Science news

• VIDEO: Astronaut's out-of-this-world album

  09-10-2015 23:42 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Astronaut Chris Hadfield talks about his new album of songs recorded while onboard the International Space Station
  
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• Development banks pledge $15 bln in new climate funds: officials

  09-10-2015 23:29
  
  Development banks including the World Bank have pledged an additional $15 billion a year by 2020 to fight climate change, taking the world closer to the clutch target of $100 billion, officials said Friday.
  
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• Protester killed in unrest in Iraq's Kurdistan region

  09-10-2015 23:08
  
  Protesters torched an office of the main political party in Iraq's Kurdish north on Friday after at least one demonstrator was killed in the worst unrest the region has seen for several years. Five other people were wounded in the city of Qaladize following a week of strikes and demonstrations in Kurdistan that threaten to destabilise the autonomous region while it is at war with Islamic State militants. In other towns and cities across the region, political parties tightened security around the
  
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• Facing ban on orca breeding, SeaWorld contemplates next move

  09-10-2015 23:05
  
  SAN DIEGO (AP) — SeaWorld says denying orcas' their ability to breed is cruel, but it was unclear Friday whether the corporation will fight such a ban at its California park and risk further hurting attendance.
  
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• It's a Great Time to Spot the Elusive Planet Mercury: Here's How

  09-10-2015 22:50
  
  Over next three weeks, we're going to be treated to a show being staged in the eastern twilight skies by three bright planets: Jupiter, Mars and Venus. Presently, Jupiter, Mars and Venus can be seen in the predawn sky stretched out in a diagonal line in that order, going from lower left to upper right. In fact, in the coming days Jupiter seems intent on having separate meetings with two his companions.
  
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• Apollo Photos Redux: The Story Behind the NASA Moon Pics Posted to Flickr

  09-10-2015 22:50
  
  The addition of tens of thousands of the Apollo astronauts' moon photos to an online repository drew worldwide media interest this week, but lost in many of the headlines were the facts behind the four-decade-old photographs. Numerous news articles declared the photos were "never before seen" and attributed the upload to NASA, neither of which were true. "Contrary to some recent media reports, this Flickr gallery is not a NASA undertaking, but an independent one," said Kipp Teague, the foun
  
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• Four killed trying to stop elephant poachers in Congo

  09-10-2015 22:31
  
  Three wildlife wardens and a member of the armed forces were killed as they attempted to tackle elephant poachers in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Garamba national reserve, an African conservationist group which manages the park said.
  
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• More, smaller icebergs could show up in Alaska tanker lanes

  09-10-2015 22:23
  
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Icebergs that threaten tankers carrying oil from the trans-Alaska pipeline are likely to be smaller but more numerous over the next two decades, according to a study by a citizens oversight group.
  
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• Federal party candidates debate science funding, muzzling of scientists on Quirks & Quarks

  09-10-2015 22:06 via cbc.ca
  
  Science takes centre stage for political parties as one candidate from each of Canada's federal political parties debates government science policies on CBC's Quirks & Quarks.
  
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• What insects can teach us about surviving the bitter Canadian winter

  09-10-2015 21:36 via cbc.ca
  
  Understanding how insects survive temperatures well below freezing is not just fascinating but could eventually have useful applications, such as lengthening the storage time for organs used in transplantation, says biologist Brent Sinclair.
  
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• In rare event, remnants of Pacific hurricane hit Alaska

  09-10-2015 21:00
  
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Remnants of Pacific Hurricane Oho battered Alaska's southeast coast on Friday, the latest unusual weather event to hit a state that so far this year has dealt with a lack of snow, warmer temperatures and intense wildfires.
  
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• Green sea turtles nest in record numbers in Florida

  09-10-2015 20:53
  
  A record number of endangered green sea turtles nested in the US state of Florida in 2015, suggesting that conservation efforts are paying off, authorities said Friday.
  
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• One killed in Iraq's Kurdistan region as protest turns violent

  09-10-2015 20:31
  
  One man was killed when a protest in Iraq's Kurdistan region turned violent on Friday, two officials told Reuters, in the most sustained display of street discontent there since 2011. Five other people were wounded in the city of Qaladize following a week of strikes and demonstrations that threaten to shake Kurdistan's stability while it is at war with Islamic State militants. The protests are being fuelled by an economic crisis that has left the Kurdistan regional government unable to pay emplo
  
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• Future quantum computing could exploit old technology

  09-10-2015 20:17
  
  Silicon transistors have been modified and patched together to form logic gates that could perform calculations in future quantum computers.
  
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• NASA unveils (some) missing pieces in journey to Mars

  09-10-2015 20:09
  In the Hollywood movie "The Martian" an American astronaut survives on Mars against all odds, but in reality NASA admits that huge obstacles remain before humans can reach the Red Planet.
  
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• Chris Hadfield wants to send you off planet with Space Sessions: Songs From a Tin Can

  09-10-2015 20:02 via cbc.ca
  
  Canadian astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield recorded songs during his time on the International Space Station. He's now released an album Space Sessions: Songs From a Tin Can so earthlings can better understand the experience of space travel
  
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• VIDEO: A future without coal-fired power

  09-10-2015 20:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Coal was once considered king, but it is now seen as a dirty fuel and the government wants to eliminate coal-fired power stations within the next 15 years.
  
