ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Fetuses yawn in the womb, according to new research
• Call that a ball? Dogs learn to associate words with objects differently than humans do
• 9.2-million-year-old rhino skull preserved by instant 'cooking to death' in volcanic ash
• Cartilage made easy with novel hybrid printer
• New structures self-assemble in synchronized dance
• Neural interaction in silence: Neurophysiologists study widespread networks of neurons responsible for memory
• Dwarf planet Makemake lacks atmosphere: Distant frigid world reveals its secrets for first time
• Key events early in process of cellular aging defined
• Autism-like behaviors reversed in mice: New hope for understanding autism
• New evidence on dinosaurs' role in evolution of bird flight
• Rhythmic brain waves: Fluctuations in electrical activity may allow brain to form thoughts and memories
• Handaxes of 1.7 million years ago: 'Trust rather than lust' behind fine details

Fetuses yawn in the womb, according to new research Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:03 PM PST We know that unborn babies hiccup, swallow and stretch in the womb but new observational research concludes that they also yawn.

Call that a ball? Dogs learn to associate words with objects differently than humans do Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:02 PM PST Dogs learning to associate words with objects form these associations in different ways than humans do, according to new research.

9.2-million-year-old rhino skull preserved by instant 'cooking to death' in volcanic ash Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:02 PM PST Less than two percent of the earth's fossils are preserved in volcanic rock, but researchers have identified a new one: the skull of a rhino that perished in a volcanic eruption 9.2 million years ago.

Cartilage made easy with novel hybrid printer Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:01 PM PST The printing of three-dimensional tissue has taken a major step forward with the creation of a novel hybrid printer that simplifies the process of creating implantable cartilage.

New structures self-assemble in synchronized dance Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:56 AM PST With self-assembly guiding the steps and synchronization providing the rhythm, a new class of materials forms dynamic, moving structures in an intricate dance. Researchers have demonstrated tiny spheres that synchronize their movements as they self-assemble into a spinning microtube. Such in-motion structures, a blending of mathematics and materials science, could open a new class of technologies with applications in medicine, chemistry and engineering.

Neural interaction in silence: Neurophysiologists study widespread networks of neurons responsible for memory Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:55 AM PST While in deep dreamless sleep, our hippocampus sends messages to our cortex and changes its plasticity, possibly transferring recently acquired knowledge to long-term memory. But how exactly is this done? Scientists have now developed a novel multimodal methodology called "neural event-triggered functional magnetic resonance imaging" and presented the very first results obtained using it in experiments with both anesthetized and awake, behaving monkeys.

Dwarf planet Makemake lacks atmosphere: Distant frigid world reveals its secrets for first time Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:55 AM PST Dwarf planet Makemake is about two thirds of the size of Pluto, and travels around the Sun in a distant path that lies beyond that of Pluto but closer to the Sun than Eris, the most massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System. Previous observations of chilly Makemake have shown it to be similar to its fellow dwarf planets, leading some astronomers to expect its atmosphere, if present, to be similar to that of Pluto. However, the new study now shows that, like Eris, Makemake is not surrounded by a significant atmosphere.

Key events early in process of cellular aging defined Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:54 AM PST Scientists have now defined key events that take place early in the process of cellular aging. Together the discoveries, made through a series of experiments in yeast, bring unprecedented clarity to the complex cascade of events that comprise the aging process and pave the way to understanding how genetics and environmental factors like diet interact to influence lifespan, aging and age-related diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.

Autism-like behaviors reversed in mice: New hope for understanding autism Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:54 AM PST Researchers have uncovered a crucial link between protein synthesis and autism spectrum disorder. The study also reveals that autism-like behaviors can be rectified in adult mice with compounds inhibiting protein synthesis, or with gene-therapy targeting neuroligins.

New evidence on dinosaurs' role in evolution of bird flight Posted: 21 Nov 2012 10:08 AM PST A new study looking at the structure of feathers in bird-like dinosaurs has shed light on one of nature's most remarkable inventions -- how flight might have evolved.

Rhythmic brain waves: Fluctuations in electrical activity may allow brain to form thoughts and memories Posted: 21 Nov 2012 10:08 AM PST A new study sheds light on how neural ensembles form thoughts and support the flexibility to change one's mind.

Handaxes of 1.7 million years ago: 'Trust rather than lust' behind fine details Posted: 21 Nov 2012 04:57 AM PST Trust rather than lust is at the heart of the attention to detail and finely made form of handaxes from around 1.7 million years ago, according to a researcher.

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