Today's Science News

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Featured Research

from universities, journals, and other organizations

VLT Spots Largest Yellow Hypergiant Star: Mix of New and Old Observations Reveals Exotic Binary System

Mar. 12, 2014 — The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope has revealed the largest yellow star -- and one of the 10 largest stars found so far. This hypergiant has been found to measure more than ... full story

Acoustic Cloaking Device Hides Objects from Sound

Mar. 11, 2014 — Engineers have demonstrated the world's first three-dimensional acoustic cloak. The new device reroutes sound waves to create the impression that the cloak and anything beneath it are not there. ... full story

Scientists 'Herd' Cells in New Approach to Tissue Engineering

Mar. 11, 2014 — An electrical current can be used to orchestrate the flow of a group of cells, engineers have discovered. This achievement sets the stage for more controlled forms of tissue engineering and for ... full story

Milky Way Amidst a 'Council of Giants'

Mar. 11, 2014 — We live in a galaxy known as the Milky Way -- a vast conglomeration of 300 billion stars, planets whizzing around them, and clouds of gas and dust floating in between. Though it has long been known ... full story

A Shocking Diet: Researchers Describe Microbe That 'Eats' Electricity

Mar. 10, 2014 — Researchers have shown that the commonly found bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris can use natural conductivity to pull electrons from minerals located remotely in soil and sediment while remaining ... full story

Bighead Carp: From 5 to 150 Centimeters in 37 Million Years

Mar. 12, 2014 — During excavations in the open lignite-mining pit Na Duong in Vietnam, scientists discovered the world’s oldest bighead carp. With a length of only 5 centimeters, Planktophaga minuta is also the ... full story

New Fossil Find: Precursor of European Rhinos Found in Vietnam

Mar. 12, 2014 — Scientists have recovered fossils of two previously unknown mammal species that lived about 37 million years ago. The newly described mammals show a surprisingly close relationship to prehistoric ... full story

New Gene for Bipolar Disorder Discovered

Mar. 11, 2014 — First on top of the world and then in the depths of despair – this is what the extreme mood changes for people with bipolar disorder are like. Two new gene regions that are connected with the ... full story

Long-Term Warming Likely to Be Significant Despite Recent Slowdown

Mar. 11, 2014 — A new study shows Earth's climate likely will continue to warm during this century on track with previous estimates, despite the recent slowdown in the rate of global warming. The research ... full story

Empathy Chimpanzees Offer Is Key to Understanding Human Engagement

Mar. 11, 2014 — New findings show that chimpanzees exhibit flexibility in their empathy, just as humans do. This may help explain the evolution of how and when humans engage with others and choose to offer ... full story

To Drink or Not to Drink: Decision-Making Center of Brain Identified

Mar. 11, 2014 — Although choosing to do something because the perceived benefit outweighs the financial cost is something people do daily, little is known about what happens in the brain when a person makes these ... full story

Saturn and Jupiter: X-Ray Laser Spies Deep Into Giant Gas Planets

Mar. 11, 2014 — Using DESY's X-ray laser FLASH, researchers took a sneak peek deep into the lower atmospheric layers of giant gas planets such as Jupiter or Saturn. The observations reveal how liquid hydrogen ... full story

Personality Predicts Social Learning in Wild Monkeys: Bold or Anxious Baboons Learn to Solve Tasks from Other Baboons

Mar. 11, 2014 — Baboons learn from other baboons about new food sources -- but only if they are bold or anxious. The results suggest that personality plays a key role in social learning in animals, something ... full story

Timid Jumping Spider Uses Ant as Bodyguard

Mar. 11, 2014 — Ants are the unlikely guardians of jumping spiders in their battle against aggressive spitting spiders. A timid jumping spider uses the scent of ants as a secret weapon to save itself from becoming ... full story

Effective Thermal Camouflage and Invisibility Device for Soldiers Created

Mar. 11, 2014 — Scientists have created a thermal illusion device to control thermal camouflage and invisibility using thermotic materials. Every natural object exhibits thermal signatures. However, if these signals ... full story

Featured Videos

from AP, Reuters, AFP, and other news services
Robot Takes on Top Ping Pong Player

Robot Takes on Top Ping Pong Player

AP (Mar. 12, 2014) — German robotics manufacturer KUKA celebrates the opening of their new shanghai plant with ping pong playing robot. (March 12) Video provided by AP
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FDA Approves Wearable Device Made To Reduce Headaches

FDA Approves Wearable Device Made To Reduce Headaches

Newsy (Mar. 12, 2014) — Users wear it on their heads for about 20 minutes per day. So far, the battery-powered device doesn't have any known side effects. Video provided by Newsy
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Volcanoes Could Have Helped Species Survive Ice Ages

