New Scientist reports A hooked herb, root extract and a dash of bark – it may sound like a witches’ brew, but these compounds could provide treatments for diseases that have so far foiled western doctors, such as Parkinson’s and irritable bowel syndrome. For over 2000 years Chinese doctors have treated “the shakes” – now [...]
Jun
10
How does a spider breathe underwater?
New Scientist Reports: Using its web as a gill, the diving-bell spider can live underwater with only occasional visits to the surface. The arachnid (Argyroneta aquatica) breathes air from a bubble that it grabs from the surface of water using fine hairs on its abdomen. The spider traps the air within a bell-shaped silken web [...]
May
16
One-dog policy hits Shanghai
New Scientist reports To control Shanghai’s growing pet population and curb rabies, the biggest city in China has just introduced a one-dog policy. Starting yesterday, and recalling family-planning measures introduced in 1976, Shanghai residents are only allowed one dog per household. All dogs in the city must also receive rabies vaccinations, with dog owners who [...]
May
13
The world’s first “vertical building”
New Scientist reports: The world’s first “vertical street” will soon be built in Melbourne, Australia. Every sixth floor of the 35-storey building will have gardens capable of growing trees up to 10 metres tall and the entire building will be boasting the very latest in green technology. While roof gardens and landscaped balconies have been [...]
Apr
30
The hunt for million-year-old ice
New Scientist reports A RACE is on to retrieve the first million-year-old sample from deep within Antarctica’s ice. It’s a prize that could help us understand what drives major changes in Earth’s climate. Every 100,000 years or so, the Earth swings into an ice age – but it wasn’t always this way. Until around 1 [...]
Apr
21
Why do cockroaches invade homes?
ON A midnight foray into my kitchen, I flicked on the light and was confronted with a devil’s playground. Cockroaches were fornicating on my pots and dancing on the cooker. They were grinding on my floor and scuttling around my fridge. Disgusted, I reached for the light switch again. The snack I had hoped for [...]
Feb
14
Why women get anxious at that ‘time of the month’
New Scientist reports: Is it that time of the month? These are the words no man should ever utter. How about this for a diplomatic alternative: “Are your GABA receptors playing up?” You may be spot on. It seems that these brain cells are to blame for some women’s monthly mood swings. Many women feel [...]
Feb
4
Meet the new Indiana Jones: Google Earth
New Scientist reports INDIANA JONES, put down your whip. These days all you need to scour the globe for archaeological sites is a desktop computer. David Kennedy of the University of Western Australia has discovered almost 2000 potential archaeological sites in Saudi Arabia from his office chair in Perth – and all it took was [...]