ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• To hear without being heard: First nonreciprocal acoustic circulator created
• Mysterious ocean circles off the Baltic coast explained
• Thyroid cancer cells become less aggressive in outer space
• Wallaby's perception of color is more similar to a dog than a quokka
• Raining cats and dogs: The challenges of running for political office in the past
• Robot with a taste for beer? Electronic tongue can identify brands of beer
• Infants know plants provide food, but need to see they're safe to eat
• Zebrafish use sunscreen also for camouflage
• From rivers to landslides: Charting the slopes of sediment transport
• Two stressed people equals less stress: Sharing nervous feelings helps reduce stress
• The better to bite fruit with: Natural selection shapes mechanical advantage in bats
• Decibels and democracy: Voice voting can be skewed by single loud voice

To hear without being heard: First nonreciprocal acoustic circulator created Posted: 30 Jan 2014 11:13 AM PST Scientists have built the first-ever nonreciprocal circulator for sound that is able to break sound wave reciprocity. The device is a 'one-way road for sound' that transmits acoustic waves in one direction but blocks them in the other. With this device, you can listen without being heard.

Mysterious ocean circles off the Baltic coast explained Posted: 30 Jan 2014 07:20 AM PST Are they bomb craters from World War II? Are they landing marks for aliens? Since the first images of the mysterious ocean circles off the Baltic coast of Denmark were taken in 2008, people have tried to find an explanation. Now researchers finally present a scientific explanation.

Thyroid cancer cells become less aggressive in outer space Posted: 30 Jan 2014 07:20 AM PST For those who think that space exploration offers no tangible benefits, new research involving thyroid cancer may prove otherwise. Researchers show that some tumors which are aggressive on earth are considerably less aggressive in microgravity. By understanding the genetic and cellular processes that occur in space, scientists may be able to develop treatments that accomplish the same thing on Earth.

Wallaby's perception of color is more similar to a dog than a quokka Posted: 30 Jan 2014 07:20 AM PST Biologists have recently discovered that a wallaby's perception of color is more similar to a dog than a quokka, sparking questions as to why marsupial color vision has evolved so selectively. By developing a pokies-like game for the wallabies, the research was able to determine exactly what the animals saw and how their color perception differed from other species.

Raining cats and dogs: The challenges of running for political office in the past Posted: 30 Jan 2014 06:29 AM PST Modern politicians may feel they have it tough -- but they should thank their lucky stars they weren't standing for election in the Westminster constituency in 1741. On that occasion, angry voters pelted the candidates and the tellers with dead cats and dogs, dirt, stones and sticks.

Robot with a taste for beer? Electronic tongue can identify brands of beer Posted: 30 Jan 2014 06:28 AM PST Researchers have managed to distinguish between different varieties of beer using an electronic tongue. The discovery is accurate in almost 82% of cases. Beer is the oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic drink in the world.

Infants know plants provide food, but need to see they're safe to eat Posted: 30 Jan 2014 01:08 AM PST Infants as young as six months old tend to expect that plants are food sources, but only after an adult shows them that the food is safe to eat, according to new research.

Zebrafish use sunscreen also for camouflage Posted: 29 Jan 2014 03:46 PM PST For diurnal animals like zebrafish embryos, which grow up in shallow pools and are practically see-through, exposure to the sun constitutes a major problem since ultraviolet (UV) radiation damages DNA. Neurobiologists set about investigating which mechanisms zebrafish embryos use to protect themselves against the aggressive UV radiation. Interestingly, scientists have found that the UV-protection mechanism also doubles as camouflage.

From rivers to landslides: Charting the slopes of sediment transport Posted: 29 Jan 2014 01:54 PM PST The slope of streambeds has dramatic and unexpected effects on sediment transport. Experimental data from the flume lab show that gravity does not facilitate sediment transport in the expected manner. In very steep streambeds with a 22-degree or higher slope, sediment motion begins not with grains skipping and bouncing along the bottom of the streambed, but rather with a complete bed failure in which all the sediment is abruptly sent hurtling downstream as a debris flow.

Two stressed people equals less stress: Sharing nervous feelings helps reduce stress Posted: 29 Jan 2014 12:10 PM PST Does giving a speech in public stress you out? Or writing a big presentation for your boss? What about skydiving? One way to cope, according to a new study, is to share your feelings with someone who is having a similar emotional reaction to the same scenario.

