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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYCHAMP Missile testedCHAMP Missile testedCHAMP Missile testedCHAMP Missile testedCHAMP Missile testedsuccessfullysuccessfullysuccessfullysuccessfullysuccessfully

Boeing, the US aircraft manu-facturer claimed that a new mis-sile codenamed CHAMP has beentested successfully which makesuse of the electromagnetic pulsesin order to target the buildings canpermanently blackout the elec-tronics of the country without

causing any harm to people.Boeing claimed that it has success-fully tested this weapon on theirone-hour flight. During the flight,the missile made all the comput-ers of the military in Utah dead.It is also thought that this missilecould possibly break through the

caves as well as bunkers whichallegedly are hiding the nuclearfacilities of Iran. However, it wasalso warned that in case the mis-sile is acquired by the wrongpeople, it would knock down theWestern cities as well. In the ex-periment of Boeing, the missile

went flying over Utah Test andTraining Range, and it dischargedelectromagnetic pulses on seventargets. Eventually, it shut down allthe electronics of the area perma-nently. Boeing claimed that thistest remained highly successful; somuch that it also disabled the cam-era recording. CHAMP or Counter- Electronics High Power Micro-

wave Advanced Missile Project isthe first of its kind missile test withthe capability of electromagnetic

pulse. Boeing Report mentionedthat the stealth aircraft deployedthe missile which emitted radio

waves from the undercarriage andknocked down the computers inthe building below themissile. Experts believed that thismissile was equipped with the

electromagnetic pulse cannon thatmake use of the powerful micro-

wave oven for generation of con-centrated beam of energy, result-ing in voltage fluctuations in theelectronic equipment, renderingthem absolutely futile before thefluctuation protectors can

react. The programme manager ofCHAMP for Boeings prototypearm Phantom Works opined thatthis technology would mark an erain the modern welfare.

NASA to send New Rover toNASA to send New Rover toNASA to send New Rover toNASA to send New Rover toNASA to send New Rover toMars in 2020Mars in 2020Mars in 2020Mars in 2020Mars in 2020

The US space agency NASA,on 4 December 2012 announcedplans to send a new robotic ex-plorer to the the Red Planet, Marsin 2020. The announcement camea day after NASA released the re-


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sults of the first soil tested by theCuriosity rover, which foundtraces of compounds like waterand oxygen that are necessary for

life. Some basic guidelines for themission are already planned. The2020 rover is going to help NASAin preparing for its eventual goalof bringing samples from Marsback to Earth an effort mostscientists regard as the best wayto look for signs of life on the RedPlanet. The unmanned roverschassis and landing system will bebased heavily on NASAs 2.5 bil-lion dollar Curiosity rover, which

was send on Mars in August 2012.The Curiosity Rover landed onMars 5 August 2012 and droppedonto the surface by a rocket-pow-ered sky crane.

Its now four months into atwo-year prime mission to deter-mine if the Red Planet can, or evercould, support microbial life. The1-ton rover carries 10 different sci-ence instruments to aid this quest.The 2020 Curiosity Rover launch

would allow NASA to keep con-

tributing to two European-ledMars missions the Trace GasOrbiter and the ExoMars rover

which is scheduled to lift off in2016 and 2018, respectively.NASA also plans to send a craftdubbed InSight to dig the planetsdepths in 2016 to determine

whether the planets core is solidor liquid like Earths. The 2020 mis-sion is just another step towardbeing responsive to high-priorityscience goals and challenge of

sending humans to Mars orbit inthe 2030s.

Mini Nile River on SaturnsMini Nile River on SaturnsMini Nile River on SaturnsMini Nile River on SaturnsMini Nile River on SaturnsMoon Titan DiscoveredMoon Titan DiscoveredMoon Titan DiscoveredMoon Titan DiscoveredMoon Titan Discovered

Scientists from NASA spot-ted the longest extra-terrestrialriver system ever on Saturns moon

Titan which appears to be a min-iature version of Earths NileRiver. As per NASA Jet Propul-sion Laboratory, the river valley on

Titan stretches more than 400kilometres from its headwaters toa large sea comparing it with theNile River on Earth which stretchesabout 6700 kilometres. The find-ing came into in light after NASAsCassini mission sent images whichrevealed for the first time a riversystem this vast and in such highresolution anywhere other thanEarth. Titan is the only body in thesolar system apart from earth

which is known to have vast seasand possess a cycle of liquids onits surface.

However, the other evidentfact is that the thick Titan atmo-sphere is a frigid where water

could not possibly flow. The liq-uids on Titan are therefore com-posed of hydrocarbons such asmethane and ethane. Images fromCassinis visible-light cameras inlate 2010 in Titans equatorial re-gions revealed the regions to bedarkened due to recent rainfall.Cassinis visual and infrared map-ping spectrometer confirmed liq-uid ethane at a lake in Titanssouthern hemisphere known asOntario Lacus in 2008. The radar

image taken on 26 September2012 shows Titans north polar re-gion, where the river valley flowsinto Kraken Mare, a sea that is, interms of size, between the CaspianSea and the Mediterranean Sea onEarth.

Anti-Ageing Gene MightAnti-Ageing Gene MightAnti-Ageing Gene MightAnti-Ageing Gene MightAnti-Ageing Gene MightSuppress TumoursSuppress TumoursSuppress TumoursSuppress TumoursSuppress Tumours

Researchers of the Universityof Michigan Health System andHarvard Medical School in the sec-ond week of December 2012showed that anti-ageing genesmight be helpful in curtailing themultiplication of cancer. It wasshown that the loss of anti-ageinggene can promote the occurrenceof tumours in the human beings.

The researchers had shownthat the decrease in SIRT6 proteinin rats increased the size, aggres-siveness as well as number of

tumours apart from promotion oftumour growth in the human co-lon as well as pancreatic cancers.The researchers however admittedthat it was difficult to know aboutthe range of genes which can sup-press the development oftumours.

In the meanwhile, the re-search suggested that the SIRT6might play an important role instopping cancer as well as control-ling the cellular metabolism. Re-

searchers decided to work furtherin this regard in order to under-stand how the protein could behelpful in suppressing the devel-opment of tumours. In the newresearch the role of SIRT6 in dimin-ishing the growth of cancer by re-pressing aerobic glycolysis washighlighted.

Aerobic glycolysis is said tobe the primary feature of the can-cer cells which involve conversionof the glucose to lactate. SIRT6 is

also responsible for inhibiting theactivity of major cancer genecalled Myc. The research basicallyindicates the conservation of thebiological mechanisms that occurbetween humans and the lowerorganisms.


