Clark Science Center Intranet

Spider electro-combs its sticky nano-filaments
A spider commonly found in garden centers in Britain is giving fresh insights into how to spin incredibly long and strong fibers just a few nanometers thick. The majority of spiders spin silk threads several micrometers thick but unusually the 'garden centre spider' or 'feather-legged lace weaver' c...

Sugary drinks linked to earlier onset of menstrual periods
Girls who frequently consume sugary drinks tend to start their menstrual periods earlier than girls who do not, according to new research. The findings are important not only because of the growing problem of childhood obesity in a number of developed countries, but also because starting periods ear...

Psychopathic Violent Offenders? Brains Can?t Understand Punishment
Psychopathic violent offenders have abnormalities in the parts of the brain related to learning from punishment, according to an MRI study.

Researchers tune friction in ionic solids at the nanoscale
New experiments have uncovered a way of controlling friction on ionic surfaces at the nanoscale using electrical stimulation and ambient water vapor.

NASA's Dawn spacecraft captures best-ever view of dwarf planet Ceres
NASA's Dawn spacecraft has returned the sharpest images ever seen of the dwarf planet Ceres. The images were taken 147,000 miles (237,000 kilometers) from Ceres on Jan. 25, and represent a new milestone for a spacecraft that soon will become the first human-made probe to visit a dwarf planet.

Infant failure to thrive linked to lysosome dysfunction
Neonatal intestinal disorders that prevent infants from getting the nutrients they need may be caused by defects in the lysosomal system -- or cell recycling center -- that occur before weaning. Scientists provide a new target for research and future therapies to help infants unable to absorb milk n...

Stomach acid-powered micromotors get their first test in a living animal
Researchers have shown that a micromotor fueled by stomach acid can take a bubble-powered ride inside a mouse. These tiny motors, each about one-fifth the width of a human hair, may someday offer a safer and more efficient way to deliver drugs or diagnose tumors. The experiment is the first to show ...

Early Mesoamericans affected by climate change
Scientists have reconstructed the past climate for the region around Cantona, a large fortified city in highland Mexico, and found the population drastically declined in the past, at least in part because of climate change.

Dog disease in lions spread by multiple species
Canine distemper, a viral disease that's been infecting the famed lions of Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, appears to be spread by multiple animal species, according to a study published by a transcontinental team of scientists.

New mechanism unlocked for evolution of green fluorescent protein
A primary challenge in the biosciences is to understand the way major evolutionary changes in nature are accomplished. Sometimes the route turns out to be very simple. An example of such simplicity is provided in a new publication that shows, for the first time, that a hinge migration mechanism, dri...

Asteroid that flew past Earth has moon
Scientists working with NASA's 230-foot-wide (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California, have released the first radar images of asteroid 2004 BL86. The images show the asteroid, which made its closest approach on Jan. 26, 2015 at 8:19 a.m. PST (11:19 a.m. EST) at a distance of a...

Easter Island mystery: Why did the native culture die out?
Long before the Europeans arrived on Easter Island in 1722, the native Polynesian culture known as Rapa Nui showed signs of demographic decline. However, the catalyst has long been debated in the scientific community. Was environmental degradation the cause, or could a political revolution or an epi...

'Yellowballs' are part of the development of massive star
Citizen scientists wanted to know: What are the yellow objects on these infrared images from the Spitzer Space Telescope? Astronomers now report that the "yellowballs" are part of the development of massive stars.

How creative are you? Depends where you're from
With the 'creative class' on the rise, many businesses are trying to capitalize on imagination and innovation. But when it comes to creative juices, some societies have a faster flow than others. That's because, as new research suggests, creativity is tied to culture.

That's using your head: Brain regulates fat metabolism, potentially stopping ...
Atherosclerosis -- hardening and narrowing of the arteries -- can be caused by fat build up that causes plaque deposits, and is one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease. Now a researcher has shown a link between how the brain can regulate fat metabolism, potentially stopping the development ...

New pathway to valleytronics: Femtosecond laser used to manipulate valley exc...
Researchers have uncovered a promising new pathway to valleytronics, a potential quantum computing technology in which information is coded based on the wavelike motion of electrons moving through certain 2-D semiconductors.

Things smell good for a reason
Antioxidants are natural food ingredients that protect cells from harmful influences. Their main task is to neutralize so-called 'free radicals' which are produced in the process of oxidation and which are responsible for cell degeneration. Scientists now show that vinegar flies are able to detect t...

Fish catch break on world stage at global conference
Freshwater fish provide the food, sport and economic power across the globe. Inland fishing is often about individuals, families and small cooperatives. More than 60 million people in low-income nations are estimated to rely on inland fisheries for their livelihood. Its small-but-many base has in mo...

The world's oldest known snake fossils: Rolling back the clock by nearly 70 m...
Fossilized remains of four ancient snakes have been dated between 140 and 167 million years old -- nearly 70 million years older than the previous record of ancient snake fossils -- and are changing the way we think about the origins of snakes.

Targeted MRI/ultrasound beats standard biopsy to detect high-risk prostate ca...
Targeted biopsy using new fusion technology that combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with ultrasound is more effective than standard biopsy in detecting high-risk prostate cancer, according to a large-scale study.