ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Space station worms’ research potential is anything but flat
• Rice-sized laser, powered one electron at a time, bodes well for quantum computing
• Tiny plant fossils a window into Earth's landscape millions of years ago
• Inventors choose to reveal their secret sauce before patent approval
• In the Mood to Trade? Weather May Influence Institutional Investors' Stock Decisions
• Liquids and glasses relax, too -- but not like you thought
• For sea turtles, there's no place like magnetic home
• The secret of empathy: Stress from the presence of strangers prevents empathy, in both mice and humans
• Yak dung burning pollutes indoor air of Tibetan households
• Smart farming technique to boost yields, cut fertilizer pollution
• Harnessing bacteria to move microscopic gears and ratchets
• Huge 3-D displays without 3-D glasses
• People can be convinced they committed a crime that never happened
• New sulfate-breathing species discovered beneath ocean crust: Third of Earth's biomass in largely uncharted environment
• Out of the pouch: Ancient DNA extracted from extinct giant kangaroos
• Trans-Neptunian objects suggest that there are more dwarf planets in our solar system
• Entrepreneurs succeed in transforming used PET plastic bottles into mineral paper

Space station worms’ research potential is anything but flat Posted: 15 Jan 2015 01:31 PM PST For years, it was assumed the world was flat. Now, we have a laboratory that orbits our big, blue marble. So, it's funny to think of returning to flatness aboard the International Space Station, but this outpost currently houses flatworms for research. The study of these creatures has the potential to be rather robust in implications for regenerative medicine, an area of treatment for repairing or replacing human cells, tissues or organs on Earth to restore normal function. A new study launched aboard SpaceX's fifth commercial resupply services (CRS) mission to the space station examines the reparative processes of flatworms in microgravity.

Rice-sized laser, powered one electron at a time, bodes well for quantum computing Posted: 15 Jan 2015 11:23 AM PST Researchers have built a rice grain-sized microwave laser, or 'maser,' powered by single electrons that demonstrates the fundamental interactions between light and moving electrons. It is a major step toward building quantum-computing systems out of semiconductor materials.

Tiny plant fossils a window into Earth's landscape millions of years ago Posted: 15 Jan 2015 11:22 AM PST Scientists have discovered a way to determine the tree cover and density of trees, shrubs and bushes in locations over time based on clues in the cells of plant fossils preserved in rocks and soil. Quantifying vegetation structure throughout time could shed light on how the Earth's ecosystems changed over millions of years.

Inventors choose to reveal their secret sauce before patent approval Posted: 15 Jan 2015 11:22 AM PST Common wisdom and prior economic research suggest that an inventor filing a patent would want to keep the technical know-how secret as long as possible. But a new study of nearly 2 million patents in the United States shows that inventors are not as concerned with secrecy as previously thought. Researchers found that since 2000, most inventors when given the choice opted to disclose information about their patents before patent approval -- even small inventors -- and this disclosure correlates with more valuable patents.

In the Mood to Trade? Weather May Influence Institutional Investors' Stock Decisions Posted: 15 Jan 2015 11:16 AM PST Weather changes may affect how institutional investors decide on stock plays, according to a new study. Their findings suggest sunny skies put professional investors more in a mood to buy, while cloudy conditions tend to discourage stock purchases.

Liquids and glasses relax, too -- but not like you thought Posted: 15 Jan 2015 10:48 AM PST A new insight into the fundamental mechanics of the movement of molecules offers a surprising view of what happens when you pour water out of a glass.

For sea turtles, there's no place like magnetic home Posted: 15 Jan 2015 10:47 AM PST Adult sea turtles find their way back to the beaches where they hatched by seeking out unique magnetic signatures along the coast, according to new evidence.

The secret of empathy: Stress from the presence of strangers prevents empathy, in both mice and humans Posted: 15 Jan 2015 09:20 AM PST The ability to express empathy -- the capacity to share and feel another's emotions -- is limited by the stress of being around strangers, according to a new study. Empathy is increasingly being studied by scientists because of its known role in psychological disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and psychopathy.

Yak dung burning pollutes indoor air of Tibetan households Posted: 15 Jan 2015 08:15 AM PST Tibet, the highest region on Earth and one of the most remote, is associated with vivid blue skies and the crystal clear air of the Himalayas. During the long cold season, however, the traditional nomadic people spend much of their time in snug dwellings where they cook and stay warm by burning yak dung. Their indoor air can be filled with dangerous levels of fine particulate matter, including black carbon, a new study finds.

Smart farming technique to boost yields, cut fertilizer pollution Posted: 15 Jan 2015 08:13 AM PST Researchers are using X-rays to help farmers increase yields and cut water pollution following an unexpected discovery in a pea and bean crop. Scientists hope to combine two new technologies to provide a rapid "same day" measurement of soil phosphorus availability, enabling farmers and growers to make more informed decisions about fertilizer application.

Harnessing bacteria to move microscopic gears and ratchets Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:31 AM PST Computer simulations suggest new applications in industry by harnessing active microscopic particles in fluids. Previous research has already demonstrated that substantial quantities of self-motile or active agents such as bacteria in a fluid environment can be harnessed to do mechanical work like moving microscopic gears and ratchets. Bacteria as well as algae can also be used to transport or displace matter in fluidic environments.

Huge 3-D displays without 3-D glasses Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:28 AM PST A new kind of display uses laser beams to send out different pictures into different directions. Each pixel contains lasers and a moving mirror, which directs the laser light. Different pictures can be sent to the right and the left eye of each viewer, so that 3-D effects become possible without the need for special glasses. A prototype has successfully been built, the technology is expected to become widely available in 2016.

People can be convinced they committed a crime that never happened Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:28 AM PST Innocent adult participants can be convinced, over the course of a few hours, that they had perpetrated crimes as serious as assault with a weapon in their teenage years. This research indicates that the participants came to internalize the stories they were told, providing rich and detailed descriptions of events that never actually took place. fictitious

New sulfate-breathing species discovered beneath ocean crust: Third of Earth's biomass in largely uncharted environment Posted: 15 Jan 2015 06:19 AM PST Two miles below the surface of the ocean, researchers have discovered new microbes that "breathe" sulfate. The microbes, which have yet to be classified and named, exist in massive undersea aquifers -- networks of channels in porous rock beneath the ocean where water continually churns. About one-third of the Earth's biomass is thought to exist in this largely uncharted environment.

Out of the pouch: Ancient DNA extracted from extinct giant kangaroos Posted: 15 Jan 2015 06:18 AM PST Scientists have finally managed to extract DNA from Australia's extinct giant kangaroos, the mysterious marsupial megafauna that roamed Australia over 40,000 years ago. They have extracted DNA sequences from two species: a giant short-faced kangaroo (Simosthenurus occidentalis) and a giant wallaby (Protemnodon anak).

Trans-Neptunian objects suggest that there are more dwarf planets in our solar system Posted: 15 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST There could be at least two unknown dwarf planets hidden well beyond Pluto, whose gravitational influence determines the orbits and strange distribution of objects observed beyond Neptune. This has been revealed by numerical calculations. If confirmed, this hypothesis would revolutionize solar system models. Astronomers have spent decades debating whether some dark trans-Plutonian planet remains to be discovered within the solar system. According to scientists not only one, but at least two planets must exist to explain the orbital behavior of extreme trans-Neptunian objects.

Entrepreneurs succeed in transforming used PET plastic bottles into mineral paper Posted: 15 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST In order to cut down fewer trees and avoid wasting water, researchers have designed a system that converts used PET bottles into mineral paper or peta paper, which is biodegradable and meets quality standards required to print books, boxes general stationery.

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