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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

ScienceDaily: Top Science News

ScienceDaily: Top Science News


Solar energy that doesn't block the view

Posted: 19 Aug 2014 05:02 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a new type of solar concentrator that when placed over a window creates solar energy while allowing people to actually see through the window. It is called a transparent luminescent solar concentrator and can be used on buildings, cell phones and any other device that has a flat, clear surface.

Engineering bone growth: Coated tissue scaffolds help body grow new bone to repair injuries or congenital defects

Posted: 19 Aug 2014 12:53 PM PDT

Chemical engineers have devised a new implantable tissue scaffold coated with bone growth factors that are released slowly over a few weeks. When applied to bone injuries or defects, this coated scaffold induces the body to rapidly form new bone that looks and behaves just like the original tissue. This type of coated scaffold could offer a dramatic improvement over the current standard for treating bone injuries, which involves transplanting bone from another part of the patient's body -- a painful process that does not always supply enough bone.

Neither too hot nor too cold: Evolution of marine crocodilians constrained by ocean temperatures

Posted: 19 Aug 2014 08:31 AM PDT

The ancestors of today's crocodiles colonized the seas during warm phases and became extinct during cold phases, according to a new Anglo-French study which establishes a link between marine crocodilian diversity and the evolution of sea temperature over a period of more than 140 million years.

How worms crawl: mathematical model challenges traditional view

Posted: 19 Aug 2014 08:30 AM PDT

A new mathematical model for earthworms and insect larvae challenges the traditional view of how these soft bodied animals get around. Researchers say that there is a far greater role for the body's mechanical properties and the local nerves which react to the surface that the animal is traveling across.

Why global warming is taking a break

Posted: 19 Aug 2014 08:30 AM PDT

The average temperature on Earth has barely risen over the past 16 years. Researchers in Switzerland have now found out why. And they believe that global warming is likely to continue again soon.

Physically fit kids have beefier brain white matter than their less-fit peers

Posted: 19 Aug 2014 05:34 AM PDT

A new study of 9- and 10-year-olds finds that those who are more aerobically fit have more fibrous and compact white-matter tracts in the brain than their peers who are less fit. 'White matter' describes the bundles of axons that carry nerve signals from one brain region to another. More compact white matter is associated with faster and more efficient nerve activity.

New 'invisibility cloak': Octopus-inspired camouflage systems automatically read surroundings and mimic them

Posted: 18 Aug 2014 05:41 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a technology that allows a material to automatically read its environment and adapt to mimic its surroundings. Cunjiang Yu, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Houston and lead author of the paper, said the system was inspired by the skins of cephalopods, a class of marine animals which can change coloration quickly, both for camouflage and as a form of warning.

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