Biology: Zoology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Bee-2-Bee influencing: Bees master complex tasks through social interaction      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Bumblebees successfully learned a two-step puzzle box task through social observation. This task was too complex for individual bees to learn on their own. Observing trained demonstrator bees performing the first unrewarded step was crucial for successful social learning. Individual bees failed to solve the puzzle without previous demonstration, despite extensive exposure.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Genetic mutation in a quarter of all Labradors hard-wires them for obesity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research finds around a quarter of Labrador retriever dogs face a double-whammy of feeling hungry all the time and burning fewer calories due to a genetic mutation.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Sea Life Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Do some electric fish sense the world through comrades' auras?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

It would be a game-changer if all members of a basketball team could see out of each other's eyes in addition to their own. Biologists have found evidence that this kind of collective sensing occurs in close-knit groups of African weakly electric fish, also known as elephantnose fish. This instantaneous sharing of sensory intelligence could help the fish locate food, friends and foes.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: Optics
Published

Aluminum nanoparticles make tunable green catalysts      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A nanotechnology pioneer has uncovered a transformative approach to harnessing the catalytic power of aluminum nanoparticles by annealing them in various gas atmospheres at high temperatures.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Tiny worms tolerate Chornobyl radiation      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study finds that exposure to chronic radiation from Chornobyl has not damaged the genomes of microscopic worms living there today -- which doesn't mean that the region is safe, the scientists caution, but suggests that these worms are exceptionally resilient.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Harmful 'forever chemicals' removed from water with new electrocatalysis method      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have developed new electrochemical approaches to clean up pollution from 'forever chemicals' found in clothing, food packaging, firefighting foams, and a wide array of other products. A new study describes nanocatalysts developed to remediate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

New method measures the 3D position of individual atoms      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Since more than a decade it has been possible for physicists to accurately measure the location of individual atoms to a precision of smaller than one thousandth of a millimeter using a special type of microscope. However, this method has so far only provided the x and y coordinates. Information on the vertical position of the atom -- i.e., the distance between the atom and the microscope objective -- is lacking. A new method has now been developed that can determine all three spatial coordinates of an atom with one single image.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Fossil named 'Attenborough's strange bird' was the first in its kind without teeth      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new fossil, named 'Attenborough's strange bird' after naturalist and documentarian Sir David Attenborough, is the first of its kind to evolve a toothless beak. It's from a branch of the bird family tree that went extinct in the mass extinction 66 million years ago, and this strange bird is another puzzle piece that helps explain why some birds -- and their fellow dinosaurs -- went extinct, and others survived to today.

Anthropology: General Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Modeling the origins of life: New evidence for an 'RNA World'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists provide fresh insights on the origins of life, presenting compelling evidence supporting the 'RNA World' hypothesis. The study unveils an RNA enzyme that can make accurate copies of other functional RNA strands, while also allowing new variants of the molecule to emerge over time. These remarkable capabilities suggest the earliest forms of evolution may have occurred on a molecular scale in RNA, and also bring scientists one step closer to re-creating autonomous RNA-based life in the laboratory.

Biology: Zoology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

The crow's best friend: Humans      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has found that when humans are suddenly absent from the urban environment, the activity of the crows and ringneck parakeets that 'live' in the area reduces significantly. Conversely, the graceful prinias, who are generally considered shy, increased their activity.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Robotics Research Physics: Optics
Published

A key to the future of robots could be hiding in liquid crystals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Robots and cameras of the future could be made of liquid crystals, thanks to a new discovery that significantly expands the potential of the chemicals already common in computer displays and digital watches. The findings are a simple and inexpensive way to manipulate the molecular properties of liquid crystals with light exposure.

Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Animals Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Orcas demonstrating they no longer need to hunt in packs to take down the great white shark      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An orca (killer whale) has been observed, for the first-ever time, individually consuming a great white shark -- and within just two minutes.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Computer Science: Quantum Computers Engineering: Robotics Research Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

AI-enabled atomic robotic probe to advance quantum material manufacturing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have pioneered a new methodology of fabricating carbon-based quantum materials at the atomic scale by integrating scanning probe microscopy techniques and deep neural networks. This breakthrough highlights the potential of implementing artificial intelligence at the sub-angstrom scale for enhanced control over atomic manufacturing, benefiting both fundamental research and future applications.

Biology: Cell Biology Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Dung beetles show their love by sharing the load      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Dung beetles share the load when it comes to showing their affection for each-other, when transporting a 'brood ball'.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Study identifies multi-organ response to seven days without food      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New findings reveal that the body undergoes significant, systematic changes across multiple organs during prolonged periods of fasting. The results demonstrate evidence of health benefits beyond weight loss, but also show that any potentially health-altering changes appear to occur only after three days without food.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry
Published

It's not only opposites that attract -- new study shows like-charged particles can come together      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A study shows that similarly charged particles can sometimes attract, rather than repel. The team found that like-charged particles suspended in liquids can attract one another at long-range, depending on the solvent and the sign of the charge. The study has immediate implications for processes that involve interactions in solution across various length-scales, including self-assembly, crystallization, and phase separation.