United States

Scientists once again in the ‘great planetary debate’

Washington, September 22: Scientists have again started the great debate on the exact definition of a planet, and have come out with conflicting viewpoints.

Two years ago, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) elected to define the term planet, restricting it to the eight largest bodies orbiting the Sun, and deleting Pluto from the list.

The demotion of Pluto sparked considerable public controversy.

Numerous planetary scientists and astronomers protested the IAU’s definition as not useful, while numerous other planetary scientists and astronomers supported the outcome.

Fish had “fingers” before acquiring fins

Washington, September 22 : The analysis of a newly discovered fossil skeleton has revealed that before it acquired fins, an ancient fish sported something like fingers that were the precursors to our own digits.

According to a report in Live Science, the fossilized skeleton belonged to Panderichthys, a predatory fish that spanned up to 4 feet (130 cm) and likely dwelled in shallow waters, where it inched along the muddy bottom about 385 million years ago.

While the fossil was discovered in the 1990s by chance in a brick quarry in Latvia in northern Europe, scientists only recently analyzed the fins with computed tomography 
(CT) and found that the right paddle is tipped with four bony extensions.

The computer helper: What you need to know about Chrome

Washington - Google's new Chrome Web browser is being hailed as a game-changer.

It's fast, has a clean interface, some snazzy features that other Web browsers don't have, and, well, it's free and it's from Google.

Does that mean you should download it right now and spend the time to learn it? If you like new technology, the answer is "sure."

But if you need to be assured of some payoff in new technology before you invest time in it, you might rightly want some questions answered before you switch. Here are a few.

Q: Why did Google create a Web browser?

Fed extends credit to Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs

Fed extends credit to Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Washington - The US Federal Reserve Board late Sunday agreed to applications by investment banks Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs to become bank holding companies.

The rate-setting central bank said in a statement said that the approval was granted, pending a five-day antitrust waiting period.

The ten things you didn''t know about men and sex

Washington, Sept 21 : If you thought men''s sexual response is quite simple and their needs can be met easily, then you certainly need to revise your knowledge of the "birds and bees," for men aren''t as simple as they are made out to be.

According to Fox News, here are 10 things that you didn''t know about men and sex:

1. Trapped Sperm

Bush admin backed Rwanda General to UN posting despite evidence of HR abuses

Bush admin backed Rwanda General to UN posting despite evidence of HR abusesUnited Nations, Sept 21 : For the fear that Rwanda will withdraw its troops from Darfur, in western Sudan, the Bush administration okayed the appointment of Rwandan general - Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Karake Karenzi – to a top UN peacekeeping post - Deputy Commander of the Joint UN-African Union mission in Darfur, despite his poor human rights record.

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