Psychotherapy for depressed rats shows genes aren't destiny

Genes are not destiny in determining whether a person will suffer from depression, reports a new study. Nurture can override nature. When rats genetically bred for depression received the equivalent of rat 'psychotherapy,' their depressed behavior was alleviated. And, after the depressed rats had the therapy, some of their blood biomarkers for depression changed to non-depressed levels.

An up-close view of bacterial 'motors'

Over millennia, bacteria have evolved a variety of specialized mechanisms to move themselves through their particular environments. In two recent studies researchers used a state-of-the-art imaging technique to capture, for the first time, three-dimensional views of this tiny complicated machinery in bacteria.

A world map of Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestry in modern humans

Most non-Africans possess at least a little bit Neanderthal DNA. But a new map of archaic ancestry suggests that many bloodlines around the world, particularly of South Asian descent, may actually be a bit more Denisovan, a mysterious population of hominids that lived around the same time as the Neanderthals. The analysis also proposes that modern humans interbred with Denisovans about 100 generations after their trysts with Neanderthals.

Conspicuous consumption may drive fertility down

A new mathematical model shows how fertility goes down as the cost of achieving social status goes up. The study authors developed a mathematical model showing that their argument is plausible from a biological point of view.

Human ancestors explored 'out of Africa' despite impaired nasal faculties

In humans inhaled air is conditioned poorly in the nasal cavity in comparison with primates, such as chimpanzees and macaques, according a recent study. Unlike our protruding external nose, which has little effect on improving air conditioning performance, other hominins (including australopithecines) were endowed with flat nasal features and faculties to improve air conditioning.

Nanocrystal self-assembly sheds its secrets

The secret to a long-hidden magic trick behind the self-assembly of nanocrystal structures is starting to be revealed.

Moving microswimmers using magnetic vortices

Scientistshave discovered a way to use a microscopic, swirling flow to rapidly clear a circle of tiny bacteria or swimming robots.

Boost fundraising with something simple: Sandpaper

Researchers have discovered that touching rough surfaces increases awareness of discomfort in our surroundings, which can trigger empathy. This leads to more interest in donating to charities.

Creation of minimal cell with just the genes needed for independent life

Researchers have designed and synthesized a minimal bacterial genome, containing only the genes necessary for life, and consisting of just 473 genes.

Modified maggots could help human wound healing

In a proof-of-concept study, researchers show that genetically engineered green bottle fly larvae can produce and secrete a human growth factor -- a molecule that helps promote cell growth and wound healing.

Earth's moon wandered off axis billions of years ago

A new study reports Earth's moon wandered off its original axis roughly 3 billion years ago. Ancient lunar ice indicates the moon's axis slowly shifted by 125 miles, or 6 degrees, over 1 billion years. Earth's moon now a member of solar system's exclusive 'true polar wander' club, which includes just a handful of other planetary bodies.

Brad Pitt's and fruit flies' cowlicks controlled by cancer protein

What does Brad Pitt have in common with a fruit fly? His Hollywood hairstyles cover a prominent cowlick -- the swirl of hair that that is caused by a patterning mechanism also active in our two-winged friends -- that similarly feature 'polarized' hair patterns.

Using frog foam to deliver antibiotics

Scientists have shown that the foam made by Trinidadian frogs represents a new, non-toxic antibiotic delivery system that may help to prevent infections. Researchers have been analysing the frog foam, showing that it is highly stable and capable of taking up drugs before releasing them at a stable rate.

In the wilds of the Local Group, a lonely galaxy stays set apart

This scene, captured by ESO's OmegaCAM on the VLT Survey Telescope, shows a lonely galaxy known as Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte, or WLM for short. Although considered part of our Local Group of dozens of galaxies, WLM stands alone at the group's outer edges as one of its most remote members. In fact, the galaxy is so small and secluded that it may never have interacted with any other Local Group galaxy -- or perhaps even any other galaxy in the history of the Universe.

