Science News
Cats May Have Been On Road To Domestication In Chinese Farming Villages 5,300 Years Ago
IBTimes - 16 Dec 2013 23:54
When you think about the history of humans and cats, you probably conjure up thoughts of Egyptian pharaohs and their pampered pets. But now researchers think that cats might have been taking the first steps toward domest...
How Do Solar Panels Work?
Live Science - 16 Dec 2013 23:54
Touted as a promising alternative energy source for decades, solar panels crown rooftops and roadside signs, and help keep spacecraft powered. But how do solar panels work?
Diabetes Drug Won't Help Obese Kids Keep Off Weight
Live Science - 16 Dec 2013 23:16
Some doctors have used the diabetes drug metformin to treat obesity in children, even if they don't have diabetes, but a new study suggests that the drug may not help non-diabetic kids and teens lose weight over the long...
Meet The People Who Want To Print A Home In A Day
Popular Science - 16 Dec 2013 22:53
Home In A Day wikihouse.cc On a cold, gray day in central London, Alastair Parvin is staring at a coffeepot, or what used to be one before he took it apart to clean it. The appliance lies strewn across an office table, a...
How household dogs protect against asthma and infection
Science Daily - 16 Dec 2013 22:50
Children's risk for developing allergies and asthma is reduced when they are exposed in early infancy to a dog in the household, and now researchers have discovered a reason why.
Do patients in a vegetative state recognize loved ones?
Science Daily - 16 Dec 2013 22:50
Patients in a vegetative state do not respond to what is happening around them and exhibit no signs of conscious awareness. Now research has shown that the brains of patients in a vegetative state emotionally react to ph...
Bedtime for toddlers: Timing is everything
Science Daily - 16 Dec 2013 22:50
The bedtime you select for your toddler may be out of sync with his or her internal body clock, which can contribute to difficulties for youngsters attempting to settle in for the night, according to a new study.
Spurred by food allergies, two esophagus conditions stump doctors
Science Daily - 16 Dec 2013 22:50
Researchers found that two on-the-rise esophagus conditions are so similar that even a biopsy is not enough to distinguish one disease from the other.
Retinoblastoma dysfunction promotes pancreatic cancer cell growth, study shows
Science Daily - 16 Dec 2013 22:49
Cancer researchers have discovered that a protein that normally suppresses tumors actually promotes the growth and spread of pancreatic cancer.
Arctic Sea Ice 50% Thicker Than Last Year, Scientists 'Didn't Expect' Growth In Wake Of 2012 Shrinkage
IBTimes - 16 Dec 2013 22:44
The dominant narrative in any climate change discussion is often the shrinking of the polar ice caps. According to this account, polar ice will disappear in the next few decades, leaving polar bears scrambling for the fe...
'Dog Dust' May Combat Allergies and Asthma
Live Science - 16 Dec 2013 22:36
Exposure to "dog dust," or the dried flakes of skin that fall from Fido, may protect against developing allergies and asthma in later life by altering intestinal bacteria, a new study in mice suggests.
What Is Kosher Salt?
Live Science - 16 Dec 2013 22:31
Named for its use in the process of koshering (or removing blood from meat) in accordance with Jewish dietary laws, kosher salt has a large grain size and lower sodium content per tablespoon than most common table salts.
Free-Flowing Water On Mars? Seasonal 'Oases' Are Enticing But Dangerous Locations For Research [VIDEO]
IBTimes - 16 Dec 2013 22:30
Researchers have discovered what appears to be flowing water near the equator of Mars. The water may flow during certain seasons and while it may be tempting to immediately launch a research mission to these locations, t...
A Better Way to Find Your New Favorite Subreddit, With Science
Physics Buzz - 16 Dec 2013 22:23
Reddit's front page of cat pictures and memes belies its diverse underbelly of subreddits -- hundreds of thousands of link-sharing sites within the larger site that cater to interests ranging from movies to My Little Pon...
Ancient 'Snowball Earth' Possibly Triggered by Rock Weathering
Live Science - 16 Dec 2013 22:16
An ancient "Snowball Earth" episode in which much of the globe was covered in ice could have been triggered by the weathering of volcanic rocks, which took heat-trapping carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
Biggest Spider Fossil Now Has a Mate -- But It's Complicated
Live Science - 16 Dec 2013 22:15
Scientists now have a male to match the largest female spider fossil ever found, but the discovery complicates the original interpretation of the species.
Neanderthals May Have Intentionally Buried Their Dead
Live Science - 16 Dec 2013 22:07China Cat? Ancient Chinese May Have Domesticated Felines
Live Science - 16 Dec 2013 22:06
Cats lived amongst Chinese villagers 5,300 years ago, new research finds. The kitties may or may not have been domesticated, but likely helped village farmers keep rodents out of their grain stores.
Human Hand Fossil Turns Back Clock 500,000 Years on Complex Tool Use
Live Science - 16 Dec 2013 22:04
The discovery of a 1.4-million-year-old hand-bone fossil reveals that the modern human ability to make and use complex tools may have originated far earlier than scientists previously thought, researchers say.
Megafloods May Have Carved Canyons on Earth & Mars
Live Science - 16 Dec 2013 22:03
A megaflood may have washed across what is now Idaho nearly 50,000 years ago, carving a gorge like those seen on Mars -- a discovery that could shed light on ancient geological processes on both planets.
In Photos: Neanderthal Burials Uncovered
Live Science - 16 Dec 2013 22:01
Are modern humans the only species that has ever created graves, tombs and cemeteries? New research suggests the answer is no: Neanderthals also may have intentionally buried their dead.
Math Surprise: Remote Islanders Invented Binary Number System
Live Science - 16 Dec 2013 22:00
A remote Polynesian island apparently invented a mixed binary numeral system centuries before mathematician Leibniz, in order to facilitate quick mental math to distribute goods in their trading system.