ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Bacteria get new badge as planet's detoxifier
• Part of hagfish slime mystery solved
• Materials, electronics that dissolve when triggered being developed
• Fruit flies: Male extinction prevented by promiscuous females
• Oxytocin, 'love hormone,' promotes group lying, according to researchers

Bacteria get new badge as planet's detoxifier Posted: 04 Apr 2014 05:58 AM PDT Amino acids, the fundamental building blocks of life, come in two forms that, like our left and right hand, have identical parts. But the two forms are not the same from a three dimensional perspective. One is the mirror image of the other. Proteins and enzymes in Earth organisms, without exception, all use L-forms. New evidence has demonstrated that Earth bacteria can do something that is quite unusual. Despite the fact that these bacteria are made of left-handed (L) amino acids, they are able to grow on right-handed (D) amino acids. The study takes a closer look at what these implications mean for studying organisms on Earth and beyond.

Part of hagfish slime mystery solved Posted: 04 Apr 2014 05:58 AM PDT Some of the inner workings of slime produced by one of nature's most bizarre creatures -- the hagfish -- have been unraveled. The super-strong and mega-long protein threads secreted by the eel-like animals are organized at the cellular level. The slime-making process has fascinated and perplexed biologists for more than 100 years, the researchers note.

Materials, electronics that dissolve when triggered being developed Posted: 04 Apr 2014 05:54 AM PDT An research team is developing "transient materials" and "transient electronics" that can quickly and completely melt away when a trigger is activated. That could mean that one day you could send out a signal to destroy a lost credit card, or when soldiers are wounded, their electronic devices could be remotely triggered to melt away, securing sensitive military information. The field of study is very new, but progress is being made.

Fruit flies: Male extinction prevented by promiscuous females Posted: 01 Apr 2014 06:04 PM PDT Female fruit flies with a large number of sexual partners are playing an invaluable role in preventing the extinction of males, research has shown. Scientists have found that flies in the northern parts of the United States are more inclined to have multiple partners in order to reduce the occurrence of an X chromosome which causes the production of only female offspring.

Oxytocin, 'love hormone,' promotes group lying, according to researchers Posted: 01 Apr 2014 11:22 AM PDT Oxytocin is a peptide of nine amino acids produced in the brain's hypothalamus, functioning as both a hormone and neurotransmitter. Research has shown that in addition to its bonding effect in couples and between mothers and babies, it also stimulates one's social approach. "Our results suggest people are willing to bend ethical rules to help the people close to us, like our team or family," says the lead researcher. "This raises an interesting, although perhaps more philosophical, question: Are all lies immoral?"

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