Today's Science News
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
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from universities, journals, and other organizations
Kung Fu Stegosaur: Lethal Fighters When Necessary
Oct. 21, 2014 — Stegosaurs might be portrayed as lumbering plant eaters, but they were lethal fighters when necessary, according to paleontologists who have uncovered new evidence of a casualty of stegosaurian ... full story
Big Black Holes Can Block New Stars
Oct. 21, 2014 — Massive black holes spewing out radio-frequency-emitting particles at near-light speed can block formation of new stars in aging galaxies, a study has ... full story
Lab-Developed Intestinal Organoids Form Mature Human Tissue in Mice
Oct. 19, 2014 — Researchers have successfully transplanted 'organoids' of functioning human intestinal tissue grown from pluripotent stem cells in a lab dish into mice -- creating an unprecedented model ... full story
Origins of Sex Discovered: Side-by-Side Copulation in Distant Ancestors
Oct. 20, 2014 — A palaeontologist has revealed how the intimate act of sexual intercourse first evolved in our deep distant ancestors. In one of the biggest discoveries in the evolutionary history of sexual ... full story
Scientists Restore Hearing in Noise-Deafened Mice, Pointing Way to New Therapies
Oct. 20, 2014 — Scientists have restored the hearing of mice partly deafened by noise, using advanced tools to boost the production of a key protein in their ears. By demonstrating the importance of the protein, ... full story
Let There Be Light: Evolution of Complex Bioluminescent Traits May Be Predictable
Oct. 21, 2014 — A longstanding question among scientists is whether evolution is predictable. A team of researchers from University of California Santa Barbara may have found a preliminary answer. The genetic ... full story
Cosmic Rays Threaten Future Deep-Space Astronaut Missions
Oct. 21, 2014 — Crewed missions to Mars remain an essential goal for NASA, but scientists are only now beginning to understand and characterize the radiation hazards that could make such ventures risky, concludes a ... full story
Exposure to Aluminum May Impact on Male Fertility, Research Suggests
Oct. 21, 2014 — Human exposure to aluminum may be a significant factor in falling sperm counts and reduced male fertility, new research suggests. Fluorescence microscopy using an aluminum-specific stain confirmed ... full story
Ocean's Living Carbon Pumps: When Viruses Attack Giant Algal Blooms, Global Carbon Cycles Are Affected
Oct. 21, 2014 — By some estimates, almost half of the world's organic carbon is fixed by marine organisms called phytoplankton -- single-celled photosynthetic organisms that account for less than one percent of ... full story
Tarantula Venom Illuminates Electrical Activity in Live Cells
Oct. 21, 2014 — A cellular probe that combines a tarantula toxin with a fluorescent compound has been developed to help scientists observe electrical activity in neurons and other cells. This is the first time ... full story
Change Your Walking Style, Change Your Mood
Oct. 15, 2014 — Our mood can affect how we walk -- slump-shouldered if we're sad, bouncing along if we're happy. Now researchers have shown it works the other way too -- making people imitate a happy or ... full story
House Fly Genome Reveals Expanded Immune System
Oct. 14, 2014 — The house fly genome has been sequenced for the first time, revealing robust immune genes, as one might expect from an insect that thrives in pathogen-rich dung piles and garbage heaps. The research ... full story
Roman Gladiators Ate a Mostly Vegetarian Diet and Drank a Tonic of Ashes After Training
Oct. 20, 2014 — Roman gladiators ate a mostly vegetarian diet and drank ashes after training as a tonic. These are the findings of anthropological investigations carried out on bones of warriors found during ... full story
Imaging Electric Charge Propagating Along Microbial Nanowires
Oct. 19, 2014 — Physicists report that they've used a new imaging technique, electrostatic force microscopy, to resolve the biological debate with evidence from physics, showing that electric charges do indeed ... full story
Major Breakthrough Could Help Detoxify Pollutants
Oct. 19, 2014 — A major breakthrough could lead to more effective methods for detoxifying dangerous pollutants like PCBs and dioxins, scientists say. The result is a culmination of 15 years of research. It details ... full story
- Stegosaurs: Lethal Fighters When Necessary
- Big Black Holes Can Block New Stars
- Lab-Made Organoids Form Human Tissue in Mice
- Origins of Sex: Copulation in Distant Ancestors
- Hearing Restored in Noise-Deafened Mice
- Predictable Evolution of Bioluminescent Traits
- Cosmic Rays Threaten Astronaut Missions
- Exposure to Aluminum Impacts Male Fertility?
