Today's Science News
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
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from universities, journals, and other organizations
Weighing the Milky Way: Researchers Devise Precise Method for Calculating the Mass of Galaxies
July 29, 2014 — Does the Milky Way look fat in this picture? Has Andromeda been taking skinny selfies? Using a new, more accurate method for measuring the mass of galaxies, and international group of researchers has ... full story
Vision-Correcting Display Makes Reading Glasses So Yesterday
July 29, 2014 — Researchers are developing vision-correcting displays that can compensate for a viewer's visual impairments to create sharp images without the need for glasses or contact lenses. The technology ... full story
Diet Affects Males' and Females' Gut Microbes Differently
July 29, 2014 — The microbes living in the guts of males and females react differently to diet, even when the diets are identical, according to a new study. These results suggest that therapies designed to improve ... full story
Cassini Spacecraft Reveals 101 Geysers and More on Icy Saturn Moon
July 28, 2014 — Scientists using mission data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have identified 101 distinct geysers erupting on Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. Their analysis suggests it is possible for liquid ... full story
Global Warming Amplifier: Rising Water Vapor in Upper Troposphere to Intensify Climate Change
July 28, 2014 — A new study from scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and colleagues confirms rising levels of water vapor in the upper troposphere -- a key ... full story
'Killer Sperm' Prevents Mating Between Worm Species
July 29, 2014 — Most cross-species mating is merely unsuccessful in producing offspring. However, when researchers mated Caenorhabditis worms of different species, they found that the lifespan of the female worms ... full story
The Quantum Cheshire Cat: Can Neutrons Be Located at a Different Place Than Their Own Spin?
July 29, 2014 — Can neutrons be located at a different place than their own spin? A quantum experiment demonstrates a new kind of quantum paradox. The Cheshire Cat featured in Lewis Caroll's novel "Alice ... full story
Social Origins of Intelligence in the Brain
July 29, 2014 — By studying the injuries and aptitudes of Vietnam War veterans who suffered penetrating head wounds during the war, scientists are tackling -- and beginning to answer -- longstanding questions about ... full story
Evolution in Rainforest Flies Points to Climate Change Survival
July 29, 2014 — Scientists believe some tropical species may be able to evolve and adapt to the effects of climate change. The new findings suggests some sensitive rainforest-restricted species may survive climate ... full story
Microscopic Rowing -- Without a Cox: Cells' Whip-Like Appendages Can Synchronize Their Movements
July 29, 2014 — New research shows that the whip-like appendages on many types of cells are able to synchronize their movements solely through interactions with the fluid that surrounds ... full story
Healthy Lifestyle May Buffer Against Stress-Related Cell Aging
July 29, 2014 — A new study shows that while the impact of life’s stressors accumulate overtime and accelerate cellular aging, these negative effects may be reduced by maintaining a healthy diet, exercising and ... full story
Lead Pollution Beat Explorers to South Pole, Persists Today
July 28, 2014 — Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first man to reach the South Pole in December 1911. More than 100 years later, an international team of scientists has proven that air pollution from ... full story
Impact of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Coral Is Deeper and Broader Than Predicted
July 28, 2014 — A new discovery of two additional coral communities showing signs of damage from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill expands the impact footprint of the 2010 spill in the Gulf of ... full story
Learning the Smell of Fear: Mothers Teach Babies Their Own Fears Via Odor, Animal Study Shows
July 28, 2014 — Babies can learn what to fear in the first days of life just by smelling the odor of their distressed mothers’, new research suggests. And not just “natural” fears: If a mother experienced ... full story
New Protein Structure Could Help Treat Alzheimer's, Related Diseases
July 28, 2014 — Bioengineers have a designed a peptide structure that can stop the harmful changes of the body's normal proteins into a state that's linked to widespread diseases such as Alzheimer's, ... full story
- Weighing the Milky Way: Half Andromeda's Mass
- Vision-Correcting Displays: No Glasses Needed
- Males' and Females' Gut Microbes: Diet Impact
- Cassini Reveals 101 Geysers On Saturn Moon
- Global Warming Amplifier: Rising Water Vapor
- 'Killer Sperm': No Mating Between Worm Species
- Quantum Paradox: Neutrons Separated from Spin?
