Last Supper paintings has food changes

Has even the Last Supper been supersized?

The food in famous paintings of the meal has grown by biblical proportions over the last millennium, researchers report in a medical journal Tuesday.

Using a computer, they compared the size of the food to the size of the heads in 52 paintings of Jesus Christ and his disciples at their final meal before his death.

If art imitates life, we're in trouble, the researchers conclude. The size of the main dish grew 69 percent; the size of the plate, 66 percent, and the bread, 23 percent, between the years 1000 and 2000.

Supersizing is considered a modern phenomenon, but "what we see recently may be just a more noticeable part of a very long trend," said Brian Wansink, a food behavior scientist at Cornell University.

The study was his idea. For biblical context, he sought help from his brother, Craig Wansink, professor of religious studies at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Va., and an ordained Presbyterian minister.

The Bible says the Last Supper took place on a Passover evening but gives little detail on specific foods besides bread and wine.

"There's nothing else mentioned. They don't say there's a fruit cup or carrot cake," though other foods such as fish, eel, lamb and even pork have appeared in paintings through the years, Brian Wansink said.

For the study, he used paintings featured in the book "Last Supper," published in 2000 by Phaidon Press. They include perhaps the most famous portrayal of the meal, by Leonardo da Vinci. Computer technology allowed them to scan, rotate and calculate images regardless of their orientation in the paintings.

Details are in the April issue of the International Journal of Obesity.

The study is "not very meaningful science," said Martin Binks, a behavioral health psychologist and a consultant at Duke University Medical Center. "We have real life examples of the increase in portion size — all you have to do is look at what's being sold at fast-food restaurants."

A more contemporary test would be to analyze portion sizes in Super Bowl commercials, he suggested.

"That would be a much more meaningful snapshot of how this society's relationship to food has changed," Binks said.

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Paintings and study: http://www.mindlesseating.org/lastsupper/

Sony made 205$ for Michael Jackson songs

The Michael Jackson estate and Sony Music have reportedly agreed on a seven-year, 10-project, $250 million pact that will be the most lucrative in music history, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources close to the negotiation. The Jackson estate is guaranteed an expected $200 million from the deal, which will likely feature reissues of the King of Pop’s albums, new greatest hits collections and possibly a Cirque du Soleil show based on Jackson’s music. An official announcement is expected today.

According to reports, one of the first releases from the $250 million deal will be an album of unreleased material culled from Jackson’s personal musical vaults, which reportedly house as much as three albums’ worth of unheard material. That release is expected out by the end of 2010, most likely in November to capitalize on the annual pre-holidays sales. Since his June 25th death last year, Jackson’s catalog has sold 31 million copies, the WSJ reports, and coupled with the concert rehearsal film This Is It, the Jackson estate has earned more than $250 million in the past year.

The deal is expected to also include the release of a DVD collection of all of the King of Pop’s iconic music videos and a remix compilation. Still, it’s the unreleased material that is most notable, as Rolling Stone previously reported, Jackson left hard drives filled with unheard music, much of it recorded during his prime in the 1980s. Two unreleased tracks, “Another Day” and “A Place with No Name,” briefly leaked in 2009. Jackson’s manager Frank DiLeo told RS that roughly 100 completed Jackson songs remain unreleased, including collaborations with Akon, Will.i.am and Ne-Yo. “There are a couple of songs we recorded for the Bad album that we had to cut that are just sensational,” DiLeo said.

The record-breaking $250 million pact is $100 million richer than the 10-year deal Jay-Z signed with Live Nation two years ago. The deal will also go a long way toward helping the Jackson estate pull itself out of the massive debt Michael accrued in the last years of his life. In addition to the new releases and reissues, the $250 million deal also extends Sony’s right to distribute the Jackson catalog through 2017.

Australia Won Hockey Worldcup 2010

New Delhi:

• The Aussie dream of regaining the glittering hockey World Cup was realised after a hiatus of 24 years on Saturday.

• With a display that underscored the efficacy of efficiency and effort, not to mention admirable athleticism, Australia won 2-1 in the Hero Honda-sponsored championship at the Dhyan Chand Stadium to deny the Germans a hat-trick of triumphs.