The better to bite fruit with: Natural selection shapes mechanical advantage in bats Posted: 29 Jan 2014 10:48 AM PST A recently published paper lays out a team's findings relating mechanical advantage to natural selection. The researchers also unveiled an engineering model of a skull that can be computationally manipulated to morph into the shape of any New World Leaf-nosed bat species, to help uncover evidence for selection in long-extinct organisms.

Decibels and democracy: Voice voting can be skewed by single loud voice Posted: 29 Jan 2014 08:45 AM PST Voice votes, common in civic and political decision making at all levels, can be skewed by a single, loud voice, according to a study. The researchers propose locating everyone within equal distance from the vote recorder or controlling for sound on voters' microphones.

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• Single gene separates queen from workers
• Altruistic acts more common in states with high well-being
• Glass that bends but doesn't break: Natural forms inspire researchers to develop a technique to make glass less brittle
• Voice may change after nose job

Single gene separates queen from workers Posted: 29 Jan 2014 08:51 AM PST Scientists have identified how a single gene in honey bees separates the queens from the workers. A team of scientists unraveled the gene's inner workings. The gene, which is responsible for leg and wing development, plays a crucial role in the evolution of bees' ability to carry pollen.

Altruistic acts more common in states with high well-being Posted: 29 Jan 2014 08:51 AM PST People are much more likely to decide to donate a kidney to a stranger -- an extraordinarily altruistic act -- in areas of the United States where levels of well-being are high, according to a new study published.

Glass that bends but doesn't break: Natural forms inspire researchers to develop a technique to make glass less brittle Posted: 29 Jan 2014 08:45 AM PST Scientists have successfully taken inspiration from the mechanics of natural structures like seashells in order to significantly increase the toughness of glass.

Voice may change after nose job Posted: 28 Jan 2014 12:38 PM PST Patients who have undergone plastic surgery to change the appearance of their nose may also notice changes in the sound of their voice, reports a study.

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• H.M.'s brain yields new evidence: 3-D model of famous amnesiac's brain helps illuminate human memory
• Hurricane Sandy may be a blessing for tiny piping plover
• Flexible, transparent conductor created: Discovery brings bendable cell phone, foldable flat-screen TV closer to reality
• Computing with silicon neurons: Scientists use artificial nerve cells to classify different types of data
• Living cold-water coral reef discovered off Greenland
• Study analyzes content of nightmares, bad dreams

H.M.'s brain yields new evidence: 3-D model of famous amnesiac's brain helps illuminate human memory Posted: 28 Jan 2014 08:32 AM PST During his lifetime, Henry G. Molaison (H.M.) was the best known and possibly the most studied patient of modern neuroscience. Now, thanks to the postmortem study of his brain, based on histological sectioning and digital three-dimensional construction, scientists around the globe will finally have insight into the neurological basis of the case that defined modern studies of human memory.

Hurricane Sandy may be a blessing for tiny piping plover Posted: 28 Jan 2014 07:31 AM PST The piping plover, a threatened shorebird, is expected to capitalize on new habitat created by Hurricane Sandy on hard-hit Long Island, N.Y. The storm created wider sandy beaches, the plover's preferred habitat.

Flexible, transparent conductor created: Discovery brings bendable cell phone, foldable flat-screen TV closer to reality Posted: 28 Jan 2014 06:47 AM PST Researchers have developed a new stretchable and transparent electrical conductor, bringing the potential for a fully foldable cell phone or a flat-screen television that can be folded and carried under your arm closer to reality.

Computing with silicon neurons: Scientists use artificial nerve cells to classify different types of data Posted: 28 Jan 2014 06:45 AM PST Scientists in Germany are using artificial nerve cells to classify different types of data. These silicon 'neurons' could recognize handwritten numbers, or distinguish plant species based on their flowers.

Living cold-water coral reef discovered off Greenland Posted: 28 Jan 2014 06:43 AM PST By sheer coincidence, Canadian researchers have discovered a reef of living cold-water corals in southern Greenland. The first-ever Greenlandic reef is located in southwest Greenland and was formed by cold-water corals with hard limestone skeletons. There are several species of coral in Greenland, but this is the first time that an actual reef has been found.

Study analyzes content of nightmares, bad dreams Posted: 28 Jan 2014 06:41 AM PST According to a new study, nightmares have greater emotional impact than bad dreams do, and fear is not always a factor. In fact, it is mostly absent in bad dreams and in a third of nightmares.