- Earth's Carbon Cycles Affected by Algal Blooms
- Tarantula Venom Shows Electricity in Live Cells
- Change Your Walking Style, Change Your Mood
- House Fly Genome Reveals Expanded Immune System
- Roman Gladiators: Vegetarians That Drank Ashes
- Electric Charge in Microbial Nanowires
- Major Breakthrough to Help Detoxify Pollutants
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last updated on 2014-10-22 at 6:08 pm EDT
Thermal Paper Cash Register Receipts Account for High Bisphenol A (BPA) Levels in Humans
Oct. 22, 2014 — BPA from thermal paper used in cash register receipts accounts for high levels of BPA in humans. Subjects studied showed a rapid increase of BPA in their blood after using a skin care product and ... full story
Baby Cries Show Evidence of Cocaine Exposure During Pregnancy
Oct. 22, 2014 — A new study provides the first known evidence of how a similar acoustic characteristic in the cry sounds of human infants and rat pups may be used to detect the harmful effects of prenatal cocaine ... full story
Highly Effective New Anti-Cancer Drug Shows Few Side Effects in Mice
Oct. 22, 2014 — A new drug, OTS964, can eradicate aggressive human lung cancers transplanted into mice, scientists report. It inhibits the action of a protein that is overproduced by several tumor types but is ... full story
Fast Modeling of Cancer Mutations
Oct. 22, 2014 — A new genome-editing technique enables rapid analysis of genes mutated in tumors, researchers report. Sequencing the genomes of tumor cells has revealed thousands of genetic mutations linked with ... full story
How Lymph Nodes Expand During Disease
Oct. 22, 2014 — The same specialized immune cells that patrol the body and spot infections also trigger the expansion of immune organs called lymph nodes, scientists have discovered. The immune system defends the ... full story
Bariatric Surgery Success Influenced by How People View Their Own Weight
Oct. 22, 2014 — Negative feelings about one's own weight, known as internalized weight bias, influence the success people have after undergoing weight loss surgery, according to research. The study is considered the ... full story
Lessons from 'Spanish Flu,' Nearly 100 Years Later
Oct. 22, 2014 — Just in time for flu season, a new study of 'the mother of all pandemics' could offer insight into infection control measures for the flu and other epidemic diseases. Researchers studied the ... full story
Drones Help Show How Environmental Changes Affect the Spread of Infectious Diseases
Oct. 22, 2014 — Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, can collect detailed information in real time at relatively low cost for ecological research. In a new article, experts demonstrate that drones can be used to ... full story
Nanoparticle-Based Invention Moves New Drugs Closer to Clinical Testing
Oct. 22, 2014 — A nanoparticle has been developed to deliver a melanoma-fighting drug directly to the cancer. Delivering cancer drugs directly to tumors is difficult. Scientists are working on new approaches to ... full story
Quality of Biopsy Directly Linked to Survival in Patients With Bladder Cancer
Oct. 22, 2014 — The quality of diagnostic staging using biopsy in patients with bladder cancer is directly linked with survival, meaning those that don’t get optimal biopsies are more likely to die from their ... full story
- Cash Register Receipts Cause High BPA Levels
- Evidence of Cocaine Exposure in Baby Cries
- Effective New Anti-Cancer Drug: Few Side Effects
- Fast Modeling of Cancer Mutations
- How Lymph Nodes Expand During Disease
- Bariatric Surgery Success Affected by Weight Bias
- Lessons from Spanish Flu, Nearly 100 Years Later
- Drones Help Show How Infectious Diseases Spread
- Nanoparticle-Based Invention Gets Drugs to Tumors
- Bladder Cancer Survival: Quality of Biopsy Linked
Brain Simulation Raises Questions
Oct. 22, 2014 — What does it mean to simulate the human brain? Why is it important to do so? And is it even possible to simulate the brain separately from the body it exists in? These questions are discussed in a ... full story
Mathematical Model Shows How Brain Remains Stable During Learning
Oct. 22, 2014 — Complex biochemical signals that coordinate fast and slow changes in neuronal networks keep the brain in balance during learning, according to an international team of scientists. Neuronal networks ... full story
Human Skin Cells Reprogrammed Directly Into Brain Cells
Oct. 22, 2014 — Scientists have described a way to convert human skin cells directly into a specific type of brain cell affected by Huntington’s disease, an ultimately fatal neurodegenerative disorder. Unlike ... full story
Association Between Air Toxics, Childhood Autism
Oct. 22, 2014 — Children with autism spectrum disorder were more likely to have been exposed to higher levels of certain air toxics during their mothers' pregnancies and the first two years of life compared to ... full story
Criminologists Try to Solve Murder Mystery: Who Will Become a Killer?
Oct. 22, 2014 — In a study of 1,354 youths charged with serious crimes, the youths charged with homicide had lower IQs and more exposure to ... full story
Clinical Trial Could Change Standard Treatment for Stroke
Oct. 22, 2014 — A large international clinical trial has shed new light on the effectiveness of current hospital protocols for managing blood pressure in stroke patients. The study has tried to solve two major ... full story
Susceptibility for Relapsing Major Depressive Disorder Can Be Calculated
Oct. 22, 2014 — The question if an individual will suffer from relapsing major depressive disorder is not determined by accident. Neuroscientists have chosen a new research approach, using computer-based models to ... full story
Genes Exhibit Different Behaviours in Different Stages of Development
Oct. 22, 2014 — The effect that genes have on our brain depends on our age, researchers say. It has been known for a number of years that particular genetic variations are of importance for the functioning of neural ... full story
Unsteady on Your Feet? Little Touches Could Make All the Difference
Oct. 21, 2014 — When a toddler takes their first steps we observe an uncertain sway in their walking. Being unsteady on our feet is something we can experience throughout life -- and a new study has shown how even ... full story
How Troubled Marriage, Depression History Promote Obesity
Oct. 21, 2014 — The double-whammy of marital hostility and a history of depression can increase the risk for obesity in adults by altering how the body processes high-fat foods, according to new ... full story
- Brain Simulation Raises Questions
- How Brain Remains Stable During Learning
- Human Skin Cells Reprogrammed Into Brain Cells
- Association Between Air Toxics, Childhood Autism
- Criminologists Gauge Who Might Become a Killer
- Clinical Trial Could Change Treatment for Stroke
- Major Depressive Disorder: Relapse Predictable?
