ScienceDaily: Quirky - September 25, 2024
Top quirky research news
Lasers provide boon for manufacturing of ceremonial Thai umbrellas
The tiered umbrella is one of Thailand's oldest and most sacred ornamental symbols. Constructing one of these ornate pieces, also called chatras, can take master artisans up to six months. However, researchers demonstrate a technique for constructing seven-tiered umbrellas using high-powered lasers, which dramatically reduces the production time. Employing carbon dioxide lasers, they were able to fashion umbrellas from stainless steel in a matter of days while preserving their intricate beauty.
Image: Chuchawan/Shutterstock.com
Astronomers catch a glimpse of a uniquely inflated and asymmetric exoplanet
Astronomers have observed the atmosphere of a hot and uniquely inflated exoplanet using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
Early-universe quasar neighborhoods are indeed cluttered
Observations confirm astronomers' expectation that early-Universe quasars formed in regions of space densely populated with companion galaxies. DECam's exceptionally wide field of view and special filters played a crucial role in reaching this conclusion, and the observations reveal why previous studies seeking to characterize the density of early-Universe quasar neighborhoods have yielded conflicting results.
All-night lights change the behavior of fish, even into the next generation
Scientists have shown that light pollution -- especially light in the blue spectrum -- can alter the behavior of fish after only a few nights, and have knock-on effects for their offspring.
Human urine could be used as eco-friendly crop fertilizer
Bacterial communities in soil are as resilient to human urine as synthetic fertilizers -- making recycling the bodily fluid as a fertilizer for agricultural crops a viable proposition.
What role does a tailwind play in cycling's 'Everesting'?
Within the cycling realm, 'to Everest' involves riding up and down the same mountain until your ascents total the elevation of Mt. Everest. A new record was set a few years ago, but a debate ensued about the strong tailwind the cyclist had on climbs. To what extent do the tailwind help a cyclist as they climb? Should limits be set on the allowed windspeed?
New testing system using Janus particles rapidly and accurately detects COVID-19
A research group has developed a new COVID-19 testing system using Janus particles -- microparticles with two sides possessing distinctive molecular properties. These particles are engineered to bind specifically to target antigens, such as viral proteins, creating a low-cost, accurate, and rapid means of testing for viral diseases. The system's versatility means it can potentially be used to test for other diseases and biomarkers linked to other conditions.
Volcanoes may help reveal interior heat on Jupiter moon
By staring into the hellish landscape of Jupiter's moon Io -- the most volcanically active location in the solar system -- astronomers have been able to study a fundamental process in planetary formation and evolution: tidal heating.
Breakthrough study predicts catastrophic river shifts that threaten millions worldwide
Researchers have uncovered key insights into the dangerous phenomenon of 'river avulsion,' offering a way to predict when and where rivers may suddenly and dramatically change course.
Engineers 3D print sturdy glass bricks for building structures
Engineers developed a new kind of reconfigurable masonry made from 3D-printed, recycled glass. The bricks could be reused many times over in building facades and internal walls.
Linnaeus collected 643 different plant species that were then fed to horses, cows, pigs, sheep and goats. The results were carefully compiled but not analyzed until now, 275 years later.
Personality traits in geese linked to love match and reproductive success
Birds of a feather flock together but strong pairing in geese has been shown to produce better breeding results, according to a new study. Focusing on a group of captive greylag geese, bird behaviour experts have looked into the parental benefits of 'made in heaven' matches between well-paired couples.
Adhesive comes unglued on command
Modern integrated microelectronic devices are often poorly repairable and difficult to recycle. Debondable adhesives play a key role in the transition to a circular economy with sustainable resources, less waste, and intelligent repair/recycling strategies. A research team has now introduced a method for making adhesives that can be deactivated 'on command'.
Organic matter on Mars was formed from atmospheric formaldehyde
Researchers have developed a Martian atmospheric evolution model to propose a new theory about Mars's past.
Insights into South African population history from 10,000-year-old human DNA
Ancient DNA has provided spectacular insights into human history, particularly in Europe and Asia, where researchers have reconstructed the genomes of thousands of people. However, fewer than two dozen ancient genomes have been recovered from southern Africa -- specifically Botswana, South Africa and Zambia -- which has some of the world's earliest evidence of modern humans, with the oldest genomes dating back around 2,000 years.
South African rock art possibly inspired by long-extinct species
A mysterious tusked animal depicted in South African rock art might portray an ancient species preserved as fossils in the same region, according to a new study.
Flexible circuits made with silk and graphene on the horizon
Ultra-thin layers of silk deposited on graphene in perfect alignment represent a key advance for the control needed in microelectronics and advanced neural network development.
Homemade 'play-putty' can read the body's electric signals
Magnifying deep space through the 'carousel lens'
A newly discovered cluster-scale strong gravitational lens, with a rare alignment of seven background lensed galaxies, provides a unique opportunity to study cosmology.
Another new wasp species discovered
A newly identified wasp species, Chrysonotomyia susbelli, has been discovered in Houston, Texas. The discovery, the fourth wasp species found on the university grounds in seven years, reveals the hidden world of parasitoid wasps and the intricate ecosystems that thrive outside our doors.
Why petting your cat leads to static electricity
Static electricity was first observed in 600 B.C., but researchers have struggled to explain how rubbing causes it. In 2019, researchers discovered nanosized surface deformations at play. The same researchers now say different electrical charges build up on the front and back parts of a sliding object, creating a current.
First academic study on slap fighting highlights risks to participants' neurological health
The first academic study to provide quantitative assessment of the possible dangers of competitive slap fighting offers a starting point for conversations about ensuring participants' long-term health and well-being.
Gargantuan black hole jets are biggest seen yet
Astronomers have spotted the biggest pair of black hole jets ever seen, spanning 23 million light-years in total length. That's equivalent to lining up 140 Milky Way galaxies back to back.
NASA's Webb provides another look into galactic collisions
Astronomers examined galaxy Arp 107 which has revealed a wealth of information about star-formation and how two galaxies collided hundreds of million years ago. Arp 107 is located 465 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo Minor.
Measuring how much wood a wood shuck shucks with all-new wood shuck food
Researchers want to transform the natural and abundant resource wood into useful materials, and central to that is a molecular machine found in fungi that decomposes the complex raw material into its basic components. Researchers have come up with a test feed for the fungal molecular machine that allows them to observe its close-to-natural action, opening the door to improving it and to putting it to industrial application.
Early dingoes are related to dogs from New Guinea and East Asia
New archaeological research has discovered for the first time clear links between fossils of the iconic Australian dingo, and dogs from East Asia and New Guinea.
'Scuba-diving' lizards use bubble to breathe underwater and avoid predators
A species of semi-aquatic lizard produces a special bubble over its nostrils to breathe underwater and avoid predators.
Scientists have unravelled a mystery about the disappearance of dwarf hippos and elephants that once roamed the picturesque landscape on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus before palaeolithic humans arrived. Cyprus only had two species of megafauna present during the Late Pleistocene -- the 500-kg dwarf elephant (Palaeoloxodon cypriotes), and the 130-kg dwarf hippo (Phanourios minor), but both species disappeared soon after humans arrived around 14,000 years ago.