ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• 'International beam team' solves Martian meteorite-age puzzle
• Shedding new light on the brightest objects in the universe
• Genetic glitch at the root of allergies revealed
• Newly discovered marine viruses offer glimpse into untapped biodiversity
• Common agricultural chemicals shown to impair honey bees' health
• Tropical ecosystems boost carbon dioxide as temperatures rises
• Nano scientists reach holy grail in label-free cancer marker detection: Single molecules
• Cost of Arctic methane release could be 'size of global economy', experts warn
• Heading for regeneration: Researchers reactivate head regeneration in regeneration-deficient species of planarians
• Key molecular pathways leading to Alzheimer's identified
• Starburst to star bust: Light shed on mystery of missing massive galaxies
• Marijuana use in adolescence may cause permanent brain abnormalities, mouse study suggests
• Solar system's youth gives clues to planet search
• New species of Hero Shrew found in equatorial Africa: Most bizarre mammalian spine on Earth
• Coastal Antarctic permafrost melting faster than expected: Arctic-like melt rates appearing in Coastal Antarctica
• Atmospheric rivers set to increase UK winter flooding
• Wave of blue fluorescence reveals pathway of death in worms

'International beam team' solves Martian meteorite-age puzzle Posted: 24 Jul 2013 05:06 PM PDT By directing energy beams at tiny crystals found in a Martian meteorite, geologists have proven that the most common group of meteorites from Mars is almost four billion years younger than many scientists had believed -- resolving a long-standing puzzle in Martian science and painting a much clearer picture of the Red Planet's evolution that can now be compared to that of habitable Earth.

Shedding new light on the brightest objects in the universe Posted: 24 Jul 2013 05:06 PM PDT Astrophysicists have documented the immense power of quasar radiation, reaching out for many thousands of light years to the limits of the quasar's galaxy.

Genetic glitch at the root of allergies revealed Posted: 24 Jul 2013 05:06 PM PDT Newly published research reveals that a faulty genetic pathway already known for its role in some connective tissue disorders is also a potent player in many types of allergies. Scientists have long understood that allergies are the result of a complex interplay between environment and genes, but now, in what investigators believe is a scientific first, a single genetic pathway has been implicated in an array of allergic disorders.

Newly discovered marine viruses offer glimpse into untapped biodiversity Posted: 24 Jul 2013 05:05 PM PDT Studying bacteria from the Baltic Sea, researchers have discovered an entire array of previously unknown viruses that use these bacteria as hosts. By impacting the life cycles of these bacteria, the viruses play indirect but crucial ecological roles in environments ranging from the oceans and sea ice to the human gut.

Common agricultural chemicals shown to impair honey bees' health Posted: 24 Jul 2013 05:04 PM PDT Honey bees used to pollinate crops are exposed to many agricultural chemicals, including common fungicides which impair their ability to fight off a potentially lethal parasite, according to a new study.

Tropical ecosystems boost carbon dioxide as temperatures rises Posted: 24 Jul 2013 12:45 PM PDT NASA scientists and an international team of researchers have found tropical ecosystems can generate significant carbon dioxide when temperatures rise, unlike ecosystems in other parts of the world.

Nano scientists reach holy grail in label-free cancer marker detection: Single molecules Posted: 24 Jul 2013 10:43 AM PDT Scientists have announced a nano-enhanced version of a biosensor has detected a single cancer marker protein and even smaller molecules below the mass of all known markers. This achievement sets a new benchmark for the most sensitive limit of detection, and may significantly advance early disease diagnostics.

Cost of Arctic methane release could be 'size of global economy', experts warn Posted: 24 Jul 2013 10:42 AM PDT Researchers have warned of an "economic time-bomb" in the Arctic, following a ground-breaking analysis of the likely cost of methane emissions in the region. Economic modelling shows that the methane emissions caused by shrinking sea ice from just one area of the Arctic could come with a global price tag of 60 trillion dollars -- the size of the world economy in 2012.

Heading for regeneration: Researchers reactivate head regeneration in regeneration-deficient species of planarians Posted: 24 Jul 2013 10:40 AM PDT Rabbits can't do it, neither can frogs, but zebrafish and axolotls can and flatworms are true masters of the craft: regeneration. Why some animals can re-grow lost body parts or organs while others cannot remains a big mystery. And even more intriguing to us regeneration-challenged humans is the question whether one might be able to activate regenerative abilities in species that don't usually regenerate.

Key molecular pathways leading to Alzheimer's identified Posted: 24 Jul 2013 10:30 AM PDT Key molecular pathways that lead to late-onset Alzheimer's disease have been identified by neuroscientists. The findings present a new approach to Alzheimer's research and highlight several new potential drug targets.

Starburst to star bust: Light shed on mystery of missing massive galaxies Posted: 24 Jul 2013 10:30 AM PDT The cosmic fireworks that characterize a starburst galaxy can abruptly fizzle out after only a relatively brief period of star formation, and astronomers want to know why.

Marijuana use in adolescence may cause permanent brain abnormalities, mouse study suggests Posted: 24 Jul 2013 09:50 AM PDT Regular marijuana use in adolescence, but not adulthood, may permanently impair brain function and cognition, and may increase the risk of developing serious psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, according to a recent study.

Solar system's youth gives clues to planet search Posted: 24 Jul 2013 08:42 AM PDT Comets and meteorites contain clues to our solar system's earliest days. But some of the findings are puzzle pieces that don't seem to fit well together. A new set of theoretical models shows how an outburst event in the Sun's formative years could explain some of this disparate evidence. The research could have implications for the hunt for habitable planets outside of our solar system.

New species of Hero Shrew found in equatorial Africa: Most bizarre mammalian spine on Earth Posted: 24 Jul 2013 07:32 AM PDT Scientists have described a new species of Hero Shrew -- the mammal with the most bizarre lower spine on Earth. The interlocking vertebrae of the Hero Shrew render the spine four to five times more robust relative to body mass, a condition not found in any other mammal. The spine has been an enigma to evolutionary biologists, with no known adaptive significance.

Coastal Antarctic permafrost melting faster than expected: Arctic-like melt rates appearing in Coastal Antarctica Posted: 24 Jul 2013 07:30 AM PDT Scientists have documented an acceleration in the melt rate of permafrost in a part of Antarctica where the ice had been considered stable. The melt rates are comparable with the Arctic and could preview melting permafrost in other parts of a warming Antarctica. In Garwood Valley, scientists found melt rates accelerated consistently from 2001 to 2012, rising to about 10 times the historical average.

Atmospheric rivers set to increase UK winter flooding Posted: 24 Jul 2013 07:27 AM PDT The prolonged heat wave that has bathed the UK in sunshine over the past month has given the country an unexpected taste of summer that has seemed to be missing in recent years. However, a new study has provided warnings that will chime with those accustomed to more typical British weather. According to the study, winter flooding in the UK is set to get more severe and more frequent under the influence of climate change as a result of a change in the characteristics of atmospheric rivers.

Wave of blue fluorescence reveals pathway of death in worms Posted: 23 Jul 2013 03:12 PM PDT The final biological events in the life of a worm are described in a new article. The paper reveals how death spreads like a wave from cell to cell until the whole organism is deceased.

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