- Genes Affect Brain Differently at Different Ages
- Unsteady On Your Feet? Little Touches Help
- How Troubled Marriage, Depression Promote Obesity
Olive Oil More Stable and Healthful Than Seed Oils for Frying Food
Oct. 22, 2014 — Frying is one of the world's most popular ways to prepare food -- think fried chicken and french fries. Even candy bars and whole turkeys have joined the list. But before dunking your favorite food ... full story
Getting Healthier Before Surgery Gives Patients a Jump Start on Recovery
Oct. 21, 2014 — Following a conditioning, nutritional, and relaxation program before surgery is more helpful than waiting until after surgery to rehabilitate, suggests a new study. Colorectal cancer patients who ... full story
High Percentage of Recalled Dietary Supplements Still Have Banned Ingredients
Oct. 21, 2014 — About two-thirds of FDA recalled dietary supplements analyzed still contained banned drugs at least 6 months after being recalled, according to a study. Banned substances identified in recalled ... full story
Resetting the Circadian Clock: Shift Workers Might Want to Skip High-Iron Foods at Night
Oct. 21, 2014 — Workers punching in for the graveyard shift may be better off not eating high-iron foods at night so they don’t disrupt the circadian clock in their livers. "Iron is like the dial that sets the ... full story
Survey Shows What Americans Fear Most
Oct. 21, 2014 — The Chapman Survey on American Fears included 1,500 participants from across the nation and all walks of life. The research team leading this effort pared the information down into four basic ... full story
Fight Against Alzheimer's Disease: New Research on Walnuts
Oct. 21, 2014 — An new animal study reveals potential brain-health benefits of a walnut-enriched diet. Researchers suggest that a diet including walnuts may have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk, delaying ... full story
Memory Decline Among Menopausal Women Could Be Next Research Frontier for Hypnotic Relaxation Therapy
Oct. 21, 2014 — Memory decline — a frequent complaint of menopausal women — potentially could be lessened by hypnotic relaxation therapy, say researchers who already have done studies showing that such therapy ... full story
Misreporting Diet Information Could Impact Nutrition Recommendations for Hispanics
Oct. 21, 2014 — Faulty self-reporting of the food we eat can lead to incorrect conclusions about whether we are meeting dietary recommendations for certain essential nutrients, say researchers. A new study is the ... full story
Child's Poor Decision-Making Skills Can Predict Later Behavior Problems, Research Shows
Oct. 21, 2014 — Children who show poor decision-making skills at age 10 or 11 may be more likely to experience interpersonal and behavioral difficulties that have the potential to lead to high-risk health behavior ... full story
New Viral Mutation Made Middle-Aged Adults More Susceptible to Last Year's Flu
Oct. 21, 2014 — A possible explanation for why middle-aged adults were hit especially hard by the H1N1 influenza virus during the 2013-2014 influenza season has been uncovered by scientists. Their findings offer ... full story
- Olive Oil Better Than Seed Oils for Frying Food
- Getting Healthy Before Surgery Helps Recovery
- Recalled Dietary Supplements: Banned Ingredients
- Shift Workers Should Skip High-Iron Food at Night
- What Americans Fear Most
- Fight Against Alzheimer's: Research on Walnuts
- Menopause: Hypnotic Relaxation for Memory Decline
- Misreporting Diet Information Impacts Nutrition?
- Kid's Decision-Making Skills Can Predict Problems
- Last Year's Flu Especially Hard On Middle-Aged
New Ultra-Thin 3-D Display Technology Promises Greater Energy Efficiency
Oct. 22, 2014 — Researchers have devised an ultra-thin LCD screen that operates without a power source, making it a compact, energy-efficient way to display visual information. The technology may one day have ... full story
As Permafrost Soils Thaw Soil Microbes Amplify Global Climate Change
Oct. 22, 2014 — Scientists have discovered how an invisible menagerie of microbes in permafrost soils acts as global drivers of Earth processes such as climate via gas exchange between soils and the atmosphere. ... full story
A 'Star Wars' Laser Bullet -- This Is What It Really Looks Like
Oct. 22, 2014 — Action-packed science-fiction movies often feature colourful laser bolts. But what would a real laser missile look like during flight, if we could only make it out? How would it illuminate its ... full story
Skin Patch Could Replace the Syringe for Disease Diagnosis
Oct. 22, 2014 — Drawing blood and testing it is standard practice for many medical diagnostics. As a less painful alternative, scientists are developing skin patches that could one day replace the syringe. ... full story
New Devices Based on Metamaterials
Oct. 22, 2014 — Researchers have designed and manufactured new devices based on metamaterials (artificial materials with properties not found in nature). They achieved the first experimental demonstration ever with ... full story
Nanoparticle Technology Triples the Production of Biogas
Oct. 22, 2014 — BiogàsPlus, a technology which allows increasing the production of biogas by 200% with a controlled introduction of iron oxide nanoparticles to the process of organic waste treatment, has been ... full story
Cooling to Almost Absolute Zero With Magnetic Molecules
Oct. 22, 2014 — For the first time, scientists have successfully reached temperatures below minus 272.15 degrees Celsius -- only just above absolute zero -- using magnetic ... full story
Cheaper Silicon Means Cheaper Solar Cells
Oct. 22, 2014 — Researchers have pioneered a new approach to manufacturing solar cells that requires less silicon and can accommodate silicon with more impurities than is currently the standard. Those changes mean ... full story
