Scientists in northeastern Ethiopia recently discovered a skull that they think may be evidence of the missing link between Homo erectus and modern man. The hominid cranium — found in two pieces and believed to be between 500,000 and 250,000 years old — comes from a very significant period and is very close to the appearance of the anatomically modern human
, said Sileshi Semaw, director of the Gona Paleoanthropological Research Project in Ethiopia
Scientists have developed artificial, super-strength muscles which are powered by alcohol and hydrogen. And they could eventually be used to make more advanced prosthetic limbs, say researchers at University of Texas
An Israeli company says it has developed a system for managing traffic by tracking drivers’ mobile phone signals. Based on the idea that most people keep their mobile phones on while driving, Israel-based Cellint created the TrafficSense system to detect the cellular signals and use them to create a real-time moving picture of what’s happening on the roads — via Warren Ellis
Booster jabs could soon become obsolete following the discovery by a British scientist of the world’s first effective way to control the speed at which vaccines are released in the body
US and Japanese researchers have announced results of a study showing that capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers hot, can cause prostate cancer cells to kill themselves
Online codebreaking enthusiasts working to solve a series of German World War II ciphers have cracked the second of three codes. Thousands of users around the world have joined the M4 Project, using spare computing power to crack the codes — via BBC News
European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx criticised governments’ fondness for biometrics to identify citizens and warned that greater interoperability of databases may have serious implications for people
Nanotechnology has restored the sight of blind rodents, a new study shows. After injecting the hamsters with a solution containing nanoparticles, the nerves re-grew and sight returned — via BBC News
Rosuvastatin, a drug that reduces cholesterol, has been found to turn the clock back
in narrowed arteries, a discovery that could prevent heart attacks and strokes in thousands of people
A family of animals known as Diatomyidae thought to have been dead for 11 million years has been discovered in Laos. Fossilised remnants of this group have been found throughout Asia with a distinctive jaw structure and molars. It represents a rare opportunity to compare assumptions derived from the fossil record and an actual living specimen to determine overall accuracy of the techniques involved. This discovery also provides a compelling argument for preservation efforts in Southeast Asia
Today, the possibility of being moved around by an outside force is more science than fiction, thanks to researchers at Nippon Telegraph and Telephone in Japan
Australian scientists have uncovered what they believe are the earliest examples of Buddhist literature. Carbon dating of rare manuscripts from a private collection dubbed the Dead Sea scrolls of Buddhism
may reveal the religion’s ancient origins
Scientists at the University of Dublin have found a way to break down styrofoam, the bane of recyclers/composters everywhere. This could be a great step towards sustainability, but it does require the styrofoam to be heated first
NaturalNano is developing a new nanotube paint that is able to block mobile phone signals on demand. The nanotubes are filled with copper, suspended in paint, and can be applied to the walls and ceiling of places such as concert halls, churches, and classrooms
One of the biggest and most complete giant squids ever found is on display at London’s Natural History Museum. Measuring a monstrous 8.62m, the animal was caught off the coast of the Falkland Islands by a trawler
A new optical effect has been created in a London laboratory that means solid objects such as walls could one day be rendered transparent. Researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland, have pioneered the technique which could be used to see through rubble at earthquake sites, or look at parts of the body obscured by bone. The effect is based on the development of a new material that exploits the way atoms in matter move, to make them interact with a laser beam in an entirely new way — via Warren Ellis
mPhase Technologies and Lucent Technologies Bell Labs have reported that their jointly developed nano-based smart
battery prototype has proven it can store and convert energy on demand. This practical confirmation of the theory behind the technology is a major milestone in the product development process
They move through seemingly solid ice with ease and are at their liveliest near the freezing point of water. Warm them up slightly and they dissolve into goo. Their life cycle remains a mystery. But ice worms are beginning to yield their secrets to a few hardy scientists who see broad applications from understanding one of the planet’s oddest inhabitants
A federal judge ordered the Bush administration on Thursday to release documents about its warrantless surveillance programme or spell out what it is withholding, a setback to efforts to keep the programme under wraps — via digg
Dean Kamen, the engineer who invented the Segway, is puzzling over a new equation these days. An estimated 1.1 billion people in the world don’t have access to clean drinking water, and an estimated 1.6 billion don’t have electricity. Those figures add up to a big problem for the world‚Äîand an equally big opportunity for entrepreneurs. To solve the problem, he’s invented two devices, each about the size of a washing machine that can provide much-needed power and clean water in rural villages
RSS – Posts