Cars of the Future will be made of plastic
Posted: June 30, 2009 Filed under: inventions 1 Comment »New materials for car bodies may soon transform the auto industry. Auto engineers can mold these carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics into virtually any shape. The materials are both strong and light — increasing fuel efficiency and safety at the same time.Cars built entirely out of plastic could be the wave of the future, making metal a thing of the past when it comes to cars.New, innovative cars made almost entirely of plastic are paving the way for what you may be driving in the future.
Baltic and Black seas most polluting
Posted: June 30, 2009 Filed under: oceans, Remote Sensing 101, Satellites 1 Comment »
The first results of the satellite radar imagery of the five seas around Russia have been summed up. The project is being accomplished by “ScanEx” RDC since May 21 in the interests of the state with the objective to estimate ecological condition of the Baltic, Black, White, Caspian and Okhotsk seas. After processing more than 50 images from RADARSAT-1 (Canada) and ENVISAT-1 (ESA) satellites, it was revealed that the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea have the biggest problems in terms of oil products pollution. No spills were found in the White Sea. It is believed that the main contribution to sea pollution is the result of large-scale accidental oil spills similar to that of Kerch catastrophe of 2007. But according to UN data, the total contribution of accidental oil spills constitutes only 10-15%, while everyday pollutions from river flows, enterprise and ship discharges of waste water continue to be the main sources of pollution. In general, the results of the monitoring turned out to be quite unexpected. Satellite imagery showed a high level of pollution of the Gulf of Finland water area along waterways. Earlier it was believed that the Baltic Sea is under thorough control and that restrain captains of the ships from violations of ecological legislation.
CRPF,India seeks to expedite satellite imaging project to track naxals
Posted: June 30, 2009 Filed under: Countries, India, Satellites Leave a comment »The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will soon approach the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to expedite the ongoing project of high-resolution satellite imaging and video mapping of dense forest areas, used by naxalites and jihadis as hideouts. The project, launched in March last year, is aimed at having exact three-dimensional maps of such areas. Currently, aerial videography of the forests and the hills in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand is underway. Since lack of knowledge of the topography has been the biggest hurdle for security personnel, CRPF had contacted ISRO to provide such maps which would help it carry out its operations with precision. “ISRO, Bangalore, is designated as the lead agency for satellite imageries as well as compact GIS solutions for the force. It will provide a customised service to CRPF for providing ground level observation as well as navigation with precision and speed for operational effectiveness,” said a senior home ministry official.
Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
After 19 years, Ulysses solar probe to go dark
Posted: June 27, 2009 Filed under: News, Space 1 Comment »NASA and the European Space Agency are about to pull the plug on a robotic solar probe that just wouldn’t quit. The Ulysses probe was launched from the space shuttle Discovery in 1990. It was supposed to last five years. But it’s now nearing 19 years, 5.8 billion miles and still going.
Sixteen months ago, the two space agencies announced that Ulysses was freezing up and about to die in a matter of weeks. Somehow it kept operating, sending important science information about an extraordinarily quiet year for the sunspots and solar wind.That will end when the space agencies turn off Ulysses’ transmitter. Officials say issues with power, location and antennas make it no longer useful.
Joint effort of UNESCO and Norway to preserve Pak culture
Posted: June 27, 2009 Filed under: Countries 1 Comment »Norway and Pakistan would carry out mapping of tangible and intangible cultural assets in NWFP, focussing initially on seven districts, in collaboration with UNESCO, according to Robert Kevile, Norwegian Ambassador.The project would focus initially on districts of Peshawar, Mardan, Mansehra, Charsadda, Swat, Bannu and Chitral. Naeem Tahir, the PNCA director general ensured UNESCO, Norway, and members of all agencies involved in the project of his full support.
Source : http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/
Castor-oil Plants Genetically Altered To Produce New Bio-lubricants
Posted: June 26, 2009 Filed under: BIODIVERSITY Leave a comment »
Almeria-based researchers, led by Federico García Maroto, have genetically altered the castor-oil plant so as to use it as a factory to produce bio lubricants.The team of scientists is also working on the introduction of genes into castor-oil plants with a technique that is effective and reproducible for the production of generally applicable bio lubricants. That is, they aim to make a great battery of bio lubricants with different applications: automobile industry, aero generators, industrial engines and motors, etc.
