Kerala ENVIS News

World’s first hybrid sharks found in Australia

2012-01-04T16:20:00.001+05:30

Researchers have discovered the world’s first hybrid sharks in Australian waters, indicating that animals are adapting to climate change for survival. Leading researchers in marine biology have come across 57 animals along a 2,000-km stretch from Queensland to New South Wales which they believe are the result of cross-breeding between the common blacktip shark and Australian blacktip shark,

Two Earth-size planets spotted beyond solar system

2011-12-23T13:09:00.002+05:30

New York: Scientists have found two Earth-sized planets orbiting a star outside the solar system, an encouraging sign for prospects of finding life elsewhere.The discovery shows that such planets exist and that they can be detected by the Kepler spacecraft, said Francois Fressin of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They're the smallest planets found so

Delhi zoo adds new feature

2011-12-19T11:24:00.000+05:30

New Delhi: As part of the new master plan, the 100-acre Delhi Zoo on Tuesday added a new feature in the form of an additional enclosure to house animals from Central India. Animals like the black buck, nilgai, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer and gaur have now been housed together for the benefit of visitors. “This is the first time in the history of the zoo that such a grouping has been done.

Dried bamboo groves bring ominous portents

2011-12-17T11:33:00.000+05:30

The dried bamboo groves inside the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and the adjacent sanctuaries such as the Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Nagarhole, and the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka are posing a threat to the wildlife population of the Nilgiri Biosphere, a major tiger and elephant habitat.The bamboo groves in the Wayanad forest are the mainstay of the herbivores in the Nilgiri Biosphere

Migratory birds arrive in Kerala

2011-12-09T12:55:00.002+05:30

One of the clear signs that winter has set in the northern hemisphere is the arrival of migratory birds in their thousands to tropical India to escape the winter-related problems at homeland. Kerala has many such terrestrial and wetland winter resorts for them and the feathered guests have already checked in to all of them.The arrival has been traditionally abrupt. Especially, the wetlands and

Use of microalgae helps in controlling pollution

2011-12-08T10:58:00.002+05:30

To its votaries, tiny organisms known as microalgae could hold answers to some intractable problems. That includes curbing carbon dioxide emissions that are contributing to global warming and reducing the burden of industrial effluents. “We can change trash into gold” and safeguard human existence on the planet, exclaimed Ji-Won Yang of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at

Migratory birds declining, government monitoring habitat

2011-12-03T13:33:00.002+05:30

New Delhi: The population of endangered migratory bird species is either decreasing or stable, but the central government is working to protect them during their sojourn, says Environment and Forests Minister Jayanthi Natarajan. The number of migratory birds arriving in India depends on various factors, including habitat quality, preference and human disturbances along their migratory routes, Ms

World's heaviest insect weighs 3 times more than mouse

2011-12-03T13:24:00.001+05:30

London: A giant insect, which weighs three times more than a mouse and eats carrots, has been recorded as the heaviest insect in the world. A nature-lover Mark Moffett from Colorado, America, revealed that he spent two days tracking down the giant weta on a remote island in New Zealand, and got it to eat a carrot out of his hand. Moffett’s finding makes it the world’s biggest insect in terms of

First image of another solar system captured

2011-11-28T15:00:00.000+05:30

London: Rolf Olsen, a New Zealand-based astrophotographer, has published the first non-professional pictures of the disk of debris and dust swirling around Beta Pictoris, a very young solar system.Incredibly, the 12 million-year-old system, some 60 million light years away from our own, was captured with only a 25cm telescope, the ‘Daily Mail’ reported. The material that forms the proto-planetary

Oxygen 2.48 billion years old

2011-11-28T14:54:00.004+05:30

Washington: Oxygen is likely to be 2.48 billion years old, a new research has suggested.An international team says that banded ironstone core samples from the Pilbara rocks in Australia have aided in dating the first appearance of atmospheric oxygen at 2.48 billion years ago.Prof Mark Barley, who led the team, says their findings, published in the ‘Nature’ journal. rested on the reliability of

New super yeast turns pine into ethanol

2011-11-28T14:50:00.005+05:30

Washington: A “super strain” of yeast developed by researchers at the University of Georgia can efficiently ferment ethanol from pre-treated pine – one of the most common species of trees in Georgia and the U.S.The breakthrough discovery could help biofuels replace gasoline as a transportation fuel.“Companies are interested in producing ethanol from woody biomass such as pine, but it is a

