Collaborate Disseminate
Patrick Star of SpongeBob SquarePants fame had already stretched the boundaries of anatomical correctness, yet it turns out that what all of us think about the bodily composition of a sea star is most likely wrong, thanks to new genetic work that sugge… Continue reading Mostly armless: A starfish is one big “head crawling along the seafloor”
A new study has uncovered the mechanism by which the brain waves produced during deep sleep can predict blood glucose control. The discovery not only highlights the importance of sleep in managing diabetes but it also offers a novel way of mapping and … Continue reading Combo of deep-sleep brain waves predicts blood sugar control
If your local hummingbird is getting a bit aggressive, it may have a drinking problem. A recent study by University of California, Berkeley biologist Robert Dudley indicates that, along with nectar, hummingbirds get alcohol from flowers and feeders.Con… Continue reading Are hummingbirds getting drunk on flowers?
Dome-skulled dinosaurs may have looked less like Friar Tuck and more like the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. New fossil finds suggest they may have had big bristly ornaments on their heads, and might not have butted heads like they do in the movies.Continue … Continue reading ‘Head-butting’ dinosaurs may have flaunted Fresh Prince flat-tops instead
Salt is one of the oldest and most famous preservatives around. But could it be used to preserve carbon deep underground for thousands of years? Researchers believe it can, and that it just might offer a way forward in combating the atmospheric carbon … Continue reading Salted crops seen as powerful tool to combat climate crisis
Creating synthetic proteins is a promising avenue of study, but could we take shortcuts on nature’s blueprint and make more efficient versions? Scientists at UC Berkeley have found that simpler combos of synthetic building blocks can make for protein a… Continue reading Synthetic proteins simplify nature to outperform the real thing
The tiny Pacific mole crab (Emerita analoga) has a unique talent, in that it can burrow straight down into the sand using its flexible legs. An experimental new robot copies that capability, and it could actually have some practical applications.Contin… Continue reading Crab-inspired robot uses fabric-stretching legs to bury itself
Ordinarily, quadcopter drones have to tilt their front end downward when flying forward, increasing their frontal area and thus increasing drag. An experimental new drone gets around this problem, by only tilting its rotors.Continue ReadingCategory: Dr… Continue reading Passive-tilting rotors shown to boost drone speed and efficiency
Old electronics are tricky to recycle, meaning they clog up landfills while locking valuable metals away. Now scientists have demonstrated printed circuits that can be degraded on demand, returning their materials to reusable forms.Continue ReadingCate… Continue reading Electronic circuit degrades on demand into recyclable pieces
We’re all maybe a little bit surly the day after a sleepless night, but a new study suggests selfishness can be directly related to how well rested we are. The robust research offered evidence, from both an individual and a societal level, to demonstra… Continue reading How an epidemic of poor sleep may be making us a more selfish society