Science news

• Brilliant Venus to Join Jupiter and Mars in Pre-Dawn Sky Monday: How To See It

  21-10-2015 23:31
  
  Venus has been dominating the morning sky for the past two months, and Monday (Oct. 26), it will form a vivid tableau with Jupiter and Mars as it reaches its farthest point from the sun. In the early morning of Oct. 26, Venus will reach its greatest elongation west — 46 degrees west of the sun, or to the right in the sky. The inner planets, Mercury and Venus, never stray far from the sun in Earth's sky.
  
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• Look Ahead on Back to the Future Day!

  21-10-2015 23:20
  
  Today, the White House is marking "Back to the Future Day" with a series of conversations with innovators across the country. The White House site says "Get excited, and remember: Where we're going, we don't need roads," but adds: "Just kidding. "We've come a long way in the 30 years that have passed since the original Back to the Future came out.
  
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• Scientists identify new Galapagos giant tortoise species

  21-10-2015 23:11
  
  A team of Ecuadoran and international scientists said Wednesday they have identified a new giant tortoise species on the Galapagos Islands.
  
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• Former UK telescope to be removed from Hawaiian mountain

  21-10-2015 22:33
  
  HONOLULU (AP) — The University of Hawaii has announced the third Mauna Kea observatory that will be decommissioned, fulfilling the governor's request to remove 25 percent of the telescopes from the mountain.
  
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• ExoMars preference is for Oxia Planum

  21-10-2015 22:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The robot rover that Europe is building to send to Mars is likely to be targeted at an equatorial region known as Oxia Planum.
  
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• Cuba launches shark protection plan produced with US group

  21-10-2015 22:25
  
  HAVANA (AP) — Cuba has announced that it is launching a long-term plan to preserve its sharks in cooperation with a U.S. environmental group.
  
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• Chances of Earthquake Hitting L.A. Area Soon: Like, for Sure

  21-10-2015 22:21
  
  The chance of a moderate-size earthquake striking the Los Angeles area soon is almost guaranteed, if a new study is correct. The Greater Los Angeles area has a 99.9 percent chance of having an earthquake of magnitude 5.0 or greater in the next two and a half years, thanks to several hidden faults that have built up considerable strain, according to a study published Sept. 30 in the journal Earth and Space Science. "Identifying specific fault structures most likely to be responsible for future ea
  
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• Pig-snouted turtle from dinosaur era discovered in Utah

  21-10-2015 22:12
  
  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A strange pig-snouted turtle that lived alongside tyrannosaurs and duck-billed dinosaurs has been discovered in Utah.
  
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• Furry, spiky mammal scampered among dinosaurs

  21-10-2015 22:09
  
  Early Cretaceous fur ball with spikes discovered in Spain.
  
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• Global warming will hurt most economies, but boost Canada's, study says

  21-10-2015 21:51 via cbc.ca
  
  With each upward degree, global warming will singe the economies of three-quarters of the world's nations and widen the north-south gap between rich and poor countries, according to a new economic and science study.
  
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• MIT to fight climate change, but won't divest fossil fuels

  21-10-2015 21:44
  
  BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced a five-year plan Wednesday to combat climate change but said it won't divest its $12.4 billion endowment from fossil fuels, despite pressure from students and a campus committee.
  
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• Biologists fly drone to track health of endangered orcas

  21-10-2015 21:39
  
  SEATTLE (AP) — Federal biologists flying a drone have taken thousands of rich images of endangered Puget Sound orcas showing the whales are in good condition this year and that several appear to be pregnant.
  
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• Many Antidepressant Studies Found Tainted by Pharma Company Influence

  21-10-2015 21:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  A review of studies that assess clinical antidepressants shows hidden conflicts of interest and financial ties to corporate drugmakers
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Kerry hopes talks will give Mideast 'breathing space'

  21-10-2015 21:21
  
  US Secretary of State John Kerry hopes talks this week with the Israel and Palestinian leaders will provide some "political breathing space" amid renewed unrest.
  
