Aged forests could still act as carbon sinks

Old-growth forests are traditionally negligible as carbon sinks, but CAS scientists recently reported that the buildup of atmospheric carbon in the top-soils of 400-year-old forests in southern China has increased at an unexpectedly high rate up to nearly 68% from 1979 to 2003.     

Decision-making capacity of flies

Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) can make appropriate choices among alternative flight options based on the relative salience of competing visual cues, according to a recent study by a team under the leadership of GUO Aike from the CAS Institute of Neuroscience.     

中国科学院获2008年度国家科学技术奖成果简介(二)

国家自然科学奖二等奖 均匀试验设计的理论、方法及其应用 主要完成人:王元、方开泰 完成单位:中国科学院数学与系统科学研究院 该项目是由王元、方开泰于1978年根据有关部门实际问题建立数学模型的要求而发明的,是一种崭新的试验设计方法.该方法用于"计算机仿真试验"和"模型未知的且有随机误差的试验",是当前的热门研究课题.     

日本小学生的“食育”

不久前去参加女儿上学的“学园祭”,其中五年级的孩子们所做的年糕饼特别令我惊讶和感动：那一次的“学园祭”,五年级的孩子在老师的带领下一共做了1000多份年糕饼招待来参加学园祭的家长以及同学们。所有做年糕所使用的糯米,全是今年春天五年级同学在老师的带领下自己播种、栽培和收割的。     

Evolution of pigs in East Asia

The research into the origins of domestic animals is of significance not only for understanding their development per se, but also for making clear the human society evolution. Although there are evidences to show that pigs were independently domesticated in a variety of places throughout the world, the detailed scenario of the origin and dispersal of domestic pigs in East Asia remains unclear.     

Two CAS Members receive top science prize in China

China granted the 2007 State Supreme Science and Technology Award on 8 January to petrochemical scientist MIN Enze and botanist WU Zhengyi, both being CAS Members, for their outstanding achievements in technological innovation and basic research.     

CAS to set up a digital media lab in Singapore

The CAS Institute of Automation(CASIA)will join hands with the Media Development Authority of Singapore(MDA)to establish the China-Singapore Institute of Digital Media in Singapore.The agreement was inked by CAS Vice Secretary-General and CASIA Director-general TAN Tieniu and MDA Chairman Tan Chin Nam on     

Stan Z. Li： Rolling face recognition

Among the galaxy of research and development organizations in northwest Beijing＇s Zhongguancun district, known as China＇s Silicon Valley, two are especially well-known to IT researchers： Microsoft Research Asia （MSRA）, and, within a few blocks on the other side of the street, the CAS Institute of Automation （CASIA）. While most people in Chinese scientific organizations strive to move to a large foreign counterpart, Dr. Stan Z. Li （LI Ziqing） moves against the stream.     

Fight plant pests using RNA interference

CAS plant physiologists have recently invented a plant-mediated RNA interference （RNAi） techniqueto effectively and specifically control the gene expression of the cotton bollworm （Helicoverpa armigera） and stunt its growth.Experts say that the feat marks a research breakthrough in the field of biotechnology for plant insect resistance,offering a novel strategy to fight plant pests.     

KIB to cooperate with TLL on energy crops

An agreement on energy plant research and development was sealed between the CAS Kunming Institute of Botany （KIB） and Singaporean Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory （TLL） on 8 December, 2007 in Kunming, capital of southwest China＇s Yunnan Province. The document was signed by KIB Vice Director YANG Yongping and TLL Chief Operating Officer Tan Kok Keng.