Scientist creates lifelike cells out of metal.

  Scientist creates lifelike cells out of metal.
By: Bryan Nelson

        A scientist has created a living cell made out of metal instead of carbon. This scientist has a theory that life could be made from another element apart from carbon.

      In the University of Glasgow  Lee Cronin created lifelike cells from metal and says they maybe replicating and evolving.

       The cells he has created are made from large polyoxometalates derived from a  range of metal atoms, like tungsten. He mixes such metals in a specialized saline solutions and he  has called the results as "inorganic chemical cells" or iCHELLS. The features that this iCHELLS  resemble are the same as a real cell making them function really alike. For example, he built the iCHELLS with a membranes capable of selectively allowing chemicals in and out according to size, like it happens with the walls of real cells. This metal cell also develops organelles, and some are being equipped with the ability to carry photosynthesise. The most amazing thing this ICHELLS can do is evolve, but they do not have DNA so they can´t replicate the same way as real cells do. This discovery improves the odds of finding life somewhere else in the universe. Life could potentially be built from other elements.

 

Read more: http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/stories/scientist-creates-lifelike-cells-out-of-metal#ixzz3Jm2HYeaI

Plug it on the window.

Plug it on the window!

      This window socket is an amazing invention in which solar energy is used as a plug socket allowing us to charge electronic devices or turn them on. This invention is a great alternative is you want to be eco-friendly.It is wondeful for traveling because of its convenient small size and you can place it on any window.


Designers: Kyuho Song & Boa Oh
Source:
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/23kM0K/2mD+U@7j:iOm-6oBY/www.yankodesign.com/2013/04/26/plug-it-on-the-window/

Nobel Prize in Physics Rewarded for Invention of blue LEDs

The Nobel Prize for physics of 2014 has been rewarded to a group of Japanese and American scientists for an invention that took place in the early 1990s. The scientists are Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura. These three are responsible for inventing the blue LED ( light-emitting iodide) which changed the world by allowing us to create white LED, which may seems simple to us now but had not been previously achieved with ease.

The three scientists are now sharing the prize of 8 million kronor ($1.24M) and have been praised by the Nobel Prize committee, where a professor mentioned that "these uses are what would make Alfred Nobel happy". It has also been brought to attention that unlike many Nobel Prizes in physics, this one can actually be usefully applied today.

Although red and blue LEDs were already well known in the 1990s, many scientists and businesses had tried and failed to create a blue one. Being necessary for white LEDs, its invention allowed technology to come up with some major advancements such as LED lamps, which are more energy efficient, long-lasting and hence better for the environment. As for day to day uses, blue LEDs can be found in Blu-ray players and LCD powered backlit smartphones—something most of us don't imagine living without.

For more information, go to http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29518521 or https://www.yahoo.com/tech/how-blue-leds-changed-the-world-99498121614.html

Sensor that tracks your health

Researchers at the University in Illinois and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have built a patch made of flexible electronics that sticks to human skin and could calculate body temperature, monitor blood circulation and even tell you when you need to wear sunscreen.

It´s made of plastic and thousands of tiny liquid crystals, which change color in response to body heat, and since there are around 3,600 of them, they can actually depict a heat map.

The device could reveal problems such as poor circulation in the extremities, which can be a symptom of diabetes, or an early sign of heart disease. It could also be used to detect some types of injuries in the skin and tissue just underneath the sensor; and all data would be presented in a very useable format. A device like this that could be attached to a person´s skin, and since it is so unobtrusive that people forget they are wearing it, it would be a great help to physicians, researchers say.

The device is so small that it doesn't need a battery. There's a wireless and flexible power system on the back, which can run on power from a remote source. The most important part is that the cost of the device should be relatively low, since the sensor doesn't use any exotic materials or parts. We would be talking about a few dollars.

to view the full article go to:  http://www.livescience.com/48109-flexible-skin-sensor-track-health.html

Surprising lake bigger than West Virginia inside the Greenland ice

Unlikely liquid water may hold clues to the effects of Global Warming

A vast aquifer lake lies trapped under southeastern Greenland. This discovery may help the scientific community to find reasons for the climate´s changing. The fact that there exists an aquifer 27,000 square miles under the Greenland region is a matter of scientific interest.

