ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Researchers produce jet fuel compounds from fungus
• Ten-engine electric plane completes successful flight test
• Popular electric brain stimulation method used to boost brainpower is detrimental to IQ scores
• Astrophysicists offer proof that famous image shows forming planets
• Astronomers unveil farthest galaxy, more than 13 billion years in the past
• Late-night snacking: Is it your brain's fault?
• First 'images' of thunder: Sound waves captured visually
• Artificial muscles created from gold-plated onion cells
• Soft robot: Shaping itself and moving with own internally generated power?
• New centimeter-accurate GPS system could transform virtual reality and mobile devices
• Researchers design new tiny QWERTY soft keyboards for wearable devices
• Rumors have it: Trying to correct political myths may only entrench them further

Researchers produce jet fuel compounds from fungus Posted: 05 May 2015 03:26 PM PDT Researchers have found a way to make jet fuel from a common black fungus found in decaying leaves, soil and rotting fruit. The researchers hope the process leads to economically viable production of aviation biofuels in the next five years.

Ten-engine electric plane completes successful flight test Posted: 05 May 2015 12:26 PM PDT Imagine a battery-powered plane that has 10 engines and can take off like a helicopter and fly efficiently like an aircraft. That is a concept being developed by NASA researchers called Greased Lightning or GL-10.

Popular electric brain stimulation method used to boost brainpower is detrimental to IQ scores Posted: 05 May 2015 12:21 PM PDT Using a weak electric current in an attempt to boost brainpower or treat conditions has become popular among scientists and do-it-yourselfers, but a new study shows that using the most common form of electric brain stimulation had a statistically significant detrimental effect on IQ scores.

Astrophysicists offer proof that famous image shows forming planets Posted: 05 May 2015 11:25 AM PDT A recent and famous image from deep space marks the first time we've seen a forming planetary system, according to a study by astrophysicists. The team found that circular gaps in a disk of dust and gas swirling around the young star HL Tau are in fact made by forming planets.

Astronomers unveil farthest galaxy, more than 13 billion years in the past Posted: 05 May 2015 11:25 AM PDT Astronomers have pushed back the cosmic frontier of galaxy exploration to a time when the universe was only 5 percent of its present age. Age and distance are vitally connected in any discussion of the universe. The light we see from our Sun takes just eight minutes to reach us, while the light from distant galaxies we see via today's advanced telescopes travels for billions of years before it reaches us -- so we're seeing what those galaxies looked like billions of years ago.

Late-night snacking: Is it your brain's fault? Posted: 05 May 2015 09:14 AM PDT New light has been shed on why you, your friends, neighbors and most everyone you know tend to snack at night: some areas of the brain don't get the same 'food high' in the evening. The study also reports that participants were subjectively more preoccupied with food at night even though their hunger and "fullness" levels were similar to other times of the day.

First 'images' of thunder: Sound waves captured visually Posted: 05 May 2015 09:13 AM PDT For the first time, scientists have imaged thunder, visually capturing the sound waves created by artificially triggered lightning. By studying the acoustic power radiated from different portions of the lightning channel, researchers can learn more about the origins of thunder as well as the energetic processes associated with lightning.

Artificial muscles created from gold-plated onion cells Posted: 05 May 2015 09:13 AM PDT The onion, a humble root vegetable, is proving its strength outside the culinary world -- in an artificial muscle created from onion cells. Unlike previous artificial muscles, this one can either expand or contract to bend in different directions depending on the driving voltage applied.

Soft robot: Shaping itself and moving with own internally generated power? Posted: 05 May 2015 07:24 AM PDT What if a new material would allow for development of a 'soft robot' that could reconfigure its own shape and move using its own internally generated power?

New centimeter-accurate GPS system could transform virtual reality and mobile devices Posted: 05 May 2015 05:30 AM PDT Scientists have built a low-cost centimeter-accurate GPS system that reduces location errors from the size of a large car to the size of a nickel -- a more than 100 times increase in accuracy. The breakthrough is a powerful and sensitive software-defined GPS receiver that can extract centimeter accuracies from the inexpensive antennas found in mobile devices.

Researchers design new tiny QWERTY soft keyboards for wearable devices Posted: 05 May 2015 05:28 AM PDT There are a growing number of wearable devices featuring a touchscreen, such as smart watches, smart glasses or digital jewellery. These devices can receive notifications in many forms but usually there is no direct way of replying since they lack a text entry system, mainly because the space available onscreen is very limited. Now, computer scientists have developed two tiny QWERTY soft keyboard prototypes, which enable users to answer or enter text on their wearable devices.

Rumors have it: Trying to correct political myths may only entrench them further Posted: 04 May 2015 08:29 AM PDT Bad news, fans of rational political discourse: A study shows that attempts to debunk political rumors may only reinforce their strength.

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