Astronomers report most 'outrageously' luminous galaxies ever observed

Astronomers report that they have observed the most luminous galaxies ever seen in the Universe, objects so bright that established descriptors such as 'ultra-' and 'hyper-luminous' used to describe previously brightest known galaxies don't even come close. The lead author says, 'We've taken to calling them 'outrageously luminous' among ourselves, because there is no scientific term to apply.'

Printing nanomaterials with plasma

Printing has come a long way since the days of Johannes Gutenberg. Now, researchers have developed a new method that uses plasma to print nanomaterials onto a 3-D object or flexible surface, such as paper or cloth. The technique could make it easier and cheaper to build devices like wearable chemical and biological sensors, flexible memory devices and batteries, and integrated circuits.

Single bacteria grows 60 percent better on the International Space Station than on Earth

Researchers grew microbes collected from sports teams, historical monuments, museums, spacecraft, and schools and sent them to the International Space Station (ISS) for growth in space. While most of the microbes looked similar on Earth and in space, one type of bacteria actually grew much better in space.

More ancient viruses lurk in our DNA than we thought

Think your DNA is all human? Think again. And a new discovery suggests it’s even less human than scientists previously thought. Nineteen new pieces of non-human DNA -- left by viruses that first infected our ancestors hundreds of thousands of years ago -- have just been found, lurking between our own genes.

City birds are smarter than country birds

Birds living in urban environments are smarter than birds from rural environments. But, why do city birds have the edge over their country friends? They adapted to their urban environments enabling them to exploit new resources more favorably then their rural counterparts.

Seeing isn't required to gesture like a native speaker

People the world over gesture when they talk, and they tend to gesture in certain ways depending on the language they speak. Findings from a new study including blind and sighted participants suggest that these gestural variations do not emerge from watching other speakers make the gestures, but from learning the language itself.

Morphing metal shapes future of soft robotics

Engineers have created a hybrid material featuring stiff metal and soft, porous rubber foam that combines the best properties of both -- stiffness when it's called for, and elasticity when a change of shape is required. The material also has the ability to self-heal following damage.

Narcissistic artists sell more art, for more money

The pricing of artwork is often left up to the experts, but are they being swayed by unconscious signals the artists may be giving in the presentation of their work? A new study finds narcissism is positively associated with market performance of artworks, and contradicts previous research that concludes narcissism is short term and transient.

Engineering student’s late night caffeine craving inspires travel mug that brews its own coffee

When Joseph Hyman ‘11, mechanical engineering, was a student at UMBC, he was sitting in the library craving a fresh, hot cup of coffee, when an idea struck him: Wouldn’t it be great if a travel mug could brew its own coffee?

First successful extraction of ancient DNA from a southern African mummy

Researchers have presented one of the first CT scans of a mummified individual from southern Africa, and also completed the first successful ancient DNA extraction from such remains.

Most eccentric planet ever known flashes astronomers with reflected light

A team of astronomers has spotted an extrasolar planet that boasts the most eccentric orbit ever seen. The planet moves in a flattened ellipse, traveling a long path far from its star and then making a fast slingshot around the star at its closest approach. Researchers detected a 'flash' of starlight bouncing off the planet's atmosphere as it made its closest orbital approach to its star.

Out for blood: Fluid dynamics explain how quickly a vampire could drain your blood

Throughout human history there have been tales of vampires -- bloodsucking creatures of folklore that prey on their victims by draining their life essence, usually via the blood. To coincide with the 85th anniversary of Tod Browning's 'Dracula' (1931), students have used fluid dynamics to examine how long it would take for the undead fiend to drain an average human's blood -- and have calculated that it would take only 6.4 minutes to drain 15 per cent of the blood from the external carotid artery in a human's neck.

The linguistics of signifying time: The human gesture as clock

A new scientific study documenting the linguistic practices of the Northwestern Amazonian peoples uncovers an unusual method of communicating the human concept of time.

Could bread mold build a better rechargeable battery?

You probably don't think much of fungi, and especially those that turn bread moldy, but researchers have evidence that might just change your mind. Their findings suggest that a red bread mold could be the key to producing more sustainable electrochemical materials for use in rechargeable batteries.

