World Vignettes

Suddenly, she felt a blow to the back of her head, dealt by the charging animal. The bear broke and bit through the woman8217;s left hand, Itar-Tass said. But Bogdanova who is slight and of a small height managed to use her other hand to stab the bear with a knife she used for cutting branches, the report said. After walking to a village doctor, Bogdanova was hospitalised and treated for her wounds, Itar-Tass said.

House fly8217;s art

WASHINGTON: Biologists at the University of California in Berkeley havediscovered how a fly, the Ferrari of the insect world, manages to change course at less than 30 milliseconds. The secret of the fly8217;s speed is a few tiny organs on its back which look like round lollipops. The team of biologists, led by Michael Dickinson, discovered that the small organs serve as quot;switchesquot; between the insect8217;s eyes and its flight muscles.

Until now, biologists thought these organs acted only as stabilisers for the insect8217;s balance.