Month: December 2013

Trephination: Cranial Surgery Started With Hand Drilling In Neolithic times

Pooja Kashyap

Twenty first century is an epitome of progress and technological advancement. With the coming of stem cells, humanity has totally revolutionized medicine, an effort that was started in 1998. Stem cells are the all purpose cells, these cells have an entity of immature cells but have a huge potential of developing into many different kinds of cells. But amongst all these progression, cranial surgery is still a risky business. If we talk about the external factors employed today, surgeons are always endowed with aseptic environment, specialized surgical instruments and other…

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Beginning Of A New Communication Paradigm For Graphene

Pooja Kashyap

Graphene, I am sure, is one of the most sought after materials for researchers across the world today. Just two months back we shed light on how graphene will be replacing silicon in the chips creating revolution in the field of semiconductors and then we talked about the new annealing treatment that might take graphene to the next level. Still curious for more, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology claim that they have devised a mechanism through which they can extent the capability of nanoscale antennas fabricated from graphene…

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Free Play For Everyone (1)

Wa'd Abuzurayk

As promised in my last article, today I start a new series of posts to direct parents on how to spend what I like to call “smart times” with their little ones, and play games that will support a healthy development. In order to play right, a parent must know the types of play and the normal development of play in a child. This will give parents an opportunity to target the different types of play during their shared quality time. The main types of play are acquired throughout the…

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Crocodiles And Alligators Uses Sticks To Lure Birds In Its Trap

Neha Shukla

We know alligators and crocodiles have successfully inhabited the earth for some millions of years. Both the species are known to ambush their prey by lying unmoved under the water waiting for the right time to attack. However, recently scientists have found a new predating method in these reptiles. The Mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris in India) and American alligators( Alligator mississippiensis in the USA) have been seen lying partially submerged in water, placing sticks on their snout to lure the birds close enough to be attacked. 

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Badmouthing Employers On Social Media: A Sign Of Harmony Imbalancement In Life

Pooja Kashyap

We are in a public space, internet or to be more specific, social media knows no such thing as ‘privacy’. ‘Groups’ as in Facebook or ‘circles’ as in Google Plus are nothing more than illusionary barriers which in the real sense are thwarting privacy. Levels of privacy are mirage, an illusionary fence of the social networks, a concept, which is very much clear with the Facebook account holders. If internet is a vast ocean then social networks are aquatic concorde jets, creating ripping effects while at the same time gliding…

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BioPen: A New Bone Printing Pen

Neha Shukla

Researchers at University of Wollongong (UOW), Australia has developed a new device using the 3 D printing technology known as BioPen. The latest technology will give the surgeons the power to design tailored implants directly at the injury spot and during surgery. Earlier surgeons had tough time finding matching tissues or body parts during surgeries and transplants. Using this hand held BioPen, creating even new bones identical to individual patient will now be possible. 

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New Annealing Treatment Might Take Graphene To The Next Level

Pooja Kashyap

Graphene wafers are the subject of interest for the researchers at MIT and the University of California at Berkeley these days. The 2-dimensional, crystaline allotrope of carbon has huge potential across applications like solar cells, thermoelectric devices and water filtration to name a few but the expensive treatment is becoming a major huddle in its advancement. Therefore, to bring about the material’s versatility the team has put forth a solution, which they claim is inexpensive relatively. Pure graphene does not qualify for any electronic devices but the scenario changes with…

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Tardigrades Might Help Humans In Developing Space Ecosystem

Neha Shukla

Tardigrades (also known as waterbears) are the toughest organism capable of thriving in the most unfavorable conditions on earth and even in the outer space. Tardigrades have been found living in low temperatures (just above the absolute zero), high temperatures (above boiling point of water), can bear high pressure, high ionizing radiations and can even exist in the vacuum of the space. And because of this unique survival skill of the organism, the scientists have classified them as extremophiles i.e. an organism capable on living in the harshest of conditions,…

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In Conversation With Journalist Turned Entrepreneur, Ershad Khandker

Pooja Kashyap

Working previously as Managing Editor at New Age and General Manager at Financial Express both leading newspapers of Bangladesh, Ershad Khandker is our latest interviewee. He has a prestigious portfolio, moving from the world of print media into the world of self-driven entrepreneurship, highlighting the need for entrepreneurs to work in tandem with others “by constantly being sensitive to their needs” and to create a world of new humanism is his mantra in life. Scroll down and take a dip into the mind of the ever encouraging and self-motivated individual,…

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Link Between Brain Development And Poverty Found

Wa'd Abuzurayk

(SES) refers to socio-economic status households. It is known amongst education and health professionals in the field of child development that early years’ experiences have a huge effect on children’s ability to acquire developmental milestones. Such experiences are greatly associated with family lifestyle and conditions. A new study found a connection between the child’s brain development and family income. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who proved that families living with incomes under 200 percent of the federal poverty line have less gray matter in their…

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Europa, Jupiter’s Moon Is Spewing Off Water Vapour

Pooja Kashyap

Latest finding put forth by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has confirmed that Europa, Jupiter’s moon, is ejecting water vapour. Its surface consists of water ice and has one of the finest gradients in the Solar System. This has led to a conceivable notion that there might exist water ocean underneath. As per the space scientists, this sign might give rise to a possibility of habitability. The discovery that water vapour is ejected near the south pole strengthens Europa’s position as the top candidate for potential habitability. However, we do not…

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Chameleons Convey Messages By Changing Colors

Neha Shukla

So far, it was believed that the chameleons change color to match to their background, which’ll make them safer as then it’ll be difficult to locate them. However, as per a new research done on veiled chameleons (Chameleon calyptratus), changing color is meant to communicate other information as well than just to camouflage. Male chameleons have been seen using the change in colors as a signal to ward off its enemy. Researchers from Arizona State University, observed the bright color stripes on the side and top of the male chameleons,…

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Meet Valkyrie, Johnson Space Center’s New Super Hero

Pooja Kashyap

NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in association with the University of Texas and Texas A&M and with funding from the state of Texas itself have built a humanoid to which they call, Valkyrie, officially designated as “R5”. The bot is 6.2 feet tall, weighs around 125 kgs with 44 degree of freedom and is powered by battery. The machine is not built for any space mission or otherwise but for the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC), that’ll hold its first round of competition in the second half of this month.

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Newly Discovered Sound-Producing Organ in Koalas

Wa'd Abuzurayk

“Cute” is a word usually associated with Koalas. However, these small sized bears have been recently discussed from an angle distant from that related to their scrumptious looks; one that uncovered the mystery of their deep voices. Koalas have always puzzled scientists with their low-pitched bellows, which are considered about 20 times lower than they should be considering their body sizes. This estimation was made considering that the size of the vocal cords of an animal determines the pitch of their voices. Accordingly, smaller-sized animals are known to produce higher-pitched…

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