ScienceDaily: Quirky - October 23, 2024
Top quirky research news
Quantum research breakthrough uses synthetic dimensions to efficiently process quantum information
A new study opens the door to cutting-edge solutions that could contribute to the realization of a system capable of processing quantum information in a simple yet powerful way. The work presents a method for manipulating the photonic states of light in a never-before-seen way, offering greater control over the evolution of photon propagation. This control makes it possible to improve the detection and number of photon coincidences, as well as the efficiency of the system.
Image: 3DStach/Shutterstock.com
Unexpected beauty, major antimicrobial power boost as phages form into surprising flower shapes
Researchers who work with bacteriophages -- viruses that eat bacteria -- had a pleasant and potentially very important surprise after treating samples to view under an electron microscope: they had joined together into three-dimensional shapes that look like sunflowers, but only two-tenths of a millimetre across, taking a form that makes them 100 times more efficient.
Rare fossils of extinct elephant document the earliest known instance of butchery in India
Scientists have discovered the earliest evidence of animal butchery by humans in India.
Creating a simplified form of life
How can lifeless molecules come together to form a living cell?
Plant guard cells can count environmental stimuli
Plants adapt their water consumption to environmental conditions by counting and calculating environmental stimuli with their guard cells.
Scan based on lizard saliva detects rare tumor
A new PET scan reliably detects benign tumors in the pancreas, according to new research. Current scans often fail to detect these insulinomas, even though they cause symptoms due to low blood sugar levels. Once the tumor is found, surgery is possible.
Neutron stars may be shrouded in axions
Physicists have shown that extremely light particles known as axions may occur in large clouds around neutron stars. These axions could form an explanation for the elusive dark matter that cosmologists search for -- and moreover, they might not be too difficult to observe.
Butterfly brains reveal the tweaks required for cognitive innovation
A species of tropical butterfly with unusually expanded brain structures display a fascinating mosaic pattern of neural expansion linked to a cognitive innovation.
Marine bacterium: Catching prey with grappling hooks and cannons
Researchers have analyzed down to the smallest detail the unusual arsenal of weapons that a predatory marine bacterium has at its disposal. Perhaps one day these weapons could also be put to use in medicine.
Astronomers detect ancient lonely quasars with murky origins
Astronomers observed ancient quasars that appear to be surprisingly alone in the early universe. The findings challenge physicists' understanding of how such luminous objects could have formed so early on in the universe, without a significant source of surrounding matter to fuel their growth.
Life-saving spongelike 'bandage' rapidly stops hemorrhaging and mitigates risk of infection
Researchers created a liquid gel that quickly transforms into a spongelike antimicrobial foam to stymie severe bleeding and ultimately preserve lives.
Microplastics detected in dolphin breath
U.S. researchers have detected microplastic particles in air exhaled by wild bottlenose dolphins, suggesting that inhalation may be a relevant route of exposure to these potentially harmful contaminants.
People sympathize with bullied AI bots
In a new study, humans displayed sympathy towards and protected AI bots who were excluded from playtime.
Soil's secret language: Researchers decode plant-to-fungi communication
Researchers have cracked the code of plant-to-fungi communication in a new study. Using baker's yeast, the researchers discovered that the plant hormone strigolactone (SL) activates fungal genes and proteins associated with phosphate metabolism, a system that is key to growth. This insight into how fungi respond to chemical signals at the molecular level could lead to new strategies for cultivating hardier crops and combating disease-causing fungi.
Plankton balloon to six times their size in newly discovered mode of oceanic travel
Many plankton journey from the cold, dark depths of our oceans to the surface, only to eventually drift down again into the darkness in a perpetual rhythm. Yet, how single-celled phytoplankton, most of which have no appendages to help them swim, make this pilgrimage has remained a mystery. Researchers now describe a species of bioluminescent phytoplankton, called Pyrocystis noctiluca, that balloons to six times their original size of a few hundred microns. This massive inflation allows the plankton to journey up to 200 meters toward the ocean's surface to capture sunlight, then sink back showcasing a unique strategy for long-distance ocean travel.
Out-of-this-world simulation key to collecting moon dust
Teleoperated robots for gathering moon dust are a step closer, according to new research.
Echoes from the past: A geological mystery unravelled on Easter Island
A mysterious find on Easter Island, investigated by a team of geologists, suggests that the Earth's mantle seems to behave differently than once thought.
Researchers develop Janus-like metasurface technology that acts according to the direction of light
Researchers have overcome the limitations of existing metasurface technologies and successfully designed a Janus metasurface capable of perfectly controlling asymmetric light transmission.
Are nearby planets sending radio signals to each other?
Researchers have developed a new method using the Allen Telescope Array to search for interplanetary radio communication in the TRAPPIST-1 star system.
Human skin map gives 'recipe' to build skin and could help prevent scarring
Prenatal human skin atlas and organoid will accelerate research into congenital diseases and lead to clinical applications for regenerative medicine.
It's twins! Mystery of famed brown dwarf solved
An international team of astronomers has figured out that a famous brown dwarf is actually a pair of tight-knit brown dwarfs, weighing about 38 and 34 times the mass of Jupiter, that whip around each other every 12 days.
New app performs real-time, full-body motion capture with a smartphone
Engineers have developed a new system for full-body motion capture -- and it doesn't require specialized rooms, expensive equipment, bulky cameras or an array of sensors. Instead, it requires only a smartphone, smartwatch or earbuds.