Most liveable 'moons and planets' revealed

2011-11-28T14:46:00.001+05:30

London: Saturn’s moon Titan and the exoplanet Gliese 581g - thought to reside some 20.5 light-years away in the constellation Libra – are among the most habitable alien worlds, according to scientists. The researchers propose two different indices: an Earth Similarity Index (ESI) and a Planetary Habitability Index (PHI), to assess the probability of hosting alien life. “The first question is

Fish enzyme can help indicate environmental toxins

2011-11-24T15:18:00.009+05:30

Washington: A particular enzyme in fish can be used as biomarker to indicate the presence of toxic and non-toxic substances, a new study has revealed.The level of the enzyme carbonyl reductase (CBR) is elevated in the livers of fish that have been exposed to cleaned wastewater.Scientists at the University of Gothenburg can show that CBR has properties that may make it suitable to be used as a

Slow death awaits Chalakudy river

2011-11-24T14:59:00.002+05:30

Kochi: Chalakudy River is yearning for a lifeline. Chalakudy River, the fifth largest river in the State, is faced with a series of risks including sand-mining, release of untreated effluents from an industrial unit and improper disposal of solid waste. The environmental monitoring programme on water quality of the Chalakudy River Basin carried out by the Kerala State Council for Science

Unique night-flowering orchid found

2011-11-24T14:52:00.002+05:30

An orchid that unfurls its petals at night and loses its flowers by day has been found on an island off the coast of Papua New Guinea.The plant is the only known night-flowering orchid and was collected by botanists on a field trip to New Britain, an island in the Bismarck archipelago. The flowers of the species, Bulbophyllum nocturnum, are thought to be pollinated by midges and last for only

International Year of Chemistry

2011-11-17T12:12:00.002+05:30

The International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011) is a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind. This recognition for chemistry was made official by the United Nations in December 2008. Events for the year are being coordinated by IUPAC, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and by UNESCO, the United Nations

International year of Bat

2011-11-17T11:51:00.002+05:30

Bats, the worlds only flying mammals are one of the planet’s most misunderstood and persecuted mammals. Around half of the world’s 1100 bat species are currently at risk. Bat populations have declined alarmingly in recent decades. Despite intensified conservation efforts, over half of all bats species are now classified by the International Union for Conservation as threatened or near threatened

Butterfly survey records 140 species

2011-10-31T14:05:00.001+05:30

A recent butterfly survey in the North Wayanad Forest Division organised jointly by the Ferns Naturalists Society, an environment organisation, and the Forest and Wildlife Department reported the sighting of 140 species, including 17 which had not been hitherto reported in the region.The three-day survey was conducted at three locations under the division at Brahmagiri, Makkimala, and

Malabar ornithological survey: Kerala sets new benchmark

2011-10-31T14:01:00.001+05:30

The Forest Department of Kerala has just completed the first-ever ornithological survey for the Malabar region recording 341 species of birds.The survey is one of a kind notable for its sheer depth and span, more comprehensive than all such surveys undertaken so far in India. Hopefully, the five-member team including four eminent ornithologists commissioned by the Forest Department of Kerala,

Nilgiri langurs continue to be hunted: WII

2011-10-29T11:12:00.004+05:30

Kollam: Nilgiri langurs ( Trachypithecus johnii ) continue to be hunted for the preparation of crude medicines despite the implementation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Prior to the Act coming into force, these primates were ruthlessly hunted to the brim of extinction.According to a National Studbook on Nilgiri langurs published in May this year by the Wildlife Institute of India and the

Forest department to conserve heronries in North Kerala

2011-10-21T12:32:00.000+05:30

The Forest Department will soon launch a programme to conserve heronries, communal nesting places of large water birds, in four districts in North Kerala.It plans to enlist public support to protect 15 “resident and breeding” water bird species, which are vulnerable to poaching and loss of habitat, in Kannur, Malappuram, Palakkad and Wayanad districts.Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Raja

12 night frog varieties found in the Western Ghats

2011-10-13T12:43:00.001+05:30

There is hope on the green front. That is what the croaks resonating from the Western Ghats proclaim. A team of scientists from Delhi University, Bombay Natural History, Zoological Survey of India and Brussels' Vrije University has discovered 12 new frog species in the Ghats.The discovery was announced in 'Zootaxa', the international journal for zoologists, on Wednesday in a paper, 'A taxonomic