New Feather Findings Get Scientists in a Flap
Oct. 21, 2014 — Scientists have revealed that feather shafts are made of a multi-layered fibrous composite material, much like carbon fiber, which allows the feather to bend and twist to cope with the stresses of ... full story
Special Microscope Captures Defects in Nanotubes
Oct. 21, 2014 — Chemists have devised a way to see the internal structures of electronic waves trapped in carbon nanotubes by external electrostatic charges. Carbon nanotubes have been touted as exceptional ... full story
- Ultra-Thin 3-D Display: No Power Source Needed
- New Microbe Is Key Player in Climate Change
- What a 'Star Wars' Laser Bullet Really Looks Like
- Skin Patch Instead of Syringe for Diagnosis
- New Devices Based On Metamaterials
- Nanoparticle Technology Ups Production of Biogas
- Cooling to Almost Absolute Zero With Molecules
- Cheaper Silicon Means Cheaper Solar Cells
- New Feather Findings Get Scientists in a Flap
- Special Microscope Shows Defects in Nanotubes
Titan Glowing at Dusk and Dawn
Oct. 22, 2014 — New maps of Saturn's moon Titan reveal large patches of trace gases shining brightly near the north and south poles. These regions are curiously shifted off the poles, to the east or west, so that ... full story
Two Families of Comets Found Around Nearby Star: Biggest Census Ever of Exocomets Around Beta Pictoris
Oct. 22, 2014 — The HARPS instrument at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile has been used to make the most complete census of comets around another star ever created. Astronomers have studied nearly 500 individual ... full story
New Window on the Early Universe
Oct. 22, 2014 — Scientists see good times approaching for astrophysicists after hatching a new observational strategy to distill detailed information from galaxies at the edge of the Universe. Using two ... full story
POLARBEAR Detects B-Modes in the Cosmic Microwave Background: Mapping Cosmic Structure, Finding Neutrino Masses
Oct. 21, 2014 — The POLARBEAR experiment has made the most sensitive and precise measurements yet of the polarization of the cosmic microwave background and found telling twists called B-modes in the patterns, signs ... full story
NASA Rover Opportunity Views Comet Near Mars
Oct. 21, 2014 — NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity captured images of a comet passing much closer to Mars than any previous known comet flyby of Earth or Mars. The images of comet Siding Spring were taken ... full story
Mars Orbiter Image Shows Comet Nucleus Is Small
Oct. 21, 2014 — The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured views of comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring while that visitor sped past Mars on Sunday (Oct. ... full story
Heavy Metal Frost? A New Look at a Venusian Mystery
Oct. 20, 2014 — Venus is hiding something beneath its brilliant shroud of clouds: a first order mystery about the planet that researchers may be a little closer to solving because of a new re-analysis of ... full story
NASA's Mars Odyssey Orbiter Watches Comet Fly Near
Oct. 20, 2014 — The longest-lived robot ever sent to Mars came through its latest challenge in good health, reporting home on schedule after sheltering behind Mars from possible comet ... full story
NASA's MAVEN Studies Passing Comet and Its Effects
Oct. 20, 2014 — NASA's newest orbiter at Mars, MAVEN, took precautions to avoid harm from a dust-spewing comet that flew near Mars Oct. 19 and is studying the flyby's effects on the Red Planet's ... full story
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Studies Comet Flyby
Oct. 20, 2014 — NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has sent home more data about Mars than all other missions combined, is also now providing data about a comet that buzzed The Red Planet Oct. ... full story
- Titan Glowing at Dusk and Dawn
- Two Families of Comets Around Nearby Star
- New Window On the Early Universe
- Mapping Cosmic Structure: Neutrino Masses
- NASA Rover Opportunity Views Comet Near Mars
- Mars Orbiter Image: Comet Nucleus Is Small
- Venusian Mystery: Heavy Metal Frost
- Mars Odyssey Orbiter Watches Comet Fly Near
- MAVEN Studies Passing Comet and Its Effects
- Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Studies Comet Flyby
Scientists Disprove Theory That Reconstructed Boron Surface Is Metallic
Oct. 21, 2014 — Scientific inquiry is a hit and miss proposition, subject to constant checking and rechecking. Recently, a new class of materials was discovered called topological insulators—nonmetallic materials ... full story
Immersed in Violence: How 3-D Gaming Affects Video Game Players
Oct. 21, 2014 — Playing violent video games in 3-D makes everything seem more real – and that may have troubling consequences for players, a new study reveals. Researchers found that people who played violent ... full story
Physicists Solve Longstanding Puzzle of How Moths Find Distant Mates
Oct. 21, 2014 — Physicists have come up with a mathematical explanation for moths' remarkable ability to find mates in the dark hundreds of meters away. The researchers said the results could also be applied widely ... full story
Quantum Holograms as Atomic Scale Memory Keepsake
Oct. 21, 2014 — A new study demonstrates that quantum holograms could be a candidate for becoming quantum information memory. Scientists have developed a theoretical model of quantum memory for light, adapting the ... full story
Driving by Pointing: pieDrive System Simplifies Controlling the Most Up-to-Date Vehicles
Oct. 21, 2014 — An increasing number of assistance systems are being designed to facilitate driving. Things are heading towards automated driving. What role does the person behind the steering wheel play? Scientists ... full story
Recognizing Emotion in Text :-S the Business Benefits :-)
