 Scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology have encouraged neural cell regrowth using a polymer coated in a chemical pseudo-neurotransmitter. The new acetylcholine-like chemical is, unlike previous attempts, water-insoluble so should remain in the body longer, allowing for periods of nerve growth lasting weeks, not days. |
 An international team of astronomers has developed a method for detecting the light reflected by planets around another star using polarization. The method allows them to infer the size of the planet's atmosphere and to track its motion directly. |
 The tiny Indonesian island of Palau may be the first nation to benefit from energy beamed to earth from orbital solar stations. American entrepreneur Kevin Reed proposed that the viability of space-based power could be tested in the small scale by building an 80-metre rectenna to receive up to 1 megawatt of power from solar stations orbiting 480 kilometres overhead. The project is estimated to cost more than $800 million (US) but could be in place by 2012. Rather than lock a single satellite into geosynchronous orbit, a series of smaller satellites would transmit stored energy for 5 minutes, once every 90 minutes as they pass over the island. |
 Glasgow University researchers claim that they may have found a way to make LEDs much brighter than is currently possible. The trick is to use nano-imprint lithography to etch millions of tiny holes into the surface of the LED, significantly increasing the amount of light-emitting surface area. The process should be easy to implement within conventional fabrication plants. |
 Researchers in Isreal, in an attempt to make increase young people's interest in science, inscribed the entire 300,000-word Hebrew Bible onto a 0.5 square millimetre silicon chip (shown here). The surface had been coated with gold, and a focused ion beam was used to remove gold atoms to reveal the silicon surface. |
 DARPA researchers have developed a "snortable" drug that eliminates sleepiness, at least in monkeys. The nasal spray was found to reverse the effects of sleep deprivations in monkeys but had no effect, detrimental or otherwise, on well-rested monkeys. After being administered the drug, the sleep deprived monkeys were able to perform cognitive tasks almost as well as their well-rested brethern. The drug , they hope, will be used to treat narcolepsy. Found on Slashdot |
 As of 1 February 2008, Netscape Navigator will no longer be supported. The browser was first released in 1994 and quickly dominated the market. It was acquired by AOL in 1998 after winning a legal battle with Microsoft over unfair business practices for bundling its Internet Explorer with its Windows operating system. Netscape was never able to regain its market share after the battle. |
 World's smallest (probably) microwave oven. |
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