ScienceDaily: Quirky - January 29, 2025
Top quirky research news
Solving the evolutionary puzzle of polyploidy: how genome duplication shapes adaptation
Scientists have developed a theoretical model that uncovers the dual role of polyploidy -- organisms carrying extra genome copies -- in evolution. Their findings reveal that polyploidy can stabilize populations in predictable environments, where the evolution of novel traits is not required, enabling organisms to adapt and thrive in challenging conditions by accelerating evolutionary innovation. This breakthrough offers fresh insights into evolutionary mechanisms and their implications for microbiology, biotechnology, and medicine.
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.
Individual cells can be connected to plastic electrodes
Researchers have succeeded in creating a close connection between individual cells and organic electronics. The study lays the foundation for future treatment of neurological and other diseases with very high precision.
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.
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.
Innovation 'sifts' space for mysteries
Astronomers and engineers have developed a specialized system for their radio telescope to rapidly detect mysterious fast radio bursts and other space phenomena.
'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.
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.
A new experimental system to bring quantum technologies closer to students
The world of quantum physics is experiencing a second revolution, which will drive an exponential leap in the progress of computing, the internet, telecommunications, cybersecurity and biomedicine. Quantum technologies are attracting more and more students who want to learn about concepts from the subatomic world -- such as quantum entanglement or quantum superposition -- to explore the innovative potential of quantum science. In fact, understanding the non-intuitive nature of quantum technology concepts and recognizing their relevance to technological progress is one of the challenges of 2025, declared the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology by UNESCO.
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.
Underwater mud volcanos are a haven for marine organisms
One would think that a volcano was not the most hospitable place for living organisms. However, the Borealis Mud Volcano, at 400 m water depth, acts as a sanctuary for a number of marine species.
Strong as steel, light as foam: High-performance, nano-architected materials
Researchers have used machine learning to design nano-architected materials that have the strength of carbon steel but the lightness of Styrofoam. The team describes how they made nanomaterials with properties that offer a conflicting combination of exceptional strength, light weight and customizability. The approach could benefit a wide range of industries, from automotive to aerospace.
Scaling up neuromorphic computing for more efficient and effective AI everywhere and anytime
Neuromorphic computing -- a field that applies principles of neuroscience to computing systems to mimic the brain's function and structure -- needs to scale up if it is to effectively compete with current computing methods. Researchers, now present a detailed roadmap of what needs to happen to reach that goal.
Adding bridges to stabilize quantum networks
While entangled photons hold incredible promise for quantum computing and communications, they have a major inherent disadvantage. After one use, they simply disappear. In a new study physicists propose a new strategy to maintain communications in a constantly changing, unpredictable quantum network. By rebuilding these disappearing connections, the researchers found the network eventually settles into a stable -- albeit different -- state.
'Buzz me in:' Bees wearing itty bitty QR codes reveal hive secrets
Several hundred bees in rural Pennsylvania and rural New York are sporting tiny QR codes on their backs to track when they go in and out of their hives. The work, a collaboration among entomologists and electrical engineers, is the first step in solving a long-standing mystery of how far bees travel from their hives to collect pollen and nectar.
London cabbies' planning strategies could help inform future of AI
Researchers have measured the thinking time of London taxi drivers -- famous for their knowledge of more than 26,000 streets across the city -- as part of a study into the future of AI route-mapping.
New tool enables phylogenomic analyses of entire genomes
Electrical engineers have developed a better way to perform the comparative analysis of entire genomes. This approach can be used to study relationships between different species across geological time scales. This new approach is poised to unlock discoveries regarding how evolution has shaped present-day genomes and also how the tree of life is organized.
Super enzyme that regulates testosterone levels in males discovered in 'crazy' bird species
A single gene that regulates testosterone levels in a 'crazy' species of shore bird controls the development of three wildly different types of males, a new study has found. Ruffs have long fascinated scientists for their three types of males, known as morphs, that differ radically from each other in appearance and mating behaviors. A new study has shown that these morphs are produced by a super enzyme (HSD17B2) in the blood of the birds that's able to regulate testosterone levels in males and rapidly break down the hormone normally associated with male dominance and aggression.
