ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Searching the Internet inflates estimates of internal knowledge
• Computer scientists find mass extinctions can accelerate evolution
• Octopus shows unique hunting, social and sexual behavior
• Octopus genome reveals cephalopod secrets
• Protons and antiprotons appear to be true mirror images
• Predicting the weather or the economy? How to make forecasts more trustworthy
• Flexible, biodegradable device can generate power from touch
• Nicotine-eating bacteria could one day help smokers kick the habit
• Are marine organisms evolving to protect their young in response to ocean acidification?
• The evolution of beer

Searching the Internet inflates estimates of internal knowledge Posted: 12 Aug 2015 01:59 PM PDT Actively searching the Internet inflates our sense of the knowledge we actually possess because we fail to recognize the extent to which we rely on external sources for information.

Computer scientists find mass extinctions can accelerate evolution Posted: 12 Aug 2015 12:12 PM PDT Computer scientists have found that robots evolve more quickly and efficiently after a virtual mass extinction modeled after real-life disasters such as the one that killed off the dinosaurs. Beyond implications for artificial intelligence, the research supports the idea that mass extinctions actually speed up evolution by unleashing new creativity in adaptations.

Octopus shows unique hunting, social and sexual behavior Posted: 12 Aug 2015 12:12 PM PDT When the larger Pacific striped octopus was first observed in the 1970s, its unusual social and mating behavior were so strange that no one would publish it. But researchers have now found it all true. It is a gregarious, not solitary octopus that even briefly cohabits with its mate. It breeds and lays eggs for months, rather than once. And it stalks prey with a unique tap on the shoulder.

Octopus genome reveals cephalopod secrets Posted: 12 Aug 2015 10:42 AM PDT Imagine a skeleton-less creature with three hearts, with most of its nearly half a billion neurons distributed in eight tentacular arms. Each arm can regenerate like the mythical Hydra and has a mind of its own. Its muscles stiffen into temporary elbows and shoulders. This creature has the eerie capability of perfect camouflage and decorates its lair with leftovers of its prey.

Protons and antiprotons appear to be true mirror images Posted: 12 Aug 2015 10:42 AM PDT In a stringent test of a fundamental property of the standard model of particle physics, known as CPT symmetry, researchers have made the most precise measurements so far of the charge-to-mass ratio of protons and their antimatter counterparts, antiprotons. The work was carried out using CERN's Antiproton Decelerator, a device that provides low-energy antiprotons for antimatter studies.

Predicting the weather or the economy? How to make forecasts more trustworthy Posted: 12 Aug 2015 10:19 AM PDT Attention all you would-be forecasters out there. Do you want people to think you know the future? Then predict with a high degree of certainty that something will happen. According to a new study, people trust a forecaster more when s/he predicts that something is more likely to occur.

Flexible, biodegradable device can generate power from touch Posted: 12 Aug 2015 10:16 AM PDT Long-standing concerns about portable electronics include the devices' short battery life and their contribution to e-waste. One group of scientists is now working on a way to address both of these seeming unrelated issues at the same time. They report the development of a biodegradable nanogenerator made with DNA that can harvest the energy from everyday motion and turn it into electrical power.

Nicotine-eating bacteria could one day help smokers kick the habit Posted: 12 Aug 2015 10:14 AM PDT Most people who smoke cigarettes know it's bad for their health, but quitting is notoriously difficult. To make it easier, scientists are taking a brand-new approach. They are turning to bacteria that thrive on nicotine, the addictive component in tobacco. They report successful tests on a bacterial enzyme that breaks down nicotine and could potentially dull its effects in humans.

Are marine organisms evolving to protect their young in response to ocean acidification? Posted: 12 Aug 2015 08:05 AM PDT Marine organisms living in acidified waters exhibit a tendency to nurture their offspring to a greater extent than those in more regular conditions. Scientists have found that polychaete worms located around volcanic vents in the Mediterranean grow and develop their eggs within the protection of the family unit -- in contrast to closely-related species that release them into the water column to fend for themselves.

The evolution of beer Posted: 11 Aug 2015 03:28 PM PDT From Austrian monks to American craft brewers, beer geeks are everywhere. But making a good beer not only depends on the best ingredients, but also the best yeast. Lagers now represent a whopping 94 percent of the world beer market. But the origins of different hybrid lineages has been a bone of contention for lager beer makers. A new study attempted to solve the mystery.

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