Technology News for November 23, 2009

McCain says he enjoyed reading Palin book
Former Republican presidential candidate John McCain has said that he liked reading former running mate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palins autobiography -- Going Rogue on the sidelines of a security forum in Halifax, Politico reports. ANI

Ancient Greeks may have been inclined towards worshipping the Sun
A new research has indicated that the ancient Greeks deliberately built their temples to face the rising Sun, which suggests that they were inclined towards the worship of the sun. ANI

Bioengineers make way for production of eco friendly plastics
A team of pioneering South Korean scientists has succeeded in producing the polymers used for everyday plastics through bioengineering, rather than through the use of fossil fuel based chemicals, which clears the way for the production of eco friendly plastics. ANI

Butterfly proboscis inspired straw to sip fluid from cells
A scientist is getting inspiration from a butterflys proboscis to make small probes that can sample the fluid inside of cells. ANI

Common pain relief drugs promote cancer growth
A new study has revealed that common pain relief medication such as morphine can actually encourage the growth and spread of cancer cells. ANI

Dark galaxy may be crashing into Milky Way
New calculations by a team of astronomers have indicated that a dark galaxy may be crashing into our own Milky Way. ANI

Deep-sea census reveals treasure trove of species that have never seen sunlight
Census of Marine Life scientists have inventoried an astonishing abundance, diversity and distribution of deep sea species that have never known sunlight - creatures that somehow manage a living in a frigid black world down to 5,000 meters below the ocean waves. ANI

East Antarctic ice sheet losing mass from last 3 years
An analysis of data from a gravity-measuring satellite mission has determined that the East Antarctic ice sheet has been losing mass for the last three years. ANI

Gene mutation key to glioma brain cancer growth
A mutated gene, called IDH1, could be the key to the development of some types of glioma brain tumour. ANI

Greenland ice loss responsible for a sixth of global sea-level rise
In a long term research, scientists have found that Greenland lost 1500 cubic kilometres of ice between 2000 and 2008, making it responsible for one-sixth of global sea-level rise. ANI

Method to generate power for planes and cars from air flow developed
A group of researchers at the City College of New York (CCNY), US, is developing a new way to generate power for planes and automobiles based on materials known as piezoelectrics, which convert the kinetic energy of motion into electricity. ANI

Mobile cancer scare all in the mind, says Aussie expert
A top Australian expert has declared the use of mobile to be very safe. ANI

NASA astronaut becomes father while in orbit on Atlantis
NASA officials have announced that an astronaut on the space shuttle Atlantis has become a father while in orbit, when his wife back on Earth gave birth to their baby daughter. ANI

Novel therapeutic target for non-Hodgkins lymphoma identified
Scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College claim to have identified potential therapeutic target for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects lymphocytes, or white blood cells. ANI

Radical new design of electrical generator promises power revolution
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have made a radical new design of an electrical generator that solves an engineering quandary and promises to be cheaper, lighter and more reliable than anything currently available, possibly bringing about a power revolution. ANI

Razor clam inspires design of robo anchor that digs itself in mudflats
Scientists have been inspired by the razor clam to design a robotic lightweight anchor that can dig itself in mudflats to hold small underwater submersibles. ANI

Scientists discover new hydrogen-storage method
Scientists at the Carnegie Institution in the US have found for the first time that high pressure can be used to make a unique hydrogen-storage material, a discovery that paves the way for an entirely new way to approach the hydrogen-storage problem. he researchers found that the normally unreactive, noble gas xenon combines with molecular hydrogen (H2) under pressure to form a previously unknown solid with unusual bonding chemistry. ANI

Soon, spray-on skin that heals burns in days
A clinical trial of spray-on skin that heals burns in days is set to begin in the US in December. ANI

Sophisticated hunters not to blame for driving mammoths to extinction
In a new research, scientists have determined that sophisticated hunters cannot be blamed for driving mammoths to extinction, as these creatures and other giant ice-age mammals faced extinction 2,000 years before deadly speartips were invented. ANI

Titans hydrocarbon lakes could be brimming with hearty soup for life
New calculations have suggested that Saturns moon Titans hydrocarbon lakes are loaded with acetylene, a chemical some scientists say could serve as food for cold-resistant organisms. ANI

What makes skin cancer grow
In a revolutionary study, researchers have discovered what makes skin cancer grow - a finding that could lead to new ways to prevent the disease from spreading. ANI

How aquatic animals mix ocean water
A team of scientists has built models of how marine animals mix the waters ocean-wide and concluded that the effect may be extensive. ANI

New hyperlens for clearer ultrasound images
A newly developed hyper-lens could soon give expecting parents high-definition baby pictures and also provide ship captains incredibly accurate maps of the sea floor. ANI

New insights into post stroke cell death mechanism could offer possible therapy
Researchers at the Brain Research Centre have revealed new information about the mechanism that leads to the destruction of brain cells following a stroke, as well as a possible way to mitigate that damage. ANI

New model can track movement of radioactive fall-out after nuclear explosion
A scientist has developed models that can track the movement of radioactive fall-out carried by the wind after a nuclear explosion. ANI

New drug target may help treat chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps
Johns Hopkins researchers have identified a protein that is responsible for causing chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps. ANI

Exposure to lead, tobacco smoke ups ADHD risk
A new research conducted at the Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center suggests that childrens exposure to tobacco smoke while still in the mothers womb and lead during childhood can significantly raise the risk of Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ANI