ScienceDaily: Quirky - April 23, 2025
Top quirky research news
Curiosity rover finds large carbon deposits on Mars
Research from NASA's Curiosity rover has found evidence of a carbon cycle on ancient Mars.
Robot see, robot do: System learns after watching how-to videos
Researchers have developed a new robotic framework powered by artificial intelligence -- called RHyME (Retrieval for Hybrid Imitation under Mismatched Execution) -- that allows robots to learn tasks by watching a single how-to video.
New species of electricity-conducting organism, name it after Tribe
Scientists have identified a novel species of bacteria that acts as electrical wiring, potentially ushering in a new era of bioelectronic devices for use in medicine, industry, food safety, and environmental monitoring and cleanup.
Using ChatGPT, students might pass a course, but with a cost
With the assumption that students are going to use artificial intelligence and large language models such as ChatGPT to do their homework, researchers set out to learn how well the free version of ChatGPT would compare with human students in a semester-long undergraduate control systems course.
Transformable flat-to-shape objects created using sewing technology
Researchers introduced a novel method for fabricating functional flat-to-shape objects using a computer-controlled sewing machine. The team's method uses the sewing machine to stitch pockets between layers of fabric, and stiff panels are inserted into the pockets. Multiple fabrics types can be used, ranging from muslin for heavy-duty applications to more delicate fabrics for decorative purposes. The materials can also be customized on a panel-by-panel basis to adapt to each object's needs. The researchers demonstrated how the materials can be chosen to support a variety of functional goals, such as using thicker plywood for a human-weight supporting chair and custom LED panels with sheer fabric for a functional lamp. Additionally, The technique also allows for additional mechanisms such as cords, magnets, and hook-and-loop fasteners to direct and stabilize flat-to-shape transitions.
Astronomers discover a planet that's rapidly disintegrating, producing a comet-like tail
A planet 140 light-years from Earth is rapidly coming apart due to its close proximity to its star. The roasting planet is effectively evaporating away: It sheds an enormous amount of surface minerals as it whizzes around its star.
Better feed, fewer burps: Scientists target dairy gas emissions
Researchers are testing a new type of cattle feed that could help dairy cows release less methane gas from burps and flatulence and use nutrients more efficiently. Because methane traps heat in the atmosphere, reducing these emissions could make dairy farming more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
More Americans are using psilocybin -- especially those with mental health conditions, study shows
Use of psilocybin, the hallucinogenic chemical found in what is known as 'magic mushrooms,' has increased significantly nationwide since 2019, according to a new study.
What roils beneath the Earth's surface may feel a world away, but the activity can help forge land masses that dictate ocean circulation, climate patterns, and even animal activity and evolution. In fact, scientists believe that a plume of hot rocks that burst from the Earth's mantle millions of years ago could be an important part in the story of human evolution.
What if Mother Earth could sue for mistreatment?
The study highlights the transformative potential of the Rights of Nature, which views nature as a rights-bearing entity, not merely an object of regulation and subjugation by extractive industries. The Llurimagua case -- a dispute over a mining concession in Ecuador's cloud forest -- illustrates this approach, providing a unique opportunity to rethink Earth system governance.
Did it rain or snow on ancient Mars? New study suggests it did
Geologists weigh in on a long-running debate about Mars: Billions of years ago, was the Red Planet warm and wet or cold and dry?
Wild chimps filmed sharing 'boozy' fruit
Wild chimpanzees have been pictured eating and sharing fruit containing alcohol.
It's a quantum zoo out there, and scientists just found a dozen new 'species'
Researchers observe over a dozen never-before-seen quantum states in a unique quantum material.
Turning down starlight to spot new exoplanets
Researchers have developed a new coronagraph that could make it possible to see distant exoplanets obscured by light from their parent stars.
How thoughts influence what the eyes see
A new study by biomedical engineers and neuroscientists shows that the brain's visual regions play an active role in making sense of information.
Scientists probe the mystery of Titan's missing deltas
New research finds that despite large rivers and seas of liquid methane, Saturn's moon Titan seems mostly devoid of river deltas, raising new questions about the surface dynamics on this alien world.
Soft brainstem implant delivers high-resolution hearing
A team has developed a soft, thin-film ABI. The device uses micrometer-scale platinum electrodes embedded in silicone, forming a pliable array just a fraction of a millimeter thick. This novel approach enables better tissue contact, potentially preventing off-target nerve activation and reducing side effects.
Extreme drought contributed to barbarian invasion of late Roman Britain, tree-ring study reveals
Three consecutive years of drought contributed to the 'Barbarian Conspiracy', a pivotal moment in the history of Roman Britain, a new study reveals. Researchers argue that Picts, Scotti and Saxons took advantage of famine and societal breakdown caused by an extreme period of drought to inflict crushing blows on weakened Roman defenses in 367 CE. While Rome eventually restored order, some historians argue that the province never fully recovered.
