ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Neuroeconomists confirm Warren Buffett's wisdom: Brain research suggests an early warning signal tips off smart traders
• Mathematical model illustrates our online 'copycat' behavior
• World's biggest-ever flying bird discovered: Twice as big as the royal albatross
• Infant toenails reveal in utero exposure to low-level arsenic, study finds
• Rats use their whiskers in a similar way to how humans use their hands and fingers
• Solid-state physics: Consider the 'anticrystal'
• Why 'whispers' among bees sometimes evolve into 'shouts'
• Supermassive black hole blows molecular gas out of a galaxy at one million kilometers per hour
• College athletes with abusive coaches more willing to cheat
• Viruses use 'fake' proteins to hide in our cells
• Small, but plentiful: How the faintest galaxies illuminated the early universe
• 'Unloved' pseudogenes may provide clearer understanding of biomarkers
• 'Nanojuice' could improve how doctors examine the gut
• Headbanging: Doctors highlight potential dangers at hardcore rock 'n' roll acts

Neuroeconomists confirm Warren Buffett's wisdom: Brain research suggests an early warning signal tips off smart traders Posted: 07 Jul 2014 12:25 PM PDT Investment magnate Warren Buffett has famously suggested that investors should try to 'be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy only when others are fearful.' That turns out to be excellent advice, according to the results of a new study that looked at the brain activity and behavior of people trading in experimental markets where price bubbles formed.

Mathematical model illustrates our online 'copycat' behavior Posted: 07 Jul 2014 12:24 PM PDT Researchers examined how users are influenced in the choice of apps that they install on their Facebook pages by creating a mathematical model to capture the dynamics at play.

World's biggest-ever flying bird discovered: Twice as big as the royal albatross Posted: 07 Jul 2014 12:24 PM PDT Scientists have identified the fossilized remains of an extinct giant bird that could be the biggest flying bird ever found. With an estimated 20- to 24-foot wingspan, the creature surpassed the previous record holder -- an extinct bird named Argentavis magnificens -- and was twice as big as the royal albatross, the largest flying bird today. Computer simulations show that the bird's long slender wings helped it stay aloft despite its enormous size.

Infant toenails reveal in utero exposure to low-level arsenic, study finds Posted: 07 Jul 2014 11:17 AM PDT Infant toenails are a reliable way to estimate arsenic exposure before birth, a study shows. A growing body of evidence suggests that in utero and early-life exposure to arsenic may have detrimental effects on children, even at the low to moderate levels common in the United States and elsewhere. The fetus starts to develop toenails during the first trimester, making them an accurate measure of exposure to arsenic during the entire gestation.

Rats use their whiskers in a similar way to how humans use their hands and fingers Posted: 07 Jul 2014 11:16 AM PDT The way rats use their whiskers is more similar to how humans use their hands and fingers than previously thought, new research has found. Rats deliberately change how they sense their environment using their facial whiskers depending on whether the environment is novel, if there is a risk of collision and whether or not they can see where they are going.

Solid-state physics: Consider the 'anticrystal' Posted: 07 Jul 2014 10:43 AM PDT For the last century, the concept of crystals has been a mainstay of solid-state physics. Crystals are paragons of order; crystalline materials are defined by the repeating patterns their constituent atoms and molecules make. Physicists now have evidence that a new concept should undergird our understanding of most materials: the anticrystal, a theoretical solid that is completely disordered.

Why 'whispers' among bees sometimes evolve into 'shouts' Posted: 07 Jul 2014 10:43 AM PDT Let's say you're a bee and you've spotted a new and particularly lucrative source of nectar and pollen. What's the best way to communicate the location of this prize cache of food to the rest of your nestmates without revealing it to competitors, or 'eavesdropping' spies, outside of the colony? One risky way is to "shout" to warn would-be competitors that their prime source of food will be fiercely defended if they show up to the site.

