ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

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• New shape discovered using rubber bands
• Superconducting qubit array points the way to quantum computers
• Hearing quality restored with bionic ear technology used for gene therapy: Re-growing auditory nerves
• Hundreds of genetic mutations found in healthy blood of a supercentenarian
• In lab tests, the antimicrobial ingredient triclosan spurs growth of breast cancer cells
• Legalizing medical marijuana doesn't increase use among adolescents, study says
• Researchers compare hip width and sexual behavior
• Impact of Facebook unfriending analyzed by researchers
• Boomers' dark secret: Booze; What their caregivers don’t know or don't ask could end up hurting aging patients

New shape discovered using rubber bands Posted: 23 Apr 2014 07:12 PM PDT While setting out to fabricate new springs to support a cephalopod-inspired imaging project, a group of researchers stumbled upon a surprising discovery: the hemihelix, a shape rarely seen in nature. This made the researchers wonder: Were the three-dimensional structures they observed randomly occurring, or are there specific factors that control their formation? The scientists answered that question by performing experiments in which they stretched, joined, and then released rubber strips.

Superconducting qubit array points the way to quantum computers Posted: 23 Apr 2014 12:10 PM PDT A fully functional quantum computer is one of the holy grails of physics. Physicists have moved one step closer to making a quantum computer a reality by demonstrating a new level of reliability in a five-qubit array. Quantum computing is anything but simple. It relies on aspects of quantum mechanics such as superposition. This notion holds that any physical object, such as an atom or electron -- what quantum computers use to store information -- can exist in all of its theoretical states simultaneously. This could take parallel computing to new heights.

Hearing quality restored with bionic ear technology used for gene therapy: Re-growing auditory nerves Posted: 23 Apr 2014 11:30 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time used electrical pulses delivered from a cochlear implant to deliver gene therapy, thereby successfully regrowing auditory nerves. The research also heralds a possible new way of treating a range of neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease, and psychiatric conditions such as depression through this novel way of delivering gene therapy.

Hundreds of genetic mutations found in healthy blood of a supercentenarian Posted: 23 Apr 2014 10:26 AM PDT Genetic mutations are commonly studied because of links to diseases such as cancer; however, little is known about mutations occurring in healthy individuals. Researchers have now detected over 400 mutations in healthy blood cells of a 115-year-old woman, suggesting that lesions at these sites are largely harmless over the course of a lifetime.

In lab tests, the antimicrobial ingredient triclosan spurs growth of breast cancer cells Posted: 23 Apr 2014 07:27 AM PDT Some manufacturers are turning away from using triclosan as an antimicrobial ingredient in soaps, toothpastes and other products over health concerns. And now scientists are reporting new evidence that appears to support these worries. Their study found that triclosan, as well as another commercial substance called octylphenol, promoted the growth of human breast cancer cells in lab dishes and breast cancer tumors in mice.

Legalizing medical marijuana doesn't increase use among adolescents, study says Posted: 23 Apr 2014 07:27 AM PDT Parents and physicians concerned about an increase in adolescents' marijuana use following the legalization of medical marijuana can breathe a sigh of relief. According to a new study that compared 20 years worth of data from states with and without medical marijuana laws, legalizing the drug did not lead to increased use among adolescents.

Researchers compare hip width and sexual behavior Posted: 23 Apr 2014 07:17 AM PDT Hip width and risk of birth-related trauma may play a role in a woman's decision to have sex. Women who were more inclined to have one-night stands had wider hips, reveals a study into how a woman's build influences her sexual behavior. Results of the study show that the number of sexual partners a woman had is largely driven by one-night stand behavior. This, in turn, correlates with a woman's hip width and not waist-to-hip ratio. Overall, women in this study with hips wider than 14.2 inches had more sexual partners and more one-night stands than women with hips under 12.2 inches wide.

Impact of Facebook unfriending analyzed by researchers Posted: 22 Apr 2014 10:09 AM PDT Two studies are shedding new light on the most common type of 'friend' to be unfriended on Facebook and their emotional responses to it. The studies show that the most likely person to be unfriended is a high school acquaintance. Both studies were based on a survey of 1,077 people conducted on Twitter.

Boomers' dark secret: Booze; What their caregivers don’t know or don't ask could end up hurting aging patients Posted: 18 Apr 2014 05:33 AM PDT By 2015, all baby boomers will be 50 or older. In an editorial, one expert writes that, unlike members of previous generations, many of these individuals have been using alcohol (and other drugs) for their entire adult lives. There are consequences. "Alcohol is a dirty drug, and it causes all kinds of long-term problems," the author says. Alcohol contributes to increased risk for more than 65 diseases and conditions, including pancreatic, breast, and ear, nose, and throat cancers, liver disease, injuries, and cognitive impairment.

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