ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Evolution of birds is result of a drastic change in how dinosaurs developed
• The special scent of age: Body odor gives away age
• Female choice key to evolutionary shift to modern family
• Potentially civilization-ending super-eruptions may have surprisingly short fuses
• Could sarcastic computers be in our future? New math model can help computers understand inference
• Nanodevice manufacturing strategy using DNA 'Building blocks'
• Tiny genetic variations led to big changes in the evolving human brain
• Tomato genome gets fully sequenced -- paves way to healthier fruits, veggies
• Stellar archeology traces Milky Way's history
• Why Earth is not an ice ball: Possible explanation for faint young sun paradox
• More atomic hydrogen gas lurks in universe: There's more star-stuff out there, but it's not dark matter
• Arctic bacteria help in the search to find life on Jupiter's moon Europa
• Cellular computers? Scientists train cells to perform boolean functions

Evolution of birds is result of a drastic change in how dinosaurs developed Posted: 30 May 2012 06:21 PM PDT Researchers have found evidence that the evolution of birds is the result of a drastic change in how dinosaurs developed. Scientists have long understood that modern birds descended from dinosaurs. Rather than take years to reach sexual maturity, as many dinosaurs did, birds sped up the clock -- some species take as little as 12 weeks to mature -- allowing them to retain the physical characteristics of baby dinosaurs.

The special scent of age: Body odor gives away age Posted: 30 May 2012 02:24 PM PDT Humans can identify the age of other humans based on differences in body odor. Much of this ability is based on the capacity to identify odors of elderly individuals, and contrary to popular supposition, the so-called "old-person smell" is rated as less intense and less unpleasant than body odors of middle-aged and young individuals.

Female choice key to evolutionary shift to modern family Posted: 30 May 2012 02:20 PM PDT How females chose their mates played a critical role in human evolution by leading to monogamous relationships, which laid the foundation for the institution of the modern family.

Potentially civilization-ending super-eruptions may have surprisingly short fuses Posted: 30 May 2012 02:20 PM PDT Super-eruptions are potentially civilization-ending events and new research suggests that they may have surprisingly short fuses.

Could sarcastic computers be in our future? New math model can help computers understand inference Posted: 30 May 2012 12:23 PM PDT Researchers have created a mathematical model that helps predict pragmatic reasoning and may eventually lead to the manufacture of machines that can better understand inference, context and social rules.

Nanodevice manufacturing strategy using DNA 'Building blocks' Posted: 30 May 2012 12:22 PM PDT Researchers have developed a method for building complex nanostructures out of interlocking DNA "building blocks" that can be programmed to assemble themselves into precisely designed shapes. With further development, the technology could one day enable the creation of new nanoscale devices that deliver drugs directly to disease sites.

Tiny genetic variations led to big changes in the evolving human brain Posted: 30 May 2012 12:22 PM PDT Changes to just three genetic letters among billions led to evolution and development of the mammalian motor sensory network, and laid the groundwork for the defining characteristics of the human brain, researchers report.

Tomato genome gets fully sequenced -- paves way to healthier fruits, veggies Posted: 30 May 2012 12:21 PM PDT For the first time, the genome of the tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, has been decoded, and it becomes an important step toward improving yield, nutrition, disease resistance, taste and color of the tomato and other crops. The full genome sequence, as well as the sequence of a wild relative, is has just been completed.

Stellar archeology traces Milky Way's history Posted: 30 May 2012 12:20 PM PDT Unfortunately, stars don't have birth certificates. So, astronomers have a tough time figuring out their ages. Knowing a star's age is critical for understanding how our Milky Way galaxy built itself up over billions of years from smaller galaxies. But an astronomer has now found the next best thing to a star's birth certificate.

Why Earth is not an ice ball: Possible explanation for faint young sun paradox Posted: 30 May 2012 12:20 PM PDT More than 2 billion years ago, a much fainter sun should have left the Earth as an orbiting ice ball. Why we avoided the deep freeze is a question that has puzzled scientists, but one astronomer might have an answer.

More atomic hydrogen gas lurks in universe: There's more star-stuff out there, but it's not dark matter Posted: 30 May 2012 08:58 AM PDT More atomic hydrogen gas -- the ultimate fuel for stars -- is lurking in today's universe than we thought, astronomers have found. This is the first accurate measurement of this gas in galaxies close to our own.

Arctic bacteria help in the search to find life on Jupiter's moon Europa Posted: 30 May 2012 07:04 AM PDT In a fjord in Canada, scientists have found a landscape similar to one of Jupiter's icy moons: Europa. It consists of a frozen and sulfurous environment, where sulfur associated with Arctic bacteria offer clues for the upcoming missions in the search for traces of life on Europa.

Cellular computers? Scientists train cells to perform boolean functions Posted: 30 May 2012 07:00 AM PDT Scientists have engineered cells that behave like AND and OR Boolean logic gates, producing an output based on one or more unique inputs. This feat could eventually help researchers create computers that use cells as tiny circuits.

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