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• The Origins of Religion: How Supernatural Beliefs Evolved

  09-10-2015 19:34
  
  The vast majority of the U.S. population does not belong to the Catholic Church, and a growing percentage of Americans are not affiliated with any organized religion at all, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Centers. This understanding of how the world worked facilitated the rapid decision-making process that humans had to go through when they heard a rustling in the grass.
  
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• Can Wolves Bring Back Wilderness? [Excerpt]

  09-10-2015 19:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  People may find it hard to adapt to an ecology of predation and fear
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• The Buzzing Dead: citizen-science project tracks zombified honeybees

  09-10-2015 19:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Honeybees are being threatened by tiny flies that lead them to lurch and stagger around like zombies.
  
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• Remnants of tropical storm felt in Alaska

  09-10-2015 18:48
  
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Rain and gusty winds are battering parts of the nation's northernmost state from the remnants of what had been Hurricane Oho.
  
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• VIDEO: Huge waterspouts filmed in China

  09-10-2015 18:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Footage of spectacular waterspouts filmed off the coast of Dalian, has been broadcast on Chinese TV.
  
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• Mystery solved: How these rocks got their strange hexagonal shape

  09-10-2015 18:15
  
  As lava cools, cracks within the material grow most efficiently at certain angles
  
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• Nestle spends $70 million on U.S. health science hub

  09-10-2015 17:58
  
  ZURICH (Reuters) - Nestle's health science division is investing $70 million in a product technology center that will become the unit's new U.S. headquarters and research hub, the division said on Friday.
  
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• Oxygen in Black Sea has declined by more than a third since 1955

  09-10-2015 17:28
  
  The Black Sea’s oxygen-rich surface layer shrank by more than a third from 1955 through 2013, compressing marine habitats and bringing toxic hydrogen sulfide closer to the surface.
  
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• 'Sand pit' probes walking strategies

  09-10-2015 17:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Researchers puff air through a box of sand to examine how lizards, crabs and robots cope with 'fluid' ground.
  
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• Putting Astronauts on Mars: NASA Lays Out Three-Phase Plan

  09-10-2015 16:51
  
  NASA aims to put boots on Mars in the 2030s after first gathering human-spaceflight experience and expertise in low Earth orbit and the "proving ground" of cis-lunar space near the moon. NASA has been working on this three-stage path to the Red Planet for some time, and the space agency lays out the basic plan in a 36-page report called "Journey to Mars: Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration," which was released Thursday (Oct. 8). "This strategy charts a course toward horizon goals whi
  
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• NASA To Put Humans On Mars Within 15 Years

  09-10-2015 16:42
  
  NASA has revealed it is aiming to set up a human colony on Mars by 2030. The space agency's report NASA's Journey To Mars claims the red planet is the "next tangible frontier for expanding human presence" and states it believes such a mission is achievable. NASA scientists on board the International Space Station would first conduct feasibility studies into the ability of humans to sustain long-distance, deep space travel.
  
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• Geology photo contest names winners

  09-10-2015 16:41 via bbc.co.uk
  
  From Giant's Causeway to Lulworth Cove - the Geological Society of London announces the winners of its photo competition celebrating the 100 Great Geosites of the UK and Ireland.
  
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• Hundreds of new species found in Eastern Himalayas

  09-10-2015 16:24 via cbc.ca
  
  More than 200 new species have been found in the Eastern Himalayas between 2009-14, according to a report published by the World Wildlife Fund. Here is a look at some of the more unique species.
  
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• Ductal carcinoma in situ treatments evolve over 20 years, but cancer death rates vary little

  09-10-2015 16:22
  Treatment patterns for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) have shifted since the 1990s, with more U.S. women opting for lumpectomy in combination with radiation rather than single-breast mastectomy, according to a study. But the researchers also found an increased tendency for women to seek removal of both breasts, despite their analysis that cancer survival rates remained similar regardless of the form of treatment.
  
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• When should pediatric residents consult supervisors on issues that come up after hours?

  09-10-2015 16:20
  While resident physicians responsible for the care of hospital patients are always able to call a supervising senior physician for advice on handling situations that may come up, which situations require immediate consultation and which can wait until the next day can sometimes be unclear. A new study finds significant discrepancies between pediatric residents and supervising physicians regarding when supervisors should be called to help with specific after-hours situations.
  
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• Magnet hospitals better patient experiences may positively enhance reimbursement

  09-10-2015 16:20
  A new study shows that Magnet hospitals nationally accredited for nursing excellence have higher patient ratings of care than other hospitals. The study suggests that hospitals seeking to improve patient satisfaction, and qualify for new financial incentives, would be well advised to consider investing in nursing excellence.
  
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• Adoption of streamlined breast cancer treatment has stagnated, study finds

  09-10-2015 16:20
  It was hoped that the development of accelerated partial breast irradiation would increase the number of early-stage breast cancer patients getting radiation treatment. A new study, however, has found that adoption of the technique has stagnated -- and many women still aren't getting the radiation treatment that could save their lives.
  
