Israeli animals showing signs of post-war stress

Animals at the Haifa Zoo had their first breath of fresh air on Tuesday after taking a 34-day refuge in shelters, away from the thunder of rockets and gunfire.

Now, zoo officials say some species are showing signs of stress and weight gain, which can potentially endanger their lives.

Fragile species such as gazelles are more at risk, as they tend to suffer from heart attacks when stressed.

The zookeepers say the gazelles were outdoors when the fighting began, and several bombs went off around them before being taken into shelter.

While in hiding, the zookeepers used different methods to keep the animals busy and active.

Meat was hung off the ceilings of leopard and tiger cages so the animals could jump for them.

Zoo officials also stuffed jelly in bamboo shoots to let the monkeys dig around it for their food.

The officials say the zoo's business is suffering now, as July and August were the biggest tourist months of the year.

Photography: Jerusalem Shots

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 17 edition

21st century woolly mammoth may be possible: scientists

After an experiment that brought frozen mice back to life, Japanese scientists are now testing the same methods on ancient woolly mammoth remains.

Researchers from the RIKEN Bioresource Centre in Ibaraki, Japan worked with sperm from frozen mice and mice organs in the experiment with mice.

Now, fully intact woolly mammoth bodies have been excavated from Siberian permafrost in order to perform the same procedures.

The researchers believe that it will be possible to bring back the woolly mammoth, as the mice were held for 15 years in a frozen state before their sperm was extracted.

The mammoth's sperm nuclei may be inserted into elephants, as elephants are the mammoth's closest living relative.

Although the Japanese scientists are confident that this set of experiments may bring back prehistoric animals, others are not so sure.

Scientists at the University of Tennessee say that storage temperatures would have to be much lower than the -20 C of the Japanese team's samples to preserve the ancient remains. The U.S. scientists also say there is no guarantee that the DNA would not be damaged.

The Japanese ministries of education and health and the Human Science Foundation of Japan will be funding RIKEN's research.

Photography: Atmospheric Physics Department, University of Toronto

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 16 edition

U.S. satellite protection system could cause radio blackouts: study

U.S. researchers are developing a new system to protect satellites from solar storms and high-altitude nuclear detonations, but critics are saying that the system may have severe side effects that could harm radio communication.

The U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency will be creating a "radiation belt remediation" (RBR) system that will be used to protect hundreds of low earth-orbiting satellites.

Officials from both institutions say charged particles from the Van Allen radiation belts can harm onboard satellite equipment.

But an international team of scientists from the British Arctic Survey say that if this system is activated, it could disrupt high-frequency radio wave transmissions.

The system will use low-frequency radio waves to flush out charged particles from the Van Allen belts. It will then dump the particles into the upper atmosphere over the course of several days.

According to the scientists, the ionosphere will bounce the discarded particles around Earth, interrupting GPS communication between ground users and satellites, and causing intense high-frequency blackouts.

Planes and ships that rely on high-frequency communication can also lose contact, the scientists say. The scientists are asking policymakers to reconsider the affects of this system.

The research was published in the August edition of the journal, Annales Geophysicae.

Photography: Global Geografia

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 16 edition

Hot dog meat could harbour risk of cancer: researchers

Hot dogs may seem like the perfect barbecue food for the summer, but new research shows that eating them could lead to cancer.

Scientists from the University of Nebraska Medical Centre say hot dog meat may contain a DNA-mutating compound that can boost the risk of cancer.

The meat is preserved with sodium nitrate, which can form chemicals called N-nitroso, the scientists explain. This chemical usually causes cancer in lab animals.

The scientists extracted the chemical out of packaged wieners from the supermarket and mixed them with nitrate.

The results showed that carcinogenic compounds formed after the mixing.

Researchers from the American Meat Institute Foundation say that the study is still in its infancy and its results may not determine that hot dogs are directly related to cancer.

