Technology News for November 24, 2008

Study on floppy-footed gibbons casts light on how early humans might have walked
University of Liverpool researchers reckon that the modern human foot might have first appeared about 1.8 million years ago, but their ape-like ancestors probably took to walking several million years earlier. ANI

1,000-year-old miniature pagoda may hold top part of Buddhas skull
Archaeologists have determined that a 1,000-year-old miniature pagoda, which was recovered from an iron case found at a former temple site in China, could hold the top part of Buddhas skull. ANI

1,000-year-old miniature pagoda may hold top part of Buddhas skull
Archaeologists have determined that a 1,000-year-old miniature pagoda, which was recovered from an iron case found at a former temple site in China, could hold the top part of Buddhas skull. ANI

Mitochondria powers new explosives detector
Scientists have borrowed the technology that living cells use to produce energy, namely mitochondria, to develop a tiny, self-powered sensor for rapid detection of hidden explosives. ANI

Animals developed eyes for seeking light (Lead:Animals)
A new research has suggested that the first eyes in the animal kingdom evolved for the purpose of seeking light. ANI

Breakthrough technique unlocks secret of plasmas
Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have developed a technique that brings scientists a big step closer to unlocking the secrets of plasmas, which are the most abundant form of matter in the universe. ANI

Murder site of Romes first king to become major tourist attraction
The spot in the Roman Forum where Romulus, the first King of Rome, is said to have met a grisly end at the hands of senators who resented his high handed autocratic rule would be shown as a tourist attraction after being covered up for half a century. ANI

Lake Ontarios human footprints date back to 11,000 yrs, not 100,000 years
A new research has suggested that human footprints found a century ago in Lake Ontario, Canada, are 11,000 years old, not 100,000 years, as was indicated by previous research work. ANI

Facebooks video shows how users interact around the world
While the Internet is one of the basic necessities in todays world, a rather interesting Facebook visualisation has shown how users communicate with each other around the globe. ANI

Hadrians wall created a thriving economy for ancient Britons
New research through aerial surveys has suggested that Hadrians Wall in England, which is a 73-mile long Roman wall, built in AD 122, to defend the Roman Empire from hostile Celtic tribes, created a thriving economy to serve the occupying army. ANI

Your brain wiring is key to your innovativeness
If you are among those who try experimenting with new things-whether its food, places or even your job-then there are chances that your neural connection between ventral striatum and hippocampus is particularly well developed, say Bonn scientists. ANI

Brain wiring responsible for celebrity face blindness
Cannot tell Brad Pitt from George Clooney on the same magazine page? Well, you may be suffering from a rare condition called face blindness, which scientists claim results from a lack of connections in a brain area responsible for recognising faces. ANI

James Bond computer technology may soon replace mouse with interactive gloves
The computer technology shown in science fictions like Minority Report and James Bond flicks are drawing closer to reality, with a Los Angeles-based company designing a system that can consign the mouse to history. ANI

Ultra fast random numbers by lasers to tackle cyber crime more effectively
A new method that uses lasers to produce streams of truly random numbers faster than ever before may help improve security at a time when digital traffic and cyber crime are both growing. ANI

Plants grow bigger and more vigorously through changes in their internal clocks
A new study by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, US, has indicated that plants grow bigger and more vigorously through changes in their internal clocks. ANI

New Zealand students go on a virtual tour to Antarctica
Students in New Zealand are experiencing Antarctica from the comfort of their classrooms, thanks to virtual field trips provided to them by two explorers. ANI

New testing method to determine if milk is toxic or not
The Ministry of Agriculture in the Chinese government has announced a new testing method to determine the actual protein in milk products, and help determine if the milk is toxic or not. ANI

Your cellphones can help you avoid traffic jams
Commuting within the city may no longer involve long traffic jams, for researchers have developed a software that can turn cell phones into traffic trackers. ANI

Same species of dinos roamed UK and US 170 million years ago
A new research has suggested that footprints found on Skye in Scotland, and in Wyoming, in the US, were left by the same dinosaurs or a similar species, which further establishes a geological link between the Great Britain and the US. ANI

Asteroid may have caused New York tsunami 2,300 years ago
Scientists have found new evidence suggesting a giant tsunami that crashed in New York City 2,300 years ago, was caused by an asteroid 330 feet in diameter, which slammed into the Atlantic Ocean nearby. ANI

Optimising golf balls size and dimples can help them fly farther
A team of researchers from Arizona State University and the University of Maryland is using a supercomputer to study how air flows around a ball in flight, and how this flow is influenced by the balls dimples, with a view to making a better golf ball that fly can farther. ANI