ScienceDaily: Top Science News

---

• Brain size may determine whether you are good at keeping friends
• Laser hints at how universe got its magnetism
• Getting the dirt on immunity: Scientists show evidence for hygiene hypothesis
• Brown liquor and solar cells to provide sustainable electricity
• A new shortcut for stem cell programming
• Why spring is blooming marvelous: Switch that accelerates flowering time discovered
• Microbiologists can now measure extremely slow life, deep ocean study shows

Brain size may determine whether you are good at keeping friends Posted: 24 Mar 2012 11:55 AM PDT Researchers are suggesting that there is a link between the number of friends you have and the size of the region of the brain -- known as the orbital prefrontal cortex -- that is found just above the eyes. A new study shows that this brain region is bigger in people who have a larger number of friendships.

Laser hints at how universe got its magnetism Posted: 24 Mar 2012 11:49 AM PDT Scientists have used a laser to create magnetic fields similar to those thought to be involved in the formation of the first galaxies; findings that could help to solve the riddle of how the universe got its magnetism.

Getting the dirt on immunity: Scientists show evidence for hygiene hypothesis Posted: 22 Mar 2012 11:21 AM PDT Medical professionals have suggested that the hygiene hypothesis explains the global increase of allergic and autoimmune diseases in urban settings. However, neither biologic support nor a mechanistic basis for the hypothesis has been directly demonstrated. Until now.

Brown liquor and solar cells to provide sustainable electricity Posted: 22 Mar 2012 11:21 AM PDT A breakthrough for inexpensive electricity from solar cells, and a massive investment in wind power, will mean a need to store energy in an intelligent way. According to new research batteries of biological waste products from pulp mills could provide the solution.

A new shortcut for stem cell programming Posted: 22 Mar 2012 10:15 AM PDT Scientists have succeeded in directly generating brain stem cells from the connective tissue cells of mice.

Why spring is blooming marvelous: Switch that accelerates flowering time discovered Posted: 21 Mar 2012 11:30 AM PDT With buds bursting early, only for a mild winter to turn Arctic and wipe them out, we are witnessing how warm weather can trigger flowering, even out of season, and how important it is for plants to blossom at the right time of year. Scientists have now identified the switch that accelerates flowering time in response to temperature.

Microbiologists can now measure extremely slow life, deep ocean study shows Posted: 19 Mar 2012 08:17 AM PDT Microbiologists have developed a new method for measuring the very slow metabolism of bacteria deep down in the seabed. The results can provide knowledge about the global carbon cycle and its long-term impact on the climate.

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