Lora Koening of NASA´s Goddard Space Flight Center said it is a magnificent discovery, because even thought water percolates down the surface when the ice melts, the water did not refreeze. Koening and a group of colleges went to Greenland to take core samples, and to prove if there exists life in Greenland´s aquifer.

The fact that melt water can remain in liquid form, provides information about how long it takes the water to get to the sea, and can determine how much and how fast the sea level will rise, which is of vital importance to the communities who live on the coasts.

For more info:http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140102-greenland-ice-sheet-lake-global-warming-science/

Computers 1,000 times faster? Quick-change materials break silicon speed limit for computers

Faster, smaller, greener computers, with the processing power of over 1000 current computers. This technology can me made possible with new Phase Changing Materials!

The current silicon based microchips would be replaced with 'Phase-change materials' (PCMs). PCMs are capable of switching between different electrical states. One state is a crystalline conductor while the other a glassy insulator. It does this in under a Billionth of a second through small electrical shocks!

The difference between silicon based chips and PCMs is where logical operations and memory is located. In silicon based chips memory and operations are located separately while in the PCM chips they are located in the same spot. This means that Dynamic Random Access Memory can eventually be removed!

To View the full article please go to: 
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140919110639.htm

The Moving stones of Death Valley

   

    The moving stone's of Death Valley,CA

        Everyone knows that rocks can not move by themselves, yet there is one mystery, that has had scientists puzzled for decades. At Death Valley's national park, there lies a dried lake, also known as the Racetrack Playa. It has been said that many heavy boulders, some weighing up to 300 kg, have been found with long trails behind them, cutting a furrow in the sediment, as if they had moved. No one has actually seen the stones move, yet they have been said to be moving around a lot. 

       Their discovery was first made in the 1940's, and ever since then, many geologists have thought up many theories as to how or why the would have moved. Many of them have been proved wrong, and only recently have they been ably to get an idea of what might be causing this. Scientists believe that ice is the cause to this famous mystery.

    They have been able to gather evidence, using GPS devices and cameras. There is a thin layer of ice in which develops on the dirt, in which causes the rocks to move, yet the process is so slow, it would be hard for the human eye to capture it. This is why it still seems so hard to believe.

  For more information, visit:

http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/09/death-valleys-famous-moving-stones-caught-in-the-act/

Fukushima Radiation: Our days of eating fish are over?

Following Japan’s devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami, fear spread about risks of leaked radiation from the Fukushima nuclear power plant for the planet and the potential impacts on our complex marine food web.

It’s the largest single contribution of radiation to the marine environment ever observed. With 300 tons of contaminated water pouring into the sea every day, Japan’s government acknowledged the urgency of the situation.

It took 3 years from the time of the incident (2011) for the radiation plume to reach the West Coast, which is this year. Recent testing of migratory fish, including samples collected from Pacific blue fin tuna caught off the California coast, assessed radiation levels and potential effects on marine food webs far away from Japan, although they are below the level of being harmful for humans.

Any amount of leaked radiation is harmful to the planet and the health of all species, including humans. That doesn't mean it’s unsafe to eat all fish caught on the Pacific West Coast, but we should keep in mind that there are always long-term health risks.

Next, German Scientists have calculated the dispersion of radiation in the Pacific Ocean. Check the counter of the days in the top right:

For more information, Check this: 

• http://ecowatch.com/2013/10/09/fukushima-radiation-safe-to-eat-fish/

Scientists Remotely Activate Genetic Target To Slow Aging Process

A team of researchers led by David Walker of UCLA have discovered the a gene that slows down the process of ageing. The AMPK enzyme found in all eukaryotic organisms assists in regulating the energy levels of cells and has been found to increase ATP production through fatty acid metabolism and increased glucose uptake. Through experiments with AMPK in fruit flies they have seen outstanding results. It is estimated that if it were to be used on humans, our life expectancy would increase from 80 years to 104; about 30% more. Our lives wouldn’t just be longer, but our life quality would be improved as well by being healthier for longer.