Doerner nets winner

• The trump card for coach Ric Charlesworth, was Luke Doerner, who produced a whiplash of a shot from a penalty corner in the second half, to signal Australia's second triumph. The victory also confirmed the fact that Australia's win against Germany in the Champions Trophy was no aberration.
• If there was commiseration for Germany it was truly spontaneous. Everyone played his heart out but none more than the lithe skipper Max Muller, whose work in the zone, especially in the circle, was outstanding. His save of a Luke Doerner's shot, after goalkeeper Tim Juessulat was beaten, was mind-boggling.
• The role of Aussie skipper Jamie Dwyer was admirable. Moving smoothly on the flanks, he sent the huge crowd into raptures. Useful work by Desmond Abbott, Mark Knowles and Grant Schubert projected Australia's strength in attack and defence.
• Goalkeeper Nathan Burgers also deserves mention for the saves he made, especially when the Germans attacked, prompted either by Matthias Witthaus or Benjamin Wess.
• What brought Australia's display into full bloom was the early lead.
• A rare, momentary confusion in the German defensive zone, following a free hit, culminated in Edward Ockenden slotting in.
• Goalkeeper Jessulat blocked at least one dangerous hit by Doerner and rendered a few more attacks fruitless.
• Germany increased the pace after the break and the heavy pressure at the Australian end signalled danger. Moritz Furste slammed in the equaliser amidst vociferous cheers.
• The 1-1 scoreline transported the encounter to a different octave. Ten minutes before the hooter, the memorable moment for the Aussies dawned when Doerner pumped in the match-winner.
• As the final whistle sounded, the Aussies emoted joyfully even as the Germans fell to the ground in disappointment. A weeping Jessulat had to be consoled by one of the German officials. The scene was a clear picture of ecstasy and agony.
• Earlier, Rogier Hoffmann triggered an impromptu celebration as the Netherlands, fighting a 1-3 leeway at half-time, came back to claim the bronze.
• The Dutchmen deserve unalloyed commendation for their fortitude and focus to overcome England 4-3, the match-winner coming three minutes before the final whistle. This was the three-time champion's second bronze after the one in 2002 at Kuala Lumpur.
• It was an emotional moment to cherish for veteran Teun di Nooijer at the end of his fifth World Cup. His touch and elegance were there for all to see when he gave the Dutch the lead in the first half after a pass by Joeren Heartzburger.
• England fought gamely thanks to a goal by Alistair Bragdon, followed by two superbly executed penalty corners by Ashley Jackson.
• But the Dutch came roaring back, with Taeke Taekema's penalty corner conversion and the equaliser by Klaas Vermeullen. What followed when Rogier Hoffmann hit the boards is now part of Dutch folklore.

The results: 3-4:

• The Netherlands 4 (Teun di Nooijer, Taeke Taekema, Klaas Vermeuellen, Rogier Hoffmann) bt England 3 (Alistair Bragdon, Ashley Jackson 2). HT 1-3.
• Final: Australia 2 (Edward Ockenden, Luke Doerner) bt Germany 1 (Moritz Furste). HT 1-0.

Final positions:

• 1. Australia, 2. Germany, 3. The Netherlands, 4. England, 5. Spain, 6. Korea, 7. Argentina, 8. India, 9. New Zealand, 10. South Africa, 11. Canada, 12. Pakistan.

Special awards:

• Man of the final: Luke Doerner (Aus); Man of Steel of the final: Martin Haner (Ger); Best goalkeeper of the tournament: Guus Vogels (Ned); Man of Steel of the tournament: Maximilian Muller (Ger); Top-scorers of the tournament (eight goals each): Luke Doerner (Aus) and Taeke Taekema (Ned); Man of the tournament: Guus Vogels (Ned); Fairplay trophy: New Zealand .

Bahrain GP:Alonsa wins first race this season

MANAMA: Fernando Alonso won the season-opening Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix and led a Ferrari one-two in a dream debut with the Italian glamour team on Sunday.

