ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Case of missing quasar gas clouds now solved
• Acoustic cell-sorting chip may lead to cell phone-sized medical labs
• One glue, two functions: Spider webs stick to the ground and elevated surfaces differently
• 3-D medical scanner: New handheld imaging device to aid doctors on the 'diagnostic front lines'
• Superman-strength bacteria produce 24-karat gold
• Solar cell consisting of a single molecule: Individual protein complex generates electric current
• Intelligence is in the genes, but where? Most genes thought to be linked to intelligence probably have no bearing on IQ
• Thanks for the transparent memories: Progress in quest for reliable, flexible computer memory for transparent electronics
• 'Let’s-go rumble': For elephants, deciding to leave the watering hole demands conversation
• Switching cause and effect in quantum world? A causes B causes A
• Researchers create most detailed, 3-D rendering of key region of mammal lung
• Egyptian toe tests show they're likely to be the world's oldest prosthetics
• Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its coral in the last 27 years
• Watching crystals 'heal' themselves: Novel way to remove defects in materials
• 'Superweeds' linked to rising herbicide use in GM crops, study finds
• Prehistoric builders reveal trade secrets: Long-overlooked museum fossil is clue to vanished skills of prehistoric animal architects

Case of missing quasar gas clouds now solved Posted: 02 Oct 2012 04:04 PM PDT The case of the missing quasar gas clouds has been solved. A new article describes 19 distant quasars whose giant clouds of gas seem to have disappeared in just a few years.

Acoustic cell-sorting chip may lead to cell phone-sized medical labs Posted: 02 Oct 2012 01:19 PM PDT A technique that uses acoustic waves to sort cells on a chip may create miniature medical analytic devices that could make Star Trek's tricorder seem a bit bulky in comparison, according to experts.

One glue, two functions: Spider webs stick to the ground and elevated surfaces differently Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:42 PM PDT Polymer scientists and biologists have discovered that a house spider -- in order to more efficiently capture different types of prey -- performs an uncommon feat. It tailors one glue to demonstrate two adhesive strengths: firm and weak.

3-D medical scanner: New handheld imaging device to aid doctors on the 'diagnostic front lines' Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT Engineers have created a new imaging tool for primary care physicians: a handheld scanner that would enable them to image all the sites they commonly examine -- such as inner ears or the health of patients' retinas. The device relies on optical coherence tomography and could offer sooner and better diagnoses for common conditions such as diabetes.

Superman-strength bacteria produce 24-karat gold Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT At a time when the value of gold has reached an all-time high, researchers have discovered a bacterium's ability to withstand incredible amounts of toxicity is key to creating 24-karat gold.

Solar cell consisting of a single molecule: Individual protein complex generates electric current Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT Photosynthesis allows plants to convert light into chemical energy. Utilizing this process to produce electrical energy is a research goal worldwide. Scientists have now demonstrated that a photosynthetic protein system can be integrated into artificial photovoltaic device architectures while retaining biomolecular functional properties. The proteins represent light-driven, highly efficient single-molecule electron pumps that can act as current generators in nanoscale electric circuits.

Intelligence is in the genes, but where? Most genes thought to be linked to intelligence probably have no bearing on IQ Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT You can thank your parents for your smarts -- or at least some of them. Psychologists have long known that intelligence, like most other traits, is partly genetic. But a new study reveals the surprising fact that most of the specific genes long thought to be linked to intelligence probably have no bearing on one's IQ. And it may be some time before researchers can identify intelligence's specific genetic roots.

Thanks for the transparent memories: Progress in quest for reliable, flexible computer memory for transparent electronics Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:57 AM PDT Researchers are building transparent, two-terminal, three-dimensional computer memories on flexible sheets that show promise for making transparent electronics and sophisticated heads-up displays.

'Let’s-go rumble': For elephants, deciding to leave the watering hole demands conversation Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:57 AM PDT In the wilds of Africa, when it's time for a family of elephants gathered at a watering hole to leave, the matriarch of the group gives the "let's-go rumble." This behavior shows how this cognitively advanced species uses well-coordinated "conversations" to initiate cooperation within the group.

Switching cause and effect in quantum world? A causes B causes A Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:54 AM PDT A deeply rooted concept in everyday life is causality; the idea that events in the present are caused by events in the past and, in turn, act as causes for what happens in the future. Physicists have now shown that in quantum mechanics it is possible to conceive situations in which a single event can be both, a cause and an effect of another one.

Researchers create most detailed, 3-D rendering of key region of mammal lung Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:32 AM PDT A research team has created the most detailed, three-dimensional rendering of a key region of a mammal lung. The model is important, because it can help scientists understand where and how lung diseases emerge as well as advance how drugs are delivered through the respiratory system.

Egyptian toe tests show they're likely to be the world's oldest prosthetics Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:15 AM PDT The results of scientific tests using replicas of two ancient Egyptian artificial toes, including one that was found on the foot of a mummy, suggest that they're likely to be the world's first prosthetic body parts.

Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its coral in the last 27 years Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:41 AM PDT The Great Barrier Reef has lost half its coral cover in the last 27 years. The loss was due to storm damage (48%), crown of thorns starfish (42%), and bleaching (10%), according to a new study by researchers in Australia.

Watching crystals 'heal' themselves: Novel way to remove defects in materials Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:28 AM PDT Physicists have succeeded in creating a defect in the structure of a single-layer crystal by simply inserting an extra particle, and then watching as the crystal "heals" itself.

'Superweeds' linked to rising herbicide use in GM crops, study finds Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:28 AM PDT The use of herbicides in the production of three genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops -- cotton, soybeans and corn -- has actually increased, according to a new study. This counterintuitive finding is based on an exhaustive analysis of publicly available data.

Prehistoric builders reveal trade secrets: Long-overlooked museum fossil is clue to vanished skills of prehistoric animal architects Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:23 AM PDT A fossil which has lain in a museum drawer for over a century has been recognized by a geologist as a unique clue to the long-lost skills of some of the most sophisticated animal architects that have ever lived on this planet.

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