ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• First detailed microscopy evidence of bacteria at the lower size limit of life
• Life 'not as we know it' possible on Saturn's moon Titan
• Mystery of the reverse-wired eyeball solved
• Zombie outbreak? Statistical mechanics reveals the ideal hideout; and informs real disease modeling
• The biobattery: Turning sewage sludge into electricity and engine oil
• Neurons controlling appetite made from skin cells
• Quantum radar to detect objects which are invisible to conventional systems
• Wind-powered freighters
• Talking drone offers aviation safety boost

First detailed microscopy evidence of bacteria at the lower size limit of life Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:13 PM PST Scientists have captured the first detailed microscopy images of ultra-small bacteria that are believed to be about as small as life can get. The existence of ultra-small bacteria has been debated for two decades, but there hasn't been a comprehensive electron microscopy and DNA-based description of the microbes until now. The cells have an average volume of 0.009 cubic microns (one micron is one millionth of a meter). About 150 of these bacteria could fit inside an Escherichia coli cell and more than 150,000 cells could fit onto the tip of a human hair.

Life 'not as we know it' possible on Saturn's moon Titan Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:13 PM PST A new type of methane-based, oxygen-free life form that can metabolize and reproduce similar to life on Earth has been modeled. It is theorized to have a cell membrane, composed of small organic nitrogen compounds and capable of functioning in liquid methane temperatures of 292 degrees below zero.

Mystery of the reverse-wired eyeball solved Posted: 27 Feb 2015 10:10 AM PST Counter-intuitively, in vertebrates photoreceptors are located behind the neurons in the back of the eye. Now physicists explain why the neural wiring seems to be backwards.

Zombie outbreak? Statistical mechanics reveals the ideal hideout; and informs real disease modeling Posted: 27 Feb 2015 08:27 AM PST A team researchers focusing on a fictional zombie outbreak as an approach to disease modeling suggests heading for the hills, in the Rockies, to save your brains from the undead.

The biobattery: Turning sewage sludge into electricity and engine oil Posted: 27 Feb 2015 08:25 AM PST Sewage sludge, green waste, production residue from the food industry, straw or animal excrement – with the biobattery's modular concept a much larger range of biomass can be utilized for energy recovery than previously. Researchers show that they can convert organic residues into electricity, heat, purified gas, engine oil and high quality biochar using this process.

Neurons controlling appetite made from skin cells Posted: 27 Feb 2015 08:25 AM PST Researchers have for the first time successfully converted adult human skin cells into neurons of the type that regulate appetite, providing a patient-specific model for studying the neurophysiology of weight control and testing new therapies for obesity.

Quantum radar to detect objects which are invisible to conventional systems Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:46 AM PST A prototype quantum radar that has the potential to detect objects which are invisible to conventional systems has now been developed.

Wind-powered freighters Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:45 AM PST To make ships more eco-efficient, engineers have been working with alternative fuels. A Norwegian engineer is currently pursuing a new approach: With VindskipTM, he has designed a cargo ship that is powered by wind and gas. Software will ensure an optimum use of the available wind energy at any time.

Talking drone offers aviation safety boost Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:43 AM PST In a world first, researchers have developed a talking drone that can converse with air traffic controllers just like a normal pilot.

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• Living in genetic comfort zone: How to avoid influence of genetic variation
• How mantis shrimp evolved many shapes with same powerful punch
• Neurons that help predict what another individual will do identified
• Bumblebees make false memories too
• Building blocks of the future defy logic: New logic-defying mathematical model
• Could squirmy livestock dent africa's protein deficit?
• New insight found in black hole collisions
• Optical features embedded in marine shells may help develop responsive, transparent displays
• Pockets of calm protect molecules around a supermassive black hole
• Sewage provides insight into human microbiome

Living in genetic comfort zone: How to avoid influence of genetic variation Posted: 26 Feb 2015 11:14 AM PST The phenotype of organisms is shaped by the interaction between environmental factors and their genetic constitution. A recent study by a team of population geneticists shows that fruit flies live in a sort of genetic comfort zone at a specific temperature. The scientists found that, despite their underlying genetic differences, two separate strains of flies had a very similar gene expression pattern at 18°C. This effect of 'canalization', which has also been described in humans, allows organisms to continue to grow and develop stable even in the face of genetic and environmental stress.

