Technology News for December 25, 2009

Molecular switch to thwart Huntingtons disease found
American researchers have discovered a molecular switch to prevent Huntingtons disease from developing in mice. ANI

Link between protein transport, spinal cord development established
American scientists have broken new ground by discovering a new link between protein transport and spinal cord development in mice. ANI

Ancient whale was dwarf mud-sucker
A new study has determined that an ancient dwarf whale unearthed in southeastern Australia captured its prey by slurping up mouthfuls of mud. ANI

Archaeological dig to reveal mystery Roman building in Chester
An archaeological dig is all set to investigate a mystery Roman building underneath the Dewa Roman Experience premises in the city centre in Chester in the UK. ANI

Rare ancient arthropod becomes toxic to repel hungry predators
Scientists have discovered that one species of a rare, ancient barnacle has extraordinarily high levels of a toxic chemical in its body, in order to repel hungry predators. ANI

Scientists solve mystery of why Amazonian manatees migrate
In a new research, scientists have determined that the Amazonian manatee migrate from shallow to deep water to avoid being exposed to attack by predators during the low-water season. ANI

GOCE satellite probing how pull of gravity varies across Earth
Reports indicate that Europes GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) satellite is returning remarkable new data on the way the pull of gravity varies across Earth. ANI

Protein that keeps stem cells poised for action identified
Scientists from Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a protein that appears to play a critical role in keeping stem cells poised to quickly become more specialized cell types. ANI

Early man may have taken up agriculture to get high on booze
In a new research, a team of archaeologists has identified traces of alcohol in prehistoric sites, which suggests that the thirst for a brew was an incentive for Neolithic man to start growing crops. ANI

Christmas carols originated from human speech: Study
The notes of popular Christmas carols like Jingle Bells or We Three Kings have been borrowed from the sounds we make in everyday speech, reveals an acoustic researcher. ANI

Self-seeding of cancer cells may pave way for new therapies
Scientists from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre have identified what they call the self-seeding mechanism of cancer cells, which appears to play a critical role in tumour progression. ANI

Chimps use tools to cut up their food
Chimps from Nimba Mountains of Guinea, Africa, use stone and wooden cleavers along with stone anvils to cut up Treculia fruits. ANI

Critical protein that helps mend damaged DNA identified
Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found that a protein named CtIP plays an essential role in the DNA damage signal-to-repair conversion process. ANI

Vitamin C helps reprogram adult cells into stem cells
Vitamin C helps boost the reprogramming of adult cells into stem cells, according to a study. ANI

Hidden fault amplified 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
In a new research, scientists have found that the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was amplified by a hidden fault. ANI

Novel therapeutic target for Huntingtons disease identified
Scientists from University of California, Irvine have identified a potential therapeutic target for Huntingtons disease. ANI

Brain structure that is crucial for moving minds spotlight
A new study has shown that the superior colliculus, a brain structure which helps control eye and head movements, is linked to peoples attention to their surroundings. ANI

Astronomers claim discovery of most distant galaxies yet
In a new research, astronomers have found tentative evidence of the most distant galaxies yet, which have redshifts of around 10. ANI

Even bugs use vision to find footholds
Just like mammals, insects too use vision rather than touch to find footholds, a new study found. ANI

Microbial mosquito net to aid in fight against mosquito-borne disease
By finding a microbial mosquito net, scientists have made new progress in the fight against mosquito-borne disease like dengue fever and Chikungunya. ANI

How to control dengue fever spread
Researchers from University of Queenslands (UQ) School of Biological Sciences claim to found a way to control the spread of dengue fever. ANI

Indian scientist examines possibility of life on planets other than Earth
A recent article by Ashwini Kumar Lal, from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, has examined the possibility of life on planets and satellites within our solar system and beyond. ANI

Earths north magnetic pole racing towards Russia due to core flux
A new research has determined that Earths north magnetic pole is racing toward Russia at almost 40 miles (64 kilometers) a year due to magnetic changes in the planets core. ANI

Soon, control TV with a simple wave of the hand
You may soon be able to control your TV with a simple wave of the hand, thanks to researchers who have developed a 3-D gesture recognition system. ANI