In a race led for more than two thirds of the distance by Germany's Sebastian Vettel before the Red Bull slowed and was reeled in, the Spaniard laid down a marker for the season with his 22nd career victory.

“There is no better way to start the relationship,” declared the double world champion after collecting the winner's trophy and a bottle of non-alcoholic local fizz. “I am with the best team in the world."

Brazilian Felipe Massa was overtaken by Alonso at the first corner and finished runner-up, 16 seconds behind, on his race return from life-threatening head injuries suffered in Hungary last July.

Britain's Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, completed the podium for McLaren, 23.1 behind Alonso, with Vettel slipping to fourth after starting on pole.

“It's a pity but what can you do. All in all it's been positive all weekend apart from the failure,” said Vettel.

“Everything was running smoothly, but I lost power with about 20 laps to go, we are not sure what it was yet, but it wasn't good. Luckily I could continue and finish fourth but we should have won really.”

Schumacher sixth

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, making a comeback at the age of 41 and after three years away, was sixth for Mercedes and one place behind fellow-German teammate Nico Rosberg.

The former Ferrari ace said his race was as good as it could have been.

“Overtaking here is impossible and that is the action we are going to have with this environment of race strategy,” he told television reporters.

It was Alonso's first triumph since he won the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix for Renault and he weaved his car jubilantly across the track as he approached the chequered flag without a rival in sight.

“We only won the first race but to come first and second is the result that all the guys at Maranello and at the track deserved,” he told a news conference.

“I am very optimistic for the rest of the season,” added the Spaniard, who went on to win the title in both the years that he has previously won in Bahrain.

Ferrari's first one-two finish since France in June 2008 also ended a run of three wins in a row by Renault-powered Red Bull, last year's overall runners-up.

With no refuelling allowed and after racing in searing temperatures at the newly-extended desert circuit, Alonso collected 25 points for the win under a scoring system that now rewards the top 10 finishers.

After parking up, the Spaniard stood on the car and celebrated— punching the air and beating his chest before hugging mechanics.

In a race low on thrills and spills and with little overtaking as cars burned through their heavy fuel loads, world champion Jenson Button made a faltering start to the defence of his title with seventh place on his McLaren debut.

Malaysian-owned Lotus, its exalted name returning to the sport after a 16-year absence, proved to be the best of the three new teams and the only ones with a car still running at the finish.

Finland's Heikki Kovalainen was 15th, two laps down, and Italian Jarno Trulli 17th and last of those classified.

“What an amazing day. Lotus is back,” said team boss Tony Fernandes.

India's Karun Chandhok retired on the second lap on his debut for the Hispania (HRT) team while Brazilian team mate Bruno Senna retired on the 19th.

The results: 1. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1:39. 20.396s, 2. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, +16.099s, 3. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 23.182, 4. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 38.799, 5. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 40.213, 6. Michael Schumacher, Mercedes, 44.163, 7. Jenson Button, McLaren, 45.280, 8. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 46.360, 9. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India, 53.008, 10. Rubens Barrichello, Williams, 1:02.489, 11. Robert Kubica, Renault, 1:09.093, 12. Adrian Sutil, Force India, 1:22.958, 13. Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso, 1:32.656, 14. Nico Hulkenberg, Williams, 1 lap, 15. Heikki Kovalainen, Lotus, 2 laps, 16. Jarno Trulli, Lotus, 3 laps, 17. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 3 laps.

Retired: Pedro de la Rosa, BMW Sauber (+21 laps); Bruno Senna, HRT (+32); Timo Glock, Virgin, (+33); Vitaly Petrov, Renault, (+36); Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber (+38) Lucas Di Grassi, Virgin (+47); Karun Chandhok, HRT (+48).

Fastest lap: Fernando Alonso, 1:58.287, lap 45.

