ScienceDaily: Quirky - December 11, 2024
Top quirky research news
Particle that only has mass when moving in one direction observed for first time
For the first time, scientists have observed a collection of particles, also known as a quasiparticle, that's massless when moving one direction but has mass in the other direction. The quasiparticle, called a semi-Dirac fermion, was first theorized 16 years ago, but was only recently spotted inside a crystal of semi-metal material called ZrSiS. The observation of the quasiparticle opens the door to future advances in a range of emerging technologies from batteries to sensors, according to the researchers.
Image: ShadeDesign/Shutterstock.com
A new discovery about the source of the vast energy in cosmic rays
New research suggests that these ultra-high energy rays derive their energy from magnetic turbulence.
Tiny poops in the ocean may help solve the carbon problem
Some of the world's smallest animals and their tiny poops could aid in the fight against climate change. A study reports that clay dust sprayed on the surface of seawater converts free-floating carbon particulates into food for zooplankton, which the microscopic animals later deposit deep into the sea as feces. The particulates are the remnants of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by marine plants that re-enters the atmosphere when the plants die. This new method redirects the carbon into the marine food chain.
Delivering medicines with microscopic 'flowers'
Using microparticles consisting of extremely thin petals, medicines can be delivered via the bloodstream in a precisely targeted manner, for example to a tumour or blood clot. Ultrasound and other acoustic procedures guide the particles through the body and reveal their locations. This makes the particles easy to deploy, as ultrasound procedures are common practice in medicine.
Researchers 'see' vulnerability to gaming addiction in the adolescent brain
Researchers found that adolescents with more symptoms of gaming addiction showed lower brain activity in the region involved in decision-making and reward processing; this blunted response to reward anticipation is associated with higher symptoms of gaming addiction over time and suggests that reduced sensitivity to rewards, in particular non-gaming rewards, may play a role in problematic gaming.
Scientists create AI that 'watches' videos by mimicking the brain
Imagine an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can watch and understand moving images with the subtlety of a human brain. Now, scientists have made this a reality by creating MovieNet: an innovative AI that processes videos much like how our brains interpret real-life scenes as they unfold over time.
Dogs use two-word button combos to communicate
A new study shows that dogs trained to use soundboards to 'talk' are capable of making two-word button combinations that go beyond random behavior or simple imitation of their owners.
Earliest deep-cave ritual compound in Southwest Asia discovered
A cave in Galilee, Israel, has yielded evidence for ritualistic gathering 35,000 years ago, the earliest on the Asian continent.
Mars' infamous dust storms can engulf the entire planet: A new study examines how
Dust storms on Mars could one day pose dangers to human astronauts, damaging equipment and burying solar panels. New research gets closer to predicting when extreme weather might erupt on the Red Planet.
Not so simple machines: Cracking the code for materials that can learn
Physicists have devised an algorithm that provides a mathematical framework for how learning works in lattices called mechanical neural networks.
Could a decades-long debate about the mysterious movements of stars in Omega Centauri, the largest star cluster in the Milky Way, finally be resolved?
New ocean predator discovered in the Atacama Trench
Characterized by darkness and intense pressure, the ocean's hadal zone seems uninhabitable, yet dozens of unique organisms call it home. Each species discovered there adds a crucial piece to the puzzle of how life has evolved and even thrives in one of Earth's most extreme environments. A new study highlights one of those species -- the newly named Dulcibella camanchaca. This crustacean is the first large, active predatory amphipod from these extreme depths.
Universe expansion study confirms challenge to cosmic theory
New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope suggest that a new feature in the universe -- not a flaw in telescope measurements -- may be behind the decade-long mystery of why the universe is expanding faster today than it did in its infancy billions of years ago.
Battery-like computer memory keeps working above 1000°F
Computer memory could one day withstand the blazing temperatures in fusion reactors, jet engines, geothermal wells and sweltering planets using a new solid-state memory device developed by a team of engineers.
Astronomers find the smallest asteroids ever detected in the main belt
Astronomers have found a way to spot the smallest, 'decameter,' asteroids within the main asteroid belt. They used their approach to detect more than 100 new asteroids, ranging from the size of a bus to several stadiums wide, which are the smallest asteroids within the main belt detected to date.
A researcher has uncovered evidence of intestinal parasites in a 500-year-old latrine from Bruges, Belgium, and while the finding may induce queasiness in some, it is expected to provide important scientific evidence on how infectious diseases once spread through travel and trade.
Magnetically controlled kirigami surfaces move objects: No grasping needed
Researchers have developed a novel device that couples magnetic fields and kirigami design principles to remotely control the movement of a flexible dimpled surface, allowing it to manipulate objects without actually grasping them -- making it useful for lifting and moving items such as fragile objects, gels or liquids. The technology has potential for use in confined spaces, where robotic arms or similar tools aren't an option.
