ScienceDaily: Quirky - February 05, 2025
Top quirky research news
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.
Engineers model electric grid demand for EVs to charge while in motion
Running out of gas in a remote area far from a gas station is every driver's worst nightmare. A similar stressor, known as "range anxiety," exists for owners of electric vehicles who worry about how far their EV's can drive without running out of battery. As EVs become more common on roadways -- annual EV sales are estimated to reach 7.2 million by 2030 -- innovative new methods are being developed to more easily charge them.
Why do plants transport energy so efficiently and quickly?
Photosynthesis -- mainly carried out by plants -- is based on a remarkably efficient energy conversion process. To generate chemical energy, sunlight must first be captured and transported further. This happens practically loss-free and extremely quickly. A new study shows that quantum mechanical effects play a key role in this process.
Quantum machine offers peek into 'dance' of cosmic bubbles
Physicists have performed a groundbreaking simulation they say sheds new light on an elusive phenomenon that could determine the ultimate fate of the Universe.
Spinning neutron star gains enormous magnetic fields
An international team of scientists have modelled formation and evolution of strongest magnetic fields in the Universe.
Wobbling stars reveal hidden companions in Gaia data
Using data from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission, scientists have found a huge exoplanet and a brown dwarf. This is the first time a planet has been uniquely discovered by Gaia's ability to sense the gravitational tug or 'wobble' the planet induces on a star. Both the planet and brown dwarf are orbiting low-mass stars, a scenario thought to be extremely rare.
New device uses electrically assisted wind to fight fires
Researchers have developed a new portable tool that could improve how firefighters douse fires, making the process more efficient and far less risky.
Straight shot: Hubble investigates galaxy with nine rings
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured a cosmic bullseye! The gargantuan galaxy LEDA 1313424 is rippling with nine star-filled rings after an 'arrow' -- a far smaller blue dwarf galaxy -- shot through its heart. Astronomers using Hubble identified eight visible rings, more than previously detected by any telescope in any galaxy, and confirmed a ninth using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. Previous observations of other galaxies show a maximum of two or three rings.
New research on ancient life found in Yellowstone hot springs
New work offers insight into how early life adapted from a low-oxygen atmosphere to the one that exists today.
Researchers solve a fluid mechanics mystery
Seven years ago, researchers caught an unexpected phenomenon on film: A pool of red dye that somehow 'knew' how to solve a maze filled with milk. Propelled forward by a couple drops of soap, it unerringly found its way, avoiding dead ends and even making 90 degree turns in its path toward the exit.
Don't know something? Apes can tell
To get treats, apes eagerly pointed them out to humans who didn't know where they were, a seemingly simple experiment that demonstrated for the first time that apes will communicate unknown information in the name of teamwork. The study also provides the clearest evidence to date that apes can intuit another's ignorance, an ability thought to be uniquely human.
Tiny copper 'flowers' bloom on artificial leaves for clean fuel production
Tiny copper 'nano-flowers' have been attached to an artificial leaf to produce clean fuels and chemicals that are the backbone of modern energy and manufacturing.
Printable molecule-selective nanoparticles enable mass production of wearable biosensors
Researchers have developed a way to print nanoparticles like ink, creating inexpensive sweat sensors that can continuously monitor multiple molecules.
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.
Sound is a primary issue in the lives of skateboarders, study shows
Sound plays a significant and often poignant part of skateboarders' relationship with their sport, a new study shows.
This delicate nanoflower is downright deadly to bacteria
A carnation-like nanostructure could someday be used in bandages to promote wound healing. Researchers report that laboratory tests of their nanoflower-coated dressings demonstrate antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and biocompatible properties. They say these results show these tannic acid and copper(II) phosphate sprouted nanoflower bandages are promising candidates for treating infections and inflammatory conditions.
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 whales' menu, genomic evidence confirms
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.
Life as a multiscale cascade of machines making machines
A new study proposes a framework for understanding living matter as a cascade of machines making machines, extending from the atomic scale to the scale of the entire biosphere.
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.
Why maggots love the texture of decaying fruit
Researchers have discovered neurons in the fly larva mouth that allow the taste of food texture. The study found that the fly peripheral taste organ has neurons with texture-tasting mechanoreceptors that derive their ability from the painless gene.
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.
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.
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.
Scientists shocked by durability of surgery-sparing technique
A nanotechnology-based drug delivery system developed to save patients from repeated surgeries has proved to have unexpectedly long-lasting benefits in lab tests -- a promising sign for its potential to help human patients.
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.
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.
Working dogs take a day to adjust to Daylight Savings Time, but pets are more flexible
Working dogs take a day to adjust to the change in routine caused by Daylight Savings Time, whereas pet dogs and their owners seem to be unaffected, according to a new study.
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.
Oceanic plate between Arabian and Eurasian continental plates is breaking away
An international research team has investigated the influence of the forces exerted by the Zagros Mountains in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on how much the surface of the Earth has bent over the last 20 million years. Their research revealed that in the present day, deep below the Earth's surface, the Neotethys oceanic plate -- the ocean floor that used to be between the Arabian and Eurasian continents -- is breaking off horizontally, with a tear progressively lengthening from southeast Turkey to northwest Iran. Their findings show how the evolution of the Earth's surface is controlled by processes deep within the planet's interior.
A recent study investigated the identity of a fungus found on a spider during filming of the BBC Winterwatch series in Northern Ireland.
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.
New insights into the perception of coffee taste -- genetic predisposition plays a role
Why does coffee taste more bitter to some people than it does to others? Researchers have now come closer to answering this question. They have identified a new group of bitter compounds in roasted Arabica coffee and have investigated how they influence its bitter taste. In addition, they demonstrated that individual genetic predisposition also plays a role in determining how bitter these roasting substances taste.
Even quantum physics obeys the law of entropy
The universe is getting more disordered, entropy is growing -- this is the second law of thermodynamics. But according to quantum theory, entropy should actually stay the same. Scientists took a closer look and resolved this apparent contradiction.
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.
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.
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.
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.