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Anti Collision Device forAnti Collision Device forAnti Collision Device forAnti Collision Device forAnti Collision Device forRailwaysRailwaysRailwaysRailwaysRailways

Hyderabad Based Company,Hyderabad Batteries Limited(HBL) developed a new anti colli-sion safety device which is pathbreaking technology in ensuringsafe travelling and fewer acci-dents. The device is based on acombination of railway signallingdata with radio communications,global position, radio frequencyidentification devices, softwareand logic. It was HBL Power Sys-tems which reacted first to theexpression of interest floated bythe Research, Design and Stan-dards Organisation of the IndianRailways to develop an anti-colli-

sion device in August 2008. Thesystem is designed to automati-cally bring trains to a halt whencollision-like situations arise or

when the red signal is violated, forwhatever reason. In the Month ofSeptember 2012, a train collisionavoidance system (TCAS), testedin real time on a track near Tandur,in the South Central Railway dem-onstrated the viability of the sys-tem. During the trials, the effective-ness was demonstrated for pre-

vention of head-on collisions, rear-end collisions, over-speeding oftrains and disregard for redsignal. The new anti collision de-

vice had essential features of bothautomatic train protection andcollision prevention in one

solution. HBL Power Systems hadalso developed electronic inter-locking system, audio frequencytrack circuits and train manage-

ment systems.Most complex and realisticMost complex and realisticMost complex and realisticMost complex and realisticMost complex and realisticartificial brainartificial brainartificial brainartificial brainartificial brain

Software engineers as well asneuroscientists at University of

Waterloo, Canada claimed thatthey have developed a closestmodel of the functioning humanbrain, known as Spaun which isadvanced enough for passing thebasic IQ tests. This is the virtualbrain which functions on thesupercomputer and comprises ofa digital eye, which can be usedfor visual input. It also has the ro-botic arm which can be used fordrawing the response. The engi-neers as well as neuroscientistsclaimed that this was the mostcomplex model of the world ofhuman brain. Spaun or SemanticPointer Architecture Unified Net-

work compr ises of 2.5 mil lionsimulated neurons which enablesthis brain to perform multipletasks. The tasks which this artifi-cial brain can perform range fromanswering the questions to copydrawing as well as fluid reasoning.The tests were conducted in

which the engineers and neurosci-entists showed various letters aswell as numbers, which were readin the memory by Spaun. Later, theother symbol or letter behaved likethe command which tells Spaun

what needs to be done with thememory.

Quake risk at Japan atomicQuake risk at Japan atomicQuake risk at Japan atomicQuake risk at Japan atomicQuake risk at Japan atomicrecycling plantrecycling plantrecycling plantrecycling plantrecycling plant

Japans only reprocessingplant for spent nuclear fuel couldsit on an active seismic fault vul-nerable to a massive earthquake,experts warned Wednesday (De-cember 19). If regulators agree

they will have to order its closureand Japan would be without anyrecycling capacity of its own, agovernment official told AFP oncondition of anonymity. This

would leave it dependent on othercountries and with no way to deal

with waste from the Fukushimaplant crippled by last years earth-quake and tsunami. YasutakaIkeda, assistant professor of geo-morphology at Tokyo University,said a nearly 100-kilometre fault

runs under the Rokkasho repro-cessing plant in Japan. Eventhough experts opinions are di-

vided on whether this fault is ac-tive or not, I think the possibilityof it being an active fault is ex-tremely high, given the evidence,Ikeda told AFP. This fault couldcause an 8-magnitude earthquake,so any nuclear-related facilities inthe region are in danger, he said,referring to the Shimokita Penin-sula where the Rokkasho plant islocated. Mitsuhisa Watanabe, pro-fessor of geomorphology at ToyoUniversity, separately toldWednesdaysTokyo Shimbun thatpart of an active fault runs directlyunder the Rokkasho plant, warn-ing it is likely to move when the


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bigger fault moves. Active faultsare those that, amongst otherthings, have moved within the past120,000-130,000 years. Under gov-

ernment guidelines atomic instal-lations cannot be sited on a faultif it is still classed as active. Thecomment came days after govern-ment-appointed experts foundthat a nuclear power plant in thesame region may sit atop an activeseismic fault. A panel appointedby the Nuclear Regulation Author-ity said fractures in the earth be-neath the Higashidori plants com-pound on the peninsula may beactive faults, meaning it may bescrapped. An unfinished nuclearfuel storage facility is also on thepeninsula, in addition to the recy-cling plant and the Higashidoripower plant. It is also home toanother part-built atomic powerplant. Operator Japan NuclearFuel said last month it would con-duct more research on the fault,but a spokesman said the purposeis to back up its claim that the seis-mic fault is not active.

Spaceplane SuccessfullySpaceplane SuccessfullySpaceplane SuccessfullySpaceplane SuccessfullySpaceplane SuccessfullyCompleted Flight TestCompleted Flight TestCompleted Flight TestCompleted Flight TestCompleted Flight Test

The spaceplane constructedby Richard Bransons spaceflightcompany called Virgin Galacticsuccessfully completed the impor-tant flight test which would beable to carry the people to space.SpaceShipTwo, the spaceplane

was piloted to soft runway touch-

down after high-altitude releasefrom White Knight Twomothership, which eventually en-abled it to score successful test

drop. It additionally also checkedoff various milestones at Mojave

Air and Space Port in California.George Whitesides, CEO andpresident of Virgin Galactic de-clared that the test flight madethem closer to first poweredflight. The spaceplane calledSpaceShipTwo is the hybrid mo-tor-powered plane which is de-signed for carrying six passengersas well as two pilots. Thespaceplane would carry these pas-sengers to edge of the space with-out completing the full orbit ofEarth. The price of spaceplane perseat is 200000 dollar. Commercialoperations would be carried outin America at New MexicosSpaceport.

A Headset That Give HumansA Headset That Give HumansA Headset That Give HumansA Headset That Give HumansA Headset That Give Humans360 Degree Vision360 Degree Vision360 Degree Vision360 Degree Vision360 Degree Vision

French scientists claimedthat they developed a new systemcalled FlyVIZ which enables hu-mans to get 360 degree vision. Theheadset in the system is said to

capture the images from differentdirections and thereafter trans-form these into the matter whichis possible for the human visionsystem to comprehend. Theheadset was designed at GrandeEcole dIngenieurs Paris-Laval,

France. At present the headset isat a stage where it weighs 1.6 kgand is quite heavy to carry around.It is connected with the laptop for

processing the images while func-tioning.

The device basically makesuse of a video camera which ismounted on the top of the helmet

with special mirrors that can beused for capturing scenes allaround a user. It then displays theresults in real-time on modified 3D

Viewer headset. The entire systemtakes around 15 minutes for a userto get used to. Once a user is ableto get used to it, it is possible tomove around as well as interactfluidly with the environment. Inthe trials that were conducted, theusers got hold of the sticks which

were beyond their normal viewfield. The users even dodged theballs from behind as well as drovethe vehicle! Even though the de-

vice offers a new perspective ofenvironment to the users, but itstill does not cause any form ofuneasiness, visual fatigue or mo-

tion sickness. Despite FlyVIZ cap-tures and displays the images in 2D formats, but the users still gotfunctional depth perception.

Genetic code of Honey BeesGenetic code of Honey BeesGenetic code of Honey BeesGenetic code of Honey BeesGenetic code of Honey BeesDecodedDecodedDecodedDecodedDecoded

Scientists unlocked the ge-

netic secrets behind honey beeshigh sensitivity to environmentalchange which will help show linksbetween nutrition, environmentand the insects development. Thedecoded gene could offer an in-sight into problems like Colony


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Collapse Disorder, a mysteriouscause of mass bee deaths globally.Honey bees live in complex soci-eties comprising tens of thousands

of individuals. Most of these arefemale worker honeybees thatare unable to reproduce and in-stead devote their short lives tofinding food in flowers and othertasks such as nursing larvae insidethe hive. However, the hive has aqueen as well - the much longer-lived, reproductive head of thehive. As per the Researchers thechange occurs as a result of a his-tone code - a process that seesgenetic changes made to proteinscalled histones within cells nuclei.Rather than genetic changes thatare locked into DNA, these areknown as epigenetic changes.The study findings appeared inInsect Biochemistry and Molecu-lar Biology.

