Science news

• Climate change to shrink habitat for rarest Hawaii birds

  28-10-2015 23:53
  
  By the end of this century, a warming climate may wipe out available habitat for some of Hawaii's rarest birds, researchers warned on Wednesday.
  
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• [Erratum] Erratum for the Research Article: "HDL-bound sphingosine 1-phosphate acts as a biased agonist for the endothelial cell receptor S1P1 to limit vascular inflammation" by S. Galvani, M. Sanson, V. A. Blaho, S. L. Swendeman, H. Conger, B. Dahlbä

  28-10-2015 23:39 via stke.sciencemag.org
  An author is added to a Research Article.
  
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• Fraudulent infant formula study withdrawn by medical journal

  28-10-2015 23:30 via cbc.ca
  
  A Canadian scientist's 1989 study on the immune benefits of infant formula has been retracted by a major medical journal, which called the case a "major failure of scientific governance."
  
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• University of Alberta researcher finds feathers on Ornithomimus dinosaur

  28-10-2015 23:09 via cbc.ca
  
  U of A undergraduate student Aaron van der Reest is still flying high over his discovery. He discovered an Ornithomimus dinosaur. What makes it really special is that the preserved tail feathers and soft tissue shrink the link between dinosaurs and birds.
  
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• Anti-anxiety dog meds made from tree bark studied in Ontario

  28-10-2015 23:02 via cbc.ca
  
  Researchers from the University of Ottawa claim they've found a successful botanical anti-anxiety medication for dogs. All they need is vines from Costa Rica, and sycamore bark harvested from Windsor.
  
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• Unreliable science impairs its ability to serve society

  28-10-2015 22:53
  Science’s reproducibility problem impairs the ability of basic research to inform the search for better medicinal drugs.
  
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• Zap happy: electric eels innovative in subduing hapless prey

  28-10-2015 22:34
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When it comes to unleashing their trademark zaps, electric eels employ an impressive and sophisticated set of tactics.
  
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• Modern Mystery: Ancient Comet Is Spewing Oxygen

  28-10-2015 22:29
  
  The Rosetta spacecraft has detected molecular oxygen in the gas streaming off comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, a curious finding that has scientists rethinking the ingredients that were present in the early solar system. What's mystifying astronomers about the new find is why the oxygen wasn't annihilated during the solar system's formation. Molecular oxygen is extremely reactive with hydrogen, which was swirling in abundance as the sun and planets were created.
  
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• Spacecraft to sample water plumes from Saturn moon

  28-10-2015 22:18
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla (REUTERS) - A U.S. spacecraft was poised to make a deep dive into plumes of water, ice and organic matter blasting from Saturn's small, ocean-bearing moon Enceladus, in an effort to learn if it could support life, NASA said on Wednesday.
  
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• EU lawmakers throw out GMO compromise law

  28-10-2015 21:53
  
  EU lawmakers on Wednesday rejected by a huge majority a hard-won compromise which would have allowed EU member states to decide for themselves whether or not to import Genetically Modified Organisms for use in food and animal feed.
  
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• Rookie Spacewalkers Perform Critical Space Station Work

  28-10-2015 21:41
  
  NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren successfully completed their first-ever spacewalks today (Oct. 28), completing a handful of tasks vital to the International Space Station's longterm endurance. NASA's 32nd International Space Station (ISS) spacewalk officially started at 8:03 a.m. ET (1203 GMT) and lasted for 7 hours and 16 minutes as Kelly and Lindgren performed a handful of important maintenance tasks, including putting additional shielding over a science experiment, lu
  
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• Huge fire in Brazil's jungle threatens tribes: Greenpeace

  28-10-2015 21:16
  
  A huge fire engulfing a swath of Brazilian jungle threatens the existence of remote indigenous tribes and may have been started by illegal loggers invading the territory, Greenpeace said Wednesday.
  
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• NASA astronauts get workout in marathon spacewalk

  28-10-2015 21:13
  
  Two US astronauts got quite a workout Wednesday during a spacewalk that lasted more than seven hours in order to do upgrades and maintenance at the orbiting International Space Station, the US space agency said.
  