This is a rare cat now

2011-10-11T11:33:00.009+05:30

Mangalore: A leopard cat, five toddy cats (the common palm civet), a civet cat (the Indian small civet), and a wild cat are among the feline members at the Pilikula Biological Park.These cats have been rescued from some villages in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, according to H.J. Bhandary, Director of the park. He told The Hindu that the cats had been added to the park over the past five

Royal beasts are cynosure of all eyes here

2011-10-11T11:14:00.008+05:30

Mangalore: Tigers, lions and panthers continue to be the cynosure of all eyes at Dr. Shivarama Karanth Biological Park which has completed 10 years' of its existence.The park, which was opened on January 12, 2001 with a few animals, now has 550 mammals, and 80 reptile and bird species, according to its director H.J. Bhandary.It is the only biological park in the State being managed by Pilikula

2011-10-10T11:46:00.000+05:30

Project to make Pathanamthitta plastic-free

2011-10-07T12:53:00.000+05:30

The district administration has chalked a novel scheme to make Pathanamthitta plastic-free from November 14, according to District Collector, P.Venugopal.An official meeting convened by the Collector here the other day has resolved to make necessary arrangements to supply eco-friendly carry bags made of cloth, priced at Rs 1 and Rs 2, to all shops and other commercial establishments in the

Restriction on plastic use in Kerala soon

2011-10-03T11:47:00.000+05:30

Steps are under way to restrict the use of plastic materials, especially plastic carry bags, as part of implementing the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest's (MoEF) Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011 that replaces the earlier Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules 1999. Municipal authorities here had started enforcing the rules which ban the use of plastic carry bags

World Ozone Day celebrated at school

2011-09-26T10:38:00.005+05:30

Thiruvananthapuram: World Ozone Day was celebrated as part of the International Year of Chemistry 2011 observance at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pattom, here on Saturday.Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) Member Secretary K.K. Ramachandran inaugurated the programme. KSCSTE Joint Directors Kamalakshan Kokkal and Ajith Prabhu; National Green Corps district coordinator K.G.

Survey finds four river basins polluted

2011-09-26T10:32:00.005+05:30

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Scientific management of wastewater, regulation of sand mining and land use controls have become imperative to address the deterioration of water quality in rivers, the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) has recommended to the government. An Environmental Monitoring Programme on Water Quality carried out by the Centre for Water Resources

Walayar deer park to be made Safari Park

2011-09-23T16:43:00.002+05:30

PALAKKAD: Jayaprakash Narayan Smrithivanam and Deer Park located beside National Highway-47 at the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border close to inter-state Walayar check posts will be converted as a Safari Park as per the guidelines issued by Zoo Authority of India. The Park spread over 110 acres of forest area mainly of Teak plantation started in 1997 got recognition from the Zoo Authority recently with

Study observes 30 species of raptors in Wayanad

2011-09-23T16:39:00.004+05:30

KOLLAM: A comprehensive two year study from 2009 to 2011 on the status and distribution of raptors in the bio-diverse Wayanad district conducted at the instance of the Forest Department reports observing thirty species of raptors and seven species of owls in the district. Raptors are birds of prey like kites, eagles, buzzards, falcons, harriers and vultures. The study conducted by the Deepakumar

Planet with two suns 'discovered'

2011-09-16T12:49:00.001+05:30

Washington: An international team, which made the finding through NASA's Kepler spacecraft, says the planet, called Kepler-16b, is about 200 light years from Earth and is believed to be a frozen world of rock and gas, about the size of Saturn.It orbits two stars that are also circling each other, one about two-thirds the size of our sun, the other about a fifth the size of our sun. Each orbit

Himalayas may become a giant rubbish dump

2011-09-15T11:05:00.005+05:30

There's nothing like waking up to bright clear skies with spectacular views of the Lhotseand Amu Dablam ranges — and a rubbish dump.This heap of beer cans, mineral water bottles and other material was just a few minutes' walk outside the village ofTengboche.It represents about a season's rubbish. The dump is not on the regular trekking trails which are, aside from the stray Fanta and instant

