World's Largest Plants Database Assembled (30/12/2010)
The extensive catalog was created to help conservationists, drug designers and others avoid confusion over plant names.
The database identifies 1.25 million names for plants, from the common to the exotic.
The goal is to avoid false identification and ensure the future success of species
Contract Marks New Generation for Deep Space Network (30/12/2010)
Flower sharing may be unsafe for bees (27/12/2010)
Wild pollinators are catching honeybee viruses, possibly from pollen.
Eleven species of wild pollinators in the
Most of these native pollinators have n’t been recorded with honeybee viruses before, according to Diana Cox-Foster of
Inventors and Remarkable People (27/12/2010)
Education and inspiration via underwater robot If you like gadgets, and you like the ocean, then you must like ROVs – it’s just that simple. For the uninitiated, ROVs (Remote Operated Vehicles) are small unmanned submarines that are used for underwater operations deemed too deep, dangerous or difficult for human divers. They’re tethered to a support ship, from which a human operator controls them in real time, watching a live video feed from an onboard camera. It’s all incredibly appealing to those of us who are fascinated by the prospect of what secrets lurk beneath the surface of the ocean... or of the local pond. A few dedicated souls go so far as to trying to create their own homebuilt ROVs, many of them turning to what has become the bible on the subject, Build Your Own Underwater Robot and other Wet Projects. Gizmag had a chance to talk to the two authors of the book, and found out what inspired them to pursue such an unlikely project.
The real-life Da Vinci Code: Historians discover tiny numbers and letters in the eyes of the Mona Lisa (17/12/2010)
Intrigue is usually focused on her enigmatic smile.
But the Mona Lisa was at the centre of a new mystery yesterday after art detectives took a fresh look at the masterpiece – and noticed something in her eyes.
Hidden in the dark paint of her pupils are tiny letters and numbers, placed there by the artist Leonardo.
Saturn’s rings explained (13/12/2010)
A shattered moon could have sprayed ice particles around the planet
Rooting for swarm intelligence in plants (12/12/2010)
Researchers argue for a type of vegetative group decision making usually associated with animals
VEGETABLE SMARTSA plant’s roots may turn out to show swarm intelligence, much as honeybees or humans can, sharing information and solving a problem as a group.mike_expert/shutterstock
New Insights Into Formation of Earth, the Moon, and Mars (11/12/2010)
New research reveals that the abundance of so-called highly siderophile, or metal-loving, elements like gold and platinum found in the mantles of Earth, the Moon and Mars were delivered by massive impactors during the final phase of planet formation over 4.5 billion years ago. The predicted sizes of the projectiles, which hit within tens of millions of years of the giant impact that produced our Moon, are consistent with current planet formation models as well as physical evidence such as the size distributions of asteroids and ancient Martian impact scars.
Azimut project aims to develop world’s largest capacity wind turbine (07/12/2010)
Currently, the world’s largest capacity wind turbine is the Enercon E-126, which has a rated capacity of 7.58 MW. It has held that honor since its introduction in 2007, but is under threat of losing the title with a number of 10 MW turbines currently in development – including what was destined to be the world’s biggest wind turbine to be built in
IBM scientists have unveiled a new chip technology that integrates electrical and optical devices on the same piece of silicon, enabling computer chips to communicate using pulses of light (instead of electrical signals), resulting in smaller, faster and more power-efficient chips than is possible with conventional technologies.