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• Gossip, ostracism may have hidden group benefits
• New, giant virus kills anthrax agent
• Belief in immortality hard-wired? Study examines development of children's 'prelife' reasoning
• Scientists find genetic mechanism linking aging to specific diets
• Silk coat for diamonds makes sleek new imaging, drug delivery tool
• Electrical generator uses bacterial spores to harness power of evaporating water
• Shadowy world of Britain's discount hitmen revealed in new study
• Sun-induced frowning: a possible cause of aggression?
• What's with sloth's dangerous bathroom break? Maybe hunger

Gossip, ostracism may have hidden group benefits Posted: 27 Jan 2014 04:38 PM PST Conventional wisdom holds that gossip and social exclusion are always malicious, undermining trust and morale in groups. But sharing this kind of "reputational information" could have benefits for society, according to a new study.

New, giant virus kills anthrax agent Posted: 27 Jan 2014 04:38 PM PST From a zebra carcass on the plains of Namibia in Southern Africa, an international team of researchers has discovered a new, unusually large virus (or bacteriophage) that infects the bacterium that causes anthrax. The novel bacteriophage could eventually open up new ways to detect, treat or decontaminate the anthrax bacillus and its relatives that cause food poisoning.

Belief in immortality hard-wired? Study examines development of children's 'prelife' reasoning Posted: 27 Jan 2014 01:48 PM PST By examining children's ideas about "prelife," the time before conception, researchers found results which suggest that our bias toward immortality is a part of human intuition that naturally emerges early in life. And the part of us that is eternal, we believe, is not our skills or ability to reason, but rather our hopes, desires and emotions.

Scientists find genetic mechanism linking aging to specific diets Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:18 AM PST In new research published, scientists identify a collection of genes that allow an organism to adapt to different diets and show that without them, even minor tweaks to diet can cause premature aging and death.

Silk coat for diamonds makes sleek new imaging, drug delivery tool Posted: 27 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST Silk and diamonds aren't just for ties and jewelry anymore. They're ingredients for a new kind of tiny glowing particle that could provide doctors and researchers with a novel technique for biological imaging and drug delivery. A team of researchers describes this new hybrid diamond-silk material in a paper published.

Electrical generator uses bacterial spores to harness power of evaporating water Posted: 27 Jan 2014 07:12 AM PST A new type of electrical generator uses bacterial spores to harness the untapped power of evaporating water, according to new research. Its developers foresee electrical generators driven by changes in humidity from sun-warmed ponds and harbors.

Shadowy world of Britain's discount hitmen revealed in new study Posted: 27 Jan 2014 07:12 AM PST Contract killing is one of the least studied, but most intriguing areas of organized crime; and new research into British hitmen has found that in some cases victims were murdered for as little as £200. The first typological study of British hitmen has identified four main types of contract killer; the novice, the dilettante, the journeyman; and the master.

Sun-induced frowning: a possible cause of aggression? Posted: 27 Jan 2014 07:11 AM PST Research recently published examines how facial expression can trigger an emotional response. The authors set out to test this theory that mood can be governed by facial expression, to the extent that intensity of a person's smile bears a relationship to well-being, fulfillment and longevity. They conducted a study on involuntary sun-induced frowning and relationship to emotional state of the subject.

What's with sloth's dangerous bathroom break? Maybe hunger Posted: 25 Jan 2014 02:22 PM PST For the three-toed sloth, a trip to the restroom is no rest at all. It's a long, slow descent into mortal danger from the safety of home among the upper branches of the forest.

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Almost 200 years later, are we living in the final days of the stethoscope? Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:20 PM PST New research suggests the world of medicine could be experiencing its final days of the stethoscope due to the rapid advent of point-of-care ultrasound devices that are becoming increasingly accurate, smaller to the point of being hand-held and less expensive as the years pass.

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• Researchers use sensory integration model to understand unconscious priming
• Moms favor daughters in dairy study
• Better eating habits, not bad economy, stabilized obesity rates
• Brain uses serotonin to perpetuate chronic pain signals in local nerves
• Practice makes perfect if you have a partner's touch

Researchers use sensory integration model to understand unconscious priming Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:12 PM PST Priming, an unconscious phenomenon that causes the context of information to change the way we think or behave, has frustrated scientists as they have unsuccessfully attempted to understand how it works. But, recent failures to replicate demonstrations of unconscious priming have resulted in a heated debate within the field of psychology. In a breakthrough paper, Carnegie Mellon University researchers use a well-established human perception theory to illustrate the mechanisms underlying priming and explain how its effects do not always act as predicted.

