Technology News for December 19, 2007

Tectonics created Wall of Africa allowed humanity to emerge
University of Utah geologists have claimed that Tectonics or the movement of the Earths crust, was responsible for the evolution of humankind. ANI

Future spy planes may recharge their batteries by clinging to power lines
The US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) in Dayton, Ohio, US, is developing an electric motor-powered micro air vehicle (MAV) or spy plane that can harvest energy from power lines, which could lead to significantly longer surveillance missions. ANI

Soon, tyres that warn drivers when they are about to go flat
Researchers at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, are working on a car tyre that can warn the driver that it is about to be flat. ANI

Top 10 advances in materials science revealed
A list of the top ten most significant advances in materials science over the last 50 years has been compiled by Materials Today magazine. ANI

A cold shower may be the best way to beat your blues
Got the blues? Then, why dont you try a cold shower, for a new study has suggested that a simple cold-water bath might sometimes cure, and even prevent, the unbearable mood disorder. ANI

Earths messages too boring to earn ETs reply
The reason humans arent getting a reply from extraterrestrial beings that might exist on other planets, is because the messages were sending out are too boring. ANI

Why female monkeys shout during sex
Scientists have shed new light on monkeys sexual behaviour, by finding that female monkeys may shout during sex to help their male partners climax. ANI

Oz scientists unravel dolphin speech
Australian researchers claim that they have achieved the success in unravelling the meaning of squeaks and whistles that make up dolphin speech. ANI

A racehorses success lies in its genes
Whether a horse will be a winner or a loser on the racetrack depends on the kind of genes it has.Evolutionary ecologists Alastair Wilson and Andrew Rambaut at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland conducted a new study, which showed that genetics play a significant role in whether a racehorse would win or loose. ANI

Galaxies in early Universe developed much faster than previously believed
Astronomers have discovered a galaxy that has a furious rate of star formation, which indicates that galaxies in the early Universe developed either much faster or in a different way from what astronomers have thought. ANI

Bangladesh to use new technology to double efficiency of urea fertilizer use
The Government of Bangladesh has announced that it will expand urea deep placement (UDP)-a technology that doubles the efficiency of urea fertilizer use to almost 1 million hectares (ha) of rice land, reaching about 1.6 million farm families, in the coming dry season. ANI

Our brains are genetically wired to recognise faces and places
A new study of twins has revealed that our brains are genetically wired to recognise faces and places. ANI

Heres why we feel cold
Scientists have traced the roots of feeling cold by identifying a protein that plays a key role in sensing cold. ANI

Heating up boosts male bugs chances of sex
Male ambush bugs boost their chances of sex through a hot and heated mechanism, a new study has revealed. ANI

Surfing may now be a whole new experience even for pros
Riding the waves may be a whole new experience for even skilled surfers thanks to four engineering students who have found a way to technically improve the performance of a surfboard. ANI

New online tool developed to fight HIV spread
Researchers at the University of Minnesota are using a new Web-based software program to help fight the spread of HIV. ANI

Heres how ants became the most successful invasive species
A consortium of researchers from the University of Illinois and the University of California at San Diego has shed light on how the Argentine ant Linepithema humile became one of the most successful invasive species in the world, and colonized parts of five continents besides its native range in South America. ANI

Now, a device that converts harmful CO2 emissions into fuel cells
Researchers have developed a new device that uses sunlight and steam to neutralize carbon dioxide and ultimately turn it into a clean energy source, such as hydrogen. ANI

Nano flakes may pave way for perfect solar cells
The future of solar cells may lie in a new material called nano flakes, which may revolutionise the transformation of solar energy to electricity, thus enabling households to save money in the future. ANI