Future experiments conducted by the University will involve feeding wieners to lab mice to see if colon cancer or precancerous conditions develop, the scientists say.

The scientists study appears in the August 9 edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Photography: Newport Beach Fire Department

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 15 edition

NASA continues search for lost Apollo Moon tapes

Footage of the first walk on the Moon has been misplaced, according to NASA officials who have been searching for the footage for the past year.

The footage was sent to the U.S. National Archives, before being stored at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland.

But now some 700 boxes of magnetic tapes of the Apollo missions are reported to be missing.

These tapes include footage of the Apollo 11 mission with astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the moon.

The officials say they want to retrieve the footage to see if higher-quality images can be produced of the monumental event.

Some footage was transmitted from the moon to tracking stations in California and Australia, but in order to be broadcasted on TV sets in the late 60's, the images were degraded to a grainy quality.

Researchers from Australia are saying that it's imperative that the footage be found, as it is a defining moment in human history.

They say the transmitted footage can also be brought up to the quality of the originals by way of digital processing techniques.

Photography: Worth 1000

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 15 edition

Weather-forecasting pigeons to monitor smog

U.S. researchers will send a slew of technology-equipped pigeons into the sky to paint a picture of air pollution for non-scientists.

Scientists from the University of California will be releasing the birds as part of ZeroOne San Jose, a technology and art exhibit.

The birds will be flying over Silicon Valley on Saturday.

They will be armed with GPS monitors, pollution sensors, and cell phone transmitting equipment that can send data directly to computers on the ground.

The lightweight equipment - weighing 1.3 ounces for each one-pound bird - took one year to develop, according to the scientists.

The data collected by the pigeons will be sent to a weblog where it will be overlaid on Google maps.

Visitors can then access the maps and receive information about air pollution in the area.

Researchers say the birds will fly for about half an hour between 90 and 150 metres above ground.

The researchers also hope that the pigeons will gather information in areas that are unreachable by existing pollution-monitoring machines.

Photography: Education Environnement

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 14 edition

'Braveheart' war paint could help tackle cancer: study

A plant that provided war paint for ancient Britons and Celts may be a modern-day aid for fighting cancer, Italian researcher suggest.

A team of researchers from the University of Bologna say the woad plant - which produces blue dye of the same name - contains an anti-cancer compound called glucobrassicin.

The chemical is also found in other plants such as broccoli and cauliflower.

The scientists say the compound is effective in fighting breast cancer, and plays an active role in flushing out cancer-causing chemicals.

The researchers found that the woad plant contains 20 times more glucobrassicin than broccoli.

The amount of glucobrassicin increases even more - by 30 per cent - when the plant is damaged. That's because a defence mechanism takes over to produce more of the substance.

Because of this the scientists found even more success in extracting the substance after intentionally damaging part of the plant.

Many studies in the past have said that broccoli - and other vegetables containing glucobrassicin - has many health benefits, but scientists say this compound has been difficult to extract to conduct these studies.

The Italian researchers hope that this source can help scientists more easily conduct studies on plants' role in fighting cancer.

The researchers' study was published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

Photography: The Gutter

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 14 edition

Hyperactive gene in rice can help crop sustain flooding: study

Farmers have long battled with ways to preserve grains of rice, but like other crops, the rice plant dies after being underwater for more than a few days due to lack of sunlight and air.

Now an international team of researchers from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines and the University of California have identified a gene in the grain that enables rice to survive complete submergence.

The discovery could provide relief to 70 million of the world's poorest people, and may reduce crop losses from weeds in areas of the U.S., the scientists claim.

Going against the grain
The team identified a cluster of genes that are linked to biological processes related to the crop's vulnerability to flooding.

Then, using genetic mapping techniques, the researchers focused their attention on one of the genes, called Sub1A.

After tailoring the Sub1A gene to extreme weather conditions usually found in India, the scientists say the gene can become hyperactive, making it able to not only sustain flooding, but also produce high yields.

