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Infrared

Snakes 'see' with odd type of vision

Monday, 15 March 2010

Some snakes can detect even the faintest faint body heat, but they use a different neurological pathway to normal human and animal vision.


Opium

Opium poppy's genes finally revealed

Monday, 15 March 2010

Researchers have discovered the genes that allow the opium poppy to make codeine and morphine, which could lead to genetically engineered plants or microorganisms generating the painkillers.


Sand dunes in the Simpson Desert.

Ancient rivers buried under outback desert

Friday, 12 March 2010

An ancient river system buried 35 metres below the sand dunes Simpson Desert in Central Australia has been revealed by a team of Australian and American researchers.


fMRI brain scan

Brain scan reveals people's thoughts

Friday, 12 March 2010

A scan of brain activity accurately identified which of three scenarios volunteers were thinking about, researchers said, because our memories are encoded in predictable ways.


Older couple

Longer 'sex life' expectancy for men

Wednesday, 10 March 2010

Men are more than twice as likely as women to be sexually active in old age, and more likely to report it as "good quality", says a study published by the British Medical Journal.


Fragments of ancient moa eggshells

Ancient DNA teased from fossil eggshells

Wednesday, 10 March 2010

DNA from the fossilised eggshells of extinct birds - including iconic giants such as the moa and elephant bird - have been extracted for the first time.


Effects of alcohol

More flashbacks after drinking

Tuesday, 9 March 2010

People who have a drink or two prior to a traumatic event may suffer from more flashbacks than if they were either sober or drunk, said researchers.


<i>Toxoplasmosis gondii</i>

Gold nanoparticles take out brain parasite

Tuesday, 9 March 2010

A novel technique to kill parasites uses a combination of gold nanoparticles and lasers, and has been shown to work on Toxoplasmosis gondii - a common parasite that causes cysts in the brain.


Junk food

Fat: the sixth taste

Monday, 8 March 2010

In addition to the five tastes already identified lurks another detectable by the palate, fat, and people's weight is linked to their ability to taste it.


<i>Asilisaurus kongwe</i>

Dinosaurs: are they 10 million years older?

Friday, 5 March 2010

Scientists have uncovered the bones of a dinosaur-like creature that roamed Earth at least 10 million years earlier than the oldest known dinosaur, according to a recent study.


Ancient aurora

Early Earth embroiled in constant solar storm

Friday, 5 March 2010

A weak magnetic field and powerful solar wind stripped water from the early Earth's atmosphere 3.5 billions years ago and created stunning auroras, scientists said.


Digestion

Census of microbes in human gut

Thursday, 4 March 2010

A census of microbes in the human digestive tract found at least 1,000 microbes, many previously unknown, and could lead to new cure for gut ailments with the help of personal microbial profiles.


Sunscreen

Nanoparticles in sunscreens raise questions of safety

Wednesday, 3 March 2010

Zinc from sunscreens can penetrate healthy adult skin, according to two Australian studies. The results raise questions over the safety of sunscreens containing zinc oxide nanoparticles – which may be dangerous in the body if still in a nanoparticle form.


Moon

Ice discovered on Moon's north pole

Tuesday, 2 March 2010

A radar aboard an Indian spacecraft has detected craters filled with ice on the Moon's north pole, NASA scientists said.


Marijuana

Early cannabis use linked to psychosis

Tuesday, 2 March 2010

The longer and earlier people use cannabis or marijuana, the more likely they are to experience hallucinations or delusions or to suffer psychosis, said Brisbane scientists.