Volcanoes Could Have Helped Species Survive Ice Ages

Newsy (Mar. 11, 2014) — A new study says volcanoes provided warm areas for various species like mosses and bugs to thrive while the rest of the world was covered in glaciers. Video provided by Newsy
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Elephants Can Determine Ethnic Groups By Voices: Study

Elephants Can Determine Ethnic Groups By Voices: Study

Newsy (Mar. 11, 2014) — According to a recent study, elephants can distinguish between a human friend or enemy by language, gender and age cues in voices. Video provided by Newsy
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last updated on 2014-03-12 at 3:58 pm EDT

Top Health News

jump to:    Health  |  Tech  |  Enviro  |  Society

Key Heart Failure Culprit Discovered in Tiny Piece of RNA

Mar. 12, 2014 — A small, but powerful, new player in the onset and progression of heart failure has been discovered by cardiovascular researchers. The researchers have also shown how they successfully blocked the ... full story

Building New Drugs Just Got Easier

Mar. 12, 2014 — A method for modifying organic molecules has been developed that significantly expands the possibilities for developing new pharmaceuticals and improving old ones. The innovation makes it easier to ... full story

'Fat Gene' Discovered? IRX3 Is Likely Obestiy-Associated Gene

Mar. 12, 2014 — The obesity-associated elements within the FTO gene interact with IRX3, a distant gene on the genome that appears to be the functional obesity gene. The FTO gene itself appears to have only a ... full story

Microbes Help to Battle Infection: Gut Microbes Help Develop Immune Cells, Study Finds

Mar. 12, 2014 — Beneficial gut bacteria are necessary for the development of innate immune cells -- specialized types of white blood cells that serve as the body's first line of defense against invading pathogens -- ... full story

Blood Sugar Testing With No Sharps

Mar. 12, 2014 — Measuring blood sugar when you have diabetes usually involves pricking your finger and using a glucose monitor for the test. While this approach can give people with diabetes vital information about ... full story

Breast Cancer Gene Could Play Critical Role in Obesity, Diabetes

Mar. 12, 2014 — The gene known to be associated with breast cancer susceptibility, BRCA 1, plays a critical role in the normal metabolic function of skeletal muscle, according to a new study. Mutations in the BRCA1 ... full story

Large Waist Linked to Poor Health, Even Among Those in Healthy Body Mass Index Ranges

Mar. 12, 2014 — Having a big belly has consequences beyond trouble squeezing into your pants. It’s detrimental to your health, even if you have a healthy body mass index (BMI), a new international collaborative ... full story

Immune System's Redesigned Role in Fighting Cancerous Tumors

Mar. 12, 2014 — Solid tumors were eradicated in laboratory mice by researchers using a novel combination of two targeted agents. These two synergistic therapies stimulate an immune response, ultimately allowing ... full story

Chronic Pain Research Delves Into Brain: New Insight Into How Brain Responds to Pain

Mar. 12, 2014 — New insights into how the human brain responds to chronic pain could eventually lead to improved treatments for patients, researchers say. Chronic pain is common throughout the world. More than 100 ... full story

Wishing to Be Another Gender: Links to ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders

Mar. 12, 2014 — Children and teenagers with an autism spectrum disorder or those who have attention deficit and hyperactivity problems are much more likely to wish to be another gender. This is the conclusion of the ... full story

Substance Naturally Found in Humans Effective in Fighting Brain Damage from Stroke

Mar. 11, 2014 — A molecular substance that occurs naturally in humans and rats was found to 'substantially reduce' brain damage after an acute stroke and contribute to a better recovery, according to a newly ... full story

Why Antisocial Youth Are Less Able to See Perspective of Others

Mar. 11, 2014 — Adolescents with antisocial personality disorder inflict serious physical and psychological harm on both themselves and others. However, little is yet known about the underlying neural processes. ... full story

Improving Safety, Effectiveness of Lithium Therapy: Closer Than Ever

Mar. 11, 2014 — Lithium, one of the oldest and most widely used drugs to treat neuropsychiatric illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, has a serious drawback -- toxicity. In a continued effort to find a safer form of ... full story

Education Boosts Brain Function Long After School, Study Shows

Mar. 11, 2014 — Education significantly improves mental functioning in seniors even four decades after finishing school, shows a new study. The study shows that people who attended school for longer periods ... full story

Gesturing With Hands a Powerful Tool for Children's Math Learning

Mar. 11, 2014 — Children who use their hands to gesture during a math lesson gain a deep understanding of the problems they are taught, according to new research. Previous research has found that gestures can help ... full story

Restoring Order in Brain: Brain Cell Regeneration May Alleviate Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease

Mar. 11, 2014 — Researchers have discovered that when they re-established a population of new cells in the part of the brain associated with behavior, some symptoms of Alzheimer's disease significantly decreased or ... full story

