Science & Technology - Apr 12, 2013 8:49 - 0 Comments

To retain water, succulents pump up leaves

BROWN (US) — To hang on to water in arid conditions, succulent plants have remodeled the vein structure of their leaves and gone 3D. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 11, 2013 14:08 - 3 Comments

Why your ‘seesaw’ brain can’t stay on task

U. FLORIDA (US) — When we try to concentrate on a specific task, different parts of our brain are in a constant battle for control behind the scenes. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 11, 2013 13:00 - 2 Comments

How your brain chunks ‘moments’ into ‘events’

PRINCETON (US) — Scientists say they have a new explanation for how the brain breaks experiences into “events,” or the related groups that help us mentally organize the day’s many situations. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 10, 2013 11:43 - 0 Comments

Soil mites rescued by rapid evolution

U. LEEDS (UK) — A recent study involving soil mites overturns the common assumption that evolution only occurs gradually over hundreds or thousands of years. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 10, 2013 10:47 - 0 Comments

Rocky ride tells sea urchins to grow up

UC DAVIS / STANFORD (US) — Purple sea urchin larvae know it’s time to settle down and grow into adults when tumbling in the waves signals they’ve hit a rocky shore, new research shows. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 9, 2013 16:31 - 0 Comments

Monkey ‘wobble’ works like small talk

U. MICHIGAN (US) — The rhythmic vocal sounds wild gelada monkeys make by smacking their lips have similarities to human speech, a new study shows. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 9, 2013 15:33 - 0 Comments

Volcanoes on early Mars likely kept it toasty

BROWN (US) —When giant volcanoes were active early in Mars’ history, the planet may have released enough methane to keep the planet significantly warmer than it is today. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 9, 2013 15:14 - 0 Comments

Optical transistors: Why quantum dots could be key

MCGILL U. (CAN) — Researchers have taken an early first step toward developing an optical transistor by showing a new way to control light in the semiconductor nanocrystals known as “quantum dots.” (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 9, 2013 13:43 - 0 Comments

Bacteria armed with toxic tips kill rivals

UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — A mysterious type of protein found in bacteria and other organisms, including humans, appears to act as a delivery system for toxins. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 8, 2013 14:30 - 0 Comments

Can nuclear fusion get us to Mars?

U. WASHINGTON (US) — To get astronauts to Mars, scientists are working with nuclear fusion—the same energy that powers the sun and stars. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 8, 2013 14:26 - 1 Comment

Find and fix ‘bugs’ in surgical robots

CARNEGIE MELLON / JOHNS HOPKINS (US) — Researchers have used a new technique to detect glitches in the software that controls surgical robots. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 5, 2013 16:00 - 1 Comment

Encryption tool keeps online photos private

USC (US) — A new tool encrypts part of a photo to keep it secure, but leaves enough data unencrypted that the image can still be used by services like Facebook and Flickr. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 5, 2013 14:28 - 0 Comments

‘Green Pea’ galaxies overflowing with light

U. MICHIGAN (US) — Rare Green Pea galaxies discovered by the general public in 2007 could help confirm understanding of reionization, a pivotal stage in the evolution of the early universe, researchers say. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 4, 2013 14:36 - 0 Comments

‘Invisible whiskers’ make crocs super sensitive

U. MISSOURI (US) — Nerves on crocodilians’ faces are so sensitive that they can detect when a single drop hits the water several feet away, say researchers who measured the nerve bundle. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 4, 2013 10:14 - 4 Comments

Did phosphorous from space spark life on Earth?

U. LEEDS (UK) — Experiments suggest that unusual phosphorus chemicals from meteorites could have given power to Earth’s “primordial soup.” (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 3, 2013 17:02 - 3 Comments

Turtles: Little change in 210 million years

WASHINGTON U. – ST. LOUIS (US) — About one-third the evolutionary rate of humans, the western painted turtle’s evolution is like its speed on the ground—exceedingly slow. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 2, 2013 14:12 - 0 Comments

Moon minerals survive rock-melting blasts

BROWN (US) — Despite the unimaginable energy of large impacts on the Moon, they may not wipe the mineralogical slate clean, according to new research. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 2, 2013 12:24 - 0 Comments

To sprout lettuce year-round, ‘mute’ gene

UC DAVIS (US) — The discovery of a lettuce gene and related enzyme that put the brakes on germination during hot weather could lead to lettuce that can sprout all year, even at high temperatures. (more…)

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