ScienceDaily: Quirky - November 27, 2024
Top quirky research news
Astronomers may have discovered the answer to a mysterious stellar event
Researchers have made a record-breaking astrophysical discovery while simultaneously uncovering a possible explanation for the rare and extreme astrophysical event known as long-period radio transients.
Image: Pepermpron/Shutterstock.com
Unexplained heat-wave 'hotspots' are popping up across the globe
A striking new phenomenon is emerging: distinct regions are seeing repeated heat waves that are so extreme, they fall far beyond what any model of global warming can predict or explain. A new study provides the first worldwide map of such regions, which show up on every continent except Antarctica like giant, angry skin blotches.
Magnetic tornado is stirring up the haze at Jupiter's poles
Dark ovals in Jupiter's polar haze, visible only at UV wavelengths, were first noticed 25 years ago, then ignored. A new study shows that these dark UV ovals are common, appearing at the south pole in 75% of Hubble Space Telescope images taken since 2015. They appear less often at the north pole. The scientists theorize that a magnetic vortex generated in the ionosphere stirs up and concentrates the hydrocarbon haze that blankets the poles.
Uranus's swaying moons will help spacecraft seek out hidden oceans
A new computer model can be used to detect and measure interior oceans on the ice covered moons of Uranus. The model works by analyzing orbital wobbles that would be visible from a passing spacecraft. The research gives engineers and scientists a slide-rule to help them design NASA's upcoming Uranus Orbiter and Probe mission.
A clue to what lies beneath the bland surfaces of Uranus and Neptune
When Voyager 2 flew by Uranus and Neptune 40 years ago, astronomers were surprised that it detected no global dipole magnetic fields, like Earth's. The explanation: the ice giants are layered and unmixed, which prevents large scale convection to create a dipole field. But what substances would remain immiscible? A scientist modeled the interiors and found that water-rich and hydrocarbon-rich layers naturally form at extreme pressure and temperature, and they do not mix.
New study reveals the explosive secret of the squirting cucumber
A team has solved a mystery that has intrigued scientists for centuries: how does the squirting cucumber squirt? The findings were achieved through a combination of experiments, high-speed videography, image analysis, and advanced mathematical modelling.
To design better water filters, engineers look to manta rays
Studying the filter-feeding mechanism of mobula rays, engineers developed a new design for industrial cross-flow water filters. Research shows the filter-feeders strike a natural balance between permeability and selectivity that could inform design of water treatment systems.
Prehistoric hunter-gatherers heard the elks painted on rocks 'talking'
Researchers performed acoustic impulse response measurements in front of 37 rock painting site and found that the same vertical rock surfaces that have the painted elks, humans and boats, are also effective sound reflectors.
Focaccia: A Neolithic culinary tradition dating back 9,000 years ago
A new study indicates that during the Late Neolithic, between 7000 and 5000 BCE, the fully agricultural communities in the Fertile Crescent region of the Near East, developed a complex culinary tradition that included the baking of large loaves of bread and 'focaccias' with different flavors on special trays known to archaeologists as husking trays.
Bats' amazing plan B for when they can't hear
When bats can't hear, new research finds that these hearing-dependent animals employ a remarkable compensation strategy.
The next evolution of AI begins with ours
The genome has space for only a small fraction of the information needed to control complex behaviors. So then how, for example, does a newborn sea turtle instinctually know to follow the moonlight? Neuroscientists have devised a potential explanation for this age-old paradox. Their ideas should lead to faster, more evolved forms of artificial intelligence.
Political opinions influence our choice of chocolate
We distance ourselves from completely neutral products if they are liked by people who have political views that we find disagreeable. Even chocolate can be political, according to new research from Sweden. The behavior is reinforced if we have to make a decision when others are watching.
Novel supernova observations grant astronomers a peek into the cosmic past
An international team of researchers has made new observations of an unusual supernova, finding the most metal-poor stellar explosion ever observed.
Most energetic cosmic-ray electrons and positrons ever observed
Scientists have recently identified electrons and positrons with the highest energies ever recorded on Earth. They provide evidence of cosmic processes emitting colossal amounts of energy, the origins of which are as yet unknown.
