Fighting flies: Biologists identify sex-specific brain cells in male flies...
(Phys.org) —When one encounters a group of fruit flies invading their kitchen, it probably appears as if the whole group is vying for a sweet treat. But a closer look would likely reveal the male flies...
View ArticleChance determines cell death or normal sugar consumption
Some cells fail by chance, and not due to a genetic defect, to properly initiate the molecular processes for the breakdown of sugar. These cells are unable to grow and subsequently die. This discovery...
View ArticleThat's no kangaroo on the manuscript – so what is it?
The discovery of a Portuguese manuscript purporting to include an illustration of a kangaroo has been used to question which European power was first to "discover" Australia.
View ArticleScientists find 3-D material that mimics 2-D graphene
(Phys.org) —Graphene—the thinnest and strongest known material in the universe and a formidable conductor of electricity and heat – gets many of its amazing properties from the fact that it occupies...
View ArticleOne step at a time, researchers learning how humans walk
(Phys.org) —Humans and some of our hominid ancestors such as Homo erectus have been walking for more than a million years, and researchers are close to figuring out how we do it.
View ArticleLichen on Mars
Humans cannot hope to survive life on Mars without plenty of protection from the surface radiation, freezing night temperatures and dust storms on the red planet. So they could be excused for marveling...
View ArticleStudy finds chimps can use gestures to communicate in their hunt for food
(Phys.org) —Remember the children's game "warmer/colder," where one person uses those words to guide the other person to a hidden toy or treat? Well, it turns out that chimpanzees can play, too.
View ArticleResearchers develop new kind of polymers that can be created using...
(Phys.org) —A team of researchers made up materials scientists and chemists from several institutions in California has developed a new group of polymers that can be caused to come about using...
View ArticleSome planet-like Kuiper belt objects don't play "nice"
The Kuiper belt—the region beyond the orbit of Neptune inhabited by a number of small bodies of rock and ice—hides many clues about the early days of the Solar System. According to the standard picture...
View ArticleHybrid nanowire-nanoparticle palladium catalyst achieves unprecedented...
Solid catalysts based on precious metals, such as palladium, are widely used in industry to promote a range of chemical reactions. Finding ways to minimize the consumption of expensive catalytic...
View ArticleFirst instance of ball lightning captured on video and spectrographs
(Phys.org) —Researchers in China have captured, for the first time, an instance of ball lightning, on digital video along with spectrographs. The accidental capture, detailed by the team in a paper...
View ArticleNew world record set for longest duration echo in a man-made structure
(Phys.org) —The record for the longest duration echo in a man-made structure has been decimated by a single shot from a blank loaded pistol—an amazing 112 seconds. It happened inside an oil storage...
View ArticleEnergy storage in miniaturized capacitors may boost green energy technology
"Supercapacitors" take the energy-storing abilities of capacitors (which store electrical charge that can be quickly dumped to power devices) a step further, storing a far greater charge in a much...
View ArticleClever chemistry improves a new class of antibiotics
(Phys.org) —A new class of molecules called acyldepsipeptides—ADEPs—may provide a new way to attack bacteria that have developed resistance to antibiotics. Researchers at Brown and MIT have discovered...
View ArticleSmooth sailing: Rough surfaces that can reduce drag
From the sleek hulls of racing yachts to Michael Phelps' shaved legs, most objects that move through the water quickly are also smooth. But researchers from UCLA have found that bumpiness can sometimes...
View ArticleCommentary: Say goodbye to the Internet we've known
If you like how cable television works, you're going to love how a court decision this week could change the Internet.
View ArticleAcoustic lens generates tunable 'sound bullets' for ultrasound applications
(Phys.org) —Scientists have developed an acoustic lens that produces pressure pulses that are so intense they're called "sound bullets." Although they are too high-pitched to be audible to the human...
View ArticleResearchers may have found King Alfred's pelvis
Researchers said Friday they may have discovered remains of King Alfred the Great, the 9th-century royal remembered for protecting England from the Vikings and educating a largely illiterate nation.
View ArticleYour home could soon be like the Jetsons'
For decades, futurists have been predicting the era of the "smart" home, where you don't need to be home to lock your doors, dim your lights or adjust your thermostats. But except for the homes of the...
View ArticleCyberattack traced to hacked refrigerator, researchers report
Call it the attack of the zombie refrigerators. Computer security researchers said this week they discovered a large "botnet" which infected Internet-connected home appliances and then delivered more...
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