SCIENCE-NEWS for Commoner.

[Anoushka]

* How "dinosaurs of the ocean" evolved:
When an amateur fossil hunter found a bit of animal
backbone at a construction site 16 years ago, he
knew it was something unusual.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...osasaurfrm.htm


* Revealed in fossil poop: dinos dined on grass:
Museum displays that show dinosaurs feeding in grassless
landscapes don't tell the full story, researchers
say.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...assdinofrm.htm


* Study: snakes and lizards share venom,
evolutionary history:
More lizards have poison than was once thought, and
they share a common past with snakes, scientists
say.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...6_venomfrm.htm


* Noblewomen may have brewed ancient beer:
In a mountaintop outpost of an ancient south
American empire, archaeologists say, evidence
suggests a group of elite women operated a grand
brewery.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne..._chichafrm.htm


* Hamsters get depressed and anxious, study
suggests:
Research found that the rodents show symptoms of
anxiety and depression during winter's dark days,
just as some humans do.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...hamsterfrm.htm

[Anoushka]

* Galaxies may have spit out monster black hole:
Two crashing galaxies may have shot out a
"supermassive" black hole that's soaring through
space, some astronomers say.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusi...11_holefrm.htm


* Common pollutant might raise suicide risk,
researchers say:
There is a hint, they add, that the chemical --
whose rotten-egg smell is familiar to many -- may
boost rates of child neglect and abuse.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusi...111_h2sfrm.htm


* Researcher: giant ape lived alongside humans:
An ape taller than a moose may have been among the
early casualties of competition from humans,
findings suggest.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...reatapefrm.htm


* Ancient "Godzilla" crocodile reported:
Researchers describe a sea creature that would have
made Tyrannosaurus rex think twice before stepping
into the ocean.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...10_crocfrm.htm

[Anoushka]

* Did U.S. government lie about deadly virus
project?:
Officials seem to have quietly reversed an
assurance they gave last month -- that a killer
virus recently recreated by scientists would stay
in a secure government facility.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...109_flufrm.htm


* Dolphin games may be more than child's play:
Researchers say the frolics show surprising
complexity, and may reveal links between playing,
evolution and culture.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusi...dolphinfrm.htm


* Drug eyed for learning disabilities, mental
retardation:
A widely used drug might become the first
successful treatment for learning disabilities,
scientists claim.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...107_nf1frm.htm


* How a black hole would look:
Astronomers, saying they're close to capturing an
unmistakable image of a black hole, explain exactly
what they expect to see.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...ackholefrm.htm


* Researchers induce "sightless vision" in
volunteers:
Some people think they can't see anything, but can.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...ndsightfrm.htm


* Astronomers report catching possible glow of first
stars:
The first stars in the universe are gone, but the
light they sent out eons ago may be still reaching
us.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...ststarsfrm.htm

[Anoushka]

* Chimps won't do a neighbor a favor:
Scientists say they just might have finally found
something that clearly separates us from other
animals.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...6_chimpfrm.htm


* Report: bird flu to hit Africa within weeks:
The event would increase the chance of the virus
mutating and triggering a global pandemic,
researchers claim.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...026_flufrm.htm


* "First light" from world's most powerful optical
telescope:
The Large Binocular Telescope will be ideal for
seeing far-off planets and galaxies at the edge of
the visible universe, astronomers say.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...6_binocfrm.htm


* Drug slashes aggressive breast cancer recurrence
rate:
A drug cuts recurrence risk by almost half for an
aggressive form of the disease, a remarkable success
rate, researchers report.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...herceptfrm.htm


* World's "smallest car" built:
Move over, Humvee.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...mallcarfrm.htm

[gaddeswarup]

The nose cells that may help the paralysed walk again
http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/s...653838,00.html
Surgeons in London to try revolutionary stem cell technique on crash victims
Sarah Boseley, health editor
Wednesday November 30, 2005
The Guardian
Surgeons will attempt early next year to mend the severed nerves of young people who have suffered motorbike accidents in the first trial of a simple but potentially revolutionary technology that could one day allow the paralysed to walk again.

[gaddeswarup]

Pl. check the following for 'stress, aging and immune system":
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4499080.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3034410.stm

[Anoushka]

* Dog genome published:
The information helps explain why dogs are so
diverse, and their relationship to humans,
according to scientists.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...207_dogfrm.htm


* Men and women differ in brain use, study finds:
The comedians are right; the science proves it,
researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...aindifffrm.htm


* Study: marital stress slows wound healing:
The findings could have major implications for
hospitals and health insurance companies, the
researchers claim.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...esshealfrm.htm


* Jungle find opens "new chapter" in Maya history:
Archaeologists are reporting the earliest known
portrait of a woman from the Mayan civilization.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...06_mayafrm.htm


* Are schools making kids fat?:
U.S. schools that allow frequent snacking, offer
junk food and hold bake sales have more overweight
students, a study has found.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...oolfoodfrm.htm


* Earth-friendly grenades proposed:
Scientists say the little bombs could be designed
to go easy on the environment.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusi...grenadefrm.htm

[Anoushka]

* Bees can recognize human faces, study finds:
Honeybees may look all alike to us. But we don't necessarily look all alike to them.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusi...09_beesfrm.htm


* Beethoven's wish fulfilled: Researchers say they have fulfilled Beethoven's wish that his remains be used to learn what caused his
fatal illness. Their answer: lead.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...ethovenfrm.htm


* How the "trust hormone" works:
A brain chemical that boosts trust seems to work by damping connections in brain circuits that process fear, a study suggests.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...8_trustfrm.htm

[Anoushka]

* Study traces Egyptians' stone-age roots:
A researcher says that using ancient teeth, he has learned who the Egyptians may have been before history.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusi...7_egyptfrm.htm


* Hunt for the "glueball" may be almost over,
physicist says: Physicists have been searching for three decades for a bizarre subatomic particle called a glueball.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...lueballfrm.htm


* Early dinosaurs had unusual growth abilities,
study finds: Some dinosaurs might have reached quite different adult sizes despite being from the same species, depending on conditions.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne..._plateofrm.htm


* Archaeologists unearth ancient "war zone" near Iraq border: Archaeologists say they have found the earliest evidence for large-scale warfare near ancient Mesopotamia.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...warzonefrm.htm


* Mural provides "window" into Maya origins:
The oldest well-preserved Maya mural provides a wealth of information on the civilization's origins, archaeologists say.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...yamuralfrm.htm


* Mysteries of early-aging syndrome unlocked,
researchers say: Understanding a condition that kills children by age 13 might benefit them, and the rest of us, scientists believe.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...rogeriafrm.htm

[gaddeswarup]

January 9 issue of New Scientist has the following article:
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/...mg18925334.000
titled “Men inherit hidden cost of dad’s vices”. The article is available only to subscribers.
The article says that some experiments indicate that nutrition and smoking early in life may affect men’s sons and grandsons. One recent study in U.K. says that men who started smoking before the age of 11 tend to have sons who are significantly fatter than average. Fortunately, there is no similar affect on daughters. Another older study from Swedon indicated that people whose grandparents had been short of food between the ages of nine and twelve tend to live longer. Again, this seems sex specific. The changes are supposed to be due to chemical changes in DNA, known as ‘epigenic’ modifications and may lost a few generations.
Swarup