Next, the team will be studying how other genes regulated by Sub1A can further improve tolerance for flooding and other extreme weather conditions.

The researchers hope that the gene will also help suppress weeds, since the rice will have resistance to submergence, while the weeds will be susceptible to it.

The study was published in the August 10 edition of the journal, Nature.

Photography: Cartographers on the Net

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 11 edition

Back and forth on the butts

Ontario smoking ban may be a thorn in bar owners’ side

Owners of entertainment venues in and around the Greater Toronto Area are starting to feel the burn of cigarette butts -- or lack thereof -- as the summer comes to a heartbreaking, inevitable close.

The Ontario smoking ban, issued in May of this year, has put a strain on bar and club owners in particular, who have seen significant revenue differences. And between now and the end of August, there is no doubt these owners will try and get as much as they can out of their biggest cash cows.

Take Lauren Reid, for example. The 22-year-old avid partier is also an avid smoker, and yet the smoking ban hasn’t prevented her from going to her favourite bars and clubs in downtown Toronto. In fact, she is probably the ideal consumer for this type of situation -- one who is willing to take her smoke outside, and not let something like the ban get in the way of a good time.

“I much prefer fresh, clean air in a bar or club,” she said. “If I want to have a cigarette, I just step out onto the patio or back door. That way nobody is bothered by a smoky room.”

But those handling the cash may beg to differ. After all, not everyone is like Reid and would prefer the convenience of having a cigarette whenever and wherever they choose.

This is especially true since the fall season is approaching; temperatures will be dropping, and no longer will the outdoor designated smoking areas be a welcoming place to light up.

The Ontario smoking ban, in conjunction with a similar one issued in Quebec, indicates that smoking is no longer allowed in enclosed spaces, particularly in a restaurant or entertainment environment. This also means patios with rooftops and employee break rooms are banned, according to the Canadian Restaurants and Food Services Association (CRFSA).

Michael Ferrabee, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs with the CRFA, said business owners have taken the greatest hit from the smoking ban, and the ban on patios in particular was an anticipated problem long before the ban was finalized.

“It is important to recognize that restaurant and bar owners have made capital expenditures to build patios that comply with municipal bylaws,”he said. “For many, being able to allow their patrons to smoke on outdoor patios will be critical to their business survival.”

So far, the CRFA reported that bars, pubs, and nightclubs in Ontario have plummeted by 17 per cent between 2001 and 2005. The 2006 results are yet to come out, but officials have said previous decline was mainly due to a one-two punch of fewer customers and rising operation costs.

While this may not directly put the blame on the smoking ban, officials of other entertainment venues are certainly assuming it is the reason behind revenue decline.

Almost immediately following the ban issue in May, the city of Windsor has been struggling to keep its business’ doors open. The Bingo City, as it has been nicknamed, suffered a decline from five to 13 per cent in bingo hall revenue after the ban was finalized. Last year, bingo halls across the city earned over $15 million, supporting over 600 local charities.

And most recently, just last month Casino Windsor laid-off over 300 employees in part due to the smoking ban, according to casino officials.

Holly Ward, Director of Communications at the casino, said the smoking ban was partially to blame, although construction, the U.S. exchange rate, and high gas prices were also factors, the Toronto Star reported.

But some are saying the cutbacks are just investments in better healthy lifestyles.

In fact, Francis Thompson of the Non-Smokers Rights Association said revenue should actually be going up, if not breaking even.

“Keep in mind that daily smokers now account for just 15 per cent of the Canadian population,” she noted. “It would be very surprising indeed if this measure will cause some smokers to stay home, but it is almost certain to increase the willingness of non-smokers to spend times in restaurants and bars.

“Finally, even if there was a negative economic impact from smoke-free policies -- for which there is no empirical evidence -- what's more important: Human lives or the profits of some bar and restaurant owners?”

Restaurant and bar officials are now asking the Ontario legislature to issue permits specifically designed for designated smoking rooms, although there has been some negative responses.

