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discoveries

12/08/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Could the solution to plastic pollution be found in this caterpillar?

Caterpillars are hungry little creatures. They eat a lot of food and store it as energy for their future transformation into butterflies or moths. While they usually eat plant matter, a BBC article reported that the larvae of the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) appeared to eat plastic. An amateur beekeeper found a caterpillar of […]

11/29/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Scientists: Solar-powered water splitting is a promising means of generating clean energy

Water is already a vital component of human life, but scientists have found yet another use for it — as a source of clean fuel. It comprises two oxygen atoms and a hydrogen atom — the latter, in particular, is an increasingly popular energy source because it is easily stored and holds a lot of energy. […]

11/22/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Study explores semi-artificial photosynthesis; a new way to produce and store solar energy

Researchers found a better way to squeeze more electricity out of solar power. An article in Science Daily described how they modified photosynthesis so that it could split water into its component molecules. In the photosynthetic process, sunlight is used by plants, some bacteria, and certain protists to turn carbon dioxide and water into food. Oxygen is […]

11/13/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Scientists create a material that has near-zero friction at engineering scale

American researchers have improved upon their earlier graphene-based lubricant. Their revised formula can actually generate itself and has a longer useful lifespan compared to other solid lubricants, an article in Nanowerks reported. Superlubricity is a state where there is very little friction. A surface coated by a superlubricant is very slippery and barely gives off […]

10/27/2018 / By Janine Acero

Agricultural areas surrounded by natural habitat buffers show reduced negative impact on wildlife, new study finds

A comparative study reveals that manicured citrus orchards and reclaimed orchard forests in Stann Creek, Belize have similar abundance and diversity in herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) as natural habitat areas. Researchers Russell Gray and Dr. Colin Strine of Suranaree University of Technology (SUT), Thailand found that herpetofaunal communities have little sensitivity to agricultural lands as […]

10/27/2018 / By Ralph Flores

Mosquitoes balance taste with risk: Study finds they can remember your smell, and if you tried to swat them

There are a few insects, or animals for that matter, that can top our disdain for mosquitoes. They’re pretty much everywhere, and that bite – a reaction in part to their mouthparts impaling you and drinking your blood – is nothing short of annoying to most people. What’s worse: They seem just to fly away right before […]

10/24/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Looking at alternative approaches to pest control

In response to the devastating huanglongbing disease sweeping through California’s citrus orchards, researchers are testing a biological control program. They are using two wasps from Asia that are natural enemies of the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri), an invasive species of insect that spreads the bacteria responsible for the disease. The study was supported by the University of California Riverside. […]

10/16/2018 / By Ralph Flores

Music may trump medication for the mind: Scientists explore the ways music engages different brain regions for healing and therapeutic effects

Once limited to auditoriums and concert halls, music is now making its way to operating theaters and hospital wards. In MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, for example, what was once a somber chemotherapy unit is now spruced up with the sound of a violin marching to the beat — followed by dancers flowing to the melody. In […]

09/30/2018 / By Tracey Watson

Listening to live classical music provides DRAMATIC cognitive benefits for dementia patients

Dementia is a devastating condition that slowly strips people of their memories and personality, altering them from loved ones to total strangers in just a few years. Dementia is one of the world’s fastest growing diseases, and over 24 million people battle this condition worldwide. With an aging global population, experts believe that this figure […]

09/17/2018 / By Ellaine Castillo

An omega-3 metabolite plays a role in preserving bone tissue

The risk and incidence of diseases related to bone tissue degeneration tend to increase as people age. According to one study, Resolvin E1 or RvE1, a metabolite of omega-3, can preserve bone tissue. This study, which was published in Frontiers in Immunology, looked at the role of RvE1 in bone remodeling under inflammation. It had been noted previously […]

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