A team of scientists has found new evidence which indicates that wobbles in the Earth’s tilt were responsible for the global warming episodes that helped bring the planet out of prehistoric ice ages.
According to a report by ABC News, the finding is the result of research led by Dr Russell Drysdale of the University of Newcastle that has been able to accurately date the end of the penultimate ice age for the first time.
The new dates show the end of the second last ice age occurring 1,41,000 years ago, thousands of years earlier than previously thought.
Using information gathered from a trio of Italian stalagmites, the research has punched a hole in the prevailing theory that interglacial periods are related to changes in the intensity of the northern hemisphere summer. [click to continue…]
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Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology have developed microscopic, spear-shaped zinc oxide crystals on a surface of single-crystal silicon, which may be used to make more efficient solar cells.
According to Dr. Jay A. Switzer and his colleagues, inexpensive process could also lead to new materials for ultraviolet lasers, solid-state lighting and piezoelectric devices.
“It’s kind of like growing rock candy crystals on a string,” said Dr Switzer, the Donald L. Castleman/Foundation for Chemical Research professor of discovery at Missouri S and T.
But instead of using sugar water and string, Dr Switzer’s team grows the zinc oxide “nanospears” on the single-crystal silicon placed in a beaker filled with an alkaline solution saturated with zinc ions. [click to continue…]
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After circling the Moon for nearly 18 months, China’s Chang’e 1 spacecraft has successfully achieved four scientific targets that include detection of helium-3, a crucial element for nuclear fusion, which may provide humans with millions of tons of nuclear energy in the future.
The identification of helium-3 came about by the exploration of the soil layer on the Moon, a pioneering work that has not been done by any other country.
The Chang’e 1, using microwave technology, measured the depth of the soil layer across the moon.
One of the focuses of the soil examination was to detect how much helium-3, a crucial element for nuclear fusion, is on the moon. [click to continue…]
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The US agency behind Voice of America said on Friday it is working on ways to slip news past tough Internet blockades in countries such as China and Iran.
The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) confirmed that it is crafting “feed over email” software capable of turning popular Web-based email services such as Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, or Hotmail into conduits for online news.
“It is very powerful, but not ready for beta testing,” the agency’s director of technology Ken Berman said. “We are not there yet; this is just a cool thing we are working on.” [click to continue…]
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The public’s “right to starlight” is steadily being eroded by urban illumination that is the bane of astronomers everywhere, the International Astronomical Union said on Friday.
The body, which wrapped up an 11-day general assembly in Rio de Janeiro that attracted galaxy-gazers from around the world, argued that authorities should use more unobtrusive lighting in cities and towns.
Such moves would not only free up the night skies to make for easier viewing but also promote environmental protection, energy savings and tourism, it said in a resolution. [click to continue…]
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Search market leader Google Inc holds greater loyalty among its users, who conduct more searches a month than those on Yahoo! and Microsoft, new data issued on Friday showed, posing a challenge for the new team of rivals to Google.
While Yahoo! Inc and Microsoft Corp lag far behind Google in overall search share, their combined search penetration of 73 percent is not far behind Google, at 84 per cent, according to research house comScore, Inc.
Yet Google searchers conduct an average of 54.5 searches a month – about double the number of searches that Yahoo! and Microsoft users conduct combined. They search on average 26.9 times a month, comScore reported. [click to continue…]
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A team of scientists in Australia and the United States has discovered a new class of object which they call “Super Planetary Nebulae.”
Planetary nebulae are shells of gas and dust expelled by stars near the end of their lives and are typically seen around stars comparable or smaller in size than the Sun.
The international team, led by associate professor Miroslav Filipovic from the University of Western Sydney, surveyed the Magellanic Clouds, the two companion galaxies to the Milky Way, with radio telescopes of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Australia Telescope National Facility. [click to continue…]
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