Hottest planet cold enough forHottest planet cold enough forHottest planet cold enough forHottest planet cold enough forHottest planet cold enough foriceiceiceiceice

Mercury, the innermostplanet in the Solar System, is likea small rock orbiting the Sun, con-tinuously assaulted by the starsheat and radiation. It would haveto be the last place to look for

water. However, observations of

NASAs MESSENGER spacecraftindicate that Mercury seems toharbour enough water-ice to fill 20billion Olympic skating rinks. OnNovember 29, during a televisedpress conference, NASA an-nounced that data recorded since

March 2011 by MESSENGERsonboard instruments hinted thatlarge quantities of water ice werestowed in the shadows of craters

around the planets North Pole.Unlike Earth, Mercurys rotation isnot tilted about an axis. This meansone side of the planet permanentlyfaces the sun, becoming hotenough to melt lead. The otherside, however, constantly facesaway from the sun, and is ex-tremely cold. This characteristicallows the insides of craters tomaintain low temperatures for mil-lions of years, and capable of stor-ing water-ice. But then, where isthe water coming from? Brightspots were identified byMESSENGERs infrared laser firedfrom orbit into nine craters aroundthe North Pole. The spots lined upperfectly with a thermal model ofultra-cold spots on the planet that

would never be warmer than -170degrees centigrade.

These icy spots are sur-rounded by darker terrain that re-ceives a bit more sunlight and

heat. Measurements by the neu-tron spectrometer aboard MES-SENGER suggest that this darkerarea is a layer of material about 10cm thick that lies on top of moreice, insulating it. Dr. David Paige,a planetary scientist at the Univer-sity of California, Los Angeles, andlead author of one of three papersin Science that indicate the cra-ters might contain ice, said, Thedarker material around the brightspots may be made up of complex

hydrocarbons expelled fromcomet or asteroid impacts. Suchcompounds must not be mistakenas signs of life since they can beproduced by simple chemical re-actions as well. The water-icecould also have been derived from

crashing comets, the study byPaige and his team concludes.Finding water on the systems hot-test planet changes the way sci-

entists perceive the Solar Systemsformation. Indeed, in the mid-1990s, strong radar signals werefired from the US Arecibo radardish in Puerto Rico, aimed atMercurys poles. Bright radar re-flections were seen from crater-like regions, which were indicativeof water-ice. However, other sub-stances might also reflect radar ina similar manner, like sulphur orcold silicate materials, says David

J. Lawrence, a physicist from theJohns Hopkins University AppliedPhysics Laboratory and lead au-thor of the neutron spectrometerstudy.

Lawrence and his team ob-served particles called neutronsbouncing and ricocheting off theplanet via a spectrometer aboardMESSENGER. As high-energy cos-mic rays from outer space bom-barded into atoms on the planet,debris of particles, including neu-

trons, was the result. However,hydrogen atoms in the path of neu-trons can hold the speeding par-ticles almost completely as both

weigh about the same. Since wa-ter molecules contain two hydro-gen atoms each, areas that couldcontain water-ice will show a sup-pressed count of neutrons in thespace above them. Because scien-tists have been living with the ideaof Mercury containing water forthe last couple decades, the find

by MESSENGER is not likely to berevolutionary. However, it bolstersan exciting idea. As Lawrencesays, I think this discovery rein-forces the reality that water is ableto find its way to many places inthe Solar System, and this fact


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should be kept in mind whenstudying the system and its his-tory.

100 Times Faster and Sensitive100 Times Faster and Sensitive100 Times Faster and Sensitive100 Times Faster and Sensitive100 Times Faster and SensitiveLaser Explosives-DetectionLaser Explosives-DetectionLaser Explosives-DetectionLaser Explosives-DetectionLaser Explosives-DetectionDeviceDeviceDeviceDeviceDevice

Scientists of the University ofNew South Wales (UNSW) in thesecond week of December 2012developed an all-new 100 timessensitive and faster laser devicethan any other explosives-detec-tion device, for detecting even theminor traces of explosives. Thesample which is pulsed, cavityring-down spectrometer, quantum

laser-based is currently beingtested in New Mexico at Los

Alamos National Laboratory of USgovernment. Associate Professorof the University of New SouthWales (UNSW) revealed that thenewly developed laser machine

was 100 times more sensitive aswell as faster than other detectiondevices. The professor revealedthat the machine had a capabilityof measuring the TNT componentsclearly or in the parts per billionrange, to be precise. This laserdevice has a capability of sniffingthe travel bags on conveyer beltand alerting the security person-nel in case explosive vapours aredetected from the passing object.The device could be used for re-placing the security checks at air-port which include complete scanof the body or bomb sniffer dogs.

The device makes use of mir-rors in order to continuously pass

through vapour, which in turn of-fers more accuracy in measure-ments. It is expected that the de-

vice would take two years for test-ing as well as regulating the pro-totype for detection of unique sig-natories of substances as well asdifferent kinds of explosives, be-

fore it could be usedcommercially. The team of scien-tists started working on this devicein 2005. The team was asked by

Australian Federal Police for cre-ation of machine which could helpin detection of explosive residueat crime scene as well as forensicinvestigations. Police actually

wanted the machine which had acapability of working throughoutthe day for identifying actual kindsof explosives on each and everysuitcase which passes on con-

veyer belt.

Voyager 1, the NASA SpacecraftVoyager 1, the NASA SpacecraftVoyager 1, the NASA SpacecraftVoyager 1, the NASA SpacecraftVoyager 1, the NASA Spacecraft

The Voyager 1 spacecraftsailed into the new area of solarsystem which scientists were not

aware about. Both Voyager 1 aswell as Voyager 2 have been con-tinuously moving away from theSun into the interstellar space, alsoknown as the space between thestars. During the summers, Voy-ager 1 entered into the space

where effects are felt from theoutside. Scientists at NASA jetpropulsion laboratory who man-age the Voyager 1 spacecraft be-lieved that this might be the lastlayer between earth and interstel-

lar space. The location of thisspacecraft was presented at

American Geophysical Union inSan Francisco. Voyager 1 wouldeventually become the firstmanmade object that would exitthe solar system. When Voyager 1

would exactly exit our solar sys-tem is still unknown, to a certainextent since there is no pattern.Scientists estimated that Voyager

1 would have around two to threeyears of traveling before it reachesthe boundary which separates so-lar system from other space.

In the meanwhile, scientistswere very surprised to see the un-expected region in boundaries ofthe solar system. During 2011,team at NASA had been observ-ing alluring clues which signal to-

wards new environment of thespace. High-energy cosmic rays

were streaming in from beyondthe solar system. Also, the amountof low-energy particles whichoriginate from within our solar sys-tem dropped down briefly. Thescientists were however sure that

Voyager 1 did not break throughbecause there were no changes indirection of magnetic field lines.Scientists are calling this newlydiscovered zone as the type ofmagnetic highway. These space-crafts called the Voyagers were

launched in the space around 35years ago to take a tour on otherplanets. Even though Voyager 2,

which is at present 9 billion milesaway from sun, was first launchedbut Voyager 1 is closer in leavingthe solar system at the back.

US Grand Canyon Is 65-70US Grand Canyon Is 65-70US Grand Canyon Is 65-70US Grand Canyon Is 65-70US Grand Canyon Is 65-70Million Years OldMillion Years OldMillion Years OldMillion Years OldMillion Years Old


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USGrandCanyon,one

amongthesevennaturalwonders

ofworld,isinreality65million

yearsoldthanwhatwasthought,

revealedastudyconductedbythe

UniversityofColoradoBoulder.

