Science News Archive - January 27, 2009
A recent study by researchers at the University of Bath and London’s Natural History Museum has found that scientists’ knowledge of the evolution of dinosaurs is remarkably complete.
British scientists say they've detected cosmic rays reaching an underground detector that reflect major weather events occurring in the Earth's stratosphere. The researchers said the cosmic-rays detected half a mile underground in a unused U.S.
It is no secret that you know more (that is, have expertise) about things you are interested in. If you hate baseball, you are not going to spend your spare time reading up homerun statistics and debating who the best pitcher is.
A British survey indicates climate change is affecting tropical insects on Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, the third largest island in the world. University of York researchers repeated a 1965 survey of species of moths living on the mountain and discovered they have moved uphill by about 220 feet during the intervening years to cope with changes in climate. I-Ching Chen, first author of the study, said the findings represent the first demonstration that climate change is affecting the distributions of tropical insects -- the most numerous group of animals on Earth -- and thus represents a major threat to global biodiversity. Large numbers of species are completely confined to tropical mountains, such as Mount Kinabalu (and) many of the species found by the expeditions have never been found anywhere else on Earth, said Professor Chris Thomas, who led the study.
The way humans make friends and interact with them may be closely linked to genetic variations, according to new research.
U.S. scientists say they are attempting to build neurons from carbon nanotubes to emulate human brain function. At this point we still don't know if building a synthetic brain is feasible, said University of Southern California Professor Alice Parker.
Ecologists have developed a new model to predict the impact of climate change on the dengue fever-carrying mosquito Aedes aegypti in Australia – information that could help limit its spread.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people not to consume certain Hygaard-brand sandwich products because of possible bacterial contamination. The CFIA and Hygaard Fine Foods of Alberta said the recalled Lumberjack subs and Little John submarine sandwiches might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products have a best before date of Jan.