The second level of the ban, currently pending, outlines how convenience store owners should hide tobacco products from the consumer’s view, a proposal that has also sparked continuous debate.

For more information on anti-smoking laws in Ontario, please visit Health Canada at www.health.gov.on.ca

Illustration: Trevor Turner

Source: Scene and Heard.ca, August 2006 issue

Eighteenth-century substance could revolutionize computing

A pigment dating back to the 18th century may be able to help modern-day computers perform tasks at unprecedented speed, new research suggests.

A team from the University of Washington has rediscovered a lost substance known as cobalt green - a mixture of zinc oxide and cobalt. The substance was first formulated in 1780.

The scientists say that this pigment could be a base for "spintronic" devices - or spin-based computer circuits.

Current computers can only crunch numbers by comparatively-crude electric charges.

Spintronic devices could manipulate magnetic properties in individual electrons.

Such computing could speed up processors, increase the efficiency of random access memory (RAM), and even help make quantum computing (which could use the ability of

quantum systems, like a collection of atoms, to be in many states at once) a reality, according to the study.

The scientists hope that eventually computer users won't even have to wait for programs to load.

For years, scientists have tried to find materials to help these spintronic devices, but most materials were either too volatile or needed to be "supercooled".

Cobalt green can be used at room temperature, which may make it one of the most stable and versatile tools for devices using such technology, the scientists claim.

The scientists say their research is still in its infancy, and the pigment's exact function in spintronic technology is still being investigated.

The scientists' research was published in last month's edition of Physical Review Letters.

Photography: Fine Arts Store

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 10 edition

Scientists compose 'concerto' out of volcano rumblings

Using a new seismic analysing method, European researchers are now able to listen to volcanoes sing.

Scientists from the University of Catania in Italy recorded low frequency seismic waves - which are usually inaudible to the human ear - and changed them into musical scores.

These "scores" can make it possible to predict future volcanic eruptions, the scientists say.

The method was tested on the largest volcano in Europe, Mount Etna, which is located on the Eastern Sicilian coast.

The team of scientists took Mount Etna's seismic wave record - also known as a seismogram - and placed the record onto blank music bars.

The bars were then overlaid with musical notes, so that a digital synthesiser was able to play the score.

The scientists used music recognition software to analyse the score for patterns.

So far, the team has analysed several hours of music with the software. They say some distinctive patterns have surfaced.

The scientists have since expanded their research to Ecuador to compose more scores for South American volcanoes, as part of the company E-Infrastructure shared between Europe and Latin America (EELA).

Photography: National Geographic

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 10 edition

'Ballbot' doesn't need legs to get around

A new robot perched-atop a rotating ball can perform the same tasks as those which use legs to get around.

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh created "Ballbot", a self-contained, battery-operated, robot that balances on a single metal sphere.

Much like multi-legged robots, Ballbot will be used to interact with people who are elderly, disabled, or who need assistance at the office.

Robots that have three or more wheels for support generally have bases that are too wide to move around furniture and people, the researchers say.

Ballbot's long, thin shape gives it the ability to move in tight spaces.

The svelte metallic assistant weighs in at about 43 kg (95 pounds.)

The robot has an internal computer that reads balance information, which then activates rollers that mobilize its sphere.

When the robot is not in use, retractable legs extend out for it to stand on.

The researchers eventually want to add a head and a pair of arms to Ballbot to help balance its body even further.

Ballbot was introduced at the International Symposium for Robotics Research in 2005, and most recently at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in May.

Photography: SFGate.com

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 10 edition

Monet paintings hold clues to Victorian-era pollution: researchers

Nineteenth-century Impressionist paintings by Claude Monet may serve as historical weather records for London's infamous "great fogs", according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham analysed a series of Monet's paintings during the painter's visits to London between 1899 and 1901.

According to the research, the paintings were created from a vantage point on the second floor terrace of St. Thomas's Hospital.