ThismeansthatGrandCanyon

mighthavebeenthereatthetime

ofdinosaursaswell.

Inthepreviousestimatesof

theageofGrandCanyon,itwas

foundthatitwas5-6millionyears

olddependingupontheageof

gravel-washeddownstreambythe

ColoradoRiver.Researchersnev-

erthelessbelievethatitwascre-

atedaround70millionyearsago whendinosaurshadexistedon

Earth.

Theresearchersmadeuseof

radioactivedecayaswellasther-

maldatinginordertofindoutthe

ageofGrandCanyon.Inthestudy,

theradioactivedecayofthorium

aswellasuraniumatomswasex-

ploitedintotheheliumatomsin

phosphatemineralcalledapatite.

Theheliumatomsremained

lockedinsidetheapatitegrains

whentheycooledandcontractedtosurfacewhenGrandCanyon

wascarved.

Hotnessoftheapatitedeter-

minedthatfewerheliumatoms

weretherewithinit,whichen-

abledresearcherstofindoutther-

malhistoryofthisarea.Thetem-

peraturevariationsattheshallow

levelsunderthesurfaceofEarth

areinfluencedbythetopography

andthisinturnenabledtheteam

ofresearcherstofindoutabout

theimportantnaturalexcavationofthiswonderoftheworld.The

researchfoundoutthatGrand

Canyonwascarvedtoaround

somehundredmetresofthemod-

erndeptharound70millionyears

back.

Americanscientistinvents Americanscientistinvents Americanscientistinvents Americanscientistinvents Americanscientistinvents

plasticlightbulb plasticlightbulb plasticlightbulb plasticlightbulb plasticlightbulb

AUSscientisthasinventeda

newkindoflightbulbthatuses

plasticpolymersandnanomate-

rialstogeneratelightthatismore

energy-efficientthancurrentfluo-

rescentlightsandiseasieronthe

eye.Detailsofthenewinvention

werepublishedMondayonthe

websiteofWakeForestUniversity

inNorthCarolina,wheretheinven-

tor,physicsprofessorDavid

Caroll,isbased.

Thenewplasticlightinguses

thesameamountofelectricityas

LEDbulbsandhalfasmuchas

fluorescentbulbs.Thedeviceis

madeofthreelayersofwhite-

emittingpolymerblendedwitha

smallamountofnano-materials

thatglowwhenstimulatedwith

electricalcurrenttocreatebright,

perfectlywhitelightsimilartothe

sunlighthumaneyesprefer.Itcan

bemadeinanycolourorshape

fromflatsheetstoreplaceof-

ficelightingtostandardbulbsin

householdlamps.Peopleoften

complainthatfluorescentlights

bothertheireyes,andthehum

fromthefluorescenttubesirritates

anyonesittingatadeskunder-neaththem,saidDr.Carroll.

Dr.CarollisthedirectoroftheCen-

treforNanotechnologyandMo-

lecularMaterials.Thenewlights

wehavecreatedcancurebothof

thoseproblemsandmore.

NASARuledoutAsteroid NASARuledoutAsteroid NASARuledoutAsteroid NASARuledoutAsteroid NASARuledoutAsteroid

CollisionwithEarthin2040 CollisionwithEarthin2040 CollisionwithEarthin2040 CollisionwithEarthin2040 CollisionwithEarthin2040

TheMayanDoomsdaypre-

dictionsabouttheworldending

on21December2012hadfailed

andadditionallyNASAruledout

theasteroidcollisionwithEarthin

2040.NASAclaimedthatthefear

ofasteroidcollisionwithEarth

doesnotposeathreattoour planetanymore.NASAdeclared

thatdoubtaboutorbitofthisas-

teroidcalled2011AG5initially

enabledthattherewerelessthan

1percentchancesofithittingthe

planetinFebruary2040.Initially

thescientistshadestimatedthat

riskof140m-diametreasteroid

collisionwithEarthwasjustone

in500.Incase,thisasteroid

wouldhavecollidedwithEarth,

therewouldhavebeenarelease

ofaround100megatonnesofen-ergy,whichisalotmorethanatom

bombsusedinWorldWarII.Con-

sideringthestatistics,itwasfound

thatabodyashugeasthiswould

havecreatedanimpactonEarth

every10000yearsonan

average.Theobservationswere

madewhilemakinguseofGemini

NorthtelescopeinHawaii.The

observationswereverychalleng-

ingfortheteam.Thescientists

wereespeciallysurprisedabout

thefactthatatelescopecouldre-coverfaintasteroidinthesky.

Brain-RemovalToolDiscovered Brain-RemovalToolDiscovered Brain-RemovalToolDiscovered Brain-RemovalToolDiscovered Brain-RemovalToolDiscovered

in2400-YearOldMummy in2400-YearOldMummy in2400-YearOldMummy in2400-YearOldMummy in2400-YearOldMummy

Brain-removaltool,which

wasusedbytheancientEgyptian

embalmers,wasdiscoveredby


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the researchers of Zagreb Croatiain the third week of December2012. This brain-removal tool waslodged in skull of the female

mummy which dated back to ap-proximately 2400 years. This wasthe 3-inch object which was foundin body of the 40-year old woman.The researchers who discoveredthis tool were surprised by thebreakthrough. Brain removal wasthe Egyptian mummification pro-cedure which was quite populararound 3500 years ago. It was alsoused extensively in later periods.It is important to note here thatidentification of the ancient tools

which were used by the embalm-ers for brain removal was very dif-ficult. Researchers also noted thatthis was the 2nd time when thiskind of a tool was found in theskull of a mummy.

After the CT scans were car-ried out, the researchers found atool or an instrument which waslocated between the left parietalbone as well as the rear of skull.This was filled with the resin dur-ing the process of mummifica-tion.

Curious about the recent dis-covery, the team of researchersalso made use of the endoscope(a thin tube that is used for

noninvasive medical processes),in order to extract it from the resin

with which it remained stuck. Theresearchers found out that theembalmers might have insertedthis tool through a hole which wasmade in skull near nose. This was

later used for liquifying as well asremoving the brain. The re-searcher, Dr Mislav avka of Uni-

versity Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb

Croatia explained that this brain-removal tool was extracted usingthe clamp with the help of endo-scope. Some of the parts of brainmight be wrapped around thestick and extracted while othersmight be liquefied during themummification process.

The mummy could be put onthe abdomen then and liquidmight be drained through hole ofthe nose. The researcher alsoadded that leaving this tool in theskull of the mummy was an erroron the part of embalmers. The re-searcher also added that possiblythe tool might have been brokenduring the process. This embalm-ing accident which might haveoccurred provided the research-ers with rare artifact. The research-ers found out that brain-removaltool or stick found in the skull ofthe mummy dated back to some2200 years. At present this

mummy is in Archaeological Mu-seum in Zagreb Croatia.

New Dinosaur with GiganticNew Dinosaur with GiganticNew Dinosaur with GiganticNew Dinosaur with GiganticNew Dinosaur with GiganticNose DiscoveredNose DiscoveredNose DiscoveredNose DiscoveredNose Discovered

Scientists in northern Mexicodiscovered a new dinosaur with alarge prominent nose which livedabout 73 million years ago. Theduck-billed dinosaur, which wasnamed Latirhinus uitstlani livedduring the Late Cretaceous periodand its wide nasal cavity might

have given it incredible smell-de-tecting ability. As per researchersthe giant nose of Dinosaur sup-ported and provided enhancedspace for a soft tissue structure,sort of like an inflatable bladder,for display, recognition and com-munication purposes in general.

