Technology News for October 30, 2007

NASA scientists discover heftiest known Black Hole
Using two NASA satellites, astronomers have discovered the heftiest known black hole to orbit a star. ANI

New mobile phone makes calls via Internet absolutely free
A joint collaboration between mobile phone network 3 and specialist Internet telephone operator Skype claims it will radically cut mobile phone costs. ANI

Nitrogen fertilizers actually deplete organic carbon content of soil
A new study by scientists from the University of Illinois contradicts the generally accepted theory that nitrogen fertilizers benefit the soil by building up organic carbon. ANI

Indian-origin researcher reveals the rewards and pitfalls of optimism
People who believe in positive thinking are more likely to display prudent financial behaviours, but being extremely optimistic may cause a person to have short planning horizons and act in ways that are generally not considered wise, suggests a study. ANI

Social hierarchy in herd influences elephants movement during scarcity
The social hierarchy among elephants dictates their movement when food resources are scarce, a new study by scientists from the US, Kenya and the UK, has revealed. ANI

Global warming behind spate of floods in Africa
Global warming is causing floods in as many as 22 African countries, a new study by climatologists has revealed. ANI

Jurassic Park rightly depicted raptors as human sized predators
The portrayal of the velociraptor as a cunning and deadly predator of near-human size in the movie Jurassic Park was right to a great extent, a new study by a team of US and Chinese palaeontologists has revealed. ANI

50-mln-year-old spider digitally brought back to life
An international team of British and Belgian scientists have for the first time, digitally dissected a 50-million year old fossilised spider to reveal the preservation of its internal organs. ANI