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Thursday, July 18, 2013

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


High tooth replacement rates in largest dinosaurs contributed to their evolutionary success

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 02:28 PM PDT

Rapid tooth replacement by sauropods, the largest dinosaurs in the fossil record, likely contributed to their evolutionary success, according to a new article. The study also hypothesizes that differences in tooth replacement rates among the giant herbivores likely meant their diets varied, an important factor that allowed multiple species to share the same ecosystems for several million years.

Personality may predict if you like spicy foods

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 11:17 AM PDT

Certain aspects of an individual's personality may be a determining factor in whether they like their food plain and bland or spicy and hot, according to new research.

Great white sharks' fuel for oceanic voyages: Liver oil

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 10:49 AM PDT

New research shows that great white sharks power their nonstop journeys of more than 2,500 miles with energy stored as fat and oil in their massive livers. The findings provide novel insights into the biology of these ocean predators.

Earth's gold came from colliding dead stars

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 10:49 AM PDT

We value gold for many reasons: Its beauty, its usefulness as jewelry, and its rarity. Gold is rare on Earth in part because it's also rare in the universe. Unlike elements like carbon or iron, it cannot be created within a star. Instead, it must be born in a more cataclysmic event -- like one that occurred last month -- known as a short gamma-ray burst.

Big-nosed, long-horned dinosaur discovered in Utah: Dinosaur in same family as Triceratops

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 10:23 AM PDT

A remarkable new species of horned dinosaur has been unearthed in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, southern Utah. The huge plant-eater inhabited Laramidia, a landmass formed when a shallow sea flooded the central region of North America, isolating western and eastern portions for millions of years during the Late Cretaceous Period. The newly discovered dinosaur belongs to the same family as the famous Triceratops.

Elastic electronics: Stretchable gold conductor grows its own wires

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 10:22 AM PDT

Networks of spherical nanoparticles embedded in elastic materials may make the best stretchy conductors yet, engineering researchers have discovered.

Deciphering butterflies' designer colors: Findings could inspire new hue-changing materials

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 07:59 AM PDT

Scientists have uncovered how subtle differences in the tiny crystals of butterfly wings create stunningly varied patterns of color even among closely related species. The discovery could lead to new coatings for manufactured materials that could change color by design, if researchers can figure out how to replicate the wings' light-manipulating properties.

Injectable 'smart sponge' holds promise for controlled drug delivery

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 07:59 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a drug delivery technique for diabetes treatment in which a sponge-like material surrounds an insulin core. The sponge expands and contracts in response to blood sugar levels to release insulin as needed. The technique could also be used for targeted drug delivery to cancer cells.

Bird brain? Birds and humans have similar brain wiring

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 06:53 AM PDT

You may have more in common with a pigeon than you realize, according to research.

Parasites change bees brains, but not their behavior

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 02:17 AM PDT

Honey bees infected with the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor, or the microsporidia, Nosema ceranae, have changes in the chemical profile of their skin and in their brains. Despite this, parasitized bees were not expelled from the hive, which, the authors say, supports the hypothesis that stressed bees leave the hive altruistically to prevent the spread of infection.

Family tree of fish yields surprises

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 02:17 AM PDT

The mighty tuna is more closely related to the dainty seahorse than to a marlin or sailfish. That is one of the surprises from the first comprehensive family tree, or phylogeny, of the "spiny-rayed fish," a group that includes about a third of all living vertebrate species.

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