When Mexican tetra fish moved into dark caves long ago, they evolved to deal with the dark by becoming albino…and going blind. And new research shows that the changes various cavefish populations went through occurred repeatedly--a massive, textbook example of convergent evolution. The study is in the journal BioMed Central Evolutionary Biology
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Feed SubscriptionWorm Turns Alcohol into Longevity
Lots of studies suggest limited quantities of alcohol--like one drink a day--can benefit your cardiovascular health.
Read More »Next Ice Age Not Likely before 1,500 Years
By Nina Chestney LONDON (Reuters) - High levels of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere mean the next ice age is unlikely to begin for at least 1,500 years, an article in the journal Nature Geoscience said on Monday. [More]
Read More »Silky Microneedles Could Make Shots Painfree
Nobody likes getting shots.
Read More »Doh! Top Science Journal Retractions of 2011
Bad science papers can have lasting effects. Consider the 1998 paper in the journal The Lancet that linked autism to the MMR vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella
Read More »Terahertz pulse increases electron density 1,000-fold
Researchers at Kyoto University have announced a breakthrough with broad implications for semiconductor-based devices. The findings, announced in the December 20 issue of the journal Nature Communications, may lead to the development of ultra-high-speed transistors and high-efficiency photovoltaic cells.
Read More »Terahertz pulse increases electron density 1,000-fold
Researchers at Kyoto University have announced a breakthrough with broad implications for semiconductor-based devices. The findings, announced in the December 20 issue of the journal Nature Communications, may lead to the development of ultra-high-speed transistors and high-efficiency photovoltaic cells.
Read More »DNA in a Cup of Water Reveals Lake Denizens
To monitor the biodiversity of a freshwater habitat, you could camp out by the water and count the rare wildlife.
Read More »DNA in a Cup of Water Reveals Lake Denizens
To monitor the biodiversity of a freshwater habitat, you could camp out by the water and count the rare wildlife. Or you could just scoop up a cup of water. A new Dutch study has found that the DNA traces in a small sample of a body of water can reveal the species that live in it.
Read More »Body Hair Senses Parasites While Slowing Their Blood Quest
We "naked apes" aren't as hirsute as our primate cousins. We still have an ape-like density of hair follicles--but we sprout out peach fuzz, instead of a thick coat. Those downy hairs may be more than an evolutionary leftover, though
Read More »New technique to see crystals like never before
An international team of scientists led by the Fresnel Institute and the ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) in Grenoble has developed a new technique allowing to observe the nanometer-sized structure of crystalline materials. Using a microscopic X-ray beam to illuminate large areas of a sample, this technique reveals structural details in three dimensions and at high resolution
Read More »Physicists find charge separation in a molecule consisting of two identical atoms
Physicists from the University of Stuttgart show the first experimental proof of a molecule consisting of two identical atoms that exhibits a permanent electric dipole moment.
Read More »Scientists create light from vacuum
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at Chalmers University of Technology have succeeded in creating light from vacuum observing an effect first predicted over 40 years ago. The results will be published tomorrow (Wednesday) in the journal Nature. In an innovative experiment, the scientists have managed to capture some of the photons that are constantly appearing and disappearing in the vacuum.
Read More »Predators Can Stress Prey To Death
A hungry fish can kill prey with a quick bite. That is, of course, if its prey hasn't already died of fright. Take tasty dragonflies.
Read More »Physicists develop a method of detecting counterfeit whiskey using spectroscopy
(PhysOrg.com) -- Physicists Praveen Ashok, Bavishna Praveen, and K. Dholakia working together at the University of St Andrews in Scotland have developed a method for testing whiskey for authenticity using a crafted device that allows for measurements via spectroscopy.
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