Sunbeds ‘up risk of melanoma by 41pc’

MELBOURNE - A landmark Australian study has found that people who use sunbeds to get a tan are at an increased risk of 41 percent risk of developing melanoma.

Foldit computer game that tackles protein folding becomes a rage

LONDON - Foldit, which turns one of the hardest problems in molecular biology into a game a bit reminiscent of Tetris, has become a rage among common people as it allows them to fold a protein rather than stack coloured blocks or rescue a princess.

Saturn’s auroral heartbeat discovered

WASHINGTON - Uncovering what could be ‘one of the most perplexing puzzles in planetary science’, researchers at the University of Leicester have discovered that Saturn’s aurora, an ethereal ultraviolet glow which illuminates Saturn’s upper atmosphere near the poles, pulses roughly once per Saturnian day.

Now, Facebook mobile users can control privacy while on the move

LONDON - From now on, people using Facebook on their mobiles will be able to select whether their friends, or friends of friends, or everyone can see any new information that they post about themselves, for now the social networking site has extended its privacy controls to mobile devices

Potential cure for vision diseases that lead to terminal blindness found

WASHINGTON - Scientists have found a possible cure for degenerative vision diseases leading to terminal blindness.

Brain size determines whether fish like to hunt or wait for dinner

WASHINGTON - A new research has revealed that the brain size of fish determines their eating habit, whether they want to hunt down their prey or wait for it to come.

How malaria-causing parasites survive inside human blood cells

WASHINGTON - Scientists have discovered a new metabolic pathway used by malaria-causing parasites that apparently helps them survive inside human blood cells.

Why some are more susceptible to pain than others

WASHINGTON - Scientists have identified a gene associated with susceptibility to chronic pain in humans, signaling a significant step toward better understanding and treating the condition.

How gain and loss affect optimistic and pessimistic brains

WASHINGTON - Our belief in whether we would succeed or fail at a given task-and the consequences of winning or losing-directly affects the levels of neural effort put forth in movement-planning circuits in the human cortex, said neuroscientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

John the Baptist’s remains may be in 5th century Black Sea monastery

WASHINGTON - The remains of John the Baptist, the biblical prophet famous for baptizing Jesus, may be present in a 5th century monastery in the Black Sea.

Man who died 4,000 years ago gets face and voice

WELLINGTON - The Bronze Age Gristhorpe Man, who died about 4,000 years ago, now has a face and voice, thanks to academics in Yorkshire.

Deep brain stimulation may help Alzheimer’s patients

WASHINGTON - Doctors in Toronto, Canada have proved that the use of Deep Brain Stimulation on patients with early signs of Alzheimer’s is safe and it may help in improving their memory.

India, Nepal join hands to protect wildlife

NEW DELHI - India and Nepal have signed an agreement to jointly protect wildlife in the Himalayan region along the border, an wildlife conservation society official said.

Prayer really is capable of healing the sick

LONDON - The power of prayer really can help cure the sick, according to a new study.

A US team from Indiana University, led by religious studies professor Candy Gunther Brown, examined the effects of prayer in Mozambique and Brazil where spiritual healing for the blind and deaf is common.

Regrowing lost limbs may soon be a reality

WASHINGTON - Here’s some hope for those who lose limbs due to war, accident, or disease - a research on salamanders that may help turn the long-standing dream of human limb regeneration into reality.

Tiny fish evolved to survive colder temperatures in 3yrs: Study

WASHINGTON - University of British Columbia researchers have observed that in just three years, stickleback fish developed tolerance for water temperature 2.5 degrees Celsius lower than their ancestors.

Astronomers obtain 3D view of stellar explosion for the first-time

WASHINGTON - Astronomers have obtained a three-dimensional view of the distribution of the innermost material expelled by a recently exploded star.

425m-year-old blob-like ocean creature revealed in a 3-D model

WASHINGTON - Scientists have revealed a 3-D computer model of a unique blob-like creature that lived in the ocean approximately 425 million years ago.

Oz sponge may help shed light on life’s origin

LONDON - Rice University’s researchers have established a draft genome sequence for Amphimedon queenslandica, a sponge found off the coast of Australia - that can help them understand life’s origin on Earth.

100mn-year-old cat-like croc fossil found in East Africa

LONDON - Ohio University researchers have uncovered the skeleton of an ancient crocodile with mammal-like teeth in the Rukwa Rift Basin of Tanzania.

Traveling by car ‘contributes to global warming much more than by plane’

WASHINGTON - A new study has found that driving a car increases global temperatures in the long run more than making the same long-distance journey by air.

Personality traits in childhood are strong predictor of adult behavior

WASHINGTON - A new research has found that personality traits observed in childhood are a strong predictor of adult behaviour.