Scientists around the globe are striving to find ways to survive on different planets — Mars being the priority. And we all know the amount of success they have had. Finally a breakthrough in this research could be the discovery of a bug found 2 miles deep in a Greenland ice sheet.

The H. Glaciei bacteria  belongs to the rare ‘ultramicro’ family which have the capability of surviving under extreme conditions. This particular bacteria was sleeping for a period of 120,000 years and was brought back to life by warming the ice samples that contained them.

(more…)

If you're new here and you like our articles, how about subscribing free for our updates via RSS feed.

Astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) have spotted what has been described as “two mysterious dark circles” in the ice of Lake Baikal in Russia. Some aspects of “odd blemishes” that the astronauts noticed in April 2009 defy explanation and hence mysterious.

Mysterious Circles in Lake Baikal in Russia (world

According to scientists, the two circles are the focal points for ice break-up, and may have been caused by “upwelling” of warmer water in the lake.

(more…)

National Center for Science Education executive director Eugenie C. Scott will guest start on the first hour of NPR’s Science Friday show for April 10, 2009.

Here’s what we know about Science Friday.

1. Science Friday aims to make science user friendly. We at GP love when folk take a scientific approach to things.
2. Science Friday has four blog writers – Bad Light Bulbs, Spring Buds, My Personal Cyber-Spy, And the Winning Vehicle is….
3. And they have a podcast
4. Science Friday has video archives.  Candy corn in space?
5. Science Friday makes science cool to know – Extinct Genes Resurrected, Spotting Stress in Statues, Dogs Bark, Birds Chirp, Fish Grunt
6. Science Friday tackles the difficult subjects – Texas Schools and Evolution, Obama, Congress, and Climate Change, Predicting Earthquakes
7. Science Friday is inviting the likes of Eugenie Scott of NCSE which defends the teaching of evolution in school.

In any event, it is never a bad thing if folk look at things rationally, scientifically, as long as the folk realize that science does not/cannot answer every question.

A team of scientists led by Dr. Bruce Logan of Penn State University are seriously engaged in using a microbe that could provide a solution for most of our environmental woes. A single arrow that shoots down two major eco-problems, this new species of bacteria known as Methanobacterium palustre apparently has the potential to turn CO2 into CH4. That means that you could soon store the carbon emissions of the world in a giant container and transform them into Methane— which is then used to generate energy.

Demonstration of a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC)

As incredulous as it sounds, the new process is based on the already known (and used) technique of water electrolysis, which converts water into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). In a similar fashion, the new method dubbed electromethanogensis will create methane out of carbon dioxide by using microbes.

While the process is still getting shape, many believe that bio-energy of this kind is just not economically and practically feasible. but we think that the magic of genetic engineering, biotechnology and nanotechnology could combine to change the perception for the next half of the century.

What will a large scale MFC system of the future look like?

For now, microbe-powered CO2 fuel cell canisters are still some way away. [Green Car Congress via Ecogeek]

Lithium ion batteries that are in the market today are already being hailed as major breakthroughs and are helping both the automobile industry as well as the electronic field in producing gadgets that are smaller, lighter and far more efficient than ever before.

But how about turning that up a couple of notches by creating cell phones that are fully charged in a matter of a few seconds and electric cars that can challenge an F1 vehicle for the top speed? As astounding as that sounds, the researchers at the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are moving ahead in that direction.

A couple of material experts at MIT have been in the process of designing a new Li-Ion cell that unlike traditional li-ion batteries, charge up faster and can even discharge energy in one single burst when needed. They’ve used a Lithium Phosphate coating to the existing batteries, the experts have succeeded in creating nano-scale tunnels for the swift movement of the electrons.

Considering that it’s just an enhancement to a technology that is already commercial, we’re expecting it to hit the market in the coming years.

