ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spectrometer detects helium in moon's atmosphere
• First direct observations of quantum effects in an optomechanical system
• New nanoparticles shrink tumors in mice
• Previously unknown cleaning system in brain: Newer imaging technique brings 'glymphatic system' to light
• Phoenix cluster sets record pace at forming stars
• Behaviors of the tiniest water droplets revealed
• Greenland melting breaks record four weeks before season's end
• Recreating a slice of the universe: Computational approach follows thousands of galaxies over billions of years
• Karate black belts' white matter shows how a powerful punch comes from the brain
• When it comes to food, chimps only think of themselves
• Babies may not have a 'moral compass' after all
• New toilet developed: Needs no connection to water supply

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spectrometer detects helium in moon's atmosphere Posted: 15 Aug 2012 12:16 PM PDT Scientists using the Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) spectrometer aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) have made the first spectroscopic observations of the noble gas helium in the tenuous atmosphere surrounding the Moon.

First direct observations of quantum effects in an optomechanical system Posted: 15 Aug 2012 11:20 AM PDT Using a unique optical trapping system that provides ensembles of ultracold atoms, scientists have recorded the first direct observations of distinctly quantum optical effects -- amplification and squeezing -- in an optomechanical system. Their findings point the way toward low-power quantum optical devices and enhanced detection of gravitational waves among other possibilities.

New nanoparticles shrink tumors in mice Posted: 15 Aug 2012 11:20 AM PDT Researchers have developed RNA-delivering nanoparticles that allow for rapid screening of new drug targets in mice. In a study of mice with ovarian tumors, the researchers found that treatment with the RNAi nanoparticles eliminated most of the tumors.

Previously unknown cleaning system in brain: Newer imaging technique brings 'glymphatic system' to light Posted: 15 Aug 2012 11:20 AM PDT A previously unrecognized system that drains waste from the brain at a rapid clip has been discovered by neuroscientists. The highly organized system acts like a series of pipes that piggyback on the brain's blood vessels, sort of a shadow plumbing system that seems to serve much the same function in the brain as the lymph system does in the rest of the body -- to drain away waste products.

Phoenix cluster sets record pace at forming stars Posted: 15 Aug 2012 10:17 AM PDT Astronomers have found an extraordinary galaxy cluster, one of the largest objects in the universe, that is breaking several important cosmic records. Observations of the Phoenix cluster with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, the National Science Foundation's South Pole Telescope, and eight other world-class observatories may force astronomers to rethink how these colossal structures and the galaxies that inhabit them evolve.

Behaviors of the tiniest water droplets revealed Posted: 15 Aug 2012 10:11 AM PDT A new study has uncovered fundamental details about the hexamer structures that make up the tiniest droplets of water, the key component of life -- and one that scientists still don't fully understand.

Greenland melting breaks record four weeks before season's end Posted: 15 Aug 2012 09:13 AM PDT Melting over the Greenland ice sheet shattered the seasonal record on Aug. 8 -- a full four weeks before the close of the melting season, researchers report.

Recreating a slice of the universe: Computational approach follows thousands of galaxies over billions of years Posted: 15 Aug 2012 08:22 AM PDT Scientists have invented a new computational approach that can accurately follow the birth and evolution of thousands of galaxies over billions of years. For the first time it is now possible to build a universe from scratch that brims with galaxies like we observe around us.

Karate black belts' white matter shows how a powerful punch comes from the brain Posted: 15 Aug 2012 07:28 AM PDT Brain scans have revealed distinctive features in the brain structure of karate experts, which could be linked to their ability to punch powerfully from close range. Researchers found that differences in the structure of white matter -- the connections between brain regions -- were correlated with how black belts and novices performed in a test of punching ability.

When it comes to food, chimps only think of themselves Posted: 15 Aug 2012 06:32 AM PDT A sense of fairness is an important part of human behavior, yet a research team found it did not evolve from our closest living relatives. The study tested whether our great ape relatives, the chimpanzees and bonobos, have a sense of fairness like humans.

Babies may not have a 'moral compass' after all Posted: 15 Aug 2012 06:32 AM PDT New research is casting doubt on a landmark US study that suggested infants as young as six months old possess an innate moral compass that allows them to evaluate individuals as "good" or "bad."

New toilet developed: Needs no connection to water supply Posted: 15 Aug 2012 05:27 AM PDT There are 2.6 billion people in the world who have no access to a decent toilet. A new toilet model will provide a sanitary solution that ensures human dignity and hygiene, while also being environment-friendly and economically feasible. All for less than five cents per day and person.

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