Hair Allows Hearing

Scientists discovered that our hearing is because our ears have tiny tubelike motors that mechanically amplify sounds.

Hair cells in your ears have spiky hairs like molecular mohawks. When sound waves enter the ear these hairs vibrate, and your brain computes it as sound. But these hairs don't move like grass in the breeze. The electrical signals the hairs produce feed back on the system, causing the hairs to tilt even more - called the “flexoelectric effect."

Hair length in different species explains why animals like bats can detect such high frequency sounds.

Birds and Bugs Fly the Same

Scientists studied 7 different kinds of winged animals - bugs to birds - and found they all used "flapping counter-torque" to turn. When a bird or bug turns right, its left wing moves faster on the downstroke while the right is faster on the upstroke, slowing the animal’s rotation. Whatever their size, animals with a similar wingspan to body length ratio need the same number of flaps to finish a turn.

Conniving Primates

Researchers studied a zoo chimp for 10 years and found he was collecting stones to throw at visitors.

"When the chimp first got to the zoo, he didn't throw many stones. But the few times he did got quite a reaction. And his rate of stone throwing picked up. Researchers swept the chimp’s area and found caches of stones. Then a caretaker hid and watched the chimp collect stones to throw later. Eventually the chimp tapped at concrete structures to break off pieces to throw."

The behavior is different from a chimp using a stick to collect termites to eat - which would be meeting an immediate need. The stone thrower is clearly and calmly planning for future events.

Moral Disgust Skin Deep

A study suggests our reactions to immorality and physical repugnance may be more similar than we think, because both elicit the same expression of disgust.

Subjects were asked to sip awful-tasting beverages. They made similar faces when shown photos of dirty toilets, etc. Subjects were then treated unfairly - e.g. given $1 while a partner got $9 - again exhibiting the same expressions of disgust.

Scientists conclude that aversion to bad behavior and bad food may have evolved from a primitive defense mechanism that nowadays protects us from both insult and injury.

Worth The Face Time

A study suggests that we often select leaders based on appearance.

Photos of the winner and runner up from a 2002 French election were shown to people in Switzerland who didn't know either candidate. Most participants thought the winner was the most competent of the 2. Then, 600+ children played a game involving a computer-simulated boat trip and asked which said they preferred the actual winner to captain the ship.

Video Games Improve Vision

A study suggests that action video gaming can improve one's eyesight.

People who played 5+ hours/week were found to have better contrast vision than non-gamers. Contrast sensitivity is useful for driving at night or in poor visibility ... and the first aspect of vision that deteriorates with age.

Also, non-gamers, who did a daily action video gaming workout boosted their contrast vision that lasted for months. Non-action video games didn’t have the desired effect.

Werid But Cool

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't awlyas mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe