A geologist suggests that a comet impact that wiped out the dinosaurs may also be responsible for giant boulders found in Arkansas. The rocks were likely carried inland by a tsunami wave from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean.
Researchers developed portable isotopic neutron spectroscopy (PINS) to analyze warhead contents, revealing most Solomon Islands warheads contained mustard gas. The system uses neutrons from californium to record gamma-ray emission, identifying chemical elements and fills.
The new oven combines conventional heat and microwaves to cook food from the outside and inside simultaneously, resulting in significant cooking time reductions. It achieves this by surrounding the food in a shroud of hot air and heating it from below with microwaves.
The article warns that unregulated shark-diving tours in South Africa may lead great white sharks to associate humans with food, posing a threat to conservation efforts. Inexperienced or irresponsible tour operators are putting people at risk by using rusty cages and introducing surfboards or children's toys into the water.
Researchers using Hubble Space Telescope spot large dust particles in rings around three stars, suggesting planets may be forming. The observations reveal a critical early stage in planetary evolution, with the potential for millions of years of dust grain aggregation to form planets.
Researchers in Missouri have designed a bullet that emits a powerful radar pulse as it grinds to a halt, allowing for the detection of landmines without stepping on them. This technology can help geologists survey for oil, minerals, and other buried natural resources, and may be used to locate mines in remote areas.
Researchers have discovered that certain bacteria can prevent sperm from swimming well enough to reach an egg, affecting fertility. Infertile men with asymptomatic infections may benefit from broad-spectrum antibiotics to eliminate the bacteria before attempting IVF.
Researchers have developed a mobile robot tracking system that can predict escape routes and optimize view angles to catch moving objects. The system uses laser rangefinders and 3D mapping to track targets, making it difficult for humans and robots to evade detection.
Researchers have developed brain implants that allow people with severe disabilities to control a computer cursor using their thoughts. The technology has shown promise in enabling individuals with paralysis or other conditions to interact with the world, with further research ongoing to improve its capabilities.
Two scientists suggest that satellites' waste heat could be causing distant spacecraft to slow down faster than expected. The heat is emitted in a direction opposite to the Sun, giving the spacecraft a small push towards the Sun and slowing them down.
Gene therapy aims to treat unborn children with genetic disorders like SCID and alpha-thalassaemia. The treatment involves introducing healthy copies of the defective gene into the fetus, but raises concerns about potential risks and long-term consequences.
Scientists develop biosteel, a novel material produced by infusing goat's milk with spider proteins, offering improved strength and elasticity. The new material could be used in applications such as body armor, spacecraft, or commercial fishing nets.
Researchers are developing a new alternative treatment for cancer using radio-frequency ablation, which heats diseased cells with a fine electrode. The technique has shown promising results in treating liver cancers, with nine out of twelve patients remaining cancer-free for more than a year.
The Leonid meteor storm may pose a significant threat to satellites due to the high likelihood of invisible meteors. Astronomers predict that most meteors will burn up at low temperatures, making them undetectable.
The Swissair disaster revealed a flaw in the rules governing black box flight recorders, leaving investigators without critical data. The aircraft's recorders stopped working six minutes before the crash due to a power failure, highlighting the need for backup power to prevent data loss.
Researchers found 'anomalous X-ray pulsars' in supernovae remnants, which spin slower and have stronger magnetic fields than radio pulsars. This discovery reverses the understanding of how pulsars behave after a star explodes as a supernova.
Researchers have developed a method to breed flightless Asian ladybirds that can control pests on crops like cucumbers and melons. The new biological pest-control strategy has shown promising results in reducing pesticide use, but further field trials are needed to assess its efficiency.
Researchers have tested a new approach to immunization, using dendritic cells to stimulate immunity in mice. The technique, which uses heat-killed bacteria to sensitize immune cells, has shown promising results in preventing Chlamydia and potentially HIV infections.
The Personal Roving Presence (PRoP) is a small, affordable robot that allows users to explore environments remotely. With a PC and internet connection, users can control the robot's movement, see what it sees, listen to its audio, and even gesture with its arm.
Astronomers Renyue Cen suggests that gamma-ray bursts might come from supernovae expelling material at high speeds, producing jets that travel at nearly the speed of light. This theory could explain why some pulsars are moving faster than ordinary stars and potentially pose a catastrophic threat to Earth.
A study of 206 patients with Alzheimer's disease found that those with the lowest genetic risk had fathers who were significantly older at birth. This suggests a possible link between paternal age and increased susceptibility to the disease, which could be influenced by environmental factors affecting the father's DNA.
A small radio-controlled aircraft equipped with a sensor developed at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) can monitor air for signs of biological weapons. The sensor uses fluorescent antibodies and optical fibers to detect biowar bacteria in water samples, allowing it to accumulate on probes over time.
Researchers at Hughes Space and Communications have developed a new ion propulsion system that can keep satellites in orbit for up to 25 years, using the inert gas xenon. This innovation reduces the need for frequent fuel replacements, ensuring reliable signal reception and preventing collisions with neighboring satellites.
NASA scientists have discovered an anomaly in Pioneer 10's trajectory, suggesting the spacecraft may be experiencing an unexplained force pulling it towards the Sun. The effect has been observed in multiple Pioneer and Ulysses probes, challenging current theories of gravity.
Researchers have discovered a new method to deliver drugs directly to the brain using nose drops, potentially treating Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. The treatment uses nerve growth factor and has shown promising results in animal studies.