Repeat ED Visits for Opioid Overdose Raise Risk of Hospitalization, Respiratory Failure

Mar. 11, 2014 — Patients brought to hospital emergency departments more than once in a year for treatment of opioid drug overdoses are more likely to be hospitalized for overdose and to need respiratory support with ... full story

Higher Levels of Cerebrospinal Fluid Predict Faster Cognitive Loss in Parkinson's Disease

Mar. 11, 2014 — A characteristic pathological feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the presence of Lewy bodies, which are formed by intracellular deposits of the protein α-synuclein in neurons. Although ... full story

Anesthetic Technique Improves Quality of Recovery for Women Having Breast Cancer Surgery

Mar. 11, 2014 — Anesthesiologists using a technique similar to a dental freeze can improve the quality of recovery and decrease recovery time for breast cancer surgery patients, according to a new study. The ... full story

Plaques Detected in Brain Scans Forecast Cognitive Impairment

Mar. 11, 2014 — Brain imaging using radioactive dye can detect early evidence of Alzheimer's disease that may predict future cognitive decline among adults with mild or no cognitive impairment, according to a ... full story

Diets High in Animal Protein May Help Prevent Functional Decline in Elderly Individuals

Mar. 11, 2014 — A diet high in protein, particularly animal protein, may help elderly individuals function at higher levels physically, psychologically, and socially, according to a study. The research suggests that ... full story

Cosmetic Treatment Can Open Door to Bacteria

Mar. 11, 2014 — Many people have 'fillers' injected into their facial tissue to give them 'bee-stung lips' or to smooth out their wrinkles. Unfortunately, a lot of cosmetic treatment customers experience unpleasant ... full story

Girls Born Small or Underweight Twice as Likely to Be Infertile in Adulthood

Mar. 10, 2014 — Girls born unexpectedly small or underweight seem to be twice as likely to have fertility problems in adulthood as those of normal size at birth, suggests new research. "As medical research and care ... full story

Feeding Gut Microbiota: Nutrition, Probiotics Key Factors for Digestive Health

Mar. 10, 2014 — A healthy and balanced diet, as well as probiotics, have been known to be helpful in preserving gastrointestinal health for quite a long time. But it is only recently that the underlying mechanisms ... full story

Tricky Balancing Act: Antibiotics Versus the Gut Microbiota

Mar. 10, 2014 — Antibiotics are valuable, potentially life-saving tools that have significantly reduced human morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, antibiotics may also have unintended consequences from their ... full story

Healthy Eating May Reduce the Risk of Preterm Delivery

Mar. 10, 2014 — In a new study, participants completed a scientifically evaluated questionnaire about what they had been eating and drinking since becoming pregnant. The results show that the group of women with the ... full story

Dropped Your Toast? Five-Second Food Rule Exists, New Research Suggests

Mar. 10, 2014 — Food picked up just a few seconds after being dropped is less likely to contain bacteria than if it is left for longer periods of time, according to new research. The findings suggest there may be ... full story

Healthy Midlife Diet May Prevent Dementia Later

Mar. 10, 2014 — Healthy dietary choices in midlife may prevent dementia in later years, according a doctoral thesis. The results showed that those who ate the healthiest diet at the average age of 50 had an almost ... full story

Pre-Term Birth Leads to Increased Risk of Asthma, Wheezing Disorders

Mar. 7, 2014 — Researchers have published findings strongly suggesting that preterm birth -- prior to 37 weeks gestation -- increases the risk of asthma and wheezing disorders during childhood, and that the risk of ... full story

Infants Using Known Verbs to Learn New Nouns: Before Infants Begin to Talk in Sentences, They Are Paying Careful Attention to Conversations

Mar. 7, 2014 — New research demonstrates that even before infants begin to talk in sentences, they are paying careful attention to the way a new word is used in conversations, and they learn new words from this ... full story

Top Physical & Tech News

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'Ultracold' Molecules Promising for Quantum Computing, Simulation

Mar. 12, 2014 — Researchers have created a new type of 'ultracold' molecule, using lasers to cool atoms nearly to absolute zero and then gluing them together, a technology that might be applied to quantum computing, ... full story

Quantum Chaos in Ultracold Gas Discovered

Mar. 12, 2014 — Researchers have discovered that even simple systems, such as neutral atoms, can possess chaotic behavior, which can be revealed using the tools of quantum mechanics. The ground-breaking research ... full story

Material Rivaling Graphene May Be Mined out of Rocks

Mar. 12, 2014 — Will one-atom-thick layers of molybdenum disulfide, a compound that occurs naturally in rocks, prove to be better than graphene for electronic applications? There are many signs that might prove to ... full story

