ScienceDaily: Strange Science News |
- A whale of a discovery: New sensory organ found in rorqual whales
- New species top 10 list: Underworld worm, walking cactus creature, blue tarantula, sneezing monkey, and more
- Wind-driven Mars tumbleweed rover to roll through rocky terrain?
- Fire beetles may revolutionize early-warning systems for forest fires
- Light pollution transforming insect communities
- Human-like spine morphology found in aquatic eel fossil
- Touching tarantulas: Overcoming phobias with brief therapy
- Return of the vacuum tube
| A whale of a discovery: New sensory organ found in rorqual whales Posted: 23 May 2012 10:32 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a sensory organ in rorqual whales that coordinates its signature lunge-feeding behavior -- and may help explain their enormous size. Rorquals are a subgroup of baleen whales -- including blue, fin, minke and humpback whales. They are characterized by a special, accordion-like blubber layer that goes from the snout to the navel. The blubber expands up to several times its resting length to allow the whales to engulf large quantities of prey-laden water, which is then expelled through the baleen to filter krill and fish. The study details the discovery of an organ at the tip of the whale's chin, lodged in the ligamentous tissue that connects their two jaws. |
| Posted: 23 May 2012 10:30 AM PDT The top 10 new species list has just been released. It includes a teensy attack wasp, night-blooming orchid, underworld worm, ancient "walking cactus" creature, blue tarantula, Nepalese poppy, giant millipede, sneezing monkey, fungus named for cartoon character and beautiful jellyfish. |
| Wind-driven Mars tumbleweed rover to roll through rocky terrain? Posted: 23 May 2012 08:48 AM PDT New research shows that a wind-driven "tumbleweed" Mars rover would be capable of moving across rocky Martian terrain -- findings that could also help with designing the best possible vehicle. |
| Fire beetles may revolutionize early-warning systems for forest fires Posted: 23 May 2012 07:21 AM PDT Black fire beetles of the genus Melanophila possess unusual infrared sensors. It seems that they use these to detect forest fires, even from great distances, since their wood-eating larvae can only develop in freshly burned trees. Scientists have been wondering for a long time how sensitive these biological IR sensors really are. Researchers have concluded that the beetles' sensors might even be more sensitive that uncooled infrared sensors designed by humans. Having this natural model opens up new perspectives, such as for early warning systems for forest fires. |
| Light pollution transforming insect communities Posted: 22 May 2012 05:08 PM PDT Street lighting is transforming communities of insects and other invertebrates, according to new research. The study shows for the first time that the balance of different species living together is being radically altered as a result of light pollution in our towns and cities. Believed to be increasing by six percent a year globally, artificial lighting is already known to affect individual organisms, but this is the first time that its impact on whole communities has been investigated. |
| Human-like spine morphology found in aquatic eel fossil Posted: 22 May 2012 05:08 PM PDT For decades, scientists believed that a spine with multiple segments was an exclusive feature of land-dwelling animals. But the discovery of the same anatomical feature in a 345-million-year-old eel suggests that this complex anatomy arose separately from -- and perhaps before -- the first species to walk on land. |
| Touching tarantulas: Overcoming phobias with brief therapy Posted: 21 May 2012 01:40 PM PDT A brief therapy session for adults with a lifelong debilitating spider phobia resulted in lasting changes to the brain's response to fear. The therapy was so successful, the adults were able to hold a tarantula in their bare hands six months after the treatment. This is the first study to document the immediate and long-term brain changes after treatment and to illustrate how the brain reorganizes long-term to reduce fear. |
| Posted: 18 May 2012 10:26 AM PDT Retro technology makes a comeback in a nanoscale transistor that is lightweight, low cost, and long lasting. |
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