The researchers measured roofline features of architecture featured in the paintings, including the Houses of Parliament. Monet paintings featuring those buildings were started in February and March of 1900.

The calculations were then used to determine the positioning of the Sun in the paintings, which led to the exact dates and times of when Monet created them.

Next, the scientists compared the dates and times to weather records for the period Monet spent in London.

The results give an accurate record of Victorian London's urban atmosphere, and shed some light on causes of air pollution at the time, the scientists claim.

The "great fogs" were at their peak during the late 1880's, and gradually declined afterwards, but researchers know little about fogs' origin.

The scientists say further study will help discover particles in the air that may have contributed to the fogs.

The researchers' study was published in the recent edition of Proceedings of the Royal Society.

Photography: iBiblio

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 9 edition

65,000 km seabird odyssey is world's longest migration: researchers

One of the most abundant sea birds on Earth also has the longest animal migration route ever recorded, researchers have discovered.

According to researchers from the University of California, the sooty shearwater travels about 65,000 kilometres during its northbound migration.

That's approximately one and a half trips around the Earth.

The U.S. researchers - along with institutions from France and New Zealand - studied the migration cycle of the sea birds using electronic tracking technology.

The electronically-tagged birds traced a giant figure eight over the Pacific Basin - starting from Antarctic waters to coastal currents off California, Alaska, and Japan.

According to the study, the birds - which have a worldwide population of 20 million - visited feeding areas at or near the beginning of peak productivity of food.

The birds rapidly crossed the equator twice, stopping shortly to feed along the way.

The short pit stops are to take advantage of high food productivity in the Northern locations the birds visit, the scientists claim.

The scientists will record the migration once more to see if individual birds prefer one location or another for breeding.

The researchers' study will be published in next week's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Photography: Monterey Pelagic Seabird Cruises

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 9 edition

Researchers turn back the genetic clock in mice

U.S. researchers have taken a mouse back 500 million years by reconstructing an ancient gene that was present in primitive animals.

Scientists at the University of Utah used two genes found in modern mammals to conduct the experiment - one responsible for embryonic brain development and the other for the development of nerve cells.

The scientists took critical parts of each gene and combined them to create a hybrid gene, which mimics one found in mammals millions of years ago.

This recreated gene, called a Hox, is one of a group which direct the actions of other genes during embryonic development.

Early mammals had 13 Hox genes, which each split into four, making 52 genes in total.

Later, the genes mutated again and some disappeared, leaving the 39 Hox genes that are found in mammals today.

Although the hybrid gene is not exactly the same as the ancient gene, scientists say its developmental functions are similar.

The hybrid gene has the ability to control breathing functions, and nerves for facial expressions.

By reconstructing this hybrid gene, the researchers may be able to shed light on the process of evolution and how gene therapy can be improved.

The researchers' study was published in the recent issue of Developmental Cell.

Photography: Wildlife Britain

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 8 edition

Moon's abnormal bulge due to past oval orbit

An odd bulge on the moon's surface has been a mystery to astronomers since it was first discovered over 200 years ago, but a new study now shows its origin.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) believe that the moon engaged in an "eccentric" oval-shaped orbit 100 million years after its formation.

During this period of elliptical orbit, an excess amount of material formed around the moons equator before the moon's surface even solidified, the scientists say.

In order to study this orbital past, MIT scientists extrapolated backwards from ancient records of solar eclipses, and changes in distance between the Earth and our moon.

As time went on, the scientists say the orbit gradually became more circular and the moon developed into its solid form that we know today.

A French astronomer discovered the bulge in 1799, but this report is the first with substantial evidence of where it came from.

The researchers' findings were published in the August 4 issue of Science.