- Social Origins of Intelligence in the Brain
- Climate Change Spurring Evolution of Flies
- Microscopic Rowing -- Without a Cox
- Good Lifestyle Slows Stress-Related Cell Aging
- Lead Pollution Beat Explorers to South Pole
- Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Impact On Coral
- Moms Teach Babies Their Own Fears Via Odor
- Protein Structure Could Help Treat Alzheimer's
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last updated on 2014-07-30 at 7:18 am EDT
A Blood Test for Suicide? Alterations to a Single Gene Could Predict Risk of Suicide Attempt
July 30, 2014 — Researchers say they have discovered a chemical alteration in a single human gene linked to stress reactions that, if confirmed in larger studies, could give doctors a simple blood test to reliably ... full story
Striatal Dopamine Transporter Binding Correlates With Body Composition and Visual Attention Bias for Food Cues in Healthy Young Men
July 29, 2014 — Scientists have described a way that brain chemistry may make some people notice food more easily, which can tempt overeating even in people who are not ... full story
Dieting Young May Lead to Poor Health Outcomes Later: Trends in Dieting Strategies in Young Adult Women from 1982 to 2012
July 29, 2014 — The younger a woman is when she goes on her first diet, the more likely she is to experience several negative health outcomes later in ... full story
Maternal Obesity Modulates Offspring Microflora Composition and Gastrointestinal Functions, Animal Study Shows
July 29, 2014 — Maternal obesity leads to marked changes in the offspring's gastrointestinal microflora composition and gastrointestinal function. This study suggests there are non-genetic factors that could be ... full story
Time of Arrival at Hospital Impacts Time to Treatment and Survival of Heart Attack Patients
July 29, 2014 — Study shows heart attack patients who arrive at the hospital during weeknights, weekends and holidays have a 13 percent increased risk of dying compared with those arriving during regular business ... full story
World's Smallest Propeller Could Be Used for Microscopic Medicine
July 29, 2014 — Scientists have created robots that are only nanometers in length, small enough to maneuver inside the human body and possibly inside human ... full story
Brand-Specific Television Alcohol Ads a Significant Predictor of Brand Consumption Among Underage Youth
July 29, 2014 — Underage drinkers are three times more likely to drink alcohol brands that advertise on television programs they watch compared to other alcohol brands, providing new and compelling evidence of a ... full story
Do Your Stem Cells Sound Like Cancer? While-You-Wait, Non-Invasive Cancer Diagnosis by Converting Stem Cell Data Into Sound
July 29, 2014 — Converting stem cell data into sounds could enable GPs to make instant, non-invasive cancer diagnoses during a routine check-up. A recent study shows how data sonification (where data is conveyed as ... full story
Autistic Brain Less Flexible at Taking on Tasks
July 29, 2014 — The brains of children with autism are relatively inflexible at switching from rest to task performance, according to a new brain-imaging ... full story
Help Your Infant or Toddler Cope With Stressful Events
July 29, 2014 — 18-month-old “Karla” was playing on the slide at the park in her neighborhood, her mother sitting on a nearby bench chatting with her friend. A loud screech was followed by a crash and the sound ... full story
- A Blood Test for Suicide?
- Brain Chemistry: Some People Notice Food More
- Dieting Young May Lead to Poor Health Outcomes
- Gut Microbes: How Obesity Is Passed Down?
- Heart Attack Patients Fare Better During Work-Day
- Micro Medicine: World's Smallest Propeller
- Underage Drinkers Influenced by Alcohol Ads
- Do Your Stem Cells Sound Like Cancer?
- Autistic Brain Less Flexible at Taking On Tasks
- Helping Babies Cope With Stressful Events
Drinking Sugar-Sweetened Beverages During Adolescence Impairs Memory, Animal Study Suggests
July 29, 2014 — Daily consumption of beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup or sucrose can impair the ability to learn and remember information, particularly when consumption occurs during adolescence, a ... full story
Watching Neurons Fire from a Front-Row Seat
July 29, 2014 — They are with us every moment of every day, controlling every action we make, from the breath we breathe to the words we speak, and yet there is still a lot we don't know about the cells that make up ... full story
Brainwaves Can Predict Audience Reaction of Television Programming
July 29, 2014 — By analyzing the brainwaves of 16 individuals as they watched mainstream television content, researchers were able to accurately predict the preferences of large TV audiences, up to 90 percent in the ... full story
Preterm Children's Brains Can Catch Up Years Later
July 29, 2014 — There's some good news for parents of preterm babies -- latest research shows that by the time they become teenagers, the brains of many preterm children can perform almost as well as those born at ... full story
Mortality Rates Increase Due to Extreme Heat and Cold
July 29, 2014 — When temperatures are extremely high or low, there is a significant increase in the number of deaths caused by heart failure or stroke. This has been confirmed by epidemiological ... full story
Using TV, Videos or a Computer Game as a Stress Reducer After a Tough Day at Work Can Lead to Feelings of Guilt and Failure
July 29, 2014 — It seems common practice: After a long day at work, most people sometimes just want to turn on the TV or play a video or computer game to calm down and relax. However, in a new study researchers ... full story
Dementia Patients More Likely to Get Implanted Pacemakers, Says Study
July 28, 2014 — People with dementia are more likely to get implanted pacemakers for heart rhythm irregularities, such as atrial fibrillation, than people who don't have cognitive difficulties, according to ... full story
Memory Relies on Astrocytes, the Brain's Lesser Known Cells: Supportive Cells Vital in Cognitive Function
July 28, 2014 — When you're expecting something -- like the meal you've ordered at a restaurant -- or when something captures your interest, unique electrical rhythms sweep through your ... full story
Stimulation of Brain Region Restores Consciousness to Animals Under General Anesthesia
July 28, 2014 — Stimulating the ventral tegmental area, one of two dopamine-producing regions in the brain, was able to arouse animals receiving general anesthesia with either isoflurane or propofol. The same effect ... full story
Glucose 'Control Switch' in the Brain Key to Both Types of Diabetes
July 28, 2014 — Researchers have pinpointed a mechanism in part of the brain that is key to sensing glucose levels in the blood, linking it to both type 1 and type 2 ... full story
- Do Sweetened Drinks Impair Memory in Teens?
