ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Rediscovered Apollo data gives first measure of how fast moon dust piles up
• U.S. national survey finds frog abnormalities are rare
• Scientists break a theoretical time barrier on bouncing droplets
• Secrets of Mars' birth revealed from unique meteorite
• Solar-powered battery woven into fabric overcomes hurdle for 'wearable electronics'
• Computer searches web 24/7 to analyze images and teach itself common sense
• Predicting human body height from DNA
• Brain activity in severely brain injured patients who 'wake up' with sleeping pill: Other patients may also respond
• World's first known magnetic cellulose loudspeakers: Potential for magnetic cellulose comes in crisp and clear
• Medieval origins of debate on classroom beatings
• Small vessel changes in eye, kidney provide clues to risky heart rhythm
• Avoiding poisons: A matter of bitter taste
• Reading the pancreas through the eye

Rediscovered Apollo data gives first measure of how fast moon dust piles up Posted: 20 Nov 2013 11:38 AM PST Scientists used rediscovered Apollo data to make the first determination of how fast lunar dust accumulates. It builds up unbelievably slowly by the standards of any Earth-bound housekeeper -- just fast enough to form a layer about a millimeter (0.04 inches) thick every 1,000 years. Yet, that rate is 10 times previous estimates. It's also speedy enough to pose a serious problem for the solar cells that serve as critical power sources for space exploration missions.

U.S. national survey finds frog abnormalities are rare Posted: 20 Nov 2013 10:40 AM PST A 10-year study by the US Fish and Wildlife Service shows some good news for frogs and toads on national wildlife refuges. The rate of abnormalities such as shortened or missing legs was less than 2 percent overall -- indicating that the malformations first reported in the mid-1990s were rarer than feared. But much higher rates were found in local "hotspots," suggesting that where these problems occur they have local causes.

Scientists break a theoretical time barrier on bouncing droplets Posted: 20 Nov 2013 10:37 AM PST Those who study hydrophobic materials -- water-shedding surfaces such as those found in nature and created in the laboratory -- are familiar with a theoretical limit on the time it takes for a water droplet to bounce away from such a surface. But researchers have now found a way to burst through that perceived barrier, reducing the contact time by at least 40 percent.

Secrets of Mars' birth revealed from unique meteorite Posted: 20 Nov 2013 10:35 AM PST As NASA prepares to launch a new Martian probe, a Florida State University scientist has uncovered what may be the first recognized example of ancient Martian crust. Using a powerful microprobe scientists dated special crystals within the meteorite -- called zircons -- at an astounding 4.4 billion years old.

Solar-powered battery woven into fabric overcomes hurdle for 'wearable electronics' Posted: 20 Nov 2013 08:20 AM PST Though some people already seem inseparable from their smartphones, even more convenient, wearable, solar-powered electronics could be on the way soon, woven into clothing fibers or incorporated into watchbands. This novel battery development could usher in a new era of "wearable electronics."

Computer searches web 24/7 to analyze images and teach itself common sense Posted: 20 Nov 2013 08:19 AM PST A computer program called the Never Ending Image Learner (NEIL) is running 24 hours a day searching the Internet for images, doing its best to understand them on its own and, as it builds a growing visual database, gathering common sense on a massive scale.

Predicting human body height from DNA Posted: 20 Nov 2013 07:36 AM PST Predicting adult body height from genetic data is helpful in several areas such as pediatric endocrinology and forensic investigations. However, despite large international efforts to catalog the genes that influence the stature of humans, knowledge on genetic determinants of adult body height is still incomplete. Now DNA-based prediction of taller-than-average body height is feasible.

Brain activity in severely brain injured patients who 'wake up' with sleeping pill: Other patients may also respond Posted: 20 Nov 2013 07:06 AM PST George Melendez has been called a medical miracle. After a near drowning deprived his brain of oxygen, Melendez remained in a fitful, minimally conscious state until his mother, in 2002, decided to give him the sleep aid drug Ambien to quiet his moaning and writhing. The next thing she knew, her son was quietly looking at her and trying to talk. He has been using the drug ever since to maintain awareness, but no one could understand why Ambien led to such an awakening.

World's first known magnetic cellulose loudspeakers: Potential for magnetic cellulose comes in crisp and clear Posted: 20 Nov 2013 05:13 AM PST They're flat, ultra-thin and great-sounding. The world's first known magnetic cellulose loudspeakers have been demonstrated.

Medieval origins of debate on classroom beatings Posted: 20 Nov 2013 05:13 AM PST The connection between formal education and corporal punishment is a venerable and persistent one.

Small vessel changes in eye, kidney provide clues to risky heart rhythm Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:25 PM PST People with damage in the small blood vessels of the retina and kidneys are at increased risk to develop the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm, according to research.

Avoiding poisons: A matter of bitter taste Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:00 PM PST Researchers tested the hypothesis that herbivores -- and their plant diets -- have evolved to have greater number of Tas2r bitter taste receptor genes in their genomes than omnivores or carnivores. Their analyses supported the hypothesis, showing vertebrates can also be classified as herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores based on their Tas2r genetic profile.

Reading the pancreas through the eye Posted: 18 Nov 2013 12:58 PM PST Researchers have found an innovative way to study glucose regulation in the body: by transferring the vital insulin-producing cells from the pancreas to the eye. The latter can serve as a kind of window through which health reports can be obtained from the former. The results, which are expected to have a significant impact on diabetes research.

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