ScienceDaily: Quirky - November 15, 2023
Top quirky research news
Previously unknown luminescence revealed in ten deep sea species and an order of sea cucumbers
Researchers present evidence of previously unknown luminosity in 10 deep-sea species, suggesting underestimated diversity. These new discoveries include a member of the order Molpadia, which was previously thought not to be luminescent. The authors stress the importance of considering the ecological role of bioluminesence and the need for conservation.
J.M. Image Factory/shutterstock.com
'Bouncing' comets could deliver building blocks for life to exoplanets
How did the molecular building blocks for life end up on Earth? One long-standing theory is that they could have been delivered by comets. Now, researchers have shown how comets could deposit similar building blocks to other planets in the galaxy.
Galactic 'lightsabers': Answering longstanding questions about jets from black holes
The one thing everyone knows about black holes is that absolutely everything nearby gets sucked into them. Almost everything, it turns out. Astrophysicists have now determined conclusively that energy close to the event horizon of black hole M87* is pushing outward, not inward. The researchers have also created a way to test the prediction that black holes lose rotational energy and to establish it's that energy that produces the incredibly powerful jets.
Scientists uncover aurora-like radio emission above a sunspot
Astronomers have detailed radio observations of an extraordinary aurora-like display -- occurring 40,000 km above a relatively dark and cold patch on the Sun, known as a sunspot.
'Cooling glass' blasts building heat into space
Researchers aiming to combat rising global temperatures have developed a new 'cooling glass' that can turn down the heat indoors without electricity by drawing on the cold depths of space. The new technology, a microporous glass coating, can lower the temperature of the material beneath it by 3.5 degrees Celsius at noon, and has the potential to reduce a mid-rise apartment building's yearly carbon emissions by 10 percent.
Some of today's earthquakes may be aftershocks from quakes in the 1800s
In the 1800s, some of the strongest earthquakes in recorded U.S. history struck North America's continental interior. Almost two centuries later, the central and eastern United States may still be experiencing aftershocks from those events, a new study finds.
Evolution of taste: Early sharks were able to perceive bitter substances
New genetic data show that humans and sharks share bitter taste receptors, even though their evolutionary pathways separated nearly 500 million years ago.
Tracking down quantum flickering of the vacuum
Absolutely empty -- that is how most of us envision the vacuum. Yet, in reality, it is filled with an energetic flickering: the quantum fluctuations. Experts are currently preparing a laser experiment intended to verify these vacuum fluctuations in a novel way, which could potentially provide clues to new laws in physics. A research team has developed a series of proposals designed to help conduct the experiment more effectively -- thus increasing the chances of success.
Mysterious new moth species discovered in Europe
European Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), with a currently known inventory of approximately 11,000 species, are generally considered well-researched. However, a new genus and species from the Geometrid moth family tell a different story. The moth, named Mirlatia arcuata, is one of the most remarkable discoveries in Lepidoptera of recent decades.
Second-most distant galaxy discovered using James Webb Space Telescope
The second- and fourth-most distant galaxies ever observed have been discovered in a region of space known as Pandora's Cluster, or Abell 2744, using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
Yucatán's underwater caves host diverse microbial communities
With help from an experienced underwater cave-diving team, researchers have constructed the most complete map to date of the microbial communities living in the submerged labyrinths beneath Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Researchers found the cave system's microbiome is distinct from the nearby sea, and microbial communities vary between cave systems forming distinct 'neighborhoods.'
Hummingbirds' unique sideways flutter gets them through small apertures
Hummingbirds are highly maneuverable fliers, flitting forward and backward as they home in on flowers. But in the dense foliage many inhabit, they often encounter gaps that are too narrow for their wingspan. Since they can't bend their wings in flight, how do they get through? Researchers used high-speed cameras to capture their movements, discovering two unique strategies: they sidle through while fluttering, or fold their wings in a tuck and glide.
