piranhas teeth
How did piranhas — the legendary freshwater fish with the razor bite — get their telltale teeth? Researchers from Argentina, the United States and Venezuela have uncovered the jawbone of a striking transitional fossil that sheds light on this question. Named Megapiranha paranensis, this previously unknown fossil fish bridges the evolutionary gap between flesh-eating [...]

 
Scientists have developed the ability to take regular cells from a pig’s connective tissues, known as fibroblasts, and transform them into stem cells.
For years, proponents have touted the benefits of embryonic stem cell research, but the potential therapies still face hurdles. Side effects such as tumor development, a lack of an effective and long-term animal [...]

 
Lamprey mouth
In addition to providing fundamental insights into the early evolution of the estrogen receptor, research by a team at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine may lead to a contraceptive for female lampreys – a jawless fish considered an invasive pest species in the Great Lakes region of the United States. [...]

 
Artificial liver for drug tests.
If you have hay fever, headaches or a cold, it’s only a short way to the nearest chemist. The drugs, on the other hand, can take eight to ten years to develop. Until now animal experiments have been an essential step, yet they continue to raise ethical issues. “Our artificial organ [...]

Businesses will be launched by former auto workers, mortgage processors and others 
Traditionally it could be predicted that for every 100 people who join the ranks of the jobless, seven will attempt to start a business. Some find business niches, others invent and still others find a better way to do something markets are craving. Ingenuity [...]

MMR25 by Mitsubishi Motors
Today’s list is the future. From wild wheels to perfect seats to flying cars, this is the way we’ll be crashing into each other when tomorrow rolls around. Are you ready for that?! Are you ready to do some amazing flips, twists, and the all important barrel roll? Drop the back on [...]

View this century’s longest solar eclipse aboard the JetLite 737-700 
On Wednesday, July 22, 2009, we are going to witness the greatest eclipse of the 21st century. A total eclipse of the sun will be visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half of Earth. The path of the Moon’s umbral shadow will begin in India [...]

A prototype battery made by PolyPlus uses lithium metal as the anode and salt water as the cathode to power an LED. 
A company based in Berkeley, CA, is developing lightweight, high-energy batteries that can use the surrounding air as a cathode. PolyPlus is partnering with a manufacturing firm to develop single-use lithium metal-air batteries for [...]

Image of part of a stellar remnant whose explosion was recorded in 185 A.D.  
Thanks to a unique “ballistic study” that combines data from ESO’s Very Large Telescope and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have now solved a long-standing mystery of the Milky Way’s particle accelerators. They show in a paper published today on Science Express [...]

 
In a community hall in Hoxton, London, a small piece of alchemy is taking place. A group of teenagers who only minutes before were fidgeting with their mobile phones, are up on stage reciting one of Shakespeare’s best known sonnets in rap. It’s on a damp spring morning that they’re comparing thee to a summer’s [...]

Bang! Now you are burning.

India’s security forces are planning to mix one of the world’s hottest chilli powders in hand grenades to control riots and battle insurgents.
Defence scientists said they will replace explosives in small grenades with a certain variety of red chilli to immobilise a person without killing him.
“We are working on a project [...]

Over the last 10 years, italian artist Maurizio Savini has been creating a series of sculptures using thousands of pieces of chewing gum. His works have been exhibited internationally and some of his pieces have sold for over US$55,000. Here are some choice selections of his delectible art.