Imagining the physics of George R.R. Martin's fictional universe
Researchers have derived a formula for viral behavior in the Wild Cards, a science fiction series written by a collection of authors about an alien virus called the Wild Card that mutates human DNA. The formula he derived is a Lagrangian formulation, which considers the different ways a system can evolve. It's also a fundamental physics principle, which also makes the fictional example a powerful teaching tool.
New twist in mystery of dinosaurs' origin
The remains of the earliest dinosaurs may lie undiscovered in the Amazon and other equatorial regions of South America and Africa, suggests a new study.
A research team has uncovered the molecular mechanism behind the remarkable underwater adhesion of hairy mussels. Their findings reveal an oxidation-independent adhesion process driven by interactions between EGF/EGF-like domains and GlcNAc-based biopolymers.
Rare pterosaur fossil reveals crocodilian bite 76m years ago
The fossilized neck bone of a flying reptile unearthed in Canada shows tell-tale signs of being bitten by a crocodile-like creature 76 million years ago, according to a new study.
Claims for the world's deepest earthquake challenged by new analysis
The magnitude 7.9 Bonin Islands earthquake sequence, which ruptured deep within the earth near the base of the upper mantle, did not include an aftershock that extended to record depths into the lower mantle, according to a new study.
A research team has recently developed a novel algorithm in quantum physics known as 'entanglement microscopy' that enables visualization and mapping of this extraordinary phenomenon at a microscopic scale. By zooming in on the intricate interactions of entangled particles, one can uncover the hidden structures of quantum matter, revealing insights that could transform technology and deepen the understanding of the universe.
Fossil discovery in the Geiseltal Collection: Researchers identify unique bird skull
Around 45 million years ago, a 4.6 feet-tall (1.40 meters) flightless bird called Diatryma roamed the Geiseltal region in southern Saxony-Anhalt. An international team of researchers report on the bird's fully preserved skull. The fossil was unearthed in the 1950s in a former lignite mining area in the Geiseltal in Germany. It was initially misclassified and thus led a shadowy existence until its rediscovery. The only other place that a similar skull fossil has been found is the USA.
Why are most companies failing to benefit from AI? It's about the people not the tech
Successful uptake of new technology is a matter of emotions -- and with 4 in 5 companies saying they're failing to capitalize on its potential, managers need to know how to deal with them, say researchers.
Plants more likely to be 'eavesdroppers' than altruists when tapping into underground networks
A new study has used a modelling approach to show that it is unlikely that plants would evolve to warn other plants of impending attack. Instead of using their communication networks to transmit warning signals, the findings suggest it is more likely that plants 'eavesdrop' on their neighbors.
Fighting experience plays key role in brain chemical's control of male aggression
Like humans, mice will compete over territory and mates, and show increased confidence in their fighting skills the more they win. At first, a brain chemical called dopamine is essential for young males to master this behavior. But as they gain experience, the chemical grows less important in promoting aggression, a new study shows.
Final synthetic yeast chromosome unlocks new era in biotechnology
Scientists have completed construction of the final chromosome in the worlds' first synthetic yeast genome following more than a decade of work, opening new possibilities for creating resilient, engineered organisms.
Empty headed? Largest study of its kind proves 'bird brain' is a misnomer
It's difficult to know what birds 'think' when they fly, but scientists in are getting some remarkable new insights by looking inside birds' heads. Evolutionary biologists and neuroscience researchers have teamed up to explore a new approach to recreating the brain structure of extinct and living birds by making digital 'endocasts' from the area inside a bird skeleton's empty cranial space.
Wild baboons not capable of visual self-awareness when viewing their own reflection
Wild baboons failed to demonstrate visual self-recognition in a test carried out by anthropologists.