ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

---

• Regenerating plastic grows back after damage
• Extinct kitten-sized hunter discovered
• 'Electrosmog' disrupts orientation in migratory birds, scientists show
• Small mutation changes brain freeze to hot foot
• Humans may benefit from new insights into polar bear's adaptation to high-fat diet
• What vigilant squid can teach us about the purpose of pain
• 'Teenage' songbirds experience high mortality due to many causes, study finds
• New grasshopper species named after Grammy winner
• Plant defends itself from pests with mustard bomb
• New study sheds light on survivors of the Black Death
• New tool to measure the speed of aging: Your handshake
• Miniature neurotransmission: Brain noise found to nurture synapses

Regenerating plastic grows back after damage Posted: 08 May 2014 02:23 PM PDT Looking at a smooth sheet of plastic in a laboratory, no one would guess that an impact had recently blasted a hole through it. Researchers have developed materials that not only heal, but regenerate. Until now, self-repairing materials could only bond tiny microscopic cracks. The new regenerating materials fill in large cracks and holes by regrowing material.

Extinct kitten-sized hunter discovered Posted: 08 May 2014 02:22 PM PDT Researchers have discovered an ancient kitten-sized predator that lived in Bolivia about 13 million years ago -- one of the smallest species reported in the extinct order Sparassodonta. The species has the features of a tenacious hunter that could feed on animals its own size, the scientists say.

'Electrosmog' disrupts orientation in migratory birds, scientists show Posted: 08 May 2014 01:36 PM PDT For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that the magnetic compass of robins fails entirely when the birds are exposed to AM radio waveband electromagnetic interference -- even if the signals are just a thousandth of the limit value defined by the World Health Organization as harmless.

Small mutation changes brain freeze to hot foot Posted: 08 May 2014 10:32 AM PDT A point mutation that alters one protein sufficiently to turn a cold-sensitive receptor into one that senses heat has been discovered by researchers. Understanding sensation and pain at this level could lead to more specific pain relievers that wouldn't affect the central nervous system, likely producing less severe side effects than existing medications.

Humans may benefit from new insights into polar bear's adaptation to high-fat diet Posted: 08 May 2014 09:13 AM PDT The polar bear diverged from the brown bear, or grizzly, as recently as several hundred thousand years ago, according to a genome comparison by American, Chinese and Danish researchers. They pinpointed genes that underwent extreme selection over time, specifically genes that deal with fat metabolism and apparently allowed the bear to adapt to a diet unusually high in fat. These genes could provide clues to help humans deal with health problems caused by high-fat diets.

What vigilant squid can teach us about the purpose of pain Posted: 08 May 2014 09:13 AM PDT Most of us have probably felt that lasting sense of anxiety or even pain after enduring some kind of accident or injury. Now, researchers have the first evidence in any animal that there may be a very good reason for that kind of heightened sensitivity. Squid that behave with extra vigilance after experiencing even a minor injury are more likely to live to see another day, according to a report.

'Teenage' songbirds experience high mortality due to many causes, study finds Posted: 08 May 2014 08:10 AM PDT The majority of juvenile bird deaths occur in the first three weeks after they leave the nest, a researcher has found. "Just like teenagers leaving home to live on their own for the first time, these juvenile birds are inexperienced and vulnerable to the outside world," said one researcher. "It is important for conservationists to find ways to provide the right habitats for these birds to survive during what is an important, yet vulnerable, time in their development."

New grasshopper species named after Grammy winner Posted: 08 May 2014 08:10 AM PDT A newly discovered grasshopper now bears the name of Grammy-award winning singer and activist Ana Lila Downs Sanchez. The scientists named the new species discovered on the side of a mountain road near Oaxaca, Mexico, after the Mexican-American singer as a nod to her efforts to preserve indigenous culture and penchant for wearing colorful, local costumes as part of her performances.

Plant defends itself from pests with mustard bomb Posted: 08 May 2014 07:08 AM PDT Cruciferous plants use a sophisticated defense system, known as the mustard oil bomb, to get rid of their enemies: If plant tissues are wounded, glucosinolates and an enzyme known as myrosinase come into contact, and, as a result, toxic metabolites are formed which deter most insects. This mechanism, however, has no negative effect on flea beetles, according to scientists. Flea beetles are even able to sequester glucosinolates without the mustard oil bomb being set off by the plant's enzyme.

New study sheds light on survivors of the Black Death Posted: 07 May 2014 06:14 PM PDT A new study suggests that people who survived the medieval mass-killing plague known as the Black Death lived significantly longer and were healthier than people who lived before the epidemic struck in 1347. These findings have important implications for understanding emerging diseases and how they impact the health of individuals and populations of people.

New tool to measure the speed of aging: Your handshake Posted: 07 May 2014 06:14 PM PDT A strong handshake can say a lot about a person: it can indicate power, confidence, health, or aggression. Now scientists say that the strength of a person's grasp may also be one of the most useful ways to measure people's true age.

Miniature neurotransmission: Brain noise found to nurture synapses Posted: 07 May 2014 10:21 AM PDT A study has shown that a long-overlooked form of neuron-to-neuron communication called miniature neurotransmission plays an essential role in the development of synapses, the regions where nerve impulses are transmitted and received. The findings, made in fruit flies, raise the possibility that abnormalities in miniature neurotransmission may contribute to neurodevelopmental diseases.

You are subscribed to email updates from Strange & Offbeat News -- ScienceDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610