-->
Drop Down MenusCSS Drop Down MenuPure CSS Dropdown Menu
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts

Friday, August 31, 2018

Laziness was the causes of ancient human extinction?

Homo erectus first appeared two million years ago and went extinct around 50,000 to 100,000 years ago and was the first early hominid to become a true global explorer. They are known to migrate from Africa to Eurasia, then spread to Georgia, Sri Lanka, China and Indonesia.
An illustration of ancient human. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2ODr59N)
However, according to a recent study published in the PLOS One journal on July 27, 2018, the Homo erectus species turned out to be quite lazy and reluctant to adapt to environmental changes compared to other hominids - such as Neanderthals.

As quoted from IFLScience! on Friday, August 10, 2018, which reported that archaeologists from the Australian National University analyzed thousands of newly discovered artifacts and excavated from excavation sites in the Arabian Peninsula in modern Saffaqah region, Saudi Arabia in 2014 to find out the reason of these species extinction.

Their findings indicate that the Homo erectus species in the area actually tried as little as possible to make tools and find supplies. Though these ancient humans lived in areas that had easy access to rocks and water.
This is Dr. Ceri Shipton on site at Saffaqah in central Saudi Arabia. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2Mjx5Ik)
"They don't seem to inspire themselves. I don't get proof that they are true explorers, they don't have the same curiosity as we are now," Dr. Ceri Shipton as told to Sky News.

He also added that this was evidence of how the species made stone tools they found lying around their homes. The problem is, the stones are of low quality. Most stone tools are made from stones that are worse than tools in the next civilization. In fact, there are areas of better quality rock even though it requires a trip far enough from their settlements.

"When we saw the rock there were no signs of any activity, there were no artifacts and there were no rock excavations. They knew it was there, but because they had enough resources for them, so why bother -repot? " Shipton continued.
The site at Saffaqah in central Saudi Arabia. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2nE0uy0)
This is in contrast to the makers of stone tools in later periods, including early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. They climbed the mountain to find good quality rocks and transport them in long distances.

"Sediment samples show the environment around them is changing, but they are doing the same thing with their equipment," said Dr. Shipton. Unlike the more advanced species, Homo erectus tends to use a single "generic" tool for almost all jobs.

However, Homo erectus's ability to make tools is far more advanced than early humans in other parts of the world. They can already make a hand ax. Homo erectus-type ancient humans are strong and skilled. They developed in this region for some time. But, once the river bed dries up and there is sedimentation in the river, Homo erectus actually dies because they lack initiative. "They have never been very far from sources of clean water," said Dr. Shipton.

"We also found that their technology for making stone tools is very conservative. They use the same strategies to make tools in the face of a changing environment. So, they are not only lazy but also very conservative," he said as quoted by Science Daily on August 10, 2018.

Shipton said further that the extinction of Homo erectus was caused by not having the ability to plan for the future. "They only plan for the next few hours, or maybe for the next day. While Homo sapiens and Neanderthals plan further ahead, like a seasonal migration plan," he concluded. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | IFLSCIENCE! | SCIENCE DAILY]
Note: This blog  can be accessed via your smart phone

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Scientists find the world's oldest color

Scientists have found what they say is the oldest color in the world, namely bright pink. The facts about the history of the pigment were discovered after researchers destroyed 1.1 billion years old rocks in flakes of marine deposits found in the rocky layers of the Sahara Desert, in the Taoudeni basin of Mauritania (western Africa).
Biogeochemistry lab manager Janet Hope from the ANU research school of earth sciences holds a vial of coloured porphyrins (pink coloured liquid), believed to be some of the oldest pigments in the world. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2wjcSHB)
"Of course you might say that everything (rocks) has several colors," said Prof. Jochen Brocks, senior researcher leader from the Australian National University. "What we found was the oldest biological color," he continued as quoted by The Guardian on Wednesday, June 11, 2018.

Then, Prof. Brocks compared it to the discovery of a 100 million-year-old T-Rex bone. "It (the T-Rex bone fossil) also has color, but tends to have a gray pigment base, or brown. But that won't tell you what T-Rex's skin is like," Prof Brocks continued.
The oldest color pigments in the world are found from marine animals fossils of hundreds of millions of years old. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2PtUkx4)
He explained that the newest pigment molecules found by his team did not come from large creatures, but microscopic organisms that lived in the early era of the formation of the Earth.

The oldest color, was first discovered by a doctoral student named Nur Gueneli, who destroyed fossil rocks into powder. Then, she extracts and analyzes the molecules of ancient organisms from the chemicals they contain.