This revolutionary method of stopping ageing can prevent many diseases like: cancer, stroke, cardiovascular diseases and even diabetes. This may take many years, but scientist believe a healthier and slower ageing process is possible. The gene works effectively as it clears away cellular waste from your brain. If some dead cells are kept inside, it can lead to many diseases. The problem is that this is not very stable because a lot of AMPK can cause other problems to rise in humans. Research is ongoing but Dr Walker and his team are confident that this breakthrough could be brought to the patients in the next few years.

For more information please visit full article: http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/scientists-remotely-activate-genetic-target-slow-aging-process
(Ernie & Stefano)

New fish species found in France!

"French ichthyologists led by Dr Philippe Keith of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris have described a new species of pike from the Charente to the Adour drainages of France." Sergio Prostak, 30 August 2014.

There has always been Pike species all over Europe. However, when scientists were exploring the species, they found out through morphological and molecular analysis that there was a new specie of such animal. There was the Northern pike and the Cisalpine pike which both are very common in French lakes. Then, they realized there was an unknown specie and they decided to call it Aquitanian pike because they found it in Aquitaine.

For the full article visit: http://www.sci-news.com/biology/science-aquitanian-pike-esox-aquitanicus-new-fish-species-france-02124.html

Cancer Patients Have New Hope After Israeli Scientist Research

Scientists in Israel, working as part of a 16 year study trying to find a cure for cancer, have had a significant breakthrough. Professor Avivi, of Haifa University has found that both the blind mole rat and the naked mole rat secrete a a substance that seems to destroy cancer cells in mammals. Experts believe that they can find a way to harvest this substance, and it is quite possible that it can be safe to take and can possibly wipe out cancer for humans too. 

The group of scientists tested both regular rats and these special mole rats and found that while the other rats developed tumors, the mole rats were able to secrete some sort of hormone or substance that destroyed the cancer, without causing any other harm to its body. A study published in the BMC Biology Journal concluded: “Exploring the molecular mechanisms may hold the key for understanding the nature of resistance to cancer and identify new strategies for treating humans.” 

The scientists believe that if they can find what genetic material/mutation caused this cancer resistance in the mole rats, they could possibly work with and modify human's genetic codes and successfully create a life saving treatment for many people.

To read more: http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2014/08/28/wow-a-cure-for-all-cancers-is-on-the-way-as-israeli-scientists-make-major-breakthrough/

Human Trials for Ebola Vaccine

The deadly Ebola virus has killed over 1500 people in West Africa, prompting the intervention from medical facilities to create a cure, or at least a way to treat the virus and give people hope. The WHO (World Health Organization) predicted that in the next 6 months, 20,000 more people could be infected.

A vaccine, with a focus on prevention rather than cure of the disease has been developed and has responded "extremely well" in primate studies but has yet to be tested in humans. This week, trials are beginning, and 140 patients will be tested, though none will be infected with the virus.

Why wasn't there a vaccine or cure for the disease before? Because Ebola has existed for 40 years, but before this outbreak it had been so rare that it hadn't been a priority to find a solution to it. All being well with the trial, Ebola could soon be the latest in a long line of dangerous viruses that we as humans have managed to win the battle with and control.

To read the whole article, visit this link: http://news.yahoo.com/human-trial-ebola-vaccine-begin-week-171358525.html 

Bubble Powered Speed Machine

A current submarine can only go as fast as 83 km/h, however the Harbin Institute of Technology says that they want to raise that by two orders of magnitude, making it even faster than jet planes. They state that this supersonic submarine can go from Shanghai to San Francisco in 100 minutes! The method they would use is called "Supercavitation". This occurs when small bubbles produced by the motion of a solid object join, creating one huge bubble that is longer than the solid object itself. This makes the solid be surrounded by gas, instead of water, which allows it to travel at speeds even greater. The mantis shrimp does this to hunt prey and we use it to enable propeller blades to go faster. The issue is to make an object get so fast that this can occur and maintain that speed. Harbin Researchers Say that they have developed a liquid membrane that when showered on the front of the submarine, would slash drag and enable it to get to the needed speed. There are still some technical issues they need to solve in order to achieve this but this research suggests that a 6000 km/h submarine may soon be on the market.

