ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Saber-toothed cats and bear dogs: How they made cohabitation work
• Virtual reality could help people lose weight, fight prejudice
• Bacteria talk to each other and our cells in the same way, via molecules
• Star formation slumps to 1/30th of its peak
• Open mouth means closed mind: Behavior of U.S. Supreme Court justices predicts their votes
• Cartoons reduce anxiety in children undergoing anesthesia, study finds

Saber-toothed cats and bear dogs: How they made cohabitation work Posted: 06 Nov 2012 04:16 PM PST The fossilized fangs of saber-toothed cats hold clues to how the extinct mammals shared space and food with other large predators 9 million years ago.

Virtual reality could help people lose weight, fight prejudice Posted: 06 Nov 2012 01:21 PM PST When an individual strongly identifies with the virtual reality representation of themselves, known as an avatar, the electronic doppelganger can influence that person's health and appearance, according to a new study. Harnessing the power of the virtual world could lead to new forms of obesity treatment and help break down racial and sexual prejudices.

Bacteria talk to each other and our cells in the same way, via molecules Posted: 06 Nov 2012 08:42 AM PST Bacteria can talk to each other via molecules they themselves produce. The phenomenon is called quorum sensing, and is important when an infection propagates. Now, researchers are showing how bacteria control processes in human cells the same way.

Star formation slumps to 1/30th of its peak Posted: 06 Nov 2012 08:41 AM PST While parts of the world experience economic hardship, astronomers have found an even bigger slump happening on a cosmic scale. In the largest ever study of its kind, astronomers have established that the rate of formation of new stars in the Universe is now only 1/30th of its peak and that this decline is only set to continue.

Open mouth means closed mind: Behavior of U.S. Supreme Court justices predicts their votes Posted: 05 Nov 2012 08:45 AM PST New research shows that U.S. Supreme Court justices use oral argument to convince their fellow justices of their own views of the case under consideration.

Cartoons reduce anxiety in children undergoing anesthesia, study finds Posted: 05 Nov 2012 08:45 AM PST Letting children watch a favorite cartoon is an effective and safe way to reduce anxiety before anesthesia and surgery, concludes a new study.

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