Moms favor daughters in dairy study Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:19 PM PST Sorry, boys. In the end, mothers favor daughters –- at least when it comes to Holstein dairy cows and how much milk they produce for their offspring, according to a new study. The research may have implications for humans.

Better eating habits, not bad economy, stabilized obesity rates Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:59 AM PST A study says that it wasn't the economic downturn that created a leveling of U.S. obesity rates. Rather, it is likely a result of more information and efforts aimed at producing healthier food choices and eating habits.

Brain uses serotonin to perpetuate chronic pain signals in local nerves Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:46 AM PST Setting the stage for possible advances in pain treatment, researchers have pinpointed two molecules involved in perpetuating chronic pain in mice. The molecules, they say, also appear to have a role in the phenomenon that causes uninjured areas of the body to be more sensitive to pain when an area nearby has been hurt.

Practice makes perfect if you have a partner's touch Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:24 AM PST People improve their performance more when they practice with a partner rather than on their own, according to a new study. The research could ultimately help people rehabilitating from a stroke.

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• Interplanetary dust particles could deliver water and organics to jump-start life on Earth
• The scent of cancer: Detecting cancer with fruit fly's antenna
• Looking inside food microstructures
• Can walking the dogs show who's the leader of the pack?
• Liars find it more rewarding to tell truth than fib when deceiving others
• One tree likes seabird poop, next prefers fresh air

Interplanetary dust particles could deliver water and organics to jump-start life on Earth Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:12 PM PST Researchers have discovered that interplanetary dust particles could deliver water and organics to the Earth and other terrestrial planets. "It is a thrilling possibility that this influx of dust has acted as a continuous rainfall of little reaction vessels containing both the water and organics needed for the eventual origin of life on Earth and possibly Mars," said Hope Ishii, study co-author.

The scent of cancer: Detecting cancer with fruit fly's antenna Posted: 24 Jan 2014 05:27 AM PST Researchers have, for the first time, detected cancer cells using the olfactory senses of fruit flies.

Looking inside food microstructures Posted: 24 Jan 2014 05:27 AM PST Applying imaging techniques to food structure is helping scientists devise ways of improving the quality of processed food.

Can walking the dogs show who's the leader of the pack? Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:20 PM PST Dogs' paths during group walks could be used to determine leadership roles and through that their social ranks and personality traits, say researchers. Using high-resolution GPS harnesses, scientists tracked the movements of six dogs and their owner across 14 30-40 minute walks off the lead. The dogs' movements were measurably influenced by underlying social hierarchies and personality differences.

Liars find it more rewarding to tell truth than fib when deceiving others Posted: 23 Jan 2014 12:47 PM PST A report based on two neural imaging studies that monitored brain activity has found individuals are more satisfied to get a reward from telling the truth rather than getting the same reward through deceit.

One tree likes seabird poop, next prefers fresh air Posted: 22 Jan 2014 05:20 PM PST Off the west coast of Peru, seabirds deposit thick layers of guano that accumulates on the ground because of the lack of rain. Guano has historically played a key role in agriculture worldwide because it is rich in plant nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous. Now, researchers revealed the effects of guano on the native trees of the arid coasts of South America. Researchers found that non-nitrogen fixing trees become more abundant closer to sea replacing the usually more abundant nitrogen fixing trees in these deserts.

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• Bats use water ripples to hunt frogs
• Genome of longest-living cancer: 11,000-year-old living dog cancer reveals its origin, evolution
• When nanotechnology meets quantum physics in one dimension: New experiment supports long-predicted 'Luttinger liquid' model
• Death row confessions and the last meal test of innocence
• Detecting sickness by smell
• Choose your love: Sexual selection enhances ability of offspring to cope with infection
• Does it pay to be a lover or a fighter? It depends on how you woo females
• Detecting chemicals, measuring strain with a pencil and paper
• Humans can use smell to detect levels of dietary fat
• Flies with brothers make gentler lovers
• Exposure to cold temperatures can help boost weight loss
• Brain works like a radio receiver
• Hedges, edges help pigeons learn their way around
• Fast eye movements: A possible indicator of more impulsive decision-making

Bats use water ripples to hunt frogs Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:19 AM PST As the male tungara frog serenades females from a pond, he creates watery ripples that make him easier to target by rivals and predators such as bats. He will stop calling if he sees a bat overhead, but ripples continue moving for several seconds after the call ceases. In a new study, researchers found evidence that bats use echolocation to detect these ripples and home in on a frog.