How mantis shrimp evolved many shapes with same powerful punch Posted: 26 Feb 2015 10:21 AM PST The miniweight boxing title of the animal world belongs to the mantis shrimp, a cigar-sized crustacean whose front claws can deliver an explosive 60-mile-per-hour blow akin to a bullet leaving the barrel of a gun. A study of 80 million years of mantis shrimp evolution reveals how these fast weapons evolved their dizzying array of shapes -- from spiny and barbed spears to hatchets and hammers -- while still managing to pack their characteristic punch.

Neurons that help predict what another individual will do identified Posted: 26 Feb 2015 10:20 AM PST Investigators have discovered two groups of neurons that play key roles in social interactions between primates -- one that is activated when deciding whether to cooperate with another individual and another group involved in predicting what the other will do.

Bumblebees make false memories too Posted: 26 Feb 2015 10:19 AM PST It's well known that our human memory can fail us. People can be forgetful, and they can sometimes also 'remember' things incorrectly, with devastating consequences in the classroom, courtroom, and other areas of life. Now, researchers show for the first time that bumblebees can be unreliable witnesses too.

Building blocks of the future defy logic: New logic-defying mathematical model Posted: 26 Feb 2015 09:24 AM PST Wake up in the morning and stretch; your midsection narrows. Pull on a rubber band and it becomes thinner. One might assume that materials will always stretch and thin. Wrong. Thanks to their peculiar internal geometry, auxetic materials grow wider when stretched. After confounding scientists for decades, researchers are now developing mathematical models to explain the unusual behavior of these logic-defying materials, unlocking applications from better skin grafts to new smart materials.

Could squirmy livestock dent africa's protein deficit? Posted: 26 Feb 2015 09:23 AM PST Two graduate students are working to introduce highly productive kits for farming mealworms to regions such as sub-Saharan Africa where eating insects is already culturally palatable. They are just practicing what they are beginning to preach: insects, and mealworms in particular, are an overlooked, healthful, economically viable and sustainable source of nutrition for people.

New insight found in black hole collisions Posted: 26 Feb 2015 08:04 AM PST New research by an astrophysicist provides revelations about the most energetic event in the universe -- the merging of two spinning, orbiting black holes into a much larger black hole.

Optical features embedded in marine shells may help develop responsive, transparent displays Posted: 26 Feb 2015 05:49 AM PST The blue-rayed limpet is a tiny mollusk that lives in kelp beds along the coasts of Norway, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and the Canary Islands. These diminutive organisms -- as small as a fingernail -- might escape notice entirely, if not for a very conspicuous feature: bright blue dotted lines that run in parallel along the length of their translucent shells. Depending on the angle at which light hits, a limpet's shell can flash brilliantly even in murky water.

Pockets of calm protect molecules around a supermassive black hole Posted: 26 Feb 2015 05:44 AM PST Researchers have discovered regions where certain organic molecules somehow endure the intense radiation near the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy NGC 1068, also known to amateur stargazers as M77.

Sewage provides insight into human microbiome Posted: 25 Feb 2015 06:01 PM PST Sewage is an effective means to sample the fecal bacteria from millions of people, a new study has indicated. Researchers say the information gleaned from the work provides a unique opportunity to monitor, through gut microbes, the public health of a large population without compromising the privacy of individuals.

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• Monster black hole discovered at cosmic dawn
• Consideration of costs can reduce moral objections to human organ sales and other 'repugnant' transactions, says researcher
• Physicists offer a solution to the puzzle of the origin of matter in the universe
• Blockbusters: Can EEGs predict a movie's success better than surveys?
• Norway rats reciprocate help according to the quality of the help they received
• Easy on the eyes: Optimum length of eyelashes is one third width of eye
• Sauna use associated with reduced risk of cardiac, all-cause mortality

Monster black hole discovered at cosmic dawn Posted: 25 Feb 2015 11:24 AM PST The discovery of the brightest quasar in the early universe, powered by the most massive black hole yet known at that time presents a puzzle to researchers: How could something so massive and luminous form so early in the universe, only 900 million years after the Big Bang?

