SCIENCE

Fuel Spill Spreads in Brisbane River

Diesel oil spilled into the Brisbane River near the commercial business district. The spill, near Eagle St Pier, was reported at 5:30 a.m. and is estimated to have spread 150 to 200 metres along the river's northern bank.

New Technology Lessens Dependence on Oil Imports

A company in the U.S. achieved a major breakthrough by transforming agricultural waste into fuel for motor vehicles and other useful chemicals by treating the waste with compacted water heated to extremely high temperature.
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The Nose Divide: Separate Receptors for the Good and Bad Smells

The inner dynamics of a person's nose can be likened to a household, with separate teams doing their own separate tasks. Nasal molecules that respond to pleasant smells hold a different location from molecules that respond to unpleasant smells. This was the result of a study that aimed to test the hypothesis that "the organization of the olfactory epithelium reflects olfactory perception."

Caffeine Lessens Depression on Women

Females who want to get rid of depression can now find solace in drinking caffeine-laced drinks although researchers based in Harvard claimed that more research is necessary before they can recommend that drinking several cups a day can be considered as therapy.

Genetics Make Some Steroids Ineffective on Asthmatics

A medical study released online on Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that certain individuals afflicted with asthma will not be capable of responding to inhaled steroids which are used for long-term asthma control.

Japan Steps up Decontamination near Fukushima Plant

A few days after alarming levels of radioactive cesium and iodine 131 were reported near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, local officials plan to decontaminate homes within 60 kilometers, NHK World News reported.

Chinese Spacecraft Gears up for Launch

China is launching its first space laboratory module at the end of the week, with final preparations for the Tiangong-1 spacecraft launch in full swing.

India and China Hold First Strategic Economic Dialogue

In the first India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue held in Beijing, Indian delegates headed by Deputy-chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia told media the dialogue serves as a "knowledge transfer" conveying substantial benefits to both countries, The Hindu reported.

Mutant Cane Toads Invade Oz Territory

A Virginia resident last week sent in proof of the this next step in the evolution of the cane toad with five legs. Five legged cane toads have been discovered before most notably back in 2007 with a five legged frog by the name of Jake the Peg in Tumbling Waters near Darwin River.

Bin Liners and the Alternatives to your Used Plastic Bag

Starting on September 1, 2011 the official single use plastic bag ban has begun in the Northern Territory. Some people are cheering and happy but others are now scratching their heads… what do we now use to line our rubbish bin?

Falling NASA Satellite Passes by Australia

The falling NASA satellite bypassed Australia late this afternoon according to astronomers who have been keeping track of its descent.NASA expects the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite or UARS to crash back to Earth within the next 24 hours but hasn't been able to pinpoint where in the world it would land. So far the possible landing area covers the entire populate planet except for Antarctica.

Feds Give Green Light to Chevron’s Giant LNG Project in Pilbara

The federal government stamped its environmental approval on the Chevron-led Wheatstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) project that experts said would lead to billion-dollars of investments but could disrupt the marine eco-system off the coast of Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

Yao Ming and Richard Branson Join Campaign Against Shark Fin Trade

Retired Chinese NBA star Yao Ming has teamed up with British business tycoon Richard Branson in convincing Chinese citizens especially the affluent families against eating shark fins emphasizing the government must be strict in implementing the law on their trade and use.

What to Do if Hit by NASA’s Satellite Debris from Space

This weekend, there is one-in-3200 risk that the speeding debris of the defunct 6-tonne, 35-ft NASA satellite the size of a school bus would hit someone on Earth. What do you do if you got "lucky?" NASA says, "Don't touch it."

NASA Satellite to Hit Earth Friday

A giant NASA satellite is expected to crash to the Earth's surface on Friday. The 12,500-pound, 35-foot long Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite is estimated to be the size of a school bus.

China will Launch Own Spacecraft Before National Day

China's technological sleight has taken a new dimension as it plans to launch its experimental aerospace, which is expected to commence on the communist country's attempt to build its own space station, says a report from Reuters.

Skull Found in Nigeria Supports Interbreeding with Primitive Humans

A study on a human skull found in the Iwo Eleru cave in Nigeria, West Africa, shows that modern humans and older subspecies of human might have lived at the same era and even reproduced in the region. Modern humans are estimated to have first appeared in Africa 200,000 years ago. Some scientists are saying that older humans must have lingered and interacted with the new generation of human life.

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