Oct. 21, 2014 — Researchers have advanced the field of affective computing -- the creation of computer systems that recognize, express and process human emotions -- by proposing a new way to recognize emotion in ... full story
World Record in Data Transmission With Smart Circuits
Oct. 21, 2014 — Fewer cords, smaller antennas and quicker video transmission. This may be the result of a new type of microwave circuit. The research team behind the circuits currently holds an attention-grabbing ... full story
Supercomputers Link Proteins to Drug Side Effects
Oct. 20, 2014 — New medications created by pharmaceutical companies have helped millions of Americans alleviate pain and suffering from their medical conditions. However, the drug creation process often misses many ... full story
1980s American Aircraft Helps Quantum Technology Take Flight
Oct. 20, 2014 — The X-29, an American experimental aircraft has inspired quantum computing researchers in a development which will bring the technology out of the ... full story
Smartphone Approach for Examining Progression of Diabetic Eye Disease Offers Comparable Results to Traditional Method
Oct. 18, 2014 — A smartphone-based tool may be an effective alternative to traditional ophthalmic imaging equipment in evaluating and grading severity of a diabetic eye disease, according to a study. The results of ... full story
- Reconstructed Boron Surface Is Not Metallic
- How 3D Gaming Affects Video Game Players
- How Moths Find Distant Mates: Puzzle Solved
- Quantum Holograms: Atomic Scale Memory Keepsake
- Semi-Driverless System for Piloting Cars
- Emotion in Text :-S the Business Benefits :-)
- World Record in Data Transmission
- Supercomputers Link Proteins to Drug Side Effects
- 1980s Aircraft Helps Quantum Tech Take Flight
- Smartphones to Examine Diabetic Eye Disease
Wild Chimps Use Innovative Strategies to Raid Neighboring Agricultural Fields Undetected
Oct. 22, 2014 — Wild chimpanzees living in a disturbed habitat may use innovative strategies, like foraging crops at night, to coexist with nearby human ... full story
Rescued 'Abandoned' Penguin Chicks Survival Similar to Colony Rates
Oct. 22, 2014 — Abandoned penguin chicks that were hand-reared and returned to the wild showed a similar survival rate to their naturally-reared ... full story
Shifting Precipitation Patterns Affect Tea Flavor, Health Compounds, Study Shows
Oct. 22, 2014 — Major antioxidant compounds that determine tea health properties and taste fell up to 50 percent during an extreme monsoon, a study concludes. The findings are based on samples taken from tea gardens ... full story
Global Consumption an Increasingly Significant Driver of Tropical Deforestation
Oct. 22, 2014 — International trade with agricultural and wood products is an increasingly important driver of tropical deforestation. More than a third of recent deforestation can be tied to production of beef, ... full story
Sight Neurons Recorded in Jumping Spider Brain
Oct. 22, 2014 — For the first time, a team of interdisciplinary researchers have made recordings of neurons associated with visual perception inside the poppy seed-sized brain of a jumping spider using a hair-sized ... full story
Cause of Aging Remains Elusive, Researchers Assert
Oct. 22, 2014 — A report by Chinese researchers a few months ago was a small sensation: they appeared to have found the cause for why organisms age. Another international team of scientists has now refuted a basic ... full story
Secret Wing Colors Attract Female Fruit Flies
Oct. 22, 2014 — Bright colors appear on a fruit fly’s transparent wings against a dark background as a result of light refraction. Researchers have now demonstrated that females choose a mate based on the males’ ... full story
Seaweed Menace May Yield New Medicines
Oct. 22, 2014 — An invasive seaweed clogging up British coasts could be a blessing in disguise. British scientists have won a cash award to turn it into valuable compounds which can lead to new, life-saving ... full story
Predicting the Predator Threatening a Squirrel by Analyzing Its Sounds and Tail Movements
Oct. 21, 2014 — Biologists found the could quite accurately predict what type of predator was threatening a squirrel by analyzing its sounds and tail ... full story
Ancient Europeans Intolerant to Lactose for 5,000 Years After They Adopted Agriculture
Oct. 21, 2014 — By analyzing DNA from petrous bones of ancient Europeans, scientists have identified these peoples remained intolerant to lactose (natural sugar in the milk of mammals) for 5,000 years after they ... full story
- Wild Chimps' Nighttime Raiding Activities
- Rescued 'Abandoned' Penguin Chicks
- Shifting Precipitation Patterns Affect Tea Flavor
- Global Consumption: Major Cause of Deforestation
- Sight Neurons Recorded in Jumping Spider Brain
- Cause of Aging Remains Elusive, Researchers Say
- Secret Wing Colors Attract Female Fruit Flies
- Seaweed Menace May Yield New Medicines
- Predators and Squirrel Sounds and Tail Movements
- Europeans Lactose Intolerant First 5,000 Years
Karakoram Glacier Anomaly Resolved, a Cold Case of Climate Science
Oct. 22, 2014 — Researchers may have hit upon an answer to a climate-change puzzle that has eluded scientists for years, namely why glaciers in the Karakoram range of the Himalayas have remained stable and even ... full story
Two Vessels from WWII Convoy Battle Off North Carolina Discovered: German U-Boat 576 and Freighter Bluefields Found Within 240 Yards
Oct. 21, 2014 — Scientists have discovered two significant vessels from World War II's Battle of the Atlantic. The German U-boat 576 and the freighter Bluefields were found approximately 30 miles off the coast of ... full story
Rising Above the Risk: America's First Tsunami Refuge
Oct. 21, 2014 — Washington's coast is so close to the seismically active Cascadia Subduction Zone that if a megathrust earthquake were to occur, a tsunami would hit the Washington shoreline in just 25 minutes. One ... full story
