Tiara of British Duchess Found Six Years After British Airport Sold It Off

Tiara of British Duchess Found Six Years After British Airport Sold It Off - Six years ago, a British duchess despaired over the disappearance of her bag of jewelry in Glasgow Airport. No ordinary jewels, the contents of the bag included a Victorian diamond tiara and totaled $157,000 (£100,000).

She reported the missing items to the police and to the Art Loss Register (ALR), and as the years passed, her hope of recovering them dimmed. But she was surprised when she spotted the tiara and a Cartier brooch in a Scottish auction catalog, slated to be sold on May 30.

As it turned out, rather than informing police, when the airport found the jewels it simply sold them to a Glasgow diamond trader for less than $7,500 and donated the proceeds to charity – its standard practice for lost items unclaimed within three months, spokeswoman Sharon Morrison said.

After the duchess informed the London-based ALR of the impending sale, lawyer Christopher Marinello contacted the auction house, Lyon & Turnbull, to negotiate the jewels' return to their rightful owner.

"I'm absolutely amazed," the Duchess of Argyll, 68, said in a statement. "I thought that after six years I'd lost them forever. [The jewels] were absolutely irreplaceable, so I'm incredibly delighted. The tiara was a Victorian family one and the necklace was given to me for my 21st birthday. So everything was very special. When I spotted the brooch, I couldn't believe it."

The duchess has since been reunited with her tiara, brooch and pearl necklace, but her pearl earrings and emerald ring are still missing. Marinello said the airport sold the ring off, but there is no evidence of the earrings ever surfacing.

Marinello said the airport should have thought to contact the duchess, since the loss of her tiara made British headlines in 2006.

"How many tiaras turn up in an airport?" he said.

The British Airport Authority has no records left from the incident, Morrison said, but it has compensated the unlucky diamond trader, and in 2007, Glasgow airport overhauled its lost-property procedures.

"This would not happen again today," she said. ( Good Morning America )

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Think the school run is bad? Children face Indiana Jones-style river crossing EVERY day after floods cut off their community

Think the school run is bad? Children face Indiana Jones-style river crossing EVERY day after floods cut off their community - At first glance, it looks like an action sequence from Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom.

But, in reality, it is the daily commute to and from work and school for of adults and children in Lebak, Indonesia.

Clinging for dear life on a disintegrating wood-and-wire suspension bridge, children as young as five take their lives into their hands fowarding the Ciberang River every day.

Perilous crossing: Students, some as young as five, hold on to the side steel bars of a collapsed bridge as they cross a river to get to school at Sanghiang Tanjung village in Lebak, Indonesia

Life imitating art: Student Sofiah, above left, says she would rather risk the bridge than walk an hour and a half to the next river crossing. Above right: A scene from Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

The river crossing become precarious and potentially fatal last week after the suspension bridge was almost washed away by flooding.

A pillar supporting one side of the crossing collapsed, leaving the wooden planks that acted as a path tilted to one side.

Only one side of the suspension bridge remained intact, meaning commuters have had to carefully pick their way over the bouncing structure.

Falling apart: Locals have reported that sections of the simple wood-and-wire bridge have been disappearing overnight, suggesting that the bridge is far from stable

Falling apart: Locals have reported that sections of the simple wood-and-wire bridge have been disappearing overnight, suggesting that the bridge is far from stable

It is far from stable, and locals have already reported sections disappearing overnight.

Children who live on the other side of the bank must use the damaged bridge to get to school.

Sofiah, a student who traverses the bridge each day, explained that the nearest other crossing was half an hour’s walk away.

Seeing as that would mean getting up earlier each morning, and coming home later each night, she said she would rather risk the crossing on the collapsed ropes.