- Watching Neurons Fire From a Front-Row Seat
- Brainwaves of Few Predict TV Preferences of Many
- Preterm Kid's Brains Can Catch Up Years Later
- Extreme Heat or Cold Ups Deaths from Stroke
- Media Can Make a Tough Day Worse
- Dementia Patients: More Implanted Pacemakers
- Brain Study: Memory Relies On Astrocytes
- Brain Stimulation Restores Animal Consciousness
- Brain Glucose Control Switch Key to Diabetes
When It Comes to Gluten-Free Diets, Unfounded Beliefs Abound
July 29, 2014 — Lots of people are eating gluten-free diets, but perhaps for the wrong reasons, a UF/IFAS researcher says. Such diets, while necessary for those with celiac disease, may lack nutrients essential to ... full story
Running Reduces Risk of Death Regardless of Duration, Speed
July 28, 2014 — Running for only a few minutes a day or at slow speeds may significantly reduce a person's risk of death from cardiovascular disease compared to someone who does not run, according to a new ... full story
Facial Features Are the Key to First Impressions
July 28, 2014 — A new study shows that it is possible to accurately predict first impressions using measurements of physical features in everyday images of faces, such as those found on social ... full story
Six Reasons for Headaches in School-Age Children and How Parents Can Help Relieve the Pain
July 28, 2014 — As the school year approaches and begins, many parents may start to hear their children complain about ... full story
Green Spaces Found to Increase Birth Weight
July 28, 2014 — Mothers who live near green spaces deliver babies with significantly higher birth weights, according to a new ... full story
Fist Bumping Beats Germ-Spreading Handshake
July 28, 2014 — “Fist bumping” transmits significantly fewer bacteria than either handshaking or high-fiving, while still addressing the cultural expectation of hand-to-hand contact between patients and ... full story
It Takes More Than Practice to Excel
July 28, 2014 — Psychologists have overturned a 20-year-old theory that people who excel in their fields are those who practiced the ... full story
Primary Texting Bans Associated With Lower Traffic Fatalities, Study Finds
July 25, 2014 — States that allow officers to pull over a driver for texting while driving saw fewer deaths than those that use secondary enforcement of texting bans. Some states have banned all drivers from texting ... full story
Experiences at Every Stage of Life Contribute to Cognitive Abilities in Old Age
July 25, 2014 — Early life experiences, such as childhood socioeconomic status and literacy, may have greater influence on the risk of cognitive impairment late in life than such demographic characteristics as race ... full story
Why Do Men Prefer Nice Women? Responsiveness and Desire
July 25, 2014 — Does responsiveness increase sexual desire in the other person? Do men perceive responsive women as more attractive, and does the same hold true for women's perceptions of men? A recent study ... full story
- Gluten-Free Diets: Unfounded Beliefs Abound
- Want to Live Longer? Go for a Run
- Facial Features Are Key to First Impressions
- Six Reasons for Headaches in Kids
- Green Spaces Found to Increase Birth Weight
- Fist Bumping Beats Germ-Spreading Handshake
- It Takes More Than Practice to Excel
- Some Texting Bans Linked to Lower Traffic Deaths
- Life Experiences Contribute to Old Age Abilities
- Why Do Men Prefer Nice Women?
Revolutionary Microshutter Technology Hurdles Significant Challenges
July 29, 2014 — NASA technologists have hurdled a number of significant technological challenges in their quest to improve an already revolutionary observing technology originally created for the James Webb Space ... full story
Mysterious Molecules in Space: Silicon-Capped Hydrocarbons May Be Source of 'Diffuse Interstellar Bands'
July 29, 2014 — New research has offered a tantalizing new possibility in the realm of interstellar molecules and diffuse interstellar bands: these mysterious molecules may be silicon-capped hydrocarbons like SiC3H, ... full story
A New Way to Make Microstructured Surfaces: Method Can Produce Strong, Lightweight Materials With Specific Surface Properties
July 29, 2014 — A team of researchers has created a new way of manufacturing microstructured surfaces that have novel three-dimensional textures. These surfaces, made by self-assembly of carbon nanotubes, could ... full story
Tough Foam from Tiny Sheets: Lab Uses Atom-Thick Materials to Make Ultralight Foam
July 29, 2014 — Tough, ultralight foam of atom-thick sheets can be made to any size and shape through a new chemical process. In microscopic images, the foam dubbed "GO-0.5BN" looks like a nanoscale building, with ... full story
Optimum Inertial Self-Propulsion Design for Snowman-Like Nanorobot
July 29, 2014 — A new study investigates the effects of small but finite inertia on the propulsion of micro and nano-scale swimming machines. Scale plays a major role in locomotion. Swimming microorganisms, such as ... full story
Beyond Invisibility Cloaks? Flexible Metamaterial Absorbers Developed
July 29, 2014 — Scientists have created flexible metamaterial absorbers designed to suppress electromagnetic radiation from mobile electronics. Electromagnetic metamaterials boast special properties not found in ... full story
Kill Switch in Cell Phones Could Save Consumers More Than $3.4 Billion Annually
July 29, 2014 — A new study shows consumer savings from the Kill Switch legislation exceed initial projections and now points to well over $3 billion. This savings to consumers comes at the expense of insurance and ... full story
From Finding Nemo to Minerals: What Riches Lie in the Deep Sea?