Good Vibes for Catalytic Chemistry: A Way to Make Better Catalysts for Meds, Industry and Materials

Mar. 12, 2014 — Chemists have discovered how vibrations in chemical bonds can be used to predict chemical reactions and thus design better catalysts to speed reactions that make medicines, industrial products and ... full story

First Thin Films of Spin Ice Reveal Cold Secrets

Mar. 12, 2014 — Thin films of spin ice have been shown to demonstrate surprising properties which could help in the development of applications of magnetricity, the magnetic equivalent of ... full story

Racing Cars on Walls Would Be Possible, According to Student Paper

Mar. 12, 2014 — Driving a racing car at an angle of 90 degrees to the ground could be possible with the right track design, new research suggests. Student researchers wanted to investigate this because it has been ... full story

Lignin Breakthroughs Serve as GPS for Plant Research

Mar. 11, 2014 — By thoroughly mapping a single specialized tissue involved in wood formation, scientists have developed the equivalent of turn-by-turn directions for future plant scientists to understand how plants ... full story

MRI to 'See Through' Metal Screws Developed to Follow Patients After Hip Fracture Surgery

Mar. 11, 2014 — People who sustain the most common type of hip fracture are at increased risk of complications. A special type of MRI has been developed that can show a detailed image following fracture repair, ... full story

Chip-Scale Tunable Laser to Enable Bandwidth-on-Demand in Advanced Optical Networks

Mar. 11, 2014 — Researchers have demonstrated the smallest wavelength-tunable laser fabricated by microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology. The laser features a wide tuning range which enables ... full story

Bending the Light With a Tiny Chip: Silicon Chip Acts as a Lens-Free Projector, May One Day Fit in Cell Phones

Mar. 11, 2014 — Traditional projectors -- like those used to project a film or classroom lecture notes -- pass a beam of light through a tiny image, using lenses to map each point of the small picture to ... full story

Galaxies in the Early Universe Mature Beyond Their Years

Mar. 10, 2014 — An international team of researchers has discovered the most distant examples of galaxies in the early universe that were already mature and massive. The mature galaxies were found at a ... full story

Possible Evidence for Dark Matter Particle Presented at UCLA Physics Symposium

Mar. 10, 2014 — Dark matter, the mysterious substance estimated to make up approximately more than one-quarter of the mass of the universe, is crucial to the formation of galaxies, stars and even life but has so far ... full story

'Death Stars' in Orion Blast Planets Before They Even Form

Mar. 10, 2014 — Astronomers have studied the often deadly relationship between highly luminous O-type stars and nearby protostars in the Orion Nebula. Their data reveal that protostars within 0.1 light-years (about ... full story

Weirdness in Cosmic Web of the Universe: Faint Strings of Galaxies in 'Empty' Space Arranged in Way Never Before Seen

Mar. 10, 2014 — Australian astronomers have shown galaxies in the vast empty regions of the universe are actually aligned into delicate strings, according to new research. Using data from the Galaxy and Mass ... full story

New NASA Van Allen Probes Observations Helping to Improve Space Weather Models

Mar. 7, 2014 — Using data from NASA's Van Allen Probes, researchers have tested and improved a model to help forecast what's happening in the radiation environment of near-Earth space -- a place seething with ... full story

NASA's WISE Survey Finds Thousands of New Stars, but No 'Planet X'

Mar. 7, 2014 — After searching hundreds of millions of objects across our sky, NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has turned up no evidence of the hypothesized celestial body in our solar system ... full story

Mystery of Planet-Forming Disks Explained by Magnetism

Mar. 7, 2014 — Astronomers say that magnetic storms in the gas orbiting young stars may explain a mystery that has persisted since before 2006. Researchers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope to study developing ... full story

Plasma Plumes Help Shield Earth from Damaging Solar Storms

Mar. 6, 2014 — Scientists have identified a plasma plume that naturally protects the Earth against solar storms. Earth's magnetic field, or magnetosphere, stretches from the planet's core out into space, where it ... full story

Icy Wreckage Discovered in Nearby Planetary System

Mar. 6, 2014 — Astronomers have discovered the splattered remains of comets colliding together around a nearby star. The researchers believe they are witnessing the total destruction of one of these icy bodies once ... full story

Storing Extra Rocket Fuel in Space for Future Missions?

