Whereas ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) can observe very faint astronomical objects in great detail, when astronomers want to understand how the huge variety of galaxies come into being they must turn to a different sort of telescope with a much bigger field of view. The VLT Survey Telescope (VST) …
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Lost Norse of Greenland fueled the medieval ivory trade, ancient walrus DNA suggests
The Icelandic Sagas tell of Erik the Red: exiled for murder in the late 10th century he fled to southwest Greenland, establishing its first Norse settlement. The colony took root, and by the mid-12th century there were two major settlements with a population of thousands. Greenland even gained its own …
Read More »Those fragrances you enjoy? Dinosaurs liked them first
The compounds behind the perfumes and colognes you enjoy have been eliciting olfactory excitement since dinosaurs walked the Earth amid the first appearance of flowering plants, new research reveals. Oregon State University entomologist George Poinar Jr. and his son Greg, a fragrance collector, found evidence that floral scents originated in …
Read More »California’s Mendocino complex of fires now largest in state’s history
California has been dealing with record breaking fires for the past month and they aren’t even halfway through their fire season. The Mendocino Complex eclipsed last year’s Thomas fire which burned 283,800 acres last December 2017 in Ventura and Santa Barbara. Besides the huge and horrifying Mendocino Complex, there are …
Read More »Mojave Desert birds crashed over the last century due to climate change
Bird communities in the Mojave Desert straddling the California/Nevada border have collapsed over the past 100 years, most likely because of lower rainfall due to climate change, according to a new University of California, Berkeley, study. A three-year survey of the area, which is larger than the state of New …
Read More »Iron-silica particles unlock part of the mystery of Earth’s oxygenation
The oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere was thanks, in part, to iron and silica particles in ancient seawater, according to a new study by geomicrobiologists at the University of Alberta. But these results solve only part of this ancient mystery. Early organisms called cyanobacteria produced oxygen through oxygenic photosynthesis, resulting in …
Read More »Million fold increase in the power of waves near Jupiter’s moon Ganymede
Listening to electro-magnetic waves around the Earth, converted to sound, is almost like listening to singing and chirping birds at dawn with a crackling camp fire nearby. This is why such waves are called chorus waves. They cause polar lights but also high-energy ‘killer’ electrons that can damage spacecraft. In …
Read More »Key aspects of human cell aging reversed by new compounds
Key aspects of the ageing of human cells can be reversed by new compounds developed at the University of Exeter, research shows. In a laboratory study of endothelial cells — which line the inside of blood vessels — researchers tested compounds designed to target mitochondria (the “power stations” of cells). …
Read More »Largest haul of extrasolar planets
Forty-four planets in solar systems beyond our own have been unveiled in one go, dwarfing the usual number of confirmations from extrasolar surveys, which is typically a dozen or less. The findings will improve our models of solar systems and may help researchers investigate exoplanet atmospheres. Novel techniques developed to …
Read More »Link between appendicitis and allergies discovered
Children with allergies have a lower risk of developing complicated appendicitis, according to a new study from Lund University and Skåne University Hospital in Sweden. The findings, now published in JAMA Pediatrics, could pave the way for new diagnostic tools in the future. “In a study of all the children …
Read More »Created line of spinal cord neural stem cells shows diverse promise
Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that they have successfully created spinal cord neural stem cells (NSCs) from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) that differentiate into a diverse population of cells capable of dispersing throughout the spinal cord and can be maintained for long periods …
Read More »Earth at risk of heading towards ‘hothouse Earth’ state
Keeping global warming to within 1.5-2°C may be more difficult than previously assessed, according to researchers. An international team of scientists has published a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) showing that even if the carbon emission reductions called for in the Paris Agreement are met, …
Read More »Organic makeup of ancient meteorites sheds light on early Solar System
The origin of organic matter found in meteorites that formed during the birth of the Solar System 4.5 billion years ago may provide key clues to understanding the birth of life here on Earth. It could also help astronomers investigate the potential habitability of other solar systems. That’s according to …
Read More »Karnataka PUC II Exam Results 2018: Complete list of toppers in Science, Commerce and Arts streams
Bengaluru: Bengaluru’s Muthoot from VVS Sardar Patel PU College emerged as the topper with 597 marks in Karnataka PUC II Class 12 exam results, which were released earlier on Monday. In Commerce, Bengaluru-based Varsini M Bhat from Vidya PU College secured the top spot with 595 marks while in Arts, …
Read More »Navigation satellite INRSS-1I put into orbit, ISRO calls it a success
SRIHARIKOTA: The Indian Space Research Organisation’s navigation satellite INRSS-1I was on Thursday launched by PSLV-C41 from the spaceport in Sriharikota and successfully placed in the designated orbit. PSLV-C41/IRNSS-1I Mission blasted off at 4.04 am from the first launchpad at the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre. ISRO officials called it a normal …
Read More »Stephen Hawking’s final research paper could hold clues to prove existence of multiple universes
New Delhi: The late British physicist Stephen Hawking’s final research paper before his death could open up a treasure trove of clues which could help detect other universes that reside in the cosmos besides our own. The research paper was submitted just weeks before Hawking’s death earlier this week and …
Read More »Why Nasa is going two million kilometres to mine an asteroid
NEW DELHI: Asteroids are known to be treasure troves of precious minerals. A Nasa mission is under way to test the feasibility on a nearby asteroid, and a niche group of companies is ramping up to claim a piece of the pie. Nasa’s Osiris-Rex, launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida in 2016, has travelled …
Read More »Mars is the only solution for the survival of humanity
New Delhi: After British physicist, Stephen Hawking – known for being quite vocal about his thoughts on alien encounters with humans – a theoretical physicist and futurist Michio Kaku has passionately argued that our future lies in the stars – literally. In his new book called ‘The Future of Humanity’, …
Read More »Elon Musk can send humans to Mars by 2040, says astronaut Tim Peake
According to British astronaut Tim Peake, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will be able to send humans to Mars by 2014. Peake, who was the first British astronaut to spend time in space in 2017 aboard the International Space Station (ISS) said that Elon Musk’s prestigious SpaceX project could accelerate time …
Read More »Chandrayaan-II: India’s second moon mission cheaper than Hollywood movie ‘Interstellar’
New Delhi: The space circuit is buzzing in anticipation of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) historical Chandrayaan-II mission, which will mark India’s first lunar landing. The cost of the entire mission is INR 800 crore – much cheaper than the cost of Hollywood’s 2014 sci-fi blockbuster ‘Interstellar’, that cost …
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