July 29, 2014 — As fishing and the harvesting of metals, gas and oil have expanded deeper and deeper into the ocean, scientists are drawing attention to the services provided by the deep sea, the world’s largest ... full story
Worldwide Water Shortage by 2040
July 29, 2014 — Water is used around the world for the production of electricity, but new research results show that there will not be enough water in the world to meet demand by 2040 if the energy and power ... full story
Printing the Metals of the Future
July 28, 2014 — 3-D printers can create all kinds of things, from eyeglasses to implantable medical devices, straight from a computer model and without the need for molds. But for making spacecraft, engineers ... full story
- Microshutter Technology Hurdles Big Challenges
- Source of Mysterious Molecules in Space?
- A New Way to Make Microstructured Surfaces
- Tough Foam from Tiny Sheets
- Swimming for Snowman-Like Nanorobots?
- Invisibility Cloaks? Metamaterial Absorbers
- Cell Phone Kill Switch Could Save Billions
- What Riches Lie in the Deep Sea?
- Worldwide Water Shortage by 2040
- Printing the Metals of the Future
NASA-Funded X-Ray Instrument Settles Interstellar Debate
July 29, 2014 — New findings from a NASA-funded instrument have resolved a decades-old puzzle about a fog of low-energy X-rays observed over the entire sky. Thanks to refurbished detectors first flown on a NASA ... full story
NASA Long-Lived Mars Opportunity Rover Passes 25 Miles of Driving
July 28, 2014 — NASA's Opportunity Mars rover, which landed on the Red Planet in 2004, now holds the off-Earth roving distance record after accruing 25 miles (40 kilometers) of driving. The previous record was held ... full story
Cool-Burning Flames in Space, Could Lead to Better Engines on Earth
July 28, 2014 — Scientists have discovered a new type of cool burning flames that could lead to cleaner, more efficient engines for cars. The discovery was made during a series of experiments on the International ... full story
Glow in Space Is Evidence of a Hot Bubble in Our Galaxy
July 28, 2014 — A recent study shows that the emission is dominated by the local hot bubble of gas -- 1 million degrees -- with, at most, 40 percent of emission originating within the solar system. The findings ... full story
Building 'Invisible' Materials With Light
July 28, 2014 — A new technique which uses light like a needle to thread long chains of particles could help bring sci-fi concepts such as cloaking devices one step closer to ... full story
New Mass Map of Distant Galaxy Cluster Is Most Precise Yet
July 24, 2014 — Astronomers have mapped the mass within a galaxy cluster more precisely than ever before. Created using observations from Hubble's Frontier Fields observing program, the map shows the amount and ... full story
Hubble Finds Three Surprisingly Dry Exoplanets: 'Hot Jupiters' Had Only One-Tenth to One One-Thousandth the Amount of Water Predicted
July 24, 2014 — Astronomers have gone looking for water vapor in the atmospheres of three planets orbiting stars similar to the Sun -- and have come up nearly dry. The three planets, known as HD 189733b, HD 209458b, ... full story
Voyager Spacecraft Might Not Have Reached Interstellar Space
July 23, 2014 — In 2012, the Voyager mission team announced that the Voyager 1 spacecraft had passed into interstellar space, traveling further from Earth than any other humanmade object. But, in the nearly two ... full story
New Approach in Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Target Alien Polluters
July 23, 2014 — Humanity is on the threshold of being able to detect signs of alien life on other worlds. By studying exoplanet atmospheres, we can look for gases like oxygen and methane that only coexist if ... full story
Atmosphere of Titan, Saturn's Largest Moon
July 23, 2014 — An astronomer has published the results of the comparison of his model of Titan's atmosphere with the latest ... full story
- X-Ray Instrument Settles Interstellar Debate
- Mars Opportunity Rover: 25 Miles of Driving
- Cool-Burning Flames in Space: Better Engines
- Glow in Space: Hot Bubble in Our Galaxy
- Building 'Invisible' Materials With Light
- New Precise Mass Map of Distant Galaxy Cluster
- Hubble Finds Three Surprisingly Dry Exoplanets
- Voyager May Not Have Reached Interstellar Space
- Searching for Extraterrestrial Polluters
- Atmosphere of Titan, Saturn's Largest Moon
Google Searches May Hold Key to Future Market Crashes, Researchers Find
July 28, 2014 — A team of researchers has developed a method to automatically identify topics that people search for on Google before subsequent stock market ... full story
A Transistor-Like Amplifier for Single Photons
July 28, 2014 — Scientists have achieved a twentyfold amplification of single-photon signals with the help of an ultracold quantum ... full story
New Tools Help Neuroscientists Analyze 'Big Data'
July 27, 2014 — New technologies for monitoring brain activity are generating unprecedented quantities of information. That data may hold new insights into how the brain works -- but only if researchers can ... full story
Collecting Just the Right Data: Algorithm Helps Identify Which Data to Target
