- Latest Popular Stories, Instablogs Community by Rachna028

Adult Cells Steal Trick from Cancer to Become Stem Cell-Like

Rachna Thakur — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:37:19 +0000

A route used by tumor cells to spread could be exploited to make stem cells for regenerative medicine and cancer therapies. In a boon to cancer treatment and regenerative medicine, scientists have discovered that a trick used by tumor cells that allows them to migrate around the body can cause normal, adult cells to revert into stem cellâ€“like cells.

Nanowires May Boost Solar Cell Efficiency, Engineers Say

Rachna Thakur — Thu, 15 May 2008 06:18:19 +0000

University of California, San Diego electrical engineers have created experimental solar cells spiked with nanowires that could lead to highly efficient thin-film solar cells of the future. Indium phosphide (InP) nanowires can serve as electron superhighways that carry electrons kicked loose by photons of light directly to the deviceâ€™s electron-attracting electrode â€“ and this scenario could boost thin-film solar cell efficiency, according to research recently published in NanoLetters.

Phoenix set to land on Mars

Rachna Thakur — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:58:26 +0000

NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander is preparing to end its long journey and begin a three-month mission to taste and sniff fistfuls of Martian soil and buried ice. The lander is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet on Sunday, May 25th. Phoenix will enter the top of the Martian atmosphere at almost 13,000 mph. In seven minutes, the spacecraft must complete a challenging sequence of events to slow to about 5 mph before its three legs reach the ground. Confirmation of the landing could come as early as 7:53 p.m. EDT.

Single-man flying wing takes to sky

Rachna Thakur — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:53:01 +0000

Yves Rossy, known as the ‘Fusion Man,’ flew his jet-powered wing over the Alps in Bex, Switzerland, on Wednesday. The revolutionary human flying machine comes after five years of training and many more years of...

Alternative To Silicon Chip Invented By Student

Rachna Thakur — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:26:16 +0000

Even before Weixiao Huang received his doctorate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, his new transistor captured the attention of some of the biggest American and Japanese automobile companies. The 2008 graduate’s invention could replace one of the most common pieces of technology in the world–the silicon transistor for high-power and high-temperature electronics.

Mars Lander Team Prepares for "Seven Minutes of Terror"

Rachna Thakur — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:07:12 +0000

After years of planning followed by a ten-month journey, the Mars Phoenix Lander is slated to touch down on the red planet’s north pole on May 25. If successful, the probe will be the first lander to reach a Martian pole and the first to actually touch the planet’s water ice. Now, as Phoenix closes in on the last 12 million miles (19 million kilometers) of its journey, NASA scientists are gearing up for the “seven minutes of terror” that could make or break the $420-million mission.

HBO seen selling shows on Apple's iTunes.

Rachna Thakur — Tue, 13 May 2008 07:33:13 +0000

Time Warner Inc’s (TWX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) HBO cable network is expected to start selling shows on Apple Inc’s (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) iTunes digital entertainment service, with flexible pricing, sources familiar with the discussions said on Monday.
Episodes of some HBO shows are likely to be sold at the standard price of $1.99 per episode or higher, these sources said, marking the first time Apple has agreed to selling television shows at different prices in the United States.

Hackers shut down Zimbabwe state newspaper website.

Rachna Thakur — Tue, 13 May 2008 07:28:52 +0000

HARARE (Reuters) - Hackers attacked the website of Zimbabwe’s state-owned Herald newspaper and shut it down for three days, the newspaper said on Monday.
The Herald is widely seen as the official mouthpiece of President Robert Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party and has been critical of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) which won the country’s disputed March 29 elections.

Super-Fast Broadband Via the Sewer System

Rachna Thakur — Tue, 13 May 2008 07:06:33 +0000

Bournemouth, UK, is often mocked by many of the British for the average age of its citizens. In short, a seaside resort where many go to die. Jack Dee once quipped that the shop windows are all fitted with bi-focals to allow passers-by to ascertain what lies within.
But the citizens, it seems, are having the last laugh as it has been reported this week that the town is to be the first in the UK to make use of the sewer system in a whole new way.

San Jacinto High School teens summon solar power for boat races

Rachna Thakur — Tue, 13 May 2008 07:03:42 +0000

With strong sunbeams and a stronger will, students from San Jacinto High School hope to make a splash at the sixth annual Solar Cup boat races at Lake Skinner later this month.
The Solar Cup is an educational program sponsored by Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and its 26-member water agencies. More than 40 teams of high school students are building, equipping and racing solar-powered boats this year.