Daily Bits

Science

Twitter Principle Applies to Birds IRL, Study Shows

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Nesting Birds

Oh, the amazing findings that researchers discover when given enough time and money to do whatever the heck they want conduct scientific studies!

So there are scientists from universities in Exeter, France, and Switzerland who conducted new research in order to study birds. Not the Twitter bird. Not whatever other bird you may be thinking of, but the kind that chirps and tweets and flies. Real birds.

Their study was about interaction between the baby birds and their parents and how this affected their ability to survive and thrive. Guess what? It looks like birds have a social networking system of their own.[Read More]

The Science of Star Trek

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Star Trek Science
I can be more stubborn than an mule when I want to be, and I suppose that many of you will be the same when it comes to Star Trek (or replace that with your series/book/movie of choice).

The science of Star Trek, when conceptualized, was clearly science fiction, but who is to say that that science cannot become reality? Certainly, the great minds of our time have worked hard to make huge strides in advancing science, and there ought to be some aspects in the science of Star Trek that have come true (or will come true in the near future).[Read More]

The Science Behind the “Old Books Smell”

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The Smell of Old Books

Old Books


That “old books smell” is hard to beat, isn’t it? That particular scent brings me back to my days as a student, when I would spend lots of time browsing the shelves of the library. As the case usually is with university libraries, a considerable part of their collection are old books. And yeah, that smell has become firmly embedded in my memory.

I am pretty sure that I am not alone in this. In these days when even those who like the feel and smell of (paper) books are looking to e-books, the yearning for the old books smell still has a strong following. But have you ever thought about the scientific explanation for this?[Read More]

Entorhinal Cortex: Remember That If You Want to Strengthen Your Memory

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Strengthen Memory

Alzheimers Stimulation


I have been called forgetful so many times that I do not remember how often it has happened. I have to admit that I do have my Dory ((Finding Nemo)) moments. I am sure you have yours, too. How many times have you forgotten where you have put your keys? I bet you have forgotten where you have parked your car as well. These things do happen to ordinary people, and there is nothing we can do about it. Or is there?[Read More]

New Molecule Created By 10-Year-Old

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tetranitratoxycarbon

Tetranitratoxycarbon


This little girl is THE man! Clara Lazen, who is only 10 years old, has created a new molecule in science class, albeit accidentally. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri and created the new molecule by chance when her science teacher, Kenneth Boehr, handed out your run-of-the-mill balls and sticks.

Boehr gave his students balls representing the atoms of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, presumably to “play” with them. The result of Clara’s “playing” was totally unexpected: the new molecule dubbed Tetranitratoxycarbon.[Read More]