ScienceDaily: Featured - February 02, 2025
Featured research news
Why you shouldn't scratch an itchy rash: New study explains
Your parents were right: Scratching an itchy rash really does make it worse. Now we know why, thanks to new research that uncovers how scratching aggravates inflammation and swelling in a mouse model of a type of eczema called allergic contact dermatitis.
Life cycles of some insects adapt well to a changing climate: Others, not so much
Some biologists speculate that animals will get smaller with global warming to reduce heat stress. While this may be true of warm-blooded animals, what about exotherms like insects? Thanks to a 65-year-old grasshopper collection, scientists have documented that some species -- those overwintering as juveniles -- got larger over the years, helped by an earlier green spring. Grasshoppers with other lifestyles got smaller. Much of this can be predicted given what biologists know of insect life cycles.
'Altar tent' discovery puts Islamic art at the heart of medieval Christianity
A 13th-century fresco rediscovered in Ferrara, Italy, provides unique evidence of medieval churches using Islamic tents to conceal their high altars. The 700-year-old fresco is thought to be the only surviving image of its kind, offering precious evidence of a little-known Christian practice.
Lightsails could reach distant star systems
A team of scientists has made the first experimental measurements of laser-induced motions of miniature lightsails in the lab.
The big chill: Is cold-water immersion good for our health?
In a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers have taken a deep dive into the effects of cold-water immersion on health and wellbeing. Analyzing data from 11 studies with 3177 participants, researchers found that cold-water immersion may lower stress, improve sleep quality, and boost quality of life.
White shark liver is on Australian killer sharks' menu
DNA evidence has confirmed killer whales in Australia hunted a white shark for its liver. Based on DNA analysis from the bite wounds on the carcass of a large white shark washed ashore near Portland in Victoria in 2023, the study identified that killer whales were responsible for consuming the mid-section containing the nutritionally rich liver.
Low-level traffic air pollution linked to liver damage and fatty liver disease
Low levels of traffic-related air pollution harms the liver and may raise the risk of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, a new study in mice suggests.
Ancient DNA analyses bring to life the 11,000-year intertwined genomic history of sheep and humans
The rise of pastoralist peoples in the Eurasian steppes and their westward spread some 5,000 years ago may have been fueled by sheep herding and people exploiting their milk. As early as 8,000 years ago the team found evidence that farmers were deliberately selecting their flocks -- for example, for the genes coding for coat color. Sheep have been intertwined with human livelihoods for over 11,000 years. As well as meat, their domestication led to humans being nourished by their protein-rich milk and clothed by warm, water-resistant fabrics made from their wool. Now, a team of geneticists has deciphered the prehistoric cultural trajectory of this species by analyzing 118 genomes recovered from archaeological bones dating across 12 millennia and stretching from Mongolia to Ireland.
Antibody treatment prevents severe bird flu in monkeys
The antibody targets a stable part of the bird flu virus, ensuring that the immune protection can resist new variants and offer long-term protection against the globally spreading airborne infection.
Polar bear population decline the direct result of extended 'energy deficit' due to lack of food
U of T Scarborough researchers have directly linked population decline in polar bears living in Western Hudson Bay to shrinking sea ice caused by climate change.
Earth scientists study Sikkim flood in India to help others prepare for similar disasters
Experts from the global Earth science community have pieced together what happened during the massive Sikkim flood to try to help others prepare for similar disasters.
New light-tuned chemical tools control processes in living cells
A research group has developed new advanced light-controlled tools that enable precise control of proteins in real time in living cells. This groundbreaking research opens doors to new methods for studying complex processes in cells and could pave the way for significant advances in medicine and synthetic biology.
3D-printed brain-like environment promotes neuron growth
Key cells in the brain, neurons, form networks by exchanging signals, enabling the brain to learn and adapt at incredible speed. Researchers have now developed a 3D-printed 'brain-like environment' where neurons grow similarly to a real brain. Using tiny nanopillars, they mimic the soft neural tissue and the brain extracellular matrix fibers. This model provides new insights into how neurons form networks, as well as a novel tool to understand in future how this process may change in neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and autism spectrum disorders.
