ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• SOHO shows new images of Comet ISON
• Fast, furious, refined: Smaller black holes can eat plenty
• Tongue-controlled wheelchair outperforms popular wheelchair navigation system
• What's the sound of a hundred thousand soccer fans?
• Glaciers sizzle as they disappear into warmer water
• Making a gem of a tiny crystal: Slowly cooled DNA transforms disordered nanoparticles into orderly crystal
• Cryptic new species of wild cat identified in Brazil
• Reef fish find it's too hot to swim
• Ocean rip currents claim more lives than other natural hazards
• A brooding marine worm found in Antarctica
• Figure eights and peanut shells: How stars move at the center of the galaxy
• Treating C. difficile with transplant of healthy fecal matter
• Seahorse heads have 'no wake zone' made for catching prey
• Implantable slimming aid

SOHO shows new images of Comet ISON Posted: 27 Nov 2013 02:04 PM PST As Comet ISON heads toward its closest approach to the sun -- known as perihelion -- on Nov. 28, 2013, scientists have been watching through many observatories to see if the comet has already broken up under the intense heat and gravitational forces of the sun.

Fast, furious, refined: Smaller black holes can eat plenty Posted: 27 Nov 2013 02:04 PM PST Gemini observations support an unexpected discovery in the galaxy Messier 101. A relatively small black hole (20-30 times the mass of our sun) can sustain a hugely voracious appetite while consuming material in an efficient and tidy manner -- something previously thought impossible. The research also affects the long quest for elusive intermediate-mass black holes.

Tongue-controlled wheelchair outperforms popular wheelchair navigation system Posted: 27 Nov 2013 02:04 PM PST Individuals with paralysis in a new clinical trial were able to use a tongue-controlled technology to access computers and execute commands for their wheelchairs at speeds that were significantly faster than those recorded in sip-and-puff wheelchairs, but with equal accuracy. The new study is the first to show that the wireless and wearable Tongue Drive System outperforms sip-and-puff in controlling wheelchairs. Sip-and-puff is the most popular assistive technology for controlling a wheelchair.

What's the sound of a hundred thousand soccer fans? Posted: 27 Nov 2013 02:01 PM PST Brazilian researchers study acoustics of the caxirola, official World Cup instrument.

Glaciers sizzle as they disappear into warmer water Posted: 27 Nov 2013 02:01 PM PST The sounds of bubbles escaping from melting ice make underwater glacial fjords one of the loudest natural marine environments on earth, according to research.

Making a gem of a tiny crystal: Slowly cooled DNA transforms disordered nanoparticles into orderly crystal Posted: 27 Nov 2013 10:18 AM PST Nature builds flawless diamonds, sapphires and other gems. Now researchers have built near-perfect single crystals out of nanoparticles and DNA, using the same structure favored by nature. The researchers developed a "recipe" for using nanomaterials as atoms, DNA as bonds and a little heat to form tiny crystals.

Cryptic new species of wild cat identified in Brazil Posted: 27 Nov 2013 09:24 AM PST Biologists have identified a cryptic new species of wild cat living in Brazil. The discovery is a reminder of just how little scientists still know about the natural world, even when it comes to such charismatic creatures. The findings also have important conservation implications for the cats, the researchers say.

Reef fish find it's too hot to swim Posted: 27 Nov 2013 08:06 AM PST A team of researchers has shown that ocean warming may reduce the swimming ability of many fish species, and have major impacts on their ability to grow and reproduce.

Ocean rip currents claim more lives than other natural hazards Posted: 27 Nov 2013 08:05 AM PST Rip currents claim more lives in Australia on average each year than bushfires, floods, cyclones and sharks combined, research shows. Yet rips do not get as much attention as the other natural hazards. The study could be applied in other countries to more appropriately put this global problem into perspective.

A brooding marine worm found in Antarctica Posted: 27 Nov 2013 08:03 AM PST Brooding is a usual behavior in animals. However, to observe it in a marine worm is exceptional and, more surprisingly, it guards eggs from external threats.

Figure eights and peanut shells: How stars move at the center of the galaxy Posted: 27 Nov 2013 08:03 AM PST Two months ago astronomers created a new 3-D map of stars at the center of our Galaxy (the Milky Way), showing more clearly than ever the bulge at its core. Previous explanations suggested that the stars that form the bulge are in banana-like orbits, but a new article suggests that the stars probably move in peanut-shell or figure of eight-shaped orbits instead.

Treating C. difficile with transplant of healthy fecal matter Posted: 26 Nov 2013 04:14 PM PST Scientists have found that restoring the normal, helpful bacteria of the gut and intestines may treat patients suffering from recurrent Clostridium difficile infections.

Seahorse heads have 'no wake zone' made for catching prey Posted: 26 Nov 2013 09:39 AM PST Seahorses are slow, docile creatures, but their heads are perfectly shaped to sneak up and quickly snatch prey, according to marine scientists.

Implantable slimming aid Posted: 26 Nov 2013 09:39 AM PST Biotechnologists have constructed a genetic regulatory circuit from human components that monitors blood-fat levels. In response to excessive levels, it produces a messenger substance that signalizes satiety to the body. Tests on obese mice reveal that this helps them to lose weight.

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