Science Portal

Speedo, well-known manufacturer of swimming goods, has developed a new swimsuit which, according to independent tests, is “fastest” in the world, informs Brandnation PR.
Suit LZR RACER is made of a superlight water-repellent fabric which quickly dries and, due to a smooth surface, allows to reduce water resistance. The suit has no joints: fragments were joined by means of ultrasound.

The special panels, giving maximum streamlined form to a body of the swimmer, were inserted into a suit. At that the sportsman can be in any most favorable position, and he does not lose freedom of movements.

Speedo has studied bodies of more than four hundred sportsmen, has carried out tests of various samples of fabrics and consulted with many scientific organizations, including NASA, the Australian institute of sports and ANSYS, which develops software for research of fluid dynamics.

American company Audience has developed a chip which allows to improve considerably sound quality during mobile communication, writes The New York Times.
The size of the device, which will be presented in Barcelona at the World Mobile Congress, is comparable with the size of a grain. The chip removes noise which does not concern the voice.

Now the filtration of external noise in cellular telephones is carried out with the special software. Authors of the new processor claim that their device is more effective.

It is not the only way to improve sound quality in noisy premises. In December, 2007 the Japanese company NS-ELEX has created a hybrid of an ear-phones with microphone. The last analyzes vibration of air in an ear and external noise can be notably reduced.

New Bluetooth version will use Wi-Fi networks to increase throughput and to exchange great volumes of the data, informs PC World.

For the present time Bluetooth 2.1 is used. The new standard 3.0 will give an opportunity called Alternate MAC/PHY - to use additional throughput of Wi-Fi networks, if the device have not enough throughput of Bluetooth.

As it is known, Bluetooth is intended for wireless connection of devices, for example, a mouse, keyboards or a printer. Bluetooth needs less energy, than Wi-Fi, but also transfers the data with the smaller speed (up to three megabit a second) and to smaller distances.

Clash of the Earth with an asteroid or a comet is one of the most popular variants of “end of the world”. According to one of hypotheses, such accident has annihilated dinosaurs. People were lucky, but nobody can guarantee, that it would not happen.

Now astronomers know about 7 thousand asteroids which pose some theoretical danger to mankind, and they periodically inform on the raised factor of the threat.

The asteroid 2007 TU24, opened on October, 11, 2007, on January, 29 has passed a point of the closest convergence with the Earth on the distance of 573 500 km (for comparison: the distance to the Moon makes 385 thousand kilometers).

If such asteroid as 2007 TU24, clashed into the Earth, consequences would have been catastrophic. “Theoretically the asteroid, most likely, would fall in the ocean, - says one of the scientists. - Formed tsunami would be pernicious for a coastline and could create huge problems for the neighboring states.

Representatives of the Japanese corporation Suntory, engaged in whisky production, have declared that they have managed to cultivate first-ever variety of celestial-blue roses.

It is known, that the first pilot lots of blue flowers are already grown by experts of the company in the USA and Australia, and the first sales of roses will begin in Japan in 2009.

For many years scientists throughout the world have tried to cultivate blue roses, however all experiments came to an end only with lilac flowers. And experts from Suntory were the first, who have managed grow a blue rose.

The entire problem in creation of such color of roses is in that, that rose chromosomes do not have a gene of a blue pigment, which determines coloration of many flowers, berries and vegetables. Besides, blue color of petals demand suitable level of acidity and special dye-stuffs.

Experts from Council for Scientific and Industrial Research together with scientists from Monash University have developed new technology which allows to receive bio-fuel from wood waste products.
As an initial material will be used various wood waste products: flinders, corn husk, paper or dry leaves. For the present time most of all these waste products are buried or burnt.

As a result of wood waste products processing using the new technology, scientists have managed to receive the concentrated basis for fuel production, which differs an increased stability.

Doctor Stephen Loffler from a wood research department considers that production of the concentrated basis will help to lower essentially expenses. The concentrate can be received directly in places of timber cuttings and transported to refineries.

On February, 4 Iran has inaugurated the first in the country space center suitable for the launch of satellites, informs agency IRNA.

According to the agency, the new center will soon launch the research satellite Omid (Hope), capable to fly in low near-earth orbit. AFP informs, the structure of the center includes a launching pad and an underground control station.

According to AFP, launch of the satellite is planned for the next year in compliance with the Iranian calendar, which is after March, 20, 2008.

Iran has become the 11-th country in the world, which has mastered the technology of designing, creation and orbiting of artificial satellites.

During the record approaching of spacecraft MESSENGER to the Mercury in the middle January, it has made 1231 pictures, including pictures of before not observed half of the planet and a set of interesting measurements.
In the middle of Caloris basin it has found out an unusual structure which has received the name “Spider”: a network from hundreds long narrow hollows with a flat bottom, going asides from the center. Near to the center there is a visible crater, however is not clear for a while, whether it has any connection to the formation of “Spider” or has been formed later.

Measurements have shown, that since the last visit more than 30 years ago, magnetic field of the planet has almost not changed and have allowed to specify its properties.

From planets of the terrestrial group only the Earth and the Mercury have magnetic fields which, apparently, are provided with properties of a liquid metal nucleus. On the other hand, small Mercury’s size should already lead to cooling and hardening of a nucleus, so the nature of its magnetic field is mysterious.

British company Touch Bionics has declared that its bionic artificial arms are already available in different countries of the world.
The artificial i-LIMB is very close to a real hand on its biomechanics and is controlled by patient’s signals. Also it is informed, that the prosthetic device is supplied with a silicon glove, which imitates skin’s texture and color, and even veins.

In the company say, that all patients who has received a new artificial hand, mark huge difference between it and previous artificial arms. In fact the new arm allows them to make even the finest manipulations.
Touch Bionics sells i-LIMB for $18 thousand.

This one is not the first development of an artificial limb. In 2007 scientists from laboratory of applied physics at John Hopkins University informed that they have created the first-ever completely integrated artificial arm which can be operated naturally and to get a touch feedback.

Scientists from university of Glasgow have developed technology which has raised probability of correct recognition of human faces in one and a half time, writes The Science.
The program was shown 20 photos of 25 well-known people. Photos have been made in different conditions within several decades. The program has correctly detected the person in 54% of cases.

Then scientists have created the “average” images and have asked system to detect the person on a photo. The percentage of correct responses has grown up to a hundred.

Experts consider that it is early to tell about hundred-percent recognition of human faces. They suggest to carry out longer tests.

Now the system is being tested at Sydney airport, and also on a genealogic website MyHeritage.