Quirky Science

Doctoral student Joseph Choi is pictured with a a multidirectional `perfect paraxial’ cloak using 4 lenses. Photo Courtesy: University of Rochester

'Cloaking' device uses ordinary lenses
to hide objects across range of angles

Inspired perhaps by Harry Potter's invisibility cloak, scientists have recently developed several ways -- some simple and some involving new technologies -- to hide objects from view. The latest effort, developed at the University of Rochester, not only overcomes some of the limitations of previous devices, but it uses inexpensive, readily available materials in a novel configuration.
Forgoing the specialized components, John Howell, a professor of physics and graduate student Joseph Choi developed a combination of four standard lenses that keeps the object hidden as the viewer moves up to several degrees away from the optimal viewing position.
"This is the first device that we know of that can do three-dimensional, continuously multidirectional cloaking, which works for transmitting rays in the visible spectrum," writes Choi, a PhD student at Rochester's Institute of Optics.
The study was published in Optics Express.

Objectification in romantic relationships
related to sexual pressure, coercion

To sexually objectify a woman is to focus on her body in terms of how it can provide sexual pleasure rather than viewing her as a complete human being with thoughts and feelings. While objectification has long been considered a problem in the media, how does it affect individual romantic relationships? New research published in Psychology of Women Quarterly, a SAGE journal, finds that more objectification of a female partner's body is related to higher incidents of sexual pressure and coercion.
"Being more aware of how and when one thinks of their partner as an object, sexually or otherwise, could help relationship partners avoid sexual pressure and coercion and increase communication and respect within their relationship," the researchers wrote.

Harvesting energy from walking around:
Shoe insole charges AAA and watch batteries

Shoe insole for harvesting energy from walking. Photo Courtesy: science daily

A shoe fits a device that saves the energy the person makes by walking and successfully uses it in watch batteries.
At the Centre for Research in Advanced Materials (CIMAV), scientists decided to "capture" the energy produced by people walking. They designed a pill-shaped cylinder adapted to a shoe in order to store the mechanical-vibrational energy the person generates when walking.
With the captured energy they have been able to recharge clock and AAA batteries. The prototype designed by CIMAV in Chihuahua, in the north of Mexico, adapted the 'pill' which has a diameter of two inches and a thickness of three millimeters to the sole of a shoe.

Photo Courtesy: Brooklynparrots.com

Being social: Learning from the behaviour of birds

Science has learned a great deal about complex social behavior by studying nonhuman mammals and primates, but parrots might have something to teach too.
A new study -- the first to quantify the social lives of parrots using social network analysis -- provides intriguing new insights into parrot sociality revealing a sophisticated social structure with layers of relationships and complex interactions.
Because parrots are often observed flying in pairs in the wild, one assumption is that parrot sociality revolves around the pair bond. But are the parrots flying with a true mate or simply flying with any individual?
Coupling the extensive field study with in-depth network analyses revealed that parrots—at least those in captive groups—do show a strong preference for associating with a specific individual and are usually found nearby their mate. In addition, the social networks of captive groups were highly connected with very strong associations with one or two other individuals, multiple moderate associates, and only a few weak associates.