ScienceDaily: Top Science News

---

• Irish chronicles reveal links between cold weather and volcanic eruptions
• Black holes abundant among the earliest stars
• 'Temporal cloaking' could bring more secure optical communications
• A 20-minute bout of yoga stimulates brain function immediately after
• Over 120,000-year-old bone tumor in Neandertal specimen found
• Scientists unexpectedly discover stress-resistant stem cells in fat tissue removed during liposuction
• Scientists discover how HIV kills immune cells; Findings have implications for HIV treatment
• Where trash accumulates in the deep sea
• Life on Earth shockingly comes from out of this world
• Drug prevents post-traumatic stress-like symptoms in mice
• NASA's Spitzer sees Milky Way's blooming countryside
• First observation of spin Hall effect in a quantum gas is step toward 'atomtronics'
• Cat's Paw Nebula 'littered' with baby stars
• Young star suggests our sun was a feisty toddler
• Malaria's deadly grip revealed: Severe malaria breakthrough
• Researchers announce discovery of oldest-known fossil primate skeleton
• Ancient trapped water explains Earth's first ice age
• Concerns about anesthesia's impact on the brain
• Scientists map the wiring of the biological clock
• Social networks could help prevent disease outbreaks in endangered chimpanzees
• Personality is the result of nurture, not nature, suggests study on birds
• 'Lizard King' fossil shows giant reptiles coexisted with mammals during globally warm past
• Discovering one reason why swarming evolved offers tantalizing clues on how intelligence developed
• Helicopter takes to the skies with the power of human thought

Irish chronicles reveal links between cold weather and volcanic eruptions Posted: 05 Jun 2013 08:08 PM PDT Medieval chronicles have given researchers a glimpse into the past to assess how historical volcanic eruptions affected the weather in Ireland up to 1500 years ago. Researchers have successfully linked the climatic aftermath of volcanic eruptions to extreme cold weather events in Ireland over a 1200-year period from 431 to 1649.

Black holes abundant among the earliest stars Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:07 PM PDT By comparing infrared and X-ray background signals across the same stretch of sky, astronomers have discovered evidence of a significant number of black holes that accompanied the first stars in the universe.

'Temporal cloaking' could bring more secure optical communications Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:05 PM PDT Researchers have demonstrated a method for "temporal cloaking" of optical communications, representing a potential tool to thwart would-be eavesdroppers and improve security for telecommunications.

A 20-minute bout of yoga stimulates brain function immediately after Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:05 PM PDT Researchers report that a single, 20-minute session of Hatha yoga significantly improved participants' speed and accuracy on tests of working memory and inhibitory control, two measures of brain function associated with the ability to maintain focus and take in, retain and use new information. Participants performed significantly better immediately after the yoga practice than after moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise for the same amount of time.

Over 120,000-year-old bone tumor in Neandertal specimen found Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:01 PM PDT The first case of a bone tumor of the ribs in a Neanderthal specimen reveals that at least one Neanderthal suffered a cancer that is common in modern-day humans, according to new research.

Scientists unexpectedly discover stress-resistant stem cells in fat tissue removed during liposuction Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:59 PM PDT Researchers have isolated a new population of primitive, stress-resistant human pluripotent stem cells easily derived from fat tissue that are able to differentiate into virtually every cell type in the human body without genetic modification.

Scientists discover how HIV kills immune cells; Findings have implications for HIV treatment Posted: 05 Jun 2013 11:44 AM PDT Untreated HIV infection destroys a person's immune system by killing infection-fighting cells, but precisely when and how HIV wreaks this destruction has been a mystery until now. New research reveals how HIV triggers a signal telling an infected immune cell to die. This finding has implications for preserving the immune systems of HIV-infected individuals.

Where trash accumulates in the deep sea Posted: 05 Jun 2013 11:43 AM PDT Surprisingly large amounts of discarded trash end up in the ocean. Plastic bags, aluminum cans, and fishing debris not only clutter our beaches, but accumulate in open-ocean areas such as the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch." Now, new research shows that trash is also accumulating in the deep sea, particularly in Monterey Canyon.

Life on Earth shockingly comes from out of this world Posted: 05 Jun 2013 11:43 AM PDT Early Earth was not very hospitable when it came to jump starting life. In fact, new research shows that life on Earth may have come from out of this world. Researchers have found that icy comets that crashed into Earth millions of years ago could have produced life building organic compounds, including the building blocks of proteins and nucleobases pairs of DNA and RNA.

