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• Decision-making can and must be learned – new test measures risk intelligence
• Eggs of enigmatic dinosaur discovered
• Scientists Find Unexpected New Autism Gene
• Evolution at the Sea: Long-term experiments indicate phytoplankton can adapt to ocean acidification
• On the Move
• Research finds bright future for alternative energy with greener solar cells
• Black flies may have a purpose after all
• Sexual reproduction brings long-term benefits, study shows

Decision-making can and must be learned – new test measures risk intelligence Posted: 10 Apr 2012 07:15 AM PDT Tests exist for evaluating personality, intelligence and memory. However, up to now, it was not easily possible to find out how good someone is at making decisions in risky situations. “Yet this is an important skill that has an enormous influence on many of our decisions,” says psychologist Edward Cokely, who came up with the idea of developing a quick test for this skill at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in 2007. read more

Eggs of enigmatic dinosaur discovered Posted: 10 Apr 2012 06:24 AM PDT An Argentine-Swedish research team has reported a 70 million years old pocket of fossilized bones and unique eggs of an enigmatic birdlike dinosaur in Patagonia. - What makes the discovery unique are the two eggs preserved near articulated bones of its hindlimb. This is the first time the eggs are found in a close proximity to skeletal remains of an alvarezsaurid dinosaur, says Dr. Martin Kundrát, dinosaur expert from the group of Professor Per Erik Ahlberg at Uppsala University. read more

Scientists Find Unexpected New Autism Gene Posted: 09 Apr 2012 07:50 PM PDT Scientists from the Keck School of Medicine of USC have discovered the first gene associated with autism that has genome-wide significance. The discovery, detailed in the April 4 edition of the journal Science Translational Medicine, may allow researchers to more effectively study the causes of autism and develop new treatments for the disorder. read more

Evolution at the Sea: Long-term experiments indicate phytoplankton can adapt to ocean acidification Posted: 09 Apr 2012 07:45 PM PDT Scientists of the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) conducted a one year CO2 selection experiment using the calcifying microalgae Emiliania huxleyi and uncovered an enormous potential for adaptation to rapidly changing environments in this important phytoplankton species. After 500 generations under controlled CO2 conditions adapted cultures grew and calcified significantly better compared non-adapted control cultures when tested under ocean acidification conditions. read more

On the Move Posted: 09 Apr 2012 09:37 AM PDT Cells on the move reach forward with lamellipodia and filopodia, cytoplasmic sheets and rods supported by branched networks or tight bundles of actin filaments. Cells without functional lamellipodia are still highly motile but lose their ability to stay on track, report researchers at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in the April 9, 2012, online issue of the Journal of Cell Biology. read more

Research finds bright future for alternative energy with greener solar cells Posted: 09 Apr 2012 09:20 AM PDT Even alternative energy technologies can sometimes be a little greener, according to a Kansas State University graduate student's research. read more

Black flies may have a purpose after all Posted: 09 Apr 2012 08:45 AM PDT Black flies drink blood and spread disease such as river blindness-creating misery with their presence. A University of Georgia study, however, proves that the pesky insects can be useful. Don Champagne, an entomology professor with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, discovered a way to use the black fly's blood-sucking tactics for medical advancement. The results of his research were published in the journal PLoS One. read more

Sexual reproduction brings long-term benefits, study shows Posted: 09 Apr 2012 08:36 AM PDT Courtship rituals can be all-consuming, demanding time and effort – but now scientists have discovered why it might be worth it. Attracting a mate – which can take significant effort, such as in a peacock's show of feathers or the exhaustive rutting of stags – can produce benefits for a species in the long term, a study suggests. Scientists have shown that animals and plants which reproduce sexually are at a considerable advantage to those species – such as some insects and reptiles – that reproduce without a partner. read more

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