Supermassive black hole blows molecular gas out of a galaxy at one million kilometers per hour Posted: 07 Jul 2014 09:14 AM PDT New research has solved a long-standing mystery surrounding the evolution of galaxies, deepening our understanding of the future of the Milky Way. The supermassive black holes in the cores of some galaxies drive massive outflows of molecular hydrogen gas. As a result, most of the cold gas is expelled from the galaxies. Since cold gas is required to form new stars, this directly affects the galaxies' evolution.

College athletes with abusive coaches more willing to cheat Posted: 07 Jul 2014 07:34 AM PDT College athletes who have abusive coaches are more willing to cheat in order to win than players with more ethical coaches, according to new research based on surveys from almost 20,000 student athletes at more than 600 colleges across the country. Men's teams were much more willing to cheat than women's teams, according to the study, and men's football, basketball and baseball teams reported the highest willingness to cheat at large universities where players are often under intense pressure to win.

Viruses use 'fake' proteins to hide in our cells Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:27 AM PDT Some viruses can hide in our bodies for decades and make 'fake' human proteins that trick our immune cells into believing nothing is wrong. Now researchers have determined the basic structure of one of the two known families of these deceptive proteins.

Small, but plentiful: How the faintest galaxies illuminated the early universe Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:24 AM PDT Astronomers investigating the behavior of the universe shortly after the Big Bang have made a surprising discovery: the properties of the early universe are determined by the smallest galaxies.

'Unloved' pseudogenes may provide clearer understanding of biomarkers Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:23 AM PDT Pseudogenes: dysfunctional, unloved and seemingly of little use, these poor-cousin relatives of genes have lost their protein-coding abilities. They contain material not essential for an organism's survival and are the "last stop" for removal of genomic waste. Now, however, the science of pseudogene expression analysis may very well play a key role in explaining how cancer occurs by helping medical experts in the discovery of new biomarkers, researchers report.

'Nanojuice' could improve how doctors examine the gut Posted: 06 Jul 2014 12:33 PM PDT A new imaging technique involving nanoparticles suspended in liquid to form 'nanojuice' that patients would drink holds promise for the examination of the gut. Upon reaching the small intestine, doctors would strike the nanoparticles with a harmless laser light, providing an unparalleled, non-invasive, real-time view of the organ.

Headbanging: Doctors highlight potential dangers at hardcore rock 'n' roll acts Posted: 04 Jul 2014 10:48 AM PDT German doctors highlight the potential dangers surrounding headbanging. Authors detail the case of a man who developed a chronic subdural haematoma after headbanging at a Motörhead concert. "This case serves as evidence in support of Motörhead's reputation as one of the most hardcore rock'n'roll acts on earth, if nothing else because of their music's contagious speed drive and the hazardous potential for headbanging fans to suffer brain injury," authors conclude.

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• Gene discovered that activates stem cells for organ regeneration in Planarians
• Biological basis for magic mushroom 'mind expansion' discovered
• Harnessing personal rivalry can boost individual's athletic performance

Gene discovered that activates stem cells for organ regeneration in Planarians Posted: 03 Jul 2014 11:23 AM PDT Researchers announced the discovery of a gene zic-1 that enables stem cells to regrow a head after decapitation in flatworm planarians. Many species across the animal kingdom have the ability to regenerate, but the mechanisms that connect injuries to stem cell activation and the production of new tissues are not fully understood.

Biological basis for magic mushroom 'mind expansion' discovered Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:26 AM PDT New research shows that our brain displays a similar pattern of activity during dreams as it does during a mind-expanding drug trip. The study found that under psilocybin, activity in the more primitive brain network linked to emotional thinking became more pronounced, with several different areas in this network -- such as the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex -- active at the same time. This pattern of activity is similar to the pattern observed in people who are dreaming.

Harnessing personal rivalry can boost individual's athletic performance Posted: 02 Jul 2014 09:24 AM PDT We can all think of great sports rivals: tennis players Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, or basketball players Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. These fierce, personal rivalries seem worlds apart from a hometown 5K race. Yet even local races often produce rivals who push each other to higher levels of performance, according to new research that surveyed runners and used data from 184 races.

