ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Pico-world of molecular bioscavengers, mops and sponges being designed
• Coldest brown dwarfs blur lines between stars and planets
• Interstellar winds buffeting our solar system have shifted direction
• Scientists confirm existence of largest single volcano on earth
• Beneath Earth's surface, scientists find long 'fingers' of heat
• Inner-ear disorders may cause hyperactivity
• Protecting 17 percent of Earth's land could save two-thirds of plant species
• Powerful jets discovered blowing material out of galaxy
• Clues in coral bleaching mystery
• Global warming has increased risk of record heat
• Children with behavioral problems more at risk of inflammation, health problems later in life
• Human Urine Metabolome: What scientists can see in your urine
• Dishonest deeds lead to 'cheater's high,' as long as no one gets hurt, study finds
• New insight into how Cheetahs catch their prey

Pico-world of molecular bioscavengers, mops and sponges being designed Posted: 05 Sep 2013 05:30 PM PDT A new world of molecular bioscavengers, sponges and mops is now closer. A computer-design method has enabled scientists to build proteins that can recognize and interact with small molecules. The proteins can also be reprogrammed to detect and unite with related substances, such as different forms of steroids. The method might also become a way to give organisms new tools to perform biological tasks.

Coldest brown dwarfs blur lines between stars and planets Posted: 05 Sep 2013 01:05 PM PDT Astronomers are constantly on the hunt for ever-colder star-like bodies, and two years ago a new class of such objects was discovered. However, until now no one has known exactly how cool their surfaces really are -- some evidence suggested they could be room temperature. A new study shows that while these brown dwarfs, sometimes called failed stars, are warmer than previously thought with temperatures about 250-350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Interstellar winds buffeting our solar system have shifted direction Posted: 05 Sep 2013 11:28 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that the particles streaming into the solar system from interstellar space have likely changed direction over the last 40 years.

Scientists confirm existence of largest single volcano on earth Posted: 05 Sep 2013 11:28 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered the largest single volcano yet documented on Earth. Covering an area roughly equivalent to the British Isles or the state of New Mexico, this volcano, dubbed the Tamu Massif, is nearly as big as the giant volcanoes of Mars, placing it among the largest in the Solar System.

Beneath Earth's surface, scientists find long 'fingers' of heat Posted: 05 Sep 2013 11:28 AM PDT Scientists seeking to understand the forces at work beneath the surface of the Earth have used seismic waves to detect previously unknown "fingers" of heat, some of them thousands of miles long, in Earth's upper mantle. Their discovery helps explain the "hotspot volcanoes" that give birth to island chains such as Hawai'i and Tahiti.

Inner-ear disorders may cause hyperactivity Posted: 05 Sep 2013 11:28 AM PDT Behavioral abnormalities are traditionally thought to originate in the brain. But a new study has found that inner-ear dysfunction can directly cause neurological changes that increase hyperactivity. The study, conducted in mice, also implicated two brain proteins in this process, providing potential targets for intervention.

Protecting 17 percent of Earth's land could save two-thirds of plant species Posted: 05 Sep 2013 11:28 AM PDT Protecting key regions that comprise just 17 percent of Earth's land may help preserve more than two-thirds of its plant species, according to a scientists.

Powerful jets discovered blowing material out of galaxy Posted: 05 Sep 2013 11:27 AM PDT Astronomers using a worldwide network of radio telescopes have found strong evidence that a powerful jet of material propelled to nearly light speed by a galaxy's central black hole is blowing massive amounts of gas out of the galaxy. This process, they said, is limiting the growth of the black hole and the rate of star formation in the galaxy, and thus is a key to understanding how galaxies develop.

Clues in coral bleaching mystery Posted: 05 Sep 2013 10:40 AM PDT Coral reefs are tremendously important for ocean biodiversity. Unfortunately they have been in great decline in recent years, much of it due to the effects of global climate change. One such effect, called bleaching, occurs when the symbiotic algae that are essential for providing nutrients to the coral either lose their identifying photosynthetic pigmentation and their ability to perform photosynthesis or disappear entirely from the coral's tissue. Without a healthy population of these algae, the coral cannot survive.

Global warming has increased risk of record heat Posted: 05 Sep 2013 08:36 AM PDT Researchers calculate that intense heat like that in the summer of 2012 is up to four times more likely to occur now than in pre-industrial America, when there was much less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Children with behavioral problems more at risk of inflammation, health problems later in life Posted: 05 Sep 2013 05:59 AM PDT Children with behavioral problems may be at risk of many chronic diseases in adulthood including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, as well as inflammatory illnesses (conditions which are caused by cell damage). Researchers found that children with behavioral problems at the age of 8, had higher levels of two proteins (C-reactive protein -- CRP; and Interleukin 6 -- IL-6) in their blood when tested at the age of 10. Having raised levels of CRP and IL-6 can be an early warning sign that a person may be at risk of chronic or inflammatory conditions later in life.

Human Urine Metabolome: What scientists can see in your urine Posted: 05 Sep 2013 05:59 AM PDT Researchers have determined the chemical composition of human urine. The study, which took more than seven years and involved a team of nearly 20 researchers, has revealed that more than 3,000 chemicals or "metabolites" can be detected in urine. The results are expected to have significant implications for medical, nutritional, drug and environmental testing.

Dishonest deeds lead to 'cheater's high,' as long as no one gets hurt, study finds Posted: 05 Sep 2013 05:59 AM PDT People who get away with cheating when they believe no one is hurt by their dishonesty are more likely to feel upbeat than remorseful afterward, according to new research.

New insight into how Cheetahs catch their prey Posted: 05 Sep 2013 05:56 AM PDT A new research study has revealed that the cheetah, the world's fastest land animal, matches and may even anticipate the escape tactics of different prey when hunting, rather than just relying on its speed and agility as previously thought.

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