Live News Blogg

This spectrograph of the Orion Nebula (biggified here) was made by the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI), which is integrated into the Herschel Telescope, and measures molecular characteristics to identify them. Throughout the enormous span of the nebula, scientists have identified every chemical, compound and ingredient needed for life to cook.

Since this is an example of a stellar nursery, where new stars are born, it seems to me that these components of life are flourishing throughout the Universe. The debate about whether we are obligated to seed it with life can be put to rest. At the very least, the foundation for life to form is not specific to our neighborhood; and it’s entirely probable that life is out there, in many places.  But for now, it’s an exciting look at what the Universe is made of.

A characteristic feature is the spectral richness: among the organic molecules identified in this spectrum are water, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, methanol, dimethyl ether, hydrogen cyanide, sulphur oxide, sulphur dioxide and their isotope analogues. It is expected that new molecules will also be identified. This spectrum is the first glimpse at the spectral richness of regions of star and planet formation. -Link

(via Wired Science)

Arsenal have reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League after a thrilling victory over Porto.

Los Angeles police were guided by their sense of smell during a raid on a warehouse that turned out to be a hothouse for marijuana.

A French teenager has been detained for spraying his teacher with teargas after a history lesson about the role of al-Qaeda in the September 11 attacks in the United States.

The factory tasked with making mascots for the 2010 World Cup has been told to halt production after an investigation into alleged sweatshop conditions there.

NEW YORK: Oil prices slipped on Tuesday under pressure from a stronger dollar and ahead of weekly data on petroleum inventories in the United States, the world's largest energy consumer.

Most of us are familiar with the little numbers inside the chasing arrows on plastics. But we may not realize that even though a plastic has a number assigned to it, it may not be recyclable. The numbers are known as resin identification codes, and they are used simply to distinguish types of plastic from each other.

If you thought that solar panel arrays were only beneficial in states with copious amounts of sunshine like Arizona and Florida, you were mistaken.

The ANC is trying to reach Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to confirm whether she did indeed make a series of scathing remarks about her ex-husband, Nelson Mandela.

Birds just do not get the concept of “glass.” We’ve all surely had the experience of having a bird fly into a window at our home, office or school, usually with unfortunate consequences for the bird. But have you ever stopped to think about how widespread this phenomenon is and how many birds it might be killing annually?