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• Controversial clues of two 'Goldilocks planets' that might support life are proven false
• Discovery expands search for Earth-like planets: Newly spotted frozen world orbits in a binary star system
• Flower's bellows organ blasts pollen at bird pollinators
• With 'biological sunscreen,' mantis shrimp see the reef in a whole different light
• Whales as ecosystem engineers: Recovery from overhunting helping to buffer marine ecosystems from destabilizing stresses
• More left-handed men are born during the winter: Indirect evidence of a hormonal mechanism
• Groovy giraffes: Distinct bone structures keep these animals upright
• 'Grass-in-the-ear' technique sets new trend in chimp etiquette: Chimpanzees spontaneously copy arbitrary behavior
• First show off, then take-off: New specimen of Archaeopteryx reveals previously unknown features of the plumage
• Blood donations could help reduce the risk of heart disease in shift workers

Controversial clues of two 'Goldilocks planets' that might support life are proven false Posted: 03 Jul 2014 11:23 AM PDT Mysteries about controversial signals from a star considered a prime target in the search for extraterrestrial life now have been solved. The research proves, for the first time, that some of the signals actually are from events inside the star itself, not from the two so-called 'Goldilocks planets,' which were suspected to be just-right for life and orbiting the star at a distance where liquid water potentially could exist. No planets there, just star burps.

Discovery expands search for Earth-like planets: Newly spotted frozen world orbits in a binary star system Posted: 03 Jul 2014 11:21 AM PDT A newly discovered planet is expanding astronomers' notions of where Earth-like—and even potentially habitable—planets can form, and how to find them. At twice the mass of Earth, the planet orbits one of the stars in the binary system at almost exactly the same distance from which Earth orbits the sun. However, because the planet's host star is much dimmer than the sun, the planet is much colder thanEarth -- a little colder, in fact, than Jupiter's icy moon Europa.

Flower's bellows organ blasts pollen at bird pollinators Posted: 03 Jul 2014 09:55 AM PDT A small tree or shrub found in mountainous Central and South American rainforests has a most unusual relationship with the birds that pollinate its flowers, according to a new study. The plant known as Axinaea offers up its male reproductive organs as a tempting and nutritious food source for the birds. As the birds seize those bulbous stamens with their beaks, they are blasted with pollen by the flowers' complex 'bellows' organs.

With 'biological sunscreen,' mantis shrimp see the reef in a whole different light Posted: 03 Jul 2014 09:55 AM PDT In an unexpected discovery, researchers have found that the complex eyes of mantis shrimp are equipped with optics that generate ultraviolet color vision. Mantis shrimp's six UV photoreceptors pick up on different colors within the UV spectrum based on filters made from an ingredient other animals depend on as built-in biological sunscreen, according to new research.

Whales as ecosystem engineers: Recovery from overhunting helping to buffer marine ecosystems from destabilizing stresses Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:29 AM PDT A review of research on whales shows that they have more a powerful influence on the function of oceans, global carbon storage, and the health of commercial fisheries than has been commonly assumed. The continued recovery of great whales from centuries of overhunting may help to buffer marine ecosystems from destabilizing stresses, including climate change, reports a global team of scientists.

More left-handed men are born during the winter: Indirect evidence of a hormonal mechanism Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:29 AM PDT Men born in November, December or January are more likely of being left-handed than during the rest of the year. While the genetic bases of handedness are still under debate, scientists obtained indirect evidence of a hormonal mechanism promoting left-handedness among men.

Groovy giraffes: Distinct bone structures keep these animals upright Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:29 AM PDT Researchers have identified a highly specialized ligament structure that is thought to prevent giraffes' legs from collapsing under the immense weight of these animals.

