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科学美国人60秒 SSS Color-Changing Skin Aids Climate Control and Communication
Various animals evolved coloration that keeps them hidden. A jaguar's patterns help it slink undetected across the sun-dappled rainforest floor. The mottled pigmentation on the wings of some let them rest on tree bark undisturbed. And then there are
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科学美国人60秒 SSS Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Actually Promotes It
Used to be, teenage kids had to carry around a bag of flour wrapped in a blanket to learn the responsibilities of parenthood. But these days? The same lesson is taught with hi-tech dolls that cry and record every interaction. You know they get grumpy
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科学美国人60秒 SSS Shark Fins Contain Toxic ＂One–Two Punch＂
Living at the top of the food chain, sharks can accumulate dangerous levels of methylmercury. So much that pregnant women and children are advised not to eat shark at all. But sharks can accumulate another toxin too, called BMAA, which has been linke
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科学美国人60秒 SSS Protein Test Could Complement Crime Scene DNA Analysis
DNA analysis is a staple of crime scenesand crime shows, like HBO's The Night of or the old standby, CSI: We just need to get this to the DNA lab, confirm it's the victim's blood. And then, case closed. And it's not just for crime: DNA sequencing als
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科学美国人60秒 SSS Photonic Chip Could Strengthen Smartphone Encryption
Random numbers are hugely important for modern computing. They're used to encrypt credit card numbers and emails. To inject randomness into online gaming. And to simulate super complex phenomena, like protein folding or nuclear fission. But here's th
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科学美国人60秒 SSS World Wilderness Down 10 Percent in 20 Years
Only about 23 percent of the worlds land area is still what youd call wildernesswhere indigenous people, wildlife, plants and microbes get a chance to live with little or no disturbance from large human populations. But even that current figure of 23
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科学美国人60秒 SSS Road Noise Makes Birds' Lives Tougher
[Songbird and traffic noise] It's hard to be a bird in our human-dominated world. You can barely hear yourself sing, let along hear the songs of your friends and you can forget about hearing a predator. Noise is almost everywhere. Especially noise fr
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科学美国人60秒 SSS Oldest Known Indigo Dye Found in Peru
Many people remember the colors of the rainbow by the acronym ROY G. BIV. For red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Well, the color indigo just made news. Indigo gets its name from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and its relatives, whic
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科学美国人60秒 SSS Drunk People Feel Soberer around Heavy Drinkers
Volunteers in scientific studies sometimes get compensated. The payment can be cash, a gift card or something almost worthless: Its amazing what people will do for a lollipop, when they've had a few drinks. Simon Moore is a professor of public health
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科学美国人60秒 SSS Some Malaria Mosquitoes May Prefer Cows to Us
As you've probably experienced firsthand, some mosquito species have a real taste for warm, human blood. So much so that if you raise them on it the lab, they'll accept no substitute. Fortunately, I don't get major reactions at all. Brad Main is a mo
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科学美国人60秒 SSS Birch Trees Droop at Night with No Rays in Sight
Its easy to see that some plants change from day to nightflowers open and close, and even turn to face the sun. In 1880 Darwin noted that the leaves and seedlings of various plants appeared to engage in nighttime changes that he called sleep. But the
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科学美国人60秒 SSS Ancient Biblical Scroll Gets Read While Wrapped
In the 1970s, researchers unearthing an ancient synagogue at Ein Gedi, near the Dead Sea, discovered the structures Holy Arkthe container in which early Jews would have stored the Bible as they prayed. The site was home to a large Jewish community fr
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科学美国人60秒 SSS Big Earthquakes May Be More Likely During New and Full Moons
Every two weeks, on the full and new moons, the sun, moon and Earth fall along a nearly straight line. The combination of gravitational forces in this arrangement creates large swings in the tides. But the celestial alignment affects more than the oc
