ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Astronomers could spot life signs orbiting long-dead stars
• Naked mole-rats need carbon dioxide to avoid seizures and here's why
• 'Breathable' electronics pave the way for more functional wearable tech
• Reduced obesity for weighted-vest wearers
• 'Gargantuan' hail in Argentina may have smashed world record
• Deformed skulls in an ancient cemetery reveal a multicultural community in transition
• Newly discovered exoplanet dethrones former king of Kepler-88 planetary system
• Marooned on Mesozoic Madagascar
• Shrinking instead of growing: How shrews survive the winter
• Offspring may inherit legacy of their father's Toxoplasma infection
• Upcycling spongy plastic foams from shoes, mattresses and insulation
• Anxious about public speaking? Your smart speaker could help
• Scientists discover just how runny a liquid can be

Astronomers could spot life signs orbiting long-dead stars Posted: 30 Apr 2020 12:02 PM PDT To help future scientists make sense of what their telescopes are showing them, astronomers have developed a spectral field guide for rocky worlds orbiting white dwarf stars.

Naked mole-rats need carbon dioxide to avoid seizures and here's why Posted: 30 Apr 2020 08:30 AM PDT African naked mole-rats are sometimes referred to as animal superheroes. They resist cancer, tolerate pain, and live a remarkably long time. They're also known for their ability to handle high levels of carbon dioxide and can go for several minutes without oxygen. But researchers say they may have found the mole-rats' kryptonite: they need high levels of carbon dioxide to function.

'Breathable' electronics pave the way for more functional wearable tech Posted: 30 Apr 2020 08:30 AM PDT Engineering researchers have created ultrathin, stretchable electronic material that is gas permeable, allowing the material to 'breathe.' The material was designed specifically for use in biomedical or wearable technologies, since the gas permeability allows sweat and volatile organic compounds to evaporate away from the skin, making it more comfortable for users -- especially for long-term wear.

Reduced obesity for weighted-vest wearers Posted: 30 Apr 2020 06:13 AM PDT Scientists have found a new method of reducing human body weight and fat mass using weighted vests. The new study indicates that there is something comparable to built-in bathroom scales that contributes to keeping our body weight and, by the same token, fat mass constant.

'Gargantuan' hail in Argentina may have smashed world record Posted: 29 Apr 2020 04:19 PM PDT A supercell thunderstorm pelted a city center in Argentina a few years ago with hailstones so large scientists suggested a new category to describe them -- gargantuan hail.

Deformed skulls in an ancient cemetery reveal a multicultural community in transition Posted: 29 Apr 2020 11:49 AM PDT An ancient cemetery in present-day Hungary holds clues to a unique community formation during the beginnings of Europe's Migration Period.

Newly discovered exoplanet dethrones former king of Kepler-88 planetary system Posted: 29 Apr 2020 10:40 AM PDT A team of astronomers has discovered a planet three times the mass of Jupiter in the Kepler-88 system. The team found that Kepler-88 d is the most massive known planet in this system - not Kepler-88 c as previously thought.

Marooned on Mesozoic Madagascar Posted: 29 Apr 2020 08:11 AM PDT In evolutionary terms, islands are the stuff of weirdness. It is on islands where animals evolve in isolation, often for millions of years, with different food sources, competitors, predators, and parasites ... indeed, different everything compared to mainland species. As a result, they develop into different shapes and sizes and evolve into new species that, given enough time, spawn yet more new species.

Shrinking instead of growing: How shrews survive the winter Posted: 29 Apr 2020 07:59 AM PDT Even at sub-zero temperatures, common shrews do not need to increase their metabolism.

Offspring may inherit legacy of their father's Toxoplasma infection Posted: 29 Apr 2020 07:59 AM PDT Researchers have revealed for the first time that males infected with the Toxoplasma parasite can impact their offspring's brain health and behavior. Studying mice infected with the common parasite Toxoplasma, the team discovered that sperm of infected fathers carried an altered 'epigenetic' signature which impacted the brains of resulting offspring. Molecules in the sperm called 'small RNA' appeared to influence the offspring's brain development and behavior.

Upcycling spongy plastic foams from shoes, mattresses and insulation Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:23 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new method for upcycling polyurethane foams, the spongy material found in mattresses, insulation, furniture cushions and shoes.

Anxious about public speaking? Your smart speaker could help Posted: 25 Apr 2020 06:41 AM PDT Researchers have developed a public-speaking tutor on the Amazon Alexa platform. The tutor enables users to engage in cognitive restructuring exercise -- a psychological technique that helps anxious individuals recognize and modify negative thinking behaviors. When users deployed the tutor in a recent study, their pre-speech anxiety was relieved, according to the researchers.

Scientists discover just how runny a liquid can be Posted: 24 Apr 2020 12:07 PM PDT In a new study, scientists show that two fundamental physical constants govern how runny a liquid can be. Their equation relates the minimal value of elementary viscosity (the product of viscosity and volume per molecule) to the Planck constant, which governs the quantum world, and the dimensionless proton-to-electron mass ratio.

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