Communicating vehicles could ease through intersections more efficiently, study finds

Imagine a scenario where sensor-laden vehicles pass through intersections by communicating with each other, rather than grinding to a halt at traffic lights. A newly published study claims this kind of traffic-light-free transportation design, if it ever arrives, could allow twice as much traffic to use the roads.

Could Ireland’s ecosystems cope if we introduced St. Patrick’s scaly foes?

The legend of St. Patrick banishing snakes from the emerald isle some 1,500 years ago is indelibly etched in folklore -- even if science suggests snakes were unlikely to have colonized the country following the last ice age. But what would happen if St. Patrick's scaly foes were introduced now? Experts believe snakes could certainly slither into Ireland's ecosystems if introduced but would likely cause trouble for native ecosystems.

A source accelerating Galactic cosmic rays to unprecedented energy discovered at the center of the Milky Way

For more than ten years the H.E.S.S. observatory in Namibia, run by an international collaboration of 42 institutions in 12 countries, has been mapping the center of our galaxy in very-high-energy gamma rays. These gamma rays are produced by cosmic rays from the innermost region of the Galaxy. A detailed analysis of the latest H.E.S.S. data reveals for the first time a source of this cosmic radiation at energies never observed before in the Milky Way: the supermassive black hole at the center of the Galaxy, likely to accelerate cosmic rays to energies 100 times larger than those achieved at the largest terrestrial particle accelerator

Hubble unveils monster stars

Astronomers using the unique ultraviolet capabilities of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have identified nine monster stars with masses over 100 times the mass of the Sun in the star cluster R136. This makes it the largest sample of very massive stars identified to date. The results raise many new questions about the formation of massive stars.

Smaller, cheaper microbial fuel cells turn urine into electricity

A new kind of fuel cell that can turn urine into electricity could revolutionize the way we produce bioenergy, particularly in developing countries. The research describes a new design of microbial fuel cell that's smaller, cheaper and more powerful than traditional ones.

Solving the mystery of the Tully Monster

The Tully Monster, an oddly configured sea creature with teeth at the end of a narrow, trunk-like extension of its head and eyes that perch on either side of a long, rigid bar, has finally been identified. A team of paleontologists has determined that the 300-million-year-old animal -- which grew to only a foot long -- was a vertebrate, with gills and a stiffened rod (or notochord) that supported its body.

This necklace hears what you eat

Researchers are developing a necklace that tracks what we eat via microphone and a mobile app.

Unexpected changes of bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres

Observations made at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile have revealed unexpected changes in the bright spots on the dwarf planet Ceres. Very careful study of its light shows not only the changes expected as Ceres rotates, but also that the spots brighten during the day and also show other variations. These observations suggest that the material of the spots is volatile and evaporates in the warm glow of sunlight.

New material could make aircraft de-icers a thing of the past

Instead of applying a deicing agent to strip ice from an aircraft's wings before winter takeoffs, airport personnel could in the future just watch chunks slide right off. Scientists report they have developed a slippery substance that is secreted from a film on the wing's surface as temperatures drop below freezing and retreats back into the film as temperatures rise.

Generating electricity with tomato waste

A team of scientists is exploring an unusual source of electricity -- damaged tomatoes that are unsuitable for sale at the grocery store. Their pilot project involves a biological-based fuel cell that uses tomato waste left over from harvests in Florida.

Astronomers see black hole raging red

Violent red flashes, lasting just fractions of a second, have been observed during one of the brightest black hole outbursts in recent years. In June 2015, a black hole called V404 Cygni underwent dramatic brightening for about two weeks, as it devoured material that it had stripped off an orbiting companion star. V404 Cygni, which is about 7,800 light years from Earth, was the first definitive black hole to be identified in our Galaxy and can appear extremely bright when it is actively devouring material. Astronomers report that the black hole emitted dazzling red flashes lasting just fractions of a second, as it blasted out material that it could not swallow.

