The world's largest snake has been found deep in the South American rainforest. The monster boa is at least 13 metres long from mouth to tail and weighs.

The world's largest snake has been found deep in the The world's largest snake has been found deep in the South American rainforest.South American rainforest.

The monster boa is at least 13 metres long from mouth The monster boa is at least 13 metres long from mouth to tail and weighs 1,135 kilograms, (2,500 pounds).to tail and weighs 1,135 kilograms, (2,500 pounds).

The snake named Titanoboa cerrejonensis lived around The snake named Titanoboa cerrejonensis lived around 60 million years ago in hot swamps after the extinction 60 million years ago in hot swamps after the extinction

of the dinosaurs.of the dinosaurs.

It grew so big because the world was much It grew so big because the world was much hotter then. Scientists estimate temperatures in hotter then. Scientists estimate temperatures in the rainforest could have been between 30-34C the rainforest could have been between 30-34C

(86-93F), 5C warmer than today.(86-93F), 5C warmer than today.The discovery is leading scientists to re-think The discovery is leading scientists to re-think

how hot the Earth has been in the past and how how hot the Earth has been in the past and how animals and plants were able to survive and animals and plants were able to survive and

grow in the intense heat.grow in the intense heat.The giant snake was found by fossil scientists in The giant snake was found by fossil scientists in one of the world's largest open cast coal mines, one of the world's largest open cast coal mines,

at Cerrejon, north east Colombia.at Cerrejon, north east Colombia.

Most everybody knows that DNA Most everybody knows that DNA contains the blueprint for life. The contains the blueprint for life. The names of Watson and Crick, the names of Watson and Crick, the first scientists to figure out the first scientists to figure out the structure of DNA in the 1950s, are structure of DNA in the 1950s, are also widely recognized. But left also widely recognized. But left obscure in history is the name of the obscure in history is the name of the chemist who first isolated the DNA chemist who first isolated the DNA molecule itself. Johann Friedrich molecule itself. Johann Friedrich Miescher, working in the late 1800s, Miescher, working in the late 1800s, single-handedly separated out what single-handedly separated out what he called "nuclein" from cells. he called "nuclein" from cells.

Miescher did develop some Miescher did develop some hypotheses about how hypotheses about how "nuclein" might be involved "nuclein" might be involved in heredity, he ascribed to in heredity, he ascribed to the view at the time that any the view at the time that any one type of molecule would one type of molecule would be too simple to account for be too simple to account for all the variation seen within all the variation seen within species. It would be about 75 species. It would be about 75 years before the magnitude years before the magnitude of Miescher's discovery of Miescher's discovery would be fully understood.would be fully understood.

Rubik's CubeRubik's Cube

Two American professors have proven that the Two American professors have proven that the earlier-held belief that at least 27 turns are earlier-held belief that at least 27 turns are needed to solve the most famous Hungarian needed to solve the most famous Hungarian puzzle/toy/contraption, the Rubik's Cube, is puzzle/toy/contraption, the Rubik's Cube, is falsefalse. . Dan Kunkle and Gene Cooperman of the Dan Kunkle and Gene Cooperman of the University of Boston used a "super computer" University of Boston used a "super computer" to solve the puzzle with only 26 turns. to solve the puzzle with only 26 turns.

TAU Scientists Help Discover the Most Massive Stellar Black Hole

An international team, including astronomers from Tel Aviv University, has uncovered the most massive stellar black hole found to date in a binary system. The newly-discovered black hole is about 16 times the mass of our sun and located three million light-years away in a distant galaxy called Messier 33. The finding is unique because the black hole, named M33 X-7, is associated with an unusually large companion star (its binary pair), with a mass about 70 times the mass of our sun. The two objects move one around the other in space once every 3.5 days in an everlasting dance.

Concludes Prof. Mazeh, "Astronomical measurements allow us to peek into the

vastness of space and discover epic events incomparable with anything which takes place

on earth."A stellar black hole is formed from the

collapse of the core of a massive star at the end of its life. The collapse creates an intense

gravitational force, where not even rays of light can escape its gravitational pull,

rendering the phenomenon invisible. Matter transferred from the companion star into the black hole falls into the hole’s gravitational attraction and emits X-ray radiation that the astronomers have detected by using special

satellites.

