ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Bionic plants: Nanotechnology could turn shrubbery into supercharged energy producers
• Novel membrane reveals water molecules will bounce off a liquid surface
• Reindeer grazing may counteract effects of climate warming on tundra carbon sink
• Tequila plant possible sweetener for diabetics, helps reduce blood sugar, weight
• Do elephants call 'human!'? Low rumble alarm call in response to the sound of human voices
• Advance toward developing an oral pain reliever derived from debilitating snail venom
• Harnessing everyday motion to power mobile devices

Bionic plants: Nanotechnology could turn shrubbery into supercharged energy producers Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:33 PM PDT Plants have many valuable functions: They provide food and fuel, release the oxygen that we breathe, and add beauty to our surroundings. Now, researchers wants to make plants even more useful by augmenting them with nanomaterials that could enhance their energy production and give them completely new functions, such as monitoring environmental pollutants.

Novel membrane reveals water molecules will bounce off a liquid surface Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:33 PM PDT Consider the nearest water surface: a half-full glass on your desk, a puddle outside your window, or a lake across town. All of these surfaces represent liquid-vapor interfaces, where liquid meets air. Molecules of water vapor constantly collide with these liquid surfaces: Some make it through the surface and condense, while others simply bounce off. The probability that a vapor molecule will bounce, or reflect, off a liquid surface is a fundamental property of water, much like its boiling point. And yet, in the last century, there has been little agreement on the likelihood that a water molecule will bounce off the liquid surface.

Reindeer grazing may counteract effects of climate warming on tundra carbon sink Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:30 PM PDT Local reindeer grazing history is an important determinant in the response of an ecosystem's carbon sink to climate warming, say researchers. The significance of reindeer grazing history to tundra carbon balances has not been previously studied. The present results may modify climate models that predict the effects of global warming on global carbon cycles. The study shows that it is critical to know the grazing history before the responses of tundra carbon balances to climate warming can be understood. Different tundra systems possess highly varying grazing histories as a result of past and present reindeer management practices.

Tequila plant possible sweetener for diabetics, helps reduce blood sugar, weight Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:29 PM PDT A sweetener created from the plant used to make tequila could lower blood glucose levels for the 26 million Americans and others worldwide who have type 2 diabetes and help them and the obese lose weight, researchers have reported. The main reason it could be valuable, they explained, is that agavins, a natural form of sugar found in the agave plant, are non-digestible and can act as a dietary fiber, so they would not raise blood glucose.

Do elephants call 'human!'? Low rumble alarm call in response to the sound of human voices Posted: 16 Mar 2014 10:37 AM PDT African elephants make a specific alarm call in response to the danger of humans, according to a new study of wild elephants in Kenya. Researchers carried out a series of audio experiments in which recordings of the voices of the Samburu, a local tribe from North Kenya, were played to resting elephants. The elephants quickly reacted, becoming more vigilant and running away from the sound whilst emitting a distinctive low rumble.

Advance toward developing an oral pain reliever derived from debilitating snail venom Posted: 16 Mar 2014 10:28 AM PDT At least five new experimental substances — based on a tiny protein found in cone snail venom — could someday lead to the development of safe and effective oral medications for the treatment of chronic nerve pain, researchers have reported. They say the substances could potentially be stronger than morphine, with fewer side effects and lower risk of abuse.

Harnessing everyday motion to power mobile devices Posted: 16 Mar 2014 07:27 AM PDT Imagine powering your cell phone by simply walking around your office or rubbing it with the palm of your hand. Rather than plugging it into the wall, you become the power source. Scientists were recently working on a miniature generator based on an energy phenomenon called the piezoelectric effect, which is electricity resulting from pressure. To their surprise, it produced more power than expected.

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