ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Intelligent computers solving the trust equation in difficult negotiations
• Prehistoric stone tools bear 500,000-year-old animal residue
• Milky Way's center unveils supernova 'dust factory'
• Sharper nanoscopy: What happens when a quantum dot looks in a mirror?
• Altering brain chemistry makes us more sensitive to inequality
• Future robotics: Think self-fixing bridges; shoes that optimize for walking, running; camouflaging cars
• Scientists invent new way to control light, critical for next gen of super fast computing
• Color-morphing reef fish is a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’
• Medical expansion has led people worldwide to feel less healthy
• How does weight stigma smell? Sense of smell may reveal weight bias
• Fast-food ban in L.A. fails to improve diets or cut obesity, study finds
• Crocodile ancestor was top predator before dinosaurs roamed North America
• Senior citizens increasingly satisfied with their sex lives

Intelligent computers solving the trust equation in difficult negotiations Posted: 19 Mar 2015 04:31 PM PDT Socially intelligent computers can turn difficult online negotiations into win?win situations through tactical information disclosure.

Prehistoric stone tools bear 500,000-year-old animal residue Posted: 19 Mar 2015 12:07 PM PDT Among 500,000-year-old elephant remains at a Lower Paleolithic site in Revadim, Israel, archaeologists recently analyzed 'hand axes' and 'scrapers,' universally shaped and sized prehistoric stone tools, replete with animal residue. The research represents the first scientifically verified direct evidence for the precise use of Paleolithic stone tools: to process animal carcasses and hides.

Milky Way's center unveils supernova 'dust factory' Posted: 19 Mar 2015 11:34 AM PDT Sifting through the center of the Milky Way galaxy, astronomers have made the first direct observations -- using an infrared telescope aboard a modified Boeing 747 -- of cosmic building-block dust resulting from an ancient supernova.

Sharper nanoscopy: What happens when a quantum dot looks in a mirror? Posted: 19 Mar 2015 11:34 AM PDT The advent of super-resolved microscopy with visible light won this year's chemistry Nobel. Scientists have now discovered how to make nanoscale images even sharper.

Altering brain chemistry makes us more sensitive to inequality Posted: 19 Mar 2015 11:34 AM PDT What if there were a pill that made you more compassionate? A new study finds that giving a drug that changes the neurochemical balance in the brain causes a greater willingness to engage in prosocial behaviors, such as ensuring that resources are divided more equally.

Future robotics: Think self-fixing bridges; shoes that optimize for walking, running; camouflaging cars Posted: 19 Mar 2015 11:33 AM PDT Advances in materials science, distributed algorithms and manufacturing processes are revolutionizing robotic materials. Prosthetics with a realistic sense of touch. Bridges that detect and repair their own damage. Vehicles with camouflaging capabilities. Advances in materials science, distributed algorithms and manufacturing processes are bringing all of these things closer to reality every day.

Scientists invent new way to control light, critical for next gen of super fast computing Posted: 19 Mar 2015 10:10 AM PDT A device resembling a plastic honeycomb yet infinitely smaller than a bee's stinger can steer light beams around tighter curves than ever before possible, while keeping the integrity and intensity of the beam intact.

Color-morphing reef fish is a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ Posted: 19 Mar 2015 09:38 AM PDT A new study has shown that the dottyback, a small predatory reef fish, can change the color of its body to imitate a variety of other reef fish species, allowing the dottyback to sneak up undetected and eat their young.

Medical expansion has led people worldwide to feel less healthy Posted: 19 Mar 2015 07:42 AM PDT Across much of the Western world, 25 years of expansion of the medical system has actually led to people feeling less healthy over time, a new study has found.

How does weight stigma smell? Sense of smell may reveal weight bias Posted: 19 Mar 2015 06:22 AM PDT Could our reaction to an image of an overweight or obese person affect how we perceive odor? A trio of researchers says yes. The researchers discovered that visual cues associated with overweight or obese people can influence one's sense of smell, and that the perceiver's body mass index matters, too. Participants with higher BMI tended to be more critical of heavier people, with higher-BMI participants giving scents a lower rating when scent samples were matched with an obese or overweight individual.

Fast-food ban in L.A. fails to improve diets or cut obesity, study finds Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:03 AM PDT In 2008, the city of Los Angeles passed a law restricting the opening or expansion of any 'stand-alone fast-food restaurant' in low-income neighborhoods where obesity was a problem. A new study finds the measure has failed to reduce fast-food consumption or reduce obesity rates in the targeted neighborhoods.

Crocodile ancestor was top predator before dinosaurs roamed North America Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:03 AM PDT A newly discovered crocodilian ancestor may have filled one of North America's top predator roles before dinosaurs arrived on the continent. Carnufex carolinensis, or the 'Carolina Butcher,' was a nine-foot long, land-dwelling crocodylomorph that walked on its hind legs and likely preyed upon smaller inhabitants of North Carolina ecosystems such as armored reptiles and early mammal relatives.

Senior citizens increasingly satisfied with their sex lives Posted: 17 Mar 2015 07:39 AM PDT Senior citizens have experienced a considerable improvement in their sex lives since the 1970s. Six out of every ten women and seven out of every ten men over 70 are highly satisfied with their sex lives, according to new research.

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