Source: AFP
Image by kqedquest

A 5300-year-old mummified body of a man whom scientists have fondly named as Oetzi, has really altered our understanding of the human family tree and its gene pool with a DNA pattern that shows that he did not belong to any known branch of human family tree.

Oetzi was found preserved in the ice of the Eastern Alps in 1991 and since 1998 he has been on display at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy. The examination of DNA of Oetzi has revealed that he has no match to any of the known existing races in Europe and most likely has no descendants today.

The scientists examined Oetzi’s mitochondrial DNA and found that it was unique in its structure. The mitochondrial DNA is always passed down to future generations by mothers and since no human being today carries the similar structure, it is safe to conclude that Oetzi has no descendants today.

Although he fell into a subgroup called K1, his lineage did not match any of the three known K1 ‘clusters’. This really adds another chapter to the human family tree and our understanding of evolution.

Source

Geologists have come across a bewildering multitude of dinosaur footprints and tail-drag marks, of at least a 1,000 dinosaurs, on the Arizona-Utah border in the US. It is believed that 190 million years ago, the area, then in the tropics as part of the Pangaea continent, was a sandy oasis much like the Sahara Desert.

The tracks reveal that there must have been four species of dinosaurs ranging from the young to the adults that traveled all the way to the watering hole to quench their thirst. When Dr. Chan first saw these footprints in 2005, she thought that they were probably potholes created by erosion but on closer examination she noticed some prominent signs of claw, toe and heel marks.

These tracks had been hidden all these years under shifting dunes that later turned to Navajo Sandstone which then slowly eroded to reveal the fascinating footprints. But to the disappointment of Dr. Chan and all other geologists, these marvelous footprints too will slowly erode with time.

I wonder if Sarah Palin knows these interesting facts about dinosaurs … – via DailyMail

Carbon Sciences has recently declared that it has made an important breakthrough that can convert CO2 emissions into fuels. This would cut down on the 62 billion metric tones of CO2 – root cause of global warming, which is let out into the atmosphere every year.

The technology will use these harmful emissions and convert them into useful sources of energy.

As CO2 requires a lot of energy to break them into hydrocarbons that is used for fuel, Carbon Sciences is working on a technology, with the help of chemical and bioengineering principles that would hasten up this process. Since this process is highly energy efficient, they’ll set up a CO2 transformation plant that would use the CO2 released by a larger producer such as a power plant, and transform it into useable fuels.

This breakthrough technology promises that it can successfully give the world a cleaner atmosphere by closing the loop on carbon releases. – via Inhabitat

As the world is stepping towards the future, people have begun to realize how fast they are exhausting their natural resources.

Every effort is being made to conserve all kinds of energy, and so is it for non-renewable energy sources. A technology is being developed which would help us reduce our great dependence on non-renewable energy resources, thereby cutting down on carbon emissions.

This smart device is the light-emitting diode or in short LED.

LED will help enable a wireless technology based on visible light, replacing the now used radio frequency. Boston University’s College of Engineering under a grant from the National Science Foundation is working on such a device. The purpose of this project is not only to conserve electricity and in turn cut down the usage of ecological resources, but also to produce a wireless facility which would help access data and create smooth communication with just a glow of natural light. As for electricity, the consumption would definitely go down, hence saving on the bills.

How apt or efficient this technology would be is yet for us to see, but even so we wait with abated breath for this smart lighting to be launched.

You can read more about the technology at the Smart Lighting Engineering Research Center. – via EcoGeek

I’ve always admired how some of the tallest mountains on Earth stitch even the most beautiful clouds, but I never had the curiosity to research and see which are the biggest mountain peaks, how people call them or exactly how tall they are. For those that don’t know, here is a list with world’s top 14 highest and a few details on each one. They’re all eight-thousanders.

14. Shishapangma is a mountain entirely located within China (in central Tibet) and the name means “crest above the grassy plains” in Tibetan language. Highest peak on Shishapangma is 8,013 metres (26,289 ft). (more…)