Storks give up on winter migration in favor of junk food

Storks are giving up on winter migration in favor of junk food, new research indicates. The research shows that the birds make round-trips of almost 100km to get their fix. Storks are among a growing number of migratory species that have changed their behavior due to human influences and global environmental change. The research is the first to confirm that white storks are now resident nesting and living near landfill sites all year round.

Photosynthesis more ancient than thought, and most living things could do it

Most modern bacteria descended from ancestors who could convert the Sun's energy to fuel more than 3.5 billion years ago.

Fundamentally accurate quantum thermometer

Better thermometers might be possible as a result of a discovery, where physicists have found a way to calibrate temperature measurements by monitoring the tiny motions of a nanomechanical system that are governed by the often counterintuitive rules of quantum mechanics.

Outsourcing crystal growth...to space

Researchers have grown crystals and measured the growth rate on the ISS by interferometry to better examine the effects of microgravity.

Sharkskin actually increases drag

To clarify sharkskin's ability to reduce hydrodynamic drag (academically contested for the past 30 years), researchers recently conducted simulations on the ability of the small, tooth-like denticles that make up sharkskin to modify hydrodynamic flow with an unprecedented level of resolution. Far from easing the glide through the water, they found, the structures can actually increase drag by up to 50 percent.

Whip spiders only look terrifying

A biologist spent several weeks in dark caves in Puerto Rico inhabited by an estimated 300,000 bats -- many of which whizzed right by him -- as well as snakes, cockroaches and spiders. He was studying poorly understood whip spiders, which are related to spiders and scorpions.

Unique beak evolved with tool use in New Caledonian crow

Cornell researchers have quantified what makes the New Caledonian crow's beak different and how it got that way. Their findings were published March 9, 2016 in the journal Scientific Reports.

Smartwatches can now track your finger in mid-air using sonar

A new sonar technology developed by computer scientists and electrical engineers allows you to interact with mobile devices and smartwatch screens by writing or gesturing on any nearby surface -- a tabletop, a sheet of paper or even in mid-air.

Female frogs identify own offspring using inner GPS

The ability to recognize own offspring and provide preferential care is difficult for the poison frog Allobates femoralis. According to a new study male and female frogs have different strategies for offspring discrimination. Females remember the exact location where they laid their eggs and exhibit preferential behavior toward their own clutches. Males assume that all offspring in their territory are their own.

Development of a wall-climbing drone

A new wall-climbing drone can approach any type of structure by flying and sticking to the target and utitlizing a pose change and perching mechanism.

'Fairy circles' discovered in Australia

The circular, barren patches of land, forming a highly regular pattern over the dry grassland of Namibia, were thought to be the only ones of their kind anywhere in the world. But a new study shows that they are not. Researchers have now discovered the baffling structures in the uninhabited Australian outback too. Investigations carried out there have also provided new evidence that these fairy circles result from the way plants organize themselves in response to water shortage.

Pigeon foot feather genes identified

Scientists identified two genes that make some pigeon breeds develop feathered feet known as muffs, while others have scaled feet. The same or similar genes might explain scaled feet in chickens and other birds, and provide insight into how some dinosaurs got feathers before they evolved into birds.

Bacteria-powered microrobots navigate with help from new algorithm

Engineers have recently published research on a method for using electric fields to help tiny bio-robots propelled by flagellated bacteria navigate around obstacles in a fluid environment. These microrobots could one day be used for building microscopic devices or even delivering medication at the cellular level.

DNA 'origami' could help build faster, cheaper computer chips

Electronics manufacturers constantly hunt for ways to make faster, cheaper computer chips, often by cutting production costs or by shrinking component sizes. Now, researchers report that DNA, the genetic material of life, might help accomplish this goal when it is formed into specific shapes through a process reminiscent of the ancient art of paper folding.

Nanomotors could help electronics fix themselves

As electronics grow ever more intricate, so must the tools required to fix them. Anticipating this challenge, scientists turned to the body's immune system for inspiration and have now built self-propelled nanomotors that can seek out and repair tiny scratches to electronic systems. They could one day lead to flexible batteries, electrodes, solar cells and other gadgets that heal themselves.

