ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• The 20 lb. cereal box: Kitchen counter foods that relate to your weight
• Genome-edited plants, without DNA
• Surfing water molecules could hold key to fast, controllable water transport
• To infinity and beyond: Light goes infinitely fast with new on-chip material
• How chickens walk holds clues to how they spread disease
• Would you eat your pet cat?

The 20 lb. cereal box: Kitchen counter foods that relate to your weight Posted: 19 Oct 2015 10:07 AM PDT Over 200 American kitchens were photographed to determine if the food sitting out on counters could predict the weight of the woman living in each home.

Genome-edited plants, without DNA Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:37 AM PDT The public and scientists are at odds over the safety of genetically modified (GM) food. According to a January 2015 Pew Research Center report, only 37% of the public believe that GM foods are safe,which is in stark contrast to the support from 88% of scientists. There is concern that adding DNA of different species will lead to unintended, undesirable consequences. Scientists have now created a way to genetically modify plants using CRISPR-Cas9 without the addition of DNA. Because no DNA is used in this process, the resulting genome-edited plants could likely be exempt from current GMO regulations and given a warmer reception by the public.

Surfing water molecules could hold key to fast, controllable water transport Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:29 AM PDT Scientists have identified a new and potentially faster way of moving molecules across the surfaces of certain materials. The team carried out sophisticated computer simulations of tiny droplets of water as they interact with graphene surfaces. These simulations reveal that the molecules can "surf" across the surface whilst being carried by the moving ripples of graphene.

To infinity and beyond: Light goes infinitely fast with new on-chip material Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:22 AM PDT Researchers have designed the first on-chip metamaterial with a refractive index of zero, meaning that the phase of light can travel infinitely fast.

How chickens walk holds clues to how they spread disease Posted: 19 Oct 2015 08:23 AM PDT Plotting on a grid just how a chicken walks may one day give farmers more insight into how best to protect their flock from non-airborne pathogens that can also hurt their profit.

Would you eat your pet cat? Posted: 19 Oct 2015 04:22 AM PDT In most Western cultures cats are simply feline pet companions eager to greet us at the end of the day.  In continents such as Asia and Africa, the social norms surrounding cats are very different; our furry friends commonly double up as dinner for a number of reasons ranging from food insecurity, simple preference or superstition. It is estimated that 4 million cats are consumed annually in Asia alone. New research on cat consumption reveals motives for, prevalence and methods of cat consumption in Madagascar and resulting public health implications for Malagasy citizens and beyond.

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