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“Face Time” — The Discovery Files
We may be taught not to judge a book by its cover, but when we see a new face, our brains decide whether a person is attractive and trustworthy within a tenth of a second, according to recent Princeton University research.
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“Garbage to Gas” — The Discovery Files
Could you fire up the family car on a gallon of sawdust? Or make a high-tech kayak out of leftover pine scrap? The answer may soon be yes, according to University of Maine scientists working to convert waste from the paper industry into ethanol for fue…
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“Tilt-O-World” — The Discovery Files
Imagine a shift in the Earth so profound that it could force our entire planet to spin on its side after a few million years, tilting it so far that Alaska would sit at the equator. Princeton scientists have now provided the first compelling evidence t…
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“Paddle Bots” — The Discovery Files
More isn’t always better. Just ask Madeleine, a joystick-controlled underwater robot built to study the way aquatic animals swim. Like them, she has four flippers. But scientists were surprised to learn that she moved faster and more efficiently when u…
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“A Little Counter Intelligence” — The Discovery Files
Duke University researchers have found evidence that babies have an abstract numerical sense even before they learn to talk. The study could shed light on how infants first grasp the concept of number.
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“HIAPER-Active” — The Discovery Files
HIAPER, the nation’s most advanced research aircraft has taken flight on its first science mission, flying over treacherous whirlwinds, known as rotors, as they form above the California Sierra Nevada range. Rotors form on the lee side of high, steep m…
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“Thermal Outerwear” — The Discovery Files
The sun bathes the planet in energy free of charge, yet few systems can take advantage of that source for both heating and cooling. But engineers at Rensselaer Polytech are developing a green, thin film technology that adheres both solar cells and hea…
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“Bat Signal” — The Discovery Files
A new University of Maryland study finds that echolocating bats use a strategy to track and catch erratically moving insects that is much like the system used by some guided missles to intercept evasive targets and is different from the way humans and …
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“Pronounced Profits” — The Discovery Files
According to a study by Princeton University psychologists, the ease of pronouncing the name of a company and its stock ticker symbol has a bearing on how well that stock performs in the days just after its initial public offering. The study of initial…
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“Tacky Bacteria” — The Discovery Files
It may be the strongest natural adhesive known to science. In fact, just a bit of it could suspend an elephant. It’s the glue of one species of aquatic bacteria, and scientists and engineers are looking for a way to mass produce it.