Archive for December 3rd, 2012

CHICAGO—The Mars rover Curiosity has offered a tantalizing taste of evidence that there was once life on the Red Planet, but scientists said Monday it is too soon to make much of the first soil analyses.

NASA’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instruments have been sending back information as it hunts for compounds such as methane, as well as hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, that are the building blocks of life.

Researchers were excited to detect simple organic compounds in the soil scooped up from a crusted dune. But they cautioned that the traces of carbon could have come from meteorites or even particles the instruments picked up before launch from Earth.

…Keep on reading: Mars rover detects hint of possible life in soil analysis
Source: Inquirer.net

LONDON—Bookmakers reckon Prince William and his wife Catherine will name their baby after a close relative, with his late mother Diana among the early front-runners.

Betting chains were offering odds on a whole range of markets, from the baby’s name to its sex, weight, godparents, hair color and even the time and day of birth.

The baby will be third in line to inherit the throne, meaning a King John II or Queen Anne II could be on the cards.

The William Hill firm’s early favorites are Frances and John at 9/1, with Charles, George and Victoria 10/1, followed by Anne, Diana, Philip, Richard and Spencer at 12/1 and Henry, Mary and Sarah at 14/1.

&…Keep on reading: Diana among bookies’ favorites for royal baby name
Source: Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines—Thousands were forcely evacuated in several areas as Typhoon “Pablo” (international name Bopha) neared towards land Monday night, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

A total of 1,303 families or 7,011 persons were evacuated in Northern Mindanao, Davao and Caraga region.

There were 972 evacuation centers for the typhoon as of latest.

The storm, seen to be the most powerful this year, has also left over 3,000 passengers marooned in ports, the NDRRMC said.

As of Monday, there were 3,406 passengers, 133 rolling cargoes, 87 vessels and 46motor bancas stranded in ports all over the Phili…Keep on reading: Thousands evacuated due to Typhoon ‘Pablo’—NDRRMC
Source: Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines—Typhoon “Pablo” has made landfall over Baganga, Davao Oriental early Tuesday morning, the weather bureau said.

At 4:00 a.m. Tuesday, the center of Typhoon Pablo was estimated based on satellite and surface data at 40 kilometers east of the eastern coast of Davao Oriental, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Pablo was packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 210 kph, Pagasa said.

It was forecast to move west northwest at 26 kph, Pagasa added.

Public Storm Warning Signal No. 3 was hoisted over S…Keep on reading: ‘Pablo’ makes landfall in Davao Oriental
Source: Inquirer.net