'Shrinking Goats' Another Indicator That Climate Change Affects Animal Size
Oct. 21, 2014 — Alpine goats appear to be shrinking in size as they react to changes in climate, according to new research. In recent years, decreases in body size have been identified in a variety of animal ... full story
Getting the Salt Out: Electrodialysis Can Provide Cost-Effective Treatment of Salty Water from Fracked Wells
Oct. 21, 2014 — The boom in oil and gas produced through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is seen as a boon for meeting U.S. energy needs. But one byproduct of the process is millions of gallons of water that's ... full story
BOFFFFs (Big, Old, Fat, Fertile, Female Fish) Sustain Fisheries
Oct. 21, 2014 — A new compilation of research from around the world now shows that big, old, fat, fertile, female fish -- known as BOFFFFs to scientists -- are essential for ensuring that fishery stocks remain ... full story
A Global Surge of Great Earthquakes from 2004-2014 and Implications for Cascadia
Oct. 21, 2014 — The last ten years have been a remarkable time for great earthquakes. Since December 2004 there have been no less than 18 quakes of Mw8.0 or greater -- a rate of more than twice that seen from 1900 ... full story
Built-in Billboards: Male Bluefin Killifish Signal Different Things With Different Fins
Oct. 20, 2014 — They help fish swim, but fins also advertise a fish's social standing and health. In a new study, researchers report that for the male bluefin killifish (Lucania goodei), each colorful fin presents ... full story
Untangling the Biological Effects of Blue Light
Oct. 20, 2014 — Blue light can both set the mood and set in motion important biological responses. Researchers have teased apart the separate biological responses of the human eye to blue light, revealing an ... full story
New Study Charts the Fate of Chemicals Affecting Health, Environment
Oct. 20, 2014 — The trajectory of chemicals appearing as emergent threats to human or environmental health has been recently studied through a meta-analysis of 143,000 peer-reviewed research papers. The work tracks ... full story
- Karakoram Glacier Anomaly Resolved
- Two Vessels from WWII Convoy Battle
- Rising Above Risk: Tsunami Refuge Being Built
- Shrinking Goats: Climate Change and Animal Size
- Desalinating Water from Fracked Wells
- Big, Old, Fat, Fertile, Female Fish in Fisheries
- Global Surge of Great Quakes from 2004-2014
- Male Bluefin Killifish: Each Fin Means Something
- Untangling Biological Effects of Blue Light
- Charting the Fate of Chemicals Affecting Health
Secrets of Dinosaur Ecology Found in Fragile Amber
Oct. 20, 2014 — Ryan McKellar’s research sounds like it was plucked from Jurassic Park: he studies pieces of amber found buried with dinosaur skeletons. But rather than re-creating dinosaurs, he uses the tiny ... full story
Protocells and Information Strings: Self-Organizing Autocatalytic Network Created in Computer Model
Oct. 20, 2014 — Protocells are the simplest, most primitive living systems, you can think of. However, creating an artificial protocell is far from simple. One of the challenges is to create the information strings ... full story
Mummy Remains Refute Antiquity of Ankylosing Spondylitis
Oct. 20, 2014 — Ankylosing spondylitis is a systemic disease that causes inflammation in the spinal joints and was thought to have affected members of the ancient Egyptian royal families. Now a new study refutes ... full story
Gene Duplications Associated With Autism Evolved Recently in Human History
Oct. 19, 2014 — Human geneticists have discovered that a region of the genome associated with autism contains genetic variation that evolved in the last 250,000 years, after the divergence of humans from ancient ... full story
Cellular Self-Destruct Program Has Deep Roots Throughout Evolution
Oct. 16, 2014 — In what seems like a counter-intuitive move against survival, within animals, some cells are fated to die from the triggering of an elaborate cell death program, known as apoptosis. Now, researchers ... full story
Cells' Powerhouses Were Once Energy Parasites: Study Upends Current Theories of How Mitochondria Began
Oct. 16, 2014 — Parasitic bacteria were the first cousins of the mitochondria that power cells in animals and plants -- and first acted as energy parasites in those cells before becoming beneficial, according to a ... full story
Evidence for Huge Mountains That Fed Early Life Discovered
Oct. 16, 2014 — Scientists have found evidence for a huge mountain range that existed in the supercontinent of Gondwana some 600 million years ago. It ran from modern west Africa to northeast Brazil, and as it ... full story
Digital Archaeology Changes Exploration of the Past
Oct. 15, 2014 — New ways of documenting and sharing artifacts are being explored in recent study. Archaeologists are now using the tools of the 21st century to explore the past, researchers say, and are exploring ... full story
Microfossils Reveal Warm Oceans Had Less Oxygen
Oct. 15, 2014 — Researchers are pairing chemical analyses with micropaleontology -- the study of tiny fossilized organisms -- to better understand how global marine life was affected by a rapid warming event more ... full story
Canary for Climate Change: How Past Extinctions Have Influenced Modern Distribution, Population Size of Existing Species
Oct. 15, 2014 — Wing-propelled diving seabirds, as well as their extinct relatives, may have served as an indicator species for environmental changes and faunal shifts, researchers suggest. The findings also ... full story
- Secrets of Dinosaur Ecology in Fragile Amber
- Protocells and Information Strings: Virtual Model
- No Signs of Spinal Arthritis in Egyptian Mummies
- Did Autism Evolve Recently in Human History?