Driver standings:

1. Alonso, Ferrari, 25 points;

2. Massa, Ferrari, 18;

3; Hamilton, McLaren, 15;

4. Vettel, Red Bull, 12;

5. Rosberg, Mercedes,

10; 6. Schumacher, Mercedes, 8;

7. Button, McLaren, 6;

8. Webber, Red Bull, 4;

9. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India, 2;

10. Rubens Barrichello, Williams, 1.

Constructor standings:

1. Ferrari 43 points;

2. McLaren-Mercedes 21;

3. Mercedes 18;

4. Red Bull 16;

5. Force India 2;

6. Williams 1 .

List of Nominees & Winners for the 82nd Academy Awards

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Nominees & Winners for the 82nd Academy Awards

Actor in a Leading Role

• Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
• George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
• Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
• Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
• Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Matt Damon in “Invictus”
• Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
• Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
• Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
• Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Actress in a Leading Role

• Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
• Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
• Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
• Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
• Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
• Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
• Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
• Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
• Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Animated Feature Film

• “Coraline” Henry Selick
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
• “The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
• “The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
• “Up” Pete Docter

Art Direction

• “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
• “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
• “Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
• “Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
• “The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cinematography

• “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
• “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
• “The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
• “Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
• “The White Ribbon” Christian Berger

Costume Design

• “Bright Star” Janet Patterson
• “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
• “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
• “Nine” Colleen Atwood
• “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Directing

• “Avatar” James Cameron
• “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
• “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
• “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

Documentary (Feature)

• “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
• “The Cove” Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens
• “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
• “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
• “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Documentary (Short Subject)

• “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
• “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
• “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
• “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
• “Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Film Editing

• “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
• “District 9” Julian Clarke
• “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
• “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Foreign Language Film

• “Ajami” Israel
• “The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada)” Peru
• “A Prophet (Un Prophète)” France
• “The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)” Argentina
• “The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)” Germany

Makeup

• “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
• “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
• “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Music (Original Score)

• “Avatar” James Horner
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
• “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
• “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
• “Up” Michael Giacchino

Music (Original Song)

• “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
• “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
• “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
• “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
• “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best Picture

• “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
• “The Blind Side” Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson, Producers
• “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
• “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
• “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, Producers
• “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
• “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
• “Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
• “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

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Short Film (Animated)

• “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
• “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
• “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
• “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
• “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

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Short Film (Live Action)

Oscar Award 2010

Washington DC: Oscar night always captures millions of imaginations worldwide with its classic blend of the Hollywood royalty, glimpses of movie-making magic and the ceaseless speculation on who would win the most coveted crowns. This year, on a grey Sunday evening in Los Angeles, the 82nd Academy Awards did not disappoint.

With a riveting showdown building between a goliath feel-good blockbuster and a relatively unknown new entrant on a controversial subject, audiences were kept guessing until the very end about whether Avatar or The Hurt Locker would win in the Best Film and Best Director categories. The fact that they were respectively directed by James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow, who used to be married to each other, only heightened the sense of a movie-like plot within the Oscars.

And the day belonged to The Hurt Locker, which swept the coveted prize of Best Picture. It was also a double triumph for Kathryn Bigelow who became the first woman to be awarded Best Director. She dedicated her victory to men and women in uniform the world over. The Hurt Locker snatched up six awards in total, a tidy sum for a film made on a budget of $11 million, compared to Avatar's nearly $400 million. Avatar won three academy awards on Sunday evening.

In an unusual shift from previous years, the number of films nominated for the Best Picture award was increased from five to 10. The last time 10 films were nominated was back in 1943, when Casablanca won. “After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year,” said Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

In an equally polarised competition for the Best Actress award, newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, who was highly acclaimed for her role in Precious, as a poor, abused African American struggling against the odds in New York, was pitched against stalwarts of Hollywood like Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren and Sandra Bullock. Bullock, who was nominated for her Sarah-Palin-esque soccer-mom performance in The Blind Side went on to win the award. However another star of Precious, Mo'Nique, walked away with the Best Actress in a Supporting Role award.

Among the men, Jeff Bridges struck gold in the Best Actor category, beating out some impressive rivals such as George Clooney, Morgan Freeman, Colin Firth and Jeremy Rener. Bridges, who is from a lineage of actors, said, “Thank you Mum and Dad, for turning me on to such a groovy profession.” Christoph Waltz took home the Best Actor in a Supporting Role award for Inglourious Basterds, a quirky and violent rewriting of World War II by Quentin Tarantino.

