ScienceDaily: Top Science News

New Mercury surface composition maps illuminate the planet's history Posted: 13 Mar 2015 08:04 AM PDT Scientists have created global-scale maps of Mercury's surface chemistry that reveal previously unrecognized geochemical terranes -- large regions that have compositions distinct from their surroundings. The presence of these large terranes has important implications for the history of the planet

Free will? Analysis of worm neurons suggest how a single stimulus can trigger different responses Posted: 13 Mar 2015 08:04 AM PDT Even worms have free will. If offered a delicious smell, for example, a roundworm will usually stop its wandering to investigate the source, but sometimes it won't. Just as with humans, the same stimulus does not always provoke the same response, even from the same individual.

Why do cells rush to heal a wound? Mysteries of wound healing unlocked Posted: 13 Mar 2015 06:45 AM PDT A multidisciplinary research team has discovered how cells know to rush to a wound and heal it -- opening the door to new treatments for diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The findings shed light on the mechanisms of cell migration, particularly in the wound-healing process. The results represent a major advancement for regenerative medicine, in which biomedical engineers and other researchers manipulate cells' form and function to create new tissues, and even organs, to repair, restore or replace those damaged by injury or disease.

Listening to classical music modulates genes that are responsible for brain functions Posted: 13 Mar 2015 05:34 AM PDT Although listening to music is common in all societies, the biological determinants of listening to music are largely unknown. According to a new study, listening to classical music enhanced the activity of genes involved in dopamine secretion and transport, synaptic neurotransmission, learning and memory, and down-regulated the genes mediating neurodegeneration. Several of the up-regulated genes were known to be responsible for song learning and singing in songbirds, suggesting a common evolutionary background of sound perception across species.