- Cellular Self-Destruction Throughout Evolution
- Cells' Mitochondria Were Once Energy Parasites
- Huge Mountains Fed Early Life, Scientists Find
- Digital Archaeology Changes Past Exploration
- Microfossils Reveal Warm Oceans Had Less Oxygen
- How Past Extintions Affected Current Populations
No Increase in Pregnancy-Related Death for African American Women
Oct. 22, 2014 — In contrast to national trends, a study performed at a large, American hospital finds no racial difference in the risk of pregnancy-related death between African American and Caucasian women, report ... full story
Fecal Blood Test May Save More Lives Than Colonoscopy
Oct. 21, 2014 — State public health programs could screen nearly eight times as many individuals and prevent nearly twice as many CRC cases by using fecal immunochemical testing, or FIT, instead of colonoscopies, ... full story
Large Variation in Cesarean Rates Across US Hospitals
Oct. 21, 2014 — Cesarean delivery is the most common inpatient surgery in the United States. US cesarean rates increased from 20.7% in 1996 to 32.9% in 2009 but have since stabilized, with 1.3 million American women ... full story
In Disease Outbreak Management, Flexibility Can Save Lives, Money
Oct. 21, 2014 — A new, more flexible, approach for responding to and managing disease outbreaks has been developed that could save many lives and millions of dollars. The approach, called 'adaptive management,' ... full story
Impressions Shaped by Facial Appearance Foster Biased Decisions
Oct. 21, 2014 — Research in recent years has shown that people associate specific facial traits with an individual's personality. People consistently associate trustworthiness, competence, dominance, and ... full story
Research Highlights Extent, Effects of School Violence in U.S.
Oct. 21, 2014 — Six percent of U.S. children and youth missed a day of school over the course of a year because they were the victim of violence or abuse at school. "This study really highlights the way school ... full story
First Driverless Vehicles for Public Launched in Singapore
Oct. 21, 2014 — For the first time, two SMART-NUS enhanced driverless buggies to ferry passengers, free-of-charge, around Chinese and Japanese Gardens, as part of the Smart and Connected Jurong Lake District Pilots ... full story
Controlling Ebola in West Africa Most Effective Way to Decrease International Risk, Expert Says
Oct. 20, 2014 — Controlling the Ebola virus outbreak at the source in West Africa is the most effective way to decrease international risk of transmission, according to a new research ... full story
Three People Infected With Ebola Predicted to Fly from West Africa Every Month If No Exit Screening Takes Place
Oct. 20, 2014 — Three Ebola-infected travelers are predicted to depart on an international flight every month from any of the three countries in West Africa currently experiencing widespread Ebola virus outbreaks ... full story
Massive Debris Pile Reveals Risk of Huge Tsunamis in Hawaii
Oct. 20, 2014 — A mass of marine debris discovered in a giant sinkhole in the Hawaiian islands provides evidence that at least one mammoth tsunami, larger than any in Hawaii's recorded history, has struck the ... full story
- US Pregnancy-Related Death: No Racial Difference
- Fecal Blood Test More Effective Than Colonoscopy?
- Far More C-Sections at Certain US Hospitals
- Outbreak Management: Flexibility Can Save Lives
- Impressions Made On Facial Appearance Up Bias
- Extent, Effects of School Violence in U.S.