Photography: Russells Astronomy

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 4 edition

Scientists identify brain's gambling centre

Betting your hard-earned cash may be an impulse created by specific parts of your brain, new research suggests

Based on findings from an fMRI study, scientists from the California Institute of Technology say parts of the brain can separate risk judgment from other brain functions, such as learning and motivation. These results could lead to new treatments for gambling addiction or other disorders where risk assessment is abnormal.

Your brain on Black Jack

Participants involved in the study were asked to choose two cards from a deck numbered one to ten.

Before the cards were revealed, the participants were asked to bet $1 on whether the first or second card would be higher.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), images were taken of the participant's brain to see which areas were active during the betting process.

The researchers then studied the brain during the "anticipatory" period, after the first card was revealed.

The researchers claimed that the participant's brain responded to either reward expectation or risk, distinguishing particular areas of the brain for each reaction.

The research method and findings are published in the latest edition of the journal Neuron.

Photography: Poker Slums

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 4 edition

London zoo to track rare turtles across Indian Ocean

U.K. researchers will be attaching satellite tags to a number of hawksbill turtles, in efforts to learn how to better protect the endangered species.

Scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) say turtle mothers come to the same beach up to eight times a year to lay eggs, but many of the nests are often raided.

The researchers will be monitoring the mothers' journeys across the Indian Ocean to see where they go for the rest of the year.

State-of-the-art satellite tags will be attached to the shells of two or three female hawksbills to track their journey. The society hopes to expand the study to a greater number in the future.

The researchers believe that a better understanding of the turtles' migratory routes will help them discover the connection to differences in turtle populations.

The tracking project was first set-up three years ago to protect turtle nests in remote areas of Northern Mozambique. So far, the ZSL has protected more than 300 hawksbill and green turtle nests in the area.

Hawksbill turtles are currently suffering from excessive poaching, fishing, and loss of habitat.

Photography: The Placencia Breeze

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 4 edition

Robo-teddy could serve as therapy for chronically ill

MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) researchers have announced that a soft, plush robo-teddy that they've developed could soon serve as a form of therapy for a number of ailments.

The MIT scientists created a teddy bear, called Huggable, which will be able to provide affection for young patients by cuddling, nuzzling, and - of course - hugging.

Huggable has sensitive skin, located under layers of silicone and plush fur covering the bear's body. The skin has three sensors for temperature, force, and electric fields.

The scientists also embedded cameras in the bear's eyes and microphones in the fizzy companion's ears so the bear could help caregivers with patient monitoring and data collection.

According to MIT researchers, the idea of the prototype came from pet therapy, in which live animals interact with patients to help them recover.

Animal companionship benefits people by lowering stress, elevating mood, and helping them socialize with others, the scientists claim.

The researchers say the bear's aesthetic inspiration came from Gund Toys, but its technology mimics a similar bear from Steven Spielberg's movie A.I: Artificial Intelligence.

Photography: The Piggy Bank Shop

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 3 edition

'Brown dwarf' survives being swallowed by giant star

A "failed star" that emits only a dull glow has been "eaten" by a large nearby star and spit back out in one piece.

The large star - a red giant - was going through its final phase of life, having started a period of massive expansion when it swallowed the brown dwarf.

Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, astronomers say the brown dwarf - about 55 times the size of Jupiter - was actually orbiting inside the star.

Such giant stars can measure up to 100 times the size of the Sun.

Astronomers say the red giant then imploded, shedding its outer layers and revealing its core.

At the same time, the astronomers say the brown dwarf came out unscathed, a rare event for an object that small (relatively speaking).

Both the star and the brown dwarf are now the size of large planets and are orbiting one another, gradually moving closer together.

Astronomers say in 1.4 billion years the two will become so close that the star will act as a "vacuum cleaner", drawing gas from the brown dwarf in what they call a "cosmic cannibal act".

The astronomers claim that if the brown dwarf were any smaller - say less than 20 times Jupiter's size - it wouldn't have survived the implosion at all.

That being said, the astronomers also claim that if Earth suffered the same fate as the brown dwarf, it wouldn't have much luck either.

