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Friday, May 24, 2013

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


Gold nanocrystal vibration captured on billion-frames-per-second film

Posted: 23 May 2013 11:35 AM PDT

A billon-frames-per-second film has captured the vibrations of gold nanocrystals in stunning detail for the first time.

Molecule that triggers sensation of itch discovered

Posted: 23 May 2013 11:33 AM PDT

Scientists report they have discovered in mouse studies that a small molecule released in the spinal cord triggers a process that is later experienced in the brain as the sensation of itch.

White tiger mystery solved: Coat color produced by single change in pigment gene

Posted: 23 May 2013 11:33 AM PDT

White tigers today are only seen in zoos, but they belong in nature, say researchers reporting new evidence about what makes those tigers white. Their spectacular white coats are produced by a single change in a known pigment gene, according to a new study.

Motion quotient: IQ predicted by ability to filter visual motion

Posted: 23 May 2013 11:31 AM PDT

A brief visual task can predict IQ, according to a new study. This surprisingly simple exercise measures the brain's unconscious ability to filter out visual movement. The study shows that individuals whose brains are better at suppressing background motion perform better on standard measures of intelligence.

Bittersweet: Bait-averse cockroaches shudder at sugar

Posted: 23 May 2013 11:29 AM PDT

Sugar isn't always sweet to German cockroaches. In a new study, researchers show that glucose sets off bitter receptors in roach taste buds, causing roaches to avoid foods that bring on this taste-bud reaction.

Bacterium from Canadian high Arctic offers clues to possible life on Mars

Posted: 23 May 2013 08:38 AM PDT

The recent discovery of a bacterium that is able to thrive at minus 15 degrees Celsius, the coldest temperature ever reported for bacterial growth, is exciting because it offers clues about some of the necessary preconditions for microbial life on Mars.

Flat spray-on optical lens created

Posted: 23 May 2013 07:18 AM PDT

Engineers have made a breakthrough utilizing spray-on technology that could revolutionize the way optical lenses are made and used.

Spheres can form squares

Posted: 23 May 2013 06:31 AM PDT

Everybody who has tried to stack oranges in a box knows that a regular packing of spheres in a flat layer naturally leads to a hexagonal pattern, where each sphere is surrounded by six neighbours in a honeycomb-like fashion. Researchers now report an exception to this rule: when small, micrometer-sized particles are placed on a curved oil-water surface, they arrange in a square pattern, as on a chessboard.

Ants and carnivorous plants conspire for mutualistic feeding

Posted: 22 May 2013 03:03 PM PDT

An insect-eating pitcher plant teams up with ants to prevent mosquito larvae from stealing its nutrients, according to new research.

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