ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Brain scans can predict weight gain and sexual activity, research shows
• Scientists discover 'switch' in plants to create flowers
• Egg-laying beginning of the end for dinosaurs
• Positive feelings may help protect cardiovascular health
• Lead dust is linked to violence, study suggests
• The BP oil spill, two years later: Natural recovery far greater than expected
• Nanocrystal-coated fibers might reduce wasted energy
• Some stars capture rogue planets
• Understanding of hearing in baleen whales amplified
• Panoramic view of a turbulent star-making region
• Asteroid craters on Earth give clues in search for life on Mars
• Magnetic fields can send particles to infinity
• Orangutans smarter than previously thought: Orangutan nest building highly sophisticated

Brain scans can predict weight gain and sexual activity, research shows Posted: 17 Apr 2012 07:19 PM PDT At a time when obesity has become epidemic in American society, scientists have found that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans may be able to predict weight gain. In a new study, the researchers demonstrated a connection between fMRI brain responses to appetite-driven cues and future behavior.

Scientists discover 'switch' in plants to create flowers Posted: 17 Apr 2012 07:18 PM PDT Flowering is the most crucial act that plants undergo, as the fruits of such labor include crops on which the world depends, and seeds from which the next generation grows. While classic experiments have demonstrated that plants are able to adjust the timing of their flowering in response to environmental conditions, such as light and temperature, until now very little was known about what exactly triggers plants to make flowers instead of leaves. Now, a team of researchers from Singapore has discovered how this happens.

Egg-laying beginning of the end for dinosaurs Posted: 17 Apr 2012 07:17 PM PDT Their reproductive strategy spelled the beginning of the end: The fact that dinosaurs laid eggs put them at a considerable disadvantage compared to viviparous mammals. Researchers believe they now know why and how this ultimately led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Positive feelings may help protect cardiovascular health Posted: 17 Apr 2012 01:30 PM PDT Over the last few decades numerous studies have shown negative states, such as depression, anger, anxiety, and hostility, to be detrimental to cardiovascular health. Less is known about how positive psychological characteristics are related to heart health. In the first and largest systematic review on this topic to date, researchers found that positive psychological well-being appears to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events.

Lead dust is linked to violence, study suggests Posted: 17 Apr 2012 01:27 PM PDT Childhood exposure to lead dust has been linked to lasting physical and behavioral effects, and now lead dust from vehicles using leaded gasoline has been linked to instances of aggravated assault two decades after exposure, according to researchers.

The BP oil spill, two years later: Natural recovery far greater than expected Posted: 17 Apr 2012 12:26 PM PDT This Friday, April 20, will mark two years since the explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig caused vast quantities of crude oil to flow into the Gulf of Mexico. But despite the size of the spill, "the natural recovery is far greater than what anybody hoped when it happened," said a professor of biology. "The fears of most people – that there would be a catastrophic collapse of the ecosystem in the Gulf – never materialized."

Nanocrystal-coated fibers might reduce wasted energy Posted: 17 Apr 2012 11:38 AM PDT Researchers are developing a technique that uses nanotechnology to harvest energy from hot pipes or engine components to potentially recover energy wasted in factories, power plants and cars.

Some stars capture rogue planets Posted: 17 Apr 2012 08:36 AM PDT New research suggests that billions of stars in our galaxy have captured rogue planets that once roamed interstellar space. The nomad worlds, which were kicked out of the star systems in which they formed, occasionally find a new home with a different sun. This finding could explain the existence of some planets that orbit surprisingly far from their stars, and even the existence of a double-planet system.

Understanding of hearing in baleen whales amplified Posted: 17 Apr 2012 08:36 AM PDT For decades, scientists have known that dolphins and other toothed whales have specialized fats associated with their jaws, which efficiently convey sound waves from the ocean to their ears. But until now, the hearing systems of their toothless grazing cousins, baleen whales, remained a mystery, largely because specimens to study are hard to get. Now, a new study has shown that some baleen whales also have fats leading to their ears.

Panoramic view of a turbulent star-making region Posted: 17 Apr 2012 07:20 AM PDT Several million stars are vying for attention in a new image of a raucous stellar breeding ground in 30 Doradus, located in the heart of the Tarantula nebula.

Asteroid craters on Earth give clues in search for life on Mars Posted: 17 Apr 2012 05:05 AM PDT Craters made by asteroid impacts may be the best place to look for signs of life on other planets, a study suggests.

Magnetic fields can send particles to infinity Posted: 17 Apr 2012 05:03 AM PDT Researchers have mathematically shown that particles charged in a magnetic field can escape into infinity without ever stopping. One of the conditions is that the field is generated by current loops situated on the same plane. At the moment this is a theoretical mathematical study, but researchers have recently demonstrated that, in certain conditions, magnetic fields can send particles to infinity.

Orangutans smarter than previously thought: Orangutan nest building highly sophisticated Posted: 17 Apr 2012 05:03 AM PDT Orangutans may be smarter than previously thought if a new study into the sophisticated way they build nests is any indication.

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