Sultry Saturday for Delhi, monsoon likely next week

NEW DELHI - Delhi experienced a hot and humid day Saturday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures two and three notches, respectively, above average, weather officials said. Respite is in sight, however, with the monsoon expected to hit the capital next week.

High altitude mice make efficient use of little oxygen

TORONTO - Mice make optimum use of little oxygen at high altitudes during exercise, according to Canadian and Peruvian scientists, who are keen to establish whether a similar strategy exists in humans that have evolved at high altitudes.

Russian spaceship ready to dock with ISS again

Moscow, July 3 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian cargo spaceship Progress M-06M which failed to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) Friday is ready for yet another attempt Sunday.

New iPhone apps for ‘Twilight’ fans to sink their teeth into

NEW YORK - ‘Twilight’ fans, who have not had enough of the franchise, can now satiate their appetite with a few new iPhone applications.

Humans as predators led to the extinction of woolly mammoths

WASHINGTON - Life scientists have found what led to the extinction of woolly mammoths and other large mammals more than 10,000 years ago- entry of humans as predators.

Halting carbon dioxide emissions cannot avert climate change

WASHINGTON - With carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air approaching alarming levels, even halting emissions altogether may not be enough to avert catastrophic climate change. Could scrubbing carbon dioxide from the air be a viable solution?

Cellphones are as good forensic tools as fingerprints

WASHINGTON - Cellphones and other mobile devices are as much reliable as fingerprints for criminal investigations, according to a study.

New discovery takes scientists a step closer to quantum computers

LONDON - Taking a step nearer to quantum computers, University of Maryland researchers have used a unique hybrid nanostructure to show a new type of light-matter interaction.

Wallabies, bats harbour ‘fossil’ genes from deadly human viruses

WASHINGTON - Modern marsupials, like wallabies and bats, harbour a “fossil” copy of a gene that codes for filoviruses, which cause Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fevers and are the most lethal viruses known to humans, revealed University at Buffalo biologists.

Why one should never arm-wrestle a saber-toothed tiger

WASHINGTON - Researchers have found why saber-toothed tigers were a force to reckon with when it came to arm wrestling.

Beware of Internet-based medicine info

WASHINGTON - A new study has found that the quality of online information about the most common sports medicine diagnoses varies widely.

World must expect more oil spills, says scientist

WASHINGTON - The world should expect more disasters like the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as the days of easy oil are over, a scientist says.

Oil spills increase arsenic levels in the ocean: Study

WASHINGTON - A new research has found that oil spills can increase levels of toxic arsenic in the ocean, creating an additional long-term threat to the marine ecosystem.

Oil spills raise toxic arsenic levels in ocean

LONDON - Oil spills can raise levels of toxic arsenic in the ocean, creating an additional long-term threat to the marine ecosystem, according to new research.

Heavy rainfall lashes parts of Mumbai

MUMBAI - Heavy rainfall lashed parts of Mumbai Saturday leading to water logging and traffic jams in some areas.

Anger triggers people’s support for wartime presidents

WASHINGTON - Anger, not anxiety, is what makes people supportive of a president when a nation is going to war-a phenomenon known as the “rally ’round the flag effect”, according to a study based in US.

Sabertooth tigers were powerful animals

WASHINGTON - Saber-toothed tigers, which existed 10,000 years ago, had exceptionally strong forelimbs to pin down their prey compared to the present day cat family.

Soon, insect-like robots that crawl into creeks and carry heavy loads

WASHINGTON - An insect-like robot with hundreds of tiny legs could soon crawl through cracks to explore collapsed structures, collect environmental samples and do other tasks where its small size is a benefit.

Our brains much more similar to birds’ than we thought

WASHINGTON - It has long been believed that the brains of humans and other mammals differed from the brains of other animals, such as birds. But a new study has found that a comparable region in the brains of chickens concerned with analyzing auditory inputs is constructed similarly to that of mammals.

Men ‘like women with small feet’

LONDON - Men prefer women with small feet - though they might not be aware of it, says a new study.

What do astronauts eat in space?

WASHINGTON - Fascinated by space and the astronauts? Then you would be happy to know what exactly they eat for survival when in space.

Air pollution doesn’t increase risk of preterm delivery

WASHINGTON - Exposure to carbon monoxide and fine particles in the air during pregnancy does not increase the risk of preterm delivery or preeclampsia, according to a new study.

Divorce ‘may be better for kids’

WASHINGTON - A new study has suggested that parents shouldn’t stay in a bad marriage for the sake of their children.

Even a USB coffee-cup warmer ‘can steal your data’

LONDON - A USB coffee cup warmer could be a potential thief and steal personal data from your computer, say engineers.

Classical music stirs vegetative patients’ souls just as healthy people

LONDON - It is said ‘music pulls the heartstrings of listeners’, and a new study has proven it right by claiming that playing classical music to vegetative patients could change their heart rate in the same way as that of healthy controls.
It suggests that music can affect the neural systems of emotion even when conscious thought is impossible.

Males who can shed tears really can drive females wild

WASHINGTON - Shedding a tear really can help males attract females - at least when it comes to mice.

A car for the blind by next year

LONDON - A car which can be driven by the people without eyesight could be available by next year, The Telegraph newspaper said here quoting US researchers.

Heat still on, Delhi eagerly awaits monsoon

NEW DELHI - Delhi is set for another sweltering day Saturday with the maximum temperature likely to hover around 40 degrees Celsius. While the city still eagerly awaits the monsoon, a thunderstorm is likely in some areas, a weather official said.