Consideration of costs can reduce moral objections to human organ sales and other 'repugnant' transactions, says researcher Posted: 25 Feb 2015 11:23 AM PST People might abandon their moral objections to organ selling – and to other transactions in repugnant markets -- when presented with information about the potential advantages of such sales, authors write. "Some people's ideas of what's moral and acceptable may be changed by evidence, once the costs associated with these moral positions are taken into account," says one writer. "People may find the sale of organs less offensive after they have considered data about factors such as waiting lists, those who die while waiting for a transplant, and the savings in long-term medical care that can result from transplants."

Physicists offer a solution to the puzzle of the origin of matter in the universe Posted: 25 Feb 2015 10:22 AM PST Most of the laws of nature treat particles and antiparticles equally, but stars and planets are made of particles, or matter, and not antiparticles, or antimatter. That asymmetry, which favors matter to a very small degree, has puzzled scientists for many years. Physicists offer a possible solution to the mystery of the origin of matter in the universe.

Blockbusters: Can EEGs predict a movie's success better than surveys? Posted: 25 Feb 2015 06:43 AM PST Seventy-five percent of movies earn a net loss during their run in theaters. A new study finds that brain activity visible through EEG measures may be a much cheaper and more accurate way to predict the commercial success of movies.

Norway rats reciprocate help according to the quality of the help they received Posted: 25 Feb 2015 05:27 AM PST Non-human animals consider the value of previously received help when deciding whether to help a social partner, according to a new study in rats. Until now, it was unclear whether animals other than humans would consider the the value of a help received (independent of other parameters such as the partner's identity or effort taken) when deciding how to reciprocate.

Easy on the eyes: Optimum length of eyelashes is one third width of eye Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:27 PM PST A new study finds that the optimal eyelash length is one-third the width of the eye for humans and 21 other mammals. Anything shorter or longer increases airflow around the eye and leads to more dust hitting the surface.

Sauna use associated with reduced risk of cardiac, all-cause mortality Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:26 AM PST A sauna may do more than just make you sweat. A new study suggests men who engaged in frequent sauna use had reduced risks of fatal cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality, according to a new article.

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• Boy or girl? Lemur scents have the answer
• Bionic reconstruction lets patients use a robotic prosthetic hand controlled by the mind
• Tissue engineering: Scientists grow leg muscle from cells in a dish
• Sensor-packed smartphones can read your mood, guard your data, and wreak havoc in the wrong hands
• Yellowstone: Geysers erupt periodically because they have loops in their plumbing
• Climate-change clues from turtles of tropical Wyoming
• Why a latte is less likely to spill than a coffee
• Great Barrier Reef corals eat plastic
• Mapping lizard venom makes it possible to develop new drugs
• Preventing diabetic heart condition in mice by amplifying effect of exercise: Potential for benefits of exercise in a pill?
• Neuroscientists literally change the way we think: Advantages of a wandering mind
• Sobering effect of the love hormone
• Bacteria in marine sponges harvest phosphorus for reef community
• Hidden in plain sight: Amazonian bird chick mimics toxic caterpillar to avoid being eaten
• Carnivorous plant packs big wonders into tiny genome

Boy or girl? Lemur scents have the answer Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:27 PM PST Dozens of pregnancy myths claim to predict whether a mom-to-be is carrying a boy or a girl. Some say you can tell by the shape of a woman's bump, or whether she craves salty or sweet. Even ultrasound doesn't always get it right. But for lemurs, the answer is in the mother's scent.

Bionic reconstruction lets patients use a robotic prosthetic hand controlled by the mind Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:26 PM PST Three Austrian men have become the first in the world to undergo a new technique called "bionic reconstruction", enabling them to use a robotic prosthetic hand controlled by their mind, according to new research. All three men suffered for many years with brachial plexus injuries and poor hand function as a result of motor vehicle and climbing accidents.