Drug prevents post-traumatic stress-like symptoms in mice Posted: 05 Jun 2013 11:39 AM PDT When injected into mice immediately following a traumatic event, a new drug prevents the animals from developing memory problems and increased anxiety that are indicative of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

NASA's Spitzer sees Milky Way's blooming countryside Posted: 05 Jun 2013 11:00 AM PDT New views from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope show blooming stars in our Milky Way galaxy's more barren territories, far from its crowded core.

First observation of spin Hall effect in a quantum gas is step toward 'atomtronics' Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:36 AM PDT Researchers have reported the first observation of the spin Hall effect in a Bose-Einstein condensate.

Cat's Paw Nebula 'littered' with baby stars Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:36 AM PDT Most skygazers recognize the Orion Nebula, one of the closest stellar nurseries to Earth. Although it makes for great views in backyard telescopes, the Orion Nebula is far from the most prolific star-forming region in our galaxy. That distinction may go to one of the more dramatic stellar nurseries like the Cat's Paw Nebula, otherwise known as NGC 6334, which is experiencing a "baby boom."

Young star suggests our sun was a feisty toddler Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:36 AM PDT If you had a time machine that could take you anywhere in the past, what time would you choose? Most people would probably pick the era of the dinosaurs in hopes of spotting a T. rex. But many astronomers would choose the period, four and a half billion years ago, that our solar system formed. New work suggests that our sun was both active and "feisty" in its infancy, growing in fits and starts while burping out bursts of X-rays.

Malaria's deadly grip revealed: Severe malaria breakthrough Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:35 AM PDT Researchers have identified how malaria parasites growing inside red blood cells stick to the sides of blood vessels in severe cases of malaria. The discovery may advance the development of vaccines or drugs to combat severe malaria by stopping the parasites attaching to blood vessels.

Researchers announce discovery of oldest-known fossil primate skeleton Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:35 AM PDT An international team of researchers has announced the discovery of the world's oldest-known fossil primate skeleton representing a previously unknown genus and species named Archicebus achilles. In addition to being the oldest known example of an early primate skeleton, the new fossil is crucial for illuminating a pivotal event in primate and human evolution -- the evolutionary divergence between the lineage leading to anthropoids and that leading to living tarsiers.

Ancient trapped water explains Earth's first ice age Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:35 AM PDT Tiny bubbles of water found in quartz grains in Australia may hold the key to understanding what caused the Earth's first ice age, say scientists.

Concerns about anesthesia's impact on the brain Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:01 AM PDT As pediatric specialists become increasingly aware that surgical anesthesia may have lasting effects on the developing brains of young children, new research suggests the threat may also apply to adult brains. Researchers report that testing in laboratory mice shows anesthesia's neurotoxic effects depend on the age of brain neurons -- not the age of the animal undergoing anesthesia, as once thought.

Scientists map the wiring of the biological clock Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:01 AM PDT Biologists have discovered a crucial part of the biological clock: the wiring that sets its accuracy to within a few minutes out of the 1440 minutes per day. This wiring uses the neurotransmitter, GABA, to connect the individual cells of the biological clock in a fast network that changes strength with time of day.

Social networks could help prevent disease outbreaks in endangered chimpanzees Posted: 05 Jun 2013 07:44 AM PDT Many think of social networks in terms of Facebook friends and Twitter followers, but for some, social networks are tools in the fight against infectious diseases. Scientists have analyzed the social networks of wild chimpanzees to determine which individuals were most likely to contract and spread pathogens.

Personality is the result of nurture, not nature, suggests study on birds Posted: 05 Jun 2013 06:05 AM PDT Personality is not inherited from birth parents says new research on zebra finches. External factors are likely to play a bigger part in developing the personality of an individual than the genes it inherits from its parents, suggests the study.

'Lizard King' fossil shows giant reptiles coexisted with mammals during globally warm past Posted: 05 Jun 2013 06:04 AM PDT At nearly six feet long and weighing upwards of 60 pounds, "Morrison's Bearded King" provides new clues on the evolution of plant-eating reptiles and their relationship to global climate and with mammals.

Discovering one reason why swarming evolved offers tantalizing clues on how intelligence developed Posted: 05 Jun 2013 06:04 AM PDT Many animals -- from locusts to fish -- live in groups and swarm, but scientists aren't sure why or how this behavior evolved. Now scientists have used a model system to show for the first time that predator confusion can make prey evolve swarming behavior.

Helicopter takes to the skies with the power of human thought Posted: 05 Jun 2013 06:02 AM PDT A remote controlled helicopter has been flown through a series of hoops around a college gymnasium in Minnesota. It sounds like your everyday student project; however, there is one caveat -- the helicopter was controlled using just the power of thought.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Top Science News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610