Zika uses human skin as 'mosquito magnet' to spread virus further
Zika virus hijacks the skin of its human host to send out chemical signals that lure more mosquitoes to infect and spread the disease further, new research shows.
Sharks and rays benefit from global warming, but not from CO2 in the Oceans
Sharks and rays have populated the world's oceans for around 450 million years, but more than a third of the species living today are severely threatened by overfishing and the loss of their habitat. Palaeobiologists have now investigated whether and how global warming influences the diversity of sharks based on climate fluctuations between 200 and 66 million years ago. According to the study, higher temperatures and more shallow water areas have a positive effect, while higher CO2 levels have a clearly negative effect.
Bat wings boost hovering efficiency
Researchers have designed flexible, bat-like wings that boost lift and improve flight performance. This innovation could lead to more efficient drones or energy-harvesting technologies.
Freshwater alga could be the next superfood that feeds the world
A green alga that grows in lakes and rivers could be the next 'superfood' -- helping scientists to tackle global food security challenges while promoting environmental sustainability.
A hearing aid for ... your nose?
Scientists have discovered a feedback loop in the brain's odor center that seems to put smells and sounds into context. The feedback loop may help animals adjust their behaviors in response to new sensations.
Optimism can boost saving, especially for lower-income individuals
Being optimistic about the future may help people save more money, and the effect appears strongest among those with lower incomes, according to new research.
Researchers combine holograms and AI to create uncrackable optical encryption system
Researchers developed a new optical system that uses holograms to encode information, creating a level of encryption that traditional methods cannot penetrate.
Researchers have shown that plumes of wildfire smoke can carry contaminants hundreds of kilometers, leaving a toxic and lingering footprint which has the potential to be re-released into the environment.
Lead contamination in ancient Greece points to societal change
Studies of sediment cores from the sea floor and the coastal regions surrounding the Aegean Sea show that humans contaminated the environment with lead early on in antiquity. Geoscientists conducted the analyses, which revealed that human activity in the region resulted in lead contamination of the environment approximately 5,200 years ago -- much earlier than previously known. Combined with the results of pollen analyses from the sediment cores, this contamination also offers insights into socioeconomic change in the Aegean.
Generating electricity from tacky tape
Zaps of static electricity might be a wintertime annoyance, but to certain scientists, they represent an untapped source of energy. Using a device called a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), mechanical energy can be converted into electrical energy using triboelectric effect static. Many TENGs contain expensive, specially fabricated materials, but one team has instead used inexpensive store-bought tape, plastic and aluminum metal.
New atom-based thermometer measures temperature more accurately
Scientists have developed a new method for measuring temperature extremely accurately by using giant 'Rydberg' atoms. This atomic thermometer provides accurate measurements 'out of the box,' without needing initial factory adjustments, because it relies on the basic principles of quantum physics. By using Rydberg atoms' sensitivity to environmental changes, this technique could simplify temperature sensing in extreme environments, from space to high-precision industries.
Bad hair bears! Greasy hair gives polar bears fur with anti-icing properties
Scientists have discovered the anti-icing secret of polar bear fur -- something that allows one of the planet's most iconic animals to survive and thrive in one of its most punishing climates. That secret? Greasy hair. After some polar sleuthing, which involved scrutiny of hair collected from six polar bears in the wild, the scientists homed in on the hair 'sebum' (or grease) as the all-important protectant. This sebum, which is made up of cholesterol, diacylglycerols, and fatty acids, makes it very hard for ice to attach to their fur. While this finding sheds fascinating new light on our understanding of polar bear -- and even Inuit -- ecology, it may also have a suite of unrelated applications, with a similar concoction of artificially made sebum promising to be useful as an anti-ice surface coating, or in next-gen ski skins used by skiers and snowboarders.
A less 'clumpy,' more complex universe?
New research has combined cosmological data from two major surveys of the universe's evolutionary history and found hints that it may be less clumpy at certain points than previously thought. Their findings suggest that the universe may have become more complex with advancing age.
Scientists 'mimic real biological processes' using synthetic neurons
A new collaboration has unlocked new potential for the field by creating a novel high-performance organic electrochemical neuron that responds within the frequency range of human neurons.
New acoustic wave phenomenon discovered
This novel finding regarding the nonreciprocal diffraction of acoustic waves could open doors for next-generation communication devices.
The hidden power of the smallest microquasars
Researchers found for the first time evidence that even microquasars containing a low-mass star are efficient particle accelerators, which leads to a significant impact on the interpretation of the abundance of gamma rays in the universe.
Blood-powered toes give salamanders an arboreal edge
Wandering salamanders are known for gliding high through the canopies of coastal redwood forests, but how the small amphibians stick their landing and take-off with ease remains something of a mystery. A new study reveals the answer may have a lot to do with a surprising mechanism: blood-powered toes.
A pre-Columbian society in the Amazon developed a sophisticated agricultural engineering system that allowed them to produce maize throughout the year, according to a recent discovery. This finding contradicts previous theories that dismissed the possibility of intensive monoculture agriculture in the region.
Life's building blocks in Asteroid Bennu samples
Scientists detected all five nucleobases -- building blocks of DNA and RNA -- in samples returned from asteroid Bennu by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission.
Exploring mysteries of Asteroid Bennu
Scientists found that asteroid Bennu contained a set of salty mineral deposits that formed in an exact sequence when a brine evaporated, leaving clues about the type of water that flowed billions of years ago.
Moon is not as 'geologically dead' as previously thought
Scientists developed advanced dating methods to track geological changes on the far side of the moon and found evidence of relatively recent activity.
Sharp look into Ockham's razor
A new article argues that by relying too much on parsimony in modeling, scientists make mistakes and miss opportunities.
Relative of deadly Hendra virus found in the US
Researchers have identified the first henipavirus in North America.
Moderate exercise keeps appetite at bay
A recent study has revealed that moderate-intensity exercise can significantly influence appetite-related hormones and perceptions in males with obesity.
A new register with thousands of entangled nuclei to scale quantum networks
In a groundbreaking achievement for quantum technologies, researchers have created a functional quantum register using the atoms inside a semiconductor quantum dot.
New clues to the mechanism behind food tolerance and allergies
Study reveals how immune cells in the gut distinguish between food and harmful pathogens, shedding light on the origins of both food allergies and intestinal diseases.
Follow the water: Searching for a lunar oasis
As humankind imagines living off-planet -- on the moon, Mars and beyond -- the question of how to sustain life revolves around the physical necessities of oxygen, food and water. We know there is water on the moon, but how do we find it? Researchers may help bring science fiction to reality by providing a divining rod to guide future space missions.
Ocean-surface warming four times faster now than late-1980s
The study helps explain why 2023 and early 2024 saw unprecedented ocean temperatures.
Towards a new generation of human-inspired language models
Can a computer learn a language the way a child does? A recent study sheds new light on this question. The researchers advocate for a fundamental revision of how artificial intelligence acquires and processes language.
A super-Earth laboratory for searching life elsewhere in the Universe
Thirty years after the discovery of the first exoplanet, we detected more than 7000 of them in our Galaxy. But there are still billions more to be discovered! At the same time, exoplanetologists have begun to take an interest in their characteristics, with the aim of finding life elsewhere in the Universe. This is the background to the discovery of super-Earth HD 20794 d by an international team. The new planet lies in an eccentric orbit, so that it oscillates in and out of its star's habitable zone. This discovery is the fruit of 20 years of observations using the best telescopes in the world.
Innovative one-minute video game boasts 80% success rate in diagnosing autism
A new one-minute video game is able to accurately and efficiently identify children with autism from those who have ADHD or are neurotypical.
How simple prompts can make partially automated cars safer
A new study finds that prompts do a good job of getting drivers to engage with their environment and take over control of the vehicle when necessary while using partially automated driving systems -- with one exception. If drivers are deeply distracted, these system-generated prompts have little or no effect.
Mites who hitchhike on the beaks of hummingbirds use a surprising method to help them on their journey: electricity. These hummingbird flower mites feed on nectar and live within specific flowers for their species. When it is time to seek out a new flower, they hitch a ride via hummingbirds, but for years researchers have not been sure exactly how these tiny, crawling arachnids quickly disembark at the right flower. Researchers are now closer to answering these questions.
