ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

Magnets and superconductors don't normally get along, but a new study shows that 'magic-angle' graphene is capable of producing both superconductivity and ferromagnetism, which could be useful in quantum computing.

Astronomers previously believed that red supergiant stars fell dormant at the end of their lives. A new study shows that red supergiant stars can violently erupt before collapsing into supernovae

It is common knowledge that there would be no oxygen on Earth were it not for sunlight; the key component in photosynthesis. Now researchers have made the surprising discovery that oxygen is also produced without sunlight, possibly deep below the ocean surface.

No longer solely in the realm of science fiction, the possibility of interstellar travel has appeared, tantalizingly, on the horizon. Although we may not see it in our lifetimes -- at least not some real version of the fictional warp-speeding, hyperdriving, space-folding sort -- we are having early conversations of how life could escape the tether of our solar system, using technology that is within reach.

Researchers have discovered that biofilms, bacterial communities found throughout the living world, are far more advanced than previously believed. Scientists found that biofilm cells are organized in elaborate patterns, a feature that previously only had been associated with higher-level organisms such as plants and animals.

In the most comprehensive analysis to date, researchers found that the shapes of fingerprints -- whether they are circular, wavy, or winding -- are influenced by the genes responsible for limb development instead of skin patterning. The study could help scientists better understand the association between genes and phenotypical traits in humans.

The air in a zoo is full of smells, from the fish used for feed to the manure from the grazing herbivores, but now we know it is also full of DNA from the animals living there. Two research groups have each published an independent proof-of-concept study showing that by sampling air from a local zoo, they can collect enough DNA to identify the animals nearby. This may prove to be a valuable, non-invasive tool to track biodiversity.

A new study has found 30 per cent of people prefer to talk about their negative experiences with a virtual reality avatar, rather than a person.