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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


Experiments find strongest shapes with 3-D printing

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 05:29 PM PDT

Physicists are using 3-D printing to test complex qualities of shapes made via the computer. They are studying"jamming" and the structural properties of shapes.

Causing collapse: Can one affect an atom's spin just by adjusting the way it is measured?

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 10:30 AM PDT

One of the most basic laws of quantum mechanics is that a system can be in more than one state -- it can exist in multiple realities -- at once. This phenomenon, known as the superposition principle, exists only so long as the system is not observed or measured in any way. As soon as such a system is measured, its superposition collapses into a single state. Thus, we, who are constantly observing and measuring, experience the world around us as existing in a single reality. Researchers now suggest one can affect an atom's spin just by adjusting the way it is measured.

Cell on a chip reveals protein behavior: In the future, artifical cells may produce complex protein structures on demand

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 10:30 AM PDT

For years, scientists around the world have dreamed of building a complete, functional, artificial cell. Though this vision is still a distant blur on the horizon, many are making progress on various fronts. Researchers in Israel recently took a significant step in this direction when they created a two-dimensional, cell-like system on a glass chip.

Transistor in the fly antenna: Insect odorant receptors regulate their own sensitivity

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 10:26 AM PDT

Highly developed antennae containing different types of olfactory receptors allow insects to use minute amounts of odors for orientation. Scientists have now provided experimental proof that the extremely sensitive olfactory system of fruit flies is based on self-regulation of odorant receptors. Even a below threshold odor stimulation increases the sensitivity of the receptor, and if a second odor pulse arrives, a neural response will be elicited.

Putting the clock in 'cock-a-doodle-doo'

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 10:26 AM PDT

Of course, roosters crow with the dawn. But are they simply reacting to the environment, or do they really know what time of day it is? Researchers have evidence that puts the clock in "cock-a-doodle-doo.

Antarctica's first whale skeleton found with nine new deep-sea species

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 07:49 AM PDT

Marine biologists have, for the first time, found a whale skeleton on the ocean floor near Antarctica, giving new insights into life in the sea depths. The discovery was made almost a mile below the surface in an undersea crater and includes the find of at least nine new species of deep-sea organisms thriving on the bones.

It's in the cards: Human evolution influences gamblers' decisions

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 07:47 AM PDT

New research suggests evolution, or basic survival techniques adapted by early humans, influences the decisions gamblers make when placing bets. The findings may help to explain why some treatment options for problem gamblers often don't work, the researchers say.

Leaping lunar dust: Electrically charged dust near shadowed craters can get lofted above Moon's surface

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 07:43 AM PDT

Electrically charged lunar dust near shadowed craters can get lofted above the surface and jump over the shadowed region, bouncing back and forth between sunlit areas on opposite sides, according to new calculations by NASA scientists.

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