Complex Life Found Under Antarctic Ice

The Antarctic ice sheet is one of the two polar ice caps of the Earth. It covers about 98% of the Antarctic continent. Antarctica is considered as a desert as this place is the coldest, driest, and windiest on the earth. It has the highest average elevation of all the continents. Now, NASA ice scientists have found a shrimp-like creature and a possible jellyfish ‘frolicking’ beneath 600 feet of solid Antarctic ice, where only microbes were expected to live.

The Antarctic ice sheet is one of the two polar ice caps of the Earth. It covers about 98% of the Antarctic continent. Antarctica is considered as a desert as this place is the coldest, driest, and windiest on the earth. It has the highest average elevation of all the continents. Now, NASA ice scientists have found a shrimp-like creature and a possible jellyfish ‘frolicking’ beneath 600 feet of solid Antarctic ice, where only microbes were expected to live.
Continue reading “Complex Life Found Under Antarctic Ice”

Ice on Mars

Ice found on mars. Phoenix now seems to have confirmed that similar features on Mars are caused by the same processes as those on this planet.

Scientists say they found evidence of ice on Mars. Nasa’s Phoenix spacecraft discovered evidence of ice in the soil around its landing site on Mars. Following images were acquired by NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander’s Surface Stereo Imager on the 21st and 25th days of the mission, or Sols 20 and 24 (June 15 and 19, 2008). These images show sublimation of ice in the trench informally called “Dodo-Goldilocks” over the course of four days. In the lower left corner, lumps disappear, similar to the process of evaporation.

[Fig.01: Tiny clumps of material in the bottom left of the trench on 15 June (left) are gone by 19 June (right)]

ice found on mars - animated image
[Fig.02: Ice on mars, click to enlarge image]

According to Dr Peter Smith, Phoenix’s principal investigator:

These little clumps completely disappearing over the course of a few days, that is perfect evidence that it’s ice. There had been some question whether the bright material was salt, but salt can’t do that.

Scientists Will Attempt To Re-Create Temperatures Pressures Of An Exploding Star In Lab

A NUCLEAR fusion laboratory designed to re-create the temperatures and pressures of an exploding star could be built in England under plans being drawn up by British scientists.


A supernovae / supernovas is a stellar explosion. They are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that may briefly outshine an entire galaxy before fading from view over several weeks or months. Now scientists plan supernova blasts in lab to tap energy.

The aim is to build some of the world’s most powerful lasers and use them to blast tiny pellets of hydrogen fuel to create energy.

The process is similar to the supernova explosion that heralds the death of a star.

Researchers say the process could offer a partial solution to the world’s energy crisis, offering a source of carbon-free power with only a minimum of radioactive waste.

Fish Can Count Numbers

Fish are not just cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates but little smart too. According to new research fish can count. Scientists have found that North American mosquito fish have the ability to count up to four. Fish have a limited ability to count how many other fish are nearby. This means that they have similar counting abilities to those observed in apes, monkeys and dolphins and humans with very limited mathematical ability.

=> Fish can count to four – but no higher

Mobile Phones Can Disturb Your Sleep

Since the introduction of mobile phones, concerns have been raised about the potential health impacts from regular use. Now, new research suggests that if you need to make a phone call in the evening it is much better to use a land line instead of a mobile phone. Continue reading “Mobile Phones Can Disturb Your Sleep”

Is active SETI dangerous? Does it put Earth in Danger?

The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI@Home grid computing project) is organized efforts to detect Extraterrestrial life. Now after decades of searching, scientists have found no trace of extraterrestrial intelligence. Now, some of them hope to make contact by broadcasting messages to the stars. Are we prepared for an answer? Is “active” SETI dangerous? Many thinks so…

Zaitsev has already sent several powerful messages to nearby, sun-like stars—a practice called “Active SETI.” But some scientists feel that he’s not only acting out of turn, but also independently speaking for everyone on the entire planet. Moreover, they believe there are possible dangers we may unleash by announcing ourselves to the unknown darkness, and if anyone plans to transmit messages from Earth, they want the rest of the world to be involved. For years the debate over Active SETI versus passive “listening” has mostly been confined to SETI insiders. But late last year the controversy boiled over into public view after the journal Nature published an editorial scolding the SETI community for failing to conduct an open discussion on the remote, but real, risks of unregulated signals to the stars. And in September, two major figures resigned from an elite SETI study group in protest. All this despite the fact that SETI’s ongoing quest has so far been largely fruitless. For Active SETI’s critics, the potential for alerting dangerous or malevolent entities to our presence is enough to justify their concern.

=> Who Speaks for Earth?

Dinosaur Fossil found with soft tissue such as skin and muscles

Dinosaurs were large size animals that dominated terrestrial ecosystems for over 160 million years, first appearing approximately 230 million years ago. Non-avian dinosaurs suddenly became extinct approximately 65 million years ago. Now a high school student hunting fossils in the badlands of his native North Dakota discovered an extremely rare mummified dinosaur that includes not just bones but also seldom seen fossilized soft tissue such as skin and muscles, scientists will announce today. With this new discovery it may be possible to create jurassicpark :)
Dinosaur Fossil found with soft tissue such as skin and muscles

This is a neat find. I can say a rare find, but I think it is not enough for any actual biotechnology to build jurassicpark.

Read more: Scientists Get Rare Look at Dinosaur Soft Tissue

Discovered: the missing link that solves a mystery of evolution

Guardian Science reporting that “Scientists have made one of the most important fossil finds in history: a missing link between fish and land animals, showing how creatures first walked out of the water and on to dry land more than 375m years ago.

A cast of the fossil goes on display at the Science Museum in South Kensington central London today.

Read full article here

Update: See Missing Link pics @ BBC news site:

100 things we didn’t know this time last year

BBC has compiled very nice result of 100 things we didn’t know this time last year. Basically each week the Magazine picks out snippets from the news, and compiles them into 10 Things We Didn’t Know This Time Last Week. Here’s an end of year almanac. Here are my top six:

  • One person in four has had their identity stolen or knows someone who has #21
  • The length of a man’s fingers can reveal how physically aggressive he is, scientists say. # 22
  • You’re 10 times more likely to be bitten by a human than a rat. # 52
  • It takes 75kg of raw materials to make a mobile phone. # 53
  • Deep Throat is reportedly the most profitable film ever. It was made for $25,000 (£13,700) and has
  • grossed more than $600m. # 54

  • Bill Gates does not have an iPod. # 94

Read full article online here