ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• 'Matador' guppies trick predators
• More than 1000 tons of plastic rains into Western US protected lands annually
• Scientists detect unexpected widespread structures near Earth's core
• Utah's arches continue to whisper their secrets
• New distance measurements bolster challenge to basic model of universe
• Sound waves transport droplets for rewritable lab-on-a-chip devices
• Neuroscientists discover neural circuits that control hibernation-like behaviors in mice
• Ancient crocodiles walked on two legs like dinosaurs
• Elite gamers share mental toughness with top athletes, study finds
• The mystery of visual stability
• Astronomers discover how long-lived Peter Pan discs evolve
• Reaction microscope 'X-rays' individual molecules
• After a century of searching, scientists find new liquid phase
• Scientists apply 'twistronics' to light propagation and make a breakthrough discovery
• High doses of ketamine can temporarily switch off the brain
• Cascade sets the stage for superconductivity in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene
• Researchers mimic nature for fast, colorful 3D printing
• Can gut microbiome alter drug safety and efficacy?
• What can maritime shipping learn from brain network science?

'Matador' guppies trick predators Posted: 11 Jun 2020 12:24 PM PDT Trinidadian guppies behave like matadors, focusing a predator's point of attack before dodging away at the last moment, new research shows.

More than 1000 tons of plastic rains into Western US protected lands annually Posted: 11 Jun 2020 12:14 PM PDT Watershed researchers estimate more than 1000 tons of microplastics (equal to more than 123 million plastic water bottles) are deposited in national parks and wilderness areas each year. Researchers used high-resolution atmospheric deposition data and identified samples of microplastics and other particulates collected over 14 months in 11 western U.S. national parks and wilderness areas. They identified plastic and polymers' composition to identify sources of plastic emitted into the atmosphere and tracked its movement.

Scientists detect unexpected widespread structures near Earth's core Posted: 11 Jun 2020 11:31 AM PDT A new study has produced the first analysis of seismic echoes from hundreds of earthquakes at once, revealing widespread structures at the core-mantle boundary. Previous studies were limited to analysis of single earthquakes, providing only a narrow window into the structure deep inside the Earth. This study enables a much wider view than ever before, revealing new, unexpected features and expanding the size of a previously known feature beneath Hawaii.

Utah's arches continue to whisper their secrets Posted: 11 Jun 2020 11:30 AM PDT Two new studies show what can be learned from a short seismic checkup of natural rock arches and how erosion sculpts some arches -- like the iconic Delicate Arch -- into shapes that lend added strength.

New distance measurements bolster challenge to basic model of universe Posted: 11 Jun 2020 10:31 AM PDT A cosmic measurement technique independent of all others adds strong evidence pointing to a problem with the current theoretical model describing the composition and evolution of the Universe.

Sound waves transport droplets for rewritable lab-on-a-chip devices Posted: 11 Jun 2020 10:31 AM PDT Engineers have demonstrated a versatile microfluidic lab-on-a-chip that uses sound waves to create tunnels in oil to digitally manipulate and transport droplets. The technology could form the basis of a small-scale, programmable, rewritable biomedical chip that is completely reusable for disparate purposes from on-site diagnostics to laboratory-based research.

Neuroscientists discover neural circuits that control hibernation-like behaviors in mice Posted: 11 Jun 2020 10:31 AM PDT Neuroscientists have discovered a population of neurons in the hypothalamus that controls hibernation-like behavior, or torpor, in mice, revealing for the first time the neural circuits that regulate this state. By better understanding these processes in mice and other animal models, the authors envision the possibility of one day working toward inducing torpor in humans.

Ancient crocodiles walked on two legs like dinosaurs Posted: 11 Jun 2020 08:45 AM PDT An international research team has been stunned to discover that some species of ancient crocodiles walked on their two hind legs like dinosaurs and measured over three metres in length. University of Queensland palaeontologist Dr Anthony Romilio said the researchers first thought the similar-shaped fossilised footprints were from another ancient animal known as the pterosaurs.

Elite gamers share mental toughness with top athletes, study finds Posted: 11 Jun 2020 07:48 AM PDT In one of the first studies to investigate mental toughness and stress and coping in high performing esports athletes, researchers have found similarities to traditional elite athletes.

The mystery of visual stability Posted: 11 Jun 2020 06:42 AM PDT We move our eyes several times per second. These fast eye movements, called saccades, create large image shifts on the retina -- making our visual system work hard to maintain a stable perceptual world. Remapping the retinal image compensates for this; however, errors in actual eye movements cause image shifts, even with remapping.

Astronomers discover how long-lived Peter Pan discs evolve Posted: 11 Jun 2020 06:42 AM PDT New research has revealed how long-lived Peter Pan discs form, which could provide new insights into how planets arise.

Reaction microscope 'X-rays' individual molecules Posted: 11 Jun 2020 06:42 AM PDT For more than 200 years, we have been using X-rays to look inside matter, and progressing to ever smaller structures -from crystals to nanoparticles. Now, physicists have achieved a qualitative leap forward: using a new experimental technique, they have been able to 'X-ray' molecules such as oxygen and view their motion in the microcosm.

After a century of searching, scientists find new liquid phase Posted: 11 Jun 2020 06:41 AM PDT Researchers have discovered an elusive phase of matter, first proposed more than 100 years ago and sought after ever since.

Scientists apply 'twistronics' to light propagation and make a breakthrough discovery Posted: 11 Jun 2020 06:41 AM PDT A research team has employed ''twistronics'' concepts (the science of layering and twisting two-dimensional materials to control their electrical properties) to manipulate the flow of light in extreme ways. The findings hold the promise for leapfrog advances in a variety of light-driven technologies, including nano-imaging devices; high-speed, low-energy optical computers; and biosensors.

High doses of ketamine can temporarily switch off the brain Posted: 11 Jun 2020 06:41 AM PDT Researchers have identified two brain phenomena that may explain some of the side-effects of ketamine. Their measurements of the brain waves of sheep sedated by the drug may explain the out-of-body experience and state of complete oblivion it can cause.

Cascade sets the stage for superconductivity in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene Posted: 11 Jun 2020 06:41 AM PDT The researchers used scanning tunneling microscopy to observe what happens when they add additional electrons to magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene. They observed a cascade of transitions in the electronic properties, patterns that could help unlock how superconductivity emerge in these materials.

Researchers mimic nature for fast, colorful 3D printing Posted: 10 Jun 2020 12:20 PM PDT Brilliantly colored chameleons, butterflies, opals - and now some 3D-printed materials -- reflect color by using nanoscale structures called photonic crystals. A new study demonstrates how a modified 3D-printing process provides a versatile approach to producing multiple colors from a single ink.

Can gut microbiome alter drug safety and efficacy? Posted: 10 Jun 2020 10:50 AM PDT Researchers have developed an approach for studying how the gut microbiome chemically alters oral medications, unlocking possibilities for improving efficacy, reducing side effects, and creating drugs personalized to an individual's microbiome.

What can maritime shipping learn from brain network science? Posted: 10 Jun 2020 10:50 AM PDT Researchers show how network science computational theories used for brain analysis can help us to understand global shipping networks and their impact on the world economy.

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