The dinosaur also possessedsturdy hind limbs ending in threetoes, and relatively smaller andthinner forelimbs ending in 4 dig-

its meaning this animal wasthumb-less. These dinosaurs wereherbivores with a few thousandteeth closely packed together toform a grinding surface to chewthe vegetation they fed upon. Asper the report it was concludedthat the environment thatLatirhinus inhabited was likely

warmer and more humid than it istodays time, with lakes and baysnearby.

Alarming Cushion to Warn YouAlarming Cushion to Warn YouAlarming Cushion to Warn YouAlarming Cushion to Warn YouAlarming Cushion to Warn Youagainst Sedentary Lifestyleagainst Sedentary Lifestyleagainst Sedentary Lifestyleagainst Sedentary Lifestyleagainst Sedentary Lifestyle

Australian researchers at theUniversity of Queenslands humanmovement studies developed thealarming cushion, a unique devicethat enables you to get warningagainst the sedentary lifestyle. Thiscushion provides you with the

warning signals against the riskswhich are being posed by the in-active lifestyle. The device re-minds people or those workersespecially who spend severalhours at their desks and seldomstand up. The study conductedfound out that sitting for severalhours amounted to health issuessuch as obesity, shoulder, neckand back injuries, diabetes as wellas obesity. Also, sitting for severalhours continuously led to reducedlife expectancy, even in case ofthose people who are consideredphysically fit and active. The

alarming cushion device actuallyrecords the sitting time of the em-ployees and the time when theyget up. This is done by making useof the medical grade pressure sen-sor as well as custom-built micro-controller. There is a mechanismbuilt within the sensor and it is


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being set in order to sound thealarm in case the person remainsseated continuously for a longerduration or predetermined time

period. The alarm thereafter stopswhen person gets up. Again thealarm would be reactivated in casea person sits down just in certainseconds. Researchers who haveused the device explored thatemployees spent more than two-third of their time period sitting attheir desks. Improvement of thehealth of employees could beachieved through measurement of

workplace behaviour, the re-searchers found out.

Video shows physics can be funVideo shows physics can be funVideo shows physics can be funVideo shows physics can be funVideo shows physics can be fun

Australian researchers haveshown that physics can be fun,

with an experiment using nothingmore than a coiled spring thattoymakers call a slinky becominga hit on video-sharing site

YouTube. Sydney Universi ty sMike Wheatland and Rod Crossrigged up slow-motion cameras toshow that a slinky performs a mar-

vellous feat when let hang throughgravity and then dropped. Whathappens next is not visible to yournaked eye but, remarkably, thebottom section of the slinky re-mains suspended in mid-air until

the entire top section collapsesonto it, Wheatland said. The pairhave written a paper to be pub-lished in the American Journal ofPhysics . It might seem like afrivolous exercise but in fact it pro-

vides us with an insight into thefascinating physics of everyday

objects, Wheatland said. The fall-ing slinkys behaviour might seemcounterintuitive, but physics canbe like that. Dynamics the in-

terplay of forces around us of-ten needs to be examined to be-come clear.

Protein behind AggressiveProtein behind AggressiveProtein behind AggressiveProtein behind AggressiveProtein behind AggressiveBreast CancerBreast CancerBreast CancerBreast CancerBreast Cancer

Australian researchers ofSydneys Garvan Institute claimedthat they discovered primary fac-tor which made breast cancer ag-gressive as well as resistant to thetreatments. Protein called ELF5 isresponsible for making the

tumours of breast cancer moreaggressive as well as resistant totreatments, revealed the key re-searcher Chris Ormandy. ChrisOrmandy was studying about thisprotein for 10 years. The proteinalso plays an important role inbreast cancer development. Studyrevealed that in the breast cancer,certain molecular decisions takeplace. ELF5 changes the already-existing tumour to the oestrogen-insensitive type. The study de-picted that cancers that are un-manageable to anti-oestrogentreatment are like that becausethey elevate the levels of ELF5 andalso become oestrogen receptornegative functionally. Around halfof the women will eventually notbe able to tackle to anti-oestrogentreatment which they would havebeen undergoing, which would inturn further progress their tumour.In the tissue-culture models of this

type of cancer which were madenumb to anti-oestrogen treatment,levels of ELF5 increase dramati-cally. Even though the study wasimportant because it would openup new possibilities of treatments,but this may take several years. Thestudy would help in targeting ELF5

in such a way that it would help intreating the breast cancers whichbecame numb to anti-oestrogens.

NASAs Twin Probes CrashedNASAs Twin Probes CrashedNASAs Twin Probes CrashedNASAs Twin Probes CrashedNASAs Twin Probes CrashedSuccessfully onto LunarSuccessfully onto LunarSuccessfully onto LunarSuccessfully onto LunarSuccessfully onto LunarMountainMountainMountainMountainMountain

Ebb and Flow, the gravitymapping satellites of NASA endedthe successful mission to Moon by

crashing on the rim of crater. Lu-nar surface on which Ebb andFlow crashed will be given a nameafter Sally Ride, the first woman of

America in the space who diedearlier in 2012. Ebb and Flow,two spacecrafts of NASA thatcomprised Gravity Recovery andInterior Laboratory (GRAIL) mis-sion, on 14 December 2012 werecommanded for landing in lowerorbit of Moon which would cre-ate an impact on the mountainnear its North Pole. Ebb and Flow

were launched in September 2011and were orbiting Moon since 1

January 2012. After a year of theirarrival on Moon, the twin space-crafts of NASA hit the lunar sur-face as it was planned at 5:28:51pm EST and 5:29:21 pm EST re-spectively. The speed of the two

was 1.7 ki lometres persecond. The location of site is onsouthern face of around 2.5

kilometre tall Lunar Mountain nearthe crater called Goldschmidt. Theprincipal investigator of GRAIL,Maria Zuber of the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, Cam-bridge declared that the lunar mis-sion was complete and that they

were proud to honour the contri-


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butions of Sally Ride after namingthat corner of Moons surface af-ter her. The impact indicated thatthe GRAIL mission was complete.

This was the first planetary missionof NASA which carried camerasthat were completely dedicated topublic outreach as well as educa-tion. Apart from the basic scienceinstrument, the spacecrafts carriedMoonKAM, the camera which cap-tured over 115000 images ofMoons surface.

Just fifty minutes before theimpact, spacecraft fired the en-gines till propellant was ex-hausted. It was designed in sucha way that it could determine ex-actly how much fuel was left intanks. This would help the engi-neers of NASA to legalise comput-ers for improving the predictionsof quantity of fuel needed for mis-sions in future. Ebb and Flow

were deliberately sent on the sur-face of Moon since there was notenough altitude or fuel remainingfor continuing the science opera-tions. The successful missions of

these two spacecrafts producedhighest resolution gravity fieldmap in context with any celestialbody till now. The scientists wouldtake a lot of time, maybe years foranalysing the data that is collectedfrom Ebb and Flow.