July 25, 2014 — Much artificial-intelligence research addresses the problem of making predictions based on large data sets. An obvious example is the recommendation engines at retail sites like Amazon and Netflix. ... full story
Smartphone Experiment Tracks Whether Our Life Story Is Written in Our Gut Bacteria
July 25, 2014 — Life events such as visiting another country or contracting a disease cause a significant shift in the make-up of the gut microbiota -- the community of bacteria living in the digestive system, ... full story
New Characteristics of Complex Oxide Surfaces Revealed
July 24, 2014 — A combination of microscopy and data processing has given researchers an unprecedented look at the surface of a material known for its unusual physical and electrochemical ... full story
Gene Changes in Breast Cancer Cells Pinpointed With New Computational Method
July 24, 2014 — Computer scientists working with high-throughput data generated by breast cancer biologists have devised a computational method to determine how gene networks are rewired as normal breast cells turn ... full story
Artificial Intelligence Identifies the Musical Progression of the Beatles
July 24, 2014 — Computer scientists have developed an artificial intelligence algorithm that can analyze and compare musical styles, which they have used to study the musical progression of the ... full story
Novel Technologies Advance Brain Surgery to Benefit Patients
July 24, 2014 — In a milestone procedure, neurosurgeons have integrated advanced 3-D imaging, computer simulation and next-generation surgical tools to perform a highly complex brain surgery through a small incision ... full story
Nearly 50 Years of Lemur, Other Primates Data Now Available Online
July 24, 2014 — A 48-year archive of life history data for the world's largest and most diverse collection of endangered primates is now digital and available online. The database allows visitors to view and ... full story
- Google Searches: Key to Future Market Crashes?
- A Transistor-Like Amplifier for Single Photons
- Tools Help Neuroscientists Analyze 'Big Data'
- Algorithm Collects Just the Right Data
- Our Life Story Written in Our Gut Bacteria?
- New Characteristics of Complex Oxide Surfaces
- Gene Changes in Breast Cancer Cells Pinpointed
- Computer Shows Musical Progression of Beatles
- Advancing Brain Surgery to Benefit Patients
- 50 Years of Primate Data Now Available Online
Fossils Found in Siberia Suggest All Dinosaurs Had Feathers
July 30, 2014 — The first ever example of a plant-eating dinosaur with feathers and scales has been discovered in Russia. Previously only flesh-eating dinosaurs were known to have had feathers so this new find ... full story
Prehistoric Dairy Farming at the Extremes
July 29, 2014 — Finland's love of milk has been traced back to 2500 BC, thanks to high-tech techniques to analyze residues preserved in fragments of ancient ... full story
Underwater Elephants: Mixed Impacts of the World's Largest -- And Threatened -- Parrotfish
July 29, 2014 — One researcher got back to basics in order to discover the positive and negative effects that bumphead parrotfish exert on coral reef ... full story
Generating a Genome to Feed the World: African Rice Sequenced
July 28, 2014 — An international team of scientists has sequenced the genome of African rice. The new information will enable scientists and agriculturalists to develop varieties of rice that can survive in a ... full story
Forced Mutations Doom HIV: How Potential HIV Drug Exacts Its Toll on Viral Populations
July 28, 2014 — Fifteen years ago, medical researchers had a novel idea for an HIV drug. They thought if they could induce the virus to mutate uncontrollably, they could force it to weaken and eventually die out -- ... full story
Stress-Tolerant Tomato Relative Sequenced
July 28, 2014 — The genome of Solanum pennellii, a wild relative of the domestic tomato, has been published by an international group of researchers. The new genome information may help breeders produce tastier, ... full story
Cell's Recycling Center Implicated in Division Decisions
July 28, 2014 — Most cells do not divide unless there is enough oxygen present to support their offspring, but certain cancer cells and other cell types circumvent this rule. Researchers have now identified a ... full story
Researchers Produce Record-Length Mirror-Image Protein
July 28, 2014 — Biochemists have reported an advance in the production of functional mirror-image proteins. In a new study, they have chemically synthesized a record-length mirror-image protein and used this protein ... full story
The Role of Dairy in Maintaining Adult Bone and Skeletal Muscle Health
July 28, 2014 — Understanding that diets are often built around food groups rather than specific nutrients, researchers from Switzerland, France, and North America decided to examine interactions between four ... full story
How Sweet It Is: Bioenergy Advanced by New Tool
July 28, 2014 — Researchers have developed a powerful new tool that can help advance the genetic engineering of 'fuel' crops for clean, green and renewable bioenergy -- an assay that enables scientists to identify ... full story
- Did All Dinosaurs Have Feathers? Fossil Evidence