The river is a popular tourist attraction, with its fast waters used by thousands of holidaymakers who wish to go white-water rafting. ( dailymail.co.uk )

READ MORE - Think the school run is bad? Children face Indiana Jones-style river crossing EVERY day after floods cut off their community

Spectacular discoveries in New Guinea

Spectacular discoveries in New Guinea - A frog with fangs, a blind snake and a round-headed dolphin are among more than 1,000 new species recently found on the incredible Melanesian island of New Guinea, environment group WWF said.

Scientists made the astounding discoveries, which also included a river shark and dozens of butterflies, on New Guinea at a rate of two a week from 1998 to 2008, WWF said in a new report on the island's natural habitat.

"This report shows that New Guinea's forests and rivers are among the richest and most biodiverse in the world," said WWF's Western Melanesia programme representative, Neil Stronach.

New Guinea, divided between Indonesia in the west and Papua New Guinea to the east, has one of the world's least spoilt and most stunning ecosystems.

Its rainforests are the third biggest in the world after the Amazon and the Congo, and, while the island covers just 0.5 per cent of the Earth's landmass, it contains up to eight percent of the world's species, according to WWF.

This photo provided by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on June 27, shows a large green tree-dwelling frog, Litoria dux, that was discovered on the northern side of the Huon Peninsula. A frog with fangs, a blind snake and a snub-nosed dolphin are among the more than 1,000 new species recently found on the incredible Melanesian island of New Guinea, according to WWF

This photo provided by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on June 27, shows a snub-finned dolphin, Orcaella Heinsohni, in an undisclosed location in the waters south of Papua New Guinea. A frog with fangs, a blind snake and a snub-nosed dolphin are among the more than 1,000 new species recently found on the incredible Melanesian island of New Guinea, according to WWF

What was previously known about New Guinea's biodiversity was already breathtaking, such as the world's biggest butterfly -- with a 30-centimetre (12-inch) wingspan -- and giant rats that can grow up to a metre long.

Scientists believe that one square kilometre (247 acres) of the island's lowland rainforest may contain as many as 150 bird species, according to WWF.

The 1,060 species confirmed by scientists as new discoveries between 1998 and 2008 are believed to have only scratched the surface of New Guinea's dazzling ecosystems.

"Such is the extent of New Guinea's biodiversity that new discoveries are commonplace even today," WWF said in its report, titled "Final Frontier: Newly Discovered Species of New Guinea".

One of the most notable finds documented in the WWF report was a round-headed and snub-finned dolphin, which swims in protected, shallow coastal waters near rivers and creek mouths.

Discovered in 2005 in Papua New Guinea, it was the first new dolphin species recorded anywhere in the world in three decades, and is now known to also exist in Australia, WWF said.

Another of the 12 mammals found over the decade was an anteater named in honour of British naturalist Sir David Attenborough, Sir David's Long-beaked Echinda or, scientifically, Zaglossus attenboroughi.

One of the 134 frogs discovered was dubbed Litoria sauroni because its striking red and black spotted eyes reminded scientists of the evil character Sauron in the "Lord of the Rings" movies.

Another new frog was notable because of its tiny size -- just one centimetre in length, while one had vampire-like fangs.

Nine snail species, some so colourful as to be almost unrecognisable from the backyard-garden-type variety, were among the 580 new invertebrates discovered.

One of the snails was bright yellow, while another was green and yellow.

Among the other new invertebrates was a brightly coloured apricot crayfish, part of the family of creatures called "yabbies" in Australia and some other parts of the world, which was nine to 12 centimetres long

New fish totalled 71, with a kaleidoscope of colours, including one in the coral reefs of Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea that thrilled scientists with its dazzling blue hue.

WWF said the most extraordinary freshwater discovery was a 2.5-metre-long river shark found in Papua New Guinea that has since also been located in northern Australia.

Of the 43 reptiles discovered, one could claim to be the most innocuous snake in the world -- it was just 12-14 centimetres long, had scales over its eyes so that it could not see, could not bite and had no venom.

But WWF said the excitement of all the new discoveries had been tempered by the fact that, like in the Amazon and Borneo rainforests, human actions were destroying New Guinea's natural habitat at an "alarming rate".

