ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Scientists change butterflies wing color in just six generations
• Scientists introduce new cosmic connectivity: Quantum pigeonhole paradox
• Pump up the music -- especially the bass -- to make you feel powerful
• Photo editing tool enables object images to be manipulated in 3-D
• Grizzly research offers surprising insights into diabetes-obesity link
• Planet-like object may have spent its youth as hot as a star
• Smart bacteria help each other survive
• Used cigarette butts offer energy storage solution
• Obesity paradox in survival from sepsis
• Wasp venom used in new therapy for breast cancer

Scientists change butterflies wing color in just six generations Posted: 05 Aug 2014 12:10 PM PDT Scientists have chosen the most fleeting of mediums for their groundbreaking work on biomimicry: They've changed the color of butterfly wings. In so doing, they produced the first structural color change in an animal by influencing evolution. The discovery may have implications for physicists and engineers trying to use evolutionary principles in the design of new materials and devices.

Scientists introduce new cosmic connectivity: Quantum pigeonhole paradox Posted: 05 Aug 2014 10:25 AM PDT In the 20th century, two revolutions in physics shook the world. One of them was relativity, discovered by Einstein. It revealed that spacetime is not what we experience in everyday life. For example, if you travel close to the speed of light, then you will age more slowly than somebody who stays on Earth. The second revolution was quantum theory, the microscopic theory of particles, such as electrons, atoms, or photons. Quantum theory showed that nature is not deterministic -- as Einstein put it, "God plays with dice." After a century of careful testing, most physicists believe that the "chanciness" or "capriciousness" of the microscopic world is fundamental.

Pump up the music -- especially the bass -- to make you feel powerful Posted: 05 Aug 2014 10:22 AM PDT It's the day of the big game -- before heading out to the field, you put on your headphones and blast some music to pump you up. The music seemingly empowers you to do great things. This effect is not all in your head: according to new research, music truly does make us feel powerful. But not all songs have the same effect, and the levels of bass are a key factor in their effectiveness.

Photo editing tool enables object images to be manipulated in 3-D Posted: 05 Aug 2014 10:21 AM PDT Editors of photos routinely resize objects, or move them up, down or sideways, but researchers are adding an extra dimension to photo editing by enabling editors to turn or flip objects any way they want, even exposing surfaces not visible in the original photograph.

Grizzly research offers surprising insights into diabetes-obesity link Posted: 05 Aug 2014 10:19 AM PDT Researchers studying grizzly bears have now discovered a natural state of diabetes that serves a real biological purpose and is also reversible. Investigators note that grizzly bears are obese but not diabetic in the fall, become diabetic only weeks later in hibernation, and then become 'cured' of diabetes in the spring. The research reveals how natural biology can teach us new things about how animals naturally cope with conditions that would cause disease in humans.

Planet-like object may have spent its youth as hot as a star Posted: 05 Aug 2014 07:25 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered an extremely cool object that could have a particularly diverse history - although it is now as cool as a planet, it may have spent much of its youth as hot as a star. The current temperature of the object is 100-150 degrees Celsius, intermediate between that of the Earth and Venus. But the object shows evidence of a possible ancient origin, implying that a large change in temperature has taken place.

Smart bacteria help each other survive Posted: 05 Aug 2014 07:25 AM PDT The body's assailants are cleverer than previously thought. New research shows for the first time how bacteria in the airways can help each other replenish vital iron. The bacteria thereby increase their chances of survival, which can happen at the expense of the person's health.

Used cigarette butts offer energy storage solution Posted: 05 Aug 2014 06:11 AM PDT A group of scientists have converted used-cigarette butts into a high-performing material that could be integrated into computers, handheld devices, electrical vehicles and wind turbines to store energy.

Obesity paradox in survival from sepsis Posted: 05 Aug 2014 06:11 AM PDT Obesity usually leads to worse health outcomes, but a study shows extra weight increases chances of surviving sepsis. In a study of 1,404 Medicare beneficiaries, heavier patients were more likely to survive sepsis, a life-threatening infection that can lead to a stay in a hospital's intensive care unit.

Wasp venom used in new therapy for breast cancer Posted: 05 Aug 2014 06:09 AM PDT Despite there currently being a wide variety of compounds against cancer, they all have serious side effects. Furthermore, tumors are capable of becoming resistant, limiting this type of treatment. In order to counteract these two disadvantages, scientists have designed a new therapy based on a peptide - the binding of several amino acids - from wasp venom for its potential use against breast cancer.

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