ScienceDaily: Featured - April 14, 2024
Featured research news
Inherited predisposition for higher muscle strength may protect against common morbidities
A study showed that a genetic predisposition for higher muscle strength predicts a longer lifespan and a lower risk for developing common diseases. This is a highly comprehensive international study on hereditary muscle strength and its relationship to morbidity. The genome and health data of more than 340,000 Finns was used in the research.
Brightest gamma-ray burst of all time came from the collapse of a massive star
In 2022, astronomers discovered the brightest gamma-ray burst (GRB) of all time. Now, astronomers confirm that a 'normal' supernova, the telltale sign of a stellar collapse, accompanied the GRB. The team also looked for signatures of heavy elements like gold and platinum in the supernova. They found no evidence of such elements, deepening the mystery of their origins.
Stellar winds of three sun-like stars detected for the first time
An international research team has for the first time directly detected stellar winds from three Sun-like stars by recording the X-ray emission from their astrospheres, and placed constraints on the mass loss rate of the stars via their stellar winds.
Iconic savanna mammals face genetic problems due to fences and roads
Wildebeest migrations have become a rarer sight in Africa as humans continue to interrupt their historic migratory routes with roads, fences, cities, livestock and farmland. This has led to genetic decay in those herds that are no longer able to roam freely, according to new research.
Beautiful nebula, violent history: Clash of stars solves stellar mystery
When astronomers looked at a stellar pair at the heart of a stunning cloud of gas and dust, they were in for a surprise. Star pairs are typically very similar, like twins, but in HD 148937, one star appears younger and, unlike the other, is magnetic. New data suggest there were originally three stars in the system, until two of them clashed and merged. This violent event created the surrounding cloud and forever altered the system's fate.
Star Trek's Holodeck recreated using ChatGPT and video game assets
Star Trek's Holodeck is no longer just science fiction. Using AI, engineers have created a tool that can generate 3D environments, prompted by everyday language.
Breakthrough promises secure quantum computing at home
The full power of next-generation quantum computing could soon be harnessed by millions of individuals and companies, thanks to a breakthrough guaranteeing security and privacy. This advance promises to unlock the transformative potential of cloud-based quantum computing.
Image: AI computer chip, HelloRF Zcool/shutterstock.com
Oxidant pollutant ozone removes mating barriers between fly species
Researchers show that ozone levels, such as those found in many places on hot summer days today, destroy the sex pheromones of fruit fly species. As a result, some natural mating boundaries maintained by species-specific pheromones no longer exist. The research team has shown in experiments that flies of different species mate when exposed to ozone and produce hybrid offspring. Since most of these offspring are unable to reproduce, the results could provide another explanation for the global decline of insects.
Ocean currents threaten to collapse Antarctic ice shelves
Meandering ocean currents play an important role in the melting of Antarctic ice shelves, threatening a significant rise in sea levels.
Cloud engineering could be more effective 'painkiller' for global warming than previously thought
Cloud 'engineering' could be more effective for climate cooling than previously thought, because of the increased cloud cover produced, new research shows.
Parkinson's Disease: New theory on the disease's origins and spread
New hypothesis paper builds on a growing scientific consensus that Parkinson's disease route to the brain starts in either the nose or the gut and proposes that environmental toxicants are the likely source.
Pacific cities much older than previously thought
New evidence of one of the first cities in the Pacific shows they were established much earlier than previously thought, according to new research. The study used aerial laser scanning to map archaeological sites on the island of Tongatapu in Tonga, showing Earth structures were being constructed in Tongatapu around AD 300.
The hidden role of the Milky Way in ancient Egyptian mythology
Astrophysicists shed light on the relationship between the Milky Way and the Egyptian sky-goddess Nut. The paper draws on ancient Egyptian texts and simulations to argue that the Milky Way might have shone a spotlight, as it were, on Nut's role as the sky. It proposes that in winter, the Milky Way highlighted Nut's outstretched arms, while in summer, it traced her backbone across the heavens.
How the body switches out of 'fight' mode
Cortisone and other related glucocorticoids are extremely effective at curbing excessive immune reactions. But previously, astonishingly little was known about how they exactly do that. Researchers have now explored the molecular mechanism of action in greater detail. As the researchers report, glucocorticoids reprogram the metabolism of immune cells, activating the body's natural 'brakes' on inflammation. These findings lay the groundwork for development of anti-inflammatory agents with fewer and less severe side effects.
New drug prevents flu-related inflammation and lung damage
Findings show a newly created drug can prevent runaway inflammation while still allowing the immune system to handle the virus, even when given late into infection.
Researchers discover how we perceive bitter taste
A new study reveals the detailed protein structure of the TAS2R14, a bitter taste receptor that allows us to perceive bitter taste. In addition to solving the structure of this taste receptor, the researchers were also able to determine where bitter-tasting substances bind to TAS2R14 and how they activate them. The findings may lead to the development of drugs that targeting taste receptors.
Does the time of day you move your body make a difference to your health?
Undertaking the majority of daily physical activity in the evening is linked to the greatest health benefits for people living with obesity, according to researchers who followed the trajectory of 30,000 people over almost 8 years.
3D mouth of an ancient jawless fish suggests they were filter-feeders, not scavengers or hunters
Early jawless fish were likely to have used bony projections surrounding their mouths to modify the mouth's shape while they collected food. Experts have used CT scanning techniques to build up the first 3D pictures of these creatures, which are some of the earliest vertebrates (animals with backbones) in which the mouth is fossilized. Their aim was to answer questions about feeding in early vertebrates without jaws in the early Devonian epoch -- sometimes called the Age of Fishes -- around 400 million years ago.
Breakthrough for next-generation digital displays
Researchers have developed a digital display screen where the LEDs themselves react to touch, light, fingerprints and the user's pulse, among other things. Their results could be the start of a whole new generation of displays for phones, computers and tablets.
Connecting lab-grown brain cells provides insight into how our own brains work
Researchers have developed a technique to connect lab-grown neural 'organoids' (three-dimensional developmental brain-like structures grown from human stem cells) using axonal bundles, similar to the connections between regions in the human brain. This technique allows brain networks to be better represented experimentally in the lab, and will improve understanding and studies of network-related brain disorders.
In a new breakthrough that could revolutionise medical and material engineering, scientists have developed a first-of-its-kind molecular device that controls the release of multiple small molecules using force.
Tiny plastic particles are found everywhere
Microplastic particles can be found in the most remote ocean regions on earth. In Antarctica, pollution levels are even higher than previously assumed.
What's quieter than a fish? A school of them
Swimming in schools makes fish surprisingly stealthy underwater, with a group able to sound like a single fish. Engineers working with a high-tech simulation of schooling mackerel offer new insight into why fish swim in schools and promise for the design and operation of much quieter submarines and autonomous undersea vehicles.
Blood protein could help detect delayed concussion recovery in children
Researchers have discovered a blood protein that could help detect which children will experience ongoing concussion symptoms more than two weeks after an injury.
Do some mysterious bones belong to gigantic ichthyosaurs?
Several similar large, fossilized bone fragments have been discovered in various regions across Western and Central Europe since the 19th century. The animal group to which they belonged is still the subject of much debate to this day. A study could now settle this dispute once and for all: The microstructure of the fossils indicates that they come from the lower jaw of a gigantic ichthyosaur. These animals could reach 25 to 30 meters in length, a similar size to the modern blue whale.
After being insulted, writing down your feelings on paper then getting rid of it reduces anger
Researchers have discovered a simple, but effective, strategy to help people reduce their feelings of anger. Disposing of a piece of paper containing your written thoughts on the cause of your anger can effectively neutralize it. This process is like a Japanese tradition called hakidashisara, in which people write their negative thoughts on a plate then destroy it. Their findings suggest a simple and effective method of suppressing anger supported by science.
Pregnancy accelerates biological aging in a healthy, young adult population
Pregnancy may carry a cost, reports a new study. The research shows that women who reported having been pregnant looked biologically older than women who had never been pregnant, and women who had been pregnant more often looked biologically older than those who reported fewer pregnancies.
Engineers design soft and flexible 'skeletons' for muscle-powered robots
Engineers designed modular, spring-like devices to maximize the work of live muscle fibers so they can be harnessed to power biohybrid robots.
Toothed whale echolocation organs evolved from jaw muscles
Genetic analysis finds evidence suggesting that acoustic fat bodies in the heads of toothed whales were once the muscles and bone marrow of the jaw.
A friendly pat on the back can improve performance in basketball
A free throw in basketball will have every eye glued to one person. It's an intensely stressful situation. A research team studied whether a friendly tap on the shoulder increases the odds of making a shot.
How the moon turned itself inside out
Linking analyses of the moon's gravity field with models of its earliest evolution, scientists tell a story of the moon turning itself inside out after it solidified from a primordial magma ocean. The process left behind a vestige of dense, titanium-rich material beneath its Earth-facing side that makes its presence known by gravity anomalies.
Climate change threatens Antarctic meteorites
Antarctica harbors a large concentration of meteorites imbuing the icy continent with an unparalleled wealth of information on our solar system. However, these precious meteorites are rapidly disappearing from the ice sheet surface due to global warming, according to a new study.
New study highlights the benefit of touch on mental and physical health
Through a large-scale analysis, researchers have uncovered the ways in which consensual touch can benefit a person's physical and mental wellbeing.
Mediterranean marine worm has developed enormous eyes
Scientists are amazed at the discovery of a bristle worm with such sharp-seeing eyes that they can measure up to those of mammals and octopuses. The researchers suspect that these marine worms may have a secretive language, which uses UV light only seen by their own species. The advanced vision of such a primitive creature helps to finally settle an epic debate about the evolution of eyes.
Telescope detects unprecedented behavior from nearby magnetar
Captured by cutting-edge radio telescope technology, a chance reactivation of a magnetar -- the Universe's most powerful magnets -- has revealed an unexpectedly complex environment.