'Grass-in-the-ear' technique sets new trend in chimp etiquette: Chimpanzees spontaneously copy arbitrary behavior Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:26 AM PDT Chimpanzees are copycats and, in the process, they form new traditions that are often particular to only one specific group of these primates. Such are the findings of an international group of scientists, who waded through over 700 hours of video footage to understand how it came about that one chimpanzee stuck a piece of grass in her ear and started a new trend, and others soon followed suit.

First show off, then take-off: New specimen of Archaeopteryx reveals previously unknown features of the plumage Posted: 03 Jul 2014 06:19 AM PDT Paleontologists are currently studying a new specimen of Archaeopteryx, which reveals previously unknown features of the plumage. The initial findings shed light on the original function of feathers and their recruitment for flight.

Blood donations could help reduce the risk of heart disease in shift workers Posted: 02 Jul 2014 05:38 PM PDT Researchers have found that jetlag has severe effects on red blood cells, possibly explaining the high incidence of heart disease seen in shift workers. However, these effects can be counterbalanced by fresh, young red blood cells -- making blood donations a potential therapy for shift workers.

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• Hair from mummy's clothes provides insights into red deer lineage
• New species of spider wasp may use chemical signals from dead ants to protect nest
• Extinct human cousin gave Tibetans advantage at high elevation
• Martian salts must touch ice to make liquid water, study shows
• Squid sucker ring teeth material could aid reconstructive surgery, serve as eco-packaging
• Japanese gold leaf artists worked on a nanoscale: X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is a non-destructive way to date artwork
• Reinterpreting dark matter: Could dark matter be regarded as a very cold quantum fluid?
• A sheep's early life experiences can shape behavior in later life
• Smarter than you think: Fish can remember where they were fed 12 days later
• Dairy farmers keep flies guessing by alternating pesticides
• Enough to put you off your popcorn? Food labelling study underway
• Climate change could stop fish finding their friends

Hair from mummy's clothes provides insights into red deer lineage Posted: 02 Jul 2014 12:14 PM PDT Genetic analysis of Neolithic deer hair from Italian Alps mummy's clothes ties deer population to modern day western European lineage, in contrast to the eastern lineage found in the Italian alps today.

New species of spider wasp may use chemical signals from dead ants to protect nest Posted: 02 Jul 2014 12:14 PM PDT A new species of spider wasp, the 'Bone-house Wasp,' may use chemical cues from dead ants as a nest protection strategy. Wasps use a wide variety of nest protection strategies, including digging holes or occupying pre-existing cavities such as in wood.

Extinct human cousin gave Tibetans advantage at high elevation Posted: 02 Jul 2014 10:17 AM PDT Several thousand years ago, the common ancestors of Han Chinese and Tibetans moved onto the Tibetan plateau, a low-oxygen environment that probably proved fatal to many because of early heart disease and high infant mortality. But a specific variant of a gene for hemoglobin regulation, picked up from earlier interbreeding with a mysterious human-like species, Denisovans, gradually spread through the Tibetan population, allowing them to live longer and healthier and avoid cardiovascular problems.

Martian salts must touch ice to make liquid water, study shows Posted: 02 Jul 2014 10:16 AM PDT In chambers that mimic Mars' conditions, researchers have shown how small amounts of liquid water could form on the planet despite its below-freezing temperatures. Liquid water is an essential ingredient for life as we know it. Mars is one of the very few places in the solar system where scientists have seen promising signs of it -- in gullies down crater rims, in instrument readings, and in Phoenix spacecraft self portraits that appeared to show wet beads on the lander's leg several years ago.

Squid sucker ring teeth material could aid reconstructive surgery, serve as eco-packaging Posted: 02 Jul 2014 08:10 AM PDT Squid tentacles are loaded with hundreds of suction cups, or suckers, and each sucker has a ring of razor-sharp 'teeth' that help these mighty predators latch onto and take down prey. Researchers report that the proteins in these teeth could form the basis for a new generation of strong, but malleable, materials that could someday be used for reconstructive surgery, eco-friendly packaging and many other applications.