Tissue engineering: Scientists grow leg muscle from cells in a dish Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:25 PM PST Scientists have generated mature, functional skeletal muscles in mice using a new approach for tissue engineering. The scientists grew a leg muscle starting from engineered cells cultured in a dish to produce a graft. The subsequent graft was implanted close to a normal, contracting skeletal muscle where the new muscle was nurtured and grown. In time, the method could allow for patient-specific treatments for a large number of muscle disorders.

Sensor-packed smartphones can read your mood, guard your data, and wreak havoc in the wrong hands Posted: 24 Feb 2015 12:47 PM PST Smartphones have replaced nearly every conceivable gadget, but computer scientists are teaching them some new tricks. The researchers are adapting accelerometers, GPS chips, gyroscopes and other sensors to make phones that can read a user's mood, eliminate passwords, protect financial transactions and more.

Yellowstone: Geysers erupt periodically because they have loops in their plumbing Posted: 24 Feb 2015 11:31 AM PST Volcanologists threaded sensors and cameras into the superheated water of geysers in Chile and Yellowstone, and have come up with an explanation for why geysers erupt periodically. They've even built a laboratory geyser that erupts every 20 minutes to demonstrate that loops and bends in the underground plumbing trap steam bubbles that slowly leak out, heating the water above until it suddenly boils from the top down.

Climate-change clues from turtles of tropical Wyoming Posted: 24 Feb 2015 10:12 AM PST Tropical turtle fossils discovered in Wyoming reveal that when Earth got warmer, prehistoric turtles headed north. But if today's turtles try the same technique to cope with warming habitats, they might run into trouble.

Why a latte is less likely to spill than a coffee Posted: 24 Feb 2015 08:29 AM PST Carrying a cup of coffee can be precarious for a sleepy-eyed caffeine addict who might accidentally send a wave of java sloshing over the rim, but add some foam and the trip becomes easier. New research shows that just a few layers of bubbles can significantly dampen the sloshing motion of liquid, and it may have applications far beyond breakfast beverages, including the safer transport of liquefied gas in trucks and propellants in rocket engines.

Great Barrier Reef corals eat plastic Posted: 24 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST Researchers in Australia have found that corals commonly found on the Great Barrier Reef will eat micro-plastic pollution. Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic in the environment and are a widespread contaminant in marine ecosystems, particularly in inshore coral reefs.

Mapping lizard venom makes it possible to develop new drugs Posted: 24 Feb 2015 06:18 AM PST Lizards and other reptiles are not normally considered venomous, but a number of lizard species actually do produce and use venom. The most classic venomous lizard is no doubt the gila monster -- a heavy-bodied lizard. As the first in the world, a group of researchers has made a comprehensive description of the proteins in the venom which can prove to be relevant in connection with developing new types of drugs.

Preventing diabetic heart condition in mice by amplifying effect of exercise: Potential for benefits of exercise in a pill? Posted: 24 Feb 2015 06:17 AM PST Magnifying a benefit of exercise in mice provided a "profound" protection from diabetic cardiomyopathy, a potentially deadly heart condition that affects many people with diabetes. The discovery demonstrates the power of exercise to prevent chronic health conditions and suggests that one day some benefits of exercise may come in a pill or bottle.

Neuroscientists literally change the way we think: Advantages of a wandering mind Posted: 23 Feb 2015 01:45 PM PST Does your mind wander when performing monotonous, repetitive tasks? Of course! But daydreaming involves more than just beating back boredom. In fact, according to a new study, a wandering mind can impart a distinct cognitive advantage.

Sobering effect of the love hormone Posted: 23 Feb 2015 01:44 PM PST Giving drunken rats oxytocin counteracts its intoxicating effects, researchers have found. "In the rat equivalent of a sobriety test, the rats given alcohol and oxytocin passed with flying colours, while those given alcohol without oxytocin were seriously impaired," a researcher said. This 'sobering-up' effect of oxytocin has yet to be shown in humans but the researchers plan to conduct these studies in the near future.