Photography: Universe Today

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 3 edition

Role of African storms explored in American hurricanes

U.S. researchers have discovered new insights into the origins of hurricanes in the nation's south.

Scientists from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Centre and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are conducting a study to see how tropical waves in Africa relate to hurricanes in the U.S.

The scientists realized that some clusters of tropical waves from Africa turn into hurricanes in the U.S., and some do not.

Of the ones that do form into named tropical storms, 60 percent can be accounted for by African thunder storms, according to NOAA hurricane researcher Jason Dunion.

Seven to ten times a month, clusters of storms roll off Africa's West Coast and make their way across the Atlantic, although many of them don't turn into hurricanes.

Upon further study, the scientists say a warm, dry, and dusty layer of sand blowing off the Sahara seems to stop or at least delay some of the hurricanes.

This is because the layer mixes with tropical waves, breaking up the thunderclouds' ability to transfer energy from the ocean to the atmosphere, according to the scientists.

Also, the scientists claim winds blowing at about 40 to 80 kilometres an hour in the Sahara may also help to break apart the thunderclouds.

The research is part of the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (AMMA).

Photography: Visible Earth NASA Images

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 3 edition

Lake Erie 'mirage' could be real: researchers

A "mirage" across Lake Erie seen beyond most people's range of vision may not be that farfetched, according to eyewitness accounts by residents of Cleveland, and scientific reports.

Some residents claim they are able to see the Canadian coastline 80 kilometres across Lake Erie, even though such a sight should be impossible to see. That is, unless it's a "mirage" or opitcal illusion.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University say mirages can occur during an atmospheric inversion.

This is when layers of cold air cover a surface and is then topped by layers of warm air.

When this happens, sunlight filters through the layers and bends, forming a lens that can project a view of distant objects.

Reports claim that even residents of Canada have driven along the coast and seen the city of Cleveland as if it was only four kilometres away.

Scientists say it's all possible, but if there is even a slight breeze, the image could be distorted or dissolved completely.

Photography: Huron-Clinton Metro Parks

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 2 edition

Large predators like to feast on prey with smaller brains: study

If you're prey for a predatory species, you'd better be smart and flexible, the latest research says.

Scientists from the University of Liverpool studied a number of different predators, such as jaguars, pumas, and chimps throughout Africa and South America.

Their study showed that the predators hunted on small antelope, mongooses, and red river hogs - all which have relatively small brains.

The scientists say this is because animals with smaller brains lack behavioural flexibility and are probably less capable of developing new strategies to fend off predators.

For example, chimpanzees would prey on red colobus monkeys, which have relatively small brains compared to their body size.

But the researchers noted chimps avoid Diana monkeys, which have larger brains.

Larger-brained animals are more sociable, or they're better at cracking ecological problems, claim the scientists.

The researchers' study was published in the current issue of the Royal Society Journal Biology Letters.

Photography: Desktop Exchange

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 2 edition

Distinctive crests figure into sex lives of flying dinosaurs

U.K. researchers have unearthed ancient dinosaur fossils, which could explain the active sex lives of the pterosaur.

Scientists from the University of Portsmouth studied a 65-million-year-old skull of a juvenile Tupuxuara, a type of pterosaur found in Northeast Brazil.

Researchers noticed that the juvenile skull had two crests - one on the back, and one on the front - rather than a single triangular crest that spanned the entire skull, a trait featured in adult Tupuxuaras.

The scientists claim these crests on young Tupuxuara would eventually join at the top of the skull when the pterosaur reached puberty.

This suggests that the pterosaur's headgear grew according to sexual maturity.

Researchers concluded that the pterosaur's sex life was "incredibly visual" with its crest acting like a peacock's tail to attract mates.

Pterosaurs lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and were the first actively flying vertebrates of the time, the scientists say.

The scientists' study was published in journal Palaeontology.

Illustration: Paleo Direct

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, July 28 edition