Shades of grey help brain sense surfaces

A new theory of how the brain perceives visual surfaces in the physical world could open pathways to improvements in robotics and bionics.  Dr Tony Vladusich, of the University of South Australia, has developed a mathematical theory of how the brain perceives surface characteristics, such as glossiness, transparency and lightness.

Fossil of most successful mammal unearthed

Remains of the oldest ancestor of the most evolutionarily successful and long-lived mammal lineage have just been unearthed in China. The mammal — one of several creatures known as multituberculates — looked like a cross between a small rat and a chipmunk. It lived 160 million years ago during the Cretaceous era. This particular new species was Rugosodon eurasiaticus, which is the oldest known multituberculate. Its remains were found preserved in lake sediments, suggesting that it lived on the shores.

Qubits teleported at kilobits per second

For the first time, researchers have teleported 10,000 bits of information per second inside a solid state circuit. Although the accomplishment differs from teleporting mass - such as that seen on science fiction shows like Star Trek — the remarkable feat demonstrates what could be possible with a quantum computer.

Bone tools found at Neanderthal site

Sophisticated leather-working tools found in a cave in France offer the first evidence that Neanderthals had more advanced bone tools than early modern humans. The four fragments of hide-softening bone tools known as lissoirs, or smoothers, were found at two neighbouring sites in southern France.

First colour detected for planet outside our system

Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope say they have figured out the colour of a planet outside our solar system for the first time. It’s cobalt blue, though not at all Earth-like, they said, describing a world where surface temperatures are hot enough to melt stone and where it may rain glass — sideways. The planet is HD 189733b, one of the closest worlds out­side our solar system visible crossing the face of its star, 63 light-years away.

Dolphin memory

A new study has found dolphins can remember the call of another dolphin decades later.