ScienceDaily: Quirky - April 02, 2025
Top quirky research news
First therapy chatbot trial shows AI can provide 'gold-standard' care
Researchers conducted the first clinical trial of an AI-powered therapy chatbot and found that, on average, people with diagnosed mental disorders experienced clinically significant improvements in their symptoms over eight weeks, according to new results. Users engaged with the software, known as Therabot, through a smartphone app and reported that interactions were comparable to working with a mental-health professional. The researchers conclude that while AI-powered therapy is in critical need of clinician oversight, it has the potential to provide real-time support for the many people who lack regular or immediate access to a professional.
Metasurfaces: Bilayer device can control many forms of polarized light
Researchers have created a bilayer metasurface made of two stacked layers of titanium dioxide nanostructures, opening new possibilities for structuring light.
The experts that can outsmart optical illusions
Medical imaging experts are adept at solving common optical illusions, according to new research. The research is the first to show that people can be trained to do better at solving visual illusions, which was previously thought to be near-impossible. The study shows that medical imaging experts are particularly accurate at judging the size of objects in common optical illusions. In other words, they also literally see better in everyday life!
Scientists solve 'cocktail party' mystery of bat echolocation
Every night, bats emerge out of roosts in massive numbers, creating what scientists have called a 'cocktail party nightmare' of clashing echolocations. Nobody knew how bats managed this severe sensorial challenge. Now, scientists have tracked bats within a group of thousands to find out: when bats first emerge from the roost, they increase their distance from the center of the group and adjust their echolocation to maneuver safely in the areas of highest bat density.
Cold plunges actually change your cells
Cold water immersion for seven days significantly improves cellular resilience and autophagic function, helping cells manage stress better. This adaptation could enhance health and longevity, potentially preventing diseases and slowing aging at a cellular level.
Artificial neurons organize themselves
Novel artificial neurons learn independently and are more strongly modeled on their biological counterparts. A team of researchers has programmed these infomorphic neurons and constructed artificial neural networks from them. The special feature is that the individual artificial neurons learn in a self-organized way and draw the necessary information from their immediate environment in the network.
Physics of irregular objects on inclined planes probed
How gravity causes a perfectly spherical ball to roll down an inclined plane is part of elementary school physics canon. But the world is messier than a textbook. Scientists have sought to quantitatively describe the much more complex rolling physics of real-world objects. They have now combined theory, simulations, and experiments to understand what happens when an imperfect, spherical object is placed on an inclined plane.
Physics meets art: A new twist on interference patterns
Researchers have discovered brand new interference patterns in twisted two-dimensional tungsten ditelluride lattices. These so-called moir patterns can be tuned to look like periodic spots or even one-dimensional bands by adjusting the twist angle between layers, and they can drastically alter the physical properties of the material.
Human urine, a valuable resource as fertilizer for sustainable urban agriculture, study concludes
The reuse of human urine would allow for the production of sustainable fertilizers for urban agriculture, with significant environmental benefits, a new study concludes. The research evaluates the environmental impact of nitrogen recovery from the yellow waters of buildings. In addition to promoting sustainable agriculture, it would reduce carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption.
A lighter, smarter magnetoreceptive electronic skin
Imagine navigating a virtual reality with contact lenses or operating your smartphone under water: This and more could soon be a reality thanks to innovative e-skins. A research team has developed an electronic skin that detects and precisely tracks magnetic fields with a single global sensor. This artificial skin is not only light, transparent and permeable, but also mimics the interactions of real skin and the brain.
Is AI the new research scientist? Not so, according to a human-led study
Researchers asked generative AI to write a research paper. While adept at some steps, it wholly failed at others.
Feeling the future: New wearable tech simulates realistic touch
Most haptic devices only deliver feedback as simple vibrations. New device applies dynamic forces in any direction to simulate a more realistic sense of touch. Small, lightweight device can enhance virtual reality, help individuals with visual impairments, provide tactile feedback for remote health visits and more.
A new species of fossil is 444 million years-old with soft insides perfectly preserved. Research 'ultramarathon' saw palaeontologist puzzled by bizarre fossil for 25 years.
