Science News

PET plastic bottles maybe harmful for health

Melbourne, April 29 : Drinking out of water bottles made from PET plastic may pose a human health risk, reveals a new study.

According to lead researcher Martin Wagner, Goethe University, Frankfurt, a questionable finger could be raised on the safety of the PET plastic water bottles.

The study found that estrogenic compounds trickle into the water in bottles made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate).

And some yet-to-be-identified chemicals in these plastics seemed to have the potential to meddle with estrogen and other reproductive hormones.

Novel target for depression treatment identified

http://www.topnews.in/health/files/Parkinsons-disease2.jpgWashington, Apr 29 : US researchers claim that a brain protein involved in fear behavior and anxiety may represent a new target for depression therapies.

The study, by researchers at the University of Iowa and the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, has appeared in the April 29 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

Depression can be severely disabling. However, the causes of depression are not well understood.

NASA’s online game lets you peer through the James Webb Space Telescope

NASA’s online game lets you peer through the James Webb Space TelescopeWashington, April 29 : NASA has developed a flash on-line game about telescopes, featuring its next-generation spacecraft, the James Webb Space Telescope.

The game, called "Scope it Out!" includes an introduction to telescopes and four matching games where you can compare simple telescopes to both Webb and the Hubble Space Telescope.

It was created at NASA Goddard by Maggie Masetti, with Dr. Anita Krishnamurthi providing oversight on the project.

Exoplanets which venture near their host stars are doomed to premature deaths

Exoplanets which venture near their host stars are doomed to premature deathsLondon, April 29 : Two new studies have suggested that exoplanets which venture near their host stars are doomed to premature deaths - even before they get close enough to be ripped apart by the stars' gravity.

According to a report in New Scientist, the studies say that a star's gravity can put a nearby planet on a `fast track' to spiralling into the star and may also cause the planet to lose much of its atmosphere.

Archaeologists claim discovery of China’s earliest known carving

New Delhi, April 29 : Archaeologists in China have claimed the identification of the country's earliest known carving, which is a deer antler sculpted into the shape of a bird, dating back 12,000 to 15,000 years.

The fossilized grey figurine, which is 2.1 centimeters long, 1.2 centimeters high and 0.6 centimeters thick, was found in Xuchang County in China's central Henan Province in March.

It is made from evenly-heated antler, and vividly carved with amicrolithic cutting tool.

"The carving technique is more exquisite than the western carvings of its time," said Li Zhanyang, head of the archeological team in Xuchang, and a researcher with the Henan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology.

Giant Pterosaurs were too heavy to fly, says scientist

Giant Pterosaurs were too heavy to fly, says scientistWashington, April 29 : A new study has suggested that animals heavier than 41 kilograms with wingspans greater than 16.7 feet wouldn't be able to flap fast enough to stay aloft, which indicates that giant Pterosaurs couldn't fly.

According to a report in National Geographic News, the conclusion casts serious doubt on the flying ability of large pterosaurs such as Quetzalcoatlus, thought to be one of the largest airborne animals of all time.

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