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Saturday, August 30, 2014

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


Quantum physics enables revolutionary imaging method

Posted: 28 Aug 2014 08:08 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a fundamentally new quantum imaging technique with strikingly counter-intuitive features. For the first time, an image has been obtained without ever detecting the light that was used to illuminate the imaged object, while the light revealing the image never touches the imaged object.

Inside the teenage brain: New studies explain risky behavior

Posted: 27 Aug 2014 05:35 PM PDT

It's common knowledge that teenage boys seem predisposed to risky behaviors. Now, a series of new studies is shedding light on specific brain mechanisms that help to explain what might be going on inside juvenile male brains.

Nanodiamonds are forever: Did comet collision leave layer of nanodiamonds across Earth?

Posted: 27 Aug 2014 01:34 PM PDT

A comet collision with Earth caused abrupt environmental stress and degradation that contributed to the extinction of most large animal species then inhabiting the Americas, a group of scientists suggests. The catastrophic impact and the subsequent climate change also led to the disappearance of the prehistoric Clovis culture, and to human population decline. Now focus has turned to the character and distribution of nanodiamonds, one type of material produced during such an extraterrestrial collision. The researchers found an abundance of these tiny diamonds distributed over 50 million square kilometers across the Northern Hemisphere.

Junk food makes rats lose appetite for balanced diet

Posted: 27 Aug 2014 12:17 PM PDT

A diet of junk food not only makes rats fat, but also reduces their appetite for novel foods, a preference that normally drives them to seek a balanced diet, reports a study. "The interesting thing about this finding is that if the same thing happens in humans, eating junk food may change our responses to signals associated with food rewards," says an author. "It's like you've just had ice cream for lunch, yet you still go and eat more when you hear the ice cream van come by."

Marijuana compound may offer treatment for Alzheimer's disease, study suggests

Posted: 27 Aug 2014 10:18 AM PDT

Extremely low levels of the compound in marijuana known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, may slow or halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease, a recent study from neuroscientists suggests.

Measurement at Big Bang conditions confirms lithium problem

Posted: 27 Aug 2014 07:02 AM PDT

The field of astrophysics has a stubborn problem and it's called lithium. The quantities of lithium predicted to have resulted from the Big Bang are not actually present in stars. But the calculations are correct -- a fact which has now been confirmed for the first time.

Animals first flex their muscles: Earliest fossil evidence for animals with muscles

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 05:54 PM PDT

A new fossil discovery identifies the earliest evidence for animals with muscles. An unusual new fossil discovery of one of the earliest animals on earth may also provide the oldest evidence of muscle tissue -- the bundles of cells that make movement in animals possible. The fossil, dating from 560 million years ago, was discovered in Newfoundland, Canada.

What can 14th century Venice teach us about Ebola, other emerging threats?

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 12:28 PM PDT

The way in which the Italian city of Venice dealt with the outbreak of the plague in the 14th century holds lessons on how to even mitigate the consequences of today's emerging threats, like climate change, terrorism, and highly infectious or drug-resistant diseases, says one researcher.

Composition of Earth's mantle revisited

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 12:28 PM PDT

The makeup of Earth's lower mantle, which makes up the largest part of the Earth by volume, is significantly different than previously thought, research suggests. This should shed light on unexplained seismic phenomena.

Best view yet of merging galaxies in distant universe

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 11:11 AM PDT

Astronomers have obtained the best view yet of a collision between two galaxies when the Universe was only half its current age. To make this observation, the team also enlisted the help of a gravitational lens, a galaxy-size magnifying glass, to reveal otherwise invisible detail.

Trash burning worldwide significantly worsens air pollution

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 09:10 AM PDT

Unregulated trash burning around the globe is pumping far more pollution into the atmosphere than shown by official records. A new study estimates that more than 40 percent of the world's garbage is burned in such fires, with emissions that can substantially affect human health and climate.

Pig pheromone proves useful in curtailing bad behavior in dogs

Posted: 24 Aug 2014 06:31 PM PDT

Androstenone can stop dogs from barking, jumping, researchers report. Androstenone is produced by pigs in their saliva or fat, but Boar Mate androstenone is synthesized in a laboratory. One spray of Boar Mate on Toto was all it took to set the wheels of experimentation in motion.

Evolutionary history of honeybees revealed by genomics

Posted: 24 Aug 2014 12:22 PM PDT

The first global analysis of genome variation in honeybees has been revealed by scientists. The findings show a surprisingly high level of genetic diversity in honeybees, and indicate that the species most probably originates from Asia, and not from Africa as previously thought. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is of crucial importance for humanity. One third of our food is dependent on the pollination of fruits, nuts and vegetables by bees and other insects. Extensive losses of honeybee colonies in recent years are a major cause for concern.

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