Some of the growing threats it listed were illegal and unsustainable logging, forest conversion for palm oil plantations, mining, road construction and unsustainable fishing.

"These environmental threats are exacerbated by global climate change which is increasing the number of fires within forests and savannas, erosion, and seawater incursion into coastal habitats," WWF said. ( AFP )

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Inflatable Shark Among 300 New Species Discovered in Philippines

Inflatable Shark Among 300 New Species Discovered in Philippines - A treasure trove of hundreds of new species may have been discovered in the Philippines, including a bizarre sea star that feeds exclusively on sunken driftwood and a deep-sea, shrimp-eating shark that swells up to scare off other predators.

Scientists braved leeches and a host of venomous creatures from the mountains to the sea to uncover more than 300 species that are likely new to science. These findings include dozens of new insects and spiders, more than 50 colorful new sea slugs and a number of deep-sea armored corals "which protect themselves against predatory nibbles from fish by growing large, spiky plates," said researcher Terrence Gosliner, dean of science and research collections at the California Academy of Sciences and leader of the 2011 Philippine Biodiversity Expedition.

Researchers at the California Academy of Sciences and their colleagues from the University of the Philippines and the National Museum of the Philippines conducted a 42-day expedition this past spring to survey Luzon Island, the largest island in the Philippine archipelago, as well as its surrounding waters.

These swell sharks can make like giants by inflating their bellies with water. View more images on LiveScience.com. (Photo credit: Stephanie Stone, California Academy of Sciences)

A new species of Nembrotha nudibranch (also known as a sea slug) that was discovered during the California Academy of Sciences' 2011 Philippine Biodiversity Expedition. View more images on LiveScience.com. (Photo credit: Terry Gosliner, California Academy of Sciences)

A new species of Phyllidia nudibranch (also known as a sea slug) that was discovered during the California Academy of Sciences' 2011 Philippine Biodiversity Expedition. View more images on LiveScience.com. (Photo credit: Terry Gosliner, California Academy of Sciences)


A likely new species of Petalomera crab from the deep sea, discovered during a 2011 expedition to the Philippines. View more images on LiveScience.com. (Photo credit: California Academy of Sciences)

This colorful worm is likely a new species of the genus Myrianida, which was found in coral rubble in the Philippines. View more images on LiveScience.com. (Photo credit: Chrissy Piotrowski, California Academy of Sciences)

Challenging field work

Working in the field is always a challenge, Gosliner noted. "We had our work both on the coral reefs and rain forest interrupted by an early typhoon; we were out of the water for two days," he said.

"One of the biologists working in the mountains was sleeping in a hammock; during the night, one of the trees his hammock was tied to was uprooted and he was suddenly on the ground," Gosliner added. "One researcher knelt on a venomous lionfish and later found himself on a mountain kneeling on poisonous plants."

The hard-won result of their efforts was the most comprehensive scientific survey effort ever conducted in the Philippines.

"I have been working in the Philippines on my own research for 20 years — I thought it would be great to bring a large team of researchers together to study from mountaintops to the deep sea, to determine if all of these places harbor new species," Gosliner said. "I was delighted that my hunch proved to be correct."

Their novel discoveries include a cicada that makes a distinctive "laughing" call, a crab whose pincers are lined with needlelike teeth, and a wormlike pipefish that hides among colonies of soft coral. In addition, they discovered a possible new species of swell shark — a shark that pumps water into its stomach to puff up — which unlike its relatives possesses a very distinctive camouflaged color pattern.

A number of species live in places rarely, if ever, visited by people, such as a primitive plant called a spikemoss from the perilously steep upper slopes of Mount Isarog and a snake eel from the bottom of the ocean. Many others have avoided detection in the past because of their diminutive size, such as goblin spiders and barnacles that all measure just a few millimeters long.

"One of the likely new urchins is very small — it's called a pea urchin, and yes, it's about the size of a pea," Gosliner said.

