ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Ancient seashell resonates after 18,000 years
• Earliest signs of an immune response found in developing embryos
• Silicon chip provides low cost solution to help machines see the world clearly
• Origami powered by light
• Sawfish face global extinction unless overfishing is curbed
• Astronomers confirm solar system’s most distant known object is indeed Farfarout
• Computational medicine: Moving from uncertainty to precision
• On the origin of our species
• Scientists create liquid crystals that look a lot like their solid counterparts
• Spectacular 'honeycomb heart' revealed in iconic stellar explosion
• Mediterranean-style diet linked to better thinking skills in later life
• Rapid ice retreat during last deglaciation parallels current melt rates
• A rare observation of a vampire bat adopting an unrelated pup
• Astronomers uncover mysterious origins of 'super-Earths'
• Sleep keeps teens on track for good mental health
• Six previously FDA-approved drugs appear promising against SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory testing
• Pre-COVID subway air polluted from DC to Boston, but New York region's is the worst, study finds
• How messenger substances influence individual decision-making
• Why plant diversity is so important for bee diversity
• A new way to look for life-sustaining planets
• Emerging robotics technology may lead to better buildings in less time
• Dragonflies perform upside down backflips to right themselves
• Why does love of bargain hunting run in families?
• 'Defective' carbon simplifies hydrogen peroxide production
• Paid maternity leave has long-term health benefits
• Drug is promising against pancreatic and breast cancers
• New CRISPR tech targets human genome's complex code
• High CO2 to slow tropical fish move to cooler waters
• Genetic evolution doesn't always take millions of years
• Human eye beats machine in archaeological color identification test
• Long-term environmental damage from transportation projects in Kenya, scientists warn
• Quantum computing enables simulations to unravel mysteries of magnetic materials
• Shining a light on the true value of solar power
• Ancient Amazonian farmers fortified valuable land they had spent years making fertile to protect it
• Hot nano-chisel used to create artificial bones in a Petri dish
• Male sex, BMI, smoking and depression all increase biological age
• Training to wisely navigate social conflicts

Ancient seashell resonates after 18,000 years Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:01 PM PST Almost 80 years after its discovery, a large shell from the ornate Marsoulas Cave in the Pyrenees has been studied by a multidisciplinary team: it is believed to be the oldest wind instrument of its type.

Earliest signs of an immune response found in developing embryos Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:01 PM PST Researchers reveal that newly formed embryos clear dying cells to maximize their chances of survival. It is the earliest display of an innate immune response found in vertebrate animals to date. The findings may aid future efforts to understand why some embryos fail to form in the earliest stages of development, and lead to new clinical efforts in treating infertility or early miscarriages.

Silicon chip provides low cost solution to help machines see the world clearly Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:01 PM PST Researchers have developed the first compact 3D LiDAR imaging system that can match and exceed the performance and accuracy of most advanced, mechanical systems currently used.

Origami powered by light Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:00 PM PST Some human-made materials can mimic plants' slow but steady reaction to light energy, usually triggered by lasers or focused ambient light. New research has discovered a way to speed up this effect enough that its performance can compete against electrical and pneumatic systems.

Sawfish face global extinction unless overfishing is curbed Posted: 10 Feb 2021 01:59 PM PST Sawfish have disappeared from half of the world's coastal waters and the distinctive shark-like rays face complete extinction due to overfishing, according to a new study.

Astronomers confirm solar system’s most distant known object is indeed Farfarout Posted: 10 Feb 2021 12:33 PM PST Astronomers have confirmed that a faint object discovered in 2018 and nicknamed 'Farfarout' is indeed the most distant object yet found in our Solar System. The object has just received its designation from the International Astronomical Union.

Computational medicine: Moving from uncertainty to precision Posted: 10 Feb 2021 12:33 PM PST An innovative partnership takes aim at medicine down to the individual level by applying state-of-the-art computation to medical care.

On the origin of our species Posted: 10 Feb 2021 10:34 AM PST New research suggests that genetic and fossil records will not reveal a single point where modern humans originated.

Scientists create liquid crystals that look a lot like their solid counterparts Posted: 10 Feb 2021 10:33 AM PST New kinds of liquid crystals resemble gypsum or lazulite crystals -- except that they flow like fluids.

