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ScienceDaily: Strange Science News
ScienceDaily: Strange Science News |
- Vibration energy the secret to self-powered electronics
- Extreme weather caused by climate change decides distribution of insects, study shows
- Powerful artificial muscles made from fishing line and sewing thread
- Sound-sensing cells regenerated in ears of mice with hearing damage
- Human and dog brains both have dedicated 'voice areas'
- Rise of the compliant machines: Sociable humanoids could help advance human-robot interaction
- Closing the 'free will' loophole: Using distant quasars to test Bell's theorem
- Cavities are contagious, research shows
- Astronomers find solar storms behave like supernovae
- Rocks around the clock: Asteroids pound tiny star
- Dishonesty and creativity: Two sides of the same coin?
- Nothing so sweet as a voice like your own, study finds
- 'Beautiful but sad' music can help people feel better
- Police officers move very little on the job; consequences potentially dangerous
- Garlic counteracts virulent bacteria
- Common medicines should mimic timing of body's natural systems to prevent side-effects
- 'Legal highs,' PMMA and zombie panic: Real dangers of the lacing of ecstasy pills
| Vibration energy the secret to self-powered electronics Posted: 20 Feb 2014 04:33 PM PST Engineers have developed what could be a promising solution for charging smartphone batteries on the go -- without the need for an electrical cord. Incorporated directly into a cell phone housing, the team's nanogenerator could harvest and convert vibration energy from a surface, such as the passenger seat of a moving vehicle, into power for the phone. |
| Extreme weather caused by climate change decides distribution of insects, study shows Posted: 20 Feb 2014 01:13 PM PST Extreme weather caused by climate change in the coming decades is likely to have profound implications for distributions of insects and other invertebrates. This is suggested by a new study of insects in tropical and temperate regions of Australia. "Our predictions are that some species would disappear entirely in the next few decades, even when they have a fairly wide distribution that currently covers hundreds of kilometers", the researchers conclude. |
| Powerful artificial muscles made from fishing line and sewing thread Posted: 20 Feb 2014 11:17 AM PST Scientists have discovered that ordinary fishing line and sewing thread can be cheaply converted to powerful artificial muscles. The new muscles can lift a hundred times more weight and generate a hundred times higher mechanical power than the same length and weight of human muscle. Per weight, they can generate 7.1 horsepower per kilogram, about the same mechanical power as a jet engine. |
| Sound-sensing cells regenerated in ears of mice with hearing damage Posted: 20 Feb 2014 10:21 AM PST For years, scientists have thought that sound-sensing hair cells in the inner ear are not replaced once they're lost, but new research reveals that supporting cells in the ear can turn into hair cells in newborn mice. If the findings can be applied to older animals, they may lead to ways to help stimulate cell replacement in adults and to the design of treatment strategies for people suffering from deafness due to hair cell loss. |
| Human and dog brains both have dedicated 'voice areas' Posted: 20 Feb 2014 10:21 AM PST The first study to compare brain function between humans and any non-primate animal shows that dogs have dedicated voice areas in their brains, just as people do. Dog brains, like those of people, are also sensitive to acoustic cues of emotion, according to a new study. |
| Rise of the compliant machines: Sociable humanoids could help advance human-robot interaction Posted: 20 Feb 2014 08:35 AM PST Are we on the brink of a robotics revolution? That's what numerous media outlets asked last December when Google acquired eight robotics companies that specialize in such innovations as manipulation, vision, and humanoid robots. |
| Closing the 'free will' loophole: Using distant quasars to test Bell's theorem Posted: 20 Feb 2014 08:25 AM PST Astronomers propose an experiment that may close the last major loophole of Bell's inequality -- a 50-year-old theorem that, if violated by experiments, would mean that our universe is based not on the textbook laws of classical physics, but on the less-tangible probabilities of quantum mechanics. Such a quantum view would allow for seemingly counterintuitive phenomena such as entanglement, in which the measurement of one particle instantly affects another, even if those entangled particles are at opposite ends of the universe. Among other things, entanglement -- a quantum feature Albert Einstein skeptically referred to as "spooky action at a distance" -- seems to suggest that entangled particles can affect each other instantly, faster than the speed of light. |
| Cavities are contagious, research shows Posted: 20 Feb 2014 08:24 AM PST Dental caries, commonly known as tooth decay, is the single most common chronic childhood disease. In fact, it is an infectious disease, new research demonstrates. Mothers with cavities can transmit caries-producing oral bacteria to their babies when they clean pacifiers by sticking them in their own mouths or by sharing spoons. Parents should make their own oral health care a priority in order to help their children stay healthy. |