Mar. 6, 2014 — Future lunar missions may be fueled by gas stations in space, according to engineers: A spacecraft might dock at a propellant depot, somewhere between the Earth and the moon, and pick up extra rocket ... full story

More Secure Communications Thanks to Quantum Physics

Mar. 11, 2014 — One of the recent revelations by Edward Snowden is that the U.S. National Security Agency is currently developing a quantum computer. Physicists aren’t surprised by this news; such a computer could ... full story

Cancer Cells Don't Take 'Drunken' Walks Through Body

Mar. 11, 2014 — Biologists have believed that cancers cells spread through the body in a slow, aimless fashion, resembling a drunk who can't walk three steps in a straight line. They now know that's true in a flat ... full story

Turing's Theory of Chemical Morphogenesis Validated 60 Years After His Death

Mar. 10, 2014 — Sixty years after Alan Turing's death, researchers have provided the first experimental evidence that validates Turing's theory of chemical morphogenesis in cell-like structures. This research could ... full story

Scientists Build Thinnest-Possible LEDs to Be Stronger, More Energy Efficient

Mar. 10, 2014 — Scientists have built the thinnest-known LED that can be used as a source of light energy in electronics. The LED is based off of two-dimensional, flexible semiconductors, making it possible to stack ... full story

Doctors Often Uncertain in Ordering, Interpreting Lab Tests

Mar. 10, 2014 — A survey of primary care physicians suggests they often face uncertainty in ordering and interpreting clinical laboratory tests. Physicians have developed their own strategies for ordering and ... full story

Two-Dimensional Material Shows Promise for Optoelectronics: LEDs, Photovoltaic Cells, and Light Detectors

Mar. 10, 2014 — Team creates LEDs, photovoltaic cells, and light detectors using novel one-molecule-thick material. Researchers have used a novel material that's just a few atoms thick to create devices that can ... full story

Synthetic Biologists Shine Light on Genetic Circuit Analysis

Mar. 10, 2014 — In a significant advance for the growing field of synthetic biology, bioengineers have created a toolkit of genes and hardware that uses colored lights and engineered bacteria to bring both ... full story

Computer System Simulates the Behavior of Tax Evaders

Mar. 10, 2014 — Researchers have developed a computer model which, in different situations, simulates the behavior of taxpayers when faced with the possibility of committing tax evasion. The simulator analyzes the ... full story

Mapping Behavior of Charges in Correlated Spin-Orbit Coupled Materials: Electronic Disruption Prods Mott Insulator's Conversion to Metallic State

Mar. 10, 2014 — Physicists have mapped the inner atomic workings of a compound within the mysterious class of materials known as spin-orbit Mott insulators. The findings confirm the properties that theorists predict ... full story

Can the Blind 'Hear' Colors, Shapes? Yes, Show Researchers

Mar. 9, 2014 — What if you could “hear” colors? Or shapes? These features are normally perceived visually, but using sensory substitution devices (SSDs) they can now be conveyed to the brain noninvasively ... full story

Top Environment News

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New Fossil Species: Origin of Toothed Whale Echolocation

Mar. 12, 2014 — A new fossil species, Cotylocara macei, shows evidence of echolocation and the complex anatomy underlying this unique behavior that has evolved in toothed whales, dolphins and porpoises. "Its dense ... full story

A Plague of Fleas: Tiny Eurasian Exotic Is Upending Watery Ecosystems Across the Northern Great Lakes

Mar. 12, 2014 — The spiny water flea, aka Bythotrephes, is devouring its way through the Great Lakes and into the surrounding inland waters, including Minnesota's Voyageurs National Park, disrupting an entire ... full story

Ocean Food Web Is Key in the Global Carbon Cycle

Mar. 11, 2014 — Nothing dies of old age in the ocean. Everything gets eaten and all that remains of anything is waste. But that waste is pure gold to an oceanographer. In a study of the ocean's role in the global ... full story

Cellular Alchemy: How to Make Insulin-Producing Cells from Gut Cells

Mar. 11, 2014 — Introducing three proteins that control the regulation of DNA in the nucleus -- called transcription factors -- into an immune-deficient mouse turned a specific group of cells in the gut lining into ... full story

California and Arizona Amaze With Two New Species of Desert Poppy

Mar. 11, 2014 — Not quite desert roses, two new species of desert poppies from North America amaze with their simple beauty. The newly described plants are found in the deserts of California and Arizona and have a ... full story

Speed Trap for Fish Catches Domestic Trout Moving Too Slow

Mar. 11, 2014 — Researchers have documented dramatic differences in the swimming ability of domesticated trout and their wilder relatives. The study calls into question the ability of hatcheries to mitigate more ... full story

Exotic Plant Species Alter Ecosystem Productivity

Mar. 11, 2014 — Biologists have reported an increase in biomass production in ecosystems colonized by non-native plant species. In the face of climate change, these and other changes to ecosystems are predicted to ... full story

Light Pollution Impairs Rainforest Regeneration: Seed-Dispersing Bats Avoid Feeding in Light Polluted Areas

