Strange & Offbeat News -- ScienceDaily

Feasibility of tracking parrots with GPS telemetry confirmed Posted: 18 Feb 2015 01:58 PM PST Yes, it is possible to study parrots with GPS trackers -- you just have to make them beak-proof. Researchers sealed GPS devices in tough polymer before attaching them to captured Keas (Nestor notabilis) using backpack harnesses. They successfully tracked 10 birds for a week and identified where and when they foraged, roosted, and interacted with tourists.

Keeping atherosclerosis in-check with novel targeted inflammation-resolving nanomedicines Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:55 AM PST Nanometer-sized 'drones' that deliver a special type of healing molecule to fat deposits in arteries could become a new way to prevent heart attacks caused by atherosclerosis, according to a study in pre-clinical models.

Mutant bacteria that keep on growing Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:34 AM PST The typical Escherichia coli, the laboratory rat of microbiology, is a tiny 1-2 thousandths of a millimeter long. Now, by blocking cell division, researchers have grown E. coli that stretch three quarters of a millimeter. That's up to 750 times their normal length. The research has potential applications in nanoscale industry, and may lead to a better understanding of how pathogens work.

Can you judge a man by his fingers? Link between relative lengths of index and ring fingers in men and behavior towards women Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:21 AM PST Men with short index fingers and long ring fingers are on average nicer towards women. This phenomenon stems from their fetal life, and the hormones these men have been exposed to in their mother's womb. The findings might help explain why these men have more children.

Brain's iconic seat of speech goes silent when we actually talk Posted: 18 Feb 2015 07:18 AM PST The brain's speech area, named after 19th century French physician Pierre Paul Broca, shuts down when we talk out loud, according to a new study that challenges the long-held assumption that 'Broca's area' governs all aspects of speech production.

Scientists turn the tables on drug-resistant bacteria by infecting them with bacteriophages (bacterial viruses) Posted: 18 Feb 2015 06:21 AM PST Can a bacterial virus found in Jerusalem sewage prevent infections after root canal procedures? Medical researchers propose a way to turn the tables on harmful bacteria that infect humans, by infecting them with tiny viruses called bacteriophages. In a strange twist, one such virus, cultivated from Jerusalem sewage, may help prevent infections following dental procedures.

New species, the Ruby Seadragon, discovered Posted: 18 Feb 2015 06:21 AM PST While researching the two known species of seadragons as part of an effort to understand and protect the exotic and delicate fish, scientists made a startling discovery: A third species of seadragon.

In the city, rabbits build more densely Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:32 AM PST European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) not only achieve high population densities in the city, their burrows are also built more densely and on a smaller external scale. As researchers report, small burrow structures with fewer entrances and exits predominate in Frankfurt's inner city. These structures are inhabited by few animals - often only pairs or single wild rabbits. In contrast to this, the structural systems in the rural environs of Frankfurt are substantially larger and are also inhabited by larger social rabbit groups.

Igniting the air for atmospheric research Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:30 AM PST Scientists have created a high-energy mid-infrared laser powerful enough to create shining filaments in the air. Such devices could be used to detect chemical substances in the atmosphere.

The strange case of the missing dwarf Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:27 AM PST The new SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope has been used to search for a brown dwarf expected to be orbiting the unusual double star V471 Tauri. SPHERE has given astronomers the best look so far at the surroundings of this intriguing object and they found -- nothing. The surprising absence of this confidently predicted brown dwarf means that the conventional explanation for the odd behaviour of V471 Tauri is wrong.

Mulling the marijuana munchies: How the brain flips the hunger switch Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:27 AM PST The 'munchies,' or that uncontrollable urge to eat after using marijuana, appear to be driven by neurons in the brain that are normally involved in suppressing appetite, according to a new study.

Bee disease reduced by nature's 'medicine cabinet' Posted: 17 Feb 2015 05:29 PM PST Nicotine isn't healthy for people, but such naturally occurring chemicals found in flowers of tobacco and other plants could be just the right prescription for ailing bees, according to a new study.