Spectacular 'honeycomb heart' revealed in iconic stellar explosion Posted: 10 Feb 2021 10:33 AM PST A unique 'heart-shape', with wisps of gas filaments showing an intricate honeycomb-like arrangement, has been discovered at the center of the iconic supernova remnant, the Crab Nebula. Astronomers have mapped the void in unprecedented detail, creating a realistic three-dimensional reconstruction.

Mediterranean-style diet linked to better thinking skills in later life Posted: 10 Feb 2021 10:33 AM PST People who eat a Mediterranean-style diet -- particularly one rich in green leafy vegetables and low in meat -- are more likely to stay mentally sharp in later life, a study shows. Closely adhering to a Mediterranean diet was associated with higher scores on a range of memory and thinking tests among adults in their late 70s, the research found. The study found no link, however, between the Mediterranean-style diet and better brain health.

Rapid ice retreat during last deglaciation parallels current melt rates Posted: 10 Feb 2021 10:33 AM PST Imagine an ice chunk the size of Hawaii disappearing, almost instantaneously, from an ice sheet. That is what happened in the Storfjorden Trough in the Arctic Ocean some 11,000 years ago.

A rare observation of a vampire bat adopting an unrelated pup Posted: 10 Feb 2021 10:33 AM PST The death of a vampire bat 19 days after giving birth presented scientists studying the animals in 2019 with an unexpected chance to observe a rare event: a female bat's adoption of an unrelated baby.

Astronomers uncover mysterious origins of 'super-Earths' Posted: 10 Feb 2021 10:33 AM PST Mini-Neptunes and super-Earths up to four times the size of our own are the most common exoplanets orbiting stars beyond our solar system. Until now, super-Earths were thought to be the rocky cores of mini-Neptunes whose gassy atmospheres were blown away. Astronomers show that some of these exoplanets never had gaseous atmospheres to begin with, shedding new light on their mysterious origins.

Sleep keeps teens on track for good mental health Posted: 10 Feb 2021 06:12 AM PST As families settle back into a new school year, sleep experts are reminding parents about the importance of teenagers getting enough sleep, cautioning them that insufficient sleep can negatively affect their mental health.

Six previously FDA-approved drugs appear promising against SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory testing Posted: 10 Feb 2021 06:12 AM PST Researchers havve discovered that six drugs previously approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for other indications could be repurposed to treat or prevent COVID-19.

Pre-COVID subway air polluted from DC to Boston, but New York region's is the worst, study finds Posted: 10 Feb 2021 06:11 AM PST Commuters now have yet another reason to avoid packing themselves into subway stations. New York City's transit system exposes riders to more inhaled pollutants than any other metropolitan subway system in the Northeastern United States, a new study finds. Yet even its 'cleaner' neighbors struggle with enough toxins to give health-conscious travelers pause.

How messenger substances influence individual decision-making Posted: 10 Feb 2021 06:11 AM PST Psychologists and physicists investigated the neurobiological processes in different types of decision-making. They report that variations in the ratio of two messenger substances affects short-term and long-term strategic decisions in a different manner.

Why plant diversity is so important for bee diversity Posted: 10 Feb 2021 06:11 AM PST A study in southern England reveals why bumble bees and honey bees thrive despite foraging on the same flowers.

A new way to look for life-sustaining planets Posted: 10 Feb 2021 06:11 AM PST A new system for mid-infrared exoplanet imaging in combination with long observation time allows ground-based telescopes to directly capture images of planets about three times the size of Earth within the habitable zones of nearby stars.

Emerging robotics technology may lead to better buildings in less time Posted: 10 Feb 2021 06:11 AM PST Emerging robotics technology may soon help construction companies and contractors create buildings in less time at higher quality and at lower costs. Innovators developed and are testing a novel construction robotic system that uses an innovative mechanical design with advances in computer vision sensing technology to work in a construction setting.

Dragonflies perform upside down backflips to right themselves Posted: 09 Feb 2021 05:41 PM PST High speed cameras and CGI technology have revealed the inbuilt righting mechanisms used by dragonflies when they are thrown off balance.