Moreover, the Institute of Sustainable Agriculture of Córdoba is developing the agronomic aspect of castor-oil plants. The aim of two-folded: on the one hand, to obtain varieties adapted to current culture conditions in Spain, and on the other hand, that they have a high performance level to obtain high quality oil for lubricants, and therefore, a high content of oleic acid and antioxidant compounds.
Galaxies Coming Of Age In Cosmic Blobs
Posted: June 25, 2009 Filed under: Space Leave a comment »
The “coming of age” of galaxies and black holes has been pinpointed, thanks to new data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes. This discovery helps resolve the true nature of gigantic blobs of gas observed around very young galaxies.
About a decade ago, astronomers discovered immense reservoirs of hydrogen gas — which they named “blobs” – while conducting surveys of young distant galaxies. The blobs are glowing brightly in optical light, but the source of immense energy required to power this glow and the nature of these objects were unclear.
A long observation from Chandra has identified the source of this energy for the first time. The X-ray data show that a significant source of power within these colossal structures is from growing supermassive black holes partially obscured by dense layers of dust and gas. The fireworks of star formation in galaxies are also seen to play an important role, thanks to Spitzer Space Telescope and ground-based observations.
Global Map Of Ammonia Emissions Measured From Space Reveals New Hotspots
Posted: June 24, 2009 Filed under: pollution Leave a comment »
Distribution of ammonia in 2008, measured using the IASI instrument on board the /MetOp satellite, superimposed on an image of Europe obtained on August 30, 2008 by MODIS. Yellow to red colors indicate regions with high ammonia concentrations. The white structures are clouds. (Credit: Copyright Image MODIS Copyright L. Gonzalez/C. Deroo LOA; Image IASI Copyright ULB & INSU-CNRS)
The first complete map of global ammonia emissions has recently been achieved using to satellite data. It reveals an underestimation of some of the ammonia concentrations detected by current inventories, and identifies new hotspots.This work, carried out by a team from LATMOS-IPSL (CNRS/UPMC/UVSQ) in collaboration with Belgian researchers from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, was facilitated by the infrared measurements of the French IASI instrument, part of the MetOp meteorological satellite developed by CNES.
Ammonia (NH3) contributes significantly to the formation of the particles that give rise to pollution episodes. It mainly emanates from the use of agricultural fertilizers and increasingly intensified livestock breeding practices. Ammonia is the least well-understood pollutant regulated by European Directives on air quality. Mapping of its emissions are imprecise and systematic global monitoring of this compound is difficult. Once emitted, ammonia only remains in the atmosphere for a short period but triggers a cascade of environmental effects. At a local level, high ammonia concentrations affect fauna, flora and air quality.
Patagonian glaciers melting at unprecedented rates
Posted: June 24, 2009 Filed under: climate change, Glaciers 2 Comments »
Grey's Glacier meets Lake Grey in Patagonia's Torres del Paine National Park. Photo courtesy of Flickr, bigeoino
The latest research expedition to the Southern Patagonia Ice Field revealed that alpine glaciers in the Chilean and Argentine Andes are disappearing at much faster rates than previously anticipated by the scientific community.The scientists discovered that the masses of ice in the Patagonia are melting in larger proportions and in much higher alpine zones than in any other part of the world, including Alaska and the Himalayas. Glacier ice accounts for around 75 percent of the world’s fresh water.
Dinosaurs May Have Been Smaller Than Previously Thought
Posted: June 23, 2009 Filed under: BIODIVERSITY 1 Comment »
The largest animals ever to have walked the face of the earth may not have been as big as previously thought, reveals a paper published in the Zoological Society of London’s Journal of Zoology.Scientists have discovered that the original statistical model used to calculate dinosaur mass is flawed, suggesting dinosaurs have been oversized.Widely cited estimates for the mass of Apatosaurus louisae, one of the largest of the dinosaurs, may be double that of its actual mass (38 tonnes vs. 18 tonnes).
