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Thursday, August 1, 2013

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


Chanel, UCSB's corpse flower, blooms and causes a big stink

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 01:48 PM PDT

Chanel, UC Santa Barbara's corpse flower, has finally spread her odiferous wings, broadcasting a stench that smells like a cross between rotting flesh and Limburger cheese. "It's disgusting," said UCSB junior Connor Way, who visited Wednesday morning. "It's pretty nasty."

Spitzer Discovers Young Stars with a 'Hula Hoop'

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 12:57 PM PDT

Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have spotted a young stellar system that "blinks" every 93 days. Called YLW 16A, the system likely consists of three developing stars, two of which are surrounded by a disk of material left over from the star-formation process.

Bird brains predate birds themselves: 'Flight-ready' brain was present in some non-avian dinosaurs, CT scans indicate

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 10:31 AM PDT

New research provides evidence that dinosaurs evolved the brainpower necessary for flight well before they actually took to the air as birds. Based on computed tomographic scans, the study takes a comprehensive look at the so-called "bird brain," revealing that at least a few non-avian dinosaurs had brains that were as large or larger than that of one of the earliest known birds, Archaeopteryx.

Robots strike fear in the hearts of fish: Anxious zebrafish help researchers understand how alcohol affects fear

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:29 AM PDT

The latest in a series of experiments testing the ability of robots to influence live animals shows that bio-inspired robots can not only elicit fear in zebrafish, but that this reaction can be modulated by alcohol. These findings may pave the way for new methodologies for understanding anxiety and other emotions, as well as substances that modulate them.

Researchers successfully spoof an $80 million yacht at sea

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:28 AM PDT

A radio navigation research team discovered they could subtly coerce a 65-meter superyacht off its course, using a custom-made GPS device. The purpose of the experiment was to measure the difficulty of carrying out a spoofing attack at sea and to determine how easily sensors in the ship's command room could identify the threat.

Guided growth of nanowires leads to self-integrated circuits

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:28 AM PDT

Teaching nanowires self-control from the outset enabled scientists to produce complex electronic nanocomponents.

By tracking maggots' food choices, scientists open significant new window into human learning

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:26 AM PDT

The larva of the fruit fly is helping scientists understand the way humans learn information from each other. Fruit flies have long served as models for studying behavior, but new findings show their larvae may be even more valuable. Researchers were able to demonstrate that the larvae, or maggots, are capable of social learning, which opens the door to many other experiments that could provide valuable insights into human behavior.

Hide, ambush, kill, eat: The giant water bug Lethocerus patruelis kills a fish

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:39 AM PDT

The largest European water insect Lethocerus patruelis, commonly known as giant water bug, can reach the impressive size of up to 8 cm in length. A recent study provides detailed information on karyotype and the reproductive system of the species. The study also presents a rare opportunity to see their vicious predatory practices, catching a giant water bug larva attacking and killing a small fish on video.

Stem cells in urine easy to isolate and have potential for numerous therapies

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:32 AM PDT

Could harvesting stem cells for therapy one day be as simple as asking patients for a urine sample? Researchers have identified stem cells in urine that can be directed to become multiple cell types.

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