research | TechieTonics

An Affordable method of growing Food in Space: Plants with Life Support Systems

July 17, 2014 Neha Shukla

With the advancement in science and technology, the day is not far when humans will settle on distant planets or may plan a luxurious holiday on the moon. But arranging enough food supplies for a longer stay is the most challenging part as it occupies considerable room on the spacecraft and sending another spaceship loaded with supplies would be not cost efficient. To tackle the issue, researchers around the world are trying to develop a cost efficient method to grow food in space. This would definitely make future space travel…

MosquitoMate comes to Other Insects Rescue: Controlling the Mosquito Population

July 17, 2014July 17, 2014 Neha Shukla

Mosquitoes all around the world kill more people than any other animal. They are the carriers of many fatal diseases. To control mosquito population, there are chemical pesticides available that are sprayed in mosquito breeding areas using trucks, airplane or backpack sprayer. But these pesticides, along with mosquitoes kill other insects as well. So researchers are busy finding alternate methods to keep a check on these deadly creatures.

Rotten-egg smell of Farts helps in attenuating Cell Damage: Healing powers of the putrid-smelling

July 15, 2014 Neha Shukla

We may not really appreciate someone releasing a fart publicly, but experts from the University of Exeter, suggests that these stinky farts potentially offer great health benefits. Researchers say that hydrogen sulfide gas found in human flatulence and in the foul smell of rotten eggs might be helpful in attenuating cell damage caused by certain diseases. However, one should be careful as the gas in large quantity can be fatal.

Odor Receptors in Skin Cells would facilitate Healing of Wounds: Smelling Therapy

July 14, 2014 Neha Shukla

After the nose and lungs, experts have found odor receptors (similar to one in the nose), present in skin cells and thus enabling our skin to sense different odors and surprisingly these help in the speedy healing of wounds. Researchers have found nearly 350 distinct varieties of olfactory receptors in the human nose. These receptors detect different odors and begin a signaling process which sends messages to the brain. Apart from nose, 150 olfactory receptors are also located in other internal tissues as heart, gut and liver. Using these receptors,…

Antioxidants cannot shield against Cancer: Might accelerate Tumors

July 12, 2014July 11, 2014 Neha Shukla

Many of us believe that food rich in antioxidants or taking antioxidant supplements is essential for maintaining a healthy life and prevents diseases like cancer, coronary heart disease and altitude sickness. A scientist from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and a Chicago colleague has rebutted this popular belief. They propose that a diet rich in antioxidants or antioxidant pills might not be beneficial in shielding against cancer.

Tidal Forces influence Planets in Eccentric Orbits: Possibility of creating Habitable Worlds

July 11, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

Fixation towards heat for survival is the key element across planet earth and the solar system. During the origination of human life, early man stumbled upon the discovery of fire by rubbing sticks and since then it has evolved gradually. In an interesting study, researchers at NASA have discovered a similar fixation towards heat for survival across constellation. The findings are primarily based on the Earth sized planets in other star systems. Excessive heat denotes destruction but right amount of same heat results in creating habitual climatic conditions.

Back Pain does not Link to the Weather Conditions: Posture is to be blamed

July 10, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

Australian researchers have come up with a study that has exploded the stereotypical myth of the reason behind the lower back pain. Till now temperature, humidity, air pressure and wind direction have been blamed for causing the lower back pain in people. However, the team of researchers has rebutted this external reason. As per WHO, nearly 33% of the world’s population suffer from lower back pain and people in huge number blame weather condition for the discomfort in the respective bodies. Initial studies showed that extreme weather conditions altered the…

Carbon on the Cathode of Li-ion Batteries: The New Electrochemistry Technology

July 9, 2014July 9, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

The University of Alberta experts have fabricated next gen batteries from carbon nanomaterials. This novel product is standing tall in front of conventional lithium-ion batteries where the former is efficient enough to charge faster and happens to lasts longer relatively. The electrochemistry technology As per Xinwei Cui, one of the lead researchers, they have worked upon an innovative approach towards electrochemistry technology consequent upon which, they it was able to yield higher energy density and power. The team has worked along a mechanism called the induced fluorination, a new concept…

Neuroendocrine System influences Sexual Behavior: Disclosed Fruit Flies

July 8, 2014 Neha Shukla

Researchers are trying to unlock the mysteries of the brain that makes an individual to select a potential mate and study how these processes of selection differ in male than that of the female. The topic sounds interesting, however, studying humans for the purpose is rather difficult and so researchers are studying fruit flies to understand different events during courtship that might be apropos to humans and other creatures as well.

Contraceptive Implant with Remote Control: Women Conceiving with a Push of Button

July 6, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

Last month we witnessed MagnetoSperm microrobots for the nanoworld and now research scholars at MIT lab have devised a technology oriented birth control drug delivery system, which can be controlled from the outside. The 20 x 20 x 7 millimeters devise is supposed to be implanted inside the skin somewhere around buttocks, abdomen or upper arm. The mechanism Single implant will last for about 16 years with 30mg of levonorgestrel doling out per day. Levonorgestrel is the same hormone that is used in most of the over the counter contraceptives.…

Frozen Steller Twins Discovered: Orbits in Binary Star System

July 4, 2014July 4, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

Lately a binary star system has attracted attention of many space scientists. This binary system consists of twin stars, mutually orbiting around a common center of mass. Situated around 3,000 light years away from Earth, astronomers’ expecting that it could shed some information regarding similar Earth like bodies floating in space. The planet weighs twice that of the Earth and orbits, in binary system, one star. Distance between the two corresponds to the distance between the Earth and the Sun. However, unlike the Sun, the planet’s host star is dimmer…

Titan’s Ice Shell overlies Salty Ocean: As Salty as Earth’s Dead Sea

July 4, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

NASA’s Cassini mission has given strong confirmation regarding the saltiness of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. Space scientists have even compared the salt content with Earth’s Dead Sea. The result corresponds to 10 years observation, where Cassini was busy accumulating the gravitational and topographical data. Researchers organized this information and developed a model based on Titan’s structure. This resulted in gaining better insights of the moon’s exterior ice shell.

Ericsson 5G delivers 5 Gbps speeds: Connectivity across Telephony to Applications

July 3, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

Unlike any international tech event, this year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona people showed an intensive interest on the use of 5G networks. As expected, the 5G network would be offering exponential gains over its predecessor 4G in terms of the two main things, speed and capacity. Anyhow, 2020 is the anticipated year for the implementation of the 5G networks however lately, Ericsson, the Stockholm-based communications technology and services company has demonstrated the pre-standard 5G network technology by displaying its ability of achieving 5 gbps speed.

Genes Too Influences Will Power: Low Warrior Gene means Poor Self-control

July 3, 2014July 3, 2014 Neha Shukla

To achieve a goal in life or to live in a society, humans have to exercise will power, to avoid negative thoughts and temptations that can drag them to a wrong direction. Will power is one of the human strength, which like a muscle can be exercised, but genes can also influence it.

Skeletal Muscle Cell Powered Bio-Bots: Micro-Bots controlled by an Electric Field

July 2, 2014 Neha Shukla

Inspired from living organisms, researchers try to create robots that can simulate living creatures mechanically or chemically. This field of science is named as Biorobotics. A team of researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Campaign has made a miniature walking bio-bots that derive its power from living muscle cells. And their movement can be regulated externally using electrical pulses.