ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

---

• Birdlike fossil challenges notion that birds evolved from ground-dwelling dinosaurs
• First snapshots of water splitting in photosynthesis
• Study cracks how brain processes emotions
• Ancient arachnid brought 'back to life': Video recreates 410-million-year-old animal walking
• Friction from tides could help distant Earth-sized planets survive, and thrive
• Planet Mercury a result of early hit-and-run collisions
• Solar energy gets a boost: 'Singlet fission' can increase solar cell efficiency by as much as 30 percent
• Astronomers bring the third dimension to a doomed star's outburst
• Record levels of solar ultraviolet on Earth's surface measured in South America
• Same genes drive mathematics and reading ability
• Working memory is key to early academic achievement
• Mystery of the printed diode solved
• Less exercise, not more calories, responsible for expanding waistlines
• Biochemical cascade causes bone marrow inflammation, leading to serious blood disorders

Birdlike fossil challenges notion that birds evolved from ground-dwelling dinosaurs Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:02 AM PDT The re-examination of a sparrow-sized fossil from China challenges the commonly held belief that birds evolved from ground-dwelling theropod dinosaurs that gained the ability to fly. The birdlike fossil is actually not a dinosaur, as previously thought, but much rather the remains of a tiny tree-climbing animal that could glide.

First snapshots of water splitting in photosynthesis Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:01 AM PDT Scientists have taken the first snapshots of photosynthesis in action as it splits water into protons, electrons and oxygen, the process that maintains Earth's oxygen atmosphere. The revealing of the mechanism of this water splitting process is essential for the development of artificial systems that mimic and surpass the efficiency of natural systems.

Study cracks how brain processes emotions Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:58 AM PDT Although feelings are personal and subjective, the human brain turns them into a standard code that objectively represents emotions across different senses, situations and even people, reports a new study. "Despite how personal our feelings feel, the evidence suggests our brains use a standard code to speak the same emotional language," one researcher concludes.

Ancient arachnid brought 'back to life': Video recreates 410-million-year-old animal walking Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:56 AM PDT Scientists have recreated the walking gait of a 410-million-year-old arachnid, one of the first predators on land, based on fossil evidence. The scientists used the fossils -- thin slices of rock showing the animal's cross-section -- to work out the range of motion in the limbs of this ancient, extinct early relative of the spiders.

Friction from tides could help distant Earth-sized planets survive, and thrive Posted: 08 Jul 2014 01:32 PM PDT As anybody who has started a campfire by rubbing sticks knows, friction generates heat. Now, computer modeling by NASA scientists shows that friction could be the key to survival for some distant Earth-sized planets traveling in dangerous orbits. The findings are consistent with observations that Earth-sized planets appear to be very common in other star systems. Although heat can be a destructive force for some planets, the right amount of friction, and therefore heat, can be helpful and perhaps create conditions for habitability.

Planet Mercury a result of early hit-and-run collisions Posted: 08 Jul 2014 12:39 PM PDT New simulations show that Mercury and other unusually metal-rich objects in the solar system may be relics left behind by hit-and-run collisions in the early solar system. The origin of planet Mercury has been a difficult question in planetary science because its composition is very different from that of the other terrestrial planets and the moon.

Solar energy gets a boost: 'Singlet fission' can increase solar cell efficiency by as much as 30 percent Posted: 08 Jul 2014 10:21 AM PDT Scientists have reviewed chemists' work on "singlet fission," a process in which a single photon generates a pair of excited states. This conversion process has the potential to boost solar cell efficiency by as much as 30 percent.

Astronomers bring the third dimension to a doomed star's outburst Posted: 08 Jul 2014 10:19 AM PDT In the middle of the 19th century, the massive binary system Eta Carinae underwent an eruption that ejected at least 10 times the sun's mass and made it the second-brightest star in the sky. Now, a team of astronomers has used extensive new observations to create the first high-resolution 3-D model of the expanding cloud produced by this outburst.

Record levels of solar ultraviolet on Earth's surface measured in South America Posted: 08 Jul 2014 10:18 AM PDT Researchers have measured the highest level of ultraviolet radiation ever recorded on Earth's surface. The extraordinary UV fluxes, observed in the Bolivian Andes only 1,500 miles from the equator, are far above those normally considered to be harmful to both terrestrial and aquatic life.

Same genes drive mathematics and reading ability Posted: 08 Jul 2014 09:17 AM PDT About half of the genes that influence how well a child can read also play a role in their mathematics ability, say scientists who led a study into the genetic basis of cognitive traits. While mathematics and reading ability are known to run in families, the complex system of genes affecting these traits is largely unknown. The finding deepens scientists' understanding of how nature and nurture interact, highlighting the important role that a child's learning environment may have on the development of reading and mathematics skills, and the complex, shared genetic basis of these cognitive traits.

Working memory is key to early academic achievement Posted: 08 Jul 2014 06:21 AM PDT Working memory in children is linked strongly to reading and academic achievement, a new study has shown. Moreover, this finding holds true regardless of socio-economic status. This suggests that children with learning difficulties might benefit from teaching methods that prevent working memory overload.

Mystery of the printed diode solved Posted: 07 Jul 2014 01:16 PM PDT A thirteen-year-long mystery that has involved a long series of researchers has finally been solved. A new article presents a diode in printed electronics that works in the GHz band, which opens up a new opportunity to send signals from a mobile phone to, for example, printed electronic labels. Energy from the radio signal is collected and used to switch the label's display. The diode being printed means that it is both cheap and simple to manufacture. Researchers have long known that the diode works, but not how and why.

Less exercise, not more calories, responsible for expanding waistlines Posted: 07 Jul 2014 10:42 AM PDT Sedentary lifestyle and not caloric intake may be to blame for increased obesity in the US, according to a new analysis. A study reveals that in the past 20 years there has been a sharp decrease in physical exercise and an increase in average body mass index (BMI), while caloric intake has remained steady. Investigators theorized that a nationwide drop in leisure-time physical activity, especially among young women, may be responsible for the upward trend in obesity rates.

Biochemical cascade causes bone marrow inflammation, leading to serious blood disorders Posted: 03 Jul 2014 01:23 PM PDT Like a line of falling dominos, a cascade of molecular events in the bone marrow produces high levels of inflammation that disrupt normal blood formation and lead to potentially deadly disorders including leukemia, a research team has reported. The discovery points the way to potential new strategies to treat the blood disorders and further illuminates the relationship between inflammation and cancer.

You are subscribed to email updates from Most Popular News -- ScienceDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610