Science Special News

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Oldest evidence yet of fish moving to land

In the frozen rocks of an island 800 miles from the North Pole, scientists have discovered a group of fossils that clearly mark one of the most crucial events in human evolution: a moment in time some 375 million years ago when primitive fish first began moving from the world's oceans to the land. The fossils show that the animals bore the scales, gills and fins of fish, but also the ribs, neck, rudimentary ear bones and primitive limbs of what ultimately would become the arms and legs of the first land animals -- the ancestors of all reptiles, dinosaurs, birds and mammals, including humans, the scientists say. The primitive fish are the most important evidence yet discovered for a transitional life form that developed along the path of evolution by adapting in the water to the new land environment they encountered, other experts say. Three paleontologists -- Neil Shubin of the University of Chicago, Edward Daeschler of Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences and Farish Jenkins Jr. of Harvard -- chipped the fossils from the rocks near the ice-bound shores of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut in 2004, two years after first uncovering traces of them during an expedition to the Arctic. The fossils ranged in size from 4 to 9 feet.

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New pictures of 'living fossil'

A rodent that "came back from the dead" after supposedly going extinct millions of years ago appears to be more common than previously thought. The Laotian rock rat, known locally as the kha-nyou, was identified as a species new to science in 2005. It was spotted at a hunter's market in Laos by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). A return visit has uncovered more specimens, suggesting the squirrel-like animal may not be that rare. The creature was originally thought to belong to an entirely new rodent family more closely related to rodents in Africa and South America than in Asia. However, after a detailed search through the fossil records of the Natural History Museum in London, the mammal is now believed to be the sole survivor of an ancient group of rodents that died out 11 million years ago.

"The Laotian rock rat (Laonastes aenigmamus), described last year by the Wildlife Conservation Society scientists in Laos, is certainly new to science and a genetically distinct species, while also representing the lone survivor of an ancient family," the WCS said. "However, it may not be that rare. On a recent visit to a hunter's market in Laos, WCS conservationist Peter Clyne found the rats to be quite common, photographing several specimens." The conservation status of the species is unknown, and it has never been observed by biologists in the wild.

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1,500-year-old pyramid discovered in Mexico

Archeologists have discovered a huge 1,500-year-old pre-Hispanic pyramid in a working class district of Mexico City after digging into a hill used every year to depict the crucifixion of Christ. The unnamed pyramid has the same sized base as the giant Pyramid of the Moon at the famous archeological site of Teotihuacan, an hour's drive northeast of the capital, which is known as the "City of the Gods" and is Mexico's biggest ancient city.Archeologist Jesus Sanchez said on Wednesday the latest find was built by the same people who constructed Teotihuacan between A.D. 400 and 500, and has evidence that it was used for ceremonial purposes."The structure is protected because it is beneath two feet of earth," Sanchez told a radio station.But half the pyramid has been destroyed as the hill has been used for decades every Easter for a gory re-enactment of the crucifixion of Christ. The religious celebration is attended by hundreds of thousands of believers.

Houses built illegally on one side of the hill have also damaged the pyramid, which is about 60 feet tall, half the height of the Pyramid of the Moon, said Sanchez, archeologist with the National Institute of Anthropology and History.The site will not be fully explored because it is now considered a religious center in its own right, Sanchez said.The north side of the pyramid opens out into a large square, whose limits are defined by a low stone wall. On the south side there is another small temple, with evidence of holes in the walls for offerings to be placed.

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ESA plans asteroid deflection project

The European Space Agency (ESA) said it had shortlisted three European consortia to submit proposals for its Don Quijote project, which seeks to deflect any future asteroid on a collision course with Earth. The teams are respectively led by Alcatel Alenia Space, Qinetiq of Britain and EADS Astrium, each of which has long experience in European space projects, ESA said in a press release on Monday.ESA, helped by an independent panel of experts, will assess their submissions in October, and the outcome will be made public in 2007. The Don Quijote mission will comprise two spacecraft. One of them, called Hidalgo, will smash into the asteroid at relatively high speed, while a second one, Sancho, will arrive earlier at the same asteroid to measure the variation on the asteroid's orbital parameters after the impact. The risk of an asteroid collision with Earth is extremely remote. But if such an event were to occur, and the rock were big, the immediate devastation could be continent-wide and there could be lasting changes to the planet's weather system.

The long reign of the dinosaurs is believed to have come to an abrupt end 65 million years ago when an asteroid or comet smashed into modern-day Mexico. The collision kicked up so much dust that heat and light from the Sun were diminished, destroying much of Earth's vegetation and the larger species of land animals that depended on it.

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Schoolyard UFO witnesses reunite

One of Australia's biggest UFO mysteries has taken off again, 40 years on. And researchers hope the truth will out at a reunion of more than 30 witnesses tomorrow. About 200 people are said to have seen either a flying saucer or crop circles near Westall High School on April 6, 1966. Witnesses described the as silver, saucer-shaped and silent. Others who saw the object say they saw it drop behind trees at Westall's Grange Reserve, then rise vertically and leave. Flattened and charred grass "crop circles" were said to have been left behind in the reserve. Canberra academic Shane Ryan, who has formed an online contact group for witnesses, says he has contacted about 50 witnesses in the past year. Most of those who witnessed the event were Westall High School students who were gathered on the oval at the time for physical education classes. The incident was reported in daily papers, on Channel Nine and ran for two weeks as front-page news in the Dandenong Journal. About a quarter of the witnesses said they saw the flying saucer and the rest saw as many as five so-called crop circles.