Mar. 10, 2014 — Increasing light pollution in tropical habitats could be hampering regeneration of rainforests because of its impact on nocturnal seed-dispersers. These new findings show that seed-dispersing bats ... full story

Impersonating Poisonous Prey: Evolution of Interspecific Communication

Mar. 10, 2014 — Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery -- especially in the predator/prey/poison cycle. In nature, bright colors are basically neon signs that scream, 'Don't eat me!' But how did prey evolve ... full story

National U.S. Study Reveals How Urban Lawn Care Habits Vary

Mar. 10, 2014 — What do people living in Boston, Baltimore, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Phoenix, and Los Angeles have in common? From coast to coast, prairie to desert -- residential lawns reign. But, according to ... full story

Water-Rich Gem Points to Vast 'Oceans' Beneath Earth's Surface, Study Suggests

Mar. 12, 2014 — The first terrestrial discovery of ringwoodite confirms the presence of massive amounts of water 400 to 700 kilometers beneath Earth's surface. Ringwoodite is a form of the mineral peridot, believed ... full story

Crowdsourced Rain Samples Map Hurricane Sandy's Evolution

Mar. 11, 2014 — As the climate changes in the 21st century, more hurricanes may stray farther north along the eastern seaboard, like Superstorm Sandy did. During Sandy, researchers used crowdsourcing to collect the ... full story

After Major Earthquake, Silence: Dynamic Stressing of a Global System of Faults Results in Rare Seismic Silence

Mar. 11, 2014 — In the global aftershock zone that followed the major April 2012 Indian Ocean earthquake, seismologists noticed an unusual pattern -- a dynamic 'stress shadow,' or period of seismic silence when some ... full story

New Light Shed on Changing Greenland Ice

Mar. 10, 2014 — Research using NASA data is giving new insight into one of the processes causing Greenland's ice sheet to lose mass. A team of scientists used satellite observations and ice thickness measurements ... full story

Small Biomass Power Plants Could Help Rural Economies, Stabilize National Power Grid

Mar. 10, 2014 — Researchers have found that creating a bioenergy grid with these small plants could benefit people in rural areas of the country as well as provide relief to an overworked national power ... full story

Mongol Empire Rode Wave of Mild Climate, but Warming Now May Be Tipping Region Into Unparalleled Drought

Mar. 10, 2014 — Researchers studying the rings of ancient trees in mountainous central Mongolia think they may have gotten at the mystery of how small bands of nomadic Mongol horsemen united to conquer much of the ... full story

Volcanoes Helped Species Survive Ice Ages

Mar. 10, 2014 — Researchers have found evidence that the steam and heat from volcanoes and heated rocks allowed many species of plants and animals to survive past ice ages, helping scientists understand how species ... full story

West Virginia Spill Activates Engineers to Determine Effects of Chemicals

Mar. 10, 2014 — Engineers sprung into action when more than 10,000 gallons of a chemical mixture leaked from a storage tank near Charleston, W.Va., and entered a river upstream of a water-treatment plant in ... full story

Predation on Invertebrates by Woodland Salamanders Increases Carbon Capture

Mar. 10, 2014 — Woodland salamanders perform a vital ecological service in American forests by helping to mitigate the impacts of global warming. Woodland salamander predation on invertebrates indirectly affects the ... full story

Scents and Sustainability: Renewable Sources for Artificial Scents and Flavors

Mar. 10, 2014 — Fresh banana, a waft of flowers, blueberry: the scents in some labs are a little sweeter than most. Researchers are engineering bacteria to make esters -- molecules widely used as scents and ... full story

Laser and Radar Unveil the Secrets of Roman Bridges

Mar. 12, 2014 — Discovering hidden arches, visualizing the sloped outline characteristic of the medieval period, finding a Renaissance engraving on a Roman arch or detecting restorations: these are some of the ... full story

Natural Selection Has Altered the Appearance of Europeans Over the Past 5,000 Years

Mar. 10, 2014 — There has been much research into the factors that have influenced the human genome since the end of the last Ice Age. Anthropologists, geneticists and archaeologists have analyzed ancient DNA from ... full story

Emotional Expressions in Ancient Funerary Art Served as Therapy for the Bereaved

Mar. 10, 2014 — Emotional expressions on Greek tombstones from the Hellenistic period -- 323-31 B.C. -- help increase our understanding of social communication and cultural values. Despite the potential of the ... full story

First Animals Oxygenated Earth's Oceans, Study Suggests

Mar. 9, 2014 — The evolution of the first animals may have oxygenated Earth's oceans -- contrary to the traditional view that a rise in oxygen triggered their development. New research contests the long held belief ... full story

New Insights Into Ancient Pacific Settlers' Diet: Diet Based on Foraging, Not Horticulture

