The Best Approach for Avoiding Zombies
Posted on October 26, 2022
| 2 minutes
| 385 words
| Trudie Dory
WASHINGTON -- When Woody Harrelson escapes the living dead in "Zombieland", a new movie opening this Friday, should he head for the hills or the mall? A recently published research paper suggests that he's probably better off hiding in the mall to save his delicious brain.
The world is full of things that move in zombie-like fashion, such as particles flowing through a turbulent fluid or the unpredictable price changes of the stock market, so physicists seek insight into this behavior by creating so called "
[Read More]4 Tips for Kicking Your Soda Habit
Posted on October 25, 2022
| 3 minutes
| 544 words
| Patria Henriques
I have a dear friend who is battling an addiction — a soda addiction. I've spent entire days with her and have seen her drink nothing but diet colas all day. For years, I've warned her of the dangers of soda, but she never took it seriously. That is, until I told her about a recent study that indicates that her soda consumption might be the reason she's holding onto those five extra pounds.
[Read More]Are Preterm Babies Trying to Escape Mom's 'Hostile' Womb?
Posted on October 25, 2022
| 3 minutes
| 621 words
| Arica Deslauriers
In a scenario ripe for a sci-fi plot, an alien-looking fetus is jolted awake only to find out it's been floating in a dark sac with a continuously pumping tube of blood as its only lifeline. Alarms go off, and the fetus' immune system sends out all its troops to fight off this foreign entity and escape.
This strange-sounding scenario may seem far-fetched, but it could be similar to what happens when a baby is born too soon.
[Read More]Brain-Infecting 'Rat Lungworm' Spreads in Florida
Posted on October 25, 2022
| 3 minutes
| 622 words
| Patria Henriques
A parasitic worm that can infect people's brains has been found throughout Florida, according to a new study.
The researchers found the parasite, called rat lungworm, living in rats and snails in five Florida counties in both the central and northern parts of the state. Rat lungworm was previously found in southern Florida, and the new study is one of the first to show the extent of the parasite's spread across the state.
[Read More]Funky Protein in Platypus Milk Could Beat Antibiotic Resistance
Posted on October 25, 2022
| 2 minutes
| 284 words
| Trudie Dory
The milk of the platypus may contain a protein that can fight drug-resistant bacteria.
Now, a new analysis of that protein reveals that its shape is as bizarre as the shape of the animal that excreted it. The protein has a never-before-seen protein fold, now dubbed the "Shirley Temple" thanks to its ringlet-like structure, according to researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and Deakin University in Australia.
[Read More]Hidden Gravitational Wave Signal Reveals that Black Holes Are 'Bald'
Posted on October 25, 2022
| 6 minutes
| 1132 words
| Arica Deslauriers
Back in 2017, a gravitational wave rang across Earth like the clear tone of a bell. It stretched and squished every person, ant and scientific instrument on the planet as it passed through our region of space. Now, researchers have gone back and studied that wave, and found hidden data in it — data that help confirm a decades-old astrophysics idea.
That 2017 wave was a big deal: For the first time, astronomers had a tool that could detect and record it as it passed, known as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).
[Read More]Incredible Technology: How to Bring Extinct Animals Back to Life
Posted on October 25, 2022
| 5 minutes
| 938 words
| Trudie Dory
Editor's Note: In this weekly series, LiveScience explores how technology drives scientific exploration and discovery. The passenger pigeon, the dodo and the woolly mammoth are just a few of the species wiped off the Earth by changing environments and human activities.
Now, advances in biotechnology could enable scientists to bring extinct animals back from the grave. But critics argue the practice would only hinder conservation efforts, by resurrecting creatures that could not survive in the wild.
[Read More]Modern Problem: Everyone's an Expert
Posted on October 25, 2022
| 4 minutes
| 701 words
| Fernande Dalal
Modern society depends on experts, or people with specialized skills and experience in certain areas. But scientists have found a growing number of people challenging their expertise, even on issues where strong scientific agreement exists.
For instance, parents and child advocates have continued to argue that some vaccines may cause childhood autism -- despite overwhelming medical evidence showing no link. That has led to cases where unvaccinated children unwittingly caused outbreaks of diseases that had largely disappeared from modern life.
[Read More]Small Claims: Big Debate Over Tiniest Creature Title
Posted on October 25, 2022
| 5 minutes
| 966 words
| Patria Henriques
Sitting end to end, two recently discovered frogs couldn't straddle a dime. Still, one scientist contends these diminutive creatures aren't record setting. Instead, he champions a tiny male fish for the title of smallest vertebrate, or animal with a backbone.
The contenders: A tropical frog Paedophryne amanuensis, which averages just 0.30 inches (7.7 millimeters) long, was given the "smallest vertebrate" title this week when news broke of its discovery Wednesday (Jan.
[Read More]The Twisted Physics of 5 Olympic Sports
Posted on October 25, 2022
| 5 minutes
| 999 words
| Arica Deslauriers
With the 2012 Summer Olympics well under way in London, the eyes of the world are watching the extreme athleticism exhibited by the competitors. But in addition to sports skills, the Olympians competing this year can be considered practical physicists, as well.
After all, to win a swim race by fractions of a second, or spin around four times after bouncing off a vault, the ability to harness physics principles such as angular momentum and hydrodynamics is as important as muscle memory and strength.
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