Hot hotspots

All these new findings help support the idea that the Philippines "is one of the hottest of the hotspots for diverse and threatened life on Earth," Gosliner said. "We found new species during nearly every dive and hike as we surveyed the country's reefs, rainforests and the ocean floor."

In fact, the researchers suggest the waters of the Philippines may house more species than any other marine environment on Earth. The deep-water channel they sampled is nutrient-rich, allowing life to flourish, and has existed for about 60 million years, giving species a great deal of time to evolve. "All of those factors together have led to the high diversity," Gosliner told LiveScience.

The researchers are sharing their results with Filipino agencies and international groups to develop strategies to best protect the island nation's extraordinarily rich life. This includes outlining the most important places for establishing or expanding marine protected areas, suggested locations for reforestation and reduction of plastic waste.

"We are hoping the findings will result in recommendations that will translate into policies that will produce a more sustainable future for Filipinos while simultaneously protecting the unique biodiversity," Gosliner said.

"This expedition has led us to want to undertake more expeditions to the Philippines in other unexplored areas," he added.

The scientists will present their preliminary results on June 30, during the California Academy of Sciences' weekly NightLife event. ( LiveScience.com )

READ MORE - Inflatable Shark Among 300 New Species Discovered in Philippines

Monster Black Hole Twins Found Inside Galaxy's Belly

Monster Black Hole Twins Found Inside Galaxy's Belly - A galaxy already known to have one ginormous black hole at its core is actually home to two of these cosmic giants, a new study reveals.

Astronomers discovered the second monster black hole at the center of the galaxy Markarian 739, which is about 425 million light-years from Earth, toward the constellation Leo. Its presence was revealed in observations by NASA's Swift satellite and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

The two black holes are separated by about 11,000 light years, which is about one-third the distance between our solar system and the center of the Milky Way. One light-year is about 6 trillion miles (10 trillion kilometers).

Monster Black Hole Twins Found Inside Galaxy's Belly

Supermassive black hole twins

Both black holes are intensely active and classified as "supermassive," that is, they can each have a mindboggling mass equivalent to millions — or even billions — of stars like our sun. Stellar black holes, formed by the collapse of massive stars, typically have up to 10 or 20 times the mass of the sun.

"At the hearts of most large galaxies, including our own Milky Way, lies a supermassive black hole weighing millions of times the sun's mass," said the study's lead author Michael Koss, a researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland in College Park, in a statement. "Some of them radiate billions of times as much energy as the sun."

While supermassive black holes are relatively common at the core of galaxies, not all are radiating energy to be what astronomers call "active galactic nuclei" (AGN). So it is rare to find one active monster black hole, let alone two, in the same galaxy, researchers said.


When galaxies collide

Astronomers suspect that the active binary supermassive black hole setup can occur when galaxies collide.

"If two galaxies collide and each possesses a supermassive black hole, there should be times when both black holes switch on as AGN," said study co-author Richard Mushotzky, also of the University of Maryland in College Park.

The astronomers discovered the dual black hole heart of Markarian 739 by using NASA's Swift satellite's Burst Alert Telescope, which maps intense sources of X-ray emissions in the sky, to seek out potential active galactic nuclei. Researchers can then zoom in on potential candidates with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

Markarian 739's second black hole was invisible in the ultraviolet, visible and radio ranges of the light spectrum, so it remained hidden until this new study, researchers said. The findings will be detailed in an upcoming edition of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The two giant black holes at the center of Markarian 739, which is also known by the name NGC 3758, are not the first monster black hole twins seen by astronomers, and they're not the closest either. Both records are held by the galaxy NGC 6240, a galaxy that is about 330 million light-years from Earth. (space.com )

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Calagans celebrate 'Wow Caraga 2011'

Calagans celebrate 'Wow Caraga 2011' - Residents from the Caraga region recently celebrated its 16th founding anniversary in a festival dubbed "Wow Caraga 2011."

