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Thursday, January 12, 2012

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News


Evolution is written all over your face

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:37 PM PST

Why are the faces of primates so dramatically different from one another? Biologists serving as "evolutionary detectives" studied the faces of 129 adult male primates from Central and South America, and offer answers. These faces evolved over at least 24 million years.

World's smallest vertebrate: Tiny frogs discovered in New Guinea

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:33 PM PST

Biologists just discovered two new species of frogs in New Guinea, one of which is now the world's tiniest known vertebrate, averaging only 7.7 millimeters in size -- less than one-third of an inch. It ousts Paedocypris progenetica, an Indonesian fish averaging more than 8 millimeters, from the record.

Clue as to why alcohol is addicting: Scientists show that drinking releases brain endorphins

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 12:51 PM PST

Drinking alcohol leads to the release of endorphins in areas of the brain that produce feelings of pleasure and reward, according to a new study.

'Quantum critical' theory gets experimental boost

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 12:41 PM PST

New evidence supports a theory developed five years ago to explain the electrical properties of unconventional superconductors and other classes of materials that have long vexed scientists. Physicists say the new findings represent an important step toward the ultimate goal of creating a unified theoretical description of quantum effects in electronic materials at the border of magnetism and superconductivity.

Astronomers find three smallest planets outside solar system

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 12:40 PM PST

Astronomers have discovered the three smallest confirmed planets ever detected outside our solar system. The three planets, which all orbit a single star, are smaller than Earth and appear to be rocky. Their existence suggests that the galaxy could be teeming with similarly rocky planets—and that there's a good chance that many are in the so-called habitable zone, where liquid water and possibly life could exist.

A diet rich in slowly digested carbs reduces markers of inflammation in overweight and obese adults

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 12:40 PM PST

Among overweight and obese adults, a diet rich in slowly digested carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes and other high-fiber foods, significantly reduces markers of inflammation associated with chronic disease, according to a new study. Such a "low-glycemic-load" diet, which does not cause blood-glucose levels to spike, also increases a hormone that helps regulate the metabolism of fat and sugar.

Planets with double suns are common

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 12:40 PM PST

Astronomers have discovered two new circumbinary planet systems -- planets that orbit two stars, like Tatooine in the movie Star Wars. Their find, which brings the number of known circumbinary planets to three, shows that planets with two suns must be common, with many millions existing in our galaxy.

Scientists predict the next big thing in particle physics: Supersymmetry

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 10:59 AM PST

A better understanding of the universe will be the outgrowth of the discovery of the Higgs boson, according to a team of researchers. The team predicts the discovery will lead to supersymmetry or SUSY -- an extension of the standard model of particle physics. SUSY predicts new matter states or super partners for each matter particle already accounted for in the standard model. SUSY theory provides an important new step to a better understanding of the universe we live in.

Starving galaxies revealed

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 10:40 AM PST

Astronomers using the partially completed ALMA observatory have found compelling evidence for how star-forming galaxies evolve into '"ed and dead" elliptical galaxies, catching a large group of galaxies right in the middle of this change.

Why do dew drops do what they do on leaves?

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 10:40 AM PST

Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore once wrote, "Let your life lightly dance on the edges of time like dew on the tip of a leaf." Now, a new study is finally offering an explanation for why small dew drops do as Tagore advised and form on the tips, rather than the flat surfaces, of leaves.

Hubble zooms in on double nucleus in Andromeda galaxy

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 10:39 AM PST

A new Hubble Space Telescope image centers on the 100-million-solar-mass black hole at the hub of the neighboring spiral galaxy M31, or the Andromeda galaxy, the only galaxy outside the Milky Way visible to the naked eye and the only other giant galaxy in the local group.

A wealth of habitable planets in the Milky Way

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 10:39 AM PST

Six years of observations of millions of stars now show how common it is for stars to have planets in orbits around them. Using a method that is sensitive to planets that lie in a habitable zone around the host stars, astronomers have discovered that most of the Milky Way's 100 billion stars have planets that are very similar to the Earth-like planets in our own solar system.

Planet population is plentiful: Planets around stars are the rule rather than the exception

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 10:35 AM PST

Astronomers have used the technique of gravitational microlensing to measure how common planets are in the Milky Way. After a six-year search that surveyed millions of stars, the team concludes that planets around stars are the rule rather than the exception.