- First Driverless Vehicles for Public Launched
- Ebola: Control in W. Africa, Minimize Global Risk
- No Exit Screening: Ebola-Infected Travelers
- Huge Tsunamis Have Hit Hawaii in Past
Helping Outdoor Workers Reduce Skin Cancer Risk
Oct. 14, 2014 — Skin cancer is one of the biggest fears for one in two outdoor workers, and when the boss and staff work together the sun safe message gets through, a study has ... full story
Scientists Identify Method of Eradicating Harmful Impacts from Manufacturing Process
Oct. 8, 2014 — A novel technique for applying high-quality finishes in engineering industries could reduce the human and environmental impact by up to 98 percent, scientists ... full story
Private Telephone Conversations: Dynamic Encryption Keeps Secrets
Oct. 7, 2014 — Scientists have invented a new way to encrypt telephone conversations that makes it very difficult to ‘eavesdrop’. The invention can help to curb industrial ... full story
What Makes a Song Sing? Backup Singers
Sep. 29, 2014 — What made Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” a No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1983, and other songs, like Madonna’s 1999 “Nothing Really Matters,” flounder at 90 or below? New ... full story
Job Loss Fears May Boost First-Time Asthma Risk
Sep. 22, 2014 — Job loss fears may boost the risk of developing asthma for the first time, indicates research. The findings back up other epidemiological studies pointing to a link between the development of asthma ... full story
Burnout Caused by More Than Just Job Stress
Sep. 16, 2014 — Impossible deadlines, demanding bosses, abusive colleagues, unpaid overtime: all factors that can lead to a burnout. But when it comes to mental health in the workplace, the influence of home life ... full story
Gray Matter Matters When Measuring Risk Tolerance: May Explain Why Risk Tolerance Decreases With Age
Sep. 12, 2014 — The gray matter volume of a region in the right posterior parietal cortex is significantly predictive of individual risk attitudes, new research has found. Using a whole-brain analysis, scientists ... full story
Illegal Land Clearing for Commercial Agriculture Responsible for Half of Tropical Deforestation
Sep. 10, 2014 — A comprehensive new analysis says that nearly half of all recent tropical deforestation is the result of illegal clearing for commercial agriculture. The study also finds that the majority of this ... full story
Working During Depression Can Offer Health Benefits to Employees
Sep. 10, 2014 — Attending work while suffering a depressive illness could help employees better manage their depression more than taking a sickness absence from work, a new study has found. The study is the first ... full story
There Could Be Increased Numbers of Psychopaths in Senior Managerial Positions, High Levels of Business, Research Shows
Sep. 8, 2014 — For the first time, it has been demonstrated that people with psychopathic tendencies who have high IQs can mask their symptoms by manipulating tests designed to reveal their personalities. It raises ... full story
- Helping Outdoor Workers Reduce Skin Cancer Risk
- Eradicating Harmful Impacts from Manufacturing
- Dynamic Encryption Keeps Secrets
- What Makes a Song Sing? Backup Singers
- Job Loss Fears May Boost First-Time Asthma Risk
- Burnout Caused by More Than Just Job Stress
- Gray Matter Volume Predicts Risk Tolerance
- Half of Loss of Rainforests for Agriculture
- Working While Depressed: Health Benefits?
- Are There More Psychopaths in Senior Management?
Mental Rest and Reflection Boost Learning, Study Suggests
Oct. 20, 2014 — A new study, which may have implications for approaches to education, finds that brain mechanisms engaged when people allow their minds to rest and reflect on things they've learned before may boost ... full story
Myth-Conceptions: How Myths About the Brain Are Hampering Teaching
Oct. 16, 2014 — Myths about the brain are common among teachers worldwide and are hampering teaching, according to new research. The report highlights several areas where new findings from neuroscience are becoming ... full story
More Physical Activity Improved School Performance in Swedish Study
Oct. 14, 2014 — Just two hours of extra physical activity each week can improve school performance, researchers report. This has been shown by a study of approximately 2,000 ... full story
Trying to Fool a Kindergartner? Not So Fast
Oct. 8, 2014 — A new study shows that by the age of five, children become wary of information provided by people who make overly confident ... full story
Why Is Educational Achievement Heritable?
Oct. 6, 2014 — The high heritability of exam grades reflects many genetically influenced traits such as personality, behavior problems, and self-efficacy and not just intelligence. The study looked at 13,306 twins ... full story
Kids' Oral Language Skills Can Predict Future Writing Difficulties
Oct. 6, 2014 — Children's future writing difficulties can be identified before they even learn how to begin writing, according to a new study. The research data also contradicts the popular belief that bilingualism ... full story
How Curiosity Changes the Brain to Enhance Learning
Oct. 2, 2014 — The more curious we are about a topic, the easier it is to learn information about that topic. New research provides insights into what happens in our brains when curiosity is piqued. The findings ... full story
After-School Exercise Program Enhances Cognition in 7-, 8 And 9-Year-Olds
Sep. 29, 2014 — A nine-month-long, randomized controlled trial involving 221 prepubescent children found that those who engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for at least 60 minutes a day after school ... full story
Secret to Raising Well Behaved Teens? Maximize Their Zzzzz's
Sep. 26, 2014 — While American pediatricians warn sleep deprivation can stack the deck against teenagers, a new study reveals youth’s irritability and laziness aren’t down to attitude problems but lack of sleep. ... full story
False Memories Could Be a Side-Effect of Human Ability to Learn Rules
Sep. 24, 2014 — Our tendency to create false memories could be related to our ability to learn rules according to new research. New research suggests that individuals who are particularly good at learning rules and ... full story
- Mental Rest and Reflection Boost Learning
- How Myths About the Brain Hamper Teaching
- More Exercise Improves School Performance?
- Trying to Fool a Kindergartner? Not So Fast
- Why Is Educational Achievement Heritable?
- Kids' Oral Skills: Predict Writing Difficulties
- How Curiosity Changes Brain to Enhance Learning
- After-School Exercise Program Enhances Cognition
- Secret to Raising Well Behaved Teens? Sleep
- Good at Learning Rules: Prone to False Memories?