Bislig City hosted the celebration, thus the festival had the tagline "Payanig sa Bislig".

Festivities started with the Bird Parade where students wore bird head gears, since many species of birds can be found in the region, particularly in Agusan Marsh.

The students then went to a Bird and Wildlife Forum at the De La Salle John Bosco College, organized by the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines and the Philippine Eagle Foundation.

The festival also featured a trade fair, exhibits of regional line agencies, the "Birds of Bislig" photo exhibit, and a garden show.

Contingents from Agusan del Sur's Naliyagan, Surigao del Norte's Lubi-lubi, Bislig City's Karawasan, Surigao del Sur's Paladong, and Bayugan City's Diwata participated in the Calagan Festival Grand Showdown.

Also held was a Search for Mutya ng Caraga 2011, the Calagan Culinary Show and Live Competition, the Calagan Singing Star Quest, and a wild bird-watching activity, the new project of Bislig City.

Formed as an administrative region under Republic Act 7901 enacted in 1995, Caraga is composed of the provinces Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and the Dinagat group of islands. The region has 6 cities: Butuan, Surigao, Bislig, Cabadbaran, Tandang, and Bayugan.

Department of Tourism (DOT) officials led by Assistant Secretary Domingo Ramon C. Enerio III joined Kalagans in celebrating the festival.

“The people of Caraga have a lot to be thankful for with the environment they have been endowed with but such great endowment comes with great responsibility. The people of Caraga must continue to protect the environment not only for themselves but also for future generations,” Enerio said. ( abs-cbnnews.com )

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March 19 'Supermoon' May Cause Moonquakes

March 19 'Supermoon' May Cause Moonquakes - There’s a supermoon on the rise next week. And according to Internet buzz, it’ll bring a scary surge in natural disasters around the globe.

No way, Jose: Numerous scientists have reassured the public that there's absolutely no correlation between disturbances on Earth and this rare lunar phase.

But the moon itself? That's another story.

On March 19, Earth’s satellite will be at its closest point to our planet in 18 years -- a mere 356,577 kilometers away. The event -- also called a lunar perigee -- was dubbed a "supermoon" by astrologer Richard Nolle back in the 1970s. The term is used to describe a new or full moon at 90% or more of its closest orbit to Earth. Next week, it will be at 100%.

Since June 2009, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been circling the moon, compiling data for this: the first full topographic map of its surface.

Nolle is responsible for coining the upcoming event, and he’s also responsible for the latest buzz sweeping the Internet about how the supermoon will affect the planet. On his website Astropro, Nolle warns Earth’s inhabitants to prepare themselves during the “supermoon risk window,” which ranges from March 16 – 22. During this time, Nolle claims there will be an increase in supreme tidal surges, magnitude 5 or higher earthquakes, and even volcanic activity.

“If you look at the USGS website where they have all the significant earthquakes of 2011, you will find that 72.7% of them fall in the risk windows on my website,” Nolle told FoxNews.com. “The Christchurch earthquake happened on the last day of a supermoon window. The Haiti earthquake even happened in one of the time windows in my 2010 forecast -- which was published the year before.”

Scientific research said otherwise.

Peter Goldreich, an emeritus professor for the Astronomy and Planetary Science Department at Caltech University, notes that he and several other scientists have studied the moon for decades and have never found it to cause these natural disasters.

“There have been a lot of studies on whether earthquakes on our planet were triggered when the moon was closest to Earth, and no conclusive evidence has ever been found for that,” Goldreich told FoxNews.com. “The idea is that the strain builds up in the Earth until only a small little bit of extra gravitational force could tip it over and cause an earthquake, and this could come from the moon. But there’s been no absolutely no correlation for that.”

In fact, Goldreich said Earth isn’t the one in danger of experiencing some shaking.

“There is on the moon seismic activity connected with a lunar perigee,” Goldreich said. “These were detected by seismological instruments left on the moon by the Apollo astronauts. There was an effect, but it wasn’t enormous. But the moon did quake near perigee.”

