Munich, April 22 : Scientists have announced the discovery of the lightest exoplanet found so far, which is only about twice the mass of our Earth.

The planet, "e", lies in the famous star system Gliese 581.

The finding is the outcome of more than four years of observations using the most successful low-mass-exoplanet hunter in the world, the HARPS spectrograph attached to the 3.6-metre ESO telescope at La Silla, Chile.

Washington, April 22 : Researchers at Dartmouth University, US, have determined that the presence of the rare element osmium is on the rise globally.

They trace this increase to the consumption of refined platinum, the primary ingredient in catalytic converters, the equipment commonly installed in cars to reduce smog.

A volatile form of osmium is generated during platinum refinement and also during the normal operation of cars, and it gets dispersed globally through the atmosphere.

While osmium is found naturally, the researchers were surprised to discover that most of the osmium in rain and snow, and in the surface waters of rivers and oceans, is produced during the refining of platinum.

Washington, April 22 : In searching for unusual alien life on Earth, and life that can survive on Mars, scientists are experimenting with bacterial life forms to see if they can withstand extreme environments.

In the first research, a team of researchers from Princeton University, the Kennedy Space Center, and Michigan State University, exposed a bacterium that lives in the Siberian permafrost on Earth to the harsh conditions on Mars using a Mars Simulation Chamber.

Washington, April 22 : A new research has determined that increased growth in Antarctic sea ice during the past 30 years is a result of changing weather patterns caused by the ozone hole.

The research, done by scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and NASA, indicates that while there has been a dramatic loss of Arctic sea ice, Antarctic sea ice has increased by a small amount as a result of the ozone hole delaying the impact of greenhouse gas increases on the climate of the continent.

Washington, Apr 22 : Ever wondered how you could hear those whispers while gossiping with friends in class? Well, scientists have now found that a nano motor of sorts in the ear makes us comprehend quiet sounds.

Human ears have bundles of tiny, hair-like tubes atop "hair cells" in the ear, which move back and forth and act like miniature ''flexoelectric'' motors to amplify sound, according to Utah and Texas researchers.

Working like a power steering system of a car, the nanoscale motors magnify quiet sounds.

Washington, April 22 : In a new research, an astronomer has suggested that the most Earthlike planet yet found has conditions right for liquid water, and life as we know it.

According to a report in National Geographic News, the planet, known as Gliese 581d, has a lot more in common with Earth than astronomers first thought.

“New measurements of the planet’s orbit place it firmly in a region where conditions would be right for liquid water, and thus life as we know it,” said astronomer Michel Mayor, from Geneva University in Switzerland.