Uncategorized
- Microbes
Convincing bacteria they’re alone
Caffeine may be the trick to confusing some bacteria into thinking they’ve not yet summoned enough troops to launch a successful attack on their host. It could prove an alternative to antibiotics for certain infections.
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Better than plywood
Most people think of pineapple as a tasty fruit. But it can be so much more, two Malaysian teens showed. They turned the plant’s leaves into a construction material that’s both strong and waterproof.
- Earth
Don’t let the bedbugs bite
A trio of teens has found a nontoxic way to stop bedbugs dead in their tracks. The method relies on a mesh of fibers that a bug can step into easily — but never leave.
- Animals
Mite-y discoveries!
Two teens from Russia discovered tiny mites living inside grass-like plants called rushes. Three of the species they turned up are new to science.
- Animals
Electronics may confuse a bird’s ‘compass’
Birds use Earth’s magnetic field to help guide them as they migrate. A new study suggests that electromagnetic radiation given off by some electronic devices may act like “noise” and confuse the long-traveling birds.
- Animals
Even penguins get the flu
Scientists have just identified ‘live’ bird flu virus in Antarctic penguins. But the infections may not be novel. There are some signs these germs have been infecting local wildlife for up to 80 years.
- Science & Society
Teen’s cancer research scores big at Intel ISEF competition
Seventeen teens grabbed top honors at the world’s premier high-school science competition. A 15-year old cancer researcher got to take home $75,000.
- Animals
Surprise! Fossils in a flash
By studying how dead tissues decay — or turn to ‘instant’ fossils — scientists are gleaning helpful clues to what ancient life looked like.
- Tech
The road less worn
Two teens have found a new use for old tires. By grinding them up and adding them to asphalt, the old rubber can create stronger, longer-lived roads. And the bonus: The process recycles tires that might otherwise have been burned, creating pollution.
- Animals
Helping birds doctor their babies
Darwin’s finches will soften their nests by weaving in fibers, such as stray bits of cotton. An observant biologist offered those birds some insecticide-treated cotton and the birds took it, which saved their young from deadly parasites.
- Health & Medicine
For better weight control, fiber up!
Certain types of fiber suppress appetite, at least in mice. Found in fruits, vegetables, oats and barley, this fiber breaks down in the gut to release acetate. That travels to the brain, where the chemical prompts the release of hunger-fighting hormones.
- Tech
Fighting theater pirates
How can theaters thwart thieves from unlawfully recording a movie during a showing? A high-school freshman’s low-cost solution relies on simple physics.
