ScienceDaily: Quirky - May 07, 2025
Top quirky research news
Two new crocodile species discovered
Biologists have discovered two previously unknown species of crocodiles, one living on the island of Cozumel and the other on the atoll of Banco Chinchorro, both off the Yucat n Peninsula. The findings challenge long-held assumptions about the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and highlight the urgent need for conservation efforts, the researchers say.
Study of velvet worm slime could revolutionize sustainable material design
A new discovery about the slime ejected by velvet worms could revolutionize sustainable material design. The findings outline how a naturally occurring protein structure, conserved across species from Australia, Singapore and Barbados over nearly 400 million years of evolution, enables the slime's transformation from liquid to fiber and back again. It's a discovery that could inspire next-generation recyclable bioplastics.
New drone-assisted 3D model offers a more accurate way to date dinosaur fossils
A new study is reshaping how scientists date dinosaur fossils in Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park (DPP). Using advanced drone-assisted 3D mapping, researchers have uncovered significant variations in a key geological marker, challenging long-standing methods of determining the ages of dinosaur fossils.
Study suggests we don't just hear music, but 'become it'
Psychologists suggest our brains and bodies don't just understand music, they physically resonate with it. These discoveries, based on findings in neuroscience, music, and psychology, support Neural Resonance Theory (NRT).
Gender characteristics of service robots can influence customer decisions
While service robots with male characteristics can be more persuasive when interacting with some women who have a low sense of decision-making power, 'cute' design features -- such as big eyes and raised cheeks -- affect both men and women similarly, according to new research.
NASA's NICER maps debris from recurring cosmic crashes
Astronomers have probed the physical environment of repeating X-ray outbursts near monster black holes thanks to data from NASA's NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) and other missions.
Would a musical triangle of any other shape sound as sweet?
Researchers captured sound fields around musical triangles. They wanted to understand the physical properties of the triangle instrument, test assumptions about the contribution of the triangle shape, and capture clear documentation through pictures of the sound waves around the triangle. Using acousto-optic imaging to study detailed characteristics of sound vibration pattern, the team found results that suggest resonance may occur in the triangle's semi-open space.
Accordion effect makes graphene stretchable
Graphene is a 'miracle material': mechanically extremely strong and electrically highly conductive, ideal for related applications. Using a unique method physicists have now made graphene drastically more stretchable by rippling it like an accordion. This paves the way for new applications in which certain stretchability is required (e.g. wearable electronics).
Ancient Andes society used hallucinogens to strengthen social order
Snuff tubes uncovered at Chavin de Huantar in Peru reveal how leaders used mystical experiences to cement their power.
How are they biting? High speed video reveals unexpected jaw movements in reef fish
Some reef fish have the unexpected ability to move their jaws from side to side, biologists have discovered. This ability -- which is rare among vertebrate animals -- allows these fish to feed rapidly and efficiently on algae growing on rocks.
Children as young as five can navigate a 'tiny town'
Neuroscientists are developing methods to map the brain systems that allow us to recognize and get around our world.
Text-to-video AI blossoms with new metamorphic video capabilities
Computer scientists have developed a new AI text-to-video model that learns real-world physics knowledge from time-lapse videos.
New theory of gravity brings long-sought Theory of Everything a crucial step closer
Researchers have developed a new quantum theory of gravity which describes gravity in a way that's compatible with the Standard Model of particle physics, opening the door to an improved understanding of how the universe began.
Saving the Asian 'unicorn' -- if it still exists
The saola, an antelope-like bovine, is one of the world's rarest and most endangered mammals. In fact, it hasn't been observed in over 10 years. Researchers have now mapped the saola's complete genome, and they have used that knowledge to estimate the chances of saving it -- if it still exists.
Blue tips are red algae's red flags
Some red algae exhibit structural color that gives their growth tips a blue hue and the rest of their bodies including their fruiting structures a white hue. Moreover, since the color-producing structures are located together with anti-herbivory chemicals, the discovery further suggests that red algae use colors for inter-species communication.
Ancient poems tell the story of charismatic river porpoise's decline over the past 1,400 years
Endemic to China's Yangtze River, the Yangtze finless porpoise is known for its intelligence and charismatic appearance; it looks like it has a perpetual smile on its face. To track how this critically endangered porpoise's habitat range has changed over time, a team of biodiversity and conservation experts compiled 724 ancient Chinese poems referencing the porpoise from historic collections across China. Their results show that the porpoise's range has decreased by at least 65% over the past 1,400 years, with the majority of this decline occurring in the past century.
The future of brain activity monitoring may look like a strand of hair
Researchers have created a hairlike device for long-term, non-invasive monitoring of the brain's electrical activity. The lightweight and flexible electrode attaches directly to the scalp and delivers stable, high-quality electroencephalography (EEG) recordings.
Space junk falling to Earth needs to be tracked: Meteoroid sounds can help
Space junk and meteoroids are falling to Earth every year, posing a growing risk as they re-enter the atmosphere at high speeds. Researchers are using infrasound sensors to track these objects, including bolides, which are meteoroids breaking apart in the sky. New research shows that infrasound signals can help track these objects, but the trajectory needs to be considered, especially for objects entering at shallow angles. This study highlights the importance of improving monitoring techniques for planetary defense and space junk management.
