Flipper Forms Follow Function in Sea Creatures

 Posted on January 11, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  253 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

The flippers of cetaceans — dolphins, porpoises, and whales — come in different forms to fit the swimming needs of each species. But how, exactly, do the limbs perform in the water? To find out, Paul W. Weber, his graduate advisor Laurens E. Howle of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and two colleagues conducted the first-ever comparative hydrodynamic analysis of cetacean flippers. The team made CT scans of the flippers of seven of the smaller species, taken from dead, stranded animals or museum collections, then made three-dimensional scale models based on the scans. [Read More]

Historian Collects 'Forgotten' Relics from One of the Most Poignant Symbols of the Cold War

 Posted on January 11, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  993 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Rusting rolls of barbed wire, a dismantled watchtower, parts of a movable military gate … these historic relics of the Berlin Wall may not look like much at first glance, but they represent a city split for almost 30 years by a deadly physical barrier that reflected the deep ideological divisions of the Cold War. Now, a German historian is collecting these Berlin Wall artifacts, before the structure they came from fades from living memory. [Read More]

How the Galapagos Islands Changed the World

 Posted on January 11, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  616 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

Each Monday, this column turns a page in history to explore the discoveries, events and people that continue to affect the history being made today. Boobies and lava gulls and giant tortoises, oh my! The Galapagos Islands host a faunal freak show of rare animal species endemic only to those volcanic specks isolated in the Pacific Ocean. While still very interesting to ecologists today, in the 19th century the life there proved key in Charles Darwin's seminal study on the evolution of species. [Read More]

Keeping Your TV on at Night May Lead to Weight Gain

 Posted on January 11, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  830 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Exposure to light at night — from the glare of a bedroom TV or a street light through a window — may do more than disrupt sleep; it may increase the risk of weight gain and obesity in women, a new study suggests. The study researchers found that women who reported exposure to light at night while sleeping were more likely to gain weight and become obese over nearly six years, compared with women who were not exposed to light at night. [Read More]

Laser surgery: Cosmetic and life-saving procedures

 Posted on January 11, 2023  |  6 minutes  |  1267 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Laser surgery involves the use of a laser (which stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) for a range of medical and cosmetic procedures. A laser is a source of light which can be used for a variety of applications in surgery.  Light from lasers differs from that which you encounter in everyday life. Naturally occurring light from the sun, or artificial light from a lightbulb, emits a range of wavelengths of light, travelling in many different directions. [Read More]

Older Adults Who Binge Drink Don't Live as Long

 Posted on January 11, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  589 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Older adults who binge drink at least once a month may be setting themselves up for an earlier grave, a new study suggests. Researchers found that men and women in their mid-50s to mid-60s who engaged in binge drinking — even when their total number of weekly drinks was considered moderate — had an increased risk of dying over a 20-year period compared with regular, moderate drinkers. "This is one of the first studies to focus explicitly on an older population in examining binge drinking among, on average, moderate drinkers," [Read More]

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Quadricopter: A Drone Anyone Can Fly

 Posted on January 11, 2023  |  7 minutes  |  1408 words  |  Patria Henriques

Hobbyists launched the era of personal drones decades ago with radio-controlled model airplanes. More recently, drones have become synonymous with covert military operations and sneaky law-enforcement activity. But now the era of drones has come home, and the flying machines are better than ever. There are several interesting drones available to consumers now. Some are little more than indoor toys. Among the most popular and capable drone for outdoor use is the Parrot AR. [Read More]

Quantum Experiment Helps Prove Einstein's Theory of Relativity

 Posted on January 11, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  777 words  |  Patria Henriques

Building a quantum computer can sometimes yield unexpected benefits — like providing the right environment to demonstrate that Albert Einstein's theory of special relativity is, in fact, correct. Using atoms in certain quantum states, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, were able to show that space does not appear squeezed in one direction compared to another, as it would if relativity were not correct. Rather, space looks the same from any direction, as relativity predicts. [Read More]

Scientists Discover 4 Distinct Patterns of Aging

 Posted on January 11, 2023  |  6 minutes  |  1070 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

Some people's hearts stay strong well into their 60s, but their kidneys begin to fail. Others may have the kidneys of a 30-year-old but fall victim to constant infection.  Now, scientists may be one step closer to understanding why the aging process varies so drastically between people.  Even within a single person, aging unfolds at different rates in different tissues, sometimes striking the liver before the heart or kidney, for example. [Read More]

Who's a Blue Boy? Indian Dogs Tinted by Polluted River

 Posted on January 11, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  218 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Dogs of a different color have been spotted roaming the streets of Navi Mumbai in India, according to news reports. At least five bright blue dogs have been seen in the industrial area of the city, and a polluted river may be to blame, the Hindustan Times reported on Aug. 12. Stray dogs often wade into the Kasadi River in search of food, but thanks to the industrial waste that's been released into the water, the dogs emerged with a Smurf-like dye job in addition to any scraps they could fish out. [Read More]