RefBan

Referral Banners

Friday, March 16, 2012

ScienceDaily: Top Science News

ScienceDaily: Top Science News


Near-miss asteroid will return next year, even closer

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 07:56 PM PDT

An amateur team discovered the unusual asteroid, dubbed 2012 DA14, on 22 February. Its small size and orbit meant that it was spotted only after it had flown past Earth at about seven times the distance of the Moon. However, current predictions indicate that on its next flyby, due on 15 February 2013, it will pass Earth at just 24,000 km – closer than many commercial satellites.

Process makes polymers truly plastic, changing textures on demand

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 01:14 PM PDT

Just as a chameleon changes its color to blend in with its environment, engineers have demonstrated for the first time that they can alter the texture of plastics on demand, for example, switching back and forth between a rough surface and a smooth one.

Graphene supercapacitor holds promise for portable electronics

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 12:25 PM PDT

Researchers have used a standard LightScribe DVD optical drive to produce electrodes composed of an expanded network of graphene that shows excellent mechanical and electrical properties as well as exceptionally high surface area. These LSG supercapacitors demonstrate high-performance graphene-based electrochemical capacitors that maintain excellent electrochemical attributes under high mechanical stress and may be ideal energy storage systems for next generation flexible, portable electronics.

Was human evolution caused by climate change?

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 12:25 PM PDT

Models of how animal and plant distributions are affected by climate change may also explain aspects of human evolution.

Sex-deprived fruit flies turn to alcohol, perhaps to fulfill a physiological demand for a reward

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 11:54 AM PDT

After being deprived of sex, male fruit flies may turn to alcohol to fulfill a physiological demand for a reward, according to a new study. Neurobiology experts say that understanding why rejected male flies find solace in ethanol could help treat human addictions.

Implanted Biofuel Cell Operating in Living Snail

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 11:50 AM PDT

Researchers have implanted a biofuel cell in a living snail. This is the first incidence of an implanted biofuel cell continuously operating in a snail and producing electrical power over a long period of time using the snail's physiologically produced glucose as a fuel.

Basketball-sized eyes help squids play defense

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 09:30 AM PDT

Researchers have used complex computations to explain squids' massive peepers. Giant squids' 10-inch eyes allow them to see very large and hungry sperm whales from a distance in the pitch darkness of their deep-sea home.

Researchers create more efficient hydrogen fuel cells

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 08:04 AM PDT

Hydrogen fuel cells, like those found in some "green" vehicles, have a lot of promise as an alternative fuel source, but making them practical on a large scale requires them to be more efficient and cost effective. Scientists may have now found a way around both hurdles.

Cell phone use in pregnancy may cause behavioral disorders in offspring, mouse study suggests

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 08:01 AM PDT

Exposure to radiation from cell phones during pregnancy affects the brain development of offspring, potentially leading to hyperactivity, researchers have determined.

Believing the impossible: No evidence for existence of psychic ability found

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 06:47 AM PDT

Research failing to find evidence for the existence of psychic ability has been published, following a year of industry debate.

Plants 'remember' drought, change responses to survive

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 06:44 AM PDT

Plants subjected to a previous period of drought learn to deal with the stress thanks to their memories of the previous experience, new research has found. The findings could lead to development of crops better able to withstand drought.

Hubble finds quasars acting as gravitational lenses

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 06:44 AM PDT

Astronomers have found several examples of galaxies containing quasars, which act as gravitational lenses, amplifying and distorting images of galaxies aligned behind them.

No comments: