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Thursday, March 15, 2012

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


Killer silk: Making silk fibers that kill anthrax and other microbes in minutes

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 11:31 AM PDT

A simple, inexpensive dip-and-dry treatment can convert ordinary silk into a fabric that kills disease-causing bacteria -- even the armor-coated spores of microbes like anthrax -- in minutes. Researchers describe a range of potential uses for this new killer silk, including make-shift curtains and other protective coatings that protect homes and other buildings in the event of a terrorist attack with anthrax.

Evolutionary surprise: Developmental 'scaffold' for vertebrate brain found in brainless marine worm

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 11:28 AM PDT

Scientists report finding some of the genetic processes that regulate vertebrate brain development in the acorn worm, a brainless, burrowing marine invertebrate.

Tailored optical material from DNA: Light-modifying nanoparticles

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 11:28 AM PDT

In the human body genetic information is encoded in double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid building blocks, the so-called DNA. Using artificial DNA molecules, an international team of scientists have produced nanostructured materials that can be used to modify visible light by specification.

Tiny teeth of long-extinct vertebrate – with tips only two micrometers across -- are sharpest dental structures ever

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 09:59 AM PDT

The tiny teeth of a long-extinct vertebrate -- with tips only two micrometers across: one twentieth the width of a human hair -- are the sharpest dental structures ever measured, new research has found.

Hiding in plain sight, a new frog species with a 'weird' croak is identified in New York City

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 09:40 AM PDT

In New York City -- in the midst of some of the world's tallest skyscrapers -- and within view of the Statue of Liberty, scientists have found a new frog species. While the discovery of new species are regularly made in remote rainforests, finding this one in the ponds and marshes of Staten Island, mainland New York, and New Jersey was a big surprise to scientists.

Voters favor deep-voiced politicians

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 08:06 PM PDT

Candidates with lower-pitched voices may get more votes in the 2012 election. A new study by biologists and a political scientist shows that both men and women prefer political candidates with deeper voices. The results also suggest that biology -- not just partisanship or ideology -- can shape voters' choices.

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