Genome of longest-living cancer: 11,000-year-old living dog cancer reveals its origin, evolution Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:17 AM PST A cancer normally lives and dies with a person, however this is not the case with a sexually transmitted cancer in dogs. In a new study, researchers have described the genome and evolution of this cancer that has continued living within the dog population for the past 11,000 years.

When nanotechnology meets quantum physics in one dimension: New experiment supports long-predicted 'Luttinger liquid' model Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:17 AM PST Scientists have succeeded in conducting a new experiment that supports the existence of the long-sought-after Luttinger liquid state.

Death row confessions and the last meal test of innocence Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:58 AM PST Social circumstance often gives meals meaning, so it is logical that the last meals of those on death row may signify something beyond taste preference. While there are many factors that could contribute to last meal selection, this study is the first to provide evidence of a link between food selection and self-perceived guilt or innocence. These findings may be useful to the legal community in further assessing the innocence and perceived innocence of those who have received the death penalty in the past.

Detecting sickness by smell Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:27 AM PST Humans are able to smell sickness in someone whose immune system is highly active within just a few hours of exposure to a toxin, according to new research published.

Choose your love: Sexual selection enhances ability of offspring to cope with infection Posted: 23 Jan 2014 04:55 AM PST To test whether female mate choice enhances the health of offspring, either through immune resistance, tolerance to infection, or both, researchers tested female house mice's preferences for particular males and then experimentally assigned each female to mate with either their preferred or their non-preferred male. They found that females that mated with their preferred male produced more offspring and were better able to cope with infection.

Does it pay to be a lover or a fighter? It depends on how you woo females Posted: 23 Jan 2014 04:55 AM PST As mating season approaches, male animals are faced with a question that can make or break their chances at reproducing: does it pay to be a lover or a fighter? Or both? Researchers found that where animals fall on the lover/fighter scale depends on how much they are able to ensure continued mating rights with females.In species where fighting for the right to mate means greater control of females, such as in the elephant seal, males invest more in weapons and less in testes size.

Detecting chemicals, measuring strain with a pencil and paper Posted: 22 Jan 2014 05:23 PM PST A team of students has proven that pencils and regular office paper can be used to measure strain on an object and detect hazardous gases.

Humans can use smell to detect levels of dietary fat Posted: 22 Jan 2014 05:20 PM PST New research reveals humans can use the sense of smell to detect dietary fat in food. As food smell almost always is detected before taste, the findings identify one of the first sensory qualities that signals whether a food contains fat. Innovative methods using odor to make low-fat foods more palatable could someday aid public health efforts to reduce dietary fat intake.

Flies with brothers make gentler lovers Posted: 22 Jan 2014 10:38 AM PST Flies living with their brothers cause less harm to females during courting than those living with unrelated flies, say scientists. The study found that unrelated male flies compete more fiercely for females' attention than related flies, resulting in shorter lifespans for males and reduced fecundity for females.

Exposure to cold temperatures can help boost weight loss Posted: 22 Jan 2014 10:38 AM PST Regular exposure to mild cold may be a healthy and sustainable way to help people lose weight, according to researchers. On the flip side, that means our warm and cozy homes and offices might be partly responsible for our expanding waistlines.

Brain works like a radio receiver Posted: 22 Jan 2014 10:37 AM PST Initial evidence is found that the brain has a 'tuning knob' that is actually influencing behavior. Brain circuits can tune into the frequency of other brain parts relevant at the time.

Hedges, edges help pigeons learn their way around Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:18 AM PST Homing pigeons' ability to remember routes depends on the complexity of the landscape below, with hedges and boundaries between urban and rural areas providing ideal landmarks for navigation. Researchers released 31 pigeons from four sites around Oxford for an average of 20 flights each. They found that pigeons were better able to memorize flight paths when the landscape below was of a certain visual complexity, such as rural areas with hedgerows.

Fast eye movements: A possible indicator of more impulsive decision-making Posted: 21 Jan 2014 03:32 PM PST Using a simple study of eye movements, scientists report evidence that people who are less patient tend to move their eyes with greater speed. The findings, the researchers say, suggest that the weight people give to the passage of time may be a trait consistently used throughout their brains, affecting the speed with which they make movements, as well as the way they make certain decisions.

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