Mystery that Surrounded theMystery that Surrounded theMystery that Surrounded theMystery that Surrounded theMystery that Surrounded theMissing Sandy Island SolvedMissing Sandy Island SolvedMissing Sandy Island SolvedMissing Sandy Island SolvedMissing Sandy Island Solved

A researcher from NewZealand claimed that he hadsolved the mystery of the missingSouth Pacific Island which was

shown on the world maps as wellas Google Earth but did not actu-ally exist. The blame of the miss-ing island went to the whaling ship

from the year 1876. The landmassin Coral Sea which is shown as theSandy Island on Google maps as

well as Google Earth is apparentlysomewhere between Australiaand New Caledonia. Times Atlasof the World, on the other handidentifies it as the Sable Island, butthe Australian scientists who wenton a research in November 2012could not locate it exactly, whichis why they claimed that the islanddid not exist actually. A researcherat Auckland Museum after his in-

vestigations claimed that the is-land had never existed. Google inthe meanwhile welcomed thisfeedback and explained that sug-gestions from the users on mapsenabled integration of new infor-mation into Google Maps. Appar-ently, now the Sandy Island hasbeen removed from the maps.

NASA to turn asteroid intoNASA to turn asteroid intoNASA to turn asteroid intoNASA to turn asteroid intoNASA to turn asteroid intospace stationspace stationspace stationspace stationspace station

NASA scientists are planningto capture a 500,000 kg asteroid,relocate it and transform it into aspace station for astronauts to re-fuel at on their way to Mars. It

would be the first time a celestialobject has ever been moved byhumans, the Daily Mail reported.The White Houses Office of Sci-ence and technology will considerthe USD 2.6 billion plan in thecoming weeks as it prepares to set

its space exploration agenda forthe next decade. A feasibility re-port prepared by NASA and Cali-fornia Institute of Technology(Caltech) scientists outlined howthey would go about capturing theasteroid. An asteroid capture cap-sule would be attached to an old

Atlas V rocket and directed to theasteroid between the Earth andthe Moon.

Once close, the asteroid cap-

sule would release a 50 ft diam-eter bag that would wrap aroundthe spinning rock using draw-strings, the paper said. The craft

would then turn on its thrusters,using an estimated 300 kg of pro-pellant, to stop the asteroid in itstracks and tow it into a gravitation-ally neutral spot. From here spaceexplorers would have a stationarybase from which to launch tripsdeeper into space.

The idea of exploiting thenatural resources of asteroidsdates back over a hundred years,but only now has the technologybecome available to make thisidea a reality, the report said. Thefeasibility is enabled by three keydevelopments: the ability to dis-cover and characterise an ad-equate number of sufficientlysmall near-Earth asteroids for cap-ture and return; the ability toimplement sufficiently powerful

solar electric propulsion systemsto enable transportation of thecaptured asteroid; and the pro-posed human presence in lunarspace in the 2020s enabling explo-ration and exploitation of the re-turned asteroid, it said. NASAdeclined to comment on theproject because it said it was innegotiations with the WhiteHouse, but it is believed that tech-nology would make it possible

within 10-12 years.

The technology would alsoopen up the possibility of miningother asteroids for their metals andminerals. Some are full of iron

which could be used for in themaking of new space stations, oth-ers are made up of water which


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could be broken down into hydro-gen and oxygen to make fuel.

Permian Mass Extinction WasPermian Mass Extinction WasPermian Mass Extinction WasPermian Mass Extinction WasPermian Mass Extinction Was

Led By a MicrobeLed By a MicrobeLed By a MicrobeLed By a MicrobeLed By a Microbe

A microbe led to extinctionof more than 90 species on Earthssurface around 251 million years

ago, the researchers found out inthe second week of December2012. The mass extinction did nottake place due to catastrophic

volcano or meteorite, but becauseof a microbe. According to thecurrent theory, mass extinction byend of Permian period was startedbecause of volcanic eruptions ona large area, now called Siberia.This in turn led to a dramatic in-crease in the emission of green-house gases. But a researcher from

Massachusetts Institute of Tech-nology believes that the scenariodoesnt align with the facts. Ananalysis of the end-Permian sedi-ment sample from China was con-ducted and it was found that car-bon levels had rushed too fast forgeological processes to begin.Microbes could generate equallyfast carbon compounds.

When the group of research-ers analysed genome ofMethanosarcina - a methanogen

which is accountable for most ofthe biogenic methane on Earthtoday, it was discovered that mi-crobe acquired this ability some231 million years ago. This datematched closer to the time whenmass extinction took place. How-

ever, the link could still not besuggested. Methanosarcina needshuge amount of nickel for produc-ing methane fast. On going back

to sediment cores, the research-ers discovered that the level ofnickel prickled exactly 251 million

years. This might have happenedbecause the Siberian lavas hadnickel in large quantities. This inturn reinforced the fact thatMethanosarcina triggered massextinction. It is important to notethat the mass extinction ofbiodiversity of todays time is quiteidentical since it is mainly deter-mined by our species.

100 % Ultrasound Toothbrush of100 % Ultrasound Toothbrush of100 % Ultrasound Toothbrush of100 % Ultrasound Toothbrush of100 % Ultrasound Toothbrush ofthe World Developedthe World Developedthe World Developedthe World Developedthe World Developed

British scientists claimed thatthey developed in the first weekof December 2012, the first tooth-brush of the world calledEmmident toothbrush whichmakes use of the ultrasound wavesfor cleaning teeth, which meansthat there is no need of abrasivebrushing. Even though the manualtoothbrushes have been replaced

long back with whizzyelectric ver-sions of the brushes which havesuper-fast vibrations along withcostly whitening heads, but thehigh-tech toothbrushes launchedin UK in first week of December2012 is the first 100 percent ultra-

sound toothbrush of theworld. Ul trasound technologywas also included in electric de-signs earlier but this time it is the

first of its kind toothbrush whichhas independent ultrasound tech-nology and it does not requiremovement of brush.

About the new EmmidentAbout the new EmmidentAbout the new EmmidentAbout the new EmmidentAbout the new Emmidenttoothbrushtoothbrushtoothbrushtoothbrushtoothbrush

Emmident toothbrush makes86 million sound waves in a minuteand these waves in turn are usedfor cleaning the teeth. The costof this product is 79.95 pounds.Manufacturers of this product

claimed that ultrasound waveswhich are emitted from this tooth-brush create tiny bubbles fromspecial 3.99 pounds toothpaste

which should be used with this.These bubbles can get betweenteeth as well as the gums which inturn help in killing bacteria as wellas dislodging tarter. The bacteria

which are left on brush head arealso killed. British Dental Associa-tion however admitted that propertests should be done in order toprove efficiency of this tooth-brush.

Silent stroke can causeSilent stroke can causeSilent stroke can causeSilent stroke can causeSilent stroke can causeParkinsonsParkinsonsParkinsonsParkinsonsParkinsons

A small or silent stroke whichshows no outward symptoms cancause Parkinsons disease, scien-tists claim. In a new study, re-searchers from the University ofManchester have for the first timeidentified why a patient who ap-pears outwardly healthy may de-

velop Parkinsons disease, a de-generative disorder of the centralnervous system. While conditionssuch as a severe stroke have beenlinked to the disease, for manysufferers the tremors and othersymptoms of Parkinsons can ap-


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pear to come out of the blue. Asilent stroke happens when ablood vessel in the brain isblocked for only a very short

amount of time and often a patientwont know they have sufferedfrom one. However, it now ap-pears that one of the lasting effectsof a silent stroke can be the deathof dopaminergic neurons in thesubstantia nigra in the brain, whichis an important region for move-ment coordination. At the mo-ment we dont know why dopam-inergic neurons start to die in thebrain, There have been sugges-tions that oxidative stress and age-ing are responsible, said DrEmmanuel Pinteaux who led theresearch.

