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Friday, December 20, 2013

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


A micro-muscular breakthrough: Powerful new microscale torsional muscle/motor from vanadium dioxide

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 05:01 PM PST

Researchers have demonstrated a micro-sized robotic torsional muscle/motor made from vanadium dioxide that for its size is a thousand times more powerful than a human muscle, able to catapult objects 50 times heavier than itself over a distance five times its length faster than the blink of an eye.

Ancient cranial surgery: Practice of drilling holes in the cranium that dates back thousands of years

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 05:00 PM PST

Some might consider drilling a hole in someone's head a form of torture, but in the province of Ahdahuaylas in Peru, ca. AD 100-1250, it was state-of-the-art medical care.

Mating is kiss of death for certain female worms

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 12:45 PM PST

The presence of male sperm and seminal fluid causes female worms to shrivel and die after giving birth, researchers reported this week. The demise of the female appears to benefit the male worm by removing her from the mating pool for other males.

Lonely this Christmas? Hire an 18th century hermit

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 06:34 AM PST

For those who are wondering what to buy the person who has everything this Christmas, an academic has suggested one of history's most bizarre garden accessories: an 'ornamental' hermit.

World's first text message using vodka: Messages sent via molecules can aid communication underground, underwater or inside the body

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 02:08 PM PST

Scientists have created a molecular communications system for the transmission of messages and data in challenging environments such as tunnels, pipelines, under water and within the body.   

Small talk skills improve with practice

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 02:07 PM PST

Small talk is far from "small" or trivial, says one expert. It is the "cornerstone of civility." "Small talk is really, really important. It helps us connect with people, and not just at holiday gatherings. If you make connections with people, it makes it much more difficult for you to treat them in an uncivil way. If you think about being kind to and connecting with people, people you engage in conversation, you're going to open a door for them, you'll let them step in front of you in line. You'll engage in more acts of kindness and fewer acts of rudeness."

EU membership may have led to allergy increase in rural Poland

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 11:27 AM PST

Poland's entry into the EU may have had the surprising consequence of increasing allergies in rural villages, according to a new study.

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