Japanese gold leaf artists worked on a nanoscale: X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is a non-destructive way to date artwork Posted: 02 Jul 2014 08:09 AM PDT Ancient Japanese gold leaf artists were truly masters of their craft. An analysis of six ancient Namban paper screens show that these artifacts are gilded with gold leaf that was hand-beaten to the nanometer scale. Researchers believe that the X-ray fluorescence technique they used in the analysis could also be used to date other artworks without causing any damage to them.

Reinterpreting dark matter: Could dark matter be regarded as a very cold quantum fluid? Posted: 02 Jul 2014 06:23 AM PDT Astronomers have explored cold dark matter in depth and proposes new answers about the formation of galaxies and the structure of the Universe. These predictions are being contrasted with fresh data provided by the Hubble space telescope. It is estimated that only a minute fraction of the matter in the Universe is baryonic matter, which forms stars, planets and living organisms. The rest, comprising over 80%, is dark matter and energy.

A sheep's early life experiences can shape behavior in later life Posted: 01 Jul 2014 04:32 PM PDT New research has found that a sheep's experiences soon after birth can shape its later behavior and also that of its offspring. Scientists investigated whether early-life experiences can alter behavioral responses to a naturally painful event in adulthood -- giving birth -- and also affect behavior of the next generation.

Smarter than you think: Fish can remember where they were fed 12 days later Posted: 01 Jul 2014 04:32 PM PDT It is popularly believed that fish have a memory span of only 30 seconds. Canadian scientists, however, have demonstrated that this is far from true -- in fact, fish can remember context and associations up to 12 days later.

Dairy farmers keep flies guessing by alternating pesticides Posted: 01 Jul 2014 11:55 AM PDT Old-fashioned fly swatters may be the most foolproof housefly killer, but for dairy farms, insecticides are the practical choice. Flies spread disease and a host of pathogens that cost farms hundreds of millions of dollars in annual losses. Unfortunately, with the repeated use of the same insecticides, flies develop resistance through genetic mutations that make these products less effective. Entomologists analyzed levels of resistance to six insecticides in flies, and have identified the mutations that led to resistance in houseflies and from cattle farms.

Enough to put you off your popcorn? Food labelling study underway Posted: 01 Jul 2014 08:15 AM PDT People munching popcorn in a cinema don't change their eating habits whether the snacks are labelled high fat, low fat or not labelled at all, according to a new study. But add in a third factor – the socioeconomic background of eaters – and some quirky results emerge. When concerned eaters of higher status saw the low fat label, it made them eat more than their unconcerned counterparts. Labels had the opposite effect on concerned popcorn lovers of lower status: they ate less of the low fat snack – and less of the high fat snack.

Climate change could stop fish finding their friends Posted: 30 Jun 2014 04:34 PM PDT Like humans, fish prefer to group with individuals with whom they are familiar, rather than strangers. This gives numerous benefits including higher growth and survival rates, greater defense against predators and faster social learning. However, high carbon dioxide levels, such as those anticipated by climate change models, may hinder the ability of fish to recognize one another and form groups with familiar individuals.

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• Five-legged kangaroo? Telling the tale of a kangaroo's tail
• How do ants get around? Ultra-sensitive machines measure their every step
• Plants respond to leaf vibrations caused by insects' chewing
• New metamaterial gives light a one-way ticket
• Behind a marine creature's bright green fluorescent glow
• Muscle-powered bio-bots walk on command
• Tags reveal Chilean devil rays are among ocean's deepest divers
• Insect diet helped early humans build bigger brains: Quest for elusive bugs spurred primate tool use, problem-solving skills
• Weave a cell phone into your shirt? Engineers envision an electronic switch just three atoms thick

Five-legged kangaroo? Telling the tale of a kangaroo's tail Posted: 01 Jul 2014 04:33 PM PDT Kangaroos may be nature's best hoppers. But when they are grazing on all fours, which is most of the time, their tail becomes a powerful fifth leg, says a new study. It turns out that kangaroo tails provide as much propulsive force as their front and hind legs combined as they eat their way across the landscape.