Cyanobacterial circadian clock uses an AM radio-like mechanism to control cellular processes
Cyanobacteria, an ancient lineage of bacteria that perform photosynthesis, have been found to regulate their genes using the same physics principle used in AM radio transmission.
Reality check: Making indoor smartphone-based augmented reality work
To understand the practical challenges of indoor augmented reality applications on smartphones, researchers conducted 113 hours of extensive experiments and case studies over 316 patterns to determine the factors that degrade localization accuracy in real-world indoor environments. Landmarks for vision systems, LiDAR, and the IMU were evaluated. To solve the identified problems, the researchers suggest radio-frequency-based localization as a potential solution for practical augmented reality applications.
Ancient hot water on Mars points to habitable past
New research has uncovered what may be the oldest direct evidence of ancient hot water activity on Mars, revealing the planet may have been habitable at some point in its past.
3.2 million km/h galaxy smash-up
A massive collision of galaxies sparked by one travelling at a scarcely-believable 2 million mph (3.2 million km/h) has been seen in unprecedented detail by one of Earth's most powerful telescopes. The dramatic impact was observed in Stephan's Quintet, a nearby galaxy group made up of five galaxies first sighted almost 150 years ago. It sparked an immensely powerful shock akin to a 'sonic boom from a jet fighter' -- the likes of which are among the most striking phenomena in the Universe.
The Parasaurolophus' pipes: Modeling the dinosaur's crest to study its sound
Scientists have presented results on the acoustic characteristics of a physical model of the Parasaurolophus' crest. They created a physical setup made of tubes to represent a mathematical model that will allow researchers to discover what was happening acoustically inside the crest. The physical model, inspired by resonance chambers, was suspended by cotton threads and excited by a small speaker, and a microphone was used to collect frequency data.
Smarter city planning: Researchers use brain activity to predict visits to urban areas
Researchers have measured the brain activity of people who had never been to a specific city and then use this brain activity to predict other people's actual visits to places around that city. This offers potential applications for urban planning and design that addresses the well-being of residents and visitors.
Chemists create world's thinnest 'spaghetti'
The world's thinnest spaghetti, about 200 times thinner than a human hair, has been created.
Astronomers take the first close-up picture of a star outside our galaxy
While astronomers have taken about two dozen zoomed-in images of stars in our galaxy, unveiling their properties, countless other stars dwell within other galaxies, so far away that observing even one of them in detail has been extremely challenging. Up until now.
Oldest known alphabet unearthed in ancient Syrian city
Researchers have discovered evidence of the oldest alphabetic writing in human history. The writing was etched onto clay cylinders discovered during a dig at an ancient Syrian city.
Friendly social behaviors are contagious for chimpanzees
Chimpanzees are more likely to engage in play or groom each other if they see others performing these social behaviors first, researchers report.
Do pipe organs create an auto-tune effect?
The pipe organ stands as a bastion in concert halls and church sanctuaries, and even when not in use, it affects the acoustical environment around it. Researchers performed a sine-sweep through loudspeakers facing the organ pipes and measured the response with a microphone at different positions. They verified experimentally that sympathetic resonance does occur in organ pipes during musical performances and speeches, and that the overall amplitude increases when the signal matches the resonance of one or more pipes.
People from Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin and the north-east of England are better at detecting someone imitating their accent than people from London and Essex, new research has found.
Synchronized movement between robots and humans builds trust, study finds
Trust between humans and robots is improved when the movement between both is harmonized, researchers have discovered.
A re-engineered wearable ultrasound patch for continuous and noninvasive blood pressure monitoring has undergone comprehensive clinical validation on over 100 patients, marking a major milestone in wearable technology research. The soft, stretchy patch provides precise, real-time readings of blood pressure deep within the body. It could offer a simpler and more reliable alternative to current clinical methods.
Sweet tooth- Ethiopian wolves seen feeding on nectar
For the first time, Ethiopian wolves have been documented feeding on the nectar of Ethiopian red hot poker flowers. This is the first large carnivore species ever to be documented feeding on nectar. In doing so, the wolves may act as pollinators -- perhaps the first known plant-pollinator interaction involving a large carnivore.
Thanksgiving special: Dinosaur drumsticks and the story of the turkey trot
Wings may be the obvious choice when studying the connection between dinosaurs and birds, but a pair of paleontologists prefer drumsticks. That part of the leg, they say, is where fibular reduction among some dinosaurs tens of millions of years ago helped make it possible for peacocks to strut, penguins to waddle, and turkeys to trot.
