Technology News for April 9, 2008

Cow stomach microbe holds key to turn corn plants into biofuel
Researchers at the Michigan State University have discovered that an enzyme from a microbe, which lives inside a cows stomach is the key to turn corn plants into biofuel. ANI

New superinsulators may revolutionise materials research, electronics design
A study conducted by researchers from the US Department of Energys Argonne National Laboratory and several European institutions has shown the possibility of creating superinsulators that can prevent the wastage of energy as heat. ANI

Superinsulators might herald new era of microelectronics
Scientists have created superinsulators, which are a newly discovered fundamental state of matter that might break ground for a new generation of microelectronics. ANI

Study shows too many gene copies boost tumour cell growth
Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, have shown that too many gene copies can stimulate tumour cell growth. ANI

Vietnam provides refuge for endangered bears
Vietnam has provided refuge for endangered bears that were rescued from abusive traffickers of bile used in traditional medicines. ANI

Technique to detect origins of disease genes in mixed human populations developed
Scientists from Washington University in St. Louis and the Israeli Institute of Technology (Technion) in Haifa have developed a technique to identify the ancestry of disease genes in hybrid, or mixed, human populations. ANI

Mobile terahertz devices may soon be a reality
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM in Freiburg say that terahertz waves may soon offer as a universal tool for search and security operations, medical diagnosis, and several other purposes. ANI

Green method would destroy toxic agents safely
A research by two scientists has resulted in a new green method for rapidly and safely destroying toxic agents such as chemical weapons and pesticides. ANI

Young fire ants play dead for survival
Playing dead is a well-known defence mechanism in nature, and even young fire ant workers arent unaware of it - the tiny little creatures adopt the same strategy to survive attack from neighboring colonies, says a new study. ANI

Mice study shows child neglect is a product of both nature and nurture
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have shown that child neglect is a product of both nature and nurture in female mice. ANI

Sea salt worsens coastal air pollution
A new study has indicated that sea salt worsens coastal air pollution, showing that industrial and shipping pollution is aggravated when it combines with sunshine and salty sea air. ANI

Laos dam could cause extinction of worlds largest catfish
The construction of a large hydroelectric dam in Laos might endanger the existence of the Mekong giant catfish, which is the worlds largest catfish species. ANI

New research to discern environmental effects of nanotube production
A team of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is studying how harmful the process of making nanotubes can be to the environment. ANI

Supercomputer simulates merger of three black holes
A team of astrophysicists has simulated for the first time the collision and merger of three black holes on a supercomputer. ANI

Earths crust wobbles like dessert over long timescales
An analysis of the Earths crust has suggested that over long timescales, it wobbles like a dessert, proving that the continental plates are not completely rigid after all. ANI

Indian origin researcher one step closer to realising quantum computers
A researcher of Indian origin at AT and T says that his group has reached one step closer to realizing fully-fledged quantum computers, a technology that villains in the film Transformers used to break into the US Armys secure files in just 10 seconds flat. ANI

14-year-old CEOs card game makes chemistry a good fun
At 14, he is a precocious child who leads a company as its CEO. ANI