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ON CHORABARI GLACIER, India — This is how a glacier retreats.

Tomas Munita for The New York Times

Ramesh Bandhari, a worker with the Indian Institute of Himalayan Geology, uses a chronometer to clock water flow.

At nearly 13,000 feet above sea level, in the shadow of a sharp Himalayan peak, a wall of black ice oozes in the sunshine. A tumbling stone breaks the silence of the mountains, or water gurgles under the ground, a sign that the glacier is melting from inside. Where it empties out — scientists call it the snout — a noisy, frothy stream rushes down to meet the river Ganges.

D.P. Dobhal, a glaciologist who has spent the last three years climbing and poking the Chorabari glacier, stands at the edge of the snout and points ahead. Three years ago, the snout was roughly 90 feet farther away. On a map drawn in 1962, it was plotted 860 feet from here. Mr. Dobhal marked the spot with a Stonehenge-like pile of rocks.

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Ascent of Dinosaurs More Gradual Than Once Thought
By Will Dunham

The ascent of the dinosaurs to the throne of the animal kingdom may have been more gradual than previously believed, scientists said on Thursday.

New fossil discoveries dating from about 215 million years ago showed some of the earliest dinosaurs lived for millions of years side by side with related animals long seen as their ancestors and precursors, scientists said on Thursday.

Many scientists had thought these reptiles -- very much like dinosaurs, but more primitive -- died out around the time of the appearance of the first true dinosaurs, which were dog-sized beasts not giants, roughly 230 million years ago.

"When dinosaurs first evolved, they were not very common and they were pretty small," said Randall Irmis of the University of California-Berkeley, who worked on the study.
                             
   
 

Cutting-Edge Science Creates
Stain-Free Pants
WASHINGTON (Reuters) —

Scientists are wrestling with individual atoms to develop molecule-sized computers, tiny cancer-fighting robots that travel the bloodstream ... and stain-resistant trousers.
Nanotechnology — the science of manipulating materials billionths of a meter wide — has emerged as a promising new field that could lead to stunning advances in years to come.

Boosters claim that nanotech-derived products may someday cure disease, slow the aging process and eliminate pollution. But for now, the hman race will have to settle for tennis balls that keep their bounce longer, flat-panel displays that shine brighter, and wrinkle-free khaki slacks that resist coffee stains.
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In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy
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AMAZINE WEIRD FACT:
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Nanosciences

Ancient Dye But Cutting-Edge Science

An ancient hair-dyeing formula based on lime and lead oxide has revealed the presence of chemical nanoreactors in our hair.1 Researchers from LC2RMF2 have focused on the history of cosmetic products for the last ten years. This includes analyzing and recreating make-up and ointments discovered in Egyptian tombs. Now, together with other 3 teams, they have reproduced and applied the lime/lead oxide dye to hair samples. First, they noticed that the tiny black crystals of dye measured on average just five nanometers4 in size, explaining why this ancient formula was so efficient. But the study has also revealed a promising new mechanism for growing nano-objects. “The examination of the cross-section of dyed hair shows that, after reacting with the sulfur in the keratin, the lead binds to the core of the hair in the form of crystals of lead sulfide,” explains Philippe Walter from LC2RMF. “Highly-localized areas in the hair provide the sulfur needed for growing these crystals. These areas behave exactly like nanoreactors, a very popular concept in nanotechnology today.” In addition, the crystals obtained are similar to certain quantum dots synthesized using extremely expensive methods, which “are used as markers in biological imaging, as infrared sensors, as well as possibly playing a role in the production of the photovoltaic cells of the future, due to their semi-conducting properties,” Walter concludes.

Charline Zeitoun

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Artificial Life Likely in 3 to 10 Years

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New Nano-Fabrics To Safeguard Agricultural, Medical And Military Workers

Researchers at Cornell University and the University of California, Davis, have discovered a method that stitches together porous membranes and bacteria-killing polymer molecules called halamides. "Halamides are chemically the same as the disinfectant used in swimming pools," says Gang Sun, a professor of textiles and clothing at the University of California, Davis. "They are safe for contact with the skin, kill bacteria, and absorb odor."

These hybrid materials will now be applied as a coating to fabric, thereby trapping and killing deadly agents such as anthrax. "This will give the ultimate protection," said Sun. "We can absorb, trap, and kill the bacteria."

Ultimately, Sun said, these garments could safeguard soldiers, medical workers, and civilians from harm. He and Kay Obendorf, a textiles chemistry professor at Cornell who specializes in the surface chemistry of fibers, are working with the National Textile Center to develop fabrics for agricultural workers exposed to pesticides. They also plan to test their new fabric on medical and military staff this year, and to commercialize the fabric by 2008.