ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Crocodilians can climb trees and bask in the tree crowns
• Why white dots appear larger than equal size black dots: How Galileo's visual illusion works in the mind's eye
• Flowing water on Mars appears likely but hard to prove: Studies examine puzzling summertime streaks
• With their amazing necks, ants don't need 'high hopes' to do heavy lifting
• Is height important in matters of the heart? New study says yes
• Threatened eels disappear in the deep ocean on their way to the Sargasso Sea
• Nanomotors are controlled, for the first time, inside living cells
• Virtual avatars may impact real-world behavior
• Fight or flight? Vocal cues help deer decide during mating season
• Invasive 'demon shrimp' threaten British marine species
• Want brand loyalty? Scare your customers

Crocodilians can climb trees and bask in the tree crowns Posted: 10 Feb 2014 03:45 PM PST When most people envision crocodiles and alligators, they think of them waddling on the ground or wading in water -- not climbing trees. However, a new study has found that the reptiles can climb trees as far as the crowns.

Why white dots appear larger than equal size black dots: How Galileo's visual illusion works in the mind's eye Posted: 10 Feb 2014 01:13 PM PST Scientists have studied a visual illusion first discovered by Galileo Galilei, and found that it occurs because of the surprising way our eyes see lightness and darkness in the world. Their results advance our understanding of how our brains are wired for seeing white versus black objects.

Flowing water on Mars appears likely but hard to prove: Studies examine puzzling summertime streaks Posted: 10 Feb 2014 01:12 PM PST Martian experts have known since 2011 that mysterious, possibly water-related streaks appear and disappear on the planet's surface. These features were given the descriptive name of recurring slope lineae (RSL) because of their shape, annual reappearance and occurrence generally on steep slopes such as crater walls. Researchers have been taking a closer look at this phenomenon, searching for minerals that RSL might leave in their wake, to try to understand the nature of these features: water-related or not?

With their amazing necks, ants don't need 'high hopes' to do heavy lifting Posted: 10 Feb 2014 01:12 PM PST Researchers have discovered that the neck joint of a common American field ant can withstand astounding pressures. Similar joints might enable future robots to mimic the ant's weight-lifting ability on earth and in space.

Is height important in matters of the heart? New study says yes Posted: 10 Feb 2014 08:45 AM PST Is height important in matters of the heart? According to new research, the height of a potential partner matters more to women than men, and mostly for femininity and protection.

Threatened eels disappear in the deep ocean on their way to the Sargasso Sea Posted: 10 Feb 2014 07:19 AM PST When the threatened European eels cross the Atlantic Ocean to get to the Sargasso Sea to spawn, they swim in deep water. But this does not protect them from predators, researchers report: Even in deep water the eels are hunted and eaten.

Nanomotors are controlled, for the first time, inside living cells Posted: 10 Feb 2014 06:53 AM PST Nanomotors have been controlled inside living cells for the first time, report a team of chemists and engineers. The scientists placed tiny rocket-shaped synthetic motors inside live human cells, propelled them with ultrasonic waves and steered them magnetically to spin and to battering against the cell membrane.

Virtual avatars may impact real-world behavior Posted: 10 Feb 2014 05:32 AM PST How you represent yourself in the virtual world of video games may affect how you behave toward others in the real world, according to new research.

Fight or flight? Vocal cues help deer decide during mating season Posted: 09 Feb 2014 04:23 PM PST Male fallow deer are sensitive to changes in the groans that rivals make during mating season when competing for the attention of female deer, and can assess the level of threat other males pose simply from vocal cues, according to new research.

Invasive 'demon shrimp' threaten British marine species Posted: 09 Feb 2014 04:23 PM PST A species of shrimp, dubbed the 'demon shrimp,' which was previously unknown in British waters, is attacking and eating native shrimp and disrupting the food chain in some of England's rivers and lakes. The problem is contributing to the cost of Invasive non-native species (INNS) to the British economy, which is estimated at a total annual cost of approximately £1.7 billion.

Want brand loyalty? Scare your customers Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:10 AM PST Consumers will cling to a consumer product for comfort if watching a scary movie on their own, a new study shows. This finding contradicts industry norms which see significantly fewer product placements in horror films compared to other genres.

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