Technology News for June 24, 2008

Abandoned farmlands might be a key to sustainable bio energy
Scientists from the Carnegie Institution and Stanford University in the US have determined that abandoned farmlands might be a key to sustainable bio energy. ANI

Exploited fish can make rapid comeback in marine reserves where fishing is banned
A new study of Australias Great Barrier Reef has revealed that marine reserves in which fishing is completely banned, can lead to very rapid comebacks of the fish species most prized by commercial and recreational fisheries, with the prominent example being the coral trout in Australia. ANI

Ancient wombats belonged to the same species
A new study has suggested that despite their vastly different sizes, ancient wombats that roamed Australia about two million to 10,000 years ago, all belonged to the same species, and that gender differences accounted for the huge size gaps in the creatures. ANI

Viruses hitch a ride to travel around cells
According to a new study by University of Zurich researchers, viruses can travel around cells they infect by hitching a ride on a microscopic transport system. ANI

Now, software to keep an eye on kids mobile phone usage
Aussie scientists have developed a new software that would enable parents to keep a check on their childrens Optus mobile phone usage completely, as well as what websites they can visit, who they can contact and when they can use the built-in camera. ANI

Volcanoes may have triggered mega flood on Mars 20,000 years ago
A fresh look by scientists at the surface images of Mars have led tem to suggest that volcanoes on the Red Planet might have triggered off a mega flood about 20,000 years ago. ANI

Ancient city in Syria provides insight into structures of pre-Roman Hellenistic settlements
The discovery of an ancient city buried beneath the sands of modern-day Syria has provided evidence for a Hellenistic settlement that existed for more than six centuries extending into the time of the Roman Empire. ANI

Climate change disasters are a major cause for rise in population displacement
A new report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said that climate change disasters are a major cause for the rise in global displacement, along with factors like conflicts and rising food prices. ANI

Indian-origin researchers saucer-shaped aircraft all set to fly
An Indian-origin researcher at the University of Florida has revealed that a new wingless, saucer-shaped aircraft he has made is all set to take to the skies. ANI

700,000 yr old Qatar settlement may be oldest organised human community ever found
Danish archaeologists have discovered a prehistoric settlement in Qatar, which they believe may be over 700,000 years old, making it the oldest organised human community ever found. ANI

Dinos roamed New Zealand about 80 million years ago
One of the largest known dinosaurs, a titanosaurid, once roamed New Zealand about 80 million years ago, as is evident from the discovery of a vertebra bone in a stream bed in Hawkes Bay in New Zealand. ANI

Raising speed limit to 70 Mph on Interstate in Indiana found safe
A new study by Purdue University researchers has shown that the probability of fatalities or severe injuries has not increased after the government raised the speed limit from 65 to 70 Mph on Interstate 65 in Indiana. ANI

Mount Everest today has an estimated 600 tonnes of frozen junk
If reports are to be believed, Mount Everest, the highest peak on the planet, is becoming a junkyard, with 600 tonnes of frozen garbage like oxygen cylinders, tinned food, abandoned tents, plastic bags of human waste, ladders, ropes, jackets, bloody syringes and vials of unlabelled medication. ANI

Worldwide PC population surpasses 1bln mark
A research firm has revealed that the number of personal computers being used across the world has passed the one billion mark. ANI

Oz scientists claim to have found natural invisible gold
Australian scientists have for the first time unearthed hard evidence of the discovery of natural gold nanoparticles. ANI

Large database shows impacts of acid rain on microorganisms
Researchers at the Darrin Fresh Water Institute of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the US have developed one of the most comprehensive databases in existence on the impacts of acid rain on microorganisms. ANI

Its possible to identify plants that may survive climate change, claims researcher
Researchers at Queens University say that it is possible to identify plants that are most likely to survive the climatic shifts brought about by global warming. ANI

11 species of African frogs can morph toes into claws to kick predators
A new research by biologists at Harvard University has determined that at least 11 species of African frogs can morph toes into claws, which they use to kick predators. ANI

Owning a cat may trigger eczema in some babies
Parents, who own a cat, might increase their kids chances of developing Eczema in infancy, for a new study has suggested that cat exposure at birth along with a mutation in the gene, called filaggrin gene (FLG) may make a child more prone to develop eczema during their first year. ANI

Bloggers highlight seven biggest iPhone disappointments
Even before the launch of Apples new iPhone 3G, technology blogs have started to highlight factors that may make it a mere gadget. ANI

NASA takes step forward for establishing a lunar outpost
NASA engineers and scientists have completed a milestone review that will help determine the systems needed to return humans to the moon and establish a lunar outpost. ANI

Lazy pulsar orbits a faster and more energetic companion in binary system
Astronomers have spotted an extremely rare sight of two pulsars orbiting each other in a binary system, in which a slowly-rotating lazy pulsar or neutron star (Pulsar B) orbits a faster and more energetic companion (Pulsar A). ANI

Homers Odyssey contains celestial clues hinting at eclipse, claim experts
A Rockefeller University scientist says that an ancient Greek epic poem attributed to Homer, called The Odyssey, seems to be containing astronomical references that provide corroborating evidence of a total solar eclipse. ANI

Pigs raised in indoor pens prefer three square meals a day
Researchers have shown that the secret behind a healthy penned pig is three square meals each day, by finding that swine raised in indoor pens are healthier and grow fatter when fed in this pattern. ANI

Previously unseen galactic cannibalism revealed by radio telescopes
Radio-telescope images have revealed previously-unseen galactic cannibalism - a triggering event that leads to feeding frenzies by gigantic black holes at the cores of galaxies. ANI

Baby crocs tell mom its time to hatch from within the eggs
For humans, sounds like umph! umph! umph! might not ring a bell, but for a species of crocodiles in their pre-hatching stage, the calls imply telling mom and siblings that its time to hatch, according to the report in the June 23rd issue of Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. ANI

The scent of a male primate says everything about him
For humans, perfumes and colognes may all have to do with superficiality, but when it comes to the world of primates, scents go much deeper. ANI

Idle computer time can help contribute to global cancer fight
A concept called grid computing, developed by a biomedical engineering professor at The University of Texas at Austin, would enable an average person to contribute idle computer time in a global effort to fight cancer. ANI

Single dose of insecticide can kill 3 cockroach generations
Scanning and killing hidden cockroaches will not be a tricky task any more, thanks to Purdue University entomologists, who have developed a pest-killing gel bait, a single dose of which can kill three generations of cockroaches as they feed off of each other and transfer the poison. ANI

Britains last Neanderthals were more sophisticated than earlier believed
The discovery of stone tools that are technologically advanced and potentially older than tools belonging to Homo sapiens, has led scientists to suggest that Britains last Neanderthals were more sophisticated than earlier believed. ANI

Diamonds slippery secrets revealed
University of Pennsylvania engineers say that they have found out what causes diamonds to slip and slide with remarkably low friction at the nanoscale, something that makes it an ideal material and coating for seals, high performance tools and high-tech moving parts. ANI

Ultraviolet light may help find life on Mars
A team of scientists from the US and the UK has developed a technique using ultraviolet light to identify organic matter in soils that could be used to find life on Mars. ANI

New simple way to control electron spin may help develop faster computers
Researchers at UC Riverside say that they have devised a simple technique for controlling the spin of electrons and current flow, which may help change how information in computers can be transported or stored. ANI