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Lab in the Wild asks: What's your Internet like?

The Lab in the Wild project aims to gather data on how people think, perceive information, and use technology from around the world. Researchers will analyze thousands of users' responses to tests designed to elicit information about their online culture, including preferences for website design and functionality.

Mountains, seaway triggered North American dinosaur surge

A new Ohio University-led study suggests that the rise of the Rocky Mountains and a major seaway in North America triggered the evolution of new dinosaur species. The researchers found that changes in geography led to isolation, facilitating rapid speciation and increased diversity in duck-billed and horned dinosaurs.

SourceOhio University·JournalPLOS ONE·DateAug 2, 2012

Fruit flies on methamphetamine die largely as a result of anorexia

A new study found that fruit flies on methamphetamine drastically reduce their food intake and increase physical activity. The flies' energy reserves and metabolism are severely impacted, leading to a primary driver of methamphetamine-related death in the insects. Adding glucose to the diet slows the damaging effects of meth exposure.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalThe Journal of Toxicological Sciences·DateAug 1, 2012

Toughened silicon sponges may make tenacious batteries

Researchers at Rice University and Lockheed Martin have developed a process to create multiple high-performance anodes from a single silicon wafer for lithium-ion batteries. The new method uses electrochemical etching to extract the sponge-like structure, which can store more than four times its weight in lithium.

SourceRice University·JournalChemistry of Materials·DateJul 16, 2012

Smart Materials get SMARTer

Researchers at University of Pittsburgh and Harvard University created self-regulating microscopic materials that can continuously sense and regulate temperature. The new material, called SMARTS, offers a customizable way to trigger chemical reactions on cue and reproduce stable feedback loops found in biological systems.

SourceUniversity of Pittsburgh·JournalNature·DateJul 11, 2012

Tiny bubbles snap carbon nanotubes like twigs

Researchers at Rice University detail the exact mechanism of how carbon nanotubes bend and break when subjected to ultrasonic vibrations in a liquid. The study reveals that long and short nanotubes behave differently, with shorter tubes stretching and longer ones bending before snapping.

SourceRice University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 9, 2012

Stinging came before seeing

Researchers discovered a simple nervous system linking stinging cells and light-detecting nerve cells in Hydra magnipapillata, suggesting that light-sensing capabilities predated eye evolution. The study found that Hydras fire their stingers less in bright than in dim light, indicating the presence of light-sensitive neurons.

SourceUniversity of California - Davis·JournalBMC Biology·DateMar 5, 2012

Nano-oils keep their cool

Researchers developed nano-infused transformer oil that increases efficiency by up to 80 percent, reducing heat loss while maintaining electric insulation. The oil's viscosity is minimally affected by nanoparticle fillers.

SourceRice University·JournalACS Nano·DateFeb 1, 2012

Ancient glacial melting process similar to existing concerns about Antarctica, Greenland

A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that small amounts of subsurface warming can trigger a rapid collapse of ice shelves. The research provides historical evidence that warming water by 3-4 degrees was enough to cause mass discharges of icebergs into the North Atlantic Ocean.

SourceOregon State University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 1, 2011