ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• 'Human-like' brain helps robot out of a maze
• Dinosaurs’ last spring: Study pinpoints timing of Chicxulub asteroid impact
• Innovative silicon nanochip can reprogram biological tissue in living body
• New biosensors shine a light on CRISPR gene editing
• Atom laser creates reflective patterns similar to light
• Mini-jet found near Milky Way's supermassive black hole
• Dinosaur faces and feet may have popped with color
• Machine learning decodes tremors of the universe
• How plasma swirling around black holes can produce heat and light
• A young, sun-like star may hold warnings for life on Earth
• Citizen scientists find young-Jupiter-like object missed by previous exoplanet searches
• Stretchy, washable battery brings wearable devices closer to reality
• Ethiopian monuments 1,000 years older than previously thought
• Bird singing contests: A clash of culture and conservation

'Human-like' brain helps robot out of a maze Posted: 10 Dec 2021 11:07 AM PST A maze is a popular device among psychologists to assess the learning capacity of mice or rats. But how about robots? Can they learn to successfully navigate the twists and turns of a labyrinth? Now, researchers have demonstrated they can. Their robot bases its decisions on the very system humans use to think and act: the brain. The study paves the way to exciting new applications of neuromorphic devices in health and beyond.

Dinosaurs’ last spring: Study pinpoints timing of Chicxulub asteroid impact Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:31 AM PST Scientists conclusively confirm the time year of the catastrophic Chicxulub asteroid, responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs and 75 percent of life on Earth 66 million years ago. Springtime, the season of new beginnings, ended the 165-million-year reign of dinosaurs and changed the course of evolution on Earth.

Innovative silicon nanochip can reprogram biological tissue in living body Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:30 AM PST A silicon device that can change skin tissue into blood vessels and nerve cells has advanced from prototype to standardized fabrication, meaning it can now be made in a consistent, reproducible way.

New biosensors shine a light on CRISPR gene editing Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:29 AM PST Detecting the activity of CRISPR gene editing tools in organisms with the naked eye and an ultraviolet flashlight is now possible using new technology.

Atom laser creates reflective patterns similar to light Posted: 10 Dec 2021 06:30 AM PST Cooled to almost absolute zero, atoms not only move in waves like light but also can be focused into shapes called caustics, similar to the reflecting or refracting patterns light makes on the bottom of a swimming pool or through a curved wine glass. In experiments, scientists have developed a technique to see these matter wave caustics by placing attractive or repulsive obstacles in the path of a cold atom laser. The results are curving cusps or folds, upward or downward 'V' shapes. These caustics have potential applications for highly precise measurement or timing devices such as interferometers and atomic clocks.

Mini-jet found near Milky Way's supermassive black hole Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:16 PM PST Our Milky Way's central black hole has a leak. This supermassive black hole looks like it still has the vestiges of a blowtorch-like jet dating back several thousand years. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope hasn't photographed the phantom jet but has helped find circumstantial evidence that it is still pushing feebly into a huge hydrogen cloud and then splattering, like the narrow stream from a hose aimed into a pile of sand.

Dinosaur faces and feet may have popped with color Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:16 PM PST A study finds that there is a 50 percent chance that the common ancestor of birds and dinosaurs had bright colors on its skin, beaks and scales, but 0 percent chance that it had bright colors on its feathers or claws.

Machine learning decodes tremors of the universe Posted: 09 Dec 2021 11:25 AM PST Researchers train a neural network to estimate -- in just a few seconds -- the precise characteristics of merging black holes based on their gravitational-wave emissions. The network determines the masses and spins of the black holes, where in the sky, at what angle, and how far away from Earth the merger took place.

How plasma swirling around black holes can produce heat and light Posted: 09 Dec 2021 11:25 AM PST Researchers have uncovered a process in the swirling masses of plasma surrounding black holes and neutron stars that can cause previously unexplained emissions of light and heat. These findings can increase basic understanding of fundamental astrophysical processes throughout the universe.

A young, sun-like star may hold warnings for life on Earth Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST Last year, scientists looked on as a star called EK Draconis ejected a massive burst of energy and charged particles many times more powerful than anything recorded on Earth's sun. Such explosive events may have been common in the early years of our solar system, the researchers say.

Citizen scientists find young-Jupiter-like object missed by previous exoplanet searches Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST Citizen scientists have discovered a new object orbiting a Sun-like star that had been missed by previous searches. The object is very distant from its host star -- more than 1,600 times farther than the Earth is from the Sun -- and is thought to be a large planet or a small brown dwarf, a type of object that is not massive enough to burn hydrogen like true stars.

Stretchy, washable battery brings wearable devices closer to reality Posted: 09 Dec 2021 06:56 AM PST Researchers have created what could be the first battery that is both flexible and washable. In addition to watches and patches for measuring vital signs, the battery might also be integrated with clothing that can actively change color or temperature.

Ethiopian monuments 1,000 years older than previously thought Posted: 09 Dec 2021 06:56 AM PST Rising as high as 20 feet, ancient stone monoliths in southern Ethiopia are 1,000 years older than scientists previously thought, according to a new study. A research team used advanced radiocarbon dating to determine the often phallic-shaped monoliths, or stelae, at the Sakaro Sodo archeological site in Ethiopia's Gedeo zone were likely created sometime during the first century A.D.

Bird singing contests: A clash of culture and conservation Posted: 08 Dec 2021 08:03 AM PST For thousands of years, people have been keeping wild birds. It is often a deeply ingrained part of the culture. An examination of the scientific literature on this topic finds that bird-singing contests currently take place in at least 22 countries using at least 36 species of birds.

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