The Discovery Files

A father-son research team working from separate laboratory benches at Arizona State University and Johns Hopkins University discover a new use for lasers -- zapping viruses out of blood.

Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have refined the process of "printing" tissue structures with the aim of eventually building human organs.

Harnessing the electrical and mechanical properties of the carbon nanotube, a team of researchers at the University of California at Berkeley has created a fully functional radio from a single fiber of that material.

Paleontologists at Princeton University have found new evidence suggesting that a series of monumental volcanic eruptions in India may have killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, not an asteroid impact in the Gulf of Mexico.

Single female seeking single male, must have deep voice... Yes it's true, women are often attracted to deeper male voices. But, there may be more to it than just that initial appeal of the way it sounds. A team of anthropologists from Harvard, McMaster and Florida State universities is examining the correlation between voice pitch and child-bearing success. According to the team, deeper voice pitch predicts reproductive success in male hunter-gatherers. The results point to a role for voice pitch in Darwinian fitness in humans. Who would have thought 'survival of the fittest' would have anything to do with a person's voice?

The Internet offers wide appeal to people with disabilities, but many of those same people find it frustrating or impossible to use a handheld mouse. Software developed at the University of Washington provides an alternative using one of the oldest and most versatile modes of communication: the human voice.

An international research team led out of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has developed a computer algorithm that can trace genetic ancestry for thousands of individuals in minutes. Unlike previous computer programs, this requires no prior knowledge of an individual's genetic background -- a simple DNA sample is all that's needed! This algorithm could also prove extremely beneficial in the medical frontier. Understanding our unique genetic makeup is a crucial step in unraveling the genetic basis for complex diseases, according to the researchers.

University of Utah biologists genetically manipulated nematode worms so the animals were attracted to other nematodes of the same-sex. This is part of a study that shows that sexual attraction is wired in the creatures' brain.

It might seem like something out of a science fiction thriller, but this bizarre finding is real. Using a high-speed digital camera and imaging equipment, researchers at UC Davis are capturing the unique feeding habits of moray eels and how they use their 'alien' jaws. After these eels grasp food with their powerful outer jaws, a second set of jaws -- large, curved teeth located in the eel's throat -- reaches forward into the mouth, seizes the food and carries it back to the esophagus for swallowing. Guess there's no chance of "the fish that got away" if it's on the menu for this eel.

Terrorists and extremists have infiltrated the Internet, using it to recruit and train new members, spread propaganda and plan attacks across the world. The speed, ubiquity and potential anonymity of the Internet make it an ideal communication channel for militant groups and terrorist organizations. But, scientists at the University of Arizona are shining a light on these dark corners of the Web. Their project, known as 'Dark Web,' uses cutting-edge technology and novel approaches to catalogue and analyze extremist activities online and is proving to be an invaluable tool in the global war on terror.

As consumers, we want to see the food we are buying. But, this amenity might just be at the expense of the food. Scientists at Virginia Tech have provided significant evidence that light can alter the taste, color and odor of food items, so the see-through packaging common in grocery store aisles could put our food in harm's way. But there is hope... the food scientists have started looking at alternative packaging methods and are hoping collaboration with materials scientists will reveal safer containment for our food.

Defiant behavior from toddlers toward their mothers may not be a bad thing, according to researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Michigan. They studied the mother-child interaction of 14- to 27-month-old children and found this behavior may in fact reflect an emerging autonomy and healthy confidence. The study also indicated a correlation to the mother's behavior. Children with mothers exhibiting symptoms of depression were more likely to ignore requests and less likely to exhibit defiance -- possibly at risk of becoming overly passive.

It might look like a simple sheet of black paper, but it's really an incredibly novel source of power. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a unique nanocomposite paper that can provide steady power output comparable to a conventional battery as well as a quick burst of high energy like a supercapacitor. This power device can withstand extreme temperatures and can be rolled, twisted, folded -- and even cut into pieces -- with no loss of mechanical integrity or efficiency. Plus, it's even environmentally safe. Talk about superpower!!

University of Delaware scientists have developed a novel biomaterial that offers great promise for helping to repair and regenerate human tissue. Their hydrogel invention -- which has surprising antibacterial properties -- could be injected into a wound, where it rigidifies nearly on contact. This opens the door to possibly delivering a targeted payload of cells and antibiotics to repair damaged tissue -- offering a myriad of uses including regenerating healthy tissue in a cancer-ridden liver or healing a biopsy site.

A team of scientists from Cornell University is studying the evolutionary struggle in which plants and diseases are in a continual war to outdo each other. Plants build up a resistance to a disease, but then the pathogens quickly evolve to overcome the plants' defenses. The Cornell team is studying a battle involving a bacterium that infects tomatoes by injecting a special protein into the plant's cell to undermine the plant's defense system. More evidence of that ongoing arms race in the plant world!