Mammoth skeleton unearthed in Serbia

06/04/2009 | 09:47 PM

BELGRADE, Serbia – A well-preserved skeleton of a mammoth that is believed to be about one million years old has been unearthed in eastern Serbia, archaeologists said Thursday.

The discovery was made during excavation two days ago at an open-pit coal mine near Kostolac power plant, said Miomir Korac, from Serbia's Archaeology Institute.

The skeleton was found 27 meters (89 feet) below ground, he said. The mammoth was more than 4 meters (13 feet) high, 5 meters (16 feet) long and weighed more than 10 tons.

"It is very well-preserved with only slight damage to the skull and the tusks," Korac told the AP. "There have been practically no major tectonic disruptions here for at least a million years."

Korac said the mammoth was a so-called southern mammoth, or mammuthus meridionalis, originating from northern Africa. Experts will continue research to find out more about the environment it lived in.

Another mammoth skeleton, from a much later period, was discovered at a factory in Serbia in 1996 and was named Kika. - AP

From GMANews.tv; see the source article here.

Mammoth skeleton unearthed in Serbia

06/04/2009 | 09:47 PM

BELGRADE, Serbia – A well-preserved skeleton of a mammoth that is believed to be about one million years old has been unearthed in eastern Serbia, archaeologists said Thursday.

The discovery was made during excavation two days ago at an open-pit coal mine near Kostolac power plant, said Miomir Korac, from Serbia's Archaeology Institute.

The skeleton was found 27 meters (89 feet) below ground, he said. The mammoth was more than 4 meters (13 feet) high, 5 meters (16 feet) long and weighed more than 10 tons.

"It is very well-preserved with only slight damage to the skull and the tusks," Korac told the AP. "There have been practically no major tectonic disruptions here for at least a million years."

Korac said the mammoth was a so-called southern mammoth, or mammuthus meridionalis, originating from northern Africa. Experts will continue research to find out more about the environment it lived in.

Another mammoth skeleton, from a much later period, was discovered at a factory in Serbia in 1996 and was named Kika. - AP

From GMANews.tv; see the source article here.

D'oh! Simpsons may promote smoking

Kids, as you always hear it from older folks, not everything that you see on TV, you would do as well. Learn to differentiate from what is good and what is bad – a lot of times, being sleek or groovy is not the beneficial path to take…

----------

Posted: 01 June 2009 1913 hrs

The Simpsons

MELBOURNE: Long-running US cartoon show "The Simpsons" may inadvertently promote smoking with its frequent depictions of the habit and references to cigarettes, Australian research has found.

While smoking may be responsible for Krusty the Clown's heart condition and sisters Patty and Selma's raspy voices, the show may promote tobacco use simply by showing it in so many episodes, the research concluded.

University of Sydney public health specialist Guy Eslick examined instances of smoking in the first 18 seasons of the show about the dysfunctional family from Springfield, trawling through some 400 episodes in all.

He found that smoking was depicted 795 times over the 18-season period, featuring in a negative context 35 per cent of the time, positive two per cent and neutral 63 per cent.

Most of the time, 63 per cent, the characters shown smoking were adults, although children and teenagers featured in eight per cent of references, with the rest made up of nicotine-addicted animals.

Eslick said cartoon characters had been shown to be effective tools in marketing cigarettes to children, citing the long-running Joe Camel campaign in the United States.

He said research had also shown that the more children were exposed to cigarettes in movies and on television, the more likely they were to take up the habit.

"In conclusion, it is clear that smoking is a frequent event on The Simpsons television show, and that even instances of smoking being reflected in a negative way, particularly among child and adolescent characters, could have an impact in prompting children to smoke cigarettes," Eslick concluded.

The research was published in the Medical Journal of Australia Monday. - AFP/il

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• 'The Simpsons' 'promotes smoking' (telegraph.co.uk)
• Study lights into Simpsons for smoking scenes (cbc.ca)
• Cigarettes Without Smoke, or Regulation (nytimes.com)
• Canwest Announces 2009 Global Television Fall Schedule (newswire.ca)
• Fewer smokers means fewer teens light up (cnn.com)

D'oh! Simpsons may promote smoking

Kids, as you always hear it from older folks, not everything that you see on TV, you would do as well. Learn to differentiate from what is good and what is bad – a lot of times, being sleek or groovy is not the beneficial path to take…

----------

Posted: 01 June 2009 1913 hrs

The Simpsons

MELBOURNE: Long-running US cartoon show "The Simpsons" may inadvertently promote smoking with its frequent depictions of the habit and references to cigarettes, Australian research has found.