A team of researchers has developed software called Crowds that allows internet users to become anonymous members of a pool of surfers, masking their IP addresses and making it difficult for websites to track their activities. The software routes requests through the crowd, increasing anonymity and reducing profiling attempts.
The USDA has developed two innovative devices to help farmers control insects that devastate their crops. The Aerodynamic Transport Body (ATB) is a clay pigeon-like catapult that launches parasitic wasps at high speeds, while the Mite Meter is an insulated dispenser that keeps tiny mites immobile until they hit the ground. These device...
A group of hackers, the Cult of the Dead Cow, has released a malicious Back Orifice program that allows them to secretly control a machine over local networks or the Internet. The program can be downloaded without users realizing its presence, and once installed, it enables hackers to take control of the system like a puppet.
Researchers found signs of C. pneumoniae in 17 Alzheimer's sufferers, but stress it may not cause the disease. The bacterium infects microglia and astroglia, producing inflammatory cytokines that trigger inflammation in Alzheimer's brains.
Researchers developed a method to send data by bouncing radio signals off meteor trails during the Cold War. A Seattle-based company, StarCom Technologies, has created a civilian version of this system as a cheap alternative to satellite technology.
A Florida biologist found that subtle increases in CO2 can kill mining moths by reducing the nutritional value of their food. Many more larvae died in chambers with high CO2 levels, likely due to malnutrition caused by lower nitrogen content.
The Aurex-3 device uses a vibrating probe to cancel out ringing sounds in the ear, offering long-term benefits without interfering with hearing. Developed by ADM Tronics, the device employs beat harmonics to effectively mask tinnitus symptoms.
The safety of new high blood pressure drugs is being questioned due to insufficient data. Centrally acting antihypertensives have been found to target brainstem receptors that orchestrate blood vessel dilation, but concerns remain over their long-term effectiveness in reducing heart attacks, strokes, and deaths.
Researchers have successfully adapted a strain of E. coli bacteria to survive on a diet that includes fluorotryptophan, a synthetic amino acid that is toxic to Earth-based life. After multiple generations, the microbes developed mutations that enabled them to cope with the artificial compound and thrive.
Researchers found shrimps detect trout chemical odour from upstream by creating tiny currents. This strategy allows shrimps to escape brown trout ambushes. Shrimps can sense trout presence through vision but not smell, and create backflow to avoid predation.
Researchers created a computer simulation to help robots learn by imitation, using virtual android Adonis to teach the macarena dance. The system demonstrates that imitation can make robots more flexible and effective in learning any task.
The electronic tongue is designed to detect different elements of taste, including sweet, sour, salt, and bitter. The device uses four well-known chemical sensors attached to minute beads placed on a silicon wafer, allowing it to analyse for several different chemical components simultaneously.
A team led by Cappy Rothman has successfully used sperm from a dead man to establish a pregnancy. The woman is now one month pregnant after being injected with eggs harvested from the deceased man's wife. Bioethicist Arthur Caplan fears that regulations are lagging behind technical advances in posthumous reproduction.
Statisticians Jan Magnus and Franc Klaassen analyzed nearly 90,000 points from Wimbledon matches between 1992 and 1995, finding players are not more likely to fluff a point after breaking or serve a double fault. The study challenges common clichés about tennis scoring patterns.
Researchers found that identical twins are twice as likely to share nightmare frequency as nonidentical twins, with a 45% chance of one twin experiencing frequent nightmares if the other does.
A new fungus has been discovered that is killing frogs and toads worldwide, with 10 species affected in Australia and seven in Panama. The fungus, thought to be suffocating the animals by coating their skin and legs, may be a major factor behind the decline of amphibian populations reported globally.
A protein called osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) may speed the recovery of stroke patients by rewiring damaged brain cells. The experiment used rats and showed that OP-1 helped them recover lost movement in their limbs quickly, outperforming those in a control group.
Scientists have found that parts of the protein shell of the common cold virus flap open in a motion called "breathing", which can be stifled by compounds that stop viruses from infecting cells. This discovery could lead to rapid screening methods for antiviral drugs.
Researchers have found that stunted brain regions may cause severe autism symptoms, while smaller regions may lead to milder symptoms in close relatives. The study used magnetic resonance imaging to compare the brains of identical twins with and without autism.
Researchers have developed a system that detects trace amounts of TNT in seafloor sludge, enabling the identification of unexploded bombs. This technology could save time and resources in cleaning up sites contaminated with live explosives.
A study by Pat Rusin and her colleagues at the University of Arizona found that toilet seats were consistently cleaner than kitchen surfaces, including sinks, tap handles, and chopping boards. The researchers believe this is due to the dry environment of toilet seats, which are less conducive to bacterial growth.
Scientists have discovered a species of glowing bacteria that can detect pollutants in the deep sea. When exposed to various toxic substances, Photobacterium phosphoreum HE-1a glows up to 50% less brightly, triggering an alarm call that alerts nearby sensors to take action.
A computer network manager proposes using obsolete ICBMs to create spectacular pyrotechnic displays, releasing thousands of artificial meteors into the atmosphere with different colours depending on their chemicals. The plan aims to reuse Cold War relics for entertainment rather than scrap them.
Researchers at Savannah River Technology Center found metal-munching bacteria thriving in sterile storage pond environments, threatening long-term nuclear fuel rod integrity. This ill-timed discovery comes as a global downturn in nuclear reprocessing leads to extended storage periods.
Researchers at Georgia State University found over 15 types of fungi growing in car AC foam and glue, causing bad smells and allergic reactions. Sulphur-containing compounds are also responsible for the odors.