Seeing her laughing, we feel even sadder than if she were crying," he said.
A neurologist at Chongqing Medical College is now suggesting a brain scan to try and establish the cause of the girl's condition.
The mother, Yang Longying, of Chongqing, says it started when her second child, Xu Pinghui, had a fever when she was just eight months old.
"Ever since then, she has been laughing uncontrollably," she told the Chongqing Evening Post.
The couple say the situation worsened when she reached two years old because she lost her ability to speak and could only laugh.
The girl's father, Xu Weiming, a construction worker, has spent virtually all of his wages, plus extra money he has borrowed, for medical treatment but to no avail.
"Seeing her laughing, we feel even sadder than if she were crying," he said.
A neurologist at Chongqing Medical College is now suggesting a brain scan to try and establish the cause of the girl's condition.
source: Ananova
Our world may be a giant hologram
Driving through the countryside south of Hanover, it would be easy to miss the GEO600 experiment. From the outside, it doesn't look much: in the corner of a field stands an assortment of boxy temporary buildings, from which two long trenches emerge, at a right angle to each other, covered with corrugated iron. Underneath the metal sheets, however, lies a detector that stretches for 600 metres.
For the past seven years, this German set-up has been looking for gravitational waves - ripples in space-time thrown off by super-dense astronomical objects such as neutron stars and black holes. GEO600 has not detected any gravitational waves so far, but it might inadvertently have made the most important discovery in physics for half a century.
For the past seven years, this German set-up has been looking for gravitational waves - ripples in space-time thrown off by super-dense astronomical objects such as neutron stars and black holes. GEO600 has not detected any gravitational waves so far, but it might inadvertently have made the most important discovery in physics for half a century.
Full story on NewScientist
Exoplanets' Heat Detected From Earth
Two separate teams of scientists reported the first-ever detection from Earth of the atmosphere of planets outside our solar system.
Taken together, the studies open a new frontier in the study of exoplanets, hard-to-detect celestial bodies circling stars beyond our own solar system.
Taken together, the studies open a new frontier in the study of exoplanets, hard-to-detect celestial bodies circling stars beyond our own solar system.
Full story on Discovery News
SETI radio – Are We Alone?
Searching for life as we don't know it begins with understanding life as we do. From amoebas to zebras, from androids to antimatter, Are We Alone? explores the science that makes life possible.
The weekly hour-long radio program features top scientists talking about the latest in genetics, paleontology, technology, physics, and evolutionary biology - as well as cosmology and astronomy. Find out how to extract DNA from a banana, what size wrench you need to build a time machine, and whether dark energy can be bottled (yes).
If you're a doubting Thomas, you'll have plenty of company when we separate science from pseudoscience on "Skeptical Sunday" each month. Hear from people who investigate alien abduction, psychics, ghosts, or the Shroud of Turin, and find out how they sort out the facts from the phony. It's the world of skepticism.
But don't take our word for it...
Are We Alone?: Science radio for thinking species on any world.
SETI Radio