Just like the orbits of planets around the sun, the moon’s path around the Earth is more elliptical than circular. So within each lunar cycle, there is a part of the orbit when it is closest to Earth and a part when it is farthest away (perigee and apogee, respectively). The tides normally change as the moon goes from perigee to apogee, and next week will be no different.

“You tend to have stronger tides near the full moon,” Gordon Johnston, planetary program executive for NASA, told FoxNews.com. “These will be the strongest tides of the month, but they won’t be much different from last year. They’re not that unusual from other tides around the full moon.”

Johnston said the biggest difference is purely cosmetic, with next week’s moon being a sight to behold.

“The moon will be a little closer than it was last year, 1/4,000 of a percent closer,” Johnston told FoxNews.com. “The distance between the Earth and the moon changes a lot in its orbit. Really the only change is that it appears bigger when it’s close. This coming full moon will be the brightest of the year.”

As for the theories purported by Nolle and other astrologers ... well, Johnston hopes that people don't take everything they hear at face value.

“We live in an age where information gets circulated around very quickly,” Johnston said. “So I would just say to do your research.” ( foxnews.com )

READ MORE - March 19 'Supermoon' May Cause Moonquakes

What is a tsunami and what causes it?

What is a tsunami and what causes it? - In the wake of the 8.9 Sendai earthquake that affected the northeastern portion of Japan, the BBC reported that a massive tsunami took shape and drove a deluge of water inland. Even though the quake itself was centered off the Japanese coast, the resulting waves reached heights of up to 33 feet. Here are some must-know facts and figures about the creation and impact of tsunamis.

What is a tsunami?

It is a common misconception that a tsunami is one gigantic wave that destroys everything in its path before sweeping back into the ocean. Instead, the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) describes a tsunami as a "series of waves." The dangerous wave heights are coastal manifestations; an open ocean tsunami actually only rises up to a few inches or feet.

Earthquake-triggered tsunami washes away warehouse - An earthquake-triggered tsunami washes away a warehouse and vehicles in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture (state), Japan, Friday March 11, 2011. The ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded slammed Japan's eastern coasts

What causes tsunamis?

The series of waves that make up a tsunami is caused by a sudden disturbance that alters the seafloor. United States Search and Rescue Task Force officials note that earthquakes and occasionally also landslides force the upheaval of the water. Not every earthquake results in a tsunami; in fact, for these waves to form, the event must take place underneath the ocean floor or very close to it. Secondly, the earthquake must result in vertical seafloor movement.

How tall do tsunami waves get?

Depending on the size of the seafloor disturbance, its location and also the force of the energy that caused it, wave heights vary greatly. The NGDC compiled the characteristics of 26 tsunamis falling between 1906 and 1998; wave sizes ranged from approximately five feet to more than 175 feet. Combine this with a speed of about 500 miles per hour, and it stands to reason why these devastating waves are so dangerous to coastal communities.

What should I know if I live in a coastal area?

When moving into a home near the coast, learn about local tsunami evacuation routes and warning systems. If there are no officially marked routes or designated safety areas, know how far away from the ocean your residence is located and how high above sea level you actually are. Emergency alerts -- usually conveyed via radio and television -- alert of evacuations for residents by using these values. If an evacuation order is issued, do not head to the beach, pier or scenic outlook. Instead, head inland for higher ground.

Are there warnings signs I can see?

In the absence of official warnings, there are natural signs that the seafloor has been disturbed and a tsunami might be imminent. An unexplained rumbling sound, a sudden withdrawal of the waters past the usual coast line and also a rapid rise in water level are indicators of a possible series of waves coming in. ( news.yahoo.com )

READ MORE - What is a tsunami and what causes it?

New penguin found, 500 years after extinction

New penguin found, 500 years after extinction. Rare, endangered penguin leads to discovery of previously unknown species. Researchers studying a rare and endangered species of penguin have uncovered a previously unknown species that disappeared about 500 years ago.

