Science
Baby boom at China panda centre: state media (AFP)
AFP - Four giant panda cubs have been born within just 14 hours in China, giving a rare boost to the population of the endangered species, state media said Sunday. Read more…
Oil prices could drop if Iran concerns allayed: OPEC (AFP)
AFP - The price of oil could drop to between 70 and 80 dollars a barrel if the dollar strengthens and concerns over Iran are reduced, OPEC chief Chakib Khelil said Saturday. Read more…
Safety of cloned animal products uncertain: EU agency (Reuters)
Reuters - The European Union's top food safety agency said on Thursday cloned animal products may not be safe and further study was needed, prompting another battle of conscience within the bloc over the merits of new technology. Read more…
Argentine Scientists Conduct Research on Cow Farts to Reduce Greenhouse Gases
Cows contribute to global warming by releasing methane gas. Argentine scientists are looking to reduce the amount of methane gasbeing emitted from its cows so they have embarked on a research project. The study involves placing a strange looking gas-collecting contraption on the back of the cow being studied. The study is being conducted by Argentina's National Institute of Agrarian Technology. You can read about the study here. Yes, basically cow farts are being collected in a plastic tank on the back of a cow for additional study. Below is a video about the project from Reuters. Permalink | Recent Headlines | News Feeds Read more…
Massive School of Jellyfish
This National Geographic video shows a massive school of jellyfish. These jellyfish are 95% water, brainless and have been around for 65 million years. Permalink | Recent Headlines | News Feeds Read more…
Georgia Sea Turtle Center Releases an Old Friend into the Sea
Dylan, a hatchling loggerhead sea turtle who was rescued on Jekyll Island almost 10 years ago, was released back into the ocean last week. Dylan had been learning the skills she needed to return to the wild this past year - including identifying and capturing natural prey such as blue crabs, horseshoe crabs and whelks. Veterinarians at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center have been pleased with Dylan's progress according to a news release. The loggerhead sea turtle is threatened worldwide and is under consideration for being reclassified as "endangered" due to diminishing populations in the Western Atlantic Ocean. We are very pleased with Dylan's progress," said Dr. Terry Norton, Director of Veterinary Services and Interim Director of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. "She has come a long way in the last year and has been a great representative of sea turtle education and conservation, helping to spread the word about the plight of the sea turtle and the marine ecosystem. We are glad to see her depart for her real home at sea and are excited to watch her travels once she is released." "The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is an exciting project initiated by the Jekyll Island Foundation and the Jekyll Island Authority. The Center reflects our commitment to conservation, preservation and education," said William Lattimore, Jr., Chairman of the Jekyll Island Foundation. "This is a very special event for the entire community. Dylan's release is indeed an appropriate finale for Sea Turtle Weekend, the anniversary celebration of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center." After outgrowing her tank at the Tidelands Nature Center in Jekyll Island, a partnership was formed with the Georgia Aquarium, where Dylan was relocated in November 2005. She returned to Jekyll Island in May of 2007, arriving at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center shortly before its official public opening, becoming the second patient. "The Georgia Aquarium's partnership with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center has been important and hugely successful," said Ray Davis, Senior Vice President of Zoological Operations at the Georgia Aquarium. "We loved having Dylan in Atlanta and were sad to see her go, but it is certainly important that she will be released and continues to educate and inspire the future stewards of our oceans." You can read more about the Georgia Sea Turtle Center here. For another look at rescued loggerheads being released into the wild check out the BBC's diary about the release of two loggerheads that washed up on UK and Ireland coasts earlier this year. Permalink | Recent Headlines | News Feeds Read more…
The Sound of Jelly Wobbling
The sound of jelly wobbling has been recorded for the very first time in history reports New Scientist. Here's the video which was recorded in a soundproof chamber in London. Permalink | Recent Headlines | News Feeds Read more…
NASA Says Martian Soil Could Sustain Life
Reuters reports that NASA scientists believe it is possible that Martian soil could support life. One scientist mentioned the possibility of growing asparagus in it - if the soil were in your backyard. "Flabbergasted" NASA scientists said on Thursday that Martian soil appeared to contain the requirements to support life, although more work would be needed to prove it. Scientists working on the Phoenix Mars Lander mission, which has already found ice on the planet, said preliminary analysis by the lander's instruments on a sample of soil scooped up by the spacecraft's robotic arm had shown it to be much more alkaline than expected. "We basically have found what appears to be the requirements, the nutrients, to support life whether past present or future," Sam Kounaves, the lead investigator for the wet chemistry laboratory on Phoenix, told journalists. "It is the type of soil you would probably have in your back yard, you know, alkaline. You might be able to grow asparagus in it really well. ... It is very exciting for us." NASA cautioned that these were preliminary results and additional testing would be needed. The Mars Phoenix rover also plurked the news about the soil chemistry. Permalink | Recent Headlines | News Feeds Read more…
Phoenix Lander Discovers Ice, Salt or Something Else?
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander may be on the verge of a big discovery. The picture above reveals a photograph of a white substance that may be ice, salt or some other material. Here are NASA's notes on the photograph: This color image was acquired by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Surface Stereo Imager on the 19th day of the mission, or Sol 19 (June 13, 2008), after the May 25, 2008, landing. This image shows one trench informally called "Dodo-Goldilocks" after two digs (dug on Sol 18, or June 12, 2008) by Phoenix's Robotic Arm. The trench is 22 centimeters (8.7 inches) wide and 35 centimeters (13.8 inches) long. At its deepest point, the trench is 7 to 8 centimeters (2.7 to 3 inches) deep. White material, possibly ice, is located only at the upper portion of the trench, indicating that it is not continuous throughout the excavated site. According to scientists, the trench might be exposing a ledge, or only a portion of a slab, of the white material. Red Orbit reports that a mission scientist believes the mysterious white stuff is ice but says until it disappears (melts) they can't be 100% certain. "We think it's ice. But again, until we can see it disappear ... we're not guaranteed yet," mission scientist Ray Arvidson of Washington University in St. Louis said Monday. One of the ovens on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander continued baking its first sample of Martian soil over the weekend, while the Robotic Arm dug deeper into the soil to learn more about white material first revealed on June 3. "The oven is working very well and living up to our expectations," said Phoenix co-investigator Bill Boynton of the University of Arizona, Tucson. Boynton leads the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA), or oven instrument, for Phoenix. Red Orbit also reports that the rover's oven is working well which is good news because initially there were reports of a struggle to get Mars dirt into the oven. You can keep up with all of the Phoenix Lander's adventures on Twitter and Plurk. The frequent updates are posted from the point-of-view of the lander. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M University Permalink | Recent Headlines | News Feeds Read more…
Robots Inspired by Animals
There are some interesting robots in this video from New Scientist. It includes robots based on animals including robotic salamander, a water strider robot, mechanical cockroaches and some cool self-configuring robots. The cockroach bot actually communicates with real roaches. The self-configuring bot manages to regroup itself so it can slide under an obstacle. Permalink | Recent Headlines | News Feeds Read more…
