ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Ancient plants reawaken: Plants exposed by retreating glaciers regrowing after centuries entombed under ice
• Changing gut bacteria through diet affects brain function
• Picking up a second language is predicted by ability to learn patterns
• Scientists develop CO2 sequestration technique
• Disappearance of stromatolites, earliest visible manifestation of life: Ancient enigma solved?
• Shape-shifting nanoparticles flip from sphere to net in response to tumor signal
• Beer-pouring robot programmed to anticipate human actions
• Fast-sinking jellyfish could boost the oceans' uptake of carbon dioxide
• Children of long-lived parents less likely to get cancer
• Soda and illegal drugs cause similar damage to teeth: Acids erode enamel
• How do plants grow toward the light? Scientists explain mechanism behind phototropism
• Century-old ocean data provides further confirmation of global warming
• Researcher builds replica human colon to improve water quality
• Decoding the genome of the camel

Ancient plants reawaken: Plants exposed by retreating glaciers regrowing after centuries entombed under ice Posted: 28 May 2013 05:25 PM PDT When Catherine La Farge threads her way through the recently exposed terrain left behind by retreating glaciers, she looks at the ancient plant remains a lot closer than most. Now, her careful scrutiny has revealed a startling reawakening of long-dormant plants known as bryophytes.

Changing gut bacteria through diet affects brain function Posted: 28 May 2013 03:09 PM PDT Researchers now have the first evidence that bacteria ingested in food can affect brain function in humans. In an early proof-of-concept study of healthy women, they found that women who regularly consumed beneficial bacteria known as probiotics through yogurt showed altered brain function, both while in a resting state and in response to an emotion-recognition task.

Picking up a second language is predicted by ability to learn patterns Posted: 28 May 2013 11:38 AM PDT Some people seem to pick up a second language with relative ease, while others have a much more difficult time. Now, a new study suggests that learning to understand and read a second language may be driven, at least in part, by our ability to pick up on statistical regularities.

Scientists develop CO2 sequestration technique Posted: 28 May 2013 11:37 AM PDT Scientists have discovered and demonstrated a new technique to remove and store atmospheric carbon dioxide while generating carbon-negative hydrogen and producing alkalinity, which can be used to offset ocean acidification.

Disappearance of stromatolites, earliest visible manifestation of life: Ancient enigma solved? Posted: 28 May 2013 11:37 AM PDT The widespread disappearance of stromatolites, the earliest visible manifestation of life on Earth, may have been driven by single-celled organisms called foraminifera, a new study finds.

Shape-shifting nanoparticles flip from sphere to net in response to tumor signal Posted: 28 May 2013 11:37 AM PDT Tiny spherical particles float easily through the bloodstream after injection, then assemble into a durable scaffold within diseased tissue. An enzyme produced by a specific type of tumor can trigger the transformation of the spheres into netlike structures that accumulate at the site of a cancer.

Beer-pouring robot programmed to anticipate human actions Posted: 28 May 2013 11:36 AM PDT Understanding when and where to pour a beer or knowing when to offer assistance opening a refrigerator door can be difficult for a robot because of the many variables it encounters while assessing the situation. Researchers have created a solution: a robot that has learned to foresee human action in order to step in and offer a helping hand.

Fast-sinking jellyfish could boost the oceans' uptake of carbon dioxide Posted: 28 May 2013 09:25 AM PDT Increasing numbers of gelatinous plankton might help in mitigating the carbon dioxide problem. In field and laboratory experiments scientists have shown that dead jellyfish and pelagic tunicates sink much faster than phytoplankton and marine snow remains. Jellies are especially important because they rapidly consume plankton and particles and quickly export biomass and carbon to the ocean interior.

Children of long-lived parents less likely to get cancer Posted: 28 May 2013 09:25 AM PDT The offspring of parents who live to a ripe old age are more likely to live longer themselves, and less prone to cancer and other common diseases associated with aging, a study has revealed.

Soda and illegal drugs cause similar damage to teeth: Acids erode enamel Posted: 28 May 2013 09:25 AM PDT Addicted to soda? You may be shocked to learn that drinking large quantities of your favorite carbonated soda could be as damaging to your teeth as methamphetamine and crack cocaine use. The consumption of illegal drugs and abusive intake of soda can cause similar damage to your mouth through the process of tooth erosion, according to a case study.

How do plants grow toward the light? Scientists explain mechanism behind phototropism Posted: 28 May 2013 07:59 AM PDT Plants have developed a number of strategies to capture the maximum amount of sunlight through their leaves. As we know from looking at plants on a windowsill, they grow toward the sunlight to be able to generate energy by photosynthesis. Now scientists have provided definitive insights into the driving force behind this movement -- the plant hormone auxin.

Century-old ocean data provides further confirmation of global warming Posted: 28 May 2013 07:45 AM PDT A new NASA and university analysis of ocean data collected more than 135 years ago by the crew of the HMS Challenger oceanographic expedition provides further confirmation that human activities have warmed our planet over the past century.

Researcher builds replica human colon to improve water quality Posted: 28 May 2013 07:01 AM PDT To better understand how bacteria impact the environment researchers spent nearly a year building a system that replicates a human colon, septic tank and groundwater and "fed" the colon three times a day during weeklong experiments to simulate human eating.

Decoding the genome of the camel Posted: 28 May 2013 06:16 AM PDT By sequencing the genome of a Bactrian camel, researchers have made a significant contribution to population genetic research on camels. The study has laid the foundation for future scientific work on these enigmatic desert animals. A blood sample from a single Bactrian camel with the evocative name of "Mozart" provided the genetic raw material for the work.

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