Researchers have given rats the ability to “touch” infrared light, normally invisible to them, by fitting them with an infrared detector wired to microscopic electrodes implanted in the part of the mammalian brain that processes [...]
Author Archive | Duke University
Real angry birds ‘flip the bird’ before a fight
Male sparrows are capable of fighting to the death. But a new study shows that they often wave their wings wildly first in an attempt to avoid a dangerous brawl. “For birds, wing waves are [...]
Poor lemurs: Parasites expanding with climate change
Rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns in Madagascar could fuel the spread of lemur parasites and the diseases they carry. By combining data on six parasite species from ongoing surveys of lemur health with weather [...]
Controlled crumpling of graphene forms artificial muscle
Duke University engineers are layering atom-thick lattices of carbon with polymers to create unique materials with a broad range of applications, including artificial muscles. The lattice, known as graphene, is made of pure carbon and [...]
Analysis of fracking wastewater yields some surprises
Hydraulically fractured natural gas wells are producing less wastewater per unit of gas recovered than conventional wells would. But the scale of fracking operations in the Marcellus shale region is so vast that the wastewater [...]
Bonobos Share With Strangers Before Acquaintances
You’re standing in line somewhere and you decide to open a pack of gum. Do you share a piece with the coworker standing to one side of you, or with the stranger on the other? [...]