Bacteria in marine sponges harvest phosphorus for reef community Posted: 23 Feb 2015 01:44 PM PST Significant accumulations of polyphosphate granules have been found in three common sponge species of the Caribbean coral reef, indicating that microorganisms that live on marine sponges are pulling phosphorus out of the water to feed themselves and survive in a deep-water environment where very few nutrients are available. This finding has important implications for understanding how phosphorus is sequestered and recycled in a reef environment.

Hidden in plain sight: Amazonian bird chick mimics toxic caterpillar to avoid being eaten Posted: 23 Feb 2015 12:48 PM PST A unique nesting strategy has been observed in a species of tropical bird. By simulating the appearance of a hairy aposematic caterpillar, cinereous mourner chicks in Peru employ Batesian mimcry to avoid nest predation.

Carnivorous plant packs big wonders into tiny genome Posted: 23 Feb 2015 11:22 AM PST Great, wonderful, wacky things can come in small genomic packages. That's one lesson to be learned from the carnivorous bladderwort, a plant whose tiny genome turns out to be a jewel box full of evolutionary treasures. A new study breaks down the plant's genetic makeup, and finds a fascinating story.

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• Wisdom teeth stem cells can transform into cells that could treat corneal scarring
• New assistive equipment to maximize human sensorimotor function
• Newborn neurons in adult brain may help us adapt to environment

Wisdom teeth stem cells can transform into cells that could treat corneal scarring Posted: 23 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST Stem cells from the dental pulp of wisdom teeth can be coaxed to become cells of the eye's cornea and could one day be used to repair corneal scarring due to infection or injury, according to researchers. The findings indicate they also could become a new source of corneal transplant tissue made from the patient's own cells.

New assistive equipment to maximize human sensorimotor function Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:40 AM PST A prototype for wearable equipment to support human motion has now been developed. This wearable equipment, called the Sensorimotor Enhancing Suit (SEnS), enhances sensorimotor functions by reducing the muscle load of the upper limbs. SEnS is inexpensive because it is made of flexible fabrics using regular cloth and does not include any electronic devices. SEnS assists human sensorimotor functions and improves the quality of life of not only elderly individuals but also healthy people who work under extreme conditions.

Newborn neurons in adult brain may help us adapt to environment Posted: 21 Feb 2015 04:22 PM PST The discovery that the human brain continues to produce new neurons in adulthood challenged a major dogma in the field of neuroscience, but the role of these neurons in behavior and cognition is still not clear. In a review article, researchers synthesize the vast literature on this topic, reviewing environmental factors that influence the birth of new neurons in the adult hippocampus.

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Hair dye 'CSI' could help police solve crimes Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:13 AM PST Criminals with a penchant for dyeing their hair could soon pay for their vanity. Scientists have found a way to analyze hair samples at crime scenes to rapidly determine whether it was colored and what brand of dye was used.

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Astronomers discover rare planet: Kepler-432b is a dense, massive celestial body with extreme seasons Posted: 12 Feb 2015 08:42 AM PST Two research groups of astronomers have independently of each other discovered a rare planet. The celestial body, called Kepler-432b, is one of the most dense and massive planets known so far. The teams report that the planet has six times the mass of Jupiter, but about the same size. The shape and the size of its orbit are also unusual for a planet like Kepler-432b that is revolving around a giant star. In less than 200 million years, this "red giant" will most likely swallow up the planet.

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• Perfect colors, captured with one ultra-thin lens
• New nanogel for drug delivery
• Mouse embryo with really big brain: Evolving a bigger brain with human DNA
• A new view of the solar system: Astrophysical jets driven by the sun
• Atomically thin gas and chemical sensors
• Scientists observe 'god particle' analogue in superconductors: 'Tabletop' technique
• Does dark matter cause mass extinctions and geologic upheavals?
• Cheap solar cells made from shrimp shells
• Moths shed light on how to fool enemy sonar
• Fearless birds and big city spiders: Is urbanization pushing earth's evolution to a tipping point?
• Where ants go when nature calls: Ants use corners of their nest as 'toilets'
• For the first time, spacecraft catch solar shockwave in the act: 'Ultrarelativistic, killer electrons made in 60 seconds

Perfect colors, captured with one ultra-thin lens Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:46 AM PST A completely flat, ultrathin lens can focus different wavelengths of light at the same point, achieving instant color correction in one extremely thin, miniaturized device.

