According to US researchers, bringing a small  shock in  a person’s brain just before they discovered  a new task  seemed  to strengthen memory in a handful of patients with epilepsy, a tantalizing result that could have implications for Alzheimer’s disease.

Pacemaker devices which are also known to be  deep brain stimulators created by Medtronic and St. Jude Medical are already utilized  to relax  muscle tremors in patients with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, and are being tested for a host of other conditions such as treatment-resistant depression.

The machines are implanted under the skin in the chest with wires all the way to the neck connected to tiny electrodes implanted deep in the brain, which generate  electrical impulses.

The new  study was done at the University of California at Los Angeles to  seven epileptic patients  who had electrodes implanted deep in their brains to help identify the source of their seizures. The team  grabbed this opportunity to leaarn  how stimulating the brain affects memory.

They focused on an area of the brain called the entorhinal cortex, which helps form and store memories.

Archaeologists excavating  along  the Western Wall area in Jerusalem’s Old City have discovered  a small gold bell they think  comes from the Second Temple period (1st century CE).

An Israel Archaeological Authority (IAA) team saw  the bell over the weekend while they were digging  in a drainage channel coming  from the nearby Pool of Siloam.

IAA officials cited the Old Testament’s "Tetzaveh" portion of the Book of Exodus, as proof that the bell might have in fact belonged to a high priest.
 

Filipinos will celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal on Sunday. One of  the ways our national hero is remembered is through monuments all over the country.

Originally, his first one was built in Daet, Camarines Norte in 1898, just 2 years after Rizal’s death. Then the famous Luneta. Its design was chosen through an international contest from 1905 to 1907.

"Second place ito sa isang timpalak na ginawa noong araw," said Juliet Villegas, executive director of the National Parks Development Committee.

Meanwhile, there is no law stating that every town is required to build a monument in Rizal’s name, however, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) said there are guidelines for this.

It has to built in front of a prominent building, plaza, or park, for instance. The statue also has to be at least life-size.

Happy 150th birthday to our National Hero!

If  you are a believer and takes note with the signs , the end of the world as tagged will begin on May 21.

Billboards are surfacing  around the globe, including in major Canadian cities, announcing  May 21 as Judgment Day. "Cry mightily unto GOD for HIS mercy," says one of the mounted signs from Family Radio, a California-based sectarian Christian group that is sending one of its four travelling caravans of believers into Vancouver and Calgary within the next 10 days.

Family Radio’s website blatantly announces  its prediction of Judgment Day and the rolling earthquake that will mark the beginning of the end. "The Bible guarantees it!" the site proclaims, under a passage from the book of Ezekiel, which says "blow the trumpet … warn the people."
 

The much anticipated fight is about to set off today . The live telecast of today’s pay-per-view event of Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley can be viewed on different sites, like Top Rank.com and Yahoo.com which will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET. The stream will be powered by NeuLion.

The price is $54.99; the same as on the TV broadcast.

For those who sought for interaction while watching, additional features to the online telecast include a live chat, blog, optional audio streams, multiple camera angles and continuous replays of the fight action. It is the first PPV Top Rank has broadcasted over the internet.

Good news from Australia….

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith made has announced   the opening of applications for the 2012 Australia Award scholarships. Around 120 post-graduate scholarships will be given  to high-achieving Filipinos to study in leading Australian universities in 2012.

“The Australia Awards aim to promote knowledge exchanges, education links and enduring ties between Australia and its neighbors through Australia’s extensive scholarship programs,” Ambassador Smith said.

“Australian Government scholarships provide a valuable opportunity for current and future Filipino leaders to further their education, enhance leadership skills, and build their professional and personal networks. We encourage women, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, people from rural areas, and members of socio-economically disadvantaged groups to apply.”

Australia Awards will cover travel, study and living expenses for study at Australia’s world-class universities. Lucky students will have the chance to  join the 1,000-strong member Philippines-Australia Alumni Association.

For more information feel free to check www.pahrodf.org.ph for Development Awards and http://www.
deewr.gov.au/International/EndeavourAwards

Google celebrates 41st anniversary of Earth Day.

When you open Google’s homepage you will be welcomed  by an Garden-like scene of different  wild animals in their natural habitats.

This Google doodle, created around the search giant’s logo, is a part of its celebration offing to  Earth Day, began  41 years ago to create  awareness of and appreciation for the natural world.

Happy 41st anniversary!

 This NBA season has been a surprise for most NBA followers. Teams that were thought to be making it huge and would blow out the competition have instead struggled to keep consistent.  While teams that many expected to barely make the playoffs, have really called the shots.  However, it has been very entertaining to see that all teams played it all out.

In this season, the most impressive team  has undoubtedly been the magnificent play of the Chicago Bulls,  with the contribution of  strong defense and an MVP candidate, Derrick Rose.  Now, just 10 games to go for most teams, it is really time to get serious and be ready for the playoffs.

Another team that has really come on late would be the Los Angeles Lakers. Led by Kobe Bryant and the exceptional play of Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and one of the best point guard in NBA today, Derreck Fisher have repositioned themselves as a top contender.They have won fourteen of their last fifteen games, they were defeated by Miami Heat. With Tim Duncan injured and the Spurs losing their last three games, the Lakers have slight chance of taking the lead.

To catch the much awaited 2011 NBA playoffs schedule click here.

 A teen broke the record  of a professor emeritus in political science after 65 years, from the University of the Philippines by getting a weighted average of 1.016.

John Gabriel Pelias, 19, is graduating summa cum laude with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Mathematics.

Apart form only  three subjects, Pelias got 1.0, the highest grade possible, during  his entire stay in the UP Institute of Math. He earned 1.25, the second highest possible grade, in other subjects, GMA News reported.

Prof. Emerenciana Yuvienco Arcellana, Ph.D, widow of the late National Artist for Literature Francisco Arcellana and mother of STAR desk editor Juaniyo, held the previous record with 1.02 upon graduating in 1946, whose commencement speaker was President Manuel Roxas.

Then Dr. Gertrude Gwendale M. Baron was the nearest to the record of Arcellana having an average of 1.03 upon graduating with the degree in B.S. Biology.

Meanwhile Pelias is one of UP’s underprivileged  scholars.

His scholarship money was able to support  his family for years,  he walked from his home to school, according to the report.

The wonderful news  of Pelias was declared on the Facebook of Jose Wendell Capili, UP assistant vice president for Public Affairs and director for of Alumni Relations, UP System.

“He has unwavering focus and maturity beyond his years. I see him discussing philosophy and political theory with former UP President (Francisco) ‘Dodong’ Nemenzo. I was one having a nose-bleed, not him (when they talk),” Capili said on Facebook.

Congratulations!

Google created a special logo celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first manned space flight.

It all happened  on April 12, 1961 when a Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin rode the Vostok 1 space craft into orbit, the first human to reach outer space.

He became an international celebrity and that first flight pushed in an era of space travel and exploration which turned out to be available to regular people through commercial space flight projects like Virgin Galactic.

When the clock reached 12 in other parts of the world, the logo tribute became available.