Top quark measurements give ‘God particle’ new lease on life

Researchers from the University of Rochester have helped measure the elusive top quark with unparalleled precision, and the surprising results affect everything from the Higgs boson, nicknamed the ”God particle,” to the makeup of the dark matter that comprises 90 percent of the universe. The scientists developed a new method to analyze data from particle accelerator collisions at Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory, which is far more accurate than previous methods and has the potential to change the dynamics of the Standard Model of particle physics. Details of the research are in today’s issue of the journal Nature.

Why grandparents prefer certain kin to others

Grandparents systemically prefer some grandchildren to others because of doubts about genetic lineage new research confirms.
“Not all grandparents invest the same time and resources in their grandchildren,” says UNSW psychologist and study co-author, Dr Bill von Hippel. “Maternal grandmothers are closer to their grandchildren than other grandparents. The next closest relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is by maternal grandfathers, then paternal grandmothers and, last of all, paternal grandfathers.”

Some dog language abilities pre-date human speech

Dog owners convinced of their pets’ grasp of human language may be validated, at least in part, by new research on the word-learning abilities of a German family’s Border collie. Scientists who studied a dog with an approximately 200-word “vocabulary” suggest that some aspects of speech comprehension evolved earlier than, and independent from, human speech.

Gemini Mirror is First with Silver Lining

A silver coating newly applied to the 8-metre mirror of the Gemini South telescope is set to make it the most powerful infrared telescope on the Earth, allowing UK astronomers and their international partners to study in detail the formation of stars and planets. A key measure of a telescopes performance in the infrared is its emissivity (how much heat it actually emits compared to the total amount it can theoretically emit) in the thermal or mid-infrared part of the spectrum. These emissions result in a background noise against which astronomical sources must be measured. Gemini has the lowest total thermal emissivity of any large astronomical telescope on the ground, with values under 4% prior to receiving its silver coating.

How brain gives special resonance to emotional memories

If the emotional memory of a traumatic car accident or the thrill of first love are remembered with a special resonance, it is because they engage different brain structures than do normal memories, researchers have discovered. Their new study provides clear evidence from humans that the brain’s emotional center, called the amygdala, interacts with memory-related brain regions during the formation of emotional memories, perhaps to give such memories their indelible emotional resonance.

Drunken worms reveal a genetic basis of alcohol response

Since one of the basic risk factors for alcoholism is a tolerance to alcohol, researchers have long sought to understand the genetic differences among people that affect their sensitivity to alcohol. So far, scientists have met with little success. However, by exposing populations of the roundworm C. elegans to alcohol and pinpointing subtle genetic differences among strains that respond differently, researchers have identified one gene that affects alcohol sensitivity.

Kangaroo Hops in Line for Genome Sequencing

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced a partnership with the Melbourne-based Australian Genome Research Facility Ltd. (AGRF) to sequence the DNA of one of Australia’s best-known animals: a member of the kangaroo family known as the tammar wallaby. ”This scientific collaboration between the United States and Australia represents another important step in our quest to gain a better understanding of the human genome,” said NHGRI Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. ”As we build on the success of the Human Genome Project, it has been increasingly clear that one of the best tools for identifying crucial elements in the human genome is to compare it with the genomes of a wide variety of other animals.”

Alzheimer’s May Leave Some Forms of Memory Intact

Researchers have made the surprising discovery that people with Alzheimer’s disease retain the capability for a specific form of memory used for rote learning of skills, even as their memories of people and events are extinguished. The scientists’ discovery suggests new strategies to improve training and rehabilitative programs that may bolster the retained cognitive function of those with Alzheimer’s disease as well as healthy older people.

UN warns of possible locust plague in nothern Africa

A United Nations agency has warned that without intervention, a boom in locusts in northern Africa could grow into a plague that would devastate crops. ”An upsurge is under way in the region,” the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation said. FAO called upon Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal to prepare intensive survey and control operations against possible desert locust swarms arriving from the north and invading crop-producing areas in the Sahel.

NASA data shows deforestation affects climate in the Amazon

NASA satellite data are giving scientists insight into how large-scale deforestation in the Amazon Basin in South America is affecting regional climate. Researchers found during the Amazon dry season last August, there was a distinct pattern of higher rainfall and warmer temperatures over deforested regions. Researchers analyzed multiple years of data from NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). They also used data from the Department of Defense Special Sensor Microwave Imager and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites.

Researchers learn to precisely control nanoparticle spacing

Another puzzle solved: Researchers are now able to control precisely the spacing between nanoparticles, a key advance in the genesis of a new class of nanoscale electronics and optics. ”We care about the spacing between the particles because the interactions between them are distance-dependent,” said a lead scientist.. ”If they’re too far apart, the interaction will be weaker, preventing the particles from passing electrons from one to another.”

A bridge smaller than the width of a human hair

Two major UK landmarks now count among the world’s smallest objects. Scientists & engineers based at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne specialising in miniaturisation technology have recreated North East England’s Tyne Bridge and the Angel of the North sculpture so they are smaller than a pinhead and invisible to the naked eye.