Light illuminates the way for bio-bots

A new class of miniature biological robots, or bio-bots, has seen the light -- and is following where the light shines. The bio-bots are powered by muscle cells that have been genetically engineered to respond to light, giving researchers control over the bots' motion, a key step toward their use in applications for health, sensing and the environment.

You are what your parents ate!

Scientists have shown that diet-induced obesity and diabetes can be epigenetically inherited by the offspring via both the oocytes and the sperm.

Tunable windows for privacy, camouflage

Researchers have developed a technique that can quickly change the opacity of a window, turning it cloudy, clear or somewhere in between with the flick of a switch.

More than bugs: Spiders also like an occasional vegetarian meal

Spiders are known to be the classic example of insectivorous predators. Zoologists have now been able to show that their diet is more diverse than expected. Their findings show that spiders like to spice up their menu with the occasional vegetarian meal.

Could wearable technology give ‘super powers’ to humans?

More than just a fad, wearable technology (WT) can change the way we work and give us ‘super powers’ – according to a new study.

Foldable material that can change size, volume and shape

A new type of foldable material has been designed that is versatile, tunable and self actuated. It can change size, volume and shape; it can fold flat to withstand the weight of an elephant without breaking, and pop right back up to prepare for the next task.

'Sticky waves: ' molecular interactions at the nanoscale

Like the gravitational forces that are responsible for the attraction between the Earth and the moon as well as the dynamics of the entire solar system, there exist attractive forces between objects at the nanoscale. These are the so-called van der Waals forces, which are ubiquitous in nature and thought to play a crucial role in determining the structure, stability and function of a wide variety of systems throughout the fields of biology, chemistry, physics and materials science.

Down the rabbit hole: How electrons travel through exotic new material

Researchers have observed a bizarre behavior in a strange new crystal that could hold the key for future electronic technologies. Unlike most materials in which electrons travel on the surface, in these new materials the electrons sink into the depths of the crystal through special conductive channels.

Algorithm allows a computer to create a vacation highlight video

Researchers have unveiled a novel video-editing solution this week that automatically sorts and edits untouched footage into the most picturesque highlights for a vacation reel that could fill anyone with envy.

Mysterious infrared light from space resolved perfectly

Astronomers have detected the faintest millimeter-wave source ever observed. By accumulating millimeter-waves from faint objects throughout the Universe, the team finally determined that such objects are 100 percent responsible for the enigmatic infrared background light filling the Universe. By examining optical and infrared images, the team found that 60 percent of them are faint galaxies, whereas the rest have no corresponding objects and their nature is still unknown.

Real-life 'aliens' extremely efficient at turning their hosts into new parasites

The way parasitoid wasps feed may be gruesome, but it is an extremely efficient way to exploit prey, research has found.

Brain activity of nematodes seeking food offers new view on sleep

If you have trouble sleeping, the neurons in your brain may be firing like those in roundworms randomly seeking food in the absence of clues, says a biologist.

Inside the mouth of a hydra: Hydra rips its own skin apart just to open its mouth

Hydra is a genus of tiny freshwater animals that catch and sting prey using a ring of tentacles. But before a hydra can eat, it has to rip its own skin apart just to open its mouth. Scientists now illustrate the biomechanics of this process for the first time and find that a hydra's cells stretch to split apart in a dramatic deformation.

Dinosaur-like lower leg created on bird through molecular experiment

Any one that has eaten roasted chicken can account for the presence in the drumstick (lower leg) of a long, spine-like bone. This is actually the fibula, one of the two long bones of the lower leg (the outer one). In dinosaurs, which are the ancestors of birds, this bone is tube-shaped and reaches all the way down to the ankle. Researchers have found that when a maturation gene called Indian Hedgehog was inhibited, this resulted in chickens that kept a tubular fibula as long as the tibia and connected to the ankle, just like a dinosaur.