New nanogel for drug delivery Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:13 AM PST Chemical engineers have designed a new type of self-healing hydrogel that could be injected through a syringe. Scientists are interested in using gels to deliver drugs because they can be molded into specific shapes and designed to release their payload over a specified time period.

Mouse embryo with really big brain: Evolving a bigger brain with human DNA Posted: 19 Feb 2015 10:31 AM PST The human brain expanded dramatically in size during evolution, imparting us with unique capabilities. Scientists have now shown that it's possible to pick out key changes in the genetic code between chimpanzees and humans and visualize their respective contributions to early brain development in mouse embryos. The findings may lend insight what makes the human brain special and why people get some neurological disorders, such as autism and Alzheimer's disease, whereas chimpanzees don't.

A new view of the solar system: Astrophysical jets driven by the sun Posted: 19 Feb 2015 08:56 AM PST New research suggests that the sun's magnetic field controls the large-scale shape of the heliosphere much more than expected. The new model shows that the magnetic field squeezes the solar wind along the sun's north-south axis, producing two jets. These jets are then dragged downstream by the flow of the interstellar medium -- the gases and dust that lie between star systems.

Atomically thin gas and chemical sensors Posted: 19 Feb 2015 07:17 AM PST The relatively recent discovery of graphene, a two-dimensional layered material with unusual and attractive electronic, optical and thermal properties, led scientists to search for other atomically thin materials with unique properties.

Scientists observe 'god particle' analogue in superconductors: 'Tabletop' technique Posted: 19 Feb 2015 07:17 AM PST The Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the Higgs boson -- the 'God particle' believed responsible for all the mass in the universe -- took place in 2012 at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. The first hint of Higgs was inspired by the study of superconductors -- a special class of metals that, when cooled to very low temperatures, allow electrons to move without resistance. Now, a research team has reported the first-ever observations of the Higgs mode in superconducting materials.

Does dark matter cause mass extinctions and geologic upheavals? Posted: 19 Feb 2015 05:58 AM PST New research concludes that Earth's infrequent but predictable path around and through our Galaxy's disc may have a direct and significant effect on geological and biological phenomena occurring on Earth. Scientists conclude that movement through dark matter may perturb the orbits of comets and lead to additional heating in the Earth's core, both of which could be connected with mass extinction events.

Cheap solar cells made from shrimp shells Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:17 PM PST Researchers have successfully created electricity-generating solar-cells with chemicals found the shells of shrimps and other crustaceans for the first time.

Moths shed light on how to fool enemy sonar Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:15 PM PST It's hard to hide from a bat: The camouflage and mimicry techniques that animals use to avoid becoming a meal aren't much use against a predator using echolocation. But a new study shows that moths can outsmart sonar with a flick of their long tails.

Fearless birds and big city spiders: Is urbanization pushing earth's evolution to a tipping point? Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:15 PM PST That humans and our cities build affect the ecosystem and even drive some evolutionary change is already known. What's new is that these evolutionary changes are happening more quickly than previously thought, and have potential impacts on ecosystem function on a contemporary scale. Not in the distant future, that is -- but now.

Where ants go when nature calls: Ants use corners of their nest as 'toilets' Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:55 AM PST Ants may use the corners of their nest as 'toilets,' according to a new study. Little research has been done on ant sanitary behavior, so the authors of this study conducted an experiment to determine whether distinct brown patches they observed forming in ants' nests were feces. They fed ants, living in white plaster nests, food dyed with either red or blue food coloring and observed the nests for the colorful feces.

For the first time, spacecraft catch solar shockwave in the act: 'Ultrarelativistic, killer electrons made in 60 seconds Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:13 AM PST On Oct. 8, 2013, an explosion on the sun's surface sent a supersonic blast wave of solar wind out into space. This shockwave tore past Mercury and Venus, blitzing by the moon before streaming toward Earth. The shockwave struck a massive blow to the Earth's magnetic field, setting off a magnetized sound pulse around the planet.

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