— Hogchoker - the new Internet star — A small flatfish living along the coast of North America is the…
— Cancer deaths are projected to double by 2030 — Cancer deaths are projected to double in the next two decades.…
More Boiling point…
— Entangled diamonds vibrate together — Objects big enough for the eye to see have been placed in a weirdly…
— How animals predict earthquakes — Animals may sense chemical changes in groundwater that occur…
— New Icelandic volcano eruption could have global impact — Hundreds of metres under one of Iceland's largest glaciers there…
More Minuscule…
Or subscribe for our Newsletter, a free e-mail publication. It is published practically every day.
News | Archive (23 August 2007)
Hubble captures the rings of Uranus on edge
— 19:21 GMT | AstronomyThis series of images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows how the ring system around the distant planet Uranus appears at ever more oblique (shallower) tilts as viewed from Earth - culminating in the rings being seen edge-on in three observing opportunities in 2007. The best of these events appears in the far right image taken with Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on 14 August 2007…
Sharks bite force researched by University of Tampa biologist
— 18:40 GMT | BiologyWhile sharks instill fear in beachgoers worldwide, they instill a deep sense of curiosity in University of Tampa assistant professor of biology and shark expert Dan Huber. There are still many mysteries surrounding what makes sharks such perfect predators, so Huber's research on sharks' 'bite force' - their hunting performance - may offer new insights on sharks' habits, capabilities and evolution. The research may also lead to advances in protective swimwear, shark-proofing equipment and a better understanding of flexible cartilage - which forms the sharks' whole skeletons, much like human ears and noses…
Mouse vision has a rhythm all its own
— 18:40 GMT | BiologyIn the eyes of mammals, visual information is processed on a daily schedule set within the eyes themselves - not one dictated by the brain, according to a new report in the 24 August issue of the journal Cell, a publication of Cell Press. The researchers found in mice that the eyes' normal rhythmic response to light requires only that a molecular 'clock' inside the retina go on ticking. The retina is a layer of nerve tissue covering the back of the eyeball, which is often likened to the film in a camera; without it, images can't be captured…
Condition of bluefin tuna in Gulf of Maine is declining
— 18:40 GMT | EnvironmentThe quality of giant bluefin tuna caught in the Gulf of Maine has declined significantly since the early 1990s, researchers at the University of New Hampshire have found by analysing detailed logbooks from a commercial tuna grader at the Yankee Fisherman's Co-op. The findings, published this week in Fishery Bulletin, indicate potential changes in food sources, shifts in reproductive or migratory patterns, or the impact of fishing may be the cause of this decline…
Echidnas, first study on their sex life and behaviour
— 15:09 GMT | BiologyA University of Adelaide-led project will study the genetic makeup of one of Australia's most iconic animals, the echidna, to give an unprecedented insight into their sex life and behaviour. World echidna expert Dr Peggy Rismiller and geneticist Dr Frank Gruetzner will collaborate with the Monarto and Adelaide Zoos and South Australian Museum to learn more about these unique egg-laying mammals known as monotremes…
HAWK-I takes off
— 15:09 GMT | AstronomyEurope's flagship ground-based astronomical facility, the ESO VLT, has been equipped with a new 'eye' to study the Universe. Working in the near-infrared, the new instrument - dubbed HAWK-I - covers about 1/10th the area of the Full Moon in a single exposure. It is uniquely suited to the discovery and study of faint objects, such as distant galaxies or small stars and planets. After three years of hard work, HAWK-I (High Acuity, Wide field K-band Imaging) saw First Light on Yepun, Unit Telescope number 4 of ESO's VLT, on the night of 31 July to 1 August 2007. The first images obtained impressively demonstrate its potential…
Observations of asteroid Itokawa
— 15:09 GMT | AstronomyThe space-borne infrared observatory AKARI, observed asteroid Itokawa last month with its Infrared Camera. The data will be used to refine estimates of sizes of potentially hazardous asteroids in the future. The data collected by AKARI, a JAXA mission with ESA participation, complements that from JAXA's asteroid explorer Hayabusa in late April this year. As AKARI observed Itokawa on 26 July it was in the constellation of Scorpius, and was about 19 magnitudes bright in visible light…
Climate change goes underground
— 11:35 GMT | EnvironmentClimate change, a recent 'hot topic' when studying the atmosphere, oceans, and Earth's surface; however, the study of another important factor to this global phenomenon is still very much 'underground.' Few scientists are looking deep enough to see the possible effects of climate change on groundwater systems. Little is known about how soil, subsurface waters, and groundwater are responding to climate change…
Corals and climate change
— 11:35 GMT | EnvironmentA modest new lab at the Rosenstiel School is the first of its kind to tackle the global problem of climate change impacts on corals. Fully operational this month, this new lab has begun to study how corals respond to the combined stress of greenhouse warming and ocean acidification. The lab is the first to maintain corals under precisely controlled temperature and carbon dioxide conditions while exposing them to natural light conditions…
Folate mystery finally solved
— 11:35 GMT | ChemistrySome biochemical processes, especially those in bacteria, have been so well studied it's assumed that no discoveries are left to be made. Not so, it turns out, for Johns Hopkins researchers who have stumbled on the identity of an enzyme that had been a mystery for more than 30 years. 'It was really quite a surprise when we realised we had discovered the unknown player in how bacteria make the B vitamin folate, a player that we've known of since 1974,' says study author L. Mario Amzel, PhD, professor and director of biophysics and biophysical chemistry at Hopkins. 'Basic research can be so serendipitous at times.'…
Water and climate: making the link
Watching galaxies grow old gracefully