Science and Technology - Briefs

PHYSICS Fishy behaviour Survival of silvery fishes like sardines depend on their ability to reflect maximum light and remain nearly invisible to predators. But it is well known that reflective surfaces polarise light, a process which should have made the fish visible. The fish owe their survival to the presence of two types of crystals in their skin.

Letters - November 30, 2012

Think Small

A modern day scare

A recent health scare relates to everyday technology—mobile phones’ potential to cause damage by radiation. Studies on the issue continue to contradict one another. The issue being debated in the scientific and political arenas is just how much radiation is unsafe, and if there are any potential long-term effects of cell-phone radiation exposure.

Plants have proteins

When people hear calls for 25 per cent less industrial cattle ranching, or even calls for “Meat-Free Mondays”, their usual misgivings centre around protein. Protein needs vary somewhat with age, between men and women, infants, children, and during pregnancy and lactation, but a safe rule of thumb is 50 g/day.

Let’s talk sex

How safe is your toothpaste?

Toothpaste is meant to protect the teeth. How can it be harmful? Interviewee:  Andreas Kieskow

Science and Technology - Briefs

COMPUTER SCIENCES Super disc Typical compact discs (CDs) store 600-700 megabytes (MB) of digital data. A new technology can now help develop CDs that can hold 2 terabytes or 2,000,000 MB of data. Instead of packing more data on the surface, the idea is to make an optical film with 64 data layers.

Arsenic control

Ads term gutkha ban unfair

THE photographed ad on this page is one of the many ads that has been appearing in leading print and electronic media of the country since September. Issued by the gutkha industry, the ads term the ban on the chewing tobacco unfair and question why the government has not banned cigarette.

Letters - October 31, 2012

Truly biomess