Gueneli said the pigment was half a billion years older than the discovery of the previous fossil pigment. "Bright pink pigments are molecular fossils of chlorophyll produced by ancient photosynthetic organisms, which inhabit ancient oceans," she said in a statement. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | THE GUARDIAN]
Note: This blog  can be accessed via your smart phone

Monday, August 27, 2018

Researchers develop new naturally decompose plastic materials

The use of plastic as packaging material continues to increase along with the increasing number of world population. Environmental experts say packaging materials that can be composted and can be decomposed naturally are now increasingly needed, especially the ingredients used as food packaging.
Carson Meredith, Professor at Georgia Tech's School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, showed a new type of "plastic" that could be decomposed which he was developing with other researchers. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2Lj0vkz)
Now, a thin layer like plastic that can be decomposed and made of shells and wood scraps might be able to meet that need. The "plastic" is a new type, which is not made of oil at all, and is currently being developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Research leader Carson Meredith was looking for alternatives to plastic materials made from by-products of oil refining. "About eight years ago, we began conducting research in what is known as nano technology by using forest products," he told VOA.

"This is a new field of science that seeks the use of wood or other forest products, to take parts called nano crystal materials to be made into cellulose and use them in the manufacture of very lightweight but strong packaging materials." That means, cellulose fibers found in wood used to make paper can also be used to replace plastic as food packaging. 
This is J. Carson Meredith, a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. (Picture from: https://b.gatech.edu/2MMY9PE)
The Meredith leadership team combined wood cellulose with chitin, the basic ingredient of seashells and lobster or crayfish skeletons, and the result was a thin layer that could naturally decompose. At the molecular level, electrically charged chitin and cellulose are mutually attractive. Experts at the Georgia Technology Institute use this natural fact to make thin layers like plastic.

Meredith said the results of his research showed that chitin and cellulose could become stronger if formed in two or three thin layers. This new packaging material is very effective to prevent oxygen from entering, and therefore is very good for wrapping food.
Meredith said that he had not tested the new "plastic" as a food wrapper, but the interesting thing was that it could be a packaging material that could be used as a compost and was fully biodegradable or would be completely broken down after being dumped in the trash. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH HORIZONS]  
Note: This blog  can be accessed via your smart phone

Monday, April 9, 2018

This simple AlterEgo headset can read your mind

Arnav Kapur, a graduate student from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA recently created a headset device called AlterEgo that is said to be able to heard the words without saying it.
MIT's wearable headset can hear the words you say in your head. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2HikPBY)
Then, how the headset device can read mind? Yes, this easy-to-use headset can hear our speech in the brain. So, this headset works by measuring small human-made neuromuscular signals, when saying the words in the head.

These signals are not visible to the human eye. But, when electrodes are affixed at various points on the jaw, they are perfectly legible and understandable. As quoted from the Huffington Post page on Sunday, April 8, 2018, the software on the headset device captures the signals, then translates them in words, to be sent to a computer or other person.

Arnav with his professors and other experts at MIT has conducted two types of tests. First, they try to control the TV streaming device, without saying a word through the mouth, but through the instructions in their minds. The second is to move the chess pieces on the computer game.

They notify the movement through the headset on the computer, then the computer will respond, and send it back through the headset. During the test, the ability of this device to translate words is 92%.

Not satisfied just get there, then the researchers will continue to develop this device. They want to create a faster and responsive system, so two people can have a conversation without making a sound, typing, or calling.
Hmmm ... Hopefully with the existence of this device will not make this world increasingly quiet because fewer human beings who emit the voice in all their activities. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | HUFFINGTON POST]
Note: This blog  can be accessed via your smart phone

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Finally the cause of the collapse of Mayan civilization was revealed

The puzzle of causing the collapse of Mayan civilization slowly encountered a bright spot. Recent research reveals that social instability, war, and political crisis are the triggers. The findings are based on a radiocarbon dating test at one of the largest sites of the Mayan at Ceibal, Guatemala.
Mayan's ancient settlement at Ceibal, Guatemala. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2DzS05t)
Known, there are two eras of Mayan civilization era. The first destruction is known as classical destruction, occurring in the 9th century. The second or pre-classic destruction occurred in the 2nd century. During this time, because both collapse is still mysterious. Now, scientists find the cause of both the same.

"We found the same pattern in both cases of Mayan civilization destruction, and, this is not just a simple ruin, but it consists of a wave of destruction," said Takeshi Inomata, a researcher from the University of Arizona.

