Science & Technology

"We know that anxiety disorders like PTSD can sometimes be triggered by smell, like the smell of diesel exhaust for a soldier," says John McGann. "What this study does is gives us a new way of thinking about how this might happen." (Credit: spike/Flickr) — Top StoryRutgers
Fear makes noses more sensitive to smells

The ability to respond to force allows filaments of B. mycoides to orient themselves towards objects that are causing even the tiniest disruptions to the surface nearby. B. mycoides was even able to 'find' small glass beads placed in the vicinity of the bacterial colony. (Credit: Ninjatacoshell, via Wikimedia Commons, font by Vernon Adams)

University of Nottingham

‘Touchy’ bacteria grow tendrils around flaws

A type of common soil-dwelling bacteria appears to have a sense of touch, researchers report. READ MORE…

"Our results highlight that resource abundance and the availability of a variety of prey are critical factors in enabling this inshore seabird to adjust to changes in environmental conditions and fluctuations in their primary source of prey," says Nicole Kowalczyk. (Credit: David Burton/Flickr)

Monash University

Penguins need anchovies, but sardines will do

Little penguins can have successful breeding seasons without their favorite food—anchovies—but only if alternative prey is available. READ MORE…

A better understanding of intermediate-depth quakes could help scientists forecast where they will occur and the risk they pose to buildings and people. (Credit: Hitchster/Flickr)

Stanford University

Runaway heat drives earthquakes 90 miles deep

Scientists may have solved the mystery of what drives a type of earthquake that occurs deep within the Earth and accounts for one in four quakes worldwide. READ MORE…

"When and where the next eruption will occur is unknown," says Jozua van Otterloo. "Although statistics tell us it could be a long time before the next eruption, the main hazard is that when it does, we will only have a few days warning." (Credit: David Hewett/Flickr)

Monash University

In Australia, volcano’s past sounds alarm about next eruption

If Australia's Mount Gambier volcano were to erupt with the same force that it did 5,000 years ago, it could cause health risks and damage 60 miles away. READ MORE…

"It’s easy to understand how birds or fish might be similar oceans apart,” says Matthew Schrenk. "But it challenges the imagination to think of nearly identical microbes 16,000 kilometers apart from each other in the cracks of hard rock at extreme depths, pressures, and temperatures." (Credit: Michigan State)

Michigan State University

‘Nearly identical’ microbes lurk around the world

Even miles under the Earth's surface and halfway across the globe, scientists have found that the communities of microbes are often quite similar. READ MORE…