Life Supporting planet FoundLife Supporting planet FoundLife Supporting planet FoundLife Supporting planet FoundLife Supporting planet Foundorbiting Star near Earthorbiting Star near Earthorbiting Star near Earthorbiting Star near Earthorbiting Star near Earth

Scientist in the month of De-cember revealed a planet thatcould support life, orbits a Sun-like star near the Earth. There arefive planets found to becircling Tau Ceti - a star just 12light years away - which is almostidentical to the sun, a journal set

to appear in Astronomy & Astro-physics says. Out of the five planetfound, one of the planet which isfive times the mass of earth sup-port life and lies in the habitablezone where liquid water and lifecould potentially exist. As per the

Astronomers est imate the Tau

Ceti planets is two to six times big-ger than Earth. Most planets de-tected in the Universe so far hadhigh masses due to the difficulties

in finding extra-solar planets. TheTau Ceti planetary family isthought to be the lowest mass so-lar system yet detected. More than800 planets have been discoveredso far orbiting stars beyond thesun since the 1990s.

Like water droplets off a lotusLike water droplets off a lotusLike water droplets off a lotusLike water droplets off a lotusLike water droplets off a lotusleaf?leaf?leaf?leaf?leaf?

Frugal Indian housewives,who extract the very last traces ofcondiments from unyielding

bottles and jars, will be the first toappreciate the genius ofLiquiGlide, which Time magazinehas named one of the Best Inven-tions of the Year 2012. Prof. Kripa

Varanasis group at the Massachu-setts Institute of Technology hasdeveloped a super-slippery, non-toxic coating for the insides offood containers, so these surfaces

will concede the stored condi-ment down to the last drop. Noscraping, rinsing or specialmanoeuvres required. And thecompound is safe enough to eat,says Varanasi. The group demon-strated the proof-of-concept witha bottle of free-flowing tomatoketchup. Of course, the folks at theMIT Lab for Nano-engineered Sur-faces, Interfaces & Coatings didntset out to solve the problem oftricky ketchup bottles nor is it theultimate use for LiquiGlide. De-signing super-hydrophobic sur-

faces that can repel water drop-lets think of lotus leaves in apond has been a key researchinterest for the group.

The researchers have testedLiquiGlide on materials used tomake food containers glass, ce-ramic, metal and plastic. But the

coating need not confined to oneformulation unlike, say, Teflon,

Varanasi points out. Dependingon the substance that needs to

slide, we can design differentcoatings for different applications.The underlying principle remainsthe same that is the real beautyof this. There are possible indus-trial applications. Hydrophobiccoatings can keep ice off the wingsof an airplane, for instance. Theresearchers could use this to ad-dress the flow assurance prob-lem of the oil and natural gas in-dustry where insides of pipes seesbuildup of organic compoundsthat clog supply networks. In theconsumer space, LiquiGlide couldfind uses in the health and beautyindustry. Think of all those bottles

with pumps to draw expensivelotions out that design canchange, says Varanasi. That alsomeans less plastic is needed tomake these containers.

Rare Supercomet WouldRare Supercomet WouldRare Supercomet WouldRare Supercomet WouldRare Supercomet WouldOutshine Moon in 2013Outshine Moon in 2013Outshine Moon in 2013Outshine Moon in 2013Outshine Moon in 2013

Astronomers claimed that arare supercomet called C/2012 S1(ISON) was moving towards theSun from outer solar system. Thissupercomet would outshine Moonin November 2013. C/2012 S1

(ISON) was first noticed in Sep-tember 2012. The comet wouldbe closest to the Sun in Novem-ber 2013. The comet would be asgood as Hale-Bopp, a comet

which appeared in 1997. Hale-Bopp is the most widely noticedcomet of 20th century. It is also the


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brightest comet observed in vari-ous decades. ISON on the otherhand would be making its first voy-age in the solar system. Astrono-

mers believe that this comet mightalso contain certain volatile gases

which are not found in other com-ets. Astronomers also hope thatthis would help them get a peepinto the materials of the outer so-lar system.

Additionally, the year wouldalso witness celestial fireworkshaving various flavours because ofthe gas cloud which has threetimes the mass of Earth, headingin the direction of calmsupermassive black hole whichsits in the heart of our galaxy. Thiscollision would not be visible withnaked eyes. However, the X-raytelescopes will be able to catchthe radiations from shock wave

which would be created as thecloud hits into aura of hot gases

which surround the hole. Becausethis black hole called Sagittarius

A is just 25000 light years far fromEarth, therefore the crash would

offer a unique view of various ma-terials getting into the black hole.This might also provide a hintabout what had happened 300

years back when this black holewas brighter than present.

New Next-Gen Spacesuit forNew Next-Gen Spacesuit forNew Next-Gen Spacesuit forNew Next-Gen Spacesuit forNew Next-Gen Spacesuit forComplex Space VenturesComplex Space VenturesComplex Space VenturesComplex Space VenturesComplex Space Ventures

NASA developed new next-gen spacesuit called Z-1 Proto-type Spacesuit and Portable Life

Support System (PLSS) 2.0 for thesophisticated and complex space

ventures, which also include Marsmission. The spacesuit can supply

the astronauts with oxygen as wellas provide protection to themfrom the extremetemperatures. The spacesuitsused by NASA at present weredesigned in 1992 and were fabri-cated especially for the crews thatboarded space shuttle task forceas well as spent time in Interna-tional Space Station (ISS). But

with the recent reti rement ofspace shuttle task force as well thegoal of the country to land onMars, an asteroid as well as evenbeyond that, NASA recognisedthat there was time to design tech-nologically-equipped as well asrobust spacesuits for the astro-nauts.

The entry into the spacesuitis from the back and it can performapproximately all those functionsthat are also performed by the ac-tual spaceship. Basically, the newspacesuits can get rid of the car-

bon dioxide, supply oxygen aswell as provide protection to as-tronauts from extreme tempera-tures such as excessive cold orheat.

How is the spacesuitHow is the spacesuitHow is the spacesuitHow is the spacesuitHow is the spacesuitdesigned?designed?designed?designed?designed?

The spacesuit is crafted outof various hard elements on thefabric. It also becomes flexible af-ter being inflated. On the rear ofthe suit, astronauts may find the

hatch and life support whichwould enable them to attach torover or spacecraft. Apart from allthis, it has urethane-coated nylonas well as polyester layers whichenable the astronauts to maintainpressure as well as get greater flex-ibility in torso and limbs.

Getting into the spacesuitGetting into the spacesuitGetting into the spacesuitGetting into the spacesuitGetting into the spacesuit

Astronauts can get in thisspacesuit via suitport which is ba-sically a pack of hatch and life sup-port. There is no need of an airlockfor seeking entry or getting exit inand out of this suit. This means thatit is possible for the astronauts tomake a quick entry and exit in andout of spacesuit. This happensbecause the spacesuit operates atsimilar pressure like that ofspacecraft. The spacesuit packsin itself water membrane evapo-ration cooler which cools the suitthrough same method like sweat-

ing. It does not use the recenttechnique that includes sublimatorwhich works only in hard vacuum.

