ScienceDaily: Strange Science News |
- A toothy grin or angry snarl makes it easy to stand out in a crowd: Visible teeth are key
- Grasshoppers frightened by spiders affect whole ecosystem
- Environmental factors spread obesity, study shows
- Tense film scenes trigger brain activity
- Quirky fruit fly gene could point way to new cancer drugs
- Plant poison turns seed-eating mouse into seed spitter
- Optical displays from water and air
- Virtual sailing gives competitors the edge
- New discoveries with language learning robots
- Pitcher plant uses rain drops to capture prey
| A toothy grin or angry snarl makes it easy to stand out in a crowd: Visible teeth are key Posted: 14 Jun 2012 03:25 PM PDT Scientists have found new evidence that people spot a face in the crowd more quickly when teeth are visible — whether smiling or grimacing — than a face with a particular facial expression. The new findings counters the long held "face-in -the-crowd" effect that suggests only angry looking faces are detected more readily in a crowd.  |
| Grasshoppers frightened by spiders affect whole ecosystem Posted: 14 Jun 2012 11:27 AM PDT Grasshoppers 'stressed' by spiders affect the productivity of our soil. A grasshopper who is in fear of an attacker, such as a spider, will enter a situation of stress and will consume a greater quantity of carbohydrate-rich plants -- similar to humans under stress who might eat more sweets.  |
| Environmental factors spread obesity, study shows Posted: 14 Jun 2012 10:12 AM PDT A new study of the spatial patterns of the spread of obesity suggests America's bulging waistlines may have more to do with collective behavior than genetics or individual choices. The team found correlations between the epidemic's geography and food marketing and distribution patterns.  |
| Tense film scenes trigger brain activity Posted: 14 Jun 2012 10:12 AM PDT Visual and auditory stimuli that elicit high levels of engagement and emotional response can be linked to reliable patterns of brain activity, a team of researchers reports. Their findings could lead to new ways for producers of films, television programs and commercials to predict what kinds of scenes their audiences will respond to.  |
| Quirky fruit fly gene could point way to new cancer drugs Posted: 14 Jun 2012 10:11 AM PDT Researchers are taking advantage of a quirk in the evolution of fruit fly genes to help develop new weapons against cancer.  |
| Plant poison turns seed-eating mouse into seed spitter Posted: 14 Jun 2012 10:09 AM PDT In Israel's Negev Desert, a plant called sweet mignonette or taily weed uses a toxic "mustard oil bomb" to make the spiny mouse spit out the plant's seeds when eating the fruit. Thus, the plant has turned a seed-eating rodent into a seed spreader that helps the plant reproduce, says a new study.  |
| Optical displays from water and air Posted: 14 Jun 2012 10:08 AM PDT For many years, scientists have been pursuing ways to mimic the perplexing capability of the lotus leaf to repel water. Lotus leaves hate water so much that droplets effortlessly roll off the surface, keeping it clean from dirt. Now an international team of researchers have come up with an entirely new concept of writing and displaying information on surfaces using simply water. They exploit the unique way a trapped layer of air behaves on a lotus-inspired dual-structured water-repelling surface immersed under water.  |
| Virtual sailing gives competitors the edge Posted: 14 Jun 2012 05:27 AM PDT Scientists have shown how virtual simulation can be used to accurately predict how a yacht will behave during a race.  |
| New discoveries with language learning robots Posted: 14 Jun 2012 04:49 AM PDT Robots can develop basic language skills through interaction with a human, according to new results.  |
| Pitcher plant uses rain drops to capture prey Posted: 13 Jun 2012 03:40 PM PDT During heavy rain, the lid of Nepenthes gracilis pitchers acts like a springboard, catapulting insects that seek shelter on its underside directly into the fluid-filled pitcher, new research has found.  |
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