A "cold spot" detected in the South Galactic Hempisphere of the universe has piqued the interests of scientists in the Institute of Physics in Cantabria and the University of Cambridge.

They believe that the cold spot is the result of a defect in the fabric of space and time, dating back to the birth of the universe, the Big Bang. The cold spot was detected in the cosmic microwave background of the universe.

The microwave is radiation left over from the Big Bang and the cold spot is an area of extreme cold. The cold spot they found spanned 1 billion light years across and scientists believe that it - like Neo - is an anomaly, a proof of a defect in the universe.

Scientists describe the defect like the white, cloudy spots found in ice. These spots are the result of misaligned water molecules; a defect in the ice (ironically a natural defect). The cosmic equivalent, the cold spot, is called a texture, and may be described as a blob in space.

Other scientists don't buy into the theory that the cold spot may be a defect. It could very well be just a hole in our galaxy, a giant bubble in space where nothing exists inside which would explain why it's cold. At any rate, research into the matter would give new insights into the universe, whatever the answer turns out to be.

This new uber-telescope, called the Great Canary Telescope (Gran Telescopio Canarias or GTC), was built on the peak of a mountain in La Palma in the Canary Islands to take advantage of the unusually clear weather in the area.

The mountain is 2,400 meters (7,900 feet) high which helps setting the telescope's sights to heaven. Unfortunately it didn't help any in constructing the monster telescope. Construction took seven years and more than 1,000 people to build. The mirror used in the telescope is made of 36 hexagonal mirror segments and measures 10.4 meters (34.1 feet) in diameter.

Based at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, the telescope was funded by Spain's Education and Science Ministry, the regional government of the Canary Islands and several overseas partners, including astronomical institutes in Mexico and the University of Florida. Lead guitarist of Queen, Brian May, is to grace the opening of the telescope, who studied Astrophysics as part of his doctorate at the Canary Island Institute. He is currently organizing the musical score to be played at the inauguration next summer.

What sets it apart from the other uber-telescopes is the advantage of having the largest optical infrared mirror. With this, scientists will be able to characterize planet atmospheres instead of just speculating, and be able to "reach the weakest and most distant celestial objects of the universe."

"We'll actually be able to take a much better look at them. We'll be able to throw back the curtains that shroud the early Universe, revealing many of its mysteries," said project director Pedro Alvarez.

Last year, three much much smaller telescopes have worked together to find a planet 500 light years away. We can be sure to expect a lot from a super telescope on top of a mountain. One of the hopes of the observatory is to find a planet much like ours.

In 2000, two miners for the Industrias Peñoles mining company were excavating a tunnel when they came upon what turned out to be the greatest display of underground treasure. The Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals) or "The Sistine Chapel of crystals", as fondly called by geologist Juan Manuel Garcia-Ruiz, was discovered 300 meters (1,000 feet) below Naica mountain in the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico.

Home to some of the largest natural crystals ever found, the cave hides in its refuge translucent gypsum beams that reach up to 36 feet (11 meters) long, weighing in up to 55 tons. It truly was a natural marvel inasmuch as it was a mystery.

   

Fast track to 2007, and the mystery has been solved. Garcia-Ruiz of the University of Granada, Spain, has claimed that he has finally unlocked the mystery beneath all those shiny, shimmery, splendid gigantic crystals. Studying tiny pockets of fluid trapped inside, Garcia-Ruiz found out that the crystals zoomed up to that size because of the mineral-rich water,which engulfed the crystals at a constant temperate range of 136 degrees Fahrenheit (58 degrees Celsius).

What this combo does is to dissolve the mineral anhydrite into the gypsum, that soft mineral which can be held responsible for the formation of crystals in the cave. Another factor adding in to the equation is the volcanic activity that started out some 26 million years ago, creating Naica mountain and stacking it to the brim with high-temperature anhydrite (anyhydrous: lacking water) form of gypsum.

  

As the magma cooled down, so did the temperature to 58 degrees Celsius. Because of this, the anhydrite started to dissolve and gradually mixed in sulfate and calcium molecules to the water. These lay deposited for millions of years within the cave as huge selenite gypsum crystals.

Incredibly, "There is no limit to the size a crystal can reach," says Garcia-Ruiz. We suggest you click on the thumbnails to better appreciate these beauties.

A Spanish woman reportedly gave birth to twins on Saturday. What's so news-worthy about that? She is already 67 years old! Yep, granny sure still knows how to rock.

Apparently, the unidentified woman, originally from Andalucia, underwent in vitro fertilization in the United States. Reportedly, she chose to give birth in Barcelona, at the Sant Pau Hospital, because it specializes in high-risk births. The hospital officials also kept from divulging the gender of the twins, which were delivered via Caesarian section on Saturday, although they did say that the mother and twins are doing well.

The previous record holder of the oldest mother was Adrian Iliescu, a 66-year-old Romanian citizen back in January 2005.

