ScienceDaily: All - March 19, 2024
Today's top research news
Tanks of the Triassic: New crocodile ancestor identified
Dinosaurs get all the glory. But aetosaurs, a heavily armored cousin of modern crocodiles, ruled the world before dinosaurs did. These tanks of the Triassic came in a variety of shapes and sizes before going extinct around 200 million years ago. Today, their fossils are found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.
Backyard insect inspires invisibility devices, next gen tech
Leafhoppers, a common backyard insect, secrete and coat themselves in tiny mysterious particles that could provide both the inspiration and the instructions for next-generation technology, according to a new study. In a first, the team precisely replicated the complex geometry of these particles, called brochosomes, and elucidated a better understanding of how they absorb both visible and ultraviolet light.
Image: macro of a leafhopper, Sergey/shutterstock.com
Two artificial intelligences talk to each other
Performing a new task based solely on verbal or written instructions, and then describing it to others so that they can reproduce it, is a cornerstone of human communication that still resists artificial intelligence (AI). A team has succeeded in modelling an artificial neural network capable of this cognitive prowess. After learning and performing a series of basic tasks, this AI was able to provide a linguistic description of them to a 'sister' AI, which in turn performed them.
A wetter world recorded in Australian coral colony
When climate scientists look to the future to determine what the effects of climate change may be, they use computer models to simulate potential outcomes such as how precipitation will change in a warming world. Some scientists are also looking at something a little more tangible: coral.
Holographic message encoded in simple plastic
Important data can be stored and concealed quite easily in ordinary plastic using 3D printers and terahertz radiation, scientists show. Holography can be done quite easily: A 3D printer can be used to produce a panel from normal plastic in which a QR code can be stored, for example. The message is read using terahertz rays -- electromagnetic radiation that is invisible to the human eye.
Breathe, don't vent: Turning down the heat is key to managing anger
Venting about a source of anger might feel good in the moment, but it's not effective at reducing the rage, new research suggests. Instead, techniques often used to address stress -- deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation, yoga or even counting to 10 -- have been shown to be more effective at decreasing anger and aggression.
Feeling apathetic? There may be hope
A new method that aims to help people develop grit looks promising.
Self-heating concrete is one step closer to putting snow shovels and salt out of business
Researchers recently reported on the science behind its special concrete, that can warm itself up when it snows, or as temperatures approach freezing.
Landmark study shows that 'transcendent' thinking may grow teens' brains over time
Scientists find that adolescents who grapple with the bigger meaning of social situations experience greater brain growth, which predicts stronger identity development and life satisfaction years later.
Potential novel biomarkers of coronary heart disease discovered
Coronary heart disease is a major global health problem, especially among people with type 2 diabetes. Researchers have identified novel protein biomarkers that are associated with the development of CHD in people with and without diabetes.