The Korea Herald

Tool use by brown bear described

Mar 6, 2012

Photo by Volker DeeckeA British researcher says he's witnessed a bear in Alaska using a stone to exfoliate, the first time a bear has definitively been known to use a tool.Volker Deecke of the University of Cumbria was on holiday in Alaska's Glacier Bay national park in July 2011 when he spotted a b
New teaching software can sense human emotions

Mar 5, 2012

Teaching software that recognizes cognitive and emotional states of its users has been developed by U.S. scientists, Science Daily reported Friday. “AutoTutor” is an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) that simulates the teaching and motivational strategies of human tutors. It gauges the students’ knowledge by asking questions and analyzing the answers, proactively identifying and correcting students’ misconceptions. As it interacts with the students, the program senses their frustration or boredo
Mystery light excites British

Mar 5, 2012

(123rf image)A mysterious bright light seen by thousands of people in the night sky over northern Britain caused a ruckus this weekend, authorities say.Some observers called police, others quickly hit the Internet to broadcast tweets about what they saw, The Sunday Telegraph reported.“UFO invasion?!
NASA probe discovers oxygen at one of Saturn's moons

Mar 4, 2012

Scientists announced discovery of molecular oxygen ions (O2+) in the atmosphere of Dione, one of Saturn’s 62 known moons, science daily reported Friday. Mct imageThe discovery, made by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, suggests that oxygen and other ingredients for life may be abundant on icy celestia
Scientists develop photocatalyst for solar hydrogen production

Mar 1, 2012

Scientists have developed a photocatalyst that can significantly increase the efficiency of producing hydrogen from sunlight, the government said Thursday.The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said a research team led by Lee Jae-sung, a professor of chemical engineering from the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), devised a method to make large quantities of hydrogen.Hydrogen is a key natural resource and has the potential to be used in next generation power cells
Agency to start daily space weather alert services

Mar 1, 2012

The National Radar Research Agency (RRA) said Thursday it will start offering daily three-day forecasts on space weather activities for the general public.The state-run agency said the alert service will be launched Friday with information to be offered through the Internet homepage of its Korean Space Weather Center (www.spaceweather.go.kr). Users can also receive data by e-mail or mobile phone text messages.By monitoring and forecasting the Earth’s surrounding space environment, which is mainl
Dinosaurs had fleas too -- giant ones, fossils show

Mar 1, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In the Jurassic era, even the flea was a beast, compared to its minuscule modern descendants. These pesky bloodsuckers were nearly an inch (25 millimeters) long.New fossils found in China are evidence of the oldest fleas _ from 125 million to 165 million years ago, said Diying Hua
Fukushima contamination 'chronic and lasting': French agency

Feb 29, 2012

Radioactive contamination levels from Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant have fallen sharply since the accident but will be "chronic and lasting" for many years, a French watchdog said Tuesday."The initial contamination linked to the accident has greatly declined," Didier Champion, crisis mana
Scientists find key to immortality for asexual worms

Feb 28, 2012

British scientists have found that a species of flatworm can overcome the process of ageing to become potentially immortal, Reuters reported. (123rf image)In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal on Monday the researchers found that the flatworms, kno
Scientists say big asteroid bears watching

Feb 28, 2012

VIENNA (UPI) -- Scientists at a United Nations meeting in Vienna say they're keeping a close eye on a large asteroid that may pose an impact threat to Earth in a few decades.An artist`s illustration of asteroids. (European Space Agency/P. Carril)The subject of the asteroid known as 2011 AG5 was on t
Origin of photosynthesis revealed by a ‘living fossil’

Feb 28, 2012

Recently, the complete genome of a glaucophyte alga (Cyanophora paradoxa) has been unraveled by an international consortium led by Dr. Debashish Bhattacharya from Rutgers University. A schematic image of the "living fossil" Cyanophora paradoxa that is a member of the algal phylum Glaucophyta.
Report: Women have rare egg-producing stem cells

Feb 27, 2012

For 60 years, doctors have believed women were born with all the eggs they’ll ever have. Now Harvard scientists are challenging that dogma, saying they’ve discovered the ovaries of young women harbor very rare stem cells capable of producing new eggs.If Sunday’s report is confirmed, harnessing those
Two new blood types identified

Feb 26, 2012

MCTScientists have discovered the two proteins in red blood cells that cause the rare Langereis and Junior blood types, Science Daily reported Thursday. “Only 30 proteins have previously been identified as responsible for a basic blood type,“ University of Vermont biologist Bryan Ballif says, “but t
Playing World of Warcraft can boost cognitive functions for seniors

Feb 26, 2012

Online role-playing game World of Warcraft (MCT)Researchers from a U.S. university found that playing the popular online game World of Warcraft (WoW) can improve cognitive functioning in older adults, Science Daily reported Wednesday.According to a study by North Carolina State’s Gains Through Gamin
Turkey carries out world's first quadruple limb transplant

Feb 26, 2012

Turkish surgeons have performed the world's first-ever quadruple limb transplant at a university hospital in Ankara, the Anatolia news agency reported on Saturday."In such a big organ transplant... more than 50 percent of the (patient's) body has changed," Professor Murat Tuncer, rector of Ankara's