ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• 'DarkLight' enables visible light communication in the dark
• Wheel lets researchers measure fruit-fly exercise
• Computers should be named on patents as inventors, for creativity to flourish
• Knowingly taking placebo pills eases pain, study finds

'DarkLight' enables visible light communication in the dark Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:48 AM PDT With the rise in wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers that rely on smart sensors, and the continued popularity of smartphones, smart devices are taking our country by storm. Wireless data for such devices is typically beamed through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, yet, the new wireless communication technology of "visible light communication (VLC)," has emerged as a new option albeit with limitations due to the challenges it faces in practice, such as being easily blocked or not being able to sustain transmission when light is off. Through a new project called "DarkLight," researchers have developed and demonstrated for the first-time, how visible light can be used to transmit data even when the light appears dark or off.

Wheel lets researchers measure fruit-fly exercise Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:28 AM PDT A device called the TreadWheel can be used to study the benefits of exercise on fruit flies, new research suggests. The researchers observed that across all genotypes the gentle TreadWheel exerciser helped to reduce the fruit flies' weight and increased metabolism, and improved climbing ability.

Computers should be named on patents as inventors, for creativity to flourish Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:39 AM PDT New research is calling for inventions by computers to be legally granted patents. The research states that the rapid increase in computer power is posing new challenges when it comes to patenting an invention. Artificial intelligence is playing an ever larger role in innovation -- with major players such as IBM, Pfizer and Google investing heavily in creative computing -- but current patent law does not recognize computers as inventors.

Knowingly taking placebo pills eases pain, study finds Posted: 14 Oct 2016 06:49 PM PDT A new study is the first to demonstrate beneficial placebo effect for lower back pain sufferers who knew they were taking 'fake pills.' Patients who knowingly took placebos reported 30 percent less pain and 29 percent reduction in disability compared to control group. 'Open-labeling' addresses longtime ethical dilemma, allowing patients to choose placebo treatments with informed consent.

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