A team of British and A team of British and American scientists has American scientists has discovered a new method to discovered a new method to detect major weather events detect major weather events occurring 32 km up in the occurring 32 km up in the Earth's stratosphere. Cosmic Earth's stratosphere. Cosmic rays, detected 0.8 km beneath rays, detected 0.8 km beneath the planet's surface in an the planet's surface in an obsolete iron mine, have the obsolete iron mine, have the potential to identify weather potential to identify weather events that happen during the events that happen during the Northern Hemisphere winter.Northern Hemisphere winter.

American scientists have found human antibodies that kill a broad

range of influenza A viruses, a discovery that raises hopes of

both better flu drugs and a more effective, longer lasting flu shot.

The discovery of monoclonal antibodies that target what some researchers believe may be flu's Achilles heel suggests medicine finally may be able to find a way

to neutralize the virus's maddening ability to evade the

immune system through constant mutation.

Scientists discovered a new bird species, but its habitat is threatened by a dam project in a southeastern Venezuela river basin, a British environmental organization announced Wednesday.

Birdlife International said the new species has been named the Carrizal Seedeater, or Amaurospina carrizalensis, after the tiny islet in the Caura River where was discovered by researchers Miguel Lentino and Robin Restall.

The Carrizal Seedeater is a species of the blue-flecked finch. It has a larger bill than other finches and small plumage differences, Birdlife International said in a statement.

New bird speciesNew bird species

TONY EASTLEY: Scientists in the United States have made a breakthrough that could lead to a universal flu vaccine.

They've discovered anti-bodies that neutralise multiple strains of the influenza virus, and a so-called "pan-therapy" or broad-spectrum vaccine could be just five years away.

American scientists Martin Chalfie and Roger Y. Tsien, and Osamu Shimomura of Japan won the 2008 Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for their discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein, or GFP.

Martin Chalfie Martin Chalfie

Brian Butterworth, a British cognitive neuropsychologist and founding editor of the journal "Mathematical Cognition", has summarized several lines of evidence pointing to the conclusion that the normal human brain contains a "number module" - a highly specialized set of neural circuits that enable us to categorize small collections of objects in terms of their so-called numerosities.

Wheat could soon take a walk on the wild side. An ancient strain of wild wheat found growing in Israel has enabled a team of Israeli and American scientists to boost the protein, zinc and iron content in modern wheat, an accomplishment that could help supply more nutritious food to millions of people worldwide.

The next significant discovery took place in 1820. Professor Hans Christian Oersted was demonstrating an experiment for students when he accidentally discovered that a compass needle moved when it was close to a wire connected to a voltaic pile. Oersted's discovery was a major breakthrough in electrical science because he was first to recognize that electricity and magnetism are related. His discovery marked the beginning of electricity as we know it today. The "Oersted" is the unit of magnetic reluctance.

Andre-Marie Ampere made the next significant discovery, establishing the science of electrodynamics in 1823.The properties of electromotive force in Ampere's time were in a constant state of interpretation and revision by many scientists. Nevertheless, it was Ampere's brilliant deduction that solved the scientific riddle. Ampere experimented with current-carrying conductors and reasoned that electromotive force is manifested by two kinds of effects: electric tension and electric current. Thus, he established the concepts of voltage and current. The "Ampere" is the unit of electric current.

Oersted's discovery set Faraday on a series of experiments for 11 years. Finally, in 1831, his experiments revealed a great truth: Electricity could indeed be produced by magnetism. Nevertheless, the critical component of his discovery was that magnetism must be accompanied by motion. If Oersted had discovered the magic doorway that would lead to the age of electric power, it was Faraday who unlocked that door. The "Farad" is the unit of electrical capacitance.

In the late 1870's, the nature of electricity was still not well known. Maxwell's

mathematical equations, electromagnetic theory of light, and laws of electrodynamics lacked

hard experimental verification. Heinrich Hertz became a strong deciple of Maxwell's theories,

and it was his work that proved Maxwell correct.

-By 1888 Hertz had received world acclaim for his exhaustive experiments of

electromagnetic wave phenomena concerning propagation, polarization, and reflection of

waves. His discoveries opened the door to future work in the realm of radio. The "Hertz" is the

unit for measurement of frequency.