ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Miranda: An icy moon deformed by tidal heating
• Pupil size shows reliability of decisions, before information on decision is presented
• How epigenetic memory is passed through generations: Sperm and eggs transmit memory of gene repression to embryos
• Scientists discover 'dimmer switch' for mood disorders
• Gambling with confidence: Are you sure about that?
• 'Honeybee' robots replicate swarm behavior
• Dogs can be pessimists, too
• 'Lost chapel' skeletons found holding hands after 700 years
• 'Office life' of bacteria may be their weak spot
• Plant-based battery: Testing and improving with help of neutrons, simulation

Miranda: An icy moon deformed by tidal heating Posted: 18 Sep 2014 01:22 PM PDT Miranda, a small, icy moon of Uranus, is one of the most visually striking and enigmatic bodies in the solar system. Despite its relatively small size, Miranda appears to have experienced an episode of intense resurfacing that resulted in the formation of at least three remarkable and unique surface features -- polygonal-shaped regions called coronae.

Pupil size shows reliability of decisions, before information on decision is presented Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:15 AM PDT The precision with which people make decisions can be predicted by measuring pupil size before they are presented with any information about the decision, according to a new study.

How epigenetic memory is passed through generations: Sperm and eggs transmit memory of gene repression to embryos Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:14 AM PDT A growing body of evidence suggests that environmental stresses can cause changes in gene expression that are transmitted from parents to their offspring, making 'epigenetics' a hot topic. Epigenetic modifications do not affect the DNA sequence of genes, but change how the DNA is packaged and how genes are expressed. Now, scientists have shown how epigenetic memory can be passed across generations and from cell to cell during development.

Scientists discover 'dimmer switch' for mood disorders Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:11 AM PDT Researchers have identified a control mechanism for an area of the brain that processes sensory and emotive information that humans experience as "disappointment." The discovery may provide be a neurochemical antidote for feeling let-down.

Gambling with confidence: Are you sure about that? Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:14 AM PDT Confidence determines much of our path through life, but what is it? Most people would describe it as an emotion or a feeling. In contrast, scientists have found that confidence is actually a measurable quantity, and not reserved just for humans. The team has identified a brain region in rats whose function is required to for the animals to express confidence in their decisions.

'Honeybee' robots replicate swarm behavior Posted: 18 Sep 2014 08:11 AM PDT Computer scientists have created a low-cost, autonomous micro-robot which in large numbers can replicate the behavior of swarming honeybees.

Dogs can be pessimists, too Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:16 AM PDT Dogs generally seem to be cheerful, happy-go-lucky characters, so you might expect that most would have an optimistic outlook on life. In fact some dogs are distinctly more pessimistic than others, new research shows.

'Lost chapel' skeletons found holding hands after 700 years Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:12 AM PDT Archaeologists have uncovered a trove of relics and remains at Chapel of St Morrell in Leicestershire. Some relationships last a lifetime -- and archaeologists have discovered that they can last even longer after unearthing two skeletons at a lost chapel in Leicestershire that have been holding hands for 700 years.

'Office life' of bacteria may be their weak spot Posted: 17 Sep 2014 06:19 PM PDT We may be able to drown deadly bacteria in their own paperwork, scientists suggest. For the first time, researchers have shown how the "paper shredder" that keeps the bacteria E. coli on top of its day job works. Now the group is looking for ways to jam the mechanism and leave E. coli and similar bacteria in filing hell. Dr Kenneth McDowall, Associate Professor in Molecular Microbiology, who led the research, said: "If we block the 'shredder' using genetics in the lab, the bacteria drown in a flood of messages. The challenge now is to block it with drugs so that bacterial infections in humans can be killed. Our latest results give us a good idea how this can be done."

Plant-based battery: Testing and improving with help of neutrons, simulation Posted: 17 Sep 2014 09:05 AM PDT Lignin, a low-cost byproduct of the pulp, paper and biofuels industries, could be transformed into a cheaper version of highly engineered graphite through a simple and industrially scalable manufacturing process.

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