Natural heart pacemaker fromNatural heart pacemaker fromNatural heart pacemaker fromNatural heart pacemaker fromNatural heart pacemaker fromsingle genesingle genesingle genesingle genesingle gene

Researchers of Cedars-SinaiHeart Institute developed pace-maker cells through injection ofgene called Tbx18, which couldgreatly help in repairing the heart.This research would help treatingthe heart patients with the simpleinjection of so-called natural pace-maker. The researchers pro-grammed ordinary cells of heartfor becoming the exact imitations

of specialised biological pacemak-ers through injection of singlegene. This is said to be the majorstep towards a long search of 10

years for finding the biologicaltherapy that can correct fallingheartbeats. The researchers de-scribed the study the first one to


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depict that one gene can directconversion of cells of heart muscleto authentic pacemaker cells. Thenew cells are said to generate elec-

trical impulses unexpectedly andthese were also different from thelocal pacemaker cells.

Actually, the pacemaker cellsproduce electrical activity whichspreads in turn to other heart cellsin a neat pattern for creating regu-lar muscle contractions. In casethese cells go wrong, the heartstarts beating randomly at its best.

The heartbeat begins in sino-atrial node (SAN) of right upperchamber of heart where there areaccumulated pacemaker cells. Outof the 10 billion cells of heart, lessthan 10000 are the pacemakercells which are also referred asSAN cells. Once these new pace-maker cells are programmed byTbx18 gene, they had all the im-portant features of the native pace-makers. These pacemaker cellsonce programmed, also main-tained the SAN-like characteristicsdespite the fact that effects of

Tbx18 gene faded away. Research-ers, who made use of the virus

which is engineered to carry thesingle gene called Tbx18, directlyreprogrammed the cells of heartmuscle for specialising pacemaker

cells.These new cells performed

the function as well as features ofnative pacemaker cells in lab cellreprogramming as well as in thestudies conducted on guineapig. In the initial efforts, newpacemaker cells were created butthere was a risk of infecting can-cerous cells. However, the newresearch created the pacemakercells which are closely associated

with native ones that do not poserisk of cancer.

Human Intelligence AssociatedHuman Intelligence AssociatedHuman Intelligence AssociatedHuman Intelligence AssociatedHuman Intelligence AssociatedWith Genetic AccidentWith Genetic AccidentWith Genetic AccidentWith Genetic AccidentWith Genetic Accident

Scientists at the University ofEdinburgh discovered how intel-ligence originated, after they iden-tified the genetic accident whichhappened 500 million years ago.This genetic accident allowed thehuman species to think and rea-son; and thus they evolved. Thescientists discovered how humansas well as various mammalsevolved in terms of intelligence.

Scientists found out that hu-man intelligence developed be-cause of a rise in the number ofgenes in brain in the evolutionaryancestors. Scientists additionally

also believed that these genes whichhelp in improvisation of the mentalcapability are also in turn respon-sible for the brain disorders thatmight occur in the humans. Scien-tists explained that a plain inverte-brate animal that lived in sea around500 million years ago experiencedthis genetic accident which pro-duced extra copies of the genesbeing developed. The offspring ofthese animals benefited in turn fromthe extra genes which led to sophis-ticated vertebrates in terms ofbehaviour, including the humans.

ENGLISHG RAMMAR

ANDUSAG E

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Soil mediates effects of

phosphorus application

In Brazil, farmers must use a huge

amount of the fertilizer. In Iowa, his-

torical overuse of phosphorus still

harms waterways. A one-size-fits-all

approach will lead to wrong conclu-

sions if the regional biophysics are

not considered.

Probiotics help fish grow up

fast, healthier

A new study at the Institute of Ma-

rine and Environmental Technology

(U.S.) found that feeding probiotics

to baby zebrafish accelerated their

growth and boosted their chances of

survival into adulthood.

Radio waves to kidneys

lower chronic high BP

Direct ing short burst s of radio

waves at nerves sorrounding the

kidneys lowered BP for at least six

months and up to a year among hy-

pertensive patients, says a study

in Circulation .

Bats may hold clues to

human longevity

Bats have been around for atleast 65 million years. A deeperunderstanding of evolutionary ad-aptations in bats may lead to bet-ter treatments for human diseases.

HIV has been around longer

than thought

Human immunodeficiencyvirus (HIV) thought to haveoriginated from chimpanzees incentral Africa may have crossedover to humans between 1884 and1924, a new study has found, over-turning current belief.

Role of crucial plant

hormone unravelled

New research fr om Carnegie

Mellon University focuses on the

role of the crucial plant hormone

brassinosteroid in the creation of

plant-shoot architecture leading to

organ formation and organ bound-

ary creation.

De novo assemblies of large

complex genomes

The goat genome is the first refer-

ence genome that may help to ad-

vance the study of distinct rumi-

nants genomic features from non-

ruminant species and enable de

novo assemblies of large, complex

genomes in the future.

Immune therapy treats brain

tumours in mice

Using an artificial protein that

stimulates the bodys natural im-

mune system to fight cancer, a re-

search team at Duke Medicine has

engineered a lethal weapon that

kills brain tumours in mice while

sparing other tissues.

Squirrels, birds study leads

to tricky robots

Using deceptive behavioural pat-

terns of squirrels and birds, re-

searchers at the Georgia Institute of

Technology have developed robots

that are able to deceive each other

and could be implemented by the

military.

Hawaiian islands are

dissolving from within

Soil erosion is not the cause and

Oahus mountains are dissolving

from within due to groundwater.

Someday, Oa hus Ko olau a nd

Waianae mountains will be reduced

to nothing more than a flat, low-ly-

ing island like Midway.

Monkey study to treat

Parkinsons disease

Parkinsons disease is caused by

loss of the neurons that produce the

neurotransmitter dopamine (known

as dopaminergic neurons). Re-

searchers have now derived dopam-

inergic neurons from bone marrow

stem cells in monkeys.

Smaller Colorado River

projected for future

Some 40 million people depend on

the Colorado River Basin for water

but warmer weather and a growing

population may signal a 10 per cent

drop in the Colorado Rivers flow

in the next few

2 cups of milk a day ideal

for kids health

Two cups of milk per day provides

enough vitamin D levels for most

children, while also maintaining

iron stores. With more milk, there is

a further loss in iron stores sans

greater benefit from vitamin D, says

a study.

West Antarctic ice sheet

warming rapidly

In a discovery about the future con-

tribution of Antarctica to sea level

rise, a new study finds that the west-

ern part of the ice sheet is experi-

encing nearly twice as much warm-

ing as previously thought.


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Voyager 1 enters new region

in deep space

NASAs Voyager 1 spacecraft has

entered a new region the final

area to cross before reaching inter-

stellar space a highway for

charged particles as our suns mag-

netic field lines are linked to inter-

stellar magnetic field lines.

Cause of widespread eye

disease found

It is now shown that thickening of

the arterial walls is behind the com-

mon eye disease known as branch

retinal vein occlusion a type of

blood clot in the eye that blocks the

vessels that transport blood from

the retina.

Rover Curiositys first

analysis of Martian soil

NASAs Curiosity rover analyzed its

first solid sample of Mars in Novem-

ber with a variety of instruments,

including the Sample Analysis at

Mars (SAM) instrument suite.

GRAIL lunar impact site

named for Sally Ride

NASA has named the site where

twin spacecraft impacted the moon

Monday in honour of the late astro-

naut Sally K. Ride, who was

Americas first woman in space and

a member of the probes mission

team.

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CSATGeneral Studies Manual

IAS Preliminary

Examination Paper I

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