ScienceDaily: Strange Science News |
- Bioinspired fibers change color when stretched
- Why are there redheads? Birds might hold the clues
- Bugs in the atmosphere: Significant microorganism populations found in middle and upper troposphere
- Safer way to vaccinate? Polymer film that gradually releases DNA coding for viral proteins may beat traditional vaccines
- Mysteries of spider silk strength unraveled
- Penicillin, not the pill, may have launched the sexual revolution
- Primates, too, can move in unison
- Lane-swapping helps autonomous vehicles avoid collisions
- Smart organizations should also be stupid, according to new theory
| Bioinspired fibers change color when stretched Posted: 28 Jan 2013 12:19 PM PST Materials scientists have invented a new fiber that changes color when stretched. Based on the "bastard hogberry" plant, the new fiber could lend itself to the creation of smart fabrics that visibly react to heat or pressure.  |
| Why are there redheads? Birds might hold the clues Posted: 28 Jan 2013 12:19 PM PST Biologists examined the survival rates and chestnut feather coloration of barn swallows and other species of birds, to unearth factors favoring the evolution of pheomelanin in spite of its costs. They found that under conditions of low stress, birds with larger amounts of pheomelanin survived better, suggesting the pigment may serve a beneficial role.  |
| Bugs in the atmosphere: Significant microorganism populations found in middle and upper troposphere Posted: 28 Jan 2013 12:19 PM PST In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, researchers used genomic techniques to document the presence of significant numbers of living microorganisms -- principally bacteria -- in the middle and upper troposphere, that section of the atmosphere approximately four to six miles above Earth's surface.  |
| Posted: 28 Jan 2013 08:39 AM PST Researchers have described a new type of vaccine-delivery film that holds promise for improving the effectiveness of DNA vaccines.  |
| Mysteries of spider silk strength unraveled Posted: 28 Jan 2013 07:47 AM PST Scientists are celebrating their recent success on the path to understanding what makes the fiber that spiders spin -- weight for weight -- at least five times as strong as piano wire. They have found a way to obtain a wide variety of elastic properties of the silk of several intact spiders' webs using a sophisticated but non–invasive laser light scattering technique.  |
| Penicillin, not the pill, may have launched the sexual revolution Posted: 28 Jan 2013 05:29 AM PST The rise in risky, non-traditional sexual relations that marked the swinging '60s and advent of readily available contraception actually began as much as a decade earlier, during the conformist '50s, suggests a new analysis. The analysis strongly indicates that the widespread use of penicillin, leading to a rapid decline in syphilis during the 1950s, is what launched the modern sexual era.  |
| Primates, too, can move in unison Posted: 28 Jan 2013 05:19 AM PST Primates modify their body movements to be in tune with others, just like humans do. Humans unconsciously modify their movements to be in synchrony with their peers. For example, we adapt our pace to walk in step or clap in unison at the end of a concert. This phenomenon is thought to reflect bonding and facilitate human interaction. Researchers report that pairs of macaque monkeys also spontaneously coordinate their movements to reach synchrony.  |
| Lane-swapping helps autonomous vehicles avoid collisions Posted: 28 Jan 2013 05:15 AM PST Autonomous, driverless vehicles look set to hit the streets in the near future and become increasingly common, so UK researchers have investigated algorithms that could help developers include escape maneuvers to allow such vehicles to quickly and safely switch lanes to avoid collisions with other road users.  |
| Smart organizations should also be stupid, according to new theory Posted: 28 Jan 2013 05:15 AM PST Critical reflection and shrewdness can help companies to avoid crises, but sometimes good old-fashioned stupidity can serve an important function in raising the efficiency of an organization, in a new theory of 'functional stupidity.'  |
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