China clouded in cigarette smoke
January 9, 2011
When I first came to China 39 years ago, airlines distributed cigarettes free of charge during flights. Hotel rooms were invariably furnished with free packs of cigarettes. At meetings and conferences, filter-tipped cigarettes were standard features on the podium alongside writing pads, pencils and ashtrays. Non-smoking cars were unheard of on trains.
In women’s tears, a chemical that says, ‘Not tonight, dear’
January 9, 2011
When we cry, we may be doing more than expressing emotion. Our tears, according to striking new research, may be sending chemical signals that influence the behavior of other people.
Jets implicated in solar riddle
January 8, 2011
Scientists say they are closer to understanding why the Sun’s outer atmosphere is hotter than its surface.
The corona, as it is known, is millions of degrees hotter than the star’s visible surface layer, or photosphere.
Microsoft shows Windows running on mobile phone chips
January 6, 2011
Microsoft has shown a full version of Windows running on chips usually found in mobile phones.
The desktop version of Windows was demonstrated working with three processors built around chips designed by UK firm Arm.
Wreckage is from ‘pristine star’
January 6, 2011
UK and US scientists have found the remnants of a star that exploded more than 13 billion years ago.
It would most probably have been one of the very first stars to shine in the Universe, they say.
10 websites to watch in 2011
January 5, 2011
There are more than a trillion URLs in Google’s index. Yes, that’s a one with twelve zeros after it. And Google crossed that milestone two and a half years ago. With so many sites on the web in 2011, how do you know which to pay attention to?
Arkansas game officials probe mystery of falling birds
January 2, 2011
Arkansas game officials hope testing scheduled to begin Monday will solve the mystery of why up to 5,000 birds fell from the sky just before midnight New Year’s Eve.
World’s Scariest Foods
December 29, 2010
Welcome to our international culinary chamber of horrors, where succulent spiders, gleaming sheep guts, and deadly seafood await your delectation. (Cue evil laugh and lightning bolt.)
Consumers lose a little confidence
December 29, 2010
Consumer confidence took an unexpected step backward in December, with Americans more concerned about the overall economy and the jobs forecast, according to an index issued Tuesday.
The index, which had improved in November, slipped to a reading of 52.5 in December from 54.3 the month before, according to a survey of 5,000 households conducted by the Conference Board, a prominent economic research firm.
Ancient rock art’s colours come from microbes
December 27, 2010
A particular type of ancient rock art in Western Australia maintains its vivid colours because it is alive, researchers have found.
While some rock art fades in hundreds of years, the “Bradshaw art” remains colourful after at least 40,000 years.
Jack Pettigrew of the University of Queensland in Australia has shown that the paintings have been colonised by colourful bacteria and fungi.
These “biofilms” may explain previous difficulties in dating such rock art.