ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Earth expected to be habitable for another 1.75 billion years
• Toxoplasma infection permanently shifts balance in cat and mouse game
• True colors: Female squid have two ways to switch color
• Crystal quantum memories for quantum communication
• Coma: researchers observe never-before-detected brain activity
• Tiny bottles and melting corks: Temperature regulates a new delivery system for drugs and fragrances
• Contaminants may cause birds to sing a different tune
• Controlling wettability: 'Sticky tape' for water droplets mimics rose petal
• Beyond quantum simulation: Physicists create 'crystal' of spin-swapping ultracold molecules
• Four new species of 'legless lizards' discovered living on the edge
• Dinosaur wind tunnel test provides new insight into the evolution of bird flight
• Innovative auto steering device could save lives
• Emotional attachment to robots could affect outcome on battlefield

Earth expected to be habitable for another 1.75 billion years Posted: 18 Sep 2013 06:14 PM PDT Habitable conditions on Earth will be possible for at least another 1.75 billion years – according to astrobiologists. "If we ever needed to move to another planet, Mars is probably our best bet. It's very close and will remain in the habitable zone until the end of the Sun's lifetime -- six billion years from now," one of the researchers said.

Toxoplasma infection permanently shifts balance in cat and mouse game Posted: 18 Sep 2013 03:11 PM PDT Infection with the toxoplasma parasite makes mice fearless in the presence of cats -- to their regret. But how does the protozoan do that? Scientists looked at the effects of three common strains of toxoplasma and found that they remove the fear of cat urine for as long as four months, long after the mice have cleared the parasite from their brains. The parasite appears to make permanent changes in the brain's neurons.

True colors: Female squid have two ways to switch color Posted: 18 Sep 2013 03:11 PM PDT The female common market squid -- Doryteuthis opalescens -- may not be so common after all. Researchers have discovered that this glamorous cephalopod possesses a pair of stripes that can sparkle with rainbow iridescence. These flank a single stripe, which can go from complete transparency to bright white.

Crystal quantum memories for quantum communication Posted: 18 Sep 2013 03:02 PM PDT Research into the strange phenomenon known as quantum entanglement - once described as 'spooky' by Albert Einstein - could revolutionise ICT over the coming years, enabling everything from ultra-fast computing to completely secure long-distance communications.

Coma: researchers observe never-before-detected brain activity Posted: 18 Sep 2013 03:02 PM PDT Researchers have found brain activity beyond a flat line EEG, which they have called Nu-complexes (from the Greek letter n). According to existing scientific data, researchers and doctors had established that beyond the so-called "flat line" (flat electroencephalogram or EEG), there is nothing at all, no brain activity, no possibility of life. This major discovery suggests that there is a whole new frontier in animal and human brain functioning.

Tiny bottles and melting corks: Temperature regulates a new delivery system for drugs and fragrances Posted: 18 Sep 2013 02:55 PM PDT Microscopic, bottle-like structures with corks that melt at precisely-controlled temperatures could potentially release drugs inside the body or fragrances onto the skin, according to a recently published study.

Contaminants may cause birds to sing a different tune Posted: 18 Sep 2013 02:55 PM PDT In some environments songbirds exhibit inconsistency in their songs which may be caused by non-lethal levels of contaminants that persist in the sediments of the Hudson River region. Biologists studied songbirds that nest along the Hudson River valley, a region with legacy levels of PCBs as a result of decades of electronics manufacturing upriver. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic chemical pollutants with demonstrated detrimental toxic and developmental effects on humans and wildlife.

Controlling wettability: 'Sticky tape' for water droplets mimics rose petal Posted: 18 Sep 2013 11:25 AM PDT A new nanostructured material may lead to surfaces that stay dry forever, never need cleaning and are able to repel bacteria and even prevent mold and fungi growth.

Beyond quantum simulation: Physicists create 'crystal' of spin-swapping ultracold molecules Posted: 18 Sep 2013 10:24 AM PDT Physicists have created a crystal-like arrangement of ultracold gas molecules that swap quantum "spin" properties with nearby and distant partners. The novel structure might be used to simulate or even invent new materials that derive exotic properties from quantum spin behavior, for electronics or other practical applications.

Four new species of 'legless lizards' discovered living on the edge Posted: 18 Sep 2013 07:18 AM PDT Legless lizards evolved on five continents to burrow in loose soil and sand, but are rarely seen because they live underground. Hence the surprise when biologists found four new species in California, living in marginal areas like downtown Bakersfield, San Joaquin Valley oil fields and west of the runways at the airport. The discovery, which brings the number of species in the state to five, illustrates the undiscovered biodiversity around us.

Dinosaur wind tunnel test provides new insight into the evolution of bird flight Posted: 18 Sep 2013 06:05 AM PDT A study into the aerodynamic performance of feathered dinosaurs has provided new insight into the evolution of bird flight. In recent years, new fossil discoveries have changed our view of the early evolution of birds and, more critically, their powers of flight. We now know about a number of small-bodied dinosaurs that had feathers on their wings as well as on their legs and tails: completely unique in the fossil record.

Innovative auto steering device could save lives Posted: 17 Sep 2013 01:17 PM PDT An alternative steering device for automobiles has been developed that could help to prevent hazards such as rear-end collisions and rollovers caused by panic oversteering.

Emotional attachment to robots could affect outcome on battlefield Posted: 17 Sep 2013 01:16 PM PDT It's becoming more common to have robots sub in for humans to do dirty or sometimes dangerous work. But researchers are finding that in some cases, people have started to treat robots like pets, friends, or even as an extension of themselves. That raises the question: if a soldier attaches human or animal-like characteristics to a field robot, can it affect how they use the robot?

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