| Astronomers find solar storms behave like supernovae Posted: 20 Feb 2014 07:29 AM PST Researchers have studied the behavior of the Sun's coronal mass ejections, explaining for the first time the details of how these huge eruptions behave as they fall back onto the Sun's surface. In the process, they have discovered that coronal mass ejections have a surprising twin in the depths of space: the tendrils of gas in the Crab Nebula, which lie 6500 light-years away and are millions of times larger. |
| Rocks around the clock: Asteroids pound tiny star Posted: 20 Feb 2014 06:50 AM PST Scientists have found evidence that a tiny star called PSR J0738-4042 is being pounded by asteroids -- large lumps of rock from space. The environment around this star is especially harsh, full of radiation and violent winds of particles. |
| Dishonesty and creativity: Two sides of the same coin? Posted: 20 Feb 2014 05:33 AM PST Lying about performance on one task may increase creativity on a subsequent task by making people feel less bound by conventional rules, according to new research. |
| Nothing so sweet as a voice like your own, study finds Posted: 19 Feb 2014 02:48 PM PST Have you ever noticed that your best friends speak the same way? A new study finds we prefer voices that are similar to our own because they convey a soothing sense of community and social belongingness. |
| 'Beautiful but sad' music can help people feel better Posted: 19 Feb 2014 06:55 AM PST Music that is felt to be 'beautiful but sad' can help people feel better when they're feeling blue, new research concludes. The research investigated the effects of what the researchers described as Self-Identified Sad Music (SISM) on people's moods, paying particular attention to their reasons for choosing a particular piece of music when they were experiencing sadness -- and the effect it had on them. The results showed that if an individual has intended to achieve mood enhancement through listening to 'sad' music, this was in fact often achieved by first thinking about their situation or being distracted, rather than directly through listening to the music chosen. |
| Police officers move very little on the job; consequences potentially dangerous Posted: 18 Feb 2014 11:23 AM PST Police officers move as much on the job as someone holding a baby or washing dishes. The finding comes from police wearing armbands that monitored their physical activity. Police work mimics many other present-day jobs, and, like other occupations, the workers need encouragement to move during the workday. Some low-cost aids would be to have standing computer workstations and to introduce regular computer prompts to alert workers to leave their desks and move around, the authors suggest. |
| Garlic counteracts virulent bacteria Posted: 18 Feb 2014 09:45 AM PST Aggressive multi-resistant infections constitute an increasing health problem all over the world. Bacteria are developing resistance at an alarming pace, so new pharmaceuticals that can combat this threat are in great demand. Garlic contains a substance that is particularly effective in encounters with even the hardiest bacterial strains. New research looks at the positive properties of the malodorous plant. |
| Common medicines should mimic timing of body's natural systems to prevent side-effects Posted: 18 Feb 2014 08:09 AM PST Debilitating side effects associated with prescription medication for some of today's most common conditions could be eradicated if they mimicked the body's natural hormone secretion cycles, a new report has said. Researchers focused on the dynamics of natural hormone secretion and subsequent effects on the brain and other organs. Combining mathematical modelling with the latest clinical and experimental data, they found that the body regulates the release of crucial steroid hormones (such as cortisol) in pulses approximately every hour. |
| 'Legal highs,' PMMA and zombie panic: Real dangers of the lacing of ecstasy pills Posted: 18 Feb 2014 08:07 AM PST Recent deaths in both Canada and the UK linked to PMA/PMMA in ecstasy pills has brought public scrutiny to this little known drug. With Canada producing most of the ecstasy in the North American market, this timely paper looks at trends in ecstasy adulteration, the facts around PMA/PMMA-linked deaths and explores alternatives to the endless banning of new drugs. Among its findings, the paper states that in 2007, only 3% of seized ecstasy tablets contained pure MDMA compared to 69% in 2001, suggesting that there has been a major increase in the lacing of ecstasy pills available. |
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ScienceDaily: Most Popular News
ScienceDaily: Most Popular News |
- Human and dog brains both have dedicated 'voice areas'
- Closing the 'free will' loophole: Using distant quasars to test Bell's theorem
- Food packaging chemicals may be harmful to human health over long term
- Brain signals move paralyzed limbs in new experiment
- Cell therapy shows remarkable ability to eradicate cancer in clinical study
- Astronomers get first peek into core of supernova, using NuSTAR telescope
- Dangers of ... sitting? Regardless of exercise, too much sedentary time is linked to major disability after 60
- Clouds seen circling supermassive black hole
- NASA satellites see Arctic surface darkening faster
- Most of us have made best memories by age 25
- Family problems experienced in childhood and adolescence affect brain development
- Evolution stuck in slime for a billion years
- Hubble watches stars' clockwork motion in nearby galaxy
- Artificial leaf jumps developmental hurdle
