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Wednesday, March 6, 2013

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


Stressed-out tadpoles grow larger tails to escape predators

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 05:02 PM PST

When people or animals are thrust into threatening situations such as combat or attack by a predator, stress hormones are released to help prepare the organism to defend itself or to rapidly escape from danger —- the so-called fight-or-flight response. Now researchers have demonstrated for the first time that stress hormones are also responsible for altering the body shape of developing animals, in this case the humble tadpole, so they are better equipped to survive predator attacks.

Obesity makes fat cells act like they're infected

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 11:51 AM PST

Scientists report that a high calorie diet causes fat cells to act as if under pathogenic attack. The researchers have identified a root cause of the diet-caused fat tissue inflammation that has baffled medical researchers for decades.

Seniors who play video games report better sense of emotional well-being

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 10:12 AM PST

New research finds that older adults who play video games report higher levels of emotional well-being.

On the trail of mucus-eaters in the gut

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 10:10 AM PST

Microbiologists have for the first time succeeded in directly observing microorganisms feeding on the intestinal mucosa.

Amputee phantom pain linked to brain retaining picture of missing limb

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 10:10 AM PST

Changes in the brain following amputation have been linked to pain arising from the missing limb, called "phantom pain," in a brain imaging study. Arm amputees experiencing the most phantom limb pain were found to maintain stronger representation of the missing hand in the brain -- to the point where it was indistinguishable from people with both hands.

Remains of extinct giant camel discovered in High Arctic

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 10:10 AM PST

Remains of an extinct giant camel have been discovered on Ellesmere Island in Canada's High Arctic. The evidence collected is from 30 fragments of a leg bone, dating to about three-and-a-half million years ago from the mid-Pliocene Epoch, when the planet was undergoing a global warm phase.

For birds, red means 'go': Some flowers evolved red hues favored by birds

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 07:09 AM PST

New research has shown that certain Australian native flowers have shifted away from using insects as pollinators and evolved their flower color to the red hues favored by birds.

'Selfish' gene may undermine genome police

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 07:09 AM PST

Biologists have been observing the "selfish" genetic entity segregation distorter (SD) in fruit flies for decades. Its story is a thriller among molecules, in which the SD gene destroys maturing sperm that have a rival chromosome. A new study reveals a tactic that gives SD's villainy an extra edge.

Gravitational telescope creates space invader mirage

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 07:09 AM PST

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is one of the most powerful available to astronomers, but sometimes it too needs a helping hand. This comes in the form of Einstein's general theory of relativity, which makes galaxy clusters act as natural lenses, amplifying the light coming from very distant galaxies.

Mental picture of others can be seen using fMRI, finds new study

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 06:10 AM PST

It is possible to tell who a person is thinking about by analyzing images of his or her brain. Our mental models of people produce unique patterns of brain activation, which can be detected using advanced imaging techniques according to a new study.

Ostracism cuts both ways: Hurting someone else can hurt the one who inflicts pain just as much

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 05:04 AM PST

If you think giving someone the cold shoulder inflicts pain only on them, beware. A new study shows that individuals who deliberately shun another person are equally distressed by the experience.

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