Mar. 5, 2014 — Researchers studying 3,000-year-old skeletons from the oldest known cemetery in the Pacific Islands are casting new light on the diet and lives of the enigmatic Lapita people, the likely ancestors of ... full story

New Dinosaur Found in Portugal, Largest Terrestrial Predator from Europe

Mar. 5, 2014 — A new dinosaur species found in Portugal may be the largest land predator discovered in Europe, as well as one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs from the Jurassic. T. gurneyi had blade-shaped ... full story

Pigment or Bacteria? Researchers Re-Examine the Idea of 'Color' in Fossil Feathers

Mar. 5, 2014 — Paleontologists studying fossilized feathers propose that the shapes of certain microscopic structures inside the feathers can tell us the color of ancient birds. But new research shows that it is ... full story

Shadows of Petra Awaken Its Astronomical Orientation

Mar. 5, 2014 — During the winter solstice, the sun is filtered into the Monastery at Petra, Jordan, illuminating the podium of a deity. Just at this moment, the silhouette of the mountain opposite draws the head of ... full story

Convergent Evolution: New Fins Evolve Repeatedly in Teleost Fishes

Mar. 5, 2014 — A new study analyzing the origins of the adipose fin, thought by some to be vestigial, finds that these fins arose repeatedly and independently in multiple species -- a striking example of convergent ... full story

Sea-Level Rise Threatens UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Mar. 4, 2014 — Some of the world's most recognizable and important landmarks could be lost to rising sea-levels if current global warming trends are maintained over the next two millennia. This is according to a ... full story

Top Society & Education News

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Face Matching for Passports and IDs Incredibly Fallible

Mar. 11, 2014 — New research finds face matching, as when customs agents check passports, to be incredibly fallible, with error rates between 10 and 20 percent under ideal, laboratory-induced conditions, and much ... full story

U.S. Cocaine Use Cut by Half, While Marijuana Consumption Jumps

Mar. 10, 2014 — A new study shows that the use of cocaine dropped by half across the United States from 2006 to 2010, while use of marijuana jumped by more than 30 percent during the period. Studying illegal drug ... full story

Alaska the Last Frontier ... Not for Long

Mar. 10, 2014 — Alaska, the last great frontier, is being threatened by many proposals to mine an estimated 5.5 trillion tons of coal. Scientists comment on the struggle to keep Alaska ... full story

Urbanization Exposes French Cities to Greater Seismic Risk

Mar. 7, 2014 — French researchers have looked into data mining to develop a method for extracting information on the vulnerability of cities in regions of moderate risk, creating a proxy for assessing the probable ... full story

Preschoolers Can Outsmart College Students at Figuring out Gizmos

Mar. 6, 2014 — Preschoolers can be smarter than college students at figuring out how unusual toys and gadgets work because they're more flexible and less biased than adults in their ideas about cause and effect, ... full story

Japanese Town: Half the Survivors of Mega-Earthquake, Tsunami, Have PTSD Symptoms

Mar. 6, 2014 — A new study shows that more than half the survivors in one Japanese town exhibited 'clinically concerning' symptoms of PTSD following the country's mega-earthquake and tsunami. Two-thirds of ... full story

Love or Kill Thy Neighbor? New Study Into Animal Social Behavior

Mar. 6, 2014 — A theoretical study has shed new light on the conditions that lead to the evolution of spite or altruism in structured populations. Understanding the way in which social behaviors such as altruism -- ... full story

Human Activity Influences Beach Bacterial Diversity

Mar. 5, 2014 — Human activity influences ocean beach bacterial communities, and bacterial diversity may indicate greater ecological health and resiliency to sewage contamination. Beaches all contain bacteria, but ... full story

Long-Lasting Device Protects Against HIV, Pregnancy

Mar. 5, 2014 — Women's reproductive health may never be the same, thanks to a biomedical engineer and his first-of-its-kind intravaginal ring that reliably delivers an antiretroviral drug and a contraceptive for ... full story

Native American City on the Mississippi Was America's First 'Melting Pot'

Mar. 4, 2014 — New evidence establishes for the first time that Cahokia, a sprawling, pre-Columbian city situated at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, hosted a sizable population of immigrants. ... full story

Over Demanding Market Affects Fisheries More Than Climate Change

Mar. 7, 2014 — Fisheries that rely on short life species, such as shrimp or sardine, have been more affected by climate change, because this phenomenon affects chlorophyll production, which is vital for ... full story

Using a Treadmill While Working Can Boost Employee Productivity, Study Finds

Mar. 4, 2014 — Walking while you work may not only improve an employee's health, it may also boost productivity, according to new research. Researchers studied employees using treadmills instead of office chairs as ... full story

