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Friday, May 9, 2014

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


Astronomers create first realistic virtual universe

Posted: 07 May 2014 11:28 AM PDT

Move over, Matrix - astronomers have done you one better. They have created the first realistic virtual universe using a computer simulation called 'Illustris.' Illustris can recreate 13 billion years of cosmic evolution in a cube 350 million light-years on a side with unprecedented resolution.

Semi-synthetic organism: Scientists create first living organism that transmits added letters in DNA 'alphabet'

Posted: 07 May 2014 10:21 AM PDT

Scientists have engineered a bacterium whose genetic material includes an added pair of DNA "letters," or bases, not found in nature; the bacterium's cells can replicate the unnatural DNA bases more or less normally, as long as the molecular building blocks are supplied.

Newly found dinosaur is long-nosed cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex

Posted: 07 May 2014 07:04 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered a new species of long-snouted tyrannosaur, nicknamed Pinocchio rex, which stalked the Earth more than 66 million years ago. Researchers say the animal, which belonged to the same dinosaur family as Tyrannosaurus rex, was a fearsome carnivore that lived in Asia during the late Cretaceous period. The newly found ancient predator looked very different from most other tyrannosaurs.

Psilocybin inhibits the processing of negative emotions in the brain

Posted: 07 May 2014 06:57 AM PDT

Emotions like fear, anger, sadness, and joy enable people to adjust to their environment and react flexibly to stress and strain and are vital for cognitive processes, physiological reactions, and social behavior. The processing of emotions is closely linked to structures  in the brain, i.e. to what is known as the limbic system. Within this system the amygdala  plays a central role – above all it processes negative emotions like anxiety and fear. If the activity of the amygdala becomes unbalanced, depression and anxiety disorders may develop.

Nearest bright 'hypervelocity star' found: Speeding at 1 million mph, it probes black hole and dark matter

Posted: 07 May 2014 06:30 AM PDT

Astronomers have discovered a "hypervelocity star" that is the closest, second-brightest and among the largest of 20 found so far. Speeding at more than 1 million mph, the star may provide clues about the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way and the halo of mysterious "dark matter" surrounding the galaxy, astronomers say.

Climate change is affecting every region of the U.S. and key sectors of the economy, federal report finds

Posted: 06 May 2014 02:23 PM PDT

The U.S. Global Change Research Program has released the Third National Climate Assessment, the most comprehensive, authoritative, transparent scientific report on U.S. climate change impacts ever generated. The report confirms that climate change is affecting every region of the country and key sectors of the U.S. economy and society, underscoring the need to combat the threats climate change presents and increase the preparedness and resilience of American communities.

Redescription of the oldest-known dolphin skull sheds light on their origins and evolution

Posted: 06 May 2014 10:04 AM PDT

Dolphins are the most diverse family of living marine mammals and include species such as the bottlenose dolphin and the killer whale. However, their early evolution and fossil record has been steeped in mystery due to lack of good specimens. A new article re-describes the oldest species of dolphin with a new name: Eodelphis kabatensis.

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