A team of interdisciplinary scientists has developed flexible fibers with self-healing, light-emitting and magnetic properties. The Scalable Hydrogel-clad Ionotronic Nickel-core Electroluminescent (SHINE) fiber is bendable, emits highly visible light, and can automatically repair itself after being cut, regaining nearly 100 per cent of its original brightness. In addition, the fiber can be powered wirelessly and manipulated physically using magnetic forces.
Bird-inspired drone can jump for take-off
Researchers have built a drone that can walk, hop, and jump into flight with the aid of birdlike legs, greatly expanding the range of potential environments accessible to unmanned aerial vehicles.
Desert ants use the polarity of the geomagnetic field for navigation
Desert ants of the Cataglyphis nodus species use the Earth's magnetic field for spatial orientation, but rely on a different component of the field than other insects. The survey suggests that the ants also use a different mechanism for magnetoreception than most insects studied to date, including the famous monarch butterflies. The researchers suspect that magnetoreception in desert ants is based on a mechanism involving tiny particles of the iron oxide mineral magnetite or other magnetic particles.
Particle research gets closer to answering why we're here
Physicists have outlined the next 10 years of global research into the behavior of neutrinos, particles so tiny that they pass through virtually everything by the trillions every second at nearly the speed of light.
That's no straw: Hummingbirds evolved surprisingly flexible bills to help them drink nectar
Hummingbird bills -- their long, thin beaks -- look a little like drinking straws. But new research shows just how little water, or nectar, that comparison holds. Scientists have discovered that the hummingbird bill is surprisingly flexible. While drinking, a hummingbird rapidly opens and shuts different parts of its bill simultaneously, engaging in an intricate and highly coordinated dance with its tongue to draw up nectar at lightning speeds.
Researchers use data from citizen scientists to uncover the mysteries of a blue low-latitude aurora
Colorful auroras appeared around Japan's Honshu and Hokkaido islands on May 11, 2024, sparked by an intense magnetic storm. Usually, auroras observed at low latitudes appear red due to the emission of oxygen atoms. But on this day, a salmon pink aurora was observed throughout the night, while an unusually tall, blue-dominant aurora appeared shortly before midnight.
Tyrannosaur teeth discovered in Bexhill-on-Sea, England
Research has revealed that several groups of meat-eating dinosaur stalked the Bexhill-on-Sea region of coastal East Sussex 135 million years ago.
Iberian Neolithic societies had a deep knowledge of archery techniques and materials
A research team has made exceptional discoveries on prehistoric archery from the early Neolithic period, 7,000 years ago. The well organic preservation of the remains of the Cave of Los Murcielagos in Albunol, Granada, made it possible for scientists to identify the oldest bowstrings in Europe, which were made from the tendons of three animal species. The use of olive and reed wood and birch bark pitch in the making of arrows reveals an unprecedented degree of precision and technical mastery, as highlighted in the study. The discoveries redefine the limits of our knowledge about the earliest agricultural societies in Europe and provide a unique view on ancestral archery materials and practices.
Chimpanzees perform the same complex behaviors that have brought humans success
A new study suggests that the fundamental abilities underlying human language and technological culture may have evolved before humans and apes diverged millions of years ago.
A new way to create realistic 3D shapes using generative AI
An AI method enables the generation of sharp, high-quality 3D shapes that are closer to the quality of the best 2D image models. Previous approaches typically generated blurry or cartoonish 3D shapes.
Manta rays inspire fast swimming soft robot yet
A team of researchers has beaten its own record for the fastest swimming soft robot, drawing inspiration from manta rays to improve their ability to control the robot's movement in the water.
Male African elephants develop distinct personality traits as they age
Male African elephants have distinct personality traits, but also adapt their behavior to suit the social context, according to a new study.
New research shows that the heart has a mini-brain -- its own nervous system that controls the heartbeat. A better understanding of this system, which is much more diverse and complex than previously thought, could lead to new treatments for heart diseases.
Astronomers close to solving mystery of how universe's giant galaxies formed
Astrophysicists find the birth sites of gigantic elliptical galaxies which they say gives new clues about how they were formed. The galaxies look like bulging footballs and how they were created remains a mystery to scientists -- until now.
Can plastic-eating bugs help with our microplastic problem?
Previous research found that insects can ingest and absorb pure, unrefined microplastics -- but only under unrealistic, food-scarce situations. Zoologists have now tested mealworms in a more realistic scenario, feeding them ground-up face masks -- a common plastic product -- mixed with bran, a tastier option. After 30 days, the research team found the mealworms ate about half the microplastics available, about 150 particles per insect, and gained weight. They excreted a small fraction of the microplastics consumed, about four to six particles per milligram of waste, absorbing the rest. Eating microplastics did not appear to affect the insects' survival and growth.
The hydrogen atoms of [4Fe-4S] type ferredoxin, one of the electron carriers, have been visualized and both experiments and calculations have revealed the mechanisms that control the redox potential. Aspartic acid (Asp64) located a distance away from the [4Fe-4S] cluster of ferredoxin, was found to be the control switch, an evolutionarily conserved mechanism.