color
Skin color: Handy tool for teaching evolution
Variations in skin color provide one of the best examples of evolution by natural selection acting on the human body and should be used to teach evolution in schools, according to a Penn State anthropologist.
“There is an inherent level of interes…
Wildflower colors tell butterflies how to do their jobs
DURHAM, N.C. — The recipe for making one species into two requires time and some kind of separation, like being on different islands or something else that discourages gene flow between the two budding species.
In the case of common Texas wildfl…
Consumers prefer products with few, and mostly matching, colors
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Most people like to play it safe when combining colors for an article of clothing or outfit, a new study suggests.
When consumers were asked to choose colors for seven different parts of an athletic shoe, they tended to pick ide…
SU scientists find that in the evolutionary mating game, brawn and stealth rule
When prowling for a hook up, it’s not always the good-looker who gets the girl. In fact, in a certain species of South American fish, brawn and stealth beat out colorful and refined almost every time.
In a series of published studies of a South A…
Jefferson Lab laser twinkles in rare color
December is a time for twinkling lights, and scientists at the Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility are delivering. They’ve just produced a long-sought, rare color of laser light 100 times brighter than that generate…
Hearing colors, seeing sounds: New research explores sensory overlap in the brain
SAN DIEGO — New research indicates that the integration of senses and functions in the brain is common. About two percent of the population has a condition called synesthesia, in which two different sensations, like color and sound, are experienc…
Male lizard cooperation adds new wrinkle to evolutionary theory
Blue-throated lizards that help each other achieve reproductive success are also helping scientists understand how social cooperation evolved. Most examples of cooperative behavior in animals involve cooperation between genetically related individuals, which is explained by the theory of “kin selection.” Now, researchers have described an example of cooperation between genetically similar but unrelated members of a lizard species common in the western United States. Their findings, published in the June 20 issue of the journal Science, shed new light on the evolution of cooperation and social behavior.
Gold nanoparticles and catalytic DNA produce colormetric lead sensor
Detecting the presence of hazardous lead paint could become as simple as pressing a piece of paper against a wall and noting a color change. Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a highly sensitive and selective biosensor that functions in much the same fashion as a strip of litmus paper.