Scientists have genetically modified mice to enable them to sniff out landmines, the explosives buried just below the surface of the ground. They hope the GM mouse, known as MouSensor, could become a useful tool to help deal with the dangerous devices left from past wars. 

        Although it sounds peculiar, similar efforts have already been made. A Belgian charity uses giant African HeroRats to sniff out the chemical explosive, TNT. Two of these rats can clear an area in less than two hours that would take two people two days to do. One disadvantage of the HeroRat, however, is that it needs nine months’ training before being ready for landmine detection. 

        Scientists wanted to improve on the HeroRat concept by creating a “supersniffer” mouse, MouSensor. They found that a receptor in the lab mouse’s nose is sensitive to the odor of the chemical elements in TNT and landmines. By altering the genes of the mouse, scientists are able to enhance the capability of its receptor 500 times stronger than before. Besides having super sniffing power, the MouSensor is cheaper to manage and easier to breed than the rats. 

        When the MouSensor detects the presence of a landmine, it would have some sort of a seizure and faint because of its extreme sensitivity of the explosives. And this change of the mouse’s physical condition would trigger a chip implanted under its skin to send a signal to a computer monitored by scientists. As a result, the location of the landmine could be identified, and a bomb-disposal expert could go in and neutralize it. The mouse itself would be safe from the landmine, since it would be too small to trigger an explosion.

        For years, scientists struggled to explain the mysterious disappearances of ships and low-flying aircraft.Many speculated that bad weather or machine malfunction were responsible. But satellites have recentlyidentified enormous waves in the oceans and the data proves that they are more common than once thought.Scientists now suspect that the disappearances may have been caused by these “rogue waves.”

        So, how do rogue waves form? Oceanographers once thought that rogues were the result of many smaller waves joining together to form a giant wave. But in analyzing the recent satellite images, scientists have noted that rogues appear to form most often in places where waves of different strengths come together from different directions. At the southernmost tip of Africa, for example, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet, it is quite common for waves to crash into each other. This theory may explain the occurrence of rogue waves in similar locations around the globe (such as at the tip of South America). However, it does not explain why the waves form in places where there are no fast-moving ocean currents—such as in the North Sea. Though scientists are beginning to understand more about rogue waves, there is still a lot to learn.

   In the United States, there are about twenty-two million hearing-impaired people; of these, two million are profoundly deaf (unable to hear any thing) or severely deaf (unable to hear much). Hearing impairment results from three major factors that are not necessarily exclusive: environmental, hereditary and old age.

   Environmental causes include noise-induced, accidental, toxic, and viral. Noise-induced deafness is primarily a phenomenon of the modern industrial world, though stonemasons, may have been subject to hearing-loss in the ancient world. Permanent deafness resulting from toxicity is also a phenomenon of the modern world. Deafness from accident, such as a blow to the ear, must have resulted from time to time. Viruses, too, were very much part of the ancient world. Of the six main viruses that can cause deafness today—chickenpox, common cold viruses, influenza, measles, mumps, and poliomyelitis—there is evidence for five in ancient Greece. There is also evidence for the presence of bacterial meningitis, whose classic complication is hearing loss. In modern, developed countries, preventative medicine reduces the incidence and severity of these viruses, but in the ancient world, as in third-world countries today, these viruses must have taken their toll.

   There is no reason to rule out hereditary deafness in the ancient world, and there is some conjectural evidence for the results of in-breeding, although not specifically for deafness. In addition to inbreeding, other hereditary factors would have produced deafness. Some families simply have a genetic background that favors deafness.

Bringing a new pet into the home is like introducing a new member to the family. It is a wonderful, memorable event and if managed correctly will be the start of a long and happy home environment for both you and your puppy. Read on for some useful tips to help you prepare to welcome a puppy into your home.
       1. Firstly you should choose a breed that is suitable to your living situation. For example, a large dog will require a garden and wouldn’t be suitable for apartment living. Think about your lifestyle, the time you have available for a dog and the size of your home and garden. 2. Decide what room the puppy will sleep and eat in. Then make sure the room is secure and warm. 3. Contact the owner or kennel you are getting the puppy from and find out what it is being fed. It is important that the puppy gets the same food when it arrives in its new home. You can gradually change its food at a later date once your puppy has settled in. 4. A good suggestion is to get a small soft toy for your puppy to give to the owner a week or so before the puppy is collected. This way the puppy will have something familiar, in scent and texture, to keep it company. 5.Research your local vet and make an appointment to bring your puppy in for a check up and vaccinations. 6.Arrange your pet insurance. Pet health care can be very expensive, so insurance can help you with any unforeseen costs. For instance, many companies have a selection of pet insurance packages for you to choose from. 7. Put together your new puppy check list and get new items before your puppy arrives. Before you collect your pet, for example, make sure that you have your pet travel case in the car so you can then transport your new pet safely. Also, it is always a good idea to bring some wipers in case your new puppy gets car sick.