Science news

• Climate change could shift New England's fall foliage

  19-10-2015 23:26
  
  Climate change could make for earlier or later fall color, depending on where you live in New England.
  
  Read more

• Ancient crystal suggests life on Earth appeared 4.1 billion years ago

  19-10-2015 23:07
  (Reuters) - An ancient zircon crystal unearthed in Western Australia may hold evidence that life appeared on the planet 4.1 billion years ago, or about 300 million years earlier than previously thought, according to a team of U.S. researchers.
  
  Read more

• Solar powered car racers set off in Australian challenge

  19-10-2015 22:51
  BARROW CREEK, Australia - More than 40 racing teams from two dozen countries left Darwin on Sunday to race across Australia to the southern city of Adelaide in the 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.
  
  Read more

• Uncontacted tribe's encounters with civilization fuel ethical debate

  19-10-2015 22:49 via cbc.ca
  
  Missionaries and tourists are increasingly making contact with an "uncontacted" tribe in Peru, fuelling a "dangerous situation" and an ethical debate about how governments should deal with the world's uncontacted tribes.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Multitaskers do worse on tasks that require focus

  19-10-2015 22:46
  
  Multitasking is more likely to impair teens’ focusing ability than improve it, study testing attention skills finds.
  
  Read more

• Wolf-culling policies need updating, Alberta conservationist says

  19-10-2015 22:30 via cbc.ca
  
  Kevin Van Tighem, a wolf researcher and conservationist, is calling on the Alberta government to change the regulations around how wolf populations are managed in the province.
  
  Read more

• Alberta conservationist calls on province to update wolf culling policies

  19-10-2015 22:30 via cbc.ca
  
  Kevin Van Tighem, a wolf researcher and conservationist, is calling on the province to change the regulations around how wolf populations are managed in Alberta.
  
  Read more

• Testing begins after fire put out at radioactive waste site

  19-10-2015 22:25
  
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — A contractor from the former nuclear weapons testing site in Nevada joined several state agencies checking air quality and monitoring for other problems Monday following a fire at a radioactive waste disposal site in rural southern Nevada.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Pet dogs originated in Nepal, Mongolia: study

  19-10-2015 21:58
  
  Dogs may have become man's best friend in Central Asia, specifically in what is modern day Nepal and Mongolia, researchers said Monday.
  
  Read more

• Monkey model discovery could spur CMV vaccine development

  19-10-2015 21:47
  Rhesus monkeys can, in fact, transmit Cytomegalovirus (CMV) across the placenta to their unborn offspring, new research shows. This finding establishes the first primate model that researchers can use to study mother-to-fetus CMV infections and spur development of potential vaccine approaches.
  
  Read more

• Firstborn, middle child, or last-born: Birth order has only very small effects on personality

  19-10-2015 21:43
  Psychologists analyzed central personality traits of over 20,000 grown-ups from Germany, the USA, and Great Britain. Who we become only marginally correlates with our birth position amongst siblings.
  
  Read more

• Stressed dads affect offspring brain development through sperm microRNA

  19-10-2015 21:41
  Researchers have shown at the molecular level how experiencing stress changes a male mouse's sperm in such a way that it affects his offspring's response to stress. This change is imparted epigenetically, or through a means other than the DNA code, by molecules called microRNAs, or miRs.
  
  Read more

• Regrow a tooth? Fish, yes; humans, maybe some day

  19-10-2015 21:41
  When a Lake Malawi cichlid loses a tooth, a new one drops neatly into place as a replacement. Why can't humans similarly regrow teeth lost to injury or disease?
  
  Read more

• Queen or worker? Flexibility between roles relies on just a few genes

  19-10-2015 21:41
  Two insect species from Latin America, the dinosaur ant and the red paper wasp, have been used to uncover the molecular mechanisms underpinning queen and worker roles in social insects. The research by an international team of scientists brings us closer to understanding how genomes are used to generate castes in social evolution.
  
  Read more

• Poisonous frogs more likely to face extinction, study finds

  19-10-2015 21:41
  Amphibians that use toxins to protect themselves against predators are at a higher risk of extinction than those who use other types of defense, a new study suggests, which poses a challenge to a long-held evolutionary hypothesis.
  
  Read more

• Life on Earth likely started 4.1 billion years ago, much earlier than scientists thought

  19-10-2015 21:41
  Geochemists have found probable evidence for life on Earth at least 4.1 billion years ago -- 300 million years earlier than previously documented, pushing the origin of life close to when the planet formed, 4.54 billion years ago.
  
  Read more

• Genomic ancestry linked to mate selection

  19-10-2015 21:41
  Genetic ancestry, as well as facial characteristics, may play an important part in who we select as mates, according to a new analysis.
  
