Scientists

Roaming male mammoths often fell

BONN - Emirats Voice

Scientists have solved the mystery of why the overwhelming majority of mammoth fossils are male, according to a report published Thursday in the journal Current Biology. Much like wild elephants today, young male Ice Age mammoths likely roamed alone and more often got themselves into risky situations where they were swept into rivers, fell through ice or into bogs orRead more

Fourth gravitational wave is detected, with European help

Turin - Emirates Voice

A team of scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) announced Wednesday they successfully detected another gravitational wave — the fourth so far — after two black holes collided in space. GW170814, named after the day it was detected, is a black hole collision that happened 2 billion years ago. The space-time ripples caused by the collision were alsoRead more

Plane-sized 'void' discovered in Great Pyramid

Paris - AFP

Scientists revealed Thursday they have discovered a passenger plane-sized "void" in the heart of the Great Pyramid of Egypt, where it has lain secret and untouched for 4,500 years. The space is yet to be examined and is one of four cavities, along with the king and queen's chambers and "Grand Gallery", now known to exist inside the giant monumentRead more

New gene editor used to fix disease

Paris - Emirates Voice

Chinese scientists used an adapted version of a controversial gene-editing technique to correct a disease-causing mutation in human embryos, a medical first cautiously hailed by other experts Thursday. The team used a so-called "base editor" -- an adaptation of the CRISPR-Cas9 DNA snipping tool -- to correct a single, mutated "letter" among about three billion in the intricate coding ofRead more

'Pen' helps docs identify cancers in just 10 secs

Abu Dhabi - Emirates Voice

Scientists have invented a pen-like device that can identify cancerous tissue during surgery and deliver over 96 per cent accurate results in just 10 seconds. The MasSpec Pen is more than 150 times faster than existing technology. It is an innovative disposable hand-held instrument that gives surgeons precise diagnostic information about what tissue to cut or preserve, helping improve treatmentRead more

Scientists reveal how world's biggest diamonds form

Washington - ArabToday

Scientists claimed they have figured out how the world's biggest and most-valuable diamonds formed. In a study published this week in the U.S. journal Science, they said large gem-quality diamonds, like the world-famous Cullinan or Lesotho Promise, may be born in metallic liquid deep inside Earth's mantle. The research team, led by Evan Smith of the Gemological Institute of America,Read more

Researchers Discover Gene Behind Sixth Sense in Humans

Washington - XINHUA

Scientists have identified a gene that helps us feel and keep tabs on our body’s position in space. Two people, aged nine and 19 years old, with mutations on a gene called PIEZO2 showed researchers how their senses of touch and body awareness, or proprioception, differed from those of other people. When blindfolds prevented them from seeing their surroundings, theRead more

Monkey discovery boosts Zika drug quest

Paris - Arab Today

Scientists said Monday they had found a suitable animal model for testing new Zika drugs — a monkey whose offspring suffers brain damage similar to human foetuses exposed to the virus. One monkey, a pregnant pigtail macaque, was infected with Zika on day 119 of gestation — equivalent to about 28 weeks of a normal 40-week human pregnancy, a teamRead more

AIDS summit opens with warnings that progress at risk

Durban - Arab Today

More than 18,000 scientists, campaigners and donors opened a major AIDS conference in South Africa on Monday, issuing stark warnings that recent gains in the fight against the disease were under threat. The five-day International AIDS Conference returns to Africa 16 years after Nelson Mandela galvanized the world to take up the fight against AIDS, describing it as “one ofRead more