Astronomers have discovered the first pairs of white dwarf and main sequence stars -- 'dead' remnants and 'living' stars -- in young star clusters. This breakthrough offers new insights on an extreme phase of stellar evolution, and one of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics.
New theory reveals the shape of a single photon
A new theory, that explains how light and matter interact at the quantum level has enabled researchers to define for the first time the precise shape of a single photon.
The chilling sound of the Aztec death whistle
The Aztec skull whistle produces a shrill, screaming sound. A study shows that these whistles have a disturbing effect on the human brain. The Aztecs may have deliberately used this effect in sacrificial rituals.
Up until recently, habituation -- a simple form of learning -- was deemed the exclusive domain of complex organisms with brains and nervous systems, such as worms, insects, birds, and mammals. But a new study offers compelling evidence that even tiny single-cell creatures such as ciliates and amoebae, as well as the cells in our own bodies, could exhibit habituation akin to that seen in more complex organisms with brains.
Sliding seeds can provide insight into devastating landslides and rock avalanches
Researchers study how Champatis roll and bounce down inclines. The authors released a heap of the seeds down an inclined plane while a camera recorded their descent to analyze their speed and the dynamics of their movement. The grains start to spread out slowly, then decrease quickly as they move downstream, akin to rock avalanches. This research may provide valuable insights into geological flows, including hyperspreading of rock avalanches, and could contribute to resolving challenges in this area.
Humans and animals move with remarkable economy without consciously thinking about it by utilizing the natural oscillation patterns of their bodies. A new tool can now utilize this knowledge for the first time to make robots move more efficiently.
Scientists recreate mouse from gene older than animal life
An international team of researchers has achieved an unprecedented milestone: the creation of mouse stem cells capable of generating a fully developed mouse using genetic tools from a unicellular organism, with which we share a common ancestor that predates animals. This breakthrough reshapes our understanding of the genetic origins of stem cells, offering a new perspective on the evolutionary ties between animals and their ancient single-celled relatives.
New research explores volcanic caves, advancing the search for life on Mars
Through the intricate study of lava tubes -- caves formed following volcanic eruptions when lava cools down -- an international team of researchers has uncovered clues about Earth's ancient environments that could be significant in the search for life on Mars.
New fossil reveals the evolution of flying reptiles
A newly discovered pterosaur fossil is shedding light on the evolutionary journey of these ancient flying reptiles. This complete specimen, named Skiphosoura bavarica, provides crucial insights into how pterosaurs transitioned from early, smaller forms to the later, gigantic species. By analysing the unique features of Skiphosoura, paleontologists can now trace the step-by-step evolution of pterosaurs, including changes in head size, neck length, wing structure, and tail length. This groundbreaking discovery offers a clearer understanding of how these magnificent creatures soared through the prehistoric skies.
New idea may crack enigma of the Crab Nebula's 'zebra' pattern
A theoretical astrophysicist may have solved a nearly two-decade-old mystery over the origins of an unusual 'zebra' pattern seen in high-frequency radio pulses from the Crab Nebula.
It turns out gaming is good for you! New research indicates massive multiplayer online gamers learn by gaming and their skills in the workplace are enriched by those seemingly endless hours previously thought of as frittering away time.
Invisible touch: AI can feel and measure surfaces
Quantum-science advances using AI can measure very small surfaces and distances -- opening a world of medical, manufacturing and other applications.
Earliest evidence of humans using fire to shape the landscape of Tasmania
Some of the first human beings to arrive in Tasmania, over 41,000 years ago, used fire to shape and manage the landscape, about 2,000 years earlier than previously thought.
'Walk this Way': How ants create trails to multiple food sources
Researchers have discovered that in a foraging ant's search for food, it will leave pheromone trails connecting its colony to multiple food sources when they're available, successfully creating the first model that explains the phenomenon of trail formation to multiple food sources.
Generation of rat offspring from ovarian oocytes by cross-species transplantation
Attempts to obtain eggs and offspring using oocytes in ovary have been made for keeping desirable traits in livestock, preserving human fertility, etc. Ovarian transplantation, one of those methods, has been established and widely used. Although transplantation to different species is expected to bring benefits, it is still too difficult to produce offspring. Researchers have developed a novel system using xenotransplantation (transplantation of organs from one species to different one), and succeeded in producing offspring.
