ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Hypersonic inflatable heat shield successfully tested
• Strobe eyewear training improves visual memory
• Aging heart cells rejuvenated by modified stem cells
• Mice have distinct subsystem to handle smell associated with fear
• Social deprivation has a measurable effect on brain growth
• Infants can use language to learn about people's intentions
• Polar bear evolution tracked climate change
• Fools' gold found to regulate oxygen

Hypersonic inflatable heat shield successfully tested Posted: 23 Jul 2012 02:18 PM PDT A large inflatable heat shield developed by NASA's Space Technology Program has successfully survived a trip through Earth's atmosphere while traveling at hypersonic speeds up to 7,600 mph.

Strobe eyewear training improves visual memory Posted: 23 Jul 2012 02:18 PM PDT Participants in a new study engaged in physical activities, such as playing catch, while using either specialized eyewear that limits vision to only brief snapshots or while using eyewear with clear lenses that provides uninterrupted vision. There was an observed boost in their visual memory retention that was found to still be active 24 hours later.

Aging heart cells rejuvenated by modified stem cells Posted: 23 Jul 2012 02:18 PM PDT Damaged and aged heart tissue of older heart failure patients was rejuvenated by stem cells modified by scientists, according to new research.

Mice have distinct subsystem to handle smell associated with fear Posted: 23 Jul 2012 01:27 PM PDT Mice appear to have a specialized system for detecting and at least initially processing instinctually important smells such as those that denote predators. The finding raises a question about whether their response to those smells is hardwired.

Social deprivation has a measurable effect on brain growth Posted: 23 Jul 2012 01:26 PM PDT Social deprivation has a measurable effect on a child's brain growth. MRI scans show decreased grey and white matter among children in institutional care. At least eight million children worldwide live in institutional settings, according to UNICEF, exposing them to severe psychological and physical neglect.

Infants can use language to learn about people's intentions Posted: 23 Jul 2012 12:10 PM PDT One year olds are able to detect how speech communicates unobservable intentions, researchers have found in a study that sheds new light on how early in life we can rely on language to acquire knowledge about matters that go beyond first-hand experiences.

Polar bear evolution tracked climate change Posted: 23 Jul 2012 12:10 PM PDT A whole-genome analysis suggests that polar bear numbers waxed and waned with climate change, and that the animals may have interbred with brown bears since becoming a distinct species millions of years ago.

Fools' gold found to regulate oxygen Posted: 23 Jul 2012 07:54 AM PDT As sulfur cycles through Earth's atmosphere, oceans and land, it undergoes chemical changes that are often coupled to changes in other such elements as carbon and oxygen. Although this affects the concentration of free oxygen, sulfur has traditionally been portrayed as a secondary factor in regulating atmospheric oxygen, with most of the heavy lifting done by carbon. However, new findings suggest that sulfur's role may have been underestimated.

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