How do ants get around? Ultra-sensitive machines measure their every step Posted: 01 Jul 2014 04:32 PM PDT How do ants manage to move so nimbly whilst coordinating three pairs of legs and a behind that weighs up to 60 percent of their body mass? Scientists have recently developed a device that may reveal the answer and could even help design micro-robots in the future. Researchers used an elastic polycarbonate material to produce a miniature force plate. Springs arranged at right angles to each other enabled forces to be measured across the plate in the micro-Newton range.

Plants respond to leaf vibrations caused by insects' chewing Posted: 01 Jul 2014 03:38 PM PDT Previous studies have suggested that plant growth can be influenced by sound and that plants respond to wind and touch. Now, researchers, in a collaboration that brings together audio and chemical analysis, have determined that plants respond to the sounds that caterpillars make when eating plants and that the plants respond with more defenses.

New metamaterial gives light a one-way ticket Posted: 01 Jul 2014 03:38 PM PDT Researchers have built a silver, glass and chromium nanostructure that can all but stop visible light cold in one direction while giving it a pass in the other. The device could someday play a role in optical information processing and in novel biosensing schemes.

Behind a marine creature's bright green fluorescent glow Posted: 01 Jul 2014 02:01 PM PDT Probing the mysterious glow of light produced naturally by animals, scientists have deciphered the structural components related to fluorescence brightness in the primitive sea creature known as amphioxus. The study carries implications for a variety of industries looking to maximize brightness of natural fluorescence, including applications in biotechnology such as adapting fluorescence for biomedical protein tracers and tracking gene expression in the human body.

Muscle-powered bio-bots walk on command Posted: 01 Jul 2014 11:28 AM PDT A new generation of miniature biological robots is flexing its muscle. Engineers have demonstrated a class of walking 'bio-bots' powered by muscle cells and controlled with electrical pulses, giving researchers unprecedented command over their function.

Tags reveal Chilean devil rays are among ocean's deepest divers Posted: 01 Jul 2014 11:28 AM PDT Thought to dwell mostly near the ocean's surface, Chilean devil rays (Mobula tarapacana) are most often seen gliding through shallow, warm waters. But a new study reveals that these large and majestic creatures are actually among the deepest-diving ocean animals.

Insect diet helped early humans build bigger brains: Quest for elusive bugs spurred primate tool use, problem-solving skills Posted: 01 Jul 2014 11:01 AM PDT Figuring out how to survive on a lean-season diet of hard-to-reach ants, slugs and other bugs may have spurred the development of bigger brains and higher-level cognitive functions in the ancestors of humans and other primates, suggests new research.

Weave a cell phone into your shirt? Engineers envision an electronic switch just three atoms thick Posted: 01 Jul 2014 06:20 AM PDT Researchers believe they've discovered a crystal that can form a monolayer three atoms thick. Computer simulations show that this crystal, molybdenum ditelluride, can act like a switch: its crystal lattice can be mechanically pulled and pushed, back and forth, between two different atomic structures -- one that conducts electricity well, the other that does not. The team hopes experimental scientists will make this semiconductor crystal and use it to fashion flexible electronics.

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• It's a girl! Gene silencing technology alters sex of prawns
• Using geometry, researchers coax human embryonic stem cells to organize themselves
• Body odor reveals malarial infection
• Study of animal urination could lead to better-engineered products
• Bacterial colonies evolve amazing diversity
• Smashing new look at nanoribbons: Researchers unzip nanotubes by shooting them at 15,000 mph
• Mysterious features on Saturn's Titan reveal the moon's seasonal changes
• Whaling logbooks could hold key to retreating Arctic ice fronts
• Marine bacteria are natural source of chemical fire retardants
• Notorious pathogen forms slimy 'streamers' to clog up medical devices
• Brewing yeasts reveal secrets of chromosomal warfare, dysfunction

It's a girl! Gene silencing technology alters sex of prawns Posted: 30 Jun 2014 04:34 PM PDT Scientists have developed a novel method for generating single-sex populations of prawns. This could be used to boost the productivity of aquaculture farms and even as a biocontrol measure against invasive species and pests.

