Catherine Griffin : Science World Report

Nov 15, 2013 07:31 AM EST

Secret Behind the Longevity of Jupiter's Great Red Spot Revealed

Jupiter's Great Red Spot is one of the planet's most defining features. Yet it won't remain present in our telescopes' fields forever; the spot is actually a massive storm, big enough to engulf the Earth two or three times over. In fact, this storm should have disappeared centuries ago. Now, scienti...

Nov 15, 2013 07:08 AM EST

NASA Hubble Space Telescope Reveals Formative Years of Milky Way Galaxy

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has shown astronomers a bit more about the history of the Milky Way galaxy. Scientists used Hubble's deep-sky surveys of 400 similar galaxies in order to better understand our own galaxy's formative years.

Nov 14, 2013 12:23 PM EST

Nature's Glowing Slime Investigated: Blue Bioluminscence

It's slimy, it's produced by a worm and it glows blue. The mucus that a little-known marine worm creates results in a dazzling bioluminescent display in the form of puffs of blue light. Now, scientists are taking a closer look at this startling bioluminescence, learning a little bit more about how ...

Nov 14, 2013 11:23 AM EST

Buried Fossil Leaves Reveal Precolonial US Forests: Guiding Stream Restoration

Hundreds of years ago, leaves from ancient trees fell into streams where they were buried. Now, a team of geoscientists has uncovered leaves buried by sediment behind milldams, revealing the truth behind what ancient forests and streams in America were like before Europeans established first contact...

Nov 14, 2013 10:45 AM EST

Ocean Acidification Could Increase by 170 Percent by the End of the Century

Ocean acidification could be a huge issue in the future. But now, a major new international report reveals that an acidic ocean may be closer than we thought. The new findings show that the acidity in the world's oceans may increase by as much as 170 percent by the end of the century, bringing with ...

Nov 14, 2013 10:10 AM EST

Gut Bacteria Boosts the Immune System: Combating Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Scientists have taken a closer look at the role of gut bacteria when it comes to the maturation of the immune system; it turns out that they've uncovered evidence supporting the use of butyrate, an acid produced by gut bacteria, as therapy for inflammatory bowel diseases.

Nov 14, 2013 08:57 AM EST

Social Networks Make us Smarter: Why Human Civilizations Rise and Fall

Social networks may not just connect us to other individuals; they may also make us smarter. Scientists have discovered that the secret behind why some cultures thrive while others disappear may lie in social networks and our ability to imitate, rather than individual smarts.

Nov 14, 2013 08:31 AM EST

Monkeys Understand Language Musicality Rules: Evolution of Human Speech

There are rules and patterns in a language that make something "sound good" or cause it to become almost intelligible. Now, scientists have found that these structural and melodic patterns in languages are so simple, even monkeys can understand them.

Nov 14, 2013 07:47 AM EST

Scientists Create More Powerful Batteries with Viruses: Biology Melts with Technology

How do you make better batteries? You use viruses, of course. Scientists have found a way to boost lithium-air battery performance with the help of modified viruses. The findings could be huge when it comes to drastically increasing power per battery weight.

Nov 14, 2013 07:11 AM EST

New Micro Sensors May Monitor Ocean Acidification Due to Climate Change

The first step in potentially curtailing and combating ocean acidification is monitoring it. Now, scientists have taken that first step by developing a cost-effective micro sensor for long-term monitoring of ocean acidification.

Nov 13, 2013 12:07 PM EST

Island Diversity in Danger of Total Submersion from Sea Level Rise

Sea level rise is a huge issue for low-lying island habitats. As the climate continues to change, though, nearly 20 percent of the world's biodiversity is in danger. Now, scientists have taken a closer look at rising sea levels, revealing the potential for a catastrophic future.

Nov 13, 2013 11:01 AM EST

A Nostalgic Past Increases Optimism about the Future

You would think that nostalgia would cause pessimism or even sadness, but it turns out that this isn't the case. Researchers have revealed that feeling nostalgic about the past actually increases optimism about the future.