- Prehistoric Dairy Farming at the Extremes
- Impacts of Large Threatened Parrotfish
- Genome of African Rice Sequenced
- Forced Mutations Doom HIV
- Stress-Tolerant Tomato Relative Sequenced
- Cell's Recycling Center Implicated in Division
- Record-Length Mirror-Image Protein Produced
- Maintaining Adult Bone, Skeletal Muscle Health
- How Sweet It Is: Bioenergy Advanced by New Tool
Huge Waves Measured for First Time in Arctic Ocean
July 29, 2014 — The first measurements of waves in the middle of the Arctic Ocean recorded house-sized waves during a September 2012 storm. More sensors are going out this summer to study waves in newly ice-free ... full story
Famine in the Horn of Africa (1984) Was Caused by El Nino and Currents in the Indian Ocean
July 29, 2014 — Oceanic patterns are important drivers of climatic variability. There is a clear link between periods of drought in the North Ethiopian Highlands and oceanic phases of El Nino, the Indian Ocean ... full story
Gasses from Kilauea Volcano Affected Tropical Storm Flossie Formation
July 29, 2014 — One might assume that a tropical storm moving through volcanic smog would sweep up the tainted air and march on, unchanged. However, a recent study from atmospheric scientists revealed that, though ... full story
Mineral Magic? Common Mineral Capable of Making and Breaking Bonds
July 28, 2014 — Researchers have demonstrated how a common mineral acts as a catalysts for specific hydrothermal organic reactions -- negating the need for toxic solvents or expensive ... full story
'Nuisance Flooding' an Increasing Problem as Coastal Sea Levels Rise
July 28, 2014 — Eight of the top 10 US cities that have seen an increase in so-called 'nuisance flooding' -- which causes such public inconveniences as frequent road closures, overwhelmed storm drains and ... full story
Social Network Research May Boost Prairie Dog Conservation Efforts
July 28, 2014 — Using statistical tools to map social connections in prairie dogs, researchers have uncovered relationships that escaped traditional observational techniques, shedding light on prairie dog ... full story
Dinosaurs Fell Victim to Perfect Storm of Events, Study Shows
July 28, 2014 — Dinosaurs might have survived the asteroid strike that wiped them out if it had taken place slightly earlier or later in history, scientists say. They found that in the few million years before a ... full story
Europe's Habitat and Wildlife Is Vulnerable to Climate Change
July 28, 2014 — New research has identified areas of the Earth that are high priorities for conservation in the face of climate change. Europe is particularly vulnerable, as it has the lowest fraction of its land ... full story
Climate Change and Air Pollution Will Combine to Curb Food Supplies
July 27, 2014 — Many studies have shown the potential for global climate change to cut food supplies. But these studies have, for the most part, ignored the interactions between increasing temperature and air ... full story
Trees Save Lives, Reduce Respiratory Problems
July 25, 2014 — In the first broad-scale estimate of air pollution removal by trees nationwide, scientists have calculated that trees are saving more than 850 human lives a year and preventing 670,000 incidences of ... full story
- Huge Waves Measured in Arctic Ocean
- El Nino and Currents: Famine in Horn of Africa
- Volcanic Gasses Affecting Tropical Storm
- Common Mineral Makes and Breaks Bonds
- Coastal Flooding Worse on East Coast of U.S.
- Social Network Research for Prairie Dogs
- Dinosaurs: Victim to Perfect Storm of Events
- Europe's Wildlife Vulnerable to Climate Change
- Higher Temperatures, Pollution, Less Food
- Trees Save Lives, Reduce Respiratory Problems
Violent Aftermath for the Warriors at Alken Enge
July 29, 2014 — Denmark attracted international attention in 2012 when archaeological excavations revealed the bones of an entire army, whose warriors had been thrown into the bogs near the Alken Enge wetlands in ... full story
Fire Ecology Manipulation by California Native Cultures
July 26, 2014 — Before the colonial era, 100,000s of people lived on the land now called California, and many of their cultures manipulated fire to control the availability of plants they used for food, fuel, tools, ... full story
Earlier Stone Age Artifacts Found in Northern Cape of South Africa
July 24, 2014 — Excavations at an archaeological site at Kathu in the Northern Cape province of South Africa have produced tens of thousands of Earlier Stone Age artifacts, including hand axes and other ... full story
Biologist Warn of Early Stages of Earth's Sixth Mass Extinction Event
July 24, 2014 — The planet's current biodiversity, the product of 3.5 billion years of evolutionary trial and error, is the highest in the history of life. But it may be reaching a tipping point. Scientists caution ... full story
Synchronization of North Atlantic, North Pacific Preceded Abrupt Warming, End of Ice Age
July 24, 2014 — Scientists have long been concerned that global warming may push Earth's climate system across a 'tipping point,' where rapid melting of ice and further warming may become irreversible -- a hotly ... full story
Leaf-Mining Insects Destroyed With the Dinosaurs, Others Quickly Appeared
