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January 7, 2013

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Mars rover spots formations resembling flower, snake
The Mars Curiosity rover has sent back images of what appear to be a flower-like shape embedded in a rock and a snake-shaped rock stretching across the Red Planet, causing a stir among NASA officials and space enthusiasts alike. Guy Webster, a spokesman for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said the flower-like object "appears to be part of the rock, not debris from the spacecraft." Space.com (1/5)

Science in the News

NASA releases video of huge solar eruption
A New Year's Eve solar eruption blasted out plasma waves capable of enveloping upward of 20 Earths, scientists say. The eruptions, which scientists say are not the largest the sun has ever produced, are part of the star's 11-year solar activity cycle, which should hit its peak later this year. Space.com (1/4)

Study: Standard kilogram weight has gotten heavier
Tens of micrograms worth of surface contamination have caused the international standard kilogram to gain weight, according to new research, causing concern that each country's standard weight for a kilogram is now slightly different. The cylinder-shaped piece of metal is key for scientific experiments that require exact measurements, and a different weight could throw off research. The study suggests that ozone and ultraviolet light could clean the weights without damage. LiveScience.com (1/6)

Novel technique used in U.K.'s first hand transplant
Surgeons removed a patient's nonfunctional hand during the same surgery in which a donor hand was attached in the U.K.'s first hand transplant. The technique allowed accurate nerve structure restoration, surgeons said. The Telegraph (London) (tiered subscription model) (1/4) , The Scotsman (Edinburgh) (1/4)

Paternal mental health may influence child behavior at age 3
Children born to fathers who were highly distressed, depressed or anxious at week 17 or 18 of gestation had a greater likelihood of displaying emotional and behavioral problems at age 3, Norwegian researchers found. The findings, based on almost 32,000 children living in Norway, appear in the journal Pediatrics. USA Today (1/7)

Waterfall-climbing fish use same muscles for climbing, feeding
A species of rock-climbing goby in Hawaii may have a distinct capability of climbing tall waterfalls due to a second mouth sucker developed during their change into adulthood, scientists have found. The Nopoli rock-climbing goby can climb waterfalls as tall as 330 feet, while most gobies climb just several inches. Scientists have also linked the Nopoli goby's climbing abilities to the same muscles used in feeding. LiveScience.com (1/4)

Report: Gourma elephants trek large distances to survive
Gourma elephants can travel an average of 32,000 square kilometers for food and water, a 150% larger area than other desert elephants, according to data published in Biological Conservation. The study tracked herds of the elephants, which live in the Gourma region of Mali, for two years hoping to discover how the creatures survived. ScienceMag.org/ScienceNow blog (1/4)

Enormous Roman shipwreck may be two ships
A well-known shipwreck off the coast of the Greek island Antikythera might actually be two shipwrecks, according to research presented at the annual meeting for the Archaeological Institute of America. The Roman shipwreck, found in the early 1900s, has been uniquely too deep and too remote for most to explore, but a new effort in October allowed scientists to dive deeper into the wreck. The site is most known for the Antikythera mechanism, a device made of complicated bronze gears that determined astronomical positions. LiveScience.com (1/5)

Analysis: Leaf-size limitations linked to height of trees
Shorter trees have more leaf-size variety than taller ones, which tend to have a smaller leaf-size range, according to an analysis published in Physical Review Letters. The paper's authors studied the flow of sap as it related to tree length and leaf size and found what they call a "simple observation" for the correlation. ScienceMag.org/ScienceNow blog (1/4)

Funding Watch

Scientists get $2.4M federal grant to turn lignin into a biofuel
A research team led by scientists from Texas A&M University has landed a $2.4 million grant from the Department of Energy to develop biofuels from plant lignin. Researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of British Columbia and Washington State University are also involved in the project. The grant was among several issued by the department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. FuelFix.com/Alternative fuels blog (1/6)

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