Google Glass Could Help Stop Emerging Public Health Threats Around the World

Feb. 27, 2014 — The much-talked-about Google Glass -- the eyewear with computer capabilities -- could potentially save lives, especially in isolated or far-flung locations, say scientists. They are reporting ... full story

Warning: Your Open-Plan Office Can Make You Ill

Feb. 25, 2014 — Don’t blame other commuters if you catch a cold this winter: blame the people who designed your office. According to a study, workplace layout has a surprising effect on rates of sick leave. After ... full story

Portable Hydrogen Fuel Cell Unit to Provide Green, Sustainable Power to Honolulu Port

Feb. 25, 2014 — Clean hydrogen power that’s expected to lower emissions and reduce energy consumption will be coming to the Port of Honolulu in 2015 after the completion of a new fuel cell technology ... full story

Gauging What It Takes to Heal a Disaster-Ravaged Forest: Case Study in China

Feb. 24, 2014 — Recovering from natural disasters usually means rebuilding infrastructure and reassembling human lives. Yet ecologically sensitive areas need to heal, too, and scientists are pioneering new methods ... full story

Will Plug-in Cars Crash the Electric Grid? Not With Newly Proposed System

Feb. 21, 2014 — The world’s growing fleet of plug-in cars will put strain on aging electrical distribution systems. Now research presents a solution: to prevent the electric grid from crashing, break-up requests ... full story

New York Takes Lead in State Efforts to End Ivory Trade

Feb. 20, 2014 — A bill introduced into the New York State Legislature proposing a sweeping ban on the sale of ivory in New York State, Assembly bill A8824, has been welcomed by the Wildlife Conservation Society. ... full story

Sustainable Manufacturing System to Better Consider the Human Component

Feb. 20, 2014 — Engineers have developed a new approach toward 'sustainable manufacturing' that begins on the factory floor and tries to encompass the totality of manufacturing issues -- including economic, ... full story

Rise of the Compliant Machines: Sociable Humanoids Could Help Advance Human-Robot Interaction

Feb. 20, 2014 — Are we on the brink of a robotics revolution? That's what numerous media outlets asked last December when Google acquired eight robotics companies that specialize in such innovations as manipulation, ... full story

Are You Smarter Than a 5-Year-Old? Preschoolers Can Do Algebra

Mar. 6, 2014 — Millions of high school and college algebra students are united in a shared agony over solving for x and y, and for those to whom the answers don't come easily, it gets worse: Most preschoolers and ... full story

New School Meal Standards Significantly Increase Fruit, Vegetable Consumption

Mar. 4, 2014 — New federal standards launched in 2012 that require schools to offer healthier meals have led to increased fruit and vegetable consumption, according to a new study. The study, the first to examine ... full story

Zoos, Aquariums Do Teach Us About Biodiversity, Largest International Study Proves

Mar. 3, 2014 — Zoos and aquariums do teach the public about the delicate balance between animal species and their habitats, a new international study shows. More than 6,000 visitors to over 30 zoos and aquariums ... full story

Education Attenuates Impact of TBI on Cognition

Feb. 28, 2014 — Higher educational attainment (a proxy of intellectual enrichment) attenuates the negative impact of traumatic brain injury on cognitive status, new research indicates. Said one researcher of the ... full story

Can an App Help Make Life Easier for Children With ADHD?

Feb. 28, 2014 — We have tended to associate welfare technology with support for the elderly. Now researchers are looking at whether technology such as digital calendars and smartwatches can also provide support for ... full story

Father's Age Tied to Higher Rates of Psychiatric, Academic Problems in Kids

Feb. 26, 2014 — Advancing paternal age can lead to higher rates of psychiatric and academic problems in offspring than previously estimated. Compared to a children born to a 24-year-old father, children born to a ... full story

Why Breastfed Babies Are So Smart: Moms Who Breastfeed Are Often Responsive and Read to Their Babies

Feb. 26, 2014 — Research has shown that children who were breastfed score higher on IQ tests and perform better in school, but the reason why remained unclear. Now a new study shows that two parenting skills deserve ... full story

Virtual Computer-Based World an Effective Learning Environment for Healthcare Education, Study Shows

Feb. 26, 2014 — Researchers have demonstrated the potential of using a virtual computer environment for distance healthcare education for an international audience that often has limited access to conventional ... full story

New Autism Definition May Decrease Diagnosis by One Third

Feb. 26, 2014 — New diagnosis guidelines for autism spectrum disorder may reduce by almost one third the total number of people being diagnosed, according to new research. The guidelines, released in May 2013 and ... full story

Prevalence of High School Seniors' Marijuana Use Is Expected to Increase With Legalization

Feb. 25, 2014 — Large proportions of high school students normally at low risk for marijuana use (e.g., non-cigarette-smokers, religious students, those with friends who disapprove of use) reported intention to use ... full story

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