Strongest hints yet of biological activity outside the solar system
Astronomers have detected the most promising signs yet of a possible biosignature outside the solar system, although they remain cautious.
Ever wonder why some meteor showers are so unpredictable?
Why do comets and their meteoroid streams weave in and out of Earth's orbit and their orbits disperse over time? Researchers show that this is not due to the random pull of the planets, but rather the kick they receive from a moving Sun.
Cosmic twist: The universe could be spinning
A new study suggests the universe may rotate -- just extremely slowly. The finding could help solve one of astronomy's biggest puzzles.
First confirmed footage of a colossal squid -- and it's a baby!
An international team of scientists and crew on board Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor (too) was the first to film the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) in its natural environment. The 30-centimeter juvenile squid (nearly one foot long) was captured on video at a depth of 600 meters (1968 feet) by the Institute's remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian. The sighting occurred on March 9 on an expedition near the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. This year is the 100-year anniversary of the identification and formal naming of the colossal squid, a member of the glass squid family (Cranchiidae).
RoboBee comes in for a landing
A recently created RoboBee is now outfitted with its most reliable landing gear to date, inspired by one of nature's most graceful landers: the crane fly. The team has given their flying robot a set of long, jointed legs that help ease its transition from air to ground. The robot has also received an updated controller that helps it decelerate on approach, resulting in a gentle plop-down.
Sunscreen, clothes and caves may have helped Homo sapiens survive 41,000 years ago
A study suggests that Homo sapiens may have benefited from the use of ochre and tailored clothing during a period of increased UV light 41,000 years ago, during the Laschamps excursion.
'Big surprise': Astronomers find planet in perpendicular orbit around pair of stars
Astronomers have found a planet that orbits at an angle of 90 degrees around a rare pair of peculiar stars. This is the first time we have strong evidence for one of these 'polar planets' orbiting a stellar pair.
Crystal clues on Mars point to watery and possibly life-supporting past
A new study analyzing data from NASA's Perseverance rover has uncovered compelling evidence of multiple mineral-forming events just beneath the Martian surface -- findings that bring scientists one step closer to answering the profound question: Did life ever exist on Mars?
Scientists find evidence that overturns theories of the origin of water on Earth
Researchers have helped overturn the popular theory that water on Earth originated from asteroids bombarding its surface; Scientists have analyzed a meteorite analogous to the early Earth to understand the origin of hydrogen on our planet. The research team demonstrated that the material which built our planet was far richer in hydrogen than previously thought. The findings support the theory that the formation of habitable conditions on Earth did not rely on asteroids hitting the Earth.
Researchers have isolated a giant virus, which was named Jyvaskylavirus. The discovery shows that giant viruses are more common in northern regions than researchers have thought. It also illustrates that there are still many structures whose origins and functions have not been properly studied.
The most distant twin of the Milky Way ever observed
An international team has discovered the most distant spiral galaxy candidate known to date. This ultra-massive system existed just one billion years after the Big Bang and already shows a remarkably mature structure, with a central old bulge, a large star-forming disk, and well-defined spiral arms. The discovery was made using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and offers important insights into how galaxies can form and evolve so rapidly in the early Universe.
Our DNA is at risk of hacking, warn scientists
According to new research next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) -- the same technology which is powering the development of tailor-made medicines, cancer diagnostics, infectious disease tracking, and gene research -- could become a prime target for hackers.
Holiday flights could carry fewer passengers as world warms
By the 2060s, some airports with shorter runways may need to reduce their maximum take-off weight by the equivalent of approximately 10 passengers per flight during summer months.
A step toward harnessing clean energy from falling rainwater
When two materials come into contact, charged entities on their surfaces get a little nudge. This is how rubbing a balloon on the skin creates static electricity. Likewise, water flowing over some surfaces can gain or lose charge. Now, researchers have harnessed the phenomenon to generate electricity from rain-like droplets moving through a tube. They demonstrate a new kind of flow that makes enough power to light 12 LEDs.
Living fungus-based building material repairs itself for over a month
Engineers have developed a building material that uses the root-like mycelium of a fungus and bacteria cells. Their results show that this material -- which is manufactured with living cells at low temperatures -- is capable of self-repairing and could eventually offer a sustainable alternative for high-emission building materials like concrete.
Bite-sized chunks of chicken with the texture of whole meat can be grown in the lab
A bioreactor that mimics a circulatory system can deliver nutrients and oxygen to artificial tissue, enabling the production of over 10 grams of chicken muscle for cultured meat applications.
'Cosmic radio' could find dark matter in 15 years
Scientists have designed a 'cosmic radio' detector which could discover dark matter in 15 years.
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