Researchers control the assembly of nanobristles into helical clusters

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – January 8, 2008 – From the structure of DNA to nautical rope to distant spiral galaxies, helical forms are as abundant as they are useful in nature and manufacturing alike. Researchers at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have discovered a way to synthesize and control the formation of nanobristles, akin to tiny hairs, into helical clusters and have further demonstrated the fabrication of such highly ordered clusters, built from similar coiled building blocks, over multiple scales and areas.

Scientists publish first ever evidence of asteroids with earth-like crust

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Two rare meteorites found in Antarctica two years ago are from a previously unknown, ancient asteroid with an outer layer or crust similar in composition to the crust of Earth's continents, reports a research team primarily composed of geochemists from the University of Maryland.

Published in the January 8 issue of the journal Nature, this is the first ever finding of material from an asteroid with a crust like Earth's. The discovery also represents the oldest example of rock with this composition ever found.

Spookfish uses mirrors for eyes

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A remarkable new discovery shows the four-eyed spookfish to be the first vertebrate ever found to use mirrors, rather than lenses, to focus light in its eyes.

Professor Julian Partridge from the University of Bristol, said: "In nearly 500 million years of vertebrate evolution, and many thousands of vertebrate species living and dead, this is the only one known to have solved the fundamental optical problem faced by all eyes – how to make an image – using a mirror."

Hind wings help butterflies make swift turns to evade predators, study finds

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ITHACA, N.Y. – New tires allow race cars to take tight turns at high speeds. Hind wings give moths and butterflies similar advantages: They are not necessary for basic flight but help these creatures take tight turns to evade predators.

Renaissance capitalist: New research answers mystery about illegitimate daughter of pope

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In popular legend, Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara (1480- 1519), stands falsely accused of poisoning her second husband. Victor Hugo portrayed her in thinly veiled fiction as a tragic femme fatale. Buffalo Bill named his gun after her.

Martian rock arrangement not alien handiwork

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At first, figuring out how pebble-sized rocks organize themselves in evenly-spaced patterns in sand seemed simple and even intuitive. But once Andrew Leier, an assistant geoscience professor at the U of C, started observing, he discovered that the most commonly held notions did not apply.

And even more surprising, was that his findings revealed answers to NASA's questions about sediment transport and surface processes on Mars. Those results are published in this month's edition of Geology.

Risk management critical to corporate strategy

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Dedham, MA – January 7, 2009 – With the consequences of the current financial crisis spreading to the real economy, lawmakers are exploring new regulations to govern the financial markets. The concern among market participants is that policy-makers do not fully understand how risk management does and should work, and how derivatives can be beneficial.

China's food economy benefits small, poor farmers

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Beijing, China – January 7, 2009 – One of the most significant changes in China's agricultural economy over the past fifteen years has been the rise of horticulture. During this same time period, modern supply chains have also emerged. A new study in the Review of Agricultural Economics reveals that the recent changes in China 's food economy have contributed to an improvement in poverty reduction and betterment of small farmers. However, there exists a great challenge to ensure delivery of a safe product.

Four, three, two, one . . . pterosaurs have lift off

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Pterosaurs have long suffered an identity crisis. Pop culture heedlessly — and wrongly — lumps these extinct flying lizards in with dinosaurs. Even paleontologists assumed that because the creatures flew, they were birdlike in many ways, such as using only two legs to take flight.

Interpretation time for screening digital mammograms: Is it efficient?

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Digital mammograms take longer to interpret than film-screen mammograms, according to a study performed at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.