The research suggests that the first humans in New Zealand hunted the newly found Waitaha penguin to extinction by 1500, about 250 years after their arrival on the islands. But the loss of the Waitaha allowed another kind of penguin to thrive — the yellow-eyed species that now also faces extinction, Philip Seddon of Otago University, a co-author of the study, said Wednesday.

Sanne Boessenkool / AP

Australian and New Zealand researchers studying the rare and endangered yellow-eyed penguin (pictured here) have uncovered a previously unknown penguin species that disappeared about 500 years ago. The newly found "Waitaha" penguin became extinct after Polynesian settlement of New Zealand but before A.D. 1500.

The team was testing DNA from the bones of prehistoric modern yellow-eyed penguins for genetic changes associated with human settlement when it found some bones that were older — and had different DNA.

Tests on the older bones "lead us to describe a new penguin species that became extinct only a few hundred years ago," the team reported in a paper in the biological research journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Polynesian settlers came to New Zealand around 1250 and are known to have hunted species such as the large, flightless moa bird to extinction.

Seddon said dating techniques used on bones pulled from old Maori trash pits revealed a gap in time between the disappearance of the Waitaha and the arrival of the yellow-eyed penguin.

The gap indicates the extinction of the older bird created the opportunity for the newer to colonize New Zealand's main islands around 500 years ago, said Sanne Boessenkool, an Otago University doctoral student who led the team of researchers, including some from Australia's Adelaide University and New Zealand's Canterbury Museum.

Competition between the two penguin species may have previously prevented the yellow-eyed penguin from expanding north, the researchers noted.

David Penny of New Zealand's Massey University, who was not involved in the research, said the Waitaha was an example of another native species that was unable to adapt to a human presence.

"In addition, it is vitally important to know how species, such as the yellow-eyed penguin, are able to respond to new opportunities," he said. "It is becoming apparent that some species can respond to things like climate change, and others cannot. The more we know, the more we can help."

The yellow-eyed penguin is considered one of the world's rarest. An estimated population of 7,000 in New Zealand is the focus of an extensive conservation effort. (Associated Press )

READ MORE - New penguin found, 500 years after extinction

Tiny 'sticking plaster' nanoparticles for broken nerves

Tiny 'sticking plaster' nanoparticles for broken nerves could provide spinal cord treatment. Scientists last night raised hopes that microscopic nanoparticles could be injected into the spines of paralysed people to help them walk again.

They have conducted experiments on rats which show that the tiny particles can act as a 'sticking plaster' to repair broken nerves.

When the microscopic spheres, known as micelles, were injected into the tails of paralysed rats, they regained the use of all their limbs.

A new 'sticking plaster' technique could repair damaged spinal cords, helping people to walk again

However, the scientists warned it would take many years of research before it was known whether the same technique could work on humans.

Work has been going on for years to see whether micelles, which are about 100 times smaller than red blood cells, could help deliver drugs to different parts of the body.

But this is the first time it has been shown that the micelles can themselves assist the repair of nerve fibres.

In rats, they boosted the repair of damaged nerve cells by 60 per cent.

Dr Ji-Xin Cheng, from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indianopolis, said: 'That was a very surprising discovery. Micelles have been used for 30 years as drug-delivery vehicles in research, but no-one has ever used them directly as a medicine.'

The micelles used in the experiment had an outer shell made from polyethylene glycol (PEG), a sealing agent that has been investigated as a potential spinal injury treatment.

Previous research has shown the chemical can seal the injury site, prevent further damage setting in, and give the nerves a chance to repair themselves.

Secondary damage caused by the flood of biochemical signals and cell death that follows spinal injury is one of the main causes of permanent disability.

Dr Cheng's research showed that PEG-coated micelles were more effective than PEG injected on its own. In tests, the nanoparticles were successfully delivered to areas of damage, and the rats treated with micelles recovered co-ordinated control of all four limbs, whereas those treated with conventional PEG did not.