The all-female Korean Haenyeo divers show genetic adaptions to cold water diving
The Haenyeo, a group of all-female divers from the Korean island of Jeju, are renowned for their ability to dive in frigid waters without the aid of breathing equipment -- even while pregnant. A study shows that the divers' remarkable abilities are due to both training and genetic adaptation, including gene variants associated with cold tolerance and decreased blood pressure. The divers also showed pronounced bradycardia, or slowing of the heart rate, when they dived, but this trait is likely due to a lifetime of training, not genetics.
Oceans are heating faster in two bands stretching around globe
The world's oceans are heating faster in two bands stretching around the globe, one in the southern hemisphere and one in the north, according to climate scientists.
Mathematician solves algebra's oldest problem using intriguing new number sequences
A mathematician has built an algebraic solution to an equation that was once believed impossible to solve.
Artificial sense of touch, improved
While exploring a digitally represented object through artificially created sense of touch, brain-computer interface users described the warm fur of a purring cat, the smooth rigid surface of a door key and cool roundness of an apple.
New research reveals how physiology-inspired networks could improve political decision-making
A new study has unveiled a groundbreaking framework for rethinking political decision-making -- drawing inspiration from how the human body maintains stability and health.
Gaia spots odd family of stars desperate to leave home
The European Space Agency's Gaia mission has spotted an unusual family of stars all strangely eager to leave home -- a family we couldn't have discovered without the star-surveying spacecraft, and one unlike all others we have spotted to date.
Good karma for me, bad karma for you
Many people around the world believe in karma -- that idea that divine justice will punish people who do bad deeds and reward those who good. But that belief plays out differently for oneself versus others, according to new research.
Rhythmically trained sea lion returns for an encore -- and performs as well as humans
Animal research on biomusicality, which looks at whether different species are capable of behaving in ways that show they recognize aspects of music, including rhythm and beat, remains a tantalizing field at the intersection of biology and psychology. Now, the highly trained California sea lion who achieved global fame for her ability to bob her head to a beat is finally back: starring in a new study that shows her rhythm is just as precise -- if not better -- than humans.
Ptero firma: Footprints pinpoint when ancient flying reptiles conquered the ground
A new study links fossilized flying reptile tracks to animals that made them. Fossilized footprints reveal a 160-million-year-old invasion as pterosaurs came down from the trees and onto the ground. Tracks of giant ground-stalkers, comb-jawed coastal waders, and specialized shell crushers, shed light on how pterosaurs lived, moved, and evolved.
Seasonal changes affect alcohol tolerance and your waistline
Researchers have found that drug effectiveness, alcohol tolerance, and carbohydrate metabolism change with the seasons. Their findings are based on a comprehensive seasonal gene expression map, which investigated over 54,000 genes in 80 tissues in monkeys across one year. The study has implications for drug prescription and precision medicine.
Zoo life boosts object exploration in orangutans
A new study comparing wild and zoo-housed Sumatran orangutans reveals that life in a zoo significantly alters how orangutans interact with their environment. Researchers analyzed over 12,000 instances of daily exploratory object manipulation (EOM) -- the active manipulation and visual inspection of objects associated with learning and problem-solving -- across 51 orangutans aged 0.5 to 76 years. The findings show that orangutans living in zoos engage in more frequent, more diverse, and more complex exploration than their wild counterparts.
Engineers advance toward a fault-tolerant quantum computer
Researchers demonstrated extremely strong nonlinear light-matter coupling in a quantum circuit. Stronger coupling enables faster quantum readout and operations, ultimately improving the accuracy of quantum operations.
The well-known salmon life cycle has long been described as going only one way at a time. Juvenile salmon hatch and swim down rivers to the ocean, where they grow and mature before returning to the same river to spawn the next generation. Turns out that many young salmon do things differently.
Geobiology: Iron, sulfur, heat -- and first life
The very first cells obtained their energy from geochemical reactions. Researchers have now managed to recreate this ancient metabolic process in their laboratory.
Giant croclike carnivore fossils found in the Caribbean
Imagine a crocodile built like a greyhound -- that's a sebecid. Standing tall, with some species reaching 20 feet in length, they dominated South American landscapes after the extinction of dinosaurs until about 11 million years ago. Or at least, that's what paleontologists thought. A new study shows the Caribbean Islands were a refuge for the last sebecid populations at least 5 million years after they went extinct everywhere else.
Palatable versus poisonous: Eavesdropping bats must learn to identify which prey is safe to eat
Scientists found that the fringe-lipped bat, known to eavesdrop on frog and toad mating calls to find its prey, learns to distinguish between palatable and unpalatable frogs and toads through experience. The findings provide the first evidence that eavesdropping predators fine-tune their hunting cues over the course of their development.
Will the vegetables of the future be fortified using tiny needles?
Researchers have shown they can inexpensively nanomanufacture silk microneedles to precisely fortify crops, monitor plant health, and detect soil toxins.
Using 'shallow shadows' to uncover quantum properties
Traditional methods of looking into quantum systems often require immense resources. Researchers have now developed a new technique that allows scientists to extract essential information more efficiently and accurately.