Why does love of bargain hunting run in families? Posted: 09 Feb 2021 05:41 PM PST Headlines like 'Black Friday Shoppers Trampled in New York' and popular television shows such as 'Extreme Couponing' remind us how crazy consumers can get about retail sales promotions. This enthusiasm for getting bargains has been termed 'deal proneness.'

'Defective' carbon simplifies hydrogen peroxide production Posted: 09 Feb 2021 12:19 PM PST Scientists introduce a new catalyst to reduce oxygen to widely used hydrogen peroxide. The process sidesteps complex and expensive processes that generate toxic organic byproducts and large amounts of wastewater.

Paid maternity leave has long-term health benefits Posted: 09 Feb 2021 12:19 PM PST A study of women who were new mothers in the late 1970s found that those who were given longer, paid maternity leave lived healthier lives as they entered middle age.

Drug is promising against pancreatic and breast cancers Posted: 09 Feb 2021 12:18 PM PST The drug is effective at treating pancreatic cancer and prolonging survival in mice, according to a new study. A second study shows the drug is also effective against triple-negative breast cancer, a fast-growing and hard-to-treat type of breast cancer that carries a poor prognosis. Clinical trials are set to begin in 2021.

New CRISPR tech targets human genome's complex code Posted: 09 Feb 2021 12:18 PM PST Rice bioengineers harness the CRISPR/Cas9 system to program histones, the support proteins that wrap up and control human DNA, to manipulate gene activation and phosphorylation. The new technology enables innovative ways to find and manipulate genes and pathways responsible for diseases.

High CO2 to slow tropical fish move to cooler waters Posted: 09 Feb 2021 12:18 PM PST A new study shows that the ocean acidification predicted under continuing high CO2 emissions may make cooler, temperate waters less welcoming.

Genetic evolution doesn't always take millions of years Posted: 09 Feb 2021 12:18 PM PST Love them or hate them, there's no doubt the European Starling is a wildly successful bird. A new study examines this non-native species from the inside out to learn what exactly happened at the genetic level as the starling population exploded across North America?

Human eye beats machine in archaeological color identification test Posted: 09 Feb 2021 12:18 PM PST A ruler and scale can tell archaeologists the size and weight of a fragment of pottery - but identifying its precise color can depend on individual perception. So, when a handheld color-matching gadget came on the market, scientists hoped it offered a consistent way of determining color, free of human bias.

Long-term environmental damage from transportation projects in Kenya, scientists warn Posted: 09 Feb 2021 12:18 PM PST The construction of a major railway through Kenya will have long-term environmental impacts on the area, suggesting more work needs to be done to limit the damage on future infrastructure projects, a major study reveals.

Quantum computing enables simulations to unravel mysteries of magnetic materials Posted: 09 Feb 2021 12:18 PM PST A multi-institutional team became the first to generate accurate results from materials science simulations on a quantum computer that can be verified with neutron scattering experiments and other practical techniques.

Shining a light on the true value of solar power Posted: 09 Feb 2021 12:18 PM PST Utility companies have worried that solar panels drive up electric costs for the people who don't have panels. Renewable energy researchers show the opposite is actually true -- grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) owners are actually subsidizing their non-PV neighbors.

Ancient Amazonian farmers fortified valuable land they had spent years making fertile to protect it Posted: 09 Feb 2021 12:18 PM PST Ancient Amazonian communities fortified valuable land they had spent years making fertile to protect it from conflict, excavations show.

Hot nano-chisel used to create artificial bones in a Petri dish Posted: 09 Feb 2021 09:10 AM PST Scientists detail a system allowing them to sculpt, in a biocompatible material, the exact structure of the bone tissue, with features smaller than the size of a single protein -- a billion times smaller than a meter.

Male sex, BMI, smoking and depression all increase biological age Posted: 09 Feb 2021 09:10 AM PST A 'biological age' score predicts that being male, overweight, a smoker and having depression all contribute to biological aging, a new study reports.

Training to wisely navigate social conflicts Posted: 09 Feb 2021 09:10 AM PST People are able to approach social conflicts more wisely if they have trained themselves in advance by practicing a distanced self-talk technique, referring to themselves with third-person pronouns such as 'she' or 'they' rather than the first-person pronouns of 'me' or 'I.'

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