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

Whales Around the World Play With Kelp Clumps      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new article has analyzed another understudied behavior in baleen (filter-feeding) whales such as humpback whales in different populations across the northern and southern hemispheres. They appeared to roll around and 'play' with clumps of kelp and seaweed at the water's surface. The research also emphasizes that the behavior was similar in different individuals, regardless of where in the world it occurred.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Microbiology Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Mathematics: General Mathematics: Modeling
Published

Sperm swimming is caused by the same patterns that are believed to dictate zebra stripes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Patterns of chemical interactions are thought to create patterns in nature such as stripes and spots. This new study shows that the mathematical basis of these patterns also governs how sperm tail moves.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Offbeat: General
Published

Strength is in this glass's DNA      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists were able to fabricate a pure form of glass and coat specialized pieces of DNA with it to create a material that was not only stronger than steel, but incredibly lightweight.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Physics: General Physics: Quantum Physics Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: General
Published

Down goes antimatter! Gravity's effect on matter's elusive twin is revealed      (via sciencedaily.com) 

For the first time, in a unique laboratory experiment at CERN, researchers have observed individual atoms of antihydrogen fall under the effects of gravity. In confirming antimatter and regular matter are gravitationally attracted, the finding rules out gravitational repulsion as the reason why antimatter is largely missing from the observable universe.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Unleashing the power of AI to track animal behavior      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have created a non-invasive movement tracking method called GlowTrack that uses fluorescent dye markers to train artificial intelligence to capture movement, from a single mouse digit to the human hand. GlowTrack has applications spanning biology, robotics, medicine, and beyond.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

One-hour training is all you need to control a third robotic arm, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study has found that people can learn to use supernumerary robotic arms as effectively as working with a partner in just one hour of training.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

New insights into the atmosphere and star of an exoplanet      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study of the intriguing TRAPPIST-1 exoplanetary system has demonstrated the complex interaction between the activity of the system's star and its planetary features.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Hidden supermassive black holes reveal their secrets through radio signals      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Astronomers have found a striking link between the amount of dust surrounding a supermassive black hole and the strength of the radio emission produced in extremely bright galaxies.

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

Jellyfish, with no central brain, shown to learn from past experience      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Even without a central brain, jellyfish can learn from past experiences like humans, mice, and flies, scientists report for the first time. They trained Caribbean box jellyfish (Tripedalia cystophora) to learn to spot and dodge obstacles. The study challenges previous notions that advanced learning requires a centralized brain and sheds light on the evolutionary roots of learning and memory.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General Engineering: Robotics Research Physics: Optics
Published

Efficient training for artificial intelligence      (via sciencedaily.com) 

New physics-based self-learning machines could replace the current artificial neural networks and save energy.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Conversations with plants: Can we provide plants with advance warning of impending dangers?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Plant scientists have engineered a light-controlled gene expression system (optogenetics system) from a prokaryotic system into a eukaryotic system that is tailored for plants.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Nature Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

This parasitic plant convinces hosts to grow into its own flesh--it's also an extreme example of genome shrinkage      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Balanophora shed one third of its genes as it evolved into a streamlined parasitic plant -- an extreme degree of genome shrinkage even among parasites. Along the way this subtropical plant developed the ability to induce the host plant to grow into the parasite's own flesh -- forming chimeric organs that mix host and parasite tissues.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Ritual use of human remains dating from the Neolithic      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international study has documented post-mortem bone modifications not linked to consumption.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Robotics Research Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

Shape-changing smart speaker lets users mute different areas of a room      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A team has developed a shape-changing smart speaker, which uses self-deploying microphones to divide rooms into speech zones and track the positions of individual speakers.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Scientists successfully maneuver robot through living lung tissue      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have shown that their steerable lung robot can autonomously maneuver the intricacies of the lung, while avoiding important lung structures.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Exploration Space: General Space: The Solar System
Published

New Mars gravity analysis improves understanding of possible ancient ocean      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The first use of a novel method of analyzing Mars' gravitational force supports the idea that the planet once had an extensive northern ocean. In doing so, the method defines the scope of what scientists refer to as the northern Martian paleo-ocean in more detail.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Offbeat: General
Published

Researchers make sand that flows uphill      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engineering researchers have discovered that sand can actually flow uphill. A corresponding video shows what happens when torque and an attractive force is applied to each grain -- the grains flow uphill, up walls, and up and down stairs.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: Early Humans Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Archaeologists discover world's oldest wooden structure      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Half a million years ago, earlier than was previously thought possible, humans were building structures made of wood, according to new research.