ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Ultrasound for astronomers? A young star's age can be gleamed from nothing but sound waves
• Timeline of human origins revised: New synthesis of research links changing environment with Homo's evolutionary adaptability
• Controversial clues of two 'Goldilocks planets' that might support life are proven false
• Doing something is better than doing nothing for most people, study shows
• Discovery expands search for Earth-like planets: Newly spotted frozen world orbits in a binary star system
• Ironing out details of the carbon cycle: Dissolved iron in North Atlantic traced to Sahara desert
• Whales as ecosystem engineers: Recovery from overhunting helping to buffer marine ecosystems from destabilizing stresses
• More left-handed men are born during the winter: Indirect evidence of a hormonal mechanism
• 'Grass-in-the-ear' technique sets new trend in chimp etiquette: Chimpanzees spontaneously copy arbitrary behavior
• First show off, then take-off: New specimen of Archaeopteryx reveals previously unknown features of the plumage

Ultrasound for astronomers? A young star's age can be gleamed from nothing but sound waves Posted: 03 Jul 2014 11:24 AM PDT Determining the age of stars has long been a challenge for astronomers. Astronomers now show that 'infant' stars can be distinguished from 'adolescent' stars by measuring the acoustic waves they emit.

Timeline of human origins revised: New synthesis of research links changing environment with Homo's evolutionary adaptability Posted: 03 Jul 2014 11:23 AM PDT Many traits unique to humans were long thought to have originated in the genus Homo between 2.4 and 1.8 million years ago in Africa. Although scientists have recognized these characteristics for decades, they are reconsidering the true evolutionary factors that drove them.

Controversial clues of two 'Goldilocks planets' that might support life are proven false Posted: 03 Jul 2014 11:23 AM PDT Mysteries about controversial signals from a star considered a prime target in the search for extraterrestrial life now have been solved. The research proves, for the first time, that some of the signals actually are from events inside the star itself, not from the two so-called 'Goldilocks planets,' which were suspected to be just-right for life and orbiting the star at a distance where liquid water potentially could exist. No planets there, just star burps.

Doing something is better than doing nothing for most people, study shows Posted: 03 Jul 2014 11:21 AM PDT People are focused on the external world and don't enjoy spending much time alone thinking, according to a new study. The investigation found that most would rather be doing something -- possibly even hurting themselves -- than doing nothing or sitting alone with their thoughts.

Discovery expands search for Earth-like planets: Newly spotted frozen world orbits in a binary star system Posted: 03 Jul 2014 11:21 AM PDT A newly discovered planet is expanding astronomers' notions of where Earth-like—and even potentially habitable—planets can form, and how to find them. At twice the mass of Earth, the planet orbits one of the stars in the binary system at almost exactly the same distance from which Earth orbits the sun. However, because the planet's host star is much dimmer than the sun, the planet is much colder thanEarth -- a little colder, in fact, than Jupiter's icy moon Europa.

Ironing out details of the carbon cycle: Dissolved iron in North Atlantic traced to Sahara desert Posted: 03 Jul 2014 08:28 AM PDT Iron is an essential element in all living creatures, and its availability in seawater can have a profound effect on phytoplankton growth and, consequently, the earth's carbon cycle. Scientists have assessed the various sources of dissolved iron in the north Atlantic Ocean, establishing that a great deal of it, some 70 to 90 percent, originates from dust blowing off the Sahara desert.

Whales as ecosystem engineers: Recovery from overhunting helping to buffer marine ecosystems from destabilizing stresses Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:29 AM PDT A review of research on whales shows that they have more a powerful influence on the function of oceans, global carbon storage, and the health of commercial fisheries than has been commonly assumed. The continued recovery of great whales from centuries of overhunting may help to buffer marine ecosystems from destabilizing stresses, including climate change, reports a global team of scientists.

More left-handed men are born during the winter: Indirect evidence of a hormonal mechanism Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:29 AM PDT Men born in November, December or January are more likely of being left-handed than during the rest of the year. While the genetic bases of handedness are still under debate, scientists obtained indirect evidence of a hormonal mechanism promoting left-handedness among men.

'Grass-in-the-ear' technique sets new trend in chimp etiquette: Chimpanzees spontaneously copy arbitrary behavior Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:26 AM PDT Chimpanzees are copycats and, in the process, they form new traditions that are often particular to only one specific group of these primates. Such are the findings of an international group of scientists, who waded through over 700 hours of video footage to understand how it came about that one chimpanzee stuck a piece of grass in her ear and started a new trend, and others soon followed suit.

First show off, then take-off: New specimen of Archaeopteryx reveals previously unknown features of the plumage Posted: 03 Jul 2014 06:19 AM PDT Paleontologists are currently studying a new specimen of Archaeopteryx, which reveals previously unknown features of the plumage. The initial findings shed light on the original function of feathers and their recruitment for flight.

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