Want to avoid a cold? Try a tattoo or twenty, says researcher

There’s no known cure for the common cold, but receiving multiple tattoos can strengthen your immunological responses, potentially making you heartier in fighting off common infections, according to research. However, receiving a single tattoo can, at least temporarily, lower your resistance.

Evolutionary leap from fins to legs was surprisingly simple

New research reveals that the limbs of the earliest four-legged vertebrates, dating back more than 360 million years ago, were no more structurally diverse than the fins of their aquatic ancestors.

First tomatoes, peas harvested on Mars, moon soil simulant

The second experiment on how to grow crops on Mars and moon soil simulant have given a surprising outcome. As a result of what the researchers in the Netherlands learned from their first experiments, they were able to grow ten different crop species. Tomatoes, peas, rye, garden rocket, radish and garden cress were harvested.

Collective memory in bacteria

Individual bacterial cells have short memories. But groups of bacteria can develop a collective memory that can increase their tolerance to stress. This has been demonstrated experimentally for the first time.

'Person-on-a-chip': Engineers grow 3-D heart, liver tissues for better drug testing

Researchers have developed a new way of growing realistic human tissues outside the body. Their 'person-on-a-chip' technology, called AngioChip, is a powerful platform for discovering and testing new drugs, and could eventually be used to repair or replace damaged organs.

The expansion of the Universe simulated

The universe is constantly expanding. But how does our universe evolve? Physicists have now developed a new code of numerical simulations that offers a glimpse of the complex process of the formation of structures in the universe. Based on Einstein's equations, they were able to integrate the rotation of space-time into their calculations and calculate the amplitude of gravitational waves.

Mercury's mysterious 'darkness' revealed

Scientists have long been puzzled by Mercury's very dark surface. Previously, scientists proposed that the darkness came from carbon accumulated by comet impacts. Now scientists confirm that carbon is present at Mercury's surface, but that it most likely originated deep below the surface, in the form of a now-disrupted and buried ancient graphite-rich crust, which was later brought to the surface via impacts after most of the current crust formed.

Eengineers develop flexible skin that traps radar waves, cloaks objects

Engineers have developed a 'meta-skin' that uses liquid-metal technology to trap radar waves and cloak objects from detection. By stretching the flexible meta-skin, the device can be tuned to reduce the reflection of a wide range of radar frequencies.

AI crossword-solving application could make machines better at understanding language

A web-based machine language system solves crossword puzzles far better than commercially-available products, and may help machines better understand language.

When the radio squeaks, an extraterrestrial particle enters the earthly atmosphere (and tells us where it comes from)

LOFAR, the big international radio telescope, can now be used as a particle detector. Astronomers made a new model to determine the type and cosmic source of incoming cocmic particles.

Brain tune-up may aid self-motivation

Volition powers us through innumerable daily tasks. Could we lead healthier, more productive lives if we could learn to control the parts of our brain most essential to volition? A new spin on a technique called 'neurofeedback' has allowed scientists to take the first step in understanding how to manipulate neurotransmitter circuits involved in volition using thoughts and imagery. The methods may one day inform the treatment of depression or ADHD.

Asymmetry of an emotion

Though probably not at the top of the concerns of people affected by facial hemiparalysis, it’s nonetheless a problem that should not be overlooked. Facial hemiparalysis not only makes it impossible to produce expressions, it also impairs the perception of expressions on other people’s faces. A new study shows that this difficulty is probably related to an impairment of facial mimicry, a mechanism that helps us understand the emotions of others.

Quantum computer factors numbers, could be scaled up

Researchers report that they have designed and built a quantum computer from five atoms in an ion trap. The computer uses laser pulses to carry out Shor's algorithm on each atom, to correctly factor the number 15. The system is designed in such a way that more atoms and lasers can be added to build a bigger and faster quantum computer, able to factor much larger numbers.

Superman can start worrying: We've got the formula for (almost) kryptonite

Theoretical chemists have found how to synthesize the first binary compound of krypton and oxygen: a krypton oxide. It turns out that this exotic substance can be produced under extremely high pressure, and its production is quite within the capabilities of today's laboratories.