Biologists reveal the genetic 'switch' behind parrot color diversity
From the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro to the shoulders of pirates: parrots are synonymous with color for people across the world. In a new study, scientists uncover a 'switch' in the DNA of parrots that controls their wide gamut of colors.
Egyptians drank hallucinogenic cocktails in ancient rituals, study confirms
Scholars for the first time identified chemical signatures of the components of a liquid concoction contained in a Bes mug. A new technique helped identify a sample flavored with honey, sesame seeds, pine nuts, licorice and grapes -- commonly used to make the beverage look like blood.
AI headphones create a 'sound bubble,' quieting all sounds more than a few feet away
Researchers have created a headphone prototype that allows listeners to hear people speaking within a bubble with a programmable radius of 3 to 6 feet. Voices and sounds outside the bubble are quieted an average of 49 decibels, even if they're louder than those in the bubble.
Scientists discover laser light can cast a shadow
Researchers have found that under certain conditions, a laser beam can act like an opaque object and cast a shadow, opening new possibilities for technologies that could use a laser beam to control another laser beam.
Robotic shorts support people when walking
Researchers have developed robotic trousers that enable people to walk more easily while expending measurably less energy. The aim is to keep frail individuals and in particular the elderly mobile and healthy for longer.
Spectacular chimneys discovered in the Dead Sea
Researchers have discovered meter-high chimneys on the floor of the Dead Sea. These are formed by the spontaneous crystallization of minerals from groundwater with an extremely high salt content flowing up out of the lake floor, they report. The vents are an important early warning indicator for sinkholes. These subsidence craters form in the area surrounding the Dead Sea and pose a significant hazard to the population.
'Cool' white car headlights more likely to dazzle moths
'Cool' white lights -- such as those in modern car headlights -- endanger moths by causing them to fly erratically, new research shows.
Texting abbreviations makes senders seem insincere, study finds
If you want to seem sincere and receive more responses to your texts, spell out words instead of abbreviating them, according to new research.
Living microbes discovered in Earth's driest desert
A new technique allows researchers to separate external and internal DNA to identify microbes colonizing the hostile environment of the Atacama Desert.
When is a hole not a hole? Researchers investigate the mystery of 'latent pores'
Researchers have explored how a particular chemical can selectively trap certain molecules in the cavities of its structure -- even though in normal conditions it has no such cavities. This innovative material with now-you-see-them-now-you-don't holes could lead to more efficient methods for separating and capturing chemicals right across industry.
Sensitive ceramics for soft robotics
Robots that can sense touch and perceive temperature differences? An unexpected material might just make this a reality. Researchers are developing soft and intelligent sensor materials based on ceramic particles.
How conflicting memories of sex and starvation compete to drive behavior, study in worms shows
Two conflicting memories can both be activated in a worm's brain, even if only one memory actively drives the animal's behavior, finds a new study.
12,000-year-old stones may be very early evidence of wheel-like technology
A collection of perforated pebbles from an archaeological site in Israel may be spindle whorls, representing a key milestone in the development of rotational tools including wheels, according to a new study.
Meteorite contains evidence of liquid water on Mars 742 million years ago
An asteroid struck Mars 11 million years ago and sent pieces of the red planet hurtling through space. One of these chunks of Mars eventually crashed into the Earth and is one of the few meteorites that can be traced directly to Mars. This meteorite was rediscovered in a drawer at Purdue University in 1931 and therefore named the Lafayette Meteorite. During early investigations of the Lafayette Meteorite, scientists discovered that it had interacted with liquid water while on Mars. Scientists have long wondered when that interaction with liquid water took place. Scientists have recently determined the age of the minerals in the Lafayette Meteorite that formed when there was liquid water.
Gas-churning monster black holes
Scientists using observations from NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory have discovered, for the first time, the signal from a pair of monster black holes disrupting a cloud of gas in the center of a galaxy.
Unexplained heat-wave 'hotspots' are popping up across the globe…. Given these heat splotches are showing up on land- I’m wondering what the net effect is on the other 80% of the planet: the oceans… terrifying, I’m sure…