Technology News for August 20, 2009

New targets for treatment of invasive breast cancer identified
Scientists in the U.S have discovered new targets for the treatment of invasive breast cancer. ANI

New robot-assisted surgical method successfully treats thyroid cancer
A team of surgeons at Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea, has successfully treated 200 consecutive patients with thyroid cancer using a novel robot-assisted endoscopic technique. ANI

Tooth enamel can inspire lighter airplanes, space vehicles
Its been a mystery how human teeth remain intact and functional even after years of biting and chewing. Now, a new study has shown that it is the highly sophisticated structure of tooth enamel that keeps it in one piece - and that structure holds promising clues for aerospace engineers as they build the aircraft and space vehicles of the future. ANI

3,000 yr old butter discovered in Ireland
Two workers have discovered an oak barrel, full of butter, estimated to be roughly 3,000 years old, in Gilltown bog, between Timahoe and Staplestown, in Ireland. ANI

Archaeologists discover 1,600 yr old port city in Turkey
A team of archaeologists has discovered the ancient port city of Bathonea, located in Istanbuls Kucukcekmece basin in Turkey, which is estimated to be 1,600 years old. ANI

Codeine use post-tonsillectomy could be fatal
The use of codeine to treat pain following a tonsillectomy could prove fatal for some children, a new report has warned. ANI

Soon, smudge-free smart phones
The touch screens of smart phones, portable media players and other devices tend to smudge easily, but scientists say they have a test to determine the chemical composition and the effectiveness of protective coatings, a finding that may lead to the development of better anti-smudge, anti-reflective coverings. ANI

Painless microneedle patch may end jab fear
Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have designed a painless patch that may someday make hypodermic needles as well as annual flu shots a thing of the past. ANI

Cacti can become rock busters through symbiotic relationship with bacteria
Scientists have found that few plants like the cacti can grow on nothing but bare rock as the have evolved a symbiotic relationship with rock-dissolving bacteria, which they allow to grow in their roots. ANI

New X-ray technique reveals buried image in N. C. Wyeths painting
A new X-ray imaging technique has for the first time in a century revealed unprecedented details of a painting hidden beneath another painting by famed American illustrator Newell Convers Wyeth, who is regarded as the greatest American illustrator of the 20th century. ANI

Web tool to ensure free and fair elections in Afghanistan
Thanks to a web tool, citizens of Afghanistan would be able to record incidents of rigging in the countrys electoral process by recording the episodes via text messages. ANI

Your computers may soon be having rich interaction with you as a partner
A computer similar to the Hal 9000 system in the movie 2010, which claims enjoying working with human beings and having stimulating relationships with them, may soon be created, thanks to a new research project. ANI

Inflatable heat shield may protect spacecrafts entering planets atmospheres
Scientists have successfully tested an inflatable heat shield, demonstrating for the first time that these light, flexible devices could be used to protect spacecraft on their way through planets atmospheres. ANI

Homes contribute to 50 percent more water pollution than previously believed
A new study has determined that homes are an alarming and probably underestimated source of water pollution, and can contribute to 50 percent more water pollution than previously believed. ANI

Indestructible plastics decompose quickly to toxify worlds oceans
A new study has determined that plastics, which are reputed to be virtually indestructible, decompose with surprising speed and release potentially toxic substances into the water. ANI

How kinky flying foxes maintain their harem of choosy females
A team of German scientists has found the secret of sexual success for flying foxes. ANI

Scientists boost production of biofuel that could replace gasoline
Engineers at Ohio State University, US, have found a way to double the production of the biofuel butanol, which might someday replace gasoline in automobiles. ANI

Global 3D map indicates presence of water in certain areas of Earths mantle
Scientists from Oregon State University in the US have created the first global three-dimensional map of electrical conductivity in the Earths mantle, which suggests that that enhanced conductivity in certain areas of the mantle may signal the presence of water. ANI

New snorkel rice plant could feed millions
Scientists have come up with a new rice plant that grows snorkels when exposed to floods. ANI

Friendly gut bacteria can help fight infection
Scientists from UT Southwestern Medical Centre have discovered friendly human gut bacteria that helps initiate bodys defence mechanisms to fight parasitic infection toxoplasmosis. ANI

Earliest complex organisms fed by osmosis more than 540 mln yrs ago
Scientists at Virginia Tech has shown that the oldest complex life forms, which lived in nutrient-rich oceans more than 540 million years ago, likely fed by osmosis. ANI

Summer of 2050 to be exceptionally hot
New analysis of climate model projections suggest that in the US, the average number of days in August with temperatures over 95 degrees Fahrenheit could nearly triple by 2050, and the average number of days over 100 degrees could nearly double. ANI

Scientists make major advance in understanding evolution of the universe
In a new research, a team of scientists has achieved a significant advance in the understanding of the early evolution of the universe, by putting new constraints on the details of how the universe looked in its earliest moments. ANI

Ciggies deaden smokers taste buds
Cigarette smokers have fewer and flatter taste buds, says a new study on Greek soldiers. ANI

The top 100 most dangerous websites for your PC enlisted
Internet security company Norton Symantec has come up with a list of Top 100 Dirtiest sites, which could infect your computer with malware. ANI

Fusing of ancient microbes reveals new pathway for evolution of life on Earth
NASA-funded research has found that humans not might be walking on Earth today if not for the ancient fusing of two microscopic, single-celled organisms called prokaryotes 2.5 billion years ago, which reveals a new pathway for the evolution of life on Earth. ANI

Why girls cant resist the geeks
In what may help understand why geeks get the girls, a study on the Satin Bowerbirds mating rituals has for the first time directly linked a males cognitive performance to his luck with the ladies. ANI

Anti-aging gene may help reduce hypertension
Scientists from University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Centre have found that an anti-aging gene might play a critical role in regulation of high blood pressure. ANI