The lion-tailed macaque faces habitat destruction

2011-09-14T14:15:00.002+05:30

PALAKKAD: Nelliampathy, the second biggest abode of the most endangered lion-tailed macaque after the famous Silent Valley National Park, is facing destruction of its habitat due to “unregulated plantation activities, fragmentation and conversion of forest land.” A recent study on “ecology and behaviour of the arboreal mammals of Nelliampathy” found a total of 13 lion-tailed macaque troops with

Ice samples show climate capable of abrupt changes

2011-09-14T14:04:00.006+05:30

LONDON: Samples drilled from Greenland’s ice sheets have thrown up initial clues that our climate is capable of very rapid and rather abrupt changes, according to an international team of scientists. Such evidence is provided by the accumulation of layers of ancient snow, compacting to form the ice—sheets we see today. Each ice layer can reveal past temperatures and even evidence for the timing

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis on the rise, says WHO report

2011-09-14T14:01:00.002+05:30

LONDON: Cases of tuberculosis (TB) resistant to a multitude of drug treatments are rising “at an alarming rate” across Europe, with an estimated 81,000 new cases every year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in a report published Wednesday. Fifteen of the 27 countries with the highest incidence of multidrug-resistant TB are in eastern Europe, but Asia has also been hit hard by the

Weed overgrowth poses health hazard

2011-08-18T11:25:00.000+05:30

Parthenium hystrophorus, a poisonous and allergic weed, has invaded large tracts of land on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, posing a threat to humans and livestock. A plant of the American tropics, it is found to cause several diseases such as eczema, asthma and dermatitis. The large tracts invaded by the weed are in Cumbammettu, Karunapuram, Koottar, Manthipara, Thookkupalam, Ramakkalmedu,

Useful handbook for eco clubs

2011-08-04T11:43:00.003+05:30

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Future development of Kerala minus environmental conservation equals zero. It is this formula that has been guiding the various eco clubs in the schools of the State, coming under the National Green Corps initiative.For the 3,500 such eco clubs in schools, two lakh students who are its members and over 5,000 teachers, the handbook with guidelines on activities prepared by the

Cameras to count tigers in Wayanad sanctuary

2011-08-03T12:47:00.005+05:30

KALPETTA: Tigers in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary will find it impossible to hide their stripes now. The Forest and Wildlife Department has installed camera traps to monitor the population of the big cats in the sanctuary. The department, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, and WWF have jointly launched the project. V.K. Sreevalsan, Wildlife Warden of the 344.44 sq.km sanctuary,

Protected areas alone cannot stem biodiversity loss: study

2011-07-29T10:32:00.003+05:30

Kollam: The continued reliance on a strategy of setting aside land and marine territories as “protected areas” is insufficient to stem global biodiversity loss, says a comprehensive study published in Marine Ecology Progress Series, a journal of the Germany-based Inter-Research Science Centre, on Thursday.Despite an impressively rapid growth of protected land and marine areas worldwide, totalling

Giant snails threaten to conquer more areas in Kerala

2011-07-28T10:43:00.004+05:30

Kochi: Giant African Snails (Achatina fulica Bowtich) are likely to infest at least 41 locations in four districts in the State, according to a scientific prediction. Their presence has already been reported from 10 districts. The Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi, Thrissur, has come up with a prediction after assessing 20 parameters in the areas from where severe attack of the

Veli breakwater: people fear eco damage

2011-07-25T17:00:00.001+05:30

People in the coastal areas of the city are stepping up pressure on the government to ensure adequate safeguards in the construction of a breakwater at the Veli estuary to control flooding in the city.The Rs.12-crore project, funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, is to be implemented by the Harbour Engineering Department.The proposal involves the construction of two

Solution to man-animal conflict in Wayanad Sanctuary awaits government initiative

2011-07-18T11:36:00.000+05:30

Man-animal conflict is difficult to resolve in conditions existing in Kerala. However, the government is sitting on a proposal which offers a clean solution to the problem in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.About 10000 people living in pockets inside the Sanctuary are willing to relocate from the conflict zone, leaving the land to the animals. The Central government has already sanctioned Rs. 80 crore

Survey finds an alarming decline in population of vultures

2011-07-18T11:23:00.001+05:30

A field survey on the vulture population in the wildlife sanctuaries in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and adjacent sanctuaries, conducted by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), has found that the number of these bird species is declining at an alarming rate in the region. The survey attributes the sharp decline to the availability of a banned painkiller given to domestic cattle. Feeding on