  Read more

• Gene on-off switch works like backpack strap

  19-10-2015 21:41
  A research team has found that loop-forming proteins inside the human chromosome appear to work like the sliding plastic adjusters on a grade-schooler's backpack. This discovery may allow researchers to reprogram human cells by directly modifying the loops that form in DNA.
  
  Read more

• Gene could hold key to treating Parkinson's disease

  19-10-2015 21:41
  Researchers have identified a new gene linked to nerve function, which could provide a treatment target for 'switching off' the gene in people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease.
  
  Read more

• Companies line up to back Barack Obama's climate change push

  19-10-2015 21:32 via cbc.ca
  
  President Barack Obama says 81 companies, including Intel, Johnson & Johnson and Berkshire Hathaway have backed a U.S.-sponsored pledge supporting action to combat climate change, supporting the U.S. stance in the Paris talks.
  
  Read more

• Doggie DNA study says Fido first appeared in Central Asia

  19-10-2015 21:11
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Where did dogs first arrive on the scene? Scientists have long debated that question, and now a study of doggie DNA from around the world is pointing to Central Asia.
  
  Read more

• Hints of life on what was thought to be desolate early Earth

  19-10-2015 21:10
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists have found fossil-like hints that some kind of life existed on Earth 4.1 billion years ago — when the planet was a mere volcanic toddler. That's 300 million years earlier for life to pop up than previously thought.
  
  Read more

• Tests begin after fire put out at radioactive waste site

  19-10-2015 21:04
  
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — Several state agencies that responded to a fire at a radioactive waste site in rural southern Nevada were testing air quality and checking for any other problems Monday after the flames were extinguished.
  
  Read more

• DNA trail leads to new spot for dog domestication

  19-10-2015 21:02
  
  A new study suggests that dogs were first domesticated in Central Asia.
  
  Read more

• Genetic tweaks manipulate DNA’s loops

  19-10-2015 21:00
  
  Scientists have changed the loops and curls of DNA as it packs into a nucleus.
  
  Read more

• 4.1-billion-year-old crystal may hold earliest signs of life

  19-10-2015 21:00
  
  A carbon impurity embedded inside an ancient zircon crystal suggests that life on Earth appeared before 4.1 billion years ago.
  
  Read more

• Drone crashes in Yemeni province of Marib, witnesses, local official say

  19-10-2015 20:47
  
  An unmanned drone crashed in the Wadi Abida area of Marib, a province of Yemen, on Monday, witnesses and a local official said. The United States has kept up a drone campaign against al Qaeda militants, although it evacuated the last of its military and intelligence personnel from Yemen in March. Its attacks have killed some of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's top leaders, including its chief, Nasser al-Wuhayshi, in June.
  
  Read more

• Leaders call for carbon pricing worldwide

  19-10-2015 20:45
  
  A group of world leaders called Monday for countries around the world to put a price on carbon to strengthen the international fight against climate change.
  
  Read more

• Significant nonmedical financial burden for families after child admitted to ICU

  19-10-2015 20:34
  Researchers found that families with children admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit incurred significant nonmedical, out-of-pocket expenses and demonstrated work absenteeism and inability to perform daily activities, with lowest income brackets bearing the highest burden.
  
  Read more

• Electronics get a power boost with the addition of a simple material

  19-10-2015 20:29
  The tiny transistor is the heart of the electronics revolution, and materials scientists have just discovered a way to give this workhorse a big boost, using a new technique to incorporate vanadium oxide -- a functional oxide -- into the electronic devices.
  
  Read more

• Burnout, depression: Two entities or one?

  19-10-2015 20:29
  Burnout and depression overlap considerably, according to the latest study on the subject. The findings are based on a survey taken by 1,386 public school teachers, from pre-K to 12th grade across the United States during the 2013-14 academic year.
  
  Read more

• Researchers project long-term effects of climate change, deforestation on Himalayan mountain basins

  19-10-2015 20:28
  As part of an multi-disciplinary study, a team of researchers found that climatic changes, an increase in agricultural land use and population growth in the Himalaya Mountain basins could have negative impacts on water availability, further stressing a region plagued by natural disasters and food insecurity.
  
  Read more

• Trial results show that 'health risk assessment' benefits non-disabled elderly people

  19-10-2015 20:27
  Implementation of a collaborative care model among community-dwelling older people using a health risk assessment instrument resulted in better health behaviors and increased use of preventative care, according to a new study.
  
  Read more

• Low household income can increase risk of death after heart surgery

  19-10-2015 20:27
  Low household income was associated with higher risk of death after cardiac surgery in Sweden despite that the entire population has access to free health care, according to a new study.
  
  Read more

• Antiplatelet therapy with blood thinners reduces mortality for angioplasty patients

  19-10-2015 20:27
  Patients with acute coronary syndrome who have undergone angioplasty have a reduced risk of all-cause in-hospital mortality but an increased risk of bleeding when given glycoprotein 2b/3a inhibitors after the procedure, according to a new study.
  
