Technology News

Indonesia hopes to become Indian Ocean tsunami-warning provider by 2011
Indonesia has launched its Tsunami Early Warning System (InaTEWS), with which it hopes to become the Indian Ocean tsunami-warning provider by 2011. ANI

Giant particle smasher to restart in July 2009
An internal report sent to physicists working on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the CERN laboratory near Geneva in Switzerland, has instructed them to restart the giant machine by end of July 2009. ANI

Coming soon, empathetic virtual humans
A completely different breed of virtual humans is being developed by French researchers which will be capable of reading and adapting to our emotions. ANI

Six of eight bear species close to extinction

Six of the known eight bear species are close to extinction, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN), a global consortium of environmental groups and government agencies.

Washington, Nov.13 : Six of the known eight bear species are close to extinction, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN), a global consortium of environmental groups and government agencies.

Thousands of scientists are working with the IUCN to map the threats to all land-mammal populations around the globe.

Of these eight bear species, only two - the Brown bear (Ursus arctos ) and American Black bear (Ursus americanus ) - are relatively healthy, scientists claim.

The rest are either vulnerable or endangered. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus ) - classed as marine mammals - were classified as vulnerable last year.

Added to the vulnerable list this year is the Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus ), a species of small bear that lives throughout Southeast Asia.

Hunting and human encroachment are the main reasons behind the declines, says Simon Stuart, a senior adviser with the Union.

ANI