Technology News for July 22, 2008

Toy rocket inspires gun that can send bullets at variable speeds
The US army has commissioned a Chicago-based toy-making company to make a gun that can fire bullets at variable speeds, and serve the dual purpose of killing or wounding. ANI

Tourists in wildlife reserves scaring away native carnivores
A new study by conservation biologists from the University of California, Berkeley, has indicated that allowing public access in wildlife reserves can scare off the native carnivore populations, findings which could have important implications for land management policies. ANI

Worlds oldest Bible to go online
Codex Sinaiticus, the worlds oldest Bible, will go online from July 24. ANI

No organics zone found around pinwheel galaxy
NASAs Spitzer space telescope has spotted a particular zone around a pinwheel galaxy where organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are present throughout most of the galaxy, suddenly disappear. ANI

Chinese quake can help evaluate similar fault areas for seismic risk
Geologists from Penn State and Arizona State University in the US have suggested that topographic analysis of the Sichuan area in China, which witnessed a massive earthquake on May 12 this year, can help evaluate other, similar fault areas for seismic risk. ANI

Archaeologists uncover foundations of a medieval tower in Malta
Archaeologists have uncovered the foundations of a semi-circular bastion or tower dating to the Late Middle Ages in the town of Mdina in Malta, which is being considered an extraordinary discovery which may shed light on one of the darkest periods of Maltese history. ANI

Nerve cells help flies respond quickly to obstacles while flying
Researchers at Imperial College London have discovered that two key sets of nerve cells in a flys brain enable its gaze to stay stable during complex aerial manoeuvres, and to respond quickly to obstacles in its flight path. ANI

Google Earth reveals Afghanistans unknown historic sites
A leading Australian archaeologist has safely uncovered historic sites in a remote part of war-torn Afghanistan - all with the help of Google Earth. ANI

Archaeologists unearth ancient Roman spa in southern Siberia
Archaeologists have discovered a Roman spa of monumental proportions in downtown Prokuplje in southern Siberia. ANI

Solar systems like ours may be quite rare
A new study has indicated that solar systems like ours may be quite rare. ANI

Michelangelo wasnt handsome at all
Italian Renaissance painter-sculptor Michelangelo was an ugly and rather unclean man, suggest a series of rare, contemporary portraits and writings on show in Florence. ANI

Alien fish creates multi-way hybridization
The Colorado River basin in the south-western US is witnessing multi-way hybridization, thanks to an alien fish, which is breaking down the genetic barriers between once-distinct species. ANI

More than 100 bat species found in five acres of Ecuadorian rain forest
More than a hundred bat species have been found packed into about five acres (two hectares) of Ecuadorian rain forest. ANI

Researchers develop effective computer-controlled inhaler
Researchers at North Carolina State University in Raleigh have developed a computer-controlled inhaler that is far more effective than the traditional one. ANI

Co2 laser resurfacing best long-term remedy to wipe out wrinkles
Want to get rid of those pesky wrinkles? Well forget Botox and instead try out carbon dioxide laser resurfacing, which could be an effective long-term treatment for wrinkles. ANI

Now, a Tongue-Drive to help the disabled take control of technology
Individuals with paralyzed limbs may soon be able to take control of technology, all thanks to a group of researchers, who have developed an experimental tongue-based system that may allow people with debilitating disabilities control wheelchairs, computers and other devices with relative ease and no sophistication. ANI

Superconductivity at room temperature comes closer to reality
A team of researchers from Rutgers and Columbia universities have proposed a new type of electron pairing that they believe may help realise superconductivity at room temperature someday. ANI

New GPS-like system for the moon on the anvil
American space agency NASA has commissioned leading Ohio State University researcher Ron Li to develop a new navigation system that will work like the global positioning system (GPS) to enable astronauts to find their way around on the moon. ANI

New imaging system may help understand how pre-cancerous mutations arise
Biological engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) say that they have developed a new imaging system that may help understand origins of cancer. ANI

Air pollution is degrading every major ecosystem type in northeastern and mid-Atlantic US
A new report has found that air pollution is degrading every major ecosystem type in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic United States. ANI