The internal circadian clock of a Drosophila (fruit fly) can be synchronised using vibrations, according to research published today in the journal Science. The study suggests that an animal’s own movements can influence its clock.
The circadian clock, which underlies the daily rhythms characterising most of our bodily functions, including the sleep cycle, is mainly set by diurnal changes in light and temperature. (more…)
AUSTIN, Texas — A team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering has built the first-ever circulator for sound. The team’s experiments successfully prove that the fundamental symmetry with which acoustic waves travel through air between two points in space (“if you can hear, you can also be heard”) can be broken by a compact and simple device.
“Using the proposed concept, we were able to create one-way communication for sound traveling through air,” said Andrea Alù, who led the project and is an associate professor and David & Doris Lybarger Endowed Faculty Fellow in the Cockrell School’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “Imagine being able to listen without having to worry about being heard in return.” (more…)
Innsbrucker Informatiker unterstützen mit zwei Forschungsarbeiten den Tiroler Lawinenwarndienst. Ziel ist es, dem Warndienst seine Arbeit zu erleichtern. Ein aus einer Masterarbeit hervorgegangenes Programm ist bereits im produktiven Einsatz und beschleunigt die Arbeit der Lawinenexperten.
Laut Saisonbericht der österreichischen Lawinenwarndienste starben in der vergangenen Wintersaison 27 Personen durch Lawinen, 58 Personen wurden verletzt. Auch im laufenden Winter gab es bereits Lawinentote. Schaut man sich die Zahlen im langjährigen Durchschnitt an, so erkennt man trotz des drastischen Anstieges an Wintersportlern, die sich im freien Skigelände aufhalten, einen gleichbleibenden Trend. Dies verdeutlicht u.a. die Bedeutung der Lawinenwarndienste: Für die Einschätzung der Lawinengefahr sind in Tirol der Lawinenwarndienst, in den einzelnen Gemeinden die Lawinenkommissionen zuständig. Mit zwei Forschungsarbeiten unterstützen Innsbrucker Informatik-Studenten den Lawinenwarndienst in der täglichen Arbeit. Das Ergebnis einer der beiden Arbeiten ist bereits im produktiven Einsatz. „Ein wichtiger Teil der Arbeit des Lawinenwarndienstes sowie der Lawinenkommissionen ist die genaue Analyse der Schneedecke und deren Interaktion mit dem aktuellen Wettergeschehen“, erklärt DI Robert Binna, wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter der Forschungsgruppe Datenbanken und Informationssysteme (DBIS) am Institut für Informatik. (more…)
The team operating NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity is considering a path across a small sand dune to reach a favorable route to science destinations.
A favorable route would skirt some terrain with sharp rocks considered more likely to poke holes in the rover’s aluminum wheels.
While the team has been assessing ways to reduce wear and tear to the wheels, Curiosity has made progress toward a next site for drilling a rock sample and also toward its long-term destination: geological layers exposed on slopes of Mount Sharp. The rover has driven into a mapping quadrant that includes a candidate site for drilling. Meanwhile, testing on Earth is validating capabilities for drilling into rocks on slopes the rover will likely encounter on Mount Sharp. (more…)
Millions of people each year remove wrinkles, soften creases and plump up their lips by injecting a gel-like material into their facial tissue. These cosmetic procedures are sometimes called “liquid facelifts” and are said to be minimally invasive.
It’s rare, but sometimes things go wrong. In a matter of minutes, patients’ skin can turn red or blotchy white and the injected area becomes painful. Vital blood supply to the face is restricted and if untreated, parts of the tissue will die. That scenario is irreversible and can leave deep scars. (more…)
Research in the Andes examines rock glacier dynamics for mining industry
When it comes to mining for copper and gold, prospectors will move mountains to make it happen. As in, physically dig up the rock, extract the precious metals and move the debris elsewhere.
In the chilly high altitudes of the Andes Mountains, however, what may look like part of a mountain can in fact be a huge, frozen block of rock fragments and ice. When some of that ice melts in the spring, these so-called “rock glaciers” become a valuable source of water for local populations. (more…)
Large numbers of cohabiters leave their mark, study finds
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new national study provides surprising evidence of how cohabitation contributes to the number of long-term relationships lasting eight years or longer.
It is well-known that couples who live together are much more likely to end their relationships within a short-term period than are married couples. (more…)
In 1923 the Flaming Cliffs of the Gobi Desert yielded one of the most-celebrated finds of paleontology. Entombed in sun-baked sandstone was a collection of oval-shaped oddities: the first dinosaur eggs known to science. This 75-million-year-old find would be followed by others, providing a glimpse into the lives of these ancient creatures that no skeleton could.
Since that discovery, fossilized dinosaur eggs and nests have been recovered from sites around the world, as have the bones of tiny hatchlings and even tinier embryos. These discoveries are allowing scientists to unlock the mysteries of dinosaur reproductive and social behavior, such as: Were dinosaurs social animals? Did they care for their young? What was life like for baby dinosaurs? (more…)
