ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• How 'slippers' can end mascara irritation
• Knut the polar bear's medical legacy
• Odors expressible in language, as long as you speak right language
• Dogs sense small variations in Earth's magnetic field, new research suggests
• Odor receptors discovered in lungs: Just like ones in the nose, but instead of conjuring up a cup of coffee they might make you cough
• Genetically identical bacteria can behave in radically different ways
• Animal cells can communicate by reaching out, touching, study shows
• Atlas Mountains in Morocco buoyed up by superhot rock, study finds
• Roses are red: Why some petunias are blue
• Earthquake lights linked to rift environments, subvertical faults
• Naked mole rat named Vertebrate of the Year
• Slippery bark protects trees from pine beetle attack

How 'slippers' can end mascara irritation Posted: 03 Jan 2014 05:56 AM PST An end to mascara testing on animals could be in sight thanks to tiny organisms nicknamed "slipper" and "eyelash."

Knut the polar bear's medical legacy Posted: 03 Jan 2014 05:52 AM PST Keeping wild animals is an important component of the mission of zoos to educate the public and preserve endangered species. When animals die, tracking the potential cause becomes an investigation of pathogens from around the world. This is because zoo animals are not only potentially exposed to pathogens occurring where the zoo is located, but also to those pathogens harbored by other zoo animals. In other words: the diagnostic challenge is enormous.

Odors expressible in language, as long as you speak right language Posted: 03 Jan 2014 05:52 AM PST It is widely believed that people are bad at naming odours. This has led researchers to suggest smell representations are simply not accessible to the language centers of the brain. But is this really so? New evidence for smell language has been found in the Malay Peninsula.

Dogs sense small variations in Earth's magnetic field, new research suggests Posted: 03 Jan 2014 05:52 AM PST Researchers analyzed the body orientation of 70 dogs of different breeds, while the dogs relieved themselves in the open country and without being on the leash. The statistical analysis of the more than 7,000 observations was initially frustrating. But then the researchers made a striking discovery.

Odor receptors discovered in lungs: Just like ones in the nose, but instead of conjuring up a cup of coffee they might make you cough Posted: 02 Jan 2014 12:23 PM PST Your nose is not the only organ in your body that can sense cigarette smoke wafting through the air. Scientists have showed that your lungs have odor receptors as well. The odor receptors in your lungs are in the membranes of flask-shaped neuroendocrine cells that dump neurotransmitters and neuropeptides when the receptors are stimulated, perhaps triggering you to cough to rid your body of the offending substance.

Genetically identical bacteria can behave in radically different ways Posted: 02 Jan 2014 11:20 AM PST When a bacterial cell divides into two daughter cells there can be an uneven distribution of certain survival mechanisms. The resulting cells can behave differently from each other, depending on which parts they received in the split. This is another way that cells within a population can diversify and enhance the odds that some members of a population of bacteria can avoid threats, such as antibiotics.

Animal cells can communicate by reaching out, touching, study shows Posted: 02 Jan 2014 11:20 AM PST In a finding that directly contradicts the standard biological model of animal cell communication, scientists have discovered that typical cells in animals have the ability to transmit and receive biological signals by making physical contact with each other, even at long distance.

Atlas Mountains in Morocco buoyed up by superhot rock, study finds Posted: 02 Jan 2014 10:36 AM PST The Atlas Mountains defy the standard model for mountain structure in which high topography must have deep roots for support, according to a new study from Earth scientists.

Roses are red: Why some petunias are blue Posted: 02 Jan 2014 10:32 AM PST Researchers have uncovered the secret recipe to making some petunias such a rare shade of blue. The findings may help to explain and manipulate the color of other ornamental flowers, not to mention the taste of fruits and wine, say researchers. From the flowers' point of view, the findings also have important implications, since blue petals instead of red might spell disaster when it comes to attracting pollinators.

Earthquake lights linked to rift environments, subvertical faults Posted: 02 Jan 2014 10:32 AM PST Rare earthquake lights are more likely to occur on or near rift environments, where subvertical faults allow stress-induced electrical currents to flow rapidly to the surface, according to a new study.

Naked mole rat named Vertebrate of the Year Posted: 23 Dec 2013 03:11 PM PST The naked mole rat has been named Vertebrate of the Year by Science Magazine.

Slippery bark protects trees from pine beetle attack Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:48 AM PST Trees with smoother bark are better at repelling attacks by mountain pine beetles, which have difficulty gripping the slippery surface, according to a new study.

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