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Categories: Offbeat: General, Physics: General
Published Evidence stacks up for poisonous books containing toxic dyes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some of the attractive hues of brightly colored, cloth-bound books from the Victorian era come from dyes that could pose a health risk to readers, collectors or librarians. The latest research on these 'poison books' used three techniques -- including one that hasn't previously been applied to books -- to assess dangerous dyes in a university collection and found some volumes had levels that might be unsafe.
Published Study explains why laws are written in an incomprehensible style
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study on 'legalese' suggests this convoluted language acts to convey a sense of authority in legal documents. The researchers also found that even non-lawyers use legalese when asked to write laws.
Published How 'winner and loser effects' impact social rank in animals -- and humans
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new article provides a narrative review of the relevant similarities and distinctions between nonhumans and humans to assess the causes and consequences of winner and loser effects in humans.
Published Searching old stem cells that stay young forever
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The sea anemone Nematostella vectensis is potentially immortal. Using molecular genetic methods, developmental biologists have now identified possible candidates for multipotent stem cells in the sea anemone for the first time. These stem cells are regulated by evolutionary highly conserved genes.
Published Morphable materials: Researchers coax nanoparticles to reconfigure themselves
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A view into how nanoscale building blocks can rearrange into different organized structures on command is now possible with an approach that combines an electron microscope, a small sample holder with microscopic channels, and computer simulations, according to a new study.
Published Spider exploits firefly's flashing signals to lure more prey
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fireflies rely on flashing signals to communicate to other fireflies using light-emitting lanterns on their abdomens. In fireflies of the species Abscondita terminalis, males make multi-pulse flashes with two lanterns to attract females, while females make single-pulse flashes with their one lantern to attract males. Now researchers have evidence that an orb-weaving spider (Araneus ventricosus) manipulates the flashing signals of male fireflies ensnared in its web such that they mimic the typical flashes of a female firefly, thereby luring other males to serve as their next meal.
Published Tracking down the asteroid that sealed the fate of the dinosaurs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The asteroid that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago probably came from the outer solar system.
Published Hailstone library to improve extreme weather forecasting
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are measuring and scanning samples for a global 'hailstone library'. Storm simulations using 3-D modelling of real hailstones -- in all sorts of weird shapes from oblong to flat discs or with spikes coming out -- show it behaves differently than spherical hail shapes. Data from the hail library could lead to more accurate storm forecasts.
Published Rethinking the dodo
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are setting out to challenge our misconceptions about the Dodo, one of the most well-known but poorly understood species of bird. Researchers have undertaken the most comprehensive review of the taxonomy of the Dodo and its closest relative, the Rodriguez Island Solitaire.
Published Large Hadron Collider pipe brings search for elusive magnetic monopole closer than ever
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research using a decommissioned section of the beam pipe from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN has bought scientists closer than ever before to test whether magnetic monopoles exist. Scientists have revealed the most stringent constraints yet on the existence of magnetic monopoles, pushing the boundaries of what is known about these elusive particles.
Published New research shows unprecedented atmospheric changes during May's geomagnetic superstorm
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source On May 11, a gorgeous aurora surprised stargazers across the southern United States. That same weekend, a tractor guided by GPS missed its mark. What do the visibility of the northern lights have in common with compromised farming equipment in the Midwest? A uniquely powerful geomagnetic storm, according to new research.
Published Engineers design tiny batteries for powering cell-sized robots
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A zinc-air microbattery could enable the deployment of cell-sized, autonomous robots for drug delivery within in the human body, as well as other applications such as locating leaks in gas pipelines.
Published Blind cavefish have extraordinary taste buds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A biologist studies blind cavefish, a species of fish that dwell in cave ponds in Mexico. He looked at the timeline for when the cavefish develop additional taste buds on the head and chin, finding the taste bud expansion starts at five months and continues into adulthood.
Published Researchers observe 'locked' electron pairs in a superconductor cuprate
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The finding could help future efforts to design superconductors that work at higher temperatures.
Published New insight Into behavior of electrons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Physicists have uncovered new states of matter by exploring the behavior of flatland electrons in extreme conditions, revealing insights that could impact quantum computing and advanced materials.
Published Quantum pumping in molecular junctions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new theoretical modelling technique that could potentially be used in the development of switches or amplifiers in molecular electronics.
Published Cleaning up the aging brain: Scientists restore brain's trash disposal system
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have restored the brain's waste-clearing process in aging mice, offering potential new treatment for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's using existing drugs.
Published Surprise finding in study of environmental bacteria could advance search for better antibiotics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers studying bacteria from freshwater lakes and soil say they have determined a protein's essential role in maintaining the germ's shape. Because the integrity of a bacterial cell's 'envelope' or enclosure is key to its survival, the finding could advance the search for new and better antibiotics.
Published Why do plants wiggle? New study provides answers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Decades after his voyage on the HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin became fascinated by why plants move as they grow -- spinning and twisting into corkscrews. Now, more than 150 years later, a new study may have solved the riddle.
Published Advancing modular quantum information processing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of physicists envisions a modular system for scaling quantum processors with a flexible way of linking qubits over long distances to enable them to work in concert to perform quantum operations. The ability to carry out such correlated or 'entangling' operations between linked qubits is the basis of the enhanced power quantum computing holds compared with current computers.