Technology News for January 15, 2008

Now, a new way to make self-assembling compound eye structures
A researcher in the United States has devised a technique to make tiny compound eye structures that self assemble, which he believes may revolutionise micro-imaging by providing an accurate field of view of up to 90 degrees, just like flies have. ANI

Mediterranean diet during pregnancy protects against childhood asthma, allergy
A high quality Mediterranean diet during pregnancy can help in putting off the risk of asthma and allergy in children. ANI

Minor leg injuries increase blood clots risk in legs, lungs
Minor leg injuries like ankle sprains and muscle ruptures may increase the risk of blood clots in the legs or lungs. ANI

NASA spacecrafts flyby of Suns North Pole to unravel solar activity mysteries
Ulysses spacecraft - a joint mission of ASA and the European Space Agency, is making a rare flyby of the uns North Pole, from where it would be able to collect sample inds that may lead to new insights about solar activity. ANI

New Zealand did not sink underwater 26 million years ago, say scientists
A team of evolutionary geneticists has rebuffed the theory that New Zealand sank underwater 26 million years ago, based on DNA samples taken from the native kauri forests in the country. ANI

Now, a pen that records writers true emotions while writing
Consumer electronics company Philips has developed a pen that can help reveal a writers true emotional state during writing. ANI

Neutron stars more abundant, black holes rarer than earlier believed
A new research developed using the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, has suggested that neutron stars can be considerably more massive than previously believed, which makes it less likely for them to form into black holes. ANI

NASAs moon water-finding mission one step closer to launch
NASAs mission to find water on the moon is getting closer to reality, with the completion of validation tests and shipping of cameras and sensors to the lunar spacecraft stationed at the Northrop Grumman Corporations facility in Redondo Beach, California. ANI

Starfish outbreak threatens Earths richest center of coral reef biodiversity
Recent surveys have indicated that an outbreak of starfish in a region in Indonesia, are threatening the coral triangle - which is the richest center of coral reef biodiversity on Earth, lying between Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. ANI

Did Columbus bring syphilis to Europe?
Christopher Columbus and his men may have introduced syphilis into Renaissance Europe after contracting it during their voyage to the New World, a study suggests. ANI

Sexually active gay men greatly prone to new, highly infectious superbug
Sexually active gay men are at a very high-risk of acquiring a new, highly antibiotic-resistant strain of the so-called MRSA bacteria widely know as the superbug, reveals a new study. ANI

Aggression is as rewarding as sex, food and drugs
Brain processes aggression as a reward, just like sex, food and drugs, says a new study. ANI

Great red spot on Jupiter is not a storm as earlier believed
Researchers, using spacecraft observations, have shed new light on the great red spot on Jupiter, showing how the spot - which is inaccurately described as a storm - is actually far calmer than other parts of the planets atmosphere. ANI

Eating green leafy vegetables lowers cataract risk
Women with high dietary intake of yellow or dark, leafy vegetables may have lower risk of developing cataracts. ANI

Lipoic acid supplements may reduce atherosclerosis, weight gain
Researchers at Oregon State University have found that supplements of lipoic acid, a naturally occurring nutrient found at low levels in green leafy vegetables, potatoes and meats, especially organ meats such as kidney, heart or liver can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, a disease affecting arterial blood vessels. ANI

NASAs car-sized spacecraft successfully completes Mercury flyby mission
NASAs Messenger spacecraft has successfully completed its mission of flying by Mercury on Jan 14, when it zoomed about 203 kilometers above the rocky, crater-scarred surface of the planet. ANI

Soup of life detected in galaxy 250 mln light years away
Astronomers have detected for the first time two important building blocks of life in a galaxy 250 million light years away. ANI

One day we may live till the ripe old age of a 1000
Scientists have paved way for helping humans live longer and healthier by creating bakers yeast capable of living up to 800 yeast years without apparent side effects. ANI

Dinosaurs too had teenage pregnancies
A new study by researchers at Ohio University and University of California at Berkeley has found that dinosaurs reached sexual maturity long before they were fully grown, becoming pregnant in their early adolescence. ANI

New solar cycle begins with a blast
Scientists have said that the new solar cycle, called Cycle 24, has already produced two solar blasts since it started on January 4. ANI