While smoking may be responsible for Krusty the Clown's heart condition and sisters Patty and Selma's raspy voices, the show may promote tobacco use simply by showing it in so many episodes, the research concluded.

University of Sydney public health specialist Guy Eslick examined instances of smoking in the first 18 seasons of the show about the dysfunctional family from Springfield, trawling through some 400 episodes in all.

He found that smoking was depicted 795 times over the 18-season period, featuring in a negative context 35 per cent of the time, positive two per cent and neutral 63 per cent.

Most of the time, 63 per cent, the characters shown smoking were adults, although children and teenagers featured in eight per cent of references, with the rest made up of nicotine-addicted animals.

Eslick said cartoon characters had been shown to be effective tools in marketing cigarettes to children, citing the long-running Joe Camel campaign in the United States.

He said research had also shown that the more children were exposed to cigarettes in movies and on television, the more likely they were to take up the habit.

"In conclusion, it is clear that smoking is a frequent event on The Simpsons television show, and that even instances of smoking being reflected in a negative way, particularly among child and adolescent characters, could have an impact in prompting children to smoke cigarettes," Eslick concluded.

The research was published in the Medical Journal of Australia Monday. - AFP/il

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• 'The Simpsons' 'promotes smoking' (telegraph.co.uk)
• Study lights into Simpsons for smoking scenes (cbc.ca)
• Cigarettes Without Smoke, or Regulation (nytimes.com)
• Canwest Announces 2009 Global Television Fall Schedule (newswire.ca)
• Fewer smokers means fewer teens light up (cnn.com)

Automakers go green with eco-friendly cars

By Rachel Kelly, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 03 June 2009 2045 hrs

Japanese couple consider a hybrid car

SINGAPORE: Governments, companies and individuals worldwide are gaining interest in issues related to climate change, and becoming more environmentally aware. And this is taking business down a new path.

Japanese car maker Toyota announced on Wednesday it will be leasing 200 plug-in hybrid cars by the end of the year in Japan to boost sales of green cars.

Over in the US, President Barack Obama has just signed a new bill aimed at increasing gas mileage and decreasing green house gas pollution for all new trucks and cars sold in the US.

The move will force US car makers to dramatically boost the efficiency of cars and trucks by 2016.

The programme begins with car models made in 2012.

Meanwhile, China has already announced plans to become the world's largest producer of electric cars, with US$1.5 billion ($10 billion Yuan) package for research and development.

Cash rebates of up to US$8,800 will also be on offer for electric car purchases.

Over in Japan, the major car brands have been picking up speed when it comes to hybrid vehicles. They want to tap into the growing popularity of hybrid cars.

Just last month, Nissan saw orders for its eco-friendly cars jump 30 per cent on year.

Toyota has received pre-sales orders of more than 80,000 vehicles for its remodelled Prius hybrid.

Interest in green vehicles in Japan may have been boosted by the government's new tax incentives for low-emission cars.

This is a growing trend worldwide, with more countries offering tax incentives for such cars and imposing emission caps.

And soon, owning a green vehicle will move from being a trend to a must. - CNA /ls

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Toyota to Lease Plug-in Hybrid Cars (nytimes.com)
• Toyota Rolls Out New Prius Amid Hybrid Price War (huffingtonpost.com)
• VIDEO: Superman loves new 2010 Toyota Prius (autobloggreen.com)
• BCAA's annual hybrid cost comparison: Several models remain cost competitive, in spite of lower fuel prices and loss of federal rebate (newswire.ca)
• New Prius goes on sale today in Japan, Toyota claims 80,000 pre-orders (autobloggreen.com)
• Hybrid price war starts in Japan! (dvorak.org)
• How an electric car could kill you (thestar.com)
• What Should a Hybrid Sports Car Feel Like? (mixedpower.com)
• Toyota's New Prius Goes on Sale in Japan (nytimes.com)
• Officially, official: Toyota will lease 150 plug-in Priuses in Europe starting in late 2009 (autobloggreen.com)