First mouse with two male parents to reach adulthood
A team of stem cell scientists have successfully used embryonic stem cell engineering to create a bi-paternal mouse -- a mouse with two male parents -- that lived until adulthood. Their results describe how targeting a particular set of genes involved in reproduction allowed the researchers to overcome previously insurmountable challenges in unisexual reproduction in mammals.
Explaining persistent hydrogen in Mars' atmosphere
The fact that the cold, dry Mars of today had flowing rivers and lakes several billion years ago has puzzled scientists for decades. Now, researchers think they have a good explanation for a warmer, wetter ancient Mars. Building on prior theories describing the Mars of yore as a hot again, cold again place, a team has determined the chemical mechanisms by which ancient Mars was able to sustain enough warmth in its early days to host water, and possibly life.
Archaeologists find 'lost' site depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry
Archaeologists have uncovered evidence that a house in England is the site of a lost residence of Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England, and shown in the Bayeux Tapestry. By reinterpreting previous excavations and conducting new surveys, the team believe they have located a power center belonging to Harold Godwinson, who was killed in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
'Embodied energy' powers modular worm, jellyfish robots
In the same way that terrestrial life evolved from ocean swimmers to land walkers, soft robots are progressing, too, thanks to recent research in battery development and design.
Cancer risk established before birth
A person's lifetime risk for cancer may begin before they are even born, reports a paradigm-shifting study. The findings identified two distinct epigenetic states that arise during development and are linked to cancer risk. One of these states is associated with a lower lifetime risk while the other is associated with a higher lifetime risk.
Hear ye! Hear ye! Researchers uncover new complexities in human hearing
Physicists have discovered a sophisticated, previously unknown set of 'modes' within the human ear that put important constraints on how the ear amplifies faint sounds, tolerates noisy blasts, and discerns a stunning range of sound frequencies in between. By applying existing mathematical models to a generic mock-up of a cochlea -- a spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear -- the researchers revealed a new layer of cochlear complexity. The findings offer fresh insight into the remarkable capacity and accuracy of human hearing.
Dwarf planet Ceres: Building blocks of life delivered from space
The dwarf planet is a bizarre, cryovolcanic world. However, the organic deposits discovered on its surface so far are unlikely to originate from its interior. The organic material found in a few areas on the surface of dwarf planet Ceres is probably of exogenic origin. Impacting asteroids from the outer asteroid belt may have brought it with them.
An interdisciplinary team of researchers has projected that if the rate of global CO2 emissions continues to increase and reaches a high emission scenario, sea levels would as a result very likely rise between 0.5 and 1.9 meters by 2100. The high end of this projection's range is 90 centimeters higher than the latest United Nations' global projection of 0.6 to 1.0 meters.
Researchers discover new way to store hydrogen using lignin jet fuel
An international team of scientists has discovered a way to store and release volatile hydrogen using lignin-based jet fuel that could open new pathways for sustainable energy production. In a new study scientists demonstrated that a type of lignin-based jet fuel they developed can chemically bind hydrogen in a stable liquid form. The research has many potential applications in fuels and transportation and could ultimately make it easier to harness hydrogen's potential as a high energy and zero emissions fuel source.
New weapon against harmful algal blooms
Effective management of phosphorus is needed to curb the rise of harmful algal blooms. Few studies have explored how algal biomass, especially blue-green algae, can be used to create materials that remove phosphate from water. Researchers have filled that gap by transforming cyanobacterial biomass into materials that can pull harmful phosphorus out of water. Materials treated in the study removed more than 99% of phosphorus. With further refinement and scalability, this method could become a key tool for managing nutrient pollution.
How Titan maintains its atmosphere
Scientists have performed laboratory experiments to better understand how Saturn's moon Titan can maintain its unique nitrogen-rich atmosphere. Titan is the second largest moon in our solar system and the only one that has a significant atmosphere.
Vacations are good for employee well-being, and the effects are long lasting
If you're like many Americans, you probably didn't take all your vacation time this year. Even if you did, it's highly likely you didn't fully unplug while off the clock. But you might want to change that if you want to improve your health and well-being, according to a new review article.