Found at last: Bizarre, egg-laying mammal finally rediscovered after 60 years
A long-beaked echidna named after Sir David Attenborough and last seen by scientists in 1961 has been photographed for the first time in an Indonesian tropical forest. An international team of researchers worked with local communities to deploy over 80 camera traps to film the elusive animal. Besides rediscovering the echidna, the team uncovered a wealth of species completely new to science, including beetles, spiders, and a remarkable tree-dwelling shrimp.
How to use AI for discovery -- without leading science astray
In the same way that chatbots sometimes 'hallucinate,' or make things up, machine learning models designed for scientific applications can sometimes present misleading or downright false results. Researchers now present a new statistical technique for safely using AI predictions to test scientific hypotheses.
Milky Way-like galaxy found in the early universe
Astronomers have discovered the most distant barred spiral galaxy, similar to the Milky Way, that has been observed to date.
New AI noise-canceling headphone technology lets wearers pick which sounds they hear
Researchers have developed deep-learning algorithms that let users pick which sounds filter through their headphones in real time. Either through voice commands or a smartphone app, headphone wearers can select which sounds they want to include from 20 classes, such as sirens, baby cries, speech, vacuum cleaners and bird chirps.
Glow in the visible range detected for the first time in the Martian night
Scientists have observed, for the first time in the visible range, a glow on the night side of the planet Mars. These new observations provide a better understanding of the dynamics of the upper atmosphere of the Red Planet and its variations throughout the year.
Barnacle bends shape to fend off warm-water sea snails on the move
Some barnacles are 'morphing' to protect themselves from predatory warm-water sea snails, which are expanding into their territory due to climate change.
How human faces can teach androids to smile
A research team used 125 physical markers to understand the detailed mechanics of 44 different human facial motions. The aim was to better understand how to convey emotions with artificial faces. Beyond helping with the design of robots and androids, this research can also benefit computer graphics, facial recognition, and medical diagnoses.
Palaeo-CSI: Mosasaurs were picky eaters
Mosasaurs, those large marine reptiles from the long-gone Cretaceous world, were quite picky in their choice of diet. Researchers came to this conclusion after studying the wear marks on mosasaur teeth.
First live birth of a chimeric monkey using embryonic stem cell lines
A team of researchers has reported for the first time the live birth of a monkey that contains a high proportion of cells derived from a monkey stem cell line. This 'chimeric' monkey is composed of cells that originate from two genetically distinct embryos of the same species of monkey. This has previously been demonstrated in rats and mice but, until now, has not been possible in other species, including non-human primates.
How animals get their stripes and spots
New research helps explain how sharp patterns form on zebras, leopards, tropical fish and other creatures. Their findings could inform the development of new high-tech materials and drugs.
Head lice evolution mirrors human migration and colonization in the Americas
A new analysis of lice genetic diversity suggests that lice came to the Americas twice -- once during the first wave of human migration across the Bering Strait, and again during European colonization.
Animals like crickets use the ground to amplify calls
When animals 'sing' sitting on the ground -- such as when crickets chirp -- their volume and reach increase dramatically, by as much as ten-fold. This result contradicts long-held beliefs in the field of animal communication, which presume the ground is a hindrance to sound transmission.
The secret to longer lasting batteries might be in how soap works
Researchers show that one of the most promising substances for designing longer lasting lithium batteries form micelle-like structures like they do in soap.
Yeast with an over half synthetic genome is created in the lab
Researchers have combined over seven synthetic chromosomes that were made in the lab into a single yeast cell, resulting in a strain with more than 50% synthetic DNA that survives and replicates similarly to wild yeast strains. A global consortium is working to develop the first synthetic eukaryote genome from scratch. The team has now synthesized and debugged all sixteen yeast chromosomes.
Machine learning gives users 'superhuman' ability to open and control tools in virtual reality
Researchers have developed a virtual reality application where a range of 3D modelling tools can be opened and controlled using just the movement of a user's hand.
'Hot' new form of microscopy examines materials using evanescent waves
A team of researchers has built a prototype microscope that does not rely on backscattered radiation, instead uses passive detection of thermally excited evanescent waves. They have examined dielectric materials with passive near-field spectroscopy to develop a detection model to further refine the technique, working to develop a new kind of microscopy for examining nanoscopic material surfaces.