  Read more

• Climate talks teeter as developing nations cry foul

  19-10-2015 20:17
  
  Developing nations accused rich ones at crunch climate talks Monday of sidelining their interests, even as France's president and the White House stepped up efforts to seal a global deal.
  
  Read more

• Slow, cold reptiles may breathe like energetic birds

  19-10-2015 19:11
  
  Finding birdlike air patterns in lungs of crocodilians and in more distantly related lizards raises the possibility that one-way airflow evolved far earlier than birds themselves did.
  
  Read more

• Study compares traditional, modern views of aging

  19-10-2015 19:10
  Traditional societies may see the aging process in a more positive light than modern societies, according to a researcher.
  
  Read more

• Structure of an enzyme complex that plays a vital role in cancer development determined

  19-10-2015 19:10
  Researchers have deciphered the long-sought atomic structure of PRC2, an enzyme complex that plays a key role in the development of several types of cancer, in particular blood cancer.
  
  Read more

• More rain leads to fewer trees in the African savanna

  19-10-2015 19:08
  Researchers might have finally provided a solution to the ecological riddle of why tree abundance on Africa's grassy savannas diminishes in response to heavy rainfall despite scientists' expectations to the contrary. The researchers found that the ability of grasses to more efficiently absorb and process water gives them an advantage over trees. This raises concerns that the heavy tropical rains that could accompany climate change may lead to fewer trees on savannas.
  
  Read more

• 3D printing provides low-cost alternative in bronchoscopy simulation training

  19-10-2015 19:08
  3D-printed tracheobronchial tree models compared favorably against other more standard models in training pulmonary physicians to perform bronchoscopy, researchers have found. The study compared the two models based on realism, accuracy, look and feel, and overall usefulness as a teaching tool. Currently, most simulation centers use models that are more expensive than 3-D-printed models and fail to capture the subtle anatomical details of the airways.
  
  Read more

• What to do to prevent food allergies in infants

  19-10-2015 19:07
  With food allergies in children on the rise, parents often ask the question, How do I prevent food allergies in my baby? A new review, based on the latest evidence, interprets new evidence to guide physicians and families regarding food introduction and allergy prevention.
  
  Read more

• The 20 lb. cereal box: Kitchen counter foods that relate to your weight

  19-10-2015 19:07
  Over 200 American kitchens were photographed to determine if the food sitting out on counters could predict the weight of the woman living in each home.
  
  Read more

• Amazon sues 1,000 people for writing fake reviews

  19-10-2015 18:56 via cbc.ca
  
  Amazon is suing more than 1,000 people for advertising their services writing fake reviews for as little as $5 as it seeks to crack down on bogus reviews on its site.
  
  Read more

• Heavy TV watching leads to unhealthy perceptions of fast food health risks

  19-10-2015 18:40
  The amount of TV adolescents watch is likely to bias their views about the consequences of eating fast food, suggests new research. Investigators surveyed over 1,000 teenagers who reported hours of TV viewing, beliefs about the consequences of eating fast food, and their frequency of fast food consumption.
  
  Read more

• Whey protein optimization for athletes

  19-10-2015 18:37
  While whey protein supplementation helps athletes build lean body mass, progress can be stifled by overlooking a key facet of training: muscle recovery. New research tests a whey protein supplement fortified with compounds designed to aid in muscle recovery following highly demanding resistance exercise.
  
  Read more

• Genome-edited plants, without DNA

  19-10-2015 18:37
  The public and scientists are at odds over the safety of genetically modified (GM) food. According to a January 2015 Pew Research Center report, only 37% of the public believe that GM foods are safe,which is in stark contrast to the support from 88% of scientists. There is concern that adding DNA of different species will lead to unintended, undesirable consequences. Scientists have now created a way to genetically modify plants using CRISPR-Cas9 without the addition of DNA. Because no DNA is us
  
  Read more

• Boosting levels of a key growth factor may help prevent cardiovascular disease

  19-10-2015 18:37
  New research indicates that low levels of a growth factor called stem cell factor (SCF)—which is thought to be important for blood vessel repair—are linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In a study of 384 patients with a first coronary event and 409 event-free individuals, SCF measurements had a predictive value that was in the same range as that of established cardiovascular risk factors such as LDL and HDL cholesterol. Moreover, smokers and diabetics had reduced
  
  Read more

• Pledges by top three greenhouse gas emitters shut out other nations

  19-10-2015 18:34
  Pledges by the three largest emitters -- the United States, the European Union, and China -- leave very little room for the rest of the world to emit, suggests a new article by subject experts.
  
  Read more

• High-fat diet may cause changes in brain that lead to anxiety, depression

  19-10-2015 18:32
  A new study in mice reveals that increased body weight and high blood sugar as a result of consuming a high-fat diet may cause anxiety and depressive symptoms and measurable changes in the brain.
  
  Read more

Follow @ScienceUKnews on Twitter!