Mini rolling robot takes virtual biopsies
A tiny magnetic robot which can take 3D scans from deep within the body, that could revolutionize early cancer detection, has been developed by researchers. The team say this is the first time it has been possible to generate high-resolution three-dimensional ultrasound images taken from a probe deep inside the gastrointestinal tract, or gut.
Earliest days of Earth's formation
New research sheds light on the earliest days of the earth's formation and potentially calls into question some earlier assumptions in planetary science about the early years of rocky planets. Establishing a direct link between the Earth's interior dynamics occurring within the first 100 million years of its history and its present-day structure, the work is one of the first in the field to combine fluid mechanics with chemistry to better understand the Earth's early evolution.
Engineers redefine how heat transfers on advanced surfaces
Scientists have developed a new theory to explain heat transfer on advanced surfaces. The theory is critical to the researchers' work to develop innovative surfaces for applications such as harvesting water from air without electricity.
Rare disease drug nitisinone makes human blood deadly to mosquitoes
A study found when patients take the drug nitisinone, their blood becomes deadly to mosquitoes.
Cuttlefish 'mesmerize' their prey with a moving skin pattern, study finds
While sneaking up on prey, cuttlefish employ a dynamic skin display to avoid detection in last moments of approach, researchers have found.
A safe nuclear battery that could last a lifetime
Lithium-ion batteries, used in consumer devices and electric vehicles, typically last hours or days between charges. However, with repeated use, they degrade and need to be charged more frequently. Now, researchers are considering radiocarbon as a source for safe, small and affordable nuclear batteries that could last decades or longer without charging.
Making sturdy, semi-transparent wood with cheap, natural materials
Can you imagine having a smartphone with a wooden touchscreen? Or a house with wooden windows? Probably not -- unless you've heard of transparent wood. Made by modifying wood's natural structure, this material has been proposed as a sturdy, eco-friendly alternative for plastic. Researchers have created proof-of-concept transparent woods using almost entirely natural materials, and have explored making them electrically conductive, too.
Artificial intelligence uses less energy by mimicking the human brain
Electrical and computer engineers have developed a 'Super-Turing AI,' which operates more like the human brain. This new AI integrates certain processes instead of separating them and then migrating huge amounts of data like current systems do.
Entangled in self-discovery: Quantum computers analyze their own entanglement
Quantum computers are able to solve complex calculations that would take traditional computers thousands of years in just a few minutes. What if that analytical power is turned inwards towards the computer itself?
Philosophy: Cultural differences in exploitation of artificial agents
A new study shows that people in Japan treat robots and AI agents more respectfully than people in Western societies.
Getting hit by lightning is good for some tropical trees
Getting zapped with millions of volts of electricity may not sound like a healthy activity, but for some trees, it is. A new study reports that some tropical tree species are not only able to tolerate lightning strikes, but benefit from them. The trees may have even evolved to act as lightning rods.
New study shines a light on the mechanics of bioluminescence in the rare fish Vinciguerria mabahiss
Evolving roughly 27 different times in the long history of fish, bioluminescence -- the biological production of light -- is one of the flashier survival tools used for luring prey, communication, and recognizing potential mates among various species. In a new study a team of researchers studied the organs that produce light in Vinciguerria mabahiss, a rare species of fish from the Red Sea. This paper marks the first-ever close examination of these organs, providing key information on their structure and how V. mabahiss uses bioluminescence to make its way through the water -- and laying the foundational groundwork for future scientists studying fish bioluminescence.
Revolutionizing touch: Researchers explore the future of wearable multi-sensory haptic technology
From virtual reality to rehabilitation and communication, haptic technology has revolutionized the way humans interact with the digital world. While early haptic devices focused on single-sensory cues like vibration-based notifications, modern advancements have paved the way for multisensory haptic devices that integrate various forms of touch-based feedback, including vibration, skin stretch, pressure and temperature. Recently, a team of experts analyzed the current state of wearable multisensory haptic technology, outlining its challenges, advancements and real-world applications.
Thank you for referencing the Dartmouth study. However, as a therapist, I have some critical thoughts about the enthusiasm surrounding this study and what it truly demonstrated. I summarized it in an article and look forward to receiving feedback:
https://wfmai.substack.com/p/no-psychiatry-did-not-just-experience?r=3row1i