Conservationists warn a purple fluorescent frog, one of 24 new species found in the South American highlands of Suriname, is threatened by illegal gold mining. Leeanne Alonso of Conservation International, which led the expedition that found the new species, says the discovery of so many species outside the insect realm is extraordinary and displays the need to survey distant regions. The two-tone frog, whose skin is covered with irregular fluorescent lavender loops on a background of aubergine, was discovered in 2006 as part of a survey of Suriname’s Nassau plateau. Scientists combing Suriname’s Nassau plateau and Lely Mountains found four other new frog species aside from the purple one, six species of fish, 12 dung beetles and a new ant species, the organisation said in a statement
A new inexpensive nanoglue that becomes stronger as it heats up could redefine the way computer chips are made and even pave the way for Spiderman-esque web-shooting devices in the near future, according to its creator. Developed by a group of US researchers led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s materials science and engineering professor, Ganapathiraman Ramanath, the new nanoglue is made from commercially available ultrathin glue materials that when heated to extreme temperatures can bond materials that don’t usually stick together
Scientists have set a new record in sending information through thin air using the revolutionary technology of quantum teleportation — although Mr Spock may have to wait a little longer for a Scotty to beam him up with it. A team of physicists has teleported data over a distance of 89 miles from the Canary Island of La Palma to the neighbouring island of Tenerife, which is 10 times further than the previous attempt at teleportation through free space
Scientists from Spectrolab, a subsidiary of Boeing, have recently published their research on the fabrication of solar cells that surpass the 40% efficiency milestone — the highest efficiency achieved for any photovoltaic device. Most conventional solar cells used in today’s applications, such as for supplemental power for homes and buildings, are one-sun, single-junction silicon cells that use only the light intensity that the sun produces naturally, and have optimal efficiency for a relatively narrow range of photon energies
A platelet-rich gel derived from one’s own blood could speed up the healing of wounds and cuts. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati say that a topical gel derived from a patient’s own blood may help prevent infection while speeding up the healing process. The finding could mean that, in the not too distant future, a concentrated cocktail
of a person’s own blood could be used to help dress wounds, particularly in patients with diabetes or other disorders that slow the healing process
A device that specifically targets rapidly growing cancer cells with intermediate frequency electrical fields doubled the survival rates of patients with brain cancer, according to an article apperaring in PNAS. The device uses electrical fields to disrupt tumour growth by interfering with cell division of cancerous cells, causing them to stop proliferating and die off instead of dividing and growing. Healthy brain cells rarely divide and have different electrical properties than cancerous brain cells. This allows the device to target cancer cells without affecting the healthy cells. Essentially no device-related side effects were seen in the clinical trial — via Slashdot
At some point in the not-too-distant future, a moth may take flight in the hills of northern Pakistan, and flap towards a suspected terrorist training camp. But this will be no ordinary moth. Inside it will be a computer chip that was implanted when the creature was still a pupa, in the cocoon, meaning that the moth’s entire nervous system can be controlled remotely
Nanocomp Technologies has found a way to mass-produce long carbon nanotube fibres and thread them into yarns and felts for various purposes. These nanotube fibres are dozens of times stronger than steel, weigh less than plastic, and can conduct electricity. Nanocomp is one of a few companies currently working to commercialise nanotube fabrics. Their main marketing points are reduced power consumption and increased strength in speciality products. Proposed applications include body armor, land, air and sea vehicles, consumer electronics and sporting goods
A haul of 28 new planets beyond our solar system has been detected by the world’s most prolific planet hunters. The finds were among 37 objects seen orbiting distant stars by a US and Anglo-Australian team in the last year. The finds increase the total number of known exoplanets to 236, more than half of which were discovered by the team
Turning off a gene that has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease made mice smarter in the lab, researchers said on Sunday in a finding that lends new insight on learning and may lead to new drugs for memory problems. They said these mice were far more adept at sensing changes in their environment than their mouse brethren
After years of negotiations, the Tasmanian Government has persuaded US entertainment company Warner Brothers to help raise funds for research into tasmanian devil facial tumour disease. The Government has long argued that Warner Brothers should help fund the research, because it has made millions of dollars from the cartoon character Taz Devil
An artist has offered to donate his own head to an Oxford museum — if a collection of shrunken heads has to be returned to South America. Children’s author and artist, Ted Dewan is offering to leave instructions in his will for his head to be shrunk and put on display, if the Oxford museum’s current collection of 10 heads from the Upper Amazon region has to be repatriated
A team of American and Irish researchers have discovered that some female sharks can reproduce without having sex, the first time that scientists have found the unusual capacity in such an ancient vertebrate species. Their report that sharks can reproduce asexually through the process known as parthenogenesis is being published online today in the British journal Biology Letters. Researchers have observed parthenogenesis in certain species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and bony fishes, but the new finding suggests that vertebrates’ ability to reproduce without sex evolved much earlier than scientists had thought
A new material developed by Dutch scientists has made its way into soft body armor. Dyneema SB61 is a fibre made from an extremely high grade of the common plastic polyethylene. Laundry baskets, grocery bags and milk bottles are all made from polyethylene. It is the simplest of the plastics. Polyethylene molecules are long chains that can be branched or straight. The length and straightness of the chains and the purity of the plastic determines how strong it is. High grade polyethylene has been used to make bulletproof vests for years, but this new material is stronger pound for pound than everything else on the market
Fungus growths have been found in many extreme environments, including the Chernobyl reactor walls. Some fungi have been found whose growth is enhanced by radiation
People infected with hepatitis C can be cured with existing treatments, researchers have discovered. Standard therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin removed all detectable virus in 99% of patients for up to seven years
As solar panels become more available, affordable and easy to use, the technology has been embraced by Amish communities here in Southern Maryland, in Pennsylvania, Ohio and elsewhere. While connecting to the public power grid is generally frowned upon as an unhealthy intrusion on their simple lifestyle, the Amish have long considered energy sources such as diesel and gasoline engines — and now solar power — a legitimate way to fire up buggy lights and sewing machines and meet the rest of their modest electrical needs
A new species of sea anemone has been found in the carcass of a whale that sunk to the ocean floor off the coast of Monterey, California, marking the first discovery of one of these filter-feeding marine animals living in a so-called whale fall. The anemone, called Anthosactis pearseae, is small, white and roughly cube-shaped. It’s about the size of a human molar and even looks like a tooth with small tentacles on one side
Despite being available in research for over 40 years, the holographic storage technology is getting commercialised only now, with InPhase Technologies launching its 600 GB write-once disk and a drive this fall. The first holographic products are certainly not mass-market — a 600GB disc will cost around US$180, and the drive costs about $18,000. Potential users include banks, libraries, government agencies and corporations
Carnivorous sponges, 585 new species of crustaceans and hundreds of new worms have been discovered in the dark waters around Antarctica, suggesting these depths may have been the source of much marine life. The team, who scooped samples from as deep as 20,000 feet, found unexpectedly rich diversity of animal life
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