How dangerous are air pollutants really?

Posted by Bridget in Science in Society

How severely do smog, diesel exhaust and second-hand smoke damage the lungs? What do pollen or Nan particles trigger when they infiltrate the human body through inhaling?

At this year’s BIO Convention in Chicago from May 3 to 6, Fraunhofer researchers will present a new test system that can be

Archaeologists uncover land before wheel; site untouched for 6 000 years

Posted by admin in Life, Palaeontology

Previously unexcavated site reveals clues about world’s first cities
A team of archaeologists from the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute, along with a team of Syrian colleagues, is uncovering new clues about a prehistoric society that formed the foundation of urban life in the Middle East prior to invention of the

Detecting defects with wind and water

Posted by admin in Physics & Maths

Bridges, aircraft and wind turbines are in constant movement. Natural forces and pedestrians all create vibrations. Previously, time-consuming tests were needed to determine how building components would react to vibrations. Now, researchers have developed a simpler method.
A narrow iron bridge is perched high above the river. A pedestrian on it

Tracking down rust

Posted by admin in Physics & Maths

Damage to concrete bridges caused by rust can have fatal consequences, at worst leading to a total collapse. Now, researchers have developed an early-warning system for rust. Sensor-transponders integrated in the concrete allow the extent of corrosion to be measured.
Concrete bridges have to be strong enough to cope with a

Microbe detective seeks out germs

Posted by admin in Science in Society

Microorganisms are everywhere and most of them are harmless, but they can do a lot of damage in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals or in tissue transplants. With the aid of a new device, germs can be detected in artificial cartilage within a few hours.
We are surrounded by microorganisms. They inhabit

Fossil finger points to new human species

Posted by admin in Life, Palaeontology

DNA analysis reveals lost relative from 40 000 years ago.
By Rex Dalton
In the summer of 2008, Russian researchers dug up a sliver of human finger bone from an isolated Siberian cave. The team stored it away for later testing, assuming that the nondescript fragment came from one of the