The nanoparticles were also shown to be non-toxic at the concentrations required. 'With the micelles, you need only about one hundred thousandth the concentration of regular polyethylene glycol,' said Dr Cheng.

The findings were published yesterday in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. dailymail

READ MORE - Tiny 'sticking plaster' nanoparticles for broken nerves

New iPhone app helps identify why a baby is crying within ten seconds

New iPhone app helps identify why a baby is crying within ten seconds. Baffled parents desperate to know exactly why their baby is crying can now get the answer in ten seconds from their mobile phone.

A company in Barcelona has launched an iPhone application which they say will take just that amount of time to figure out what's up with baby.

Demand has been phenomenal since it was featured on American television this week, said a company spokeswoman.

Apparently a parent will be able to determine what is wrong with their child within ten seconds

The Cry Translator 'involves a revolutionary technology that quickly identifies an infant's cry, based on one of five emotional or physiological states: hunger, fatigue, annoyance, stress or boredom, ' say the creators Pedro Barrera and Luis Meca.

'These five cries are universal to all babies regardless of culture or language.'

Parents are told to simply place their iPhone about a foot from the crying baby and touch the 'Start' button.

The cries are analysed and identified within the 10-second window with a 96 per cent degree of accuracy . Once the cry has been identified, tips to calm the infant are provided.

The iPhone app claims to be able to tell the difference between five different types of baby cry

One parent on the company's website marveled at how accurately a soiled nappy was detected.

However, one thing the app does not mention is how it would recognise if a baby was ill.

It seems there are still some situations where a parent's instincts work better than technology.

The company, Biloop Technologic, originally developed the technology using a handheld device but it was decided to simply to concentrate on the iPhone application, said the spokeswoman.

Available in Britain, the US and Spain initially, it is priced at $9.99 until later this month.

A clinical trial at a hospital in Spain with the original device tested 104 children. When the suggestions to calm the child were followed, 96 per cent of the babies stopped crying. dailymail

READ MORE - New iPhone app helps identify why a baby is crying within ten seconds

X-ray voted most important modern discovery by public

X-ray voted most important modern discovery by public.The X-ray has been voted the most important modern discovery by the British public, in a Science Museum poll.

The antibiotic agent penicillin came second followed by the DNA double helix.

Nearly 50,000 visitors voted for the greatest achievements in science, engineering and technology from a shortlist drawn up by museum curators.

X-rays can reveal broken bones and build up more detailed pictures of outer space, like the Cartwheel galaxy above, using X-ray observatories

Top 10 modern discoveries...

1: X-ray

2: Penicillin

3: DNA double helix

4: Apollo 10 capsule

5: V2 rocket engine

6: Stephenson's Rocket

7: Pilot ACE - one of the first computers

8: Steam engine

9: Model T Ford motor car

10: Electric telegraph

The poll, one of the events marking the museum's centenary year, singled out the X-ray machine as the scientific advance with the greatest impact.

X-radiation, which is composed of X-rays, is a form of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation. X-rays can penetrate solid objects and have a wide number of uses notably in medicine, archaeology and astronomy.

German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen was the first to recognise the 'new kind of ray' and referred to the radiation as 'X' to indicate it was an unknown type. His discovery earned him the first Nobel Prize for Physics in

Katie Maggs, associate curator of medicine at the Science Museum, said: 'I'm thrilled to see the incredible development of the X-ray machine recognised in the museum's centenary year.

'X-rays have radically changed the way we see and understand our world - our bodies in particular.'

Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw said: 'Any competition that pits the Apollo 10 spacecraft against Stephenson's Rocket and the DNA double helix against the Model T Ford is bound to provide talking points a-plenty.'

The 10 iconic objects are featured in a special Centenary Journey trail through the museum galleries. dailymail

READ MORE - X-ray voted most important modern discovery by public