Science news

• Car bomb in central Baghdad kills at least four - sources

  28-09-2015 23:59
  
  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least four people were killed and eleven others wounded on Monday when a car bomb went off at a garage in a busy commercial district of central Baghdad, police and medical sources said. The attack took place near Saadon Street in an area that is home to both Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims and close to the Ishtar Sheraton hotel, a Baghdad landmark on the eastern side of the Tigris River. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast, but such explosions are not uncom
  
  Read more

• Climate goal closer as UN pressure builds

  28-09-2015 23:09
  
  A stream of national pledges have put the planet closer to tackling climate change but there is more work to do, experts said Monday, as leaders pressed for a strong new UN accord.
  
  Read more

• More research needed on U.S. earthquakes possibly tied to oil and gas work: report

  28-09-2015 22:28
  (Reuters) - A coalition of U.S. states warned on Monday that a spike in earthquakes potentially tied to oil and gas activity in places not typically prone to them needs urgent attention from regulators and others to protect public safety.
  
  Read more

• How Rosetta's comet got to be duck-shaped

  28-09-2015 22:08 via cbc.ca
  
  When the Rosetta space probe sent back its first close-up pictures of a comet last year, scientists were surprised to see that it looked like a rubber duckie. Now they've figured out why.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Pledges bring world closer to climate goal

  28-09-2015 22:04
  
  A stream of national pledges have put the planet closer but still a ways from a goal of keeping warming within the key danger threshold of two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), an analysis said Monday.
  
  Read more

• Water flows on Mars, raising possibility that planet could support life – scientists

  28-09-2015 22:03
  By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Briny water flows during the summer months on Mars, raising the possibility that the planet long thought to be arid could support life today, scientists analysing data from a NASA spacecraft said on Monday. "It suggests that it would be possible for life to be on Mars today," John Grunsfeld, NASA's associate administrator for science, told reporters, discussing the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
  
  Read more

• Fossilized fur reveals color of 49-million-year-old bats

  28-09-2015 21:50
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fossils can do a good job of revealing key aspects of an extinct creature: its bones, teeth, claws, even soft tissue like fur, skin, feathers, organs and sometimes remains of its last meal in the gut. Knowing its color has been a trickier question.
  
  Read more

• Ubisoft Toronto celebrates 5th birthday and shows off bleeding-edge technology

  28-09-2015 21:41 via cbc.ca
  
  Video game giant Ubisoft is celebrating five years since the founding of its Toronto studio. It marked the occasion by showing off innovative new motion capture technology that it hopes will revolutionize how people make games in the future.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Life on Mars? NASA says planet appears to have flowing water

  28-09-2015 21:36
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Mars appears to be flowing with rivulets of salty water, at least in the summer, scientists reported Monday in a finding that boosts the odds of life on the red planet.
  
  Read more

• The AstroCritic: What 'The Martian' Gets Right About Astronauts

  28-09-2015 21:10
  
  Leroy Chiao, AstroCritic, is a former NASA astronaut and commander of the International Space Station. Chiao is the special adviser for human spaceflight to the Space Foundation and the Houston Association for Space and Science Education. Some time ago, I participated in a remote panel discussion via streaming video that included Andy Weir, author of "The Martian" (Crown, 2014).
  
  Read more

• Study: Sea level rise increasing major storms off New Jersey

  28-09-2015 21:06
  
  MANTOLOKING, N.J. (AP) — A new study looking back over 1,000 years finds the flooding risk along the New York and New Jersey coasts increased greatly after industrialization, and major storms that once might have occurred every 500 years could soon happen every 25 years or so.
  
  Read more

• Math describes sheep herd fluctuations

  28-09-2015 21:00
  
  Scientists have developed equations to describe the motion of a herd of sheep.
  
  Read more

• Mars has flowing water, say Nasa scientists

  28-09-2015 20:31
  
  Mysterious features on Mars that ebb and flow with the seasons are almost certainly caused by water flowing on the planet today, scientists believe.
  
  Read more

• 'Strongest evidence yet' of liquid water on Mars: NASA

  28-09-2015 19:48
  
  Scientists announced Monday "the strongest evidence yet" of liquid water on Mars, raising the distant prospect of microscopic life on our neighbouring planet.
  
  Read more

• Boehner's Resignation Won't Mean Much for Science in Congress

  28-09-2015 19:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  The U.S. is stuck with an antiscience Congress, and that’s unlikely to change—whether or not Boehner is at the helm
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• 'Too late' for world if no climate deal in Paris: France

  28-09-2015 19:24
  
  Reaching a successful climate deal in Paris at the end of the year is the last chance to save the planet, France warned the United Nations Monday.
  
  Read more

• Thought-controlled computer cursor takes a leap forward

  28-09-2015 19:21
  
  Scientists working to perfect a thought-controlled computer cursor said Monday they have achieved their best results yet, and are moving closer to creating a version that paralysis victims can use.
  
