Catherine Griffin : Science World Report

Oct 29, 2013 09:36 AM EDT

Light Activates the Human Brain, Even in the Blind

Light may be more important to the human brain than you might have thought--even when it comes to someone who is completely blind. Scientists have discovered that light enhances brain activity during a cognitive task, even for those who can't see.

Oct 29, 2013 08:54 AM EDT

Sun Hurls 18 Solar Flares and Billions of Particles into Space

The sun's activity is ramping up some more as it approaches the peak of its 11-year solar cycle. Now, NASA has announced that our sun has released the first significant solar flares since June 2013 earlier this week.

Oct 29, 2013 08:11 AM EDT

White-Nose Syndrome Fungus is Worse Than We Thought for Cave Bats

Bat populations are declining across the United States, plagued by a fungus known as white-nose syndrome. Now, though, scientists have discovered that the fungus is worse than they realized; there's very little that might stop the organism from spreading further and persisting indefinitely in cave b...

Oct 29, 2013 07:30 AM EDT

NASA Discovers Diamond Planets Made of Carbon May be Waterless and Lifeless

While some worlds have water, others don't. Now, scientists have discovered that so-called diamond planets made of carbon may lack oceans. The findings could aid researchers in their hunt for life on other planets as they scour the universe.

Oct 28, 2013 02:41 PM EDT

Brief Exposure to Steroids May be Permanently 'Remembered' by Muscles

It turns out that even a brief exposure to steroids could have long-term effects. Researchers have found that anabolic steroids could have possibly permanent, performance-enhancing effects. The findings reveal the importance of understanding how these drugs might impact the body.

Oct 28, 2013 01:51 PM EDT

Scientists Refine Technique to 'Print' Tissue and Organs

Need more tissue for a skin graft? How about an organ? Scientists have long sought to find out how best to create tissues that could replace a damaged organ. Now, scientists have further refined a technology that may be able to print cells and produce various tissue types.

Oct 28, 2013 12:23 PM EDT

Real Brain Power: Tiny Neural Computer Created with a Single Dendrite

The human brain may have more potential than scientists once believed. It turns out that the orientation computations that our brains perform on a daily basis can be carried out by the microscopic branches of neurons known as dendrites, which are the receiving elements of neurons. This, in turn, rev...

Oct 28, 2013 11:15 AM EDT

New Weather Pattern Predicts Heat Wave 20 Days in Advance

Heat waves can cause major issues for the Northern Hemisphere. In fact, a 2006 heat wave across much of the United States and Canada was blamed for more than 600 deaths in California alone. Now, though, scientists may have found a new way to predict these heat waves.

Oct 28, 2013 10:09 AM EDT

Scientists Solve Oxygen Mystery in Solar System's Earliest Rocks

A mystery has long puzzled cosmochemists when it came to the formation of the solar system. Oxygen follows a strange, anomalous pattern in the oldest and most pristine rocks. Now, researchers may have discovered the answers behind these different chemical processes.

Oct 28, 2013 08:58 AM EDT

Dinosaur Extinction Nearly Destroyed Bees

About 65 million years ago, there was a massive extinction of bees. The disappearance of these insects, though, corresponded with a massive event that also wiped out land dinosaurs and many flowering plants. Now, scientists are taking a closer look at this event, which could shed light on the curren...

Oct 28, 2013 08:25 AM EDT

ALMA Captures Ghostly Shape of the Boomerang Nebula, Coldest Place in the Universe

Astronomers have caught a ghostly image of one of the coldest places in the universe. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope, they've taken a closer look at the Boomerang Nebula, which plunges to an astonishing minus 458 degrees Fahrenheit.

Oct 28, 2013 07:44 AM EDT

441 New Species Discovered in Amazon Rainforest, Including Monkey that Purrs like a Cat

The Amazon rainforest remains one of the most species rich and, at the same time, most unexplored regions of the world. Now, scientists have learned a bit more about this biodiverse area. Over a four year period, researchers have discovered at least 441 new species of animals and plants, including a...