ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Meerkats use subordinate animals as guinea pigs when approaching novel threats
• Ancient fossilized sea creatures yield oldest biomolecules isolated directly from a fossil
• Office workers beware: Sitting time associated with increased risk of chronic diseases
• Water on the moon: It's been there all along
• Memory appears susceptible to eradication of fear responses
• Excessive TV in childhood linked to long-term antisocial behavior, New Zealand study shows
• Reduced sea ice disturbs balance of greenhouse gases
• 'Snooze button' on biological clocks improves cell adaptability
• 'Activating' RNA takes DNA on a loop through time and space
• The quest for a better bionic hand: Implantable interfaces connect a hand prosthesis to the nerves
• Ancient teeth bacteria record disease evolution
• Slithering towards extinction: Reptiles in trouble
• New enzyme that acts as innate immunity sensor discovered
• Scientists explore new technologies that remove atmospheric carbon dioxide
• Quantum cryptography put to work for electric grid security
• X-ray laser sees photosynthesis in action
• Smoking bans linked with 'successive reductions' in preterm birth
• 'Acoustic-assisted' magnetic information storage invented
• Rapid changes in the Arctic ecosystem during ice minimum in summer 2012
• Fish become bolder and more gluttonous from mood-altering drug residue in water
• Studies reveal genetic variation driving human evolution

Meerkats use subordinate animals as guinea pigs when approaching novel threats Posted: 18 Feb 2013 02:32 PM PST In their environment, wild animals are exposed to countless threats, be they predators, diseases or natural obstacles to get over, such as gorges or rivers. In recent times, numerous human-made threats have been added to the naturally-existing ones, such as dangerous roads to cross. Scientists have worked to understand how animals cope with novel human-made threats by studying groups of wild meerkats, a species of socially-living mongooses.

Ancient fossilized sea creatures yield oldest biomolecules isolated directly from a fossil Posted: 18 Feb 2013 01:41 PM PST Though scientists have long believed that complex organic molecules couldn't survive fossilization, some 350-million-year-old remains of aquatic sea creatures uncovered in Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa have challenged that assumption.

Office workers beware: Sitting time associated with increased risk of chronic diseases Posted: 18 Feb 2013 10:23 AM PST Those who sat for more than four hours per day were significantly more likely to report having a chronic disease such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Water on the moon: It's been there all along Posted: 18 Feb 2013 10:23 AM PST Traces of water have been detected within the crystalline structure of mineral samples from the lunar highland upper crust obtained during the Apollo missions, according to scientists.

Memory appears susceptible to eradication of fear responses Posted: 18 Feb 2013 07:29 AM PST Fear responses can only be erased when people learn something new while retrieving the fear memory. This is the conclusion of a new study.

Excessive TV in childhood linked to long-term antisocial behavior, New Zealand study shows Posted: 18 Feb 2013 06:27 AM PST Children and adolescents who watch a lot of television are more likely to manifest antisocial and criminal behavior when they become adults, according to a new study.

Reduced sea ice disturbs balance of greenhouse gases Posted: 18 Feb 2013 06:25 AM PST The widespread reduction in Arctic sea ice is causing significant changes to the balance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

'Snooze button' on biological clocks improves cell adaptability Posted: 17 Feb 2013 10:42 AM PST The circadian clocks that control and influence dozens of basic biological processes have an unexpected 'snooze button' that helps cells adapt to changes in their environment.

'Activating' RNA takes DNA on a loop through time and space Posted: 17 Feb 2013 10:42 AM PST Long segments of RNA -- encoded in our DNA but not translated into protein -- are key to physically manipulating DNA in order to activate certain genes, say researchers. These non-coding RNA-activator molecules help create a loop of DNA to open up genes for transcription. They have a crucial role in turning genes on and off during early embryonic development, and have also been connected with genetic diseases, such as FG syndrome, and cancer.

The quest for a better bionic hand: Implantable interfaces connect a hand prosthesis to the nerves Posted: 17 Feb 2013 10:42 AM PST New implantable interfaces connect a hand prosthesis to the nerves, making for smarter prosthetics that feel and function more like the real thing.

Ancient teeth bacteria record disease evolution Posted: 17 Feb 2013 10:41 AM PST DNA preserved in calcified bacteria on the teeth of ancient human skeletons has shed light on the health consequences of the evolving diet and behavior from the Stone Age to the modern day.

Slithering towards extinction: Reptiles in trouble Posted: 17 Feb 2013 05:53 AM PST Nineteen percent of the world's reptiles are estimated to be threatened with extinction, according to new research. The study is the first of its kind summarising the global conservation status of reptiles. More than 200 world renowned experts assessed the extinction risk of 1,500 randomly selected reptiles from across the globe.

New enzyme that acts as innate immunity sensor discovered Posted: 17 Feb 2013 05:50 AM PST Two studies could lead to new treatments for lupus and other autoimmune diseases and strengthen current therapies for viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections.

Scientists explore new technologies that remove atmospheric carbon dioxide Posted: 17 Feb 2013 05:42 AM PST Reducing carbon dioxide emissions may not be enough to curb global warming, say scientists. The solution could require carbon-negative technologies that actually remove large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere.

Quantum cryptography put to work for electric grid security Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:41 PM PST Quantum cryptography researchers completed the first-ever demonstration of securing control data for electric grids using quantum cryptography.

X-ray laser sees photosynthesis in action Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:41 PM PST Opening a new window on the way plants generate the oxygen we breathe, researchers used the LCLS X-ray free-electron laser to simultaneously look at the structure and chemical behavior of a natural catalyst involved in photosynthesis for the first time.

Smoking bans linked with 'successive reductions' in preterm birth Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:41 PM PST Smoking bans are associated with a "consistent pattern of reduction in the risk of preterm delivery," finds a new study.

'Acoustic-assisted' magnetic information storage invented Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:18 AM PST Electrical engineers have discovered a way to use high-frequency sound waves to enhance the magnetic storage of data, offering a new approach to improve the data storage capabilities of a multitude of electronic devices around the world.

Rapid changes in the Arctic ecosystem during ice minimum in summer 2012 Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:17 AM PST Huge quantities of algae are growing on the underside of sea ice in the Central Arctic: In 2012 the ice algae Melosira arctica was responsible for almost half the primary production in this area. When the ice melts, as was the case during the ice minimum in 2012, these algae sink rapidly to the bottom of the sea at a depth of several thousands of meters.

Fish become bolder and more gluttonous from mood-altering drug residue in water Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:17 AM PST Anxiety-moderating drugs that reach waterways via wastewater create fearless and asocial fish that eat more quickly than normal. These behavioral changes can have serious ecological consequences.

Studies reveal genetic variation driving human evolution Posted: 14 Feb 2013 10:39 AM PST A pair of studies sheds new light on genetic variation that may have played a key role in human evolution. The study researchers used an animal model to study a gene variant that could have helped humans adapt to humid climates, and they used whole-genome sequence data to identify hundreds of gene variants that potentially helped humans adapt to changing environmental conditions over time.

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