ScienceDaily: Top Science News

---

• Primates and patience: Evolutionary roots of self control
• Ancient giant sperm discovered at Riversleigh World Heritage Fossil Site
• Human learning altered by electrical stimulation of dopamine neurons
• Surprising global species shake-up discovered
• Surviving storms: Coral reefs are critical for risk reduction and adaptation
• Cause of many preterm births discovered: Premature aging of placenta from oxidative stress
• Radiation from early universe found key to answer major questions in physics
• New implanted devices may reshape medicine: Researchers create transistors that wrap around tissues
• Forgiving a wrong may actually make it easier to forget
• Comet theory false: Doesn't explain Ice Age cold snap, Clovis changes, animal extinction
• Odd planet, so far from its star: Gas giant 155 light years from our solar system
• Plastic pollution: Another threat for seabirds
• Diets rich in antioxidant resveratrol fail to reduce deaths, heart disease or cancer
• How the brain builds on prior knowledge

Primates and patience: Evolutionary roots of self control Posted: 13 May 2014 05:46 PM PDT Some primate species will wait more than two minutes if they know they will get a larger serving of food -- while others are unable to wait more than a few seconds. A new study probes the evolutionary reasons for the difference.

Ancient giant sperm discovered at Riversleigh World Heritage Fossil Site Posted: 13 May 2014 05:46 PM PDT Preserved giant sperm from tiny shrimps that lived about 17 million years ago have been discovered in Queensland, Australia. They are the oldest fossilized sperm ever found in the geological record. The shrimps lived in a pool in an ancient cave inhabited by thousands of bats, and the presence of bat droppings in the water could help explain the almost perfect preservation of the fossil crustaceans.

Human learning altered by electrical stimulation of dopamine neurons Posted: 13 May 2014 02:50 PM PDT Stimulation of a certain population of neurons within the brain can alter the learning process, according to a team of neuroscientists and neurosurgeons. A new report describes for the first time that human learning can be modified by stimulation of dopamine-containing neurons in a deep brain structure known as the substantia nigra.

Surprising global species shake-up discovered Posted: 13 May 2014 01:16 PM PDT Scientists re-examined 100 world-wide monitoring studies and were surprised to discover that, over decades, the number of species in many places has not changed much -- or has increased. But the researchers did discover that almost 80% of the communities showed changes in species composition. This shows that a rapid global turnover of species is happening, resulting in novel biological communities. The scientists conclude that biodiversity change may be as large a concern as biodiversity loss.

Surviving storms: Coral reefs are critical for risk reduction and adaptation Posted: 13 May 2014 11:21 AM PDT Stronger storms, rising seas, and flooding are placing hundreds of millions people at risk around the world, and big part of the solution to decrease those risks is just off shore. A new study finds that coral reefs reduce the wave energy that would otherwise impact coastlines by 97 percent.

Cause of many preterm births discovered: Premature aging of placenta from oxidative stress Posted: 13 May 2014 10:27 AM PDT A new study is the first to show that premature aging of the placenta due to oxidative stress is the cause of many preterm births.

Radiation from early universe found key to answer major questions in physics Posted: 13 May 2014 10:27 AM PDT Astrophysicists have measured the minute gravitational distortions in polarized radiation from the early universe and discovered that these ancient microwaves can provide an important cosmological test of Einstein's theory of general relativity.

New implanted devices may reshape medicine: Researchers create transistors that wrap around tissues Posted: 13 May 2014 10:27 AM PDT Scientists have create flexible transistors that can grip large tissues, nerves and blood vessels without losing their electronic properties. These biologically adaptive, flexible transistors might one day help doctors learn more about what is happening inside the body, and stimulate the body for treatments.

Forgiving a wrong may actually make it easier to forget Posted: 13 May 2014 08:36 AM PDT We're often told to 'forgive and forget' the wrongs that we suffer -- it turns out that there may be some scientific truth behind the common saying. A new study shows that the details of a transgression are more susceptible to forgetting when that transgression has been forgiven.

Comet theory false: Doesn't explain Ice Age cold snap, Clovis changes, animal extinction Posted: 13 May 2014 08:36 AM PDT New research has demonstrated again that a comet didn't spark climate change at the end of the Ice Age, killing the Clovis peoples and causing mass animal extinction. Supposed impact indicators are too old or too young to indicate an ancient comet that proponents claim sparked a late Ice Age calamity, according to new research. The researchers found previous dating of Ice Age boundary layers by proponents contained widespread errors.

Odd planet, so far from its star: Gas giant 155 light years from our solar system Posted: 13 May 2014 08:31 AM PDT A gas giant has been added to the short list of exoplanets discovered through direct imaging. It is located around GU Psc, a star three times less massive than the Sun and located in the constellation Pisces.

Plastic pollution: Another threat for seabirds Posted: 13 May 2014 06:17 AM PDT Plastic ingestions affects around 94% of Cory's shearwaters on the Catalan coast, according to new research. In the case of Yelkouan shearwaters and Balearic shearwaters, scientists show that 70% of studied birds were affected by plastic ingestion.

Diets rich in antioxidant resveratrol fail to reduce deaths, heart disease or cancer Posted: 12 May 2014 06:41 PM PDT A study of Italians who consume a diet rich in resveratrol -- the compound found in red wine, dark chocolate and berries -- finds they live no longer than and are just as likely to develop cardiovascular disease or cancer as those who eat or drink smaller amounts of the antioxidant.

How the brain builds on prior knowledge Posted: 12 May 2014 07:15 AM PDT It is easier to learn something new if you can link it to something you already know. A specific part of the brain appears to be involved in this process: the medial prefrontal cortex. These findings further enhance our understanding of the brain mechanisms that underlie effective learning. A researcher added a tip for secondary school students taking their final exams: 'If you don't immediately know the answer to a question, you could first try recalling what you already know about that topic. This might help you to come up with the right answer after all.'

You are subscribed to email updates from All Top News -- ScienceDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610