Study shows what makes locusts swarm

A brain chemical that lifts people out of depression can transform solitary grasshoppers into swarming desert locusts, a finding that could one day help prevent the devastating plagues, University of Cambridge researchers said.

Increases of serotonin, the nerve-signalling chemical targeted by many antidepressants, appears to spark the behaviour changes needed to turn the normally harmless insects into bugs that gang up to munch crops, they said.

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The Glucose-Monitoring Tattoo

Scientists at Draper Laboratory, in Cambridge, MA, are developing a nanosensor that could be injected into the skin, much like tattoo dye, to monitor an individual's blood-sugar level. As the glucose level increases, the "tattoo" would fluoresce under an infrared light, telling a diabetic whether or not she needs an insulin shot following a meal. The researchers will soon begin animal tests of the glucose-specific sensor.

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Top Technology Breakthroughs of 2008

Here's list of innovations in 2008 from Wired.com:

10. Flexible Displays
9. Edible Chips
8. Speedo LZR
7. Flash Memory (FDD)
6. GPS
5. The Memristor
4. Video-Capable SLRs
3. USB 3.0
2. Android
1. Apple's App Store

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