ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


Exquisitely preserved embryo found inside fossilized dinosaur egg

Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST

A 72 to 66-million-year-old embryo found inside a fossilized dinosaur egg sheds new light on the link between the behavior of modern birds and dinosaurs, according to a new study.

Engineers test an idea for a new hovering rover

Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:28 AM PST

MIT aerospace engineers are testing a concept for a hovering rover that levitates by harnessing the moon's natural charge. The design uses tiny ion beams to charge up the vehicle and the surface underneath, with little power needed. Such an ion boost could be strong enough to levitate a 2-pound vehicle on the moon and large asteroids.

Crows keep special tools extra safe

Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:27 AM PST

Just like humans, New Caledonian crows are particularly careful when handling their most valuable tools, according to a new study. The research reveals that crows are more likely to store relatively complex and efficient foraging tools for future use than more basic tools.

Swinging on the quantum level

Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:27 AM PST

For many applications making use of quantum effects, the light has to be in a certain state -- namely a single photon state. But what is the best way of generating such single photon states? Researchers have now proposed an entirely new way.

An ancient relative of Velociraptor is unearthed in Great Britain

Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:27 AM PST

A new bird-like dinosaur that used brute strength to overcome its prey has been found by palaeontologists combing through fossils found on the Isle of Wight, on the South Coast of Great Britain.

Millipedes ‘as big as cars’ once roamed Northern England, fossil find reveals

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 04:07 PM PST

The largest-ever fossil of a giant millipede -- as big as a car -- has been found on a beach in the north of England.

Comets’ heads can be green, but never their tails. After 90 years, we finally know why

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 04:06 PM PST

A study has solved a 90-year-old mystery by proving the mechanism by which dicarbon -- the chemical that makes some comets' heads green -- is broken up by sunlight. This explains why the vibrant green color never reaches the comet's tail.

Could acid-neutralizing life-forms make habitable pockets in Venus' clouds?

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 04:06 PM PST

A new study supports the longstanding idea that if life exists, it might make a home in Venus' clouds. The study's authors identified a chemical pathway by which life could neutralize Venus' acidic environment, creating a self-sustaining, habitable pocket in the clouds.

Engineers produce the world’s longest flexible fiber battery

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 10:13 AM PST

Researchers have developed a rechargeable lithium-ion battery in the form of ultra-long fiber that could be woven into fabrics. The battery could enable a wide variety of wearable electronic devices, and might even be used to make 3D-printed batteries in virtually any shape.

Are black holes and dark matter the same?

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:08 AM PST

Astrophysicists suggest that primordial black holes account for all dark matter in the universe.

Consciousness in humans, animals and artificial intelligence

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:07 AM PST

A new theory of consciousness provides experimental access to the study of this phenomenon. Not just in humans.

Shellac for printed circuits

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:07 AM PST

Intelligent packaging with sensors that monitor goods, such as vegetables, on long transport routes is a trend for the future. Yet printed and disposable electronics also cause problems: Metals in printing inks are expensive -- and disposing of them in an environmentally sound manner is costly and exacerbates the problem of electronic waste.

Ostrich eggshell beads reveal 50,000-year-old social network across Africa

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:06 AM PST

New archeological study shows ancient connection between populations 3,000 km apart, and provides first direct link between climate change and ancient human social behavior.

3D printed nanomagnets unveil a world of patterns in the magnetic field

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:06 AM PST

Researchers have created DNA-like magnetic nanostructures that form strong inter-helix magnetic bonds. These produce topological textures in the magnetic field, opening the door to the next generation of magnetic devices, and patterning magnetic fields on the nanoscale.

Abundance of life discovered beneath an Antarctic ice shelf

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:00 AM PST

Far beneath the ice shelves of the Antarctic, there is more marine life than expected.

Deadliest period in Earth’s history was also the stinkiest

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 05:30 AM PST

Tiny microbes belching toxic gas helped cause -- and prolong -- the biggest mass extinction in Earth's history, a new study suggests.

Shark antibody-like proteins neutralize COVID-19 virus, help prepare for future coronaviruses

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 07:29 AM PST

Small, unique antibody-like proteins known as VNARs -- derived from the immune systems of sharks -- can prevent the virus that causes COVID-19, its variants, and related coronaviruses from infecting human cells, according to a new study.

Mind-controlled robots now one step closer

Posted: 16 Dec 2021 12:02 PM PST

Researchers teamed up to develop a machine-learning program that can be connected to a human brain and used to command a robot. The program adjusts the robot's movements based on electrical signals from the brain. The hope is that with this invention, tetraplegic patients will be able to carry out more day-to-day activities on their own.