A gentle giant has been unearthed in Spain. The Turiasaurus reodevensis dinosaur lived about 145 million years ago. This member of the sauropod family, or the kind with a long neck, long tail, massive body and walked on four stout legs, is a plant-eating dinosaur that grew up to 125 feet long and weighed as much as seven elephants.

This dinosaur find is deemed to be the largest in Europe. Usually, large-scale finds like this are found in the Americas and Africa. Says Luis Alcala from the Fundacion Conjunto Paleontologico de Teruel-Dinopolis in Teruel Spain, "This discovery is the dream of a paleontologist. Really, I'm not dreaming?"

The fossils collected weighed between 40 and 48 metric tons, and measured between 118 and 125 feet long. The T-Rex sure had no chance given that it only stood a measly 45 feet long, and weighed six tons. If that's not enough for you to get the picture, imagine the full-length of a basketball court. This dude's much longer than that.

Okay, here's one more. Its bone in the front leg, extending from shoulder to elbow, otherwise known as humerus, is as big as a full-grown man. And that part's just the "stout legs".

"It's a really tremendously large animal, not quite to the scale of the 'land whales'....but it's pretty darned big," says Thomas Holtz, a dinosaur expert from the University of Maryland, not involved in the research.

Paleobiologists who examined eight excavated Neanderthal skeletons from El Sidron, Spain are convinced that the cut marks found in bones indicate that cannibalism was practiced by starving Neanderthals.

Lead researcher Antonio Rosas of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales Madrid said, "There is strong evidence suggesting that these Neanderthals were eaten. That is, long bones and the skull were broken for extraction of the marrow, [which] is very nutritious."

The findings support the general belief that periods of starvation have forced Neanderthals to look for other ways to supplement their diet. This is particularly true for adolescent Neanderthals. The low enamel deposit found in the teeth of younger Neanderthals provide evidence that they are getting minimal nutrition up to the point of starvation.

This may hold true for some remains that were examined, but surely, some researchers will not easily discount the possibility that the cut marks found in bones are indicative of a practice known as "ritual defleshing", where flesh is removed from a partially decomposed body.

In an effort to promote solar-power to be used as an alternative source of energy for oceanic commercial transport, Marc Wüst,shipbuilder and manager of the MW-Lin of ships thought up the idea to build SUN21. The SUN21 is a 14-meter-long catamaran that runs on nothing but solar energy.

The ship will undertake the first motorized crossing of the Atlantic without using a drop of gasoline. The creators hope that this new world record will demonstrate the great potential of the solar technique for ocean navigation. The boat is equipped with solar modules, batteries and motors allowing a constant speed of 5–6 knots (10–12 km/h) 24 hours a day, equivalent to the average speed of sailing yachts.

SUN21's campaign will start October of this year. After, a promotion tour along the river Rhine to Antwerp, the SUN21 will be shipped to southern Spain the actual voyage will begin in December in Seville. From Seville, the ship will head to the Canary Islands, then to Cape Verde. After a long travel across the Atlantic, it will reach St. Martin and then from there head to the Bahamas then to Miami then to its main destination - New York. When the ship arrives at the big apple in spring 2007 it would have covered about 7000 sea miles.

Below are a few thumbnails of the boat under construction. Take a gander if you wish.

  

Neat boat don't you think? Now that we have this, solar-powered wheelchairs, solar-powered eyes, and even solar-powered usb flash drives, I wonder what they'll hook up to the sun next? Solar powered flash-lights?

Death is a serious subject. Most people shy away from it while some are enamoured by the thought. Here at QJ we try to get as much info about such things, so we've here an article about death even you might find amusing.

1. Burying the dead goes as far back as 350,000 years as ago. A 45-feet deep pit was found in Spain, filled with 27 possible ancestors of modern humans.

2. There are at least 200 figure of speeches regarding death. Examples (for the Trekkies out there!) On Permanent Holodeck Duty, Doing the Vulcan Ground Meld, Visiting Shatner's Hair (for the literati) At room temperature, dirt nap, pushing up daisies...and many more.

3. No American has "died of old age." since 1951...

4. ...because it was the year the US Gov't eliminated that classification on death certificates.

5. In all cases, whatever be the disease or injury, death is triggered by a lack of oxygen.

6. You don't look good after you die. Within three days of your death, your stomach enzymes begin to eat your own gut.(Self-cannibalism?) It will then release noxious gas to bloat your body and force your eyes to bulge forward.

7. Death produces toxins ad pollutants in the ground and air. Stats say that America alone deposits 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid into the soil and pumps out dioxins, hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide into the air via cremation.

8. Ecological alternative to cremation. Promessa, a Swedish company, freeze dries your body, pulverize it via high frequency vibrations, and save your powdered remains. Unfortunately, your powder decomposes in 6-12 months.

9. Somebody you hate died? If he's a Zoroastrian, his body will be left outside to be fed to the vultures.

10. Regarding the eaters of the dead, Vultures are now dying because they've eaten way too much cattle - dosed with an anti-inflammatory used to relieve fever in livestock.

The complete lists awaits after the jump!