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Thursday, October 30, 2014

ScienceDaily: Top Science News

ScienceDaily: Top Science News


Can the wave function of an electron be divided and trapped?

Posted: 28 Oct 2014 06:41 PM PDT

Electrons are elementary particles -- indivisible, unbreakable. But new research suggests the electron's quantum state -- the electron wave function -- can be separated into many parts. That has some strange implications for the theory of quantum mechanics.

Pair bonding reinforced in the brain: Zebra finches use their specialized song system for simple communication

Posted: 28 Oct 2014 11:57 AM PDT

In addition to their song, songbirds also have an extensive repertoire of calls. While the species-specific song must be learned as a young bird, most calls are, as in the case of all other birds, innate. Researchers have now discovered that in zebra finches the song control system in the brain is also active during simple communication calls. This relationship between unlearned calls and an area of the brain responsible for learned vocalizations is important for understanding the evolution of song learning in songbirds.

Giant tortoises gain a foothold on a Galapagos island

Posted: 28 Oct 2014 11:54 AM PDT

A population of endangered giant tortoises has recovered on the Galapagos island of EspaƱola, a finding described as "a true story of success and hope in conservation."

Ancient auditory illusions reflected in prehistoric art?

Posted: 28 Oct 2014 08:47 AM PDT

Some of humankind's earliest and most mysterious artistic achievements -- including prehistoric cave paintings, canyon petroglyphs and megalithic structures such as Stonehenge -- may have been inspired by the behaviors of sound waves being misinterpreted as "supernatural."

How did complex life evolve? The answer could be inside out

Posted: 28 Oct 2014 05:26 AM PDT

A new idea about the origin of complex life turns current theories inside out. Scientists explain their 'inside-out' theory of how eukaryotic cells, which all multicellular life -- including us -- are formed of, might have evolved.

Fish 'personality' linked to vulnerability to angling

Posted: 28 Oct 2014 05:23 AM PDT

Individual differences in moving activity in a novel environment are linked to individual differences in vulnerability to angling, according to an experimental study. The study used novel, long-term observations of individual behavior in groups and authentic angling trials to analyze if behaviors predict the vulnerability to fishing in brown trout reared in traditional and enriched hatchery rearing environments. Based on the results, it can be predicted that fishing modifies the heritable behavioral traits of fish by favoring cautious fish.

Imaging the genome: Cataloguing fundamental processes of life

Posted: 27 Oct 2014 11:47 AM PDT

A new study has allowed researchers to peer into unexplored regions of the genome and understand for the first time the role played by more than 250 genes key to cell growth and development.

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