  Read more

• Residents report 27 die in Yemen strike, coalition denies

  28-09-2015 19:20
  
  By Mohammed Ghobari SANAA (Reuters) - A local official and residents said at least 27 people, mostly women or children, were killed on Monday in an air strike on a wedding party in southwest Yemen, but a Saudi-led coalition that has air supremacy over the country strongly denied any role. A coalition of Arab states has been attacking the Iranian-allied Houthi group across Yemen since March, trying to dislodge it from areas it has seized since last year and to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour
  
  Read more

• Saudi Arabia denies coalition behind attack on Yemen civilians

  28-09-2015 19:04
  
  DUBAI (Reuters) - A Saudi-led coalition played no role in an attack reported to have killed 27 people at a wedding party in a Yemeni village on Sunday, a coalition a spokesman said. A local resident said 12 women, eight children and seven men died in the air strike that hit two tents in the village of al-Wahijah, near the Red Sea port city of Al-Mokha. Brigadier-General Ahmed al-Asseri told Reuters: "There have been no air operations by the coalition in that area for three days. This is totally
  
  Read more

• Liquid water found on Mars: NASA

  28-09-2015 18:51
  
  Liquid water has been observed on the planet Mars which makes it far more likely that life could be found there, the US space agency NASA said Monday.
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: Nasa briefing: 'Liquid water on Mars'

  28-09-2015 18:35 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists think they can now tie dark streaks seen on the surface of Mars to periodic flows of liquid water.
  
  Read more

• Scientists find evidence of recent water flows on Mars - study

  28-09-2015 18:19
  By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla (Reuters) - Scientists analysing data from a NASA spacecraft have found the first evidence that briny water flowed on the surface of Mars as recently as last summer, a paper published on Monday showed, raising the possibility that the planet could support life. "It suggests that it would be possible for life to be on Mars today," John Grunsfeld, NASA's associate administration for science, told reporters. Under certain circumstances, liquid water has been found
  
  Read more

• Strong evidence Mars has streams of salt water in summertime

  28-09-2015 18:04
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Mars appears to have flowing streams of salty water, at least in the summer, scientists reported Monday in a finding that could have major implications for the possibility of life on the planet.
  
  Read more

• Water Flows on Mars Today, NASA Announces

  28-09-2015 18:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter found evidence that flowing water causes suspicious dark streaks on the Red Planet
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Test your smarts on the tree of life, The Martian, and more on this week’s science news quiz!

  28-09-2015 17:45
  
  Take our weekly quiz on last week's hottest science news!
  
  Read more

• Ringing Ears and Chronic Pain Share Unexpected Link

  28-09-2015 17:43
  
  In the review, the authors proposed that tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, and chronic pain are the result of similar changes in two regions of the brain. These regions — the nucleus accumbens and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex — are both in the front of the brain, and may act as "gatekeepers" for sensory stimuli such as noise and pain, the researchers said. "It's a very clever system," said Josef Rauschecker, a professor of physiology and biophysics at Georgetown University and
  
  Read more

• Flowing Water Present On Mars, Say Scientists

  28-09-2015 17:29
  
  Flowing liquid water, essential to life, is almost certainly present on Mars, scientists believe. If the discovery is confirmed it has far-reaching implications for the chances of finding life on Mars and future human exploration.
  
  Read more

• Dark streaks on Mars are definitely wet, NASA says

  28-09-2015 17:15
  
  Detection of salts key to confirming the existence of brines on streaked slopes
  
  Read more

• God Help Us? How Religion is Good (And Bad) For Mental Health

  28-09-2015 17:07
  
  This week millions of Americans are navigating crushing crowds and spending hours traveling in order to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis on his first visit to this country. To those who are devoutly religious, the pope's U.S. trip presents a unique opportunity to get papal blessings, receive mercy and feel closer to God. But even those devoted Catholics who aren’t in the front row seat for Francis' visit may see benefits to their belief. A slew of research has tied being religious with
  
  Read more

• Salty Water Flows on Mars Today, Boosting Odds for Life

  28-09-2015 17:05
  
  Liquid water flows on Mars today, boosting the odds that life could exist on the Red Planet, a new study suggests. The enigmatic dark streaks on Mars — called recurring slope lineae (RSL) — that appear seasonally on steep, relatively warm Martian slopes are likely caused by salty liquid water, researchers said. "Liquid water is a key requirement for life on Earth," study lead author Lujendra Ojha, of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, told Space.com via em
  
  Read more

• Seasonal feature changes on Mars 'a result of water activity'

  28-09-2015 17:00
  
  Flowing liquid water is almost certainly responsible for mysterious features on Mars that change with the seasons, scientists believe.
  
  Read more

• Searching for Life in Martian Water Will Be Very, Very Tricky

  28-09-2015 17:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  The risk of microbial contamination could prevent humans and even robots from visiting the most promising parts of the Red Planet
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Salt streaks sign of present-day water flows on Mars

  28-09-2015 17:00
  
  Salt deposits on Mars hint at contemporary seasonal water flows on the Red Planet.
  
