Category Science

A new earthworm species developed by the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) can get rid of the wild aquatic plant Jal Kumbhi (Pistia Stratiotes) growing on the banks of river Brahmaputra. The plant is a menace as it spreads its tentacles right up to the river bed and impairs the movement of fisherman besides causing widespread pollution.

Jai Gopal (Perionyx ceylanesis) eats wild vegetation very fast and converts it into organic fertilizer that can be used in farming. It can withstand different temperature variations and survive temperatures ranging from 0 degree Celsius to 43 degree Celsius. The fertilizers produced will be used by tea gardens in the Assam valley. The earthworm will also benefit the sugarcane industry – waste products rich in phosphorous, calcium, potassium and other minerals can be transformed into organic fertilizers once they become fodder for the earthworm.

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A California electrician developed star-shaped cataracts after being shocked by 14,000 volts of electricity. The current passed through his entire body, including the optic nerve that connects the back of the eye to the brain. “The optic nerve is similar to any wire that conducts electricity,” said Dr Bobby Korn, associate professor of clinical ophthalmology, University of California. “The extreme current and voltage that passed through this important natural wire caused damage to the optic nerve itself.” In animal studies, damage to the eye’s lens from electricity first appears as small bubbles called ‘vacuoles’ on the outside of the lens. These then coalesce to form a star-shaped cataract.

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At Indonesia’s Kawah Ijen Volcano, extremely high quantities of sulphuric gases emerge at high pressure and temperatures (sometimes in excess of 600 degree Celsius) along with the lava. Exposed to the oxygen present in air and sparked by lava, the sulphur burns readily, and its flames are bright blue. There’s so much sulfur, that at times it flows down the rock face as it burns, making it seem as though blue lava is spilling down the mountainside. But because only the flames are blue rather than the lava itself, the effect is only visible at night – during daytime, the volcano looks like any other.

Miners extract the sulfur rock, which is formed after the blue flames extinguish leaving behind a solid sulfur-rich rock. They then carry these large loads in baskets down the side of the mountain to be paid per kilogram. The work is unregulated and small children can often be seen scrambling up and down the slopes hoping to support their family’s low incomes with additional money. They usually take two daily trips. Each local worker is paid about 680 Indonesian rupiahs per kilogram, the equivalent of about six USD cents. 

The working conditions are highly dangerous. It does not only require agility and strength to walk up and down the volcano’s steep slopes, but workers are also exposed to the toxic sulfur gases for long periods of time. Without gas masks or other safety equipment, many of the mine’s workers suffer long-term health problems resulting from sulfur exposure. These volcanic materials make it one of the more dangerous places on Earth.

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Alston’s singing mouse (Scotinomys teguina) produces vocalizations that are barely audible to humans. Unlike simple squeaks or chirps, the “songs” of these mice last longer and have multiple notes, and the mice can modulate both the amplitude and the frequency of the calls. Researchers have now found that besides using them to attract mates and repel rivals within their own species, these high-pitched tunes can serve as signals across species, too, helping males protect their turf.

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-93.2 degree Celsius is the temperature recorded by NASA satellites at the coldest place on earth. The record temperatures were found in 5 by 10 km pockets where the topography forms small hollows 6 to 13 feet deep just off the ice ridge that runs between Dome Argus and Dome Fuji – the ice dome summits of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. A lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said, “I am told that every breath is painful and you have to be extremely careful not to freeze part of your throat or lungs when inhaling.”

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