Being a good driver is no more the sole criteria for getting a driving license… at least not in Britain. One has to show that he or she can be environmentfriendly too by simply using fuel effectively.
The British government informed that from 2008, fuel efficiency would be made part of the driving test to help reduce polluting emissions, save money on bills, and make driving safer.
We all know that bats, whales, and dolphins use ultrasound to communicate with each other. A new member has entered this list- a rare Chinese frog Amolops tormotus that lives alongside fastflowing streams in Anhui Province, China.
Its unique ultrasonic (greater than 20 kilohertz) calls can be heard beyond the spectrum of the background hubbub of running water!
In ancient times, Indian astrologers used Sky Maps to determine the calendar and the seasons with precise information about sun rise-sun set with exact directions. Scientists have recently discovered a 500 BC Sky Map in Hyderabad, India.
The map is probably the oldest in Asia and was carved out by megalithic Indians with astounding accuracy. This ancient map represents the Saptarishi Mandal or the Great Bear (Ursa Major).
Did you know that insect eye is possibly the most complex miniature structure as it is made of thousands of minuscule lenses? Enthused by this fact, the researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed an artificial insect eye containing over 8,500 hexagonal lenses packed into an area the size of a pinhead.
The domeshaped structure would be used in tiny, omnidirectional surveillance devices, ultra thin cameras, and high-speed motion sensors. It may have medical applications and could even help develop artificial retinas for the blind.
Scientists have discovered that the stress hormone, Cortisol, may help relieve people of their phobias. A study involving 60 people with arachnophobia and fear of public speaking were given a dose of Cortisol, which impairs memory retrieval, before being exposed to their personal fears. This helped in alleviating own their phobias. This treatment along with behavioral therapy could be used to reduce phobia and post-traumatic stress.
Amazon ants (red ants found in the western US) raid nests of certain black ants and carry back the cocoons and larvae to their own homes. When the cocoons hatch, the newborns become slaves of these army ants and do all their work.
The slave ants build homes for and feed the Amazon ants, who can do nothing but fight. They depend completely on their slaves for survival.
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