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• How do you make a fish dumber? Take it out of school

  09-10-2015 16:00
  
  Researchers find that isolating social fish from group impairs learning
  
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• Electronics get a power boost with the addition of simple material

  09-10-2015 14:34
  Materials scientist have just discovered a way to give the workhorse transistor a big boost, using a new technique to incorporate vanadium oxide, one of a family of materials called functional oxides, into the device.
  
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• Relationship between carnivorous plants and fire

  09-10-2015 14:32
  Researchers describe the ecological peculiarities of Drosophyllum lusitanicum, a plant which feeds on insects it has attracted by producing a sweet smell.
  
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• Jumping conchs triumph at overheated athletics

  09-10-2015 14:32
  
  “Simple” circulatory system outdoes fancier ones in delivering oxygen for jumping conchs in simulated climate change conditions.
  
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• Could ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ happen?

  09-10-2015 14:32
  A researcher has produced a scientific study of the climate scenario featured in the disaster movie 'The Day After Tomorrow'. In the 2004 film, climate warming caused an abrupt collapse of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), leading to catastrophic events such as tornadoes destroying Los Angeles, New York being flooded and the northern hemisphere freezing. Although the scientific credibility of the film drew criticism from climate scientists, the scenario of an abrupt collaps
  
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• Cell cytoplasm: Floppy but fast

  09-10-2015 14:32
  Inside cells, communication between the nucleus, which harbors our precious genetic material, and the cytoplasm is mediated by the constant exchange of thousands of signaling molecules and proteins. Until now, it was unknown how this protein traffic can be so fast and yet precise enough to prevent the passage of unwanted molecules. Through a combination of computer simulations and various experimental techniques, researchers have now solved this puzzle: A very flexible and disordered protein can
  
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• Secrets, Sci-Fi & Uncertainty: Jeff Bezos and the Future of Private Spaceflight

  09-10-2015 14:31
  
  In September, billionaire Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos announced that Blue Origin, the private spaceflight company he founded, would build a facility at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, kicking off a new phase for the company as it pursues the construction of an orbital space vehicle. The move to Florida's Space Coast, however, may force the company to step into the spotlight. Following the announcement ceremony at Cape Canaveral last month, Bezos talked with the media about his chi
  
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• Unexpected information about Earth's climate history from Yellow River sediment

  09-10-2015 14:30
  By meticulously examining sediments in China's Yellow River, a Swedish-Chinese research group are showing that the history of tectonic and climate evolution on Earth may need to be rewritten.
  
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• Researchers gauge heritability of childhood-onset autoimmune diseases

  09-10-2015 14:30
  Scientists have calculated more precise measurements of heritability -- the influence of underlying genes -- in nine autoimmune diseases that begin in childhood. The research may strengthen researchers' abilities to better predict a child's risk for associated autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, Crohn's disease and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, collectively affect one in 12 persons in the Western hemisphere.
  
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• Private Dream Chaser Space Plane Poised for New Flight Tests in 2016

  09-10-2015 14:30
  
  A space plane that would continue the legacy of NASA's shuttle program is getting ready for a second stage of flight testing, according to representatives from the Sierra Nevada Corp. At a gathering of the top leaders and innovators in the commercial spaceflight industry here yesterday (Oct. 7), Mark Sirangelo, corporate vice president of Sierra Nevada's space systems division, discussed the status of the two "Dream Chaser" space planes, which could one day fly astronauts or cargo to the Interna
  
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• Greenland's ice sheet plumbing system revealed

  09-10-2015 14:30
  Pioneering new research sheds light on the impact of climate change on subglacial lakes found under the Greenland ice sheet. A team of experts has studied the water flow paths from one such subglacial lake, which drained beneath the ice sheet in 2011.
  
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• Studies warn 1 in 3 young men will die from tobacco use in China

  09-10-2015 14:25 via cbc.ca
  
  Smoking is expected to kill more than 2 million Chinese a year by 2030, and most of those victims will be men, according to new studies on tobacco use in China.
  
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• Family mourns Nigerian pilgrim who fled Boko Haram but died in Haj crush

  09-10-2015 14:16
  
  By Garba Muhammad KADUNA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Three years after his family fled their northeastern Nigerian home to escape threats from Boko Haram militants, Mudasir Gambo must have thought his luck had changed when he won a ticket to attend the annual haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Nearly two weeks after the worst disaster to strike the pilgrimage for 25 years, more than 50 mourners were gathered at the Gambo family's modest three-bedroom house, moving by turns from a communal compound outdoor
  
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• Asteroid’s rolling stones were once powered by the sun

  09-10-2015 14:00
  
  New model suggests slow-motion space collisions shaped Itokawa’s boulders
  
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• Hong Kong to host Formula E motor race

  09-10-2015 13:56
  
  Hong Kong will host a leg of the Formula E championship next year, the world's first fully electric racing series, organisers announced Friday.
  
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• Leaders target $100bn a year in climate funds

  09-10-2015 13:33
  
  The movers and shakers of the world economy are trying to close in on the magic number of $100 billion a year to fight climate change as they meet this week in Peru.
  
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