July 24, 2014 — After the asteroid impact at the end of the Cretaceous period that triggered the dinosaurs' extinction and ushered in the Paleocene, leaf-mining insects in the western United States completely ... full story
Four-Billion-Year-Old Chemistry in Cells Today
July 24, 2014 — Parts of the primordial soup in which life arose have been maintained in our cells today according to scientists. Research has revealed how cells in plants, yeast and very likely also in animals ... full story
Dog Jealousy: Study Suggests Primordial Origins for the 'Green-Eyed Monster'
July 23, 2014 — Dogs exhibit jealous behaviors. The first experimental test of jealousy in dogs supports the view that there may be a more basic form of jealousy, which evolved to protect social bonds from ... full story
3-D Image of Paleolithic Child's Skull Reveals Trauma, Brain Damage
July 23, 2014 — Three-dimensional imaging of a Paleolithic child's skull reveals potentially violent head trauma that likely lead to brain ... full story
Ancient Genetic Material from Caries Bacterium Obtained for the First Time
July 23, 2014 — Streptococcus mutans, one of the principal bacteria that cause dental caries, has increased the change in its genetic material over time, possibly coinciding with dietary change linked to the ... full story
- Violent Aftermath for Warriors at Alken Enge
- Fire Ecology Manipulation by California Natives
- Earlier Stone Age Artifacts Found in S. Africa
- Biologists Warn of Earth's 6th Mass Extinction
- Risk of Tipping Point for Abrupt Global Warming
- Leaf-Mining Insects Destroyed With Dinosaurs
- Four-Billion-Year-Old Chemistry in Cells Today
- Primordial Origins for Jealousy in Dogs
- 3-D Image of Paleolithic Child's Skull: Trauma
- Ancient Tooth Decay Bacteria: Changes
Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1 Most Prevalent Worldwide
July 28, 2014 — In one of the largest prevalence studies to date, researchers from the UK provide national, regional, and global genotype prevalence estimates for the hepatitis C virus. Findings indicate that ... full story
'Light Pollution' May Affect Love Lives of Birds in the Viennese Forests
July 25, 2014 — Artificial light in cities exerts negative effects on humans, animals, and their environment. In an ongoing research project, behavioral biologists are investigating how blue tits in the Viennese ... full story
Shift Work Linked to Heightened Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
July 24, 2014 — Shift work is linked to a heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with the risk seemingly greatest among men and those working rotating shift patterns, indicates an analysis of the available ... full story
Parched West Is Using Up Underground Water: Study Points to Grave Implications for Western U.S. Water Supply
July 24, 2014 — A new study finds more than 75 percent of the water loss in the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin since late 2004 came from underground resources. The extent of groundwater loss may pose a ... full story
Humans Share Fairness Concerns With Other Species
July 24, 2014 — Humans aren’t the only species to react strongly to actions they consider unfair. A similar drive for fairness in monkeys and some dogs may offer insight into people’s desire for equity, ... full story
How to Power California With Wind, Water and Sun
July 24, 2014 — New research outlines the path to a possible future for California in which renewable energy creates a healthier environment, generates jobs and stabilizes energy ... full story
Global Wildlife Decline Driving Slave Labor, Organized Crime
July 24, 2014 — Global decline of wildlife populations is driving increases in violent conflicts, organized crime and child labor around the world, according to a experts. Researchers call for biologists to join ... full story
Pesticide Linked to Three Generations of Disease: Methoxychlor Causes Epigenetic Changes
July 24, 2014 — Researchers say ancestral exposures to the pesticide methoxychlor may lead to adult onset kidney disease, ovarian disease and obesity in future ... full story
Joblessness Could Kill You, but Recessions Could Be Good for Your Health
July 24, 2014 — While previous studies of individuals have shown that employees who lose their jobs have a higher mortality rate, more comprehensive studies have shown, unexpectedly, that population mortality ... full story
Fukushima Accident Underscores Need for U.S. to Seek out New Information About Nuclear Plant Hazards
July 24, 2014 — A new congressionally mandated report concludes that the overarching lesson learned from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident is that nuclear plant licensees and their regulators must actively ... full story
- Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1: Most Prevalent
- Love Birds Prefer Dark? Light Pollution Harm
- Shift Work Linked to Heightened Diabetes Risk
- Parched U.S. West Is Using Up Groundwater Fast
- Human-Like Drive for Fairness in Other Species
- How to Power California With Wind, Water, Sun
- Global Wildlife Decline Driving Slave Labor
- Pesticide Linked to 3 Generations of Disease
- Recessions Could Be Good for Your Health?