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• Army disperses anti-government protesters in Congo Republic

  21-10-2015 21:15
  
  Security forces in Congo Republic's capital fired warning shots and tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters, a day after police killed four opposition supporters. Protests began in early October against a referendum that critics say is a ploy by President Denis Sassou Nguesso to prolong his grip on power, much as protests have broken out in Burundi, Burkina Faso and other African counties where leaders tried to remain in power. Sunday's vote in Congo Republic will decide whether to amend the
  
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• Earth's Photo Diary: See New Glamour Shots of Blue Marble Daily

  21-10-2015 21:14
  
  Stunning images of Earth's sunlit face, snapped by a satellite located 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away from the planet, will be available daily for people to browse on a new NASA website. The agency plans to post at least 12 new color images of Earth each day, taken by NASA's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) aboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR). "Each daily sequence of images will show the Earth as it rotates, thus revealing the whole globe over the course of
  
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• PCs demand Ontario Liberals conduct safety audits on all industrial wind turbines

  21-10-2015 21:03 via cbc.ca
  
  Ontario's governing Liberals are being urged to conduct safety audits of all industrial wind turbines across the province, after reports that some of them have seen sensors falling off them.
  
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• Shell game: New species of Galapagos giant tortoise identified

  21-10-2015 20:54
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists have identified a new species of giant tortoise on the Galápagos Islands, using genetic data to determine that a group of 250 of the slow-moving grazing reptiles was distinct from other tortoise species residing in the Pacific archipelago.
  
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• Big, 'Spooky' Asteroid to Fly by Earth on Halloween

  21-10-2015 20:47
  
  An asteroid the size of a football stadium will zoom past Earth on Halloween, in a close encounter that astronomers view as far more treat than trick. The massive asteroid 2015 TB145 will come within 310,000 miles (500,000 kilometers) of the planet — or about 1.3 times the distance from Earth to the moon — on the afternoon of Oct. 31, just three weeks after the space rock was discovered, according to NASA. There's no threat of an impact on this pass, NASA officials said.
  
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• Faraway object being destroyed by real-life 'Death Star'

  21-10-2015 20:31
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A white dwarf star in the Constellation Virgo turns out to be a "death star" worthy of "Star Wars."
  
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• White dwarf upsets planetary system, consumes evidence

  21-10-2015 19:42
  
  Rocky planets are disintegrating around a white dwarf, the core of a dead star.
  
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• 'Death Star' Vaporizes Its Own Planet: 1st Evidence

  21-10-2015 19:32
  
  The planet-destroying Death Star from "Star Wars" may be fictional, but a star at the end of its life and only a bit bigger than Earth could be its real-world twin: The star is currently destroying and disintegrating an orbiting planet bit by bit. The ill-fated planetary body and its debris are about the size of Texas or the dwarf planet Ceres, the largest asteroid in Earth's solar system, and it will be fully destroyed within about a million years, researchers said. Scientists watchin
  
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• Study finds the warmer it gets, the more world economy hurts

  21-10-2015 19:31
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — With each upward degree, global warming will singe the economies of three-quarters of the world's nations and widen the north-south gap between rich and poor countries, according to a new economic and science study.
  
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• UNESCO condemns Israel for limits on al-Aqsa mosque access

  21-10-2015 19:09
  
  By Marine Pennetier PARIS (Reuters) - The United Nations cultural heritage body UNESCO condemned Israel on Wednesday for limiting Muslim access to Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound, a flashpoint in a recent wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence. The resolution approved by UNESCO's executive board dropped a controversial clause from the original draft that laid claim to Jerusalem's Western Wall - the holiest site where Jews can pray - as a space reserved for Muslims, Israeli diplomats said. Jewi
  
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• Einstein wouldn't like it: New test proves universe is "spooky"

  21-10-2015 19:06
  LONDON (Reuters) - The universe really is weird, which is bad news both for Albert Einstein and for would-be hackers hoping to break into quantum encryption systems.
  
