ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Mongol Empire rode wave of mild climate, but warming now may be tipping region into unparalleled drought
• Volcanoes helped species survive ice ages
• Outside the body our memories fail us
• How light affects our brain's performance: Photic memory for executive brain responses
• A shocking diet: Researchers describe microbe that 'eats' electricity
• Scientists build thinnest-possible LEDs to be stronger, more energy efficient
• Two-dimensional material shows promise for optoelectronics: LEDs, photovoltaic cells, and light detectors
• Aerosols from human activities tend to weaken hurricanes and cyclones
• 'Death stars' in Orion blast planets before they even form
• Weirdness in cosmic web of the universe: Faint strings of galaxies in 'empty' space arranged in way never before seen
• Spread of antibiotic resistance understood by unravelling bacterial secretion system
• Blood test identifies those at-risk for cognitive decline, Alzheimer's within three years

Mongol Empire rode wave of mild climate, but warming now may be tipping region into unparalleled drought Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:21 PM PDT Researchers studying the rings of ancient trees in mountainous central Mongolia think they may have gotten at the mystery of how small bands of nomadic Mongol horsemen united to conquer much of the world within a span of decades, 800 years ago. The rise of the great leader Genghis Khan and the start of the largest contiguous empire in human history was propelled by a temporary run of nice weather.

Volcanoes helped species survive ice ages Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:21 PM PDT Researchers have found evidence that the steam and heat from volcanoes and heated rocks allowed many species of plants and animals to survive past ice ages, helping scientists understand how species respond to climate change.

Outside the body our memories fail us Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:21 PM PDT New research demonstrates for the first time that there is a close relationship between body perception and the ability to remember.

How light affects our brain's performance: Photic memory for executive brain responses Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:20 PM PDT It has long been known that light exerts powerful effects on the brain and on our well-being. Light is not only required for vision but is also essential for a wide range of "non-visual" functions including  synchronization of our biological clock to the 24h day-night cycle. Light also conveys a powerful stimulating signal for human alertness and cognition and has been routinely employed to improve performance, counter the negative impact of sleepiness or "winter blues". A novel photoreceptor has now been shown to be an essential component for relaying light information to a set of so-called non-visual centers in the brain. Continuous changes in light throughout the day also change us, new research suggests.

A shocking diet: Researchers describe microbe that 'eats' electricity Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:40 AM PDT Researchers have shown that the commonly found bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris can use natural conductivity to pull electrons from minerals located remotely in soil and sediment while remaining at the surface, where they absorb the sunlight needed to produce energy.

Scientists build thinnest-possible LEDs to be stronger, more energy efficient Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:10 AM PDT Scientists have built the thinnest-known LED that can be used as a source of light energy in electronics. The LED is based off of two-dimensional, flexible semiconductors, making it possible to stack or use in much smaller and more diverse applications than current technology allows.

Two-dimensional material shows promise for optoelectronics: LEDs, photovoltaic cells, and light detectors Posted: 10 Mar 2014 08:17 AM PDT Team creates LEDs, photovoltaic cells, and light detectors using novel one-molecule-thick material. Researchers have used a novel material that's just a few atoms thick to create devices that can harness or emit light. This proof-of-concept could lead to ultrathin, lightweight, and flexible photovoltaic cells, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and other optoelectronic devices, they say.

Aerosols from human activities tend to weaken hurricanes and cyclones Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:17 AM PDT Aerosols in the atmosphere produced from human activities do indeed directly affect a hurricane or tropical cyclone, but not in a way many scientists had previously believed. In fact, they tend to weaken such storms, according to a new study.

'Death stars' in Orion blast planets before they even form Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:16 AM PDT Astronomers have studied the often deadly relationship between highly luminous O-type stars and nearby protostars in the Orion Nebula. Their data reveal that protostars within 0.1 light-years (about 600 billion miles) of an O-type star are doomed to have their cocoons of dust and gas stripped away in just a few millions years, much faster than planets are able to form.

Weirdness in cosmic web of the universe: Faint strings of galaxies in 'empty' space arranged in way never before seen Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:06 AM PDT Australian astronomers have shown galaxies in the vast empty regions of the universe are actually aligned into delicate strings, according to new research. Using data from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey, the astronomers found that the small number of galaxies inside these voids are arranged in a new way never seen before.

Spread of antibiotic resistance understood by unravelling bacterial secretion system Posted: 09 Mar 2014 12:05 PM PDT The system that allows the sharing of genetic material between bacteria -- and therefore the spread of antibiotic resistance -- has been uncovered by a team of scientists. Understanding the structure of the secretion system will help scientists uncover the mechanism by which it moves substances across the inner and outer membranes. It could eventually help scientists develop new tools for the genetic modification of human cells, as the bacteria could act as a carrier for genetic material, which could then be secreted into cells.

Blood test identifies those at-risk for cognitive decline, Alzheimer's within three years Posted: 09 Mar 2014 12:05 PM PDT A blood test that can predict with greater than 90 percent accuracy if a healthy person will develop mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease within three years has been discovered and validated.

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