Using geometry, researchers coax human embryonic stem cells to organize themselves Posted: 30 Jun 2014 01:45 PM PDT By confining colonies of human embryonic stem cells to tiny circular patterns on glass plates, researchers have for the first time coaxed them into organizing themselves just as they would under natural conditions.

Body odor reveals malarial infection Posted: 30 Jun 2014 01:40 PM PDT An infection with malaria pathogens changes the scent of infected mice, making those infected more attractive to mosquitoes, according to a new study. Researchers show that whether mosquitoes find the right victim to bite is not left to chance by the pathogen. Instead, the plasmodium parasite appears to manipulate its host by changing the characteristics of the infected individual's body odour, which makes the carrier more attractive to hungry mosquitoes.

Study of animal urination could lead to better-engineered products Posted: 30 Jun 2014 01:40 PM PDT A new study investigated how quickly 32 animals urinate. It turns out that it's all about the same. Even though an elephant's bladder is 3,600 times larger than a cat's (18 liters vs. 5 milliliters), both animals relieve themselves in about 20 seconds.

Bacterial colonies evolve amazing diversity Posted: 30 Jun 2014 09:44 AM PDT Like human societies -- think New York City -- bacterial colonies have immense diversity among their inhabitants, often generated in the absence of specific selection pressures, according to a new article.

Smashing new look at nanoribbons: Researchers unzip nanotubes by shooting them at 15,000 mph Posted: 30 Jun 2014 08:41 AM PDT Scientists have discovered they can unzip nanotubes into graphene nanoribbons without chemicals by firing them at a target at 15,000 miles per hour. Materials scientists discovered that nanotubes that hit a target end first turn into mostly ragged clumps of atoms. But nanotubes that happen to broadside the target unzip into handy ribbons that can be used in composite materials for strength and applications that take advantage of their desirable electrical properties.

Mysterious features on Saturn's Titan reveal the moon's seasonal changes Posted: 30 Jun 2014 06:48 AM PDT At first glance, Titan has little in common with Earth. The largest moon of Saturn, temperatures on Titan's surface dip nearly 300 F below zero, its seas slosh with liquid methane, and its sky is a murky shade of creamsicle. And yet, fresh analysis of mysterious features spotted on the moon indicates that it experiences one of the same global processes that is important here on Earth. Bright spots in a large lake on Titan suggest that Saturn's largest moon supports processes similar to Earth's water cycle.

Whaling logbooks could hold key to retreating Arctic ice fronts Posted: 30 Jun 2014 06:46 AM PDT Ice fronts from the early 19th century were far more advanced around the Arctic than they are today, researchers analysing whalers' log books from this time have discovered.

Marine bacteria are natural source of chemical fire retardants Posted: 29 Jun 2014 11:17 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a widely distributed group of marine bacteria that produce compounds nearly identical to toxic human-made fire retardants.

Notorious pathogen forms slimy 'streamers' to clog up medical devices Posted: 26 Jun 2014 06:33 PM PDT A research team has moved a step closer to preventing infections of the common hospital pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, by revealing the mechanisms that allow the bacteria to rapidly clog up medical devices.

Brewing yeasts reveal secrets of chromosomal warfare, dysfunction Posted: 25 Jun 2014 07:18 AM PDT Using two yeasts that have been used to brew tea and beer for centuries, researchers have revealed how reproductive barriers might rapidly arise to create species boundaries. Schizosaccharomyces pombe has been used to brew beer in Africa, whereas its close relative S. kombucha is a component of kombucha tea commonly found in health-food stores.

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