"Firstly, there was a wave of minor destruction that preceded, associated with war and some political instability, and then a major destruction in which many centers of Mayan civilization were abandoned," Inomata said.

Recovery ever had occurred, but again destroyed.

This finding is an important milestone after a decade of research. The results of this research provide a clearer picture of the process of the occurrence of destruction.

"We have reached a point when we can see the social patterns of Mayan civilization with the exact radiocarbon dating," Inomata said. The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | TRIBUNNEWS]
Note: This blog  can be accessed via your smart phone

Friday, November 24, 2017

A Mysterious ancient city found in the middle of the sea

Historians and archaeologists are overwhelmed with the discovery of an ancient and mysterious city found in a remote place. The reason, the city was built in the middle of the ocean. Scientists themselves are surprised at this finding. As quoted from the Independent page on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, the settlement was finally found after nearly 100 years since the first search.
One of ancient structures at Nan Madol, located just off the main island of Pohnpei in Micronesia. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2B2dC4P)
Interest in this mysterious island was initially triggered by a satellite image. Those satellite imagery has revealed the area of ​​the location. And now, this mysterious discovery becomes the subject of further research. Nan Madol's virtual image almost uninhabitable, located just off the main island of Pohnpei in Micronesia.

A surprising fact about this mysterious place, a settlement estimated to be built there in the 1st or 2nd century. Nan Madol itself has the meaning of 'intermediate space'. As quoted of the Independent again, this place is mentioned as 8 Wonders of the World by a number of European explorers. There are 97 geometric shaped blocks, separated by water channels that are not too wide.
The location sketch of the ancient building structures in Nan Madol. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2B2dC4P)
Until this news is published, there is no comprehensive record to explain the basis or structure. But this mysterious place has also been discussed in 'What on Earth?' What on Earth? itself is a documentary series that tells the exploration of a number of researchers on various phenomena on our Earth.
This mysterious island was initially triggered by a satellite image. (Picture from: https://ind.pn/2ze4AB5)
These findings leave serious questions. In the documentary series, Patrick Hunt is an archaeologist wondering. "Why would someone build a city in the middle of the ocean ?, Why here, so far from another known civilization?" he said.

Mark McCoy of Southern Methodist University-who is leader of the research team on the mysterious island, later replied by commenting. McCoy said that the mysterious site is likely to be a burial place for elders. This site may also be a place for religious ceremonies and political power. This is because there is a stone wall that is about 7.6 meters high with a thickness of 5.2 meters in place.
Nan Madol is surrounded by a giant wall that is estimated to be composed of 250 million stones. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2B2dC4P)
These findings sparked much speculation. Again, some compare this place with the island of Atlantis which is thought to have been lost under the sea. It was reported that locals near the mysterious place would not approach the empty 'haunted town'.

The first beginnings of this place began in the early part of the 20th century. When further explored, it was found a variety of surprising facts about Nan Madol. As quoted from the University of Oregon Anthropology Department, the city was formerly the capital of the Saudeleur dynasty until about 1628. The Saudeleur dynasty, the period of King Deleur was the first ruler to unite the inhabitants of Pohnpei Island.
The structure of the building in this place is built from a number of monolithic rocks weighing 5 to 50 tons. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2B2dC4P)
Now, Nan Madol is located in Madelenihmw district, Micronesia Federation. Nan Madol is thought to have been the center of ceremonies and politics of the Saudeleur Dynasty. There is a unique story behind this city. Predicted, residents in this city number more than a thousand people. But it could be less than that.
Its population consists of a number of leaders and ordinary people. But what is surprising is the unfolding function of Nan Madol itself. Rulers have a way of organizing and controlling the number of people who are potentially their competitors. Strategy, the person is required to live in the city, not in their respective areas that are difficult to control.
"How do they arranged the giant rocks in the middle of an artificial land located in the middle of the sea?" It remains a mystery to this day. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2B2dC4P)
Nan Madol is surrounded by a giant wall that is estimated to be composed of 250 million stones. The structure of the building in this place is built from a number of monolithic rocks weighing 5 to 50 tons. There is a possibility, the stones are imported from various islands that are around. Then the question is, "How do they arranged the giant rocks in the middle of an artificial land located in the middle of the sea?"

