ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Shorter height is directly associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease
• Distance running may be an evolutionary 'signal' for desirable male genes
• Worms, germs lead to better immune function
• Chinese giant salamander strikes prey in front, approaching from the side
• Violent formation of the moon: New view
• Complex organic molecules discovered in infant star system: Hints that building blocks of chemistry of life are universal
• Inkjet-printed liquid metal could bring wearable tech, soft robotics
• Don't blame kids if they do not enjoy school, study of twins suggests
• Ice on Mars: Mars has belts of glaciers consisting of frozen water
• A glass fiber that brings light to a standstill
• Inventing a 2-D liquid
• Ecological 'flash mobs': It's all about timing ... and magnets?
• Nearly one in ten U.S. adults have impulsive anger issues and access to guns
• Plants can take up nicotine from contaminated soils and from smoke
• Scientists program the lifespan of self-assembled nanostructures
• New emotion recognition model: Humans perceive feelings of others via pattern recognition

Shorter height is directly associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease Posted: 08 Apr 2015 02:12 PM PDT A genetic approach has been used by researchers to show link between height and disease. "We have shown that the association between shorter height and higher risk of coronary heart disease is a primary relationship and is not due to confounding factors such as nutrition or poor socioeconomic conditions," a researcher notes. Coronary heart disease is the most common cause of death worldwide. Nearly one in six men and one in ten women die from coronary heart disease.

Distance running may be an evolutionary 'signal' for desirable male genes Posted: 08 Apr 2015 11:53 AM PDT New research shows that males with higher 'reproductive potential' are better distance runners. This may have been used by females as a reliable signal of high male genetic quality during our hunter-gatherer past, as good runners are more likely to have other traits of good hunters and providers, such as intelligence and generosity.

Worms, germs lead to better immune function Posted: 08 Apr 2015 11:52 AM PDT Researches hypothesize that enhancing biodiversity in laboratory rats, including treating the rats with worms, would suppress their immune systems. Because worms have been shown to subdue inflammatory diseases such as asthma and allergies, the thinking was, the treated immune system would not fight infections as effectively.

Chinese giant salamander strikes prey in front, approaching from the side Posted: 08 Apr 2015 11:52 AM PDT A model of the world's largest living amphibian's bite, the Chinese giant salamander, reveals that it feeds on prey located in front of it, but can also perform quick strikes to the side on approaching animals.

Violent formation of the moon: New view Posted: 08 Apr 2015 10:30 AM PDT Scientists have reconciled the accepted model of the moon's formation with the unexpectedly similar isotopic fingerprints of both bodies. The results suggest that the impact that formed the moon was so violent, the resulting debris cloud mixed thoroughly before settling down and forming the moon.

Complex organic molecules discovered in infant star system: Hints that building blocks of chemistry of life are universal Posted: 08 Apr 2015 10:14 AM PDT For the first time, astronomers have detected the presence of complex organic molecules, the building blocks of life, in a protoplanetary disc surrounding a young star. The discovery reaffirms that the conditions that spawned the Earth and Sun are not unique in the Universe.

Inkjet-printed liquid metal could bring wearable tech, soft robotics Posted: 08 Apr 2015 09:46 AM PDT New research shows how inkjet-printing technology can be used to mass-produce electronic circuits made of liquid-metal alloys for 'soft robots' and flexible electronics.

Don't blame kids if they do not enjoy school, study of twins suggests Posted: 08 Apr 2015 08:33 AM PDT When children are unmotivated at school, new research suggests their genes may be part of the equation. A study of more than 13,000 twins from six countries found that 40 to 50 percent of the differences in children's motivation to learn could be explained by their genetic inheritance from their parents.

Ice on Mars: Mars has belts of glaciers consisting of frozen water Posted: 08 Apr 2015 07:27 AM PDT Mars has distinct polar ice caps, but Mars also has belts of glaciers at its central latitudes in both the southern and northern hemispheres. A thick layer of dust covers the glaciers, so they appear as surface of the ground, but radar measurements show that underneath the dust there are glaciers composed of frozen water. New studies have now calculated the size of the glaciers and thus the amount of water in the glaciers.

A glass fiber that brings light to a standstill Posted: 08 Apr 2015 07:26 AM PDT Light has been slowed down by coupling atoms to glass fibers. This technology is an important prerequisite for a future worldwide quantum internet.

Inventing a 2-D liquid Posted: 08 Apr 2015 07:07 AM PDT Scientists have now shown how to make nanoparticles that are attracted to an oil-water interface but not to each other, creating a system that acts as a two-dimensional liquid.

Ecological 'flash mobs': It's all about timing ... and magnets? Posted: 08 Apr 2015 06:04 AM PDT What generates synchronous, ecological 'flash mobs' over long distances has long perplexed population ecologists. Part of the answer has to do with something seemingly unrelated: what makes a magnet a magnet.

Nearly one in ten U.S. adults have impulsive anger issues and access to guns Posted: 08 Apr 2015 06:04 AM PDT An estimated 9 percent of adults in the US have a history of impulsive, angry behavior and have access to guns, according to a new study. The study also found that an estimated 1.5 percent of adults report impulsive anger and carry firearms outside their homes.

Plants can take up nicotine from contaminated soils and from smoke Posted: 08 Apr 2015 06:03 AM PDT Passive smoking isn't only something that people have to cope with, but plants too. This is because some plants are actually able to take up nicotine from cigarette smoke, while others that grow in contaminated soil absorb it via the roots as well. This might explain why high concentrations of nicotine are often found in spices, herbal teas and medicinal plants, despite the fact that this alkaloid is no longer permitted in insecticides.

Scientists program the lifespan of self-assembled nanostructures Posted: 08 Apr 2015 06:03 AM PDT Materials that self-assemble and self-destruct once their work is done are highly advantageous for a number of applications -- as components in temporary data storage systems or for medical devices. For example, such materials could seal blood vessels during surgery and re-open them subsequently.

New emotion recognition model: Humans perceive feelings of others via pattern recognition Posted: 08 Apr 2015 05:59 AM PDT Philosophers have put forward a new model that explains how humans recognize the emotions of others. According to their theory, humans are capable of perceiving feelings directly via pattern recognition. They do not have to deduce feelings by interpreting other people's behavior.

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