Scientists complete potato genome sequencing

2011-07-16T11:42:00.001+05:30

Beijing:A consortium of scientists led by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has finished sequencing the genetic code of the potato.The six-year study carried out by the Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium (PGSC), comprising 97 experts from 14 nations, revealed that a potato contains about 39,000 genes.Qu Dongyu, an expert with the Crop Science Society of China, said that the

SC puts curbs on mining to restore forests

2011-07-16T11:38:00.005+05:30

New Delhi:Mining in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka will not be allowed till iron ore miners from the two states draw up plans to restore the forest areas damaged in the region as a result of their activities, the Supreme Court directed on Friday.“We want to know the impact of mining on the environment and forest aspect, besides the effect on financial part (to exchequer),” a three-judge bench

Solution to man-animal conflict in Wayanad Sanctuary awaits government initiative

2011-07-16T11:14:00.004+05:30

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Man-animal conflict is difficult to resolve in conditions existing in Kerala. However, the government is sitting on a proposal which offers a clean solution to the problem in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.About 10000 people living in pockets inside the Sanctuary are willing to relocate from the conflict zone, leaving the land to the animals. The Central government has already

2011-07-06T10:48:00.002+05:30

Source: Mathrubhoomi, 07-07-2011

Panchayat seeks State help to combat snail menace

2011-07-06T10:26:00.002+05:30

PATHANAMTHITTA: The Konni grama panchayat has drawn up a project to combat the Giant African Snails that have been plaguing the locality for the past three years.Talking to The Hindu, panchayat secretary N.Haribalan said the local body would soon launch a snail eradication project for the next three years. The District Planning Committee had cleared the local body's snail eradication project

Arctic melting Glaciers to speed up global warming: Researchers

2011-06-30T17:00:00.001+05:30

PANAJI: The Indian mission on the Arctic region has concluded that the capability of this icy continent to behave as a 'global carbon sink' would drastically reduce in the future due to the quickly receding glacier cover.Researchers from National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), who returned from the Arctic assignment recently, have said that the trend is a serious concern as it may fuel the

Snails entering new territory

2011-06-29T12:44:00.003+05:30

PATHANAMTHITTA: The Giant African snails are spreading fast in the district, after being confined to a few wards in the Konni grama panchayat limits since their first sighting in 2008.People fear that the snails will pose a health hazard and will have an impact on the ecosystem. They complain that effective steps have not been taken to contain the mollusc menace, despite repeated warnings from

Tourism back on track at Thekkady

2011-06-29T12:40:00.000+05:30

THEKKADY: Though it is considered a lean season, between 1,000 and 1,500 tourists are visiting Thekkady daily.“This is a higher level of tourist arrival compared to the same period last year,” said an official at the tourist information centre at the boat landing station.He said the majority of the tourists were from Tamil Nadu, followed by Kerala and northern India.“This time, there is also a

Extinct mangrove species sighted after 150 years

2011-06-28T14:46:00.004+05:30

KOLLAM: A mangrove species, long believed to have gone extinct in the State, was sighted on an isolated private island of Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam. ‘Ceriops tagal' or the yellow mangrove has been listed by the Forest Department as a “mangrove species that had disappeared from Kerala.”But last week, Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad activist V.K. Madhusudhanan chanced upon the “disappeared” yellow

Western Ghats to be inscribed in world heritage list next year

2011-06-25T11:04:00.000+05:30

KOCHI: The serial sites of Western Ghats will be inscribed in the World Heritage List next year.The 36th session of the World Heritage Committee of Unesco in Bangkok will make the announcement, V.B. Mathur, Dean of the Wildlife Institute of India, told The Hindu from Paris.Though the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) wanted the inscription to be postponed for three years at

Puffer species found

2011-06-21T11:49:00.003+05:30

KOCHI: A Puffer fish species ( Tetraodonn leopardus) which is larger in size than the commonly found ones, have been reported from Thattaveli in Muvattupuzha River.The recently found one is seven to nine times larger than the common variety, said K. V. Zeena, Assistant Professor of Maharaja's College, Ernakulam.The species was collected as part of her doctoral studies, she said..The species has