- Habitat of early apes: Evidence of the environment inhabited by Proconsul
- World's most powerful terahertz laser chip
- Hormone released after exercise can 'predict' biological age
- Chemist gets U.S. patent for solution to antibiotic resistance problem
- Scientists chip away at mystery of what lives in our mouths
- Potentially revolutionary material: Scientists produce a novel form of artificial graphene
| Human and dog brains both have dedicated 'voice areas' Posted: 20 Feb 2014 10:21 AM PST The first study to compare brain function between humans and any non-primate animal shows that dogs have dedicated voice areas in their brains, just as people do. Dog brains, like those of people, are also sensitive to acoustic cues of emotion, according to a new study. |
| Closing the 'free will' loophole: Using distant quasars to test Bell's theorem Posted: 20 Feb 2014 08:25 AM PST Astronomers propose an experiment that may close the last major loophole of Bell's inequality -- a 50-year-old theorem that, if violated by experiments, would mean that our universe is based not on the textbook laws of classical physics, but on the less-tangible probabilities of quantum mechanics. Such a quantum view would allow for seemingly counterintuitive phenomena such as entanglement, in which the measurement of one particle instantly affects another, even if those entangled particles are at opposite ends of the universe. Among other things, entanglement -- a quantum feature Albert Einstein skeptically referred to as "spooky action at a distance" -- seems to suggest that entangled particles can affect each other instantly, faster than the speed of light. |
| Food packaging chemicals may be harmful to human health over long term Posted: 19 Feb 2014 05:52 PM PST The synthetic chemicals used in the packaging, storage, and processing of foodstuffs might be harmful to human health over the long term, warn environmental scientists. This is because most of these substances are not inert and can leach into the foods we eat, they say. Despite the fact that some of these chemicals are regulated, people who eat packaged or processed foods are likely to be chronically exposed to low levels of these substances throughout their lives. And far too little is known about their long term impact. |
| Brain signals move paralyzed limbs in new experiment Posted: 19 Feb 2014 11:32 AM PST To help people suffering paralysis from injury, stroke or disease, scientists have invented brain-machine interfaces that record electrical signals of neurons in the brain and translate them to movement. Usually, that means the neural signals direct a device, like a robotic arm. Researchers are now bringing brain-machine interfaces to the next level: Instead of signals directing a device, they hope to help paralyzed people move their own limb, just by thinking about it. |
| Cell therapy shows remarkable ability to eradicate cancer in clinical study Posted: 19 Feb 2014 11:25 AM PST The largest clinical study ever conducted to date of patients with advanced leukemia found that 88 percent achieved complete remissions after being treated with genetically modified versions of their own immune cells. "These extraordinary results demonstrate that cell therapy is a powerful treatment for patients who have exhausted all conventional therapies," said a senior author. "Our initial findings have held up in a larger cohort of patients, and we are already looking at new clinical studies to advance this novel therapeutic approach in fighting cancer." |
| Astronomers get first peek into core of supernova, using NuSTAR telescope Posted: 19 Feb 2014 10:33 AM PST Astronomers have peered for the first time into the heart of an exploding star in the final minutes of its existence. The feat by the high-energy X-ray satellite NuSTAR provides details of the physics of the core explosion inaccessible until now, says team member Steven Boggs of UC Berkeley. NuSTAR mapped radioactive titanium in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant, which has expanded outward and become visible from Earth since the central star exploded in 1671. |
| Posted: 19 Feb 2014 09:47 AM PST If you're 60 and older, every additional hour a day you spend sitting is linked to doubling the risk of being disabled -- regardless of how much exercise you get, reports a new study. The study is the first to show sedentary behavior is its own risk factor for disability, separate from lack of moderate vigorous physical activity. In fact, sedentary behavior is almost as strong a risk factor for disability as lack of exercise. |
| Clouds seen circling supermassive black hole Posted: 19 Feb 2014 09:46 AM PST Astronomers see huge clouds of gas orbiting supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies. Once thought to be a relatively uniform, fog-like ring, the accreting matter instead forms clumps dense enough to intermittently dim the intense radiation blazing forth as these enormous objects condense and consume matter. |
| NASA satellites see Arctic surface darkening faster Posted: 19 Feb 2014 08:51 AM PST The retreat of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is diminishing Earth's albedo, or reflectivity, by an amount considerably larger than previously estimated, according to a new study that uses data from instruments that fly aboard several NASA satellites. |
| Most of us have made best memories by age 25 Posted: 19 Feb 2014 06:53 AM PST By the time most people are 25, they have made the most important memories of their lives, according to new research. |
