Pills to bust the blues carry fatal heart attack risks too, says a new research. The latest study by Mark Hamer of the University College, London shows that people on older drugs, tricyclic antidepressants, are at far higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those taking the newer class of pills, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). But those relying on SSRIs should not be cheered by the findings. Tricyclics were discovered in the …

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has spotted what could be an ice volcano on Saturn’s moon Titan, scientists said Tuesday. The images were analysed by the US Geological Society, which noted the similarity of an area of the moon known as Sotra Facula to volcanoes on Earth. The findings were presented at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. Ice volcanoes, also called cryovolcanoes, have long been believed to exist in icy parts of …

Dark chocolate may ease the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, says a new research. It is characterised by extreme, persistent fatigue for six months or more with other problems as muscle pain, headaches and poor memory. Dark chocolate is rich in chemicals known to increase signals carried around the brain but this is thought to be the first time the confection has been found to help symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, reports the Telegraph. …

Quitting smoking can reduce the risk of lung cancer by nearly 90 percent, an expert said Wednesday. “Smoking causes about 90 percent of lung cancer deaths among tobacco consumers,” said Arun Goel, senior consultant of surgical oncology at Galaxy Cancer Institute in the capital. Tobacco, responsible for 40 percent cancer-caused deaths in the country, also causes respiratory diseases due to passive smoking. “Exposure to passive smoking causes about …

Researchers have converted discarded plastic bottles in combination with soil to form a porous cement like substance that could be the construction material of the future. It could also considerably ease ecological hazard caused by billions of plastic bottles discarded every year. Naji Khoury, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Temple University in US, says the trademarked product is called ‘Plastisoil.’ Khoury said …

Astronomers have for the first time spotted a planet that originated outside the galaxy. Till date, about 500 planets have been discovered. This is the first known planet to have been born elsewhere. The gas planet, at least 25 percent heavier than Jupiter or 400 times heavier than Earth, orbits a star that started life in a dwarf galaxy, according to the journal Science Express. Known as HIP 13044b, the hydrogen and helium planet sits in a solar …

How many times you have come across survivors who tell describe their “near death experiences”(NDE)? Now scientists believe that they have decoded the secret behind these experiences. Rather than a religious experience, as many believe, researchers think that the phenomenon could be a simple trick of the mind caused by a chemical reaction in the body, reports telegraph.co.uk. The study has found that the people with high levels of carbon dioxide …

As summer descends and you hit the gym to lose the flab piled on in winter, experts say it’s not enough. What also counts is your eating habits, which should certainly go low on the carbohydrates and diet pills. “It is very important to balance your workout and food. People tend to overeat after a workout, which is normal considering that exercise stimulates hunger. But one should eat the right food and not each and everything. It’s all about eating,” …

Four billion years ago, the sun radiated only 70 to 75 percent as much energy as it does today. Now, scientists are trying to explain what compensated for the reduced solar output and kept the earth’s water liquid. A popular theory holds there must have been higher concentrations of greenhouse gases in the air, most likely carbon dioxide, which would have helped retain a greater proportion of the solar energy that arrived. But a team of earth scientists, …

A “natural” medicine derived from a herb that grows wild in Cuba can reportedly fight arthritis, malaria and memory problems and will also be tried on people with HIV. ‘Anamu’ or Petiveria alliacea, commonly known as “garlic weed” due to its strong garlic-like odour, has been found to be an “anti-spasmodic, diuretic, stimulant and sudorific, local analgesic and anti-inflamatory in different skin complaints, and it is used against arthritis, malaria, …