Distant supernova discovery, 9 billion years ago

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 10:33 AM PST

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has looked deep into the distant universe and detected the feeble glow of a star that exploded more than 9 billion years ago. The sighting is the first finding of an ambitious survey that will help astronomers place better constraints on the nature of dark energy: the mysterious repulsive force that is causing the universe to fly apart ever faster.

Mystery on source of supernova in nearby galaxy solved

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 10:33 AM PST

Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have solved a longstanding mystery on the type of star, or so-called progenitor, that caused a supernova in a nearby galaxy. The finding yields new observational data for pinpointing one of several scenarios that trigger such outbursts.

Rare ultra-blue stars found in neighboring galaxy's hub

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 08:37 AM PST

Peering deep inside the hub of the neighboring Andromeda galaxy, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered a large, rare population of hot, bright stars.

First physical evidence of tobacco in Mayan container

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 08:37 AM PST

Anthropologists and other scientists have used ultra-modern chemical analysis technology to analyze ancient Mayan pottery for proof of tobacco use in the ancient culture. They discovered the first physical evidence of tobacco in a Mayan container. Their discovery represents new evidence on the ancient use of tobacco in the Mayan culture and a new method to understand the ancient roots of tobacco use in the Americas.

Parkinson's treatment shows positive results in clinical testing

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:40 AM PST

Deep brain stimulation -- also known as DBS -- is effective at improving motor symptoms and quality of life in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, according to new research.

Solar energy: New sunflower-inspired pattern increases concentrated solar efficiency

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:40 AM PST

A new sunflower-inspired pattern increases concentrated solar efficiency.

Lab-made tissue picks up the slack of Petri dishes in cancer research

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:39 AM PST

New research, using oral cancer cells in a three-dimensional model of lab-made tissue, demonstrates that previous models used to examine cancer may not be complex enough to accurately mimic the true cancer environment.

New model for epidemic contagion

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:39 AM PST

Humans are considered the hosts for spreading epidemics. The speed at which an epidemic spreads is now better understood thanks to a new model accounting for the provincial nature of human mobility, according to a new study.

Greenhouses and solar power: Crop testing with a special photovoltaic panel for greenhouses

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:38 AM PST

A new photovoltaic module allows electricity to be generated without greenhouse crops being affected by over-shading.

Omega-3 fatty acids could prevent and treat nerve damage, research suggests

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:38 AM PST

Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, have the potential to protect nerves from injury and help them to regenerate, new research suggests.

Touching a nerve: How every hair in skin feels touch and how it all gets to the brain

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:33 AM PST

Neuroscientists have discovered how the sense of touch is wired in the skin and nervous system. The new findings open new doors for understanding how the brain collects and processes information from hairy skin.

Global study sheds light on role of exercise, cars and televisions on the risk of heart attacks

Posted: 11 Jan 2012 06:06 AM PST

A worldwide study has shown that physical activity during work and leisure time significantly lowers the risk of heart attacks in both developed and developing countries. Ownership of a car and a television was linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Predators hunt for a balanced diet

Posted: 10 Jan 2012 04:29 PM PST

Predators select their prey in order to eat a nutritionally balanced diet and give themselves the best chance of producing healthy offspring. A new study shows for the first time that predatory animals choose their food on the basis of its nutritional value, rather than just overall calorie content.

Engineers make 'building blocks of chemical industry' from wood while boosting production 40 percent

Posted: 10 Jan 2012 04:27 PM PST

Chemical engineers using a catalytic fast pyrolysis process that transforms renewable non-food biomass into petrochemicals, have developed a new catalyst that boosts the yield for five key "building blocks of the chemical industry" by 40 percent compared to previous methods.

When galaxy clusters collide

Posted: 10 Jan 2012 08:44 AM PST

The collision of two clusters of galaxies 5 billion light years away could help astronomers better understand "dark matter," the invisible stuff that makes up a big chunk of our universe.

World's most extreme deep-sea vents revealed: Deeper than any seen before, and teeming with new creatures

Posted: 10 Jan 2012 08:44 AM PST

Scientists have revealed details of the world's most extreme deep-sea volcanic vents, five kilometers down in a rift in the Caribbean seafloor. The undersea hot springs, which lie 0.8 kilometers deeper than any seen before, may be hotter than 450 °C and are shooting a jet of mineral-laden water more than a kilometer into the ocean above.

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