“Stocky Dragon” Dinosaur Terrorized Late Cretaceous Europe
Paleontologists have discovered that a close relative of Velociraptor hunted the dwarfed inhabitants of Late Cretaceous Europe, an island landscape largely isolated from nearby continents.
Category Archives: Science
Making Cookies that are Good for Your Heart
*University of Missouri scientists create a vegetable oil from soybeans that is much healthier than others*
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Years of research has proven that saturated and trans fats clog arteries, make it tough for the heart to pump and are not valuable components of any diet. Unfortunately, they are contained in many foods. Now, a University of Missouri research team has developed a soybean which produces oil that is naturally low in saturated and trans fats.
Ancient “Terror Bird” Used Powerful Beak to Jab Like Boxer
The ancient “terror bird” Andalgalornis couldn’t fly, but it used its unusually large, rigid skull–coupled with a hawk-like hooked beak–in a fighting strategy reminiscent of boxer Muhammad Ali.
UMD-Led Team Begins Imaging Comet Hartley 2 with Deep Impact Spacecraft
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Some five years after its July 4th 2005 ‘comet shot’ was seen around the world, the Deep Impact spacecraft has begun regular imaging of a second comet target, Hartley 2. The spacecraft will continue imaging Hartley 2 during and after its closest approach on November 4, providing an extended look at the comet. However, there won’t be any fireworks this time as Deep Impact’s probe craft was destroyed in its deliberate 2005 collision with comet Tempel 1. (more…)
Scientists identify key enzyme in microbial immune system
Imagine a war in which you are vastly outnumbered by an enemy that is utterly relentless – attacking you is all it does. The intro to another Terminator movie? No, just another day for microbes such as bacteria and archaea, which face a never-ending onslaught from viruses and invading strands of nucleic acid known as plasmids.
New Hubble Observations of Supernova 1987A Reveal Composition of ‘Star Guts’ Pouring Out
Observations made with NASA’s newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope of a nearby supernova are allowing astronomers to measure the velocity and composition of “star guts” being ejected into space following the explosion, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Smithsonian and Arizona State University Launch Virtual Classroom
This fall, Smithsonian scientists in Panama and Arizona State University life-sciences students and researchers will talk by means of Vidyo—video-conferencing technology that transports virtual learning into the field.
Free as a Bird?
MU researchers find that man-made development affects bird flight patterns and populations
COLUMBIA, Mo. – It may seem like birds have the freedom to fly wherever they like, but researchers at the University of Missouri have shown that what’s on the ground has a great effect on where a bird flies. This information could be used by foresters and urban planners to improve bird habitats that would help maintain strong bird populations. (more…)