Archaeologists then try to reconstruct the construction of these stone buildings with various methods of transportation. However, no method works. Each method tried only to move a stone weighing not more than a few tons. Until now, can not be explained more details about the mysterious building structure in place. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | INDEPENDENT]
Note: This blog  can be accessed via your smart phone

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Nissan presents a GT-R that can be driven through a joystick

Nissan brings together the excitement of playing virtual games with reality through the Nissan GT-R/C, this is a dream car of the gamers that can be controlled completely through the DualShock®4 joystick. This is part of the celebration of the launch of the Gran Turismo Sport game in Europe on October 18, 2017 and commemorates 20 years of Nissan's involvement in the Gran Turismo game series.
2017 Nissan GT-R/C that can be driven through a Joystick. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2ioEgNJ)
These GT-R car can be controlled simply by using a DualShock®4 joystick. The vehicles with remote control is able to reach speeds up to 196 mph without anyone sitting behind the wheel. The speed of GT-R/C was tested by NISMO driver Jann Mardenborough at Silverstone. Jann controls the GT-R/C of the Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter cockpit, which already has a special permit to fly in low altitude.
Jann Mardenborough posed with 2017 Nissan GT-R/C. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2ioEgNJ)
Mardenborough is one of the most successful Nissan GT Academy winners, a revolutionary program from Nissan that seeks out and develops the gamers into real racing driver. Jann is the first racer to drive a GT-R/C because of his unrivaled talent at Gran Turismo and the real race.

"It's a great car and the first experience of a lifetime. The GT-R/C has merged my two worlds (virtual gaming and real racing world) in an unexpected way. The reaction of the car when controlled remotely is more interesting than I imagined. The designs by JLB are extraordinary in making everything react very well," says Jann Mardenborough.
Interior view of 2017 Nissan GT-R/C with the DualShock®4 joystick. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2ioEgNJ)
"I'm happy to say all these challenges are passable, but this is also inseparable from Jann's unique capabilities that can control the vehicle in a very short time and produce a truly impressive lap times," he added.

Nissan has dedicated its best creativity and innovation to the racing world for over 80 years by combining technology and performance for competitive advantage. Since 2008, Nissan has also made the racing world more accessible to the public through the Nissan GT Academy, which can transform the game enthusiasts into professional drivers.

The GT-R/C was modified in the UK by JLB Design Ltd., by using the R35 V62011-specific engine that can be spewed the power up to 542 bhp of the same year when Jann Mardenborough won the Nissan GT Academy.

In the fastest lap recorded by Mardenborough (1:17:47), the average speed of the GT-R/C reaches 76 mph (122 kph) and the top speed at 131 mph (211 kph). Meanwhile, the average speed on the circuit with the lenghth of 1.6 mile/2.6 km is around 83 mph/134 kph.

The GT-R/C is equipped with four robots that control the car's steering, transmission, brake and gas lever. Meanwhile, there are six computers are installed to update the control up to 100 times per second. The steering position is also measured to 1/65,000 positions.

The DualShock®4 controls unmodified with a microcomputer that translates signals from buttons and joysticks to forward to the GT-R/C on-board system. This wireless operation has a main control range of up to one kilometer.

To help Mardenborough assess the speed of the vehicle in the corner, there's the Racelogic VBOX Motorsport sensor is installed to transmit speed data to the LCD screen in the helicopter cockpit.

The GT-R/C is also equipped with two independent safety systems that operate on different radio frequencies. This allows for two additional operators to brake the full ABS and shut down the engine if the primary operator loses its control.

"The GT-R/C has presented unique challenges and a number of our first engineering experiences. We must ensure effective robotic operation during acceleration/deceleration, as well as the power in sharp turns; provide real control and secure the car at all speeds; maintaining a strong relationship between the car and DualShock®4 with varying distances and with minimal conditions at the time of the robot in action," said James Brighton of the JLB Design Ltd.
In 2018, Nissan GT-R/C will be taken on the tour to primary and secondary schools in the UK to promote future careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | EVO]
Note: This blog  can be accessed via your smart phone

Thursday, September 28, 2017

This man's body suddenly bloated like a ballon, how could it be?

