Researchers suggest prairie dog jump-yips are means to assess group alertness...
(Phys.org) —A trio of researchers from the University of Manitoba has concluded that the action known as a jump-yip, performed by some species of prairie dogs, is done more to assess group alertness...
View ArticlePersonal drones launch in your skies
It's not a bird, not a plane. But it could be someone's personal drone coming to the skies near you.
View ArticleStarfish use their eyes to stay close to home, researchers find
(Phys.org) —A starfish has an eye at the end of each arm. While scientists have known about the existence of these eyes for about two hundred years, until now, they haven't been able to find out what...
View ArticleSmithsonian scientist confirms missing link in big cat evolution
After years of sleuthing for clues about where and when pantherine felids ("big cats") originated, a Smithsonian scientist and an international team of researchers are one step closer to understanding...
View ArticleDeath by black hole in small galaxy?
(Phys.org) —A bright, long-duration flare may be the first recorded event of a black hole destroying a star in a dwarf galaxy. The evidence comes from two independent studies using data from NASA's...
View ArticleWaterWheel rolls out solution to ease heavy load
(Phys.org) —For those with running water in their homes, water is light, rolls right through the fingers, easily pours out of the faucet, and gives us hygiene and hydration in minutes so that we go on...
View ArticleResearchers combine "terra preta" finds with statistics to map early...
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers from the U.S. and Brazil has created a virtual map of possible ancient human population centers in the Amazonian jungle by using statistical methods that connect...
View ArticleSymbiotic fungi inhabiting plant roots have major impact on atmospheric...
Microscopic fungi that live in plants' roots play a major role in the storage and release of carbon from the soil into the atmosphere, according to a University of Texas at Austin researcher and his...
View ArticleSlow-evolving elephant shark genome is first to be sequenced from...
A team of researchers including SF State Assistant Professor of Biology Scott Roy has sequenced the entire genome of the elephant shark, uncovering several features that may shed light on the evolution...
View ArticleMolecular engines star in new model of DNA repair
Our health depends in large part upon the ability of specialized enzymes to find and repair the constant barrage of DNA damage brought on by ultraviolet light radiation and other sources. In a new...
View ArticleOrganic mega flow battery promises breakthrough for renewable energy
A team of Harvard scientists and engineers has demonstrated a new type of battery that could fundamentally transform the way electricity is stored on the grid, making power from renewable energy...
View ArticleNASA extends space station life to 2024 (Update 2)
The $100-billion International Space Station will be extended by four years, or until at least 2024, allowing for more global research and scientific collaboration, NASA said Wednesday.
View ArticlePigments reveal extinct reptiles' dark side
What did Tyrannosaurus rex really look like? Depending on which artist's impression you look at, the carnivorous king of the Cretaceous was a dull grey, an earthy brown, maybe a dark green... perhaps...
View ArticleCoral chemical warfare: Suppressing a competitor enhances susceptibility to a...
Competition may have a high cost for at least one species of tropical seaweed. Researchers examining the chemical warfare taking place on Fijian coral reefs have found that one species of seaweed...
View ArticleBaryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey measures the universe to one-percent...
Today the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) Collaboration announced that BOSS has measured the scale of the universe to an accuracy of one percent. This and future measures at this...
View ArticleEngineers make world's fastest organic transistor, herald new generation of...
Two university research teams have worked together to produce the world's fastest thin-film organic transistors, proving that this experimental technology has the potential to achieve the performance...
View ArticleSwift catches X-ray action at Milky Way's center
(Phys.org) —Recent observations by NASA's Swift spacecraft have provided scientists a unique glimpse into the activity at the center of our galaxy and led to the discovery of a rare celestial entity...
View ArticleQuasars illuminate swiftly swirling clouds around galaxies
(Phys.org) —A new study of light from quasars has provided astronomers with illuminating insights into the swirling clouds of gas that form stars and galaxies, proving that the clouds can shift and...
View ArticleResearchers develop 'personalized advantage index,' a new decision-making tool
One of the primary social motivations for scientific research is the ability to make better decisions based on the results. But whether it is deciding what material to use in making a solar panel, what...
View ArticleLiterary mood reflects the economic mood of past 10 years, study finds
The frequency of words expressing misery and unhappiness in books reflects the economic conditions in the 10 years prior to the work's composition, according to researchers in Bristol and London.
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