Drinking water in disposable packets soon

2011-06-17T14:58:00.002+05:30

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government will set up three units to provide treated drinking water in disposable packets.Initially, the drinking water packets will be provided at Sabarimala in 2012 and then extended all over the State, Water Resources Minister P.J. Joseph has said.Inaugurating a workshop on integrated water resources management organised by the Centre for Water Resources Development

Environment programme launched at school

2011-06-16T13:01:00.001+05:30

Bhavan's Vidya Mandir, Thrikkakara, has launched an environment conservation programme in its campus. Deputy Mayor B. Bhadra and S. Sitaraman, secretary of the Environment Protection Association, Aluva, were the guests of honour. Rajasekharan Nair, chairman of the school management committee, was also present.The school has been promoting awareness on the importance of nature through various

Red list of birds brings joy and agony

2011-06-14T10:57:00.001+05:30

KOCHI: The Red list of birds released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature has brought joy and agony alike for Kerala.The conservation status of birds prepared by Birdlife International has downgraded the risk faced by Lesser Kestrel, a small falcon species, whereas it has raised the risk level of Nilgiri Pippit, a species endemic to Kerala.Four vulture species — White-rumped,

environment

2011-06-07T12:51:00.002+05:30

EIA panel to be set up soon: Chandy

2011-06-07T12:20:00.001+05:30

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here on Monday that the government had initiated the process of setting up a State-level Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) committee.Delivering the inaugural address at the World Environment Day celebrations organised by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), he said the committee would speed up the

Eco-tourism project at Konni to get a facelift

2011-05-30T12:36:00.001+05:30

PATHANAMTHITTA: The eco-tourism project launched by the Forest Department at Konni four years ago is to get a facelift with the department deciding to launch the second phase of the project.Official sources told The Hindu on Saturday that steps would be taken to set up a children's park and butterfly park at the elephant camp.Construction of a compound wall, proper lighting of the elephant camp,

Earth's inner core melting'

2011-05-30T12:29:00.000+05:30

Washington: The inner core of the Earth, which is believed to be growing about one millimetre per year, may be melting, scientists have claimed.According to researchers at the University of Leeds in England, this melting could actually be linked to activity on the Earth's surface and the findings could help explain how the core generates the planet's magnetic field.The 2,400km wide inner core

Milky Way 'in mid-life crisis'

2011-05-30T12:28:00.000+05:30

Washington: Our Milky Way is suffering from a mid-life crisis and will slow down its production of stars over the next billion years, say planetary scientists.Galaxies typically fall into one of two categories – energetic blue galaxies that form new stars at an impressive rate, or lethargic red galaxies which are slowly dying. But, a team at Swinburne University of Technology has shown our own

Moon may have as much water as earth has: study

2011-05-30T12:26:00.000+05:30

London: The moon’s interior may contain 100 times more water than previously thought, perhaps as much as the Earth’s interior has, a new study has claimed.Scientists have recently discovered water in moon, which was long thought to be a dusty and dry place, after examining lunar rocks brought to Earth in 1972 by the final manned mission to the moon, Apollo 17.Now, researchers from Case Western

Age, gender affect chances to quit smoking

2011-05-28T14:37:00.000+05:30

A study has found that place where you live, your age and whether you're male or female all affect your chances of giving up smoking.The study, commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and undertaken by the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies (UKCTCS), reviewed published studies from between 1990 and 2007 to establish success rates for the NHS smoking

Small pox virus may become poor man's atom bomb

2011-05-28T14:36:00.000+05:30

Bangalore: The resolution by the World Health Organization (WHO) to hold on to the two last known remaining stocks of the smallpox virus for "crucial research" raises the spectre of bioterrorism, warns a leading Indian virologist."If the destruction is delayed indefinitely, the synthesis and preparation of small pox virus as a bio-weapon, by a non-superpower would increase and it may truly become

Indian jasmine may be next-generation painkiller

2011-05-28T14:31:00.002+05:30

New Delhi: Familiar garden plant crepe jasmine, whose flowers are widely used as offerings in poojas and other religious ceremonies, harbours a compound in its stem that has the potential to turn the medical world around.A team of US scientists has artificially synthesised a compound in bulk quantity originally isolated from the bark of crepe jasmine in 2004.Preliminary analysis carried out in

Biodiversity

2011-05-28T14:17:00.002+05:30