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• Confirmed: Quantum mechanics is weird

  21-10-2015 19:01
  
  The first demonstration of a loophole-free Bell test validates the weirdness of quantum physics.
  
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• Scientists witness death of solar system for 1st time

  21-10-2015 19:00 via cbc.ca
  
  For the first time, scientists have witnessed the dying moments of a solar system that may once have been similar to our own.
  
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• Army disperses anti-govt protesters in Congo Republic

  21-10-2015 18:55
  
  Security forces in Congo Republic's capital fired warning shots and tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters, a day after police killed four opposition supporters. Protests began in early October against a referendum that critics say is a ploy by President Denis Sassou Nguesso to prolong his grip on power. Recent attempts by veteran African leaders to prolong their rule have triggered violent protests in countries such as Burkina Faso.
  
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• Q&A: Shining a light on sexual harassment in astronomy

  21-10-2015 18:15
  
  Astronomer Joan Schmelz talks about what needs to change in the wake of the Marcy case
  
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• First nine months of 2015 shatter heat records: US

  21-10-2015 17:46
  
  The first nine months of this year have been record-breaking for heat worldwide, in another sign that dangerous global warming continues to mount, US government scientists said Wednesday.
  
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• Pentaquarks, locked-in syndrome and more reader feedback

  21-10-2015 17:30
  Readers discuss pentaquark sightings, delightful diatoms and whether an ancient four-legged fossil was actually a snake.
  
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• September was record hot globally; 7th time this year

  21-10-2015 17:27
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — This past September was the hottest ever worldwide — the seventh monthly record set this year.
  
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• Ebola Returns: 2nd Case of Relapse Raises Questions

  21-10-2015 17:11
  
  Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey — who became sick with Ebola about a year ago and recovered, but then became very ill again last week with what may be a relapse of the deadly virus — is now improving. "Pauline Cafferkey's condition has improved to serious but stable," representatives from London's Royal Free Hospital said in a statement Monday (Oct. 19). Hospital representatives said on Oct. 9 that the nurse had developed an "unusual late complication" of the virus, and reported las
  
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• Perspiration is important, but inspiration is fun(damental)

  21-10-2015 16:58
  How much of science is inspiration versus perspiration?
  
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• Big, speedy asteroid will make close flyby on Halloween

  21-10-2015 16:41 via cbc.ca
  
  An unusually speedy asteroid bigger than a big-city sports stadium will whizz close past the Earth on Halloween.
  
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• Halloween asteroid to shave past Earth

  21-10-2015 16:29
  
  A big asteroid is hurtling toward Earth and will shave past our planet on Halloween, but astronomers say there's no need to be spooked -- it's definitely not on a collision course.
  
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• 23andMe launches genetic disorder testing service for consumers

  21-10-2015 15:26 via cbc.ca
  
  Genetics company 23andMe announces the launch of a new consumer genetic test service that will show whether an individual carries genes associated with 36 different disorders, such as cystic fibrosis.
  
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• Sunscreen chemical imperils coral reefs around the globe

  21-10-2015 15:22
  
  Sunscreen contains a chemical that scientists believe is causing massive damage to coral reefs worldwide and threatens their very existence, researchers warn.
  
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• Three in 4 drivers travel above the speed limit on Canada's busiest highway

  21-10-2015 15:18 via cbc.ca
  
  Are our current speed limits criminalizing safe driving? To answer that question, CBC’s Marketplace analyzed speed patterns on North America’s busiest highway, the 401.
  
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• What Do Americans Fear Most? Big Brother & Cybercrime

  21-10-2015 15:15
  
  Americans' biggest fears are related to government and technology, not ghosts and goblins, according to the Survey of American Fear by researchers at Chapman University in California. For the survey, the researchers polled a representative sample of approximately 1,500 Americans and found that the majority of Americans (58 percent) are either "afraid" or "very afraid" of the corruption of government officials. Fears related to the government and the malicious use of technology beat out what some
  
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• Poof! Futuristic Flying Vehicles Could Vanish After Deliveries