  Read more

• Odd comet is result of early merger in solar system

  28-09-2015 17:00
  
  Scientists get to the bottom of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko’s strange shape
  
  Read more

• Mars study finds evidence of liquid, salty water on surface

  28-09-2015 17:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Water – a key necessity for life as we know it – still flows sometimes on the surface of Mars, a new study suggests.
  
  Read more

• Liquid water discovery suggests Mars could support life now

  28-09-2015 17:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Salty, liquid water has been detected on the surface of Mars, opening the possibility that the Red Planet could support microbial life even today.
  
  Read more

• Evidence of flowing liquid water on Mars: NASA

  28-09-2015 16:59
  
  Liquid water has been observed on the planet Mars, the US space agency NASA said Monday.
  
  Read more

• Unusual Allergy: Girl Reacts to Food Only After Exercise

  28-09-2015 16:46
  
  A teenage girl in Canada had an unusual food allergy that showed up only after she exercised, according to a new report of her case. The 17-year-old's allergy first appeared when she had a small snack — a few rice crackers and hummus — right before she worked out on a treadmill at her home. "We hope that this case will serve as an important reminder that although rare, food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis exists and making a diagnosis can lead to life-saving preventative strat
  
  Read more

• Belgian scientists look for biofuel clues in panda poo

  28-09-2015 16:45
  By Robert-Jan Bartunek BRUGELETTE, Belgium (Reuters) - Belgian researchers are examining the excrement of giant pandas to try to understand how they can digest tough bamboo, hoping for clues on how to develop new generations of biofuel. The genetic make-up of endangered pandas is that of a carnivore but the animals have adapted to a diet consisting almost exclusively of bamboo. "We can look for new enzymes which could be used to degrade tough biomass," said Korneel Rabaey, professor for biochemi
  
  Read more

• Man's Heavy Metal Poisoning Leads to Vision Loss, Baldness

  28-09-2015 16:44
  
  Thallium poisoning can cause nerve pain, confusion and loss of muscle control, and the heavy metal can be fatal in high doses, according to the report of the young man's case. The patient "had all the hallmark signs" of thallium poisoning, said Dr. Enchun Liu, a ophthalmologist at the Retina Institute in St. Louis, Missouri, who treated the man for his vision problems and was the lead author of the case report, published Sept. 24 in JAMA Ophthalmology. "This was the first case of thallium poison
  
  Read more

• 67P reveals recipe for a comet

  28-09-2015 16:42
  
  Rosetta’s comet 67P probably started out as two smaller comets.
  
  Read more

• Supermoon eclipse dazzles (lucky) Canadian skygazers

  28-09-2015 16:41 via cbc.ca
  
  Stargazers across the country stayed up late, necks and lenses tilted skyward, Sunday night in the hopes of seeing the supermoon — the closest full moon of the year — coinciding with a total lunar eclipse.
  
  Read more

• Impact produced comet's rubber duck shape: study

  28-09-2015 16:31
  
  The characteristic "rubber duck" shape of the comet carrying a European robot probe through space was the result of a low-velocity impact billions of years ago between two objects which fused, a study said Monday.
  
  Read more

• Evidence of brine 'flows' on Mars: water study

  28-09-2015 16:20
  
  Curious lines running down slopes on the Martian surface may be streaks of super-salty brine, said the latest findings Monday in the scientific quest for extra-terrestrial liquid water, a prerequisite for life.
  
  Read more

• Future Mars Bases Could Be 3D-Printed By Robots

  28-09-2015 15:41
  
  A design firm has unveiled plans for a modular Mars colony 3D-printed by robots.
  
  Read more

• Apple sells record 13 million iPhones in initial 3 days of launch

  28-09-2015 15:40 via cbc.ca
  
  Apple sold 13 million iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in the past three days, breaking the company's own record for a launch weekend by more than three million phones.
  
  Read more

• Mars 'major science finding' to be announced by NASA

  28-09-2015 15:05 via cbc.ca
  
  NASA says it will detail a "major science finding" about Mars today that solves a mystery about the Red Planet.
  
  Read more

• Nectar-Slurping Bat Tongues Move Like Human Bowels

  28-09-2015 15:03
  
  Tongue waggles resembling bowel movements could help some bats drink flower nectar, researchers say. Many insects rely on flower nectar as their main source of food, and have specialized mouthparts to siphon the sweet liquid.
  
  Read more

• Water Woes: Firefighters Get Creative to Douse Flames in California

  28-09-2015 15:01
  
  California's drought could make fighting wildfires even harder, experts say. California is facing one of its worst fire seasons on record, with nearly three-dozen wildfires blazing across the Golden State, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. But the drought has also dried up water sources needed to help douse the flames, said Carroll Wills, the communications director for the California Professional Firefighters Association.
  
  Read more

• Shell halts controversial search for Alaskan oil

  28-09-2015 14:36
  
  Royal Dutch Shell said Monday it was halting its search for oil off the Alaskan coast, with environmentalists claiming a huge victory in their battle to protect local wildlife.
  
  Read more

Follow @ScienceUKnews on Twitter!