ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Indiana Jones was right all along: Research shows the smaller the scorpion, the deadlier
• Highway death toll messages cause more crashes
• Glowing spider fossils prompt breakthrough study of how they were preserved at Aix-en-Provence
• Microdrones with light-driven nanomotors
• 'Whup' and 'grumble' calls reveal secrets of humpback whales
• Molecular robots work cooperatively in swarms
• Dying stars' cocoons might explain fast blue optical transients
• Pterosaur discovery solves ancient feather mystery
• Astronomers identify likely location of medium-sized black holes
• Astronomers discover micronovae, a new kind of stellar explosion
• Why Venus rotates, slowly, despite sun's powerful grip
• Jupiter's moon has splendid dunes
• Engineers introduce the Oreometer
• Phase transitions in the early universe and their signals
• Researchers take step toward developing 'electric eye'

Indiana Jones was right all along: Research shows the smaller the scorpion, the deadlier Posted: 21 Apr 2022 11:16 AM PDT Researchers have shown that smaller species of scorpions, with smaller pincers, have more potent venoms compared to larger species with robust claws. The scientists tested the theory from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which warned of the dangers of small scorpions, and that 'when it comes to scorpions, the bigger the better'. While this may have simply been a throwaway movie line from the adventurous archaeologist Indiana Jones, the research shows there is truth to it. The team of scientists at NUI Galway's Ryan Institute put the quip to the test by analysing 36 species of scorpions to show that larger scorpions have less potent venoms and really are better in terms of avoiding a nasty sting.

Highway death toll messages cause more crashes Posted: 21 Apr 2022 11:15 AM PDT Displaying the highway death toll on message boards is a common awareness campaign, but new research shows this tactic actually leads to more crashes. This new study evaluated the effect of displaying crash death totals on highway message boards (e.g., '1669 deaths this year on Texas roads'). Versions of highway fatality messages have been displayed in at least 27 US states.

Glowing spider fossils prompt breakthrough study of how they were preserved at Aix-en-Provence Posted: 21 Apr 2022 10:10 AM PDT A new study asks: What are the unique chemical and geological processes at Aix-en-Provence that preserve spiders from the Oligocene Period so exquisitely?

Microdrones with light-driven nanomotors Posted: 21 Apr 2022 10:09 AM PDT Physicists have managed to propel micrometer-sized drones precisely using light only. Their microdrones are significantly smaller than red blood cells.

'Whup' and 'grumble' calls reveal secrets of humpback whales Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:41 AM PDT Sounds made by humpback whales -- including a previously unknown call -- have given researchers a glimpse of their lives in the high seas.

Molecular robots work cooperatively in swarms Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:14 PM PDT Scientists have demonstrated that molecular robots are able to accomplish cargo delivery by employing a strategy of swarming, achieving a transport efficiency five times greater than that of single robots.

Dying stars' cocoons might explain fast blue optical transients Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT Using a newly developed model, astrophysicists present a new theory to explain fast blue optical transients, a new class of transients that has boggled researchers since their discovery in 2018. In the new study, astrophysicists find that FBOTs could result from the actively cooling cocoons that surround jets launched by dying stars.

Pterosaur discovery solves ancient feather mystery Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT Palaeontologists have discovered remarkable new evidence that pterosaurs, the flying relatives of dinosaurs, were able to control the color of their feathers using melanin pigments.

Astronomers identify likely location of medium-sized black holes Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT Intermediate-mass black holes are notoriously hard to find but a new study indicates there may be some at the center of dense, star clusters located throughout the universe. A study now sheds new light on when and where black holes of about 100-100,000 solar masses could form and how they came into being.

Astronomers discover micronovae, a new kind of stellar explosion Posted: 20 Apr 2022 09:23 AM PDT A team of astronomers has observed a new type of stellar explosion -- a micronova. These outbursts happen on the surface of certain stars, and can each burn through around 3.5 billion Great Pyramids of Giza of stellar material in only a few hours.

Why Venus rotates, slowly, despite sun's powerful grip Posted: 20 Apr 2022 06:21 AM PDT If not for the soupy, fast-moving atmosphere on Venus, Earth's sister planet would likely not rotate. Instead, Venus would be locked in place, always facing the sun the way the same side of the moon always faces Earth.

Jupiter's moon has splendid dunes Posted: 19 Apr 2022 09:41 AM PDT Scientists have long wondered how Jupiter's innermost moon, Io, has meandering ridges as grand as any that can be seen in movies like 'Dune.' Now, a research study has provided a new explanation of how dunes can form even on a surface as icy and roiling as Io's.

Engineers introduce the Oreometer Posted: 19 Apr 2022 09:40 AM PDT Engineers subjected Oreo cookies to rigorous materials tests to get to the center of a tantalizing question: Why does the cookie's cream stick to just one wafer when twisted apart?

Phase transitions in the early universe and their signals Posted: 19 Apr 2022 07:32 AM PDT The early universe may chirp about unknown physics. A research team has demonstrated how an early universe phase transition will lead to gravitational wave signals potentially visible in the upcoming satellite missions.

Researchers take step toward developing 'electric eye' Posted: 19 Apr 2022 06:23 AM PDT Using nanotechnology, scientists have created a newly designed neuromorphic electronic device that endows microrobotics with colorful vision. The newly designed artificial vision device could have far-reaching applications for the fields of medicine, artificial intelligence, and microrobotics.

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