  21-10-2015 15:14
  
  The development of this far-out delivery system is being led by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the branch of the U.S. Department of Defense charged with developing new technologies for the U.S. military. Several years ago, DARPA launched its Vanishing Programmable Resources (VAPR) program, which is devoted to building small electronic systems that do their jobs and then self-destruct. Although it might sound counterintuitive to build something that's going to disappear, s
  
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• Computers Would Never Have Found "Alien Superstructure" Star--It Required Citizen Science

  21-10-2015 15:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Volunteer astronomers first spotted a strange star in Kepler telescope data that has the Internet humming with speculation
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Brain implant lets rats ‘see’ infrared light

  21-10-2015 15:00
  New study shows brain’s remarkable ability to rewire
  
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• Insight - Sectarian hate takes root as Yemen anti-Houthi forces push on Sanaa

  21-10-2015 14:52
  
  By Angus McDowall MARIB, Yemen (Reuters) - Mohsen Saleh al-Muradi does not just want to drive the Shi'ite Houthi fighters out of Yemen's capital 130 km (80 miles) from his home town, he wants to hunt them down and stamp them out. "I will keep fighting all the way to Maran," said the slight, moustached native of the north Yemen town of Marib, wearing a bright red headscarf and a bullet pouch on his chest, referring to the Houthis highland stronghold. "I want to trample them under my feet." In a m
  
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• 60 Days in Bed: Study Tests Spaceflight's Effect on Human Body

  21-10-2015 14:33
  
  On Sept. 9, the first of those brave volunteers took to his bed for a study that will hopefully lead to better understanding of the ways spaceflight affects the human body — and how to stop the muscle and bone loss that comes with extended time spent in orbit. The study requires volunteers to lie in a bed with their feet inclined at a 6-degree angle — meaning their heads will be lower than the rest of their body throughout all 60 days of the experiment. "Organizing month-long scienti
  
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• Obama Greets Young Stargazers for White House Astronomy Night

  21-10-2015 14:32
  
  Last night on the White House's chilly South Lawn, under a vividly glowing crescent moon, future scientists and astronaut-hopefuls gathered to learn and celebrate the science of the stars — and across the country more than 80 other sites joined in with their own stargazing events. The event featured NASA astronauts, science celebrities and President Barack Obama. "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…" began the president in a speech to the attendees, referencing the famous st
  
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• Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks Overnight Tonight: Watch It Live Online

  21-10-2015 14:31
  
  A meteor shower spawned by the famous Halley's Comet reaches its maximum overnight tonight (Oct. 21-22), and you can watch the celestial display online. However, if clouds or light pollution inhibit your view, you can watch the shower online via the Slooh Community observatory and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. The Slooh Orionids webcast will begin at 8 p.m. EDT (0000) GMT) and will be hosted by Slooh astronomer Bob Berman.
  
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• Flying DeLorean: NASA Launched 'Back to the Future' Car into Space

  21-10-2015 14:30
  
  Hoverboards, self-lacing shoes and flying cars may still largely be the stuff of science fiction, but at least one DeLorean has already traveled "where we don't need roads," thanks to NASA, Lockheed Martin and a star from the original "Back to the Future" movie. Today (Oct. 21) marks the day when Emmett "Doc" Brown and Marty McFly (played by Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox) traveled from 1985 to 2015 in the film's first sequel, "Back to the Future II," which was released in 1989. The two ar
  
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• Asian tiger mosquito genome sequenced

  21-10-2015 14:30
  
  Researchers have sequenced the genome of the Asian tiger mosquito, a stealthy invasive species and carrier of tropical diseases.
  
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• Former investment chief is new Saudi ambassador to Washington

  21-10-2015 14:14
  
  Saudi Arabia's new ambassador to the United States is Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki Al Saud, a British-educated former head of the kingdom's investment authority and of a commission on industrial cities, state media reported on Wednesday. The seven-decade-old alliance between Washington and Riyadh, one of the most enduring pillars of the Middle East's strategic architecture, has been strained in recent years by disagreements over the aftermath of the Arab Spring uprisings. Although Prince
  
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