Having a work related to nature, sometimes unexpected things can happen suddenly. As the story of the fisherman follows, unexpectedly his whole body suddenly ballooned like a balloon after he dive for fish.
Peruvian fisherman named Alejandro Ramos Martinez gained nearly five stone after swimming up from a dive in the Pacific Ocean too quickly. (Picture from: http://dailym.ai/2xsIKMC)
Initially, a Peruvian fisherman named Alejandro Ramoz Martinez was doing his job as a fisherman and diving for fish. However, at that time Ramoz surfaced too quick to, then he was surprised because his body suddenly ballooned like a balloon.
Doctors are treating the unlucky fisherman but say they are unable to remove all the air. So far they have reduced the nitrogen in his body by 30 per cent. (Picture from: http://dailym.ai/2xsIKMC)
This strange thing just new felt by him as long as he work as a fisherman. According to doctors who treating him, this can be fatal. Ramoz is exposed to decompression effects because of its unprecedented nature. The sickness caused due to the many nitrogen that dissolves in his body, and it can also trigger brain damage.
Martinez in an air lock at hospital. He is now being given oxygen treatments in a pressurised chamber. (Picture from: http://dailym.ai/2xsIKMC)
Because of this incident is quite unique and rare, doctors are still continuing to find out about the disease he suffered. It also makes Ramoz unable to work as a fisherman like before. For now Alejandro endures severe pain and walks with difficulty because of the accident. He also suffers from serious hypertension. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | DAILYMAIL]
Note: This blog  can be accessed via your smart phone

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

5 mysteries of lost history is finally revealed

Some events in the past sometimes make us think that it is impossible. However, those impossible events and only based on the story, at the end were successfully revealed by the experts and scientists today.

Maybe you wonder how those mysteries of history are lost? Here are some lost historical mysteries that have been revealed.

1. Lost Army of Cambyses II
In 524 BC, the Persian King named Cambyses II sent his troops to invade the Egypt. There are more than 50,000 soldiers deployed to conquer it. However, all of a sudden all the soldiers vanished without a trace and become a legend since then.
According to the scientists the legend army of Cambyses II to invade Egypt was wiped out and vanished by an enormous sandstorm in the desert. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2ynnvsi)
However, recently Angelo and Alfredo Castiglioni managed to find the remains of these legendary soldiers. This of course proves the hard work of these scientists for 13 years. Apparently, these soldiers not only disappeared, but they were killed in an enormous sandstorm.

2. Mysterious Bosham Head
The Bosham Head is one of the most debatable finds and turn out identifiable by using modern technology. Before, the Bosham Head was unnamed for more than two centuries because of its terrible condition.
Before the hi-tech study, little was known about the eroded 170 kg stone (left), which is twice as large as a human head, including who it was meant to depict. However,  now archaeologists believe it is the head of a statue of Emperor Trajan. A more complete and less weather-beaten bust is pictured right. (Picture from: http://dailym.ai/2wQKawg)
Recently, by using laser scanners have helped the scientists identify these 170-kilogram stone as one of the great statues of the Roman Emperor Trajan. And now, the statue is a tourist attraction in the port of Chichester and these Bosham head itself becomes one of the most important Roman heritage in Britain.

3. Mystery Of Death Valley's Walking Stones
It had been appalled the social media after the news of this walking stones appeared to the public. Everyone who sees the rocks in Death Valley, California whether in person or via the interwebs, have noticed a strange phenomenon that takes place with some of the Valley’s rocks- they seem to be moving across the valley floor.
The rocks in Racetrack Playa move slowly enough that you can’t see the movement happening, about 15 feet per minute, but the fact that they are actually moving is reconfirmed by the trails left behind in their wake. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2fkWfU7)
There was no explanation of the phenomenon until Richard and James Norris proved that there was ice cubes formed around these stone in the winter. And when it melts, the rocks seemly begin to shift due to the wind blow.
Now, thanks to a lucky discovery made December 2014 by Richard and James Norris, we finally have an answer- weather phenomenon that surprisingly has much more in common with an arctic climate than a desert. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2fkWfU7)

4. Mystery of Mary Celeste
Mary Celeste is a fairly famous ghost ship and was discovered in 1872 with no trace of crew nor any damage to the ship. Until a chemist named Dr. Andrea Sella did an experiment that could explain the phenomenon.
An 1861 painting of Mary Celeste (named Amazon at the time), by an unknown artist. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2xEPruV)
Noted there are about 1700 barrels of alcohol carried by the ship that could be easily make explosions and burns in the form a wall of fire when followed by a wave of cold air which not to leave a fire or soot. The crew can leave the ship and then die in the ocean.

5. Helicopter of Ancient Egyptian
The Abydos hieroglyphs in the temple of Osiris led to some discussions because of there were alleged symbols of helicopters, tanks, even a jet. There are many theories about the secret knowledge of the Ancient Egyptians.
The Abydos-Hieroglyph does not depict a Helicopter, Tank, or Jet. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2xCYADX)
However, scientists managed to restore the original hieroglyphic symbols and prove that the helicopter and other symbols are mere manipulations by time. Apparently, our brain was deceives us to see the familiar forms in it. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES |]
Note: This blog  can be accessed via your smart phone