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Friday, March 22, 2013

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


Quirky Lyme disease bacteria: Unlike most organisms, they don't need iron, but crave manganese

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:57 PM PDT

Scientists have confirmed that the pathogen that causes Lyme disease -- unlike any other known organism -- can exist without iron, a metal that all other life needs to make proteins and enzymes. Instead of iron, the bacteria substitute manganese to make an essential enzyme, thus eluding immune system defenses that protect the body by starving pathogens of iron.

Quantum computers coming soon? Metamaterials used to observe giant photonic spin Hall effect

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:19 PM PDT

Engineering a unique metamaterial of gold nanoantennas, researchers were able to obtain the strongest signal yet of the photonic spin Hall effect, an optical phenomenon of quantum mechanics that could play a prominent role in the future of computing.

Scientists develop innovative twists to DNA nanotechnology

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:14 AM PDT

In a new discovery that represents a major step in solving a critical design challenge, scientists have produced a wide variety of 2-D and 3-D structures that push the boundaries of the burgeoning field of DNA nanotechnology.

Archerfish get an eye test

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:32 AM PDT

A modified version of an eye test used to assess visual acuity in the military has been given to archerfish by scientists to help explain how these remarkable fish are able to accurately spit down tiny insects high above the water's surface.

Smelling genetic information: Molecules allow mice to sniff out the genes of other mice

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:02 AM PDT

Scientists have theorized that animals and humans are able to smell certain genes linked to the immune system, which in turn influences their choice of mate. The genes in question are known as MHC (major histocompatibility complex) genes. Selecting a mate with very different MHC genes from one's own makes sense, because your offspring will then have a greater variety of immunity genes -- and a correspondingly greater resistance to disease. But until now, no scent offering information about MHC genes had been discovered among those emitted by humans and animals. Now researchers have managed to do just that.

Pavlov inverted: Reward linked to image is enough to activate brain's visual cortex

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:29 AM PDT

Once rhesus monkeys learn to associate a picture with a reward, the reward by itself becomes enough to alter the activity in the monkeys' visual cortex. 

Computerized mannequin changes body shape and size

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:13 AM PDT

At its first glance, the mannequin 'i.Dummy' looks no different from an ordinary dummy but it is no plain stuff - this sophisticated mannequin can change its body shape and size or even elongate at the point of a fingertip on computer.

Study reveals working of motor with revolution motion in bacteria-killing virus; Advances nanotechnology

Posted: 20 Mar 2013 06:54 AM PDT

Scientists have cracked a 35-year-old mystery about the workings of the natural motors that are serving as models for development of a futuristic genre of synthetic nanomotors that pump therapeutic DNA, RNA or drugs into individual diseased cells. Their report reveals the innermost mechanisms of these nanomotors in a bacteria-killing virus -- and a new way to move DNA through cells.

'Brazilians' and other types of pubic hair removal may boost viral infection risk

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 05:34 PM PDT

"Brazilians" and other types of fashionable pubic hair removal may boost the risk of a viral infection called Molluscum contagiousum, suggests a small study.

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