But as always, the glitter of Oscar night was about so much more than just the top awards. The Academy cinematically remembered its knights who had fallen during the course of the year, including Patrick Swayze, David Carradine, Ron Silver, Brittany Murphy, Michael Jackson and Natasha Richardson. And of course Hollywood wouldn't be Hollywood without the usual dose of tomfoolery – ably provided this time by hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, and Ben Stiller who turned up as a blue Na'vi warrior (from Avatar). Presenting the award for best make-up, he said, “After I announce the winner I will try to stand as far away as possible so as not to demean their moment of triumph.”

An asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs in the World

LONDON (Reuters) – A giant asteroid smashing into Earth is the only plausible explanation for the extinction of the dinosaurs, a global scientific team said on Thursday, hoping to settle a row that has divided experts for decades.

A panel of 41 scientists from across the world reviewed 20 years' worth of research to try to confirm the cause of the so-called Cretaceous-Tertiary (KT) extinction, which created a "hellish environment" around 65 million years ago and wiped out more than half of all species on the planet.

Scientific opinion was split over whether the extinction was caused by an asteroid or by volcanic activity in the Deccan Traps in what is now India, where there were a series of super volcanic eruptions that lasted around 1.5 million years.

The new study, conducted by scientists from Europe, the United States, Mexico, Canada and Japan and published in the journal Science, found that a 15-kilometre (9 miles) wide asteroid slamming into Earth at Chicxulub in what is now Mexico was the culprit.

"We now have great confidence that an asteroid was the cause of the KT extinction. This triggered large-scale fires, earthquakes measuring more than 10 on the Richter scale, and continental landslides, which created tsunamis," said Joanna Morgan of Imperial College London, a co-author of the review.

The new study, conducted by scientists from Europe, the United States, Mexico, Canada and Japan and published in the journal Science, found that a 15-kilometre (9 miles) wide asteroid slamming into Earth at Chicxulub in what is now Mexico was the culprit.

"We now have great confidence that an asteroid was the cause of the KT extinction. This triggered large-scale fires, earthquakes measuring more than 10 on the Richter scale, and continental landslides, which created tsunamis," said Joanna Morgan of Imperial College London, a co-author of the review.

The asteroid is thought to have hit Earth with a force a billion times more powerful than the atomic bomb at Hiroshima.

Morgan said the "final nail in the coffin for the dinosaurs" came when blasted material flew into the atmosphere, shrouding the planet in darkness, causing a global winter and "killing off many species that couldn't adapt to this hellish environment."

Scientists working on the study analyzed the work of paleontologists, geochemists, climate modelers, geophysicists and sedimentologists who have been collecting evidence about the KT extinction over the last 20 years.

Geological records show the event that triggered the dinosaurs' demise rapidly destroyed marine and land ecosystems, they said, and the asteroid hit "is the only plausible explanation for this."

Peter Schulte of the University of Erlangen in Germany, a lead author on the study, said fossil records clearly show a mass extinction about 65.5 million years ago -- a time now known as the K-Pg boundary.

Despite evidence of active volcanism in India, marine and land ecosystems only showed minor changes in the 500,000 years before the K-Pg boundary, suggesting the extinction did not come earlier and was not prompted by eruptions.

The Deccan volcano theory is also thrown into doubt by models of atmospheric chemistry, the team said, which show the asteroid impact would have released much larger amounts of sulphur, dust and soot in a much shorter time than the volcanic eruptions could have, causing extreme darkening and cooling.

Gareth Collins, another co-author from Imperial College, said the asteroid impact created a "hellish day" that signaled the end of the 160-million-year reign of the dinosaurs, but also turned out to be a great day for mammals.

"The KT extinction was a pivotal moment in Earth's history, which ultimately paved the way for humans to become the dominant species on Earth," he wrote in a commentary on the study.

(Collins has created a website at http://impact.ese.ic.ac.uk/ImpactEffects/Chicxulub.html which allows readers to see the effects of the asteroid impact.)

(Editing by Myra MacDonald)

Wind score an own goal