- Fukushima Accident and Nuclear Plant Hazards
Powerful New Source of Up-to-Date Information on Economic Activity
July 10, 2014 — Researchers have developed a new data infrastructure for measuring economic activity. The infrastructure uses aggregated and de-identified data on transactions and account balances from Check, a ... full story
Computer Security: 'Melbourne Shuffle' Secures Data in the Cloud
July 10, 2014 — Encryption might not be enough for all that data stored in the cloud. Usage patterns -- which files are accessed and when -- can give away secrets as well. Computer scientists have developed an ... full story
Neuroeconomists Confirm Warren Buffett's Wisdom: Brain Research Suggests an Early Warning Signal Tips Off Smart Traders
July 7, 2014 — Investment magnate Warren Buffett has famously suggested that investors should try to 'be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy only when others are fearful.' That turns out to be excellent ... full story
Putting a Price Tag on the 2 Degree Celsius Climate Target
July 2, 2014 — Addressing climate change will require substantial new investment in low-carbon energy and energy efficiency -- but no more than what is currently spent on today's fossil-dominated energy system, ... full story
Oil Palm Plantations Threaten Water Quality, Scientists Say
June 30, 2014 — Indonesia pays a price for a lucrative crop used in many household products. Palm plantations damage freshwater streams that supply drinking water to millions of people. Found in thousands of ... full story
Are You Seen as a Jerk at Work? Many People Are Oblivious to How They Come Across to Counterparts and Colleagues
June 30, 2014 — New research shows that many people seen by others as under-assertive or over-assertive think they're appropriately assertive. The study also reveals that people seen as getting assertiveness right ... full story
Back Away, Please: Humans Tend to Fear Things Approaching, Even If Non-Threatening
June 23, 2014 — We still have negative feelings about things that approach us -- even if they objectively are not threatening, according to new research. Though we modern humans don't really consider such fear, it ... full story
New Research Proves Gender Bias Extraordinarily Prevalent in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Fields
June 23, 2014 — With everyone from the federal government to corporate America working to encourage more women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math fields, you would think the doors would ... full story
Android Security Weaknesses Caused by Performance Design Identified
June 19, 2014 — Researchers have identified a weakness in one of Android’s security features. The research identifies an Android performance feature that weakens a software protection called Address Space Layout ... full story
Crucial Security Problem in Google Play: Thousands of Secret Keys Found in Android Apps
June 18, 2014 — Researchers have discovered a crucial security problem in Google Play, the official Android app store. The study is the first to make a large-scale measurement of the huge marketplace, using ... full story
- New Source of Information On Economic Activity
- 'Melbourne Shuffle' Secures Data in the Cloud
- Neuroeconomists Confirm Warren Buffett's Wisdom
- Putting a Price Tag On Climate Target
- Oil Palm Plantations Threaten Water Quality
- Are You Seen as a Jerk at Work?
- Humans Tend to Fear Things Approaching
- Huge Gender Bias in STEM Careers
- Android Security Weaknesses Identified
- Thousands of Secret Keys Found in Android Apps
Community Service Programs That Include Reflection Found to Be More Beneficial to Youth
July 24, 2014 — Using meta-analysis to asses 49 studies from around the world, researchers have found that community service that includes reflection is more beneficial for adolescents than community service that ... full story
Stronger Early Reading Skills Predict Higher Intelligence Later
July 24, 2014 — A study of 1,890 identical twins has found that strong early reading skill might positively affect later intelligence. The twins, who are part of an ongoing longitudinal study in the United Kingdom, ... full story
Natural-Terrain Schoolyards Reduce Children's Stress, Says Study
July 22, 2014 — Playing in schoolyards that feature natural habitats and trees and not just asphalt and recreation equipment reduces children's stress and inattention, according to a ... full story
Try, Try Again? Study Says No: Trying Harder Makes It More Difficult to Learn Some Aspects of Language, Neuroscientists Find
July 21, 2014 — Neuroscientists find that trying harder makes it more difficult to learn some aspects of language. When it comes to learning languages, adults and children have different strengths. Adults excel at ... full story
Philosopher Uses Game Theory to Understand How Words, Actions Acquire Meaning
July 21, 2014 — Why does the word "dog" have meaning? If you say "dog" to a friend, why does your friend understand you? A philosopher aims to address these types of questions in his latest research, which focuses ... full story
Brain Waves Show Learning to Read Does Not End in 4th Grade, Contrary to Popular Theory
July 21, 2014 — Teachers-in-training have long been taught that fourth grade is when students stop learning to read and start reading to learn. But a new study tested the theory by analyzing brain waves and found ... full story
Large Twin Study Suggests That Language Delay Due More to Nature Than Nurture
July 21, 2014 — A study of 473 sets of twins followed since birth found twins have twice the rate of language delay as do single-born children. Moreover, identical twins have greater rates of language delay than do ... full story
Months Before Their First Words, Babies' Brains Rehearse Speech Mechanics
July 14, 2014 — New research in 7- and 11-month-old infants shows that speech sounds stimulate areas of the brain that coordinate and plan motor movements for speech. The study suggests that baby brains start laying ... full story
Want a Higher GPA in College? Join a Gym
July 10, 2014 — For those students looking to bump up their grade point averages during college, the answer may not be spending more time in a library or study hall, but in a gym. New research shows that students ... full story
Same Genes Drive Mathematics and Reading Ability
July 8, 2014 — About half of the genes that influence how well a child can read also play a role in their mathematics ability, say scientists who led a study into the genetic basis of cognitive traits. While ... full story
- Community Programs: Reflection Beneficial to ...
- Strong Early Reading Predict High IQ Later
- Natural-Terrain Schoolyards Reduce Kids' Stress
- Try, Try Again? Neuroscientists Say No
- Game Theory: How Words, Actions Acquire Meaning
- Learning to Read Does Not End in 4th Grade
- Language Delay Due More to Nature Than Nurture
- Before First Words, Babies' Brains Rehearse
- Want a Higher GPA in College? Join a Gym
- Same Genes Drive Maths and Reading Ability