To read more: http://www.iflscience.com/technology/supersonic-submarine-could-travel-shanghai-san-francisco-100-minutes

Three Parents!?

10 years ago, the mother of Alana Saarinen had been unsuccessfully trying to have a baby. Doctors thought this was caused because of faulty mitochondria. So they removed the cytoplasm (with the mitochondria) of one of her eggs, and replaced it with a donor’s. This part that was replaced, however, not only produces energy for the cells, but also contains a genome with DNA. This procedure, known as mitochondrial replacing, not only gave birth to Alana Saarinen, but also gave her 3 different genes. Thats amazing! you might say. However, this procedure can have its downsides. Other babies that had transferred mitochondria haven't been as lucky. Some have mental disabilities, and in some cases, can cause miscarriages. Its still debated whether this type of birth should be allowed, since they also carry many risks. At least Alana was able to live a good and prosperous life.

(source)

Music Benefits Your Brain

Music Benefits Your Brain:

Studies in the University of Liverpool, show that when you practice musical training you can increase your blood flow to the left side of the brain. This can be seen with just 30 minutes of musical training. Learning a new language or learning to play an instrument use the same areas in the brain. They both increase the use of the left hemisphere of the brain. If you play an instrument or just listen to music you are actually working you’re working the left hemisphere of your brain either way. The findings were presented at the British Psychological Society Annual conference.

Read more about this: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2014/05/13/music-may-benefit-your-brain

Solar energy that doesn't block the view

Transparent solar panels developed that can be placed over windows

It is called a transparent luminescent solar concentrator and can be used on buildings, cell phones and any other device that has a clear surface. What makes this latest leap forward so brilliant is that, unlike previous designs, these are as clear and colourless as a piece of glass meaning we won't even notice they are there!

Richard Lunt of MSU's College of Engineering and his team have developed a series of small organic molecules to absorb specific rays of non-visible light, such as those around the ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths. The organic molecules then 'glow' at a specific infrared frequency which is harvested at the edge of the plastic by thin strips of photovoltaic cells which covert the energy into usable electricity.

The potential for this technology to revolutionise the way we get energy to run our buildings and devices is huge. Be prepared to see these everywhere within a few years, but you may have to look carefully as the intention is that we won't even notice that they are there!

For the full article please visit: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140819200219.htm

Would you like to ride to school on a Hoverbike?

Manned quadcopter reaches testing



What was once confined to Science Fiction movies could now be a step closer to being a reality as the UK based Malloy Aeronautics unveil their latest aviation sensation, the mini Hoverbike drone.

The bike that you see being flown via remote control in the above video is one-third the size of the manned Hoverbike which is still in development but scheduled for testing within a few months. The drone has been developed for sale to bring in further revenue to complete the manned Hoverbike and has already caught the public interest and brought in significant investment via the crowd sourcing site Kickstarter.

In actual fact these vehicles are more closely related to a helicopter than they are a traditional hovercraft, and are capable of reaching altitudes of several thousand feet. The drones and the manned craft have many potential uses including search and rescue or military use. Perhaps in the not too distant future they may also be available for the general public as a fun and fast alternative to traditional road vehicles!

For the full article please visit: http://www.gizmag.com/closer-look-malloy-aeronautics-hoverbike/33414/

Is this the end for the African elephant?

Could poachers bring about the extinction of the African elephant in your lifetime?

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that given the current rate of poaching there may be no elephants left in the wild in Africa within 100 years.

Lead author George Wittemyer of Colorado State University reports, "We are shredding the fabric of elephant society and exterminating populations across the continent." The study shows that the elephant population is declining by 7% each year due in large to illegal poaching by ivory traders. It is estimated that in Central Africa elephant numbers have fallen by 60% over the last decade and predictions are bleak for the survival of these majestic animals if this situation continues.

Endangered species convention Cites consider that the world now has to make a decision on whether to invest in efforts to tackle the ivory trade and save these animals or condemn them to extinction through inaction. 

For the full article please visit: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-28842965