ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

---

• Marine sponges inspire the next generation of skyscrapers and bridges
• Comet discovered to have its own northern lights
• Engineers imitate human hands to make better sensors
• Astronomers discover an Earth-sized 'pi planet' with a 3.14-day orbit
• Ribeye-eating pigs demonstrate protein quality for humans
• Do rats like to be tickled?
• Giant spider provides promise of pain relief for irritable bowel syndrome

Marine sponges inspire the next generation of skyscrapers and bridges Posted: 21 Sep 2020 02:04 PM PDT Researchers are using the glassy skeletons of marine sponges as inspiration for the next generation of stronger and taller buildings, longer bridges, and lighter spacecraft. The researchers showed that the diagonally-reinforced square lattice-like skeletal structure of Euplectella aspergillum, a deep-water marine sponge, has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than the traditional lattice designs that have used for centuries in the construction of buildings and bridges.

Comet discovered to have its own northern lights Posted: 21 Sep 2020 08:38 AM PDT Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has its own far-ultraviolet aurora, data reveal. It is the first time such electromagnetic emissions in the far-ultraviolet have been documented on a celestial object other than a planet or moon.

Engineers imitate human hands to make better sensors Posted: 21 Sep 2020 08:17 AM PDT An international research team has developed 'electronic skin' sensors capable of mimicking the dynamic process of human motion. This work could help severely injured people, such as soldiers, regain the ability to control their movements, as well as contribute to the development of smart robotics, according to researchers.

Astronomers discover an Earth-sized 'pi planet' with a 3.14-day orbit Posted: 21 Sep 2020 08:17 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a 'pi Earth' -- an Earth-sized planet that zips around its star every 3.14 days, in an orbit reminiscent of the universal mathematics constant.

Ribeye-eating pigs demonstrate protein quality for humans Posted: 21 Sep 2020 08:16 AM PDT Nearly a decade ago, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) developed a new index to assess protein quality in foods. The goal, writ large, was to address food security for the world's most vulnerable populations, creating more accurate tools for food assistance programs seeking to provide balanced nutrition.

Do rats like to be tickled? Posted: 21 Sep 2020 08:16 AM PDT Not all rats like to be tickled but by listening to their vocalizations it is possible to understand in real-time their individual emotional response. The study suggests that if this same relationship is observed for other situations, then it may be possible to use call patterns in rats to measure their emotional response and understand how best to improve their welfare.

Giant spider provides promise of pain relief for irritable bowel syndrome Posted: 21 Sep 2020 07:03 AM PDT Molecules from the venom of one of the world's largest spiders could help researchers tailor pain blockers for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

You are subscribed to email updates from Strange & Offbeat News -- ScienceDaily. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States