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Searching for souls in other dimensions

Strange encounters with spheres of light are indeed on the increase, says Alan Foster, of Meare, near Glastonbury, who is an author, lecturer and researcher on UFOs, crop formations and paranormal and environmental issues. Various theories say they are balls of plasma energy, intelligently controlled artificial spheres, remote-viewers, ghosts, spirit guides or guardians, interdimensional entities or extraterrestrials - or even all of these!"The opaque spheres seen in people's photographs, that are not necessarily visible with the physical eye, may well be actual consciousnesses or beings from other realms, " said Alan. "Their very existence stimulates debate and is an issue of great importance. Many people in these changing times feel that the dimensions are merging, or the veil is thinning, and perhaps this is also a reason we are more likely to see these spheres at the current time."It is important that we become more aware of the existence and continuation of the soul, as it actually enhances feelings of self-empowerment and removes the fear of the transition at the time of death. It also allows us to recognise on a soul level that we are equal to all other beings, even if they are technologically, or even spiritually more advanced."Self-empowerment, and the recognition of our continuance on a soul level are necessary attributes as the environmental, technological and ufological realities become ever more real.

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Famous one-eyed kitten to go on display

The one-eyed, noseless kitten that inspired an international debate last year over whether it was a hoax is coming to a new museum of oddities in central New York. The museum founder, who believes in creationism, said the kitten is meant to launch another debate about how science and religion intersect.The Oregon woman who owned the kitten said she turned down Ripley's Believe it or Not! and sold the remains to John Adolfi of Granby because she liked his religious reasons for wanting them."We didn't want Cy becoming a joke or part of a personal collection," Traci Allen said. "But John was so heartfelt, you could tell he was genuine and sincere."Adolfi would not say how much he paid for the kitten, named Cy, for Cyclops. He said he plans to have it embalmed Wednesday at a local funeral home.The kitten died in December, a day after being born. Veterinarians in Oregon said it suffered from a rare disorder called holoprosencephaly.

Cy will be displayed in a glass jar in the Lost World Museum, which Adolfi hopes to open in nearby Phoenix this fall.Other exhibits will include giant plants and eggs, deformed animal remains and archaeological finds, Adolfi said.

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Chinese man auctions his soul on-line

Some might call it an auction to die for, as the Chinese observe their traditional Qing Ming festival honouring the dead. A man in his late 20s in Jiaxing, a city near Shanghai, has attempted to sell his soul on Taobao, China's top online auction site, attracting bids from some 58 soul-searching buyers before the posting was pulled."We reviewed Taobao's policies and realised we had no specific policy on the selling of souls," said Porter Erisman, spokesman for Taobao's parent, Yahoo-backed Alibaba.com. "After reviewing our policies, the posting was taken down last Friday."Erisman said Taobao wasn't opposed to the idea of soul selling online, but wanted more proof that the seller could provide the goods."After some discussion, we decided that we will allow the member to sell his soul on Taobao, but only if he can provide written permission from a 'higher authority'," he said.

Taobao made its decision as Chinese around the world on Wednesday observed Qing Ming, a traditional holiday where many travel to their ancestors' graves to clean them and offer gifts to the spirits.Taobao is no stranger to odd items being put up for auction, with past sale items including advertising space on one member's forehead.The firm's chief rival, eBay, has also hosted its share of strange items for auction, including a second-hand Volkswagen once owned by Pope Benedict and a mangrove island in Florida.

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Let's get in a "Flap"

Throughout the history of the UFO phenomena there have been what are generally termed "flaps". These flaps are periods of intensified UFO activity concentrated on certain areas and lasting over a period of many weeks. Flaps such as the Warminster sightings in the 1960s, to as recently as the Belgium flaps of 2001 and 2002 have all provoked interest in the UFO community. The Northern Hemisphere has had a fair share of this type of activity; However, such concentrated UFO activity has also been noted in the Southern Hemisphere. However, one incident of concentrated sightings stands out in New Zealand's history of UFO activity.In the time frame from the onset of 1977 to the close of 1978, an insignificant valley near Gisbourne, New Zealand would play host to almost nightly UFO sightings and unusual encounters and events.

Waimata Valley is a rural area, situated near Gisbourne, on the North Islands East Coast. Normally a place that didn't excite much attention, it was to become a hot spot for UFO watching, as well as a favorite spot for folk wanting to view a UFO. Once regular sightings began, youths would cruise the area, armed, looking forward to taking a pot shot at a UFO.On the night of March 11-12, 1977, an incident transpired which involved two young woman, who settled down on a hillside that night, as many were doing in that area, in the anticipation of seeing the strange aerial objects that were becoming a nightly phenomena.The case was investigated by Bryan Dickeson and after a narrative of what occurred that night emerged they were encouraged to delve deeper using regressive hypnosis.Without hypnosis both woman recalled settling on the hillside with their sleeping bags. About 11 pm they could hear a noise like tin cans buckling, this sound continued for about half an hour then ceased. Both subsequently became tired and drifted off to sleep.