Science and Technology updates, research findings and scientific reports for October 17, 2008

Scientists use light to control proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions
A research team comprising of experts from Penn State and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has devised a way to use light to control certain proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions. ANI

FBI warns of increased cyber crimes
The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) has warned that citizens and nations alike have increasingly become victim to cyber crime in the past year, costing tens of millions of dollars and threatening US security. ANI

Mecca of ancient Egypt to be renovated
An archaeological site, which is considered as the Mecca of ancient Egypt, is being renovated by a government-run project. ANI

Powerful Sudanese civilization dominated ancient Egypt from 720BC to 660BC
A British museum expedition has uncovered new evidence about the power of a Sudanese civilization that dominated ancient Egypt from 720BC to 660BC. ANI

Unique microbe collection for environmental cleanup, oil recovery developed
US Department of Energys Savannah River National Laboratorys unique collection of microbes, called BioTiger, has been found to be useful for both cleaning up the environment and addressing peoples energy needs. ANI

Colossal black holes were common in early Universe
Astronomers have found two very different galaxies in the distant Universe involved in a spectacular collision, which reveal that colossal black holes were common in the early Universe. ANI

Scientists close to unraveling origin of Mars larger moon
Scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA) are getting closer to unraveling the origin of Mars larger moon, Phobos, thanks to a series of close encounters by ESAs Mars Express spacecraft. ANI

Newborn Earth-like planets could be easier to spot than earlier believed
A new study has determined that newborn Earth-like planets that are hot may be easier to spot because they stay that way longer than astronomers have thought. ANI

Gamma rays emitting pulsar to shed new light on stellar evolution
Astronomers have discovered a new class of pulsars that emit gamma rays, which would open a new window on the evolution of stars. ANI

Do Madge and A-Rod have a secret love shack?
As Madonna and Guy Ritchie are heading for a divorce, rumours are making rounds that the singer and New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez have a secret love shack. ANI

Genetic study reveals how Antarctic antifreeze fish survives icy waters
A genetic study of a fish that lives in the icy waters off Antarctica sheds light on the adaptations that enable it to survive in one of the harshest environments on the planet. ANI

Genes that control cell death may play a role in age-related hearing loss
A new study in mice has suggested that several genes that play a role in how human bodys cells normally auto-destruct may play a role in age-related hearing loss. ANI

Gene therapy for retinal degeneration may harbour blindness cure
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have successfully restored vision in mice with retinal degeneration, using gene therapy - a development that could lead to blindness cure. ANI

Living computers within body may revolutionise biological healing
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have created a molecular computer that can run calculations inside a living cell. ANI

Video link to enable live coverage of manned mission to Mars
When a manned mission is finally sent to Mars, the whole world will be able to watch live television coverage of the event, all thanks to CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation). ANI

Greenlands ice sheet in danger due to worlds fastest-flowing glacier
Dramatic images taken at least every six hours over an entire year, using time-lapse technique, reveal how the worlds fastest-flowing glacier is draining Greenlands ice sheet and contributing to sea-level rise world-wide. ANI

Harry Potters invisibility cloak may become reality within five years
Your dream of owning an invisibility cloak that works just like the one Harry Potter inherited from his father is on the verge of becoming a reality, thanks to the efforts of a group of researchers who say the magical object may come to life within five years. ANI

Duck billed dinos used bony crests to communicate with each other
A team of scientists have used CT-scanning to look inside the bizarre crests on the skulls of duck-billed dinosaurs to suggest that the bony crests were used for communication by sound and signal. ANI

Helium leak caused the Big Bang Machine to shut down
Investigation by CERN has revealed that the major helium leak that caused the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to be shut down until the spring was caused by a faulty electrical connection between two magnets. ANI

Volcanic eruptions might have sparked off life on Earth
A new analysis of samples from a classic origin-of-life experiment by NASA has suggested that lightning and gases from volcanic eruptions could have given rise to the first life on Earth. ANI

Rainbow-powered solar cells come closer to reality
Ohio State University researchers have overcome two of the major obstacles to solar power by developing a new material that can absorb all the energy contained in sunlight, and generate electrons in a way that makes them easier to capture. ANI

Novel computational model can revolutionise disease diagnosis
Tel Aviv University researchers have developed a new computational approach that may one day help gain a clearer picture of the metabolic processes of individual organs, such as the liver, heart and brain. ANI