| Family problems experienced in childhood and adolescence affect brain development Posted: 19 Feb 2014 04:52 AM PST New research has revealed that exposure to common family problems during childhood and early adolescence affects brain development, which could lead to mental health issues in later life. The study used brain imaging technology to scan teenagers aged 17-19. It found that those who experienced mild to moderate family difficulties between birth and 11 years of age had developed a smaller cerebellum, an area of the brain associated with skill learning, stress regulation and sensory-motor control. The researchers also suggest that a smaller cerebellum may be a risk indicator of psychiatric disease later in life, as it is consistently found to be smaller in virtually all psychiatric illnesses. |
| Evolution stuck in slime for a billion years Posted: 18 Feb 2014 11:33 AM PST Researchers are providing a new explanation as to why life remained as little more than slime for a billion years, before rapidly diversifying in the 'Cambrian explosion of life'. Using a new technology originally developed for mineral exploration, the team has shown how varying levels of oxygen and biologically-important elements in the ancient oceans might have triggered the major evolutionary events that brought us here today. |
| Hubble watches stars' clockwork motion in nearby galaxy Posted: 18 Feb 2014 11:22 AM PST Using the sharp-eyed NASA Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have for the first time precisely measured the rotation rate of a galaxy based on the clock-like movement of its stars. According to their analysis, the central part of the neighboring galaxy, called the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), completes a rotation every 250 million years. |
| Artificial leaf jumps developmental hurdle Posted: 18 Feb 2014 09:44 AM PST Scientists report advances toward perfecting a functional artificial leaf. Designing an artificial leaf that uses solar energy to convert water cheaply and efficiently into hydrogen and oxygen is an important goal. Hydrogen is an important fuel in itself and serves as an indispensible reagent for the production of light hydrocarbon fuels from heavy petroleum feed stocks. Society requires a renewable source of fuel that is widely distributed, abundant, inexpensive and environmentally clean. Society needs cheap hydrogen. |
| Habitat of early apes: Evidence of the environment inhabited by Proconsul Posted: 18 Feb 2014 08:40 AM PST An international team of anthropologists has discovered definitive evidence of the environment inhabited by the early ape Proconsul on Rusinga Island, Kenya. The findings provide new insights into understanding and interpreting the connection between habitat preferences and the early diversification of the ape-human lineage. |
| World's most powerful terahertz laser chip Posted: 18 Feb 2014 08:07 AM PST Researchers have built the world's most powerful terahertz laser chip. The new laser chip has exceeded a 1 Watt output power from a quantum cascade terahertz laser. The new record more than doubles landmarks set last year. Terahertz waves, which lie in the part of the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared and microwaves, can penetrate materials that block visible light and have a wide range of possible uses including chemical analysis, security scanning, medical imaging, and telecommunications. Widely publicised potential applications include monitoring pharmaceutical products, the remote sensing of chemical signatures of explosives in unopened envelopes, and the non-invasive detection of cancers in the human body. |
| Hormone released after exercise can 'predict' biological age Posted: 17 Feb 2014 05:56 AM PST Scientists have discovered a potential molecular link between Irisin, a recently identified hormone released from muscle after bouts of exercise, and the aging process. Irisin, which is naturally present in humans, is capable of reprograming the body's fat cells to burn energy instead of storing it. This increases the metabolic rate and is thought to have potential anti-obesity effects. The finding provides a potential molecular link between keeping active and healthy aging with those having higher Irisin levels more 'biological young' than those with lower levels of the hormone. |
| Chemist gets U.S. patent for solution to antibiotic resistance problem Posted: 17 Feb 2014 05:52 AM PST A chemist in Copenhagen has just taken out a patent for a drug that can make previously multidrug-resistant bacteria once again responsive to antibiotics. |
| Scientists chip away at mystery of what lives in our mouths Posted: 14 Feb 2014 05:38 PM PST Scientists have pieced together sections of DNA from 12 individual cells to sequence the genome of a bacterium known to live in healthy human mouths. With this new data, the researchers were able to reinforce a theory that genes in a closely related bacterium could be culprits in its ability to cause severe gum disease. |
| Potentially revolutionary material: Scientists produce a novel form of artificial graphene Posted: 14 Feb 2014 04:54 AM PST A new breed of ultra thin super-material has the potential to cause a technological revolution. "Artificial graphene" should lead to faster, smaller and lighter electronic and optical devices of all kinds, including higher performance photovoltaic cells, lasers or LED lighting. |
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