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• Subway Joins Other Fast-Food Giants to Cut Back on Antibiotics

  28-10-2015 21:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Fast-food chains are leading the charge against antibiotic overuse in food production
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Astronaut completes spacewalk right before setting US record

  28-10-2015 20:44
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA's yearlong spaceman, Scott Kelly, chalked up his first spacewalk Wednesday just hours before he sets a record for the nation's longest trip off the planet.
  
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• Global internet surveillance, censorship rising, report finds

  28-10-2015 20:28 via cbc.ca
  
  Governments around the world are expanding censorship and surveillance of the Internet as overall online freedom declined for the fifth consecutive year, according to a report from a group that tracks democracy and human rights.
  
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• Spacewalkers prep station for space taxi parking spots

  28-10-2015 20:23
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Two U.S. astronauts wrapped up nearly seven hours of electrical work and maintenance chores outside the International Space Station on Wednesday, part of an ongoing upgrade to prepare the outpost for new commercial space taxis.
  
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• EU lawmakers seek funding ban for fighting bulls

  28-10-2015 20:18
  
  EU lawmakers demanded Wednesday that farmers who raise bulls for fighting, as in Spain or southern France, should not get European funding for a blood sport critics say is cruel and archaic.
  
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• Sierra Club Canada wants to turn 24 Sussex green

  28-10-2015 20:15 via cbc.ca
  
  The Sierra Club Canada challenges the Trudeau family to make the renovation of 24 Sussex Drive into an exemplary low-carbon energy retro-fit.
  
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• Oxygen spews from Rosetta's comet, surprising scientists

  28-10-2015 19:47 via cbc.ca
  
  Scientists say they have detected significant amounts of molecular oxygen coming out of a comet, an unexpected find that may have implications for the search for alien life and understanding how the solar system formed.
  
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• Oxygen found in comet challenges solar-system theories

  28-10-2015 19:18
  
  BERLIN (AP) — Scientists say they have detected significant amounts of molecular oxygen coming out of a comet, an unexpected find that may have implications for the search for alien life and understanding how the solar system formed.
  
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• Discovery of oxygen on comet 'big surprise'

  28-10-2015 19:18
  
  Stunned scientists announced Wednesday the unexpected discovery of large quantities of oxygen on a comet which streaked past the Sun in August with a European spacecraft in tow.
  
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• 'Gentle' beginning for Solar System

  28-10-2015 19:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Rosetta spacecraft discovers molecular oxygen in the cloud of gas surrounding Comet 67P prompting a rethink on the origins of the Solar System.
  
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• Oxygen leaking from comet surprises astronomers

  28-10-2015 19:00
  
  The Rosetta spacecraft detected oxygen molecules coming out of comet 67P that might have been buried since the formation of the solar system.
  
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• Dog robot copes with tough terrain

  28-10-2015 18:58
  Swiss researchers have built an electrically actuated, walking, climbing, running four-legged robot that can handle difficult terrain.
  
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• Watch This Amazing World View Test Flight for Balloon-Based Space Tourism

  28-10-2015 18:47
  
  Arizona-based World View Enterprises, which aims to loft paying customers to the stratosphere beneath a giant balloon, launched an uncrewed test flight Saturday (Oct. 26). "This test flight is symbolic of a major step towards a new era of accessible space travel for us all," World View CEO and co-founder Jane Poynter said in a statement. Saturday's trial demonstrated that World View's system can lift off gently, successfully transition from balloon floating to aerodynamic parafoil flight at high
  
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• New Disk of Young Stars Found in Milky Way

  28-10-2015 18:47
  
  A group of young stars has been caught loitering near the center of the Milky Way galaxy, a region previously thought to be dominated by a more mature population. Astronomers say the stars form a disk (previously unknown to scientists) that passes through the outer part of the dusty, peanut-shaped bulge at the galactic center. The thick forest of dust located at the Milky Way's galactic center is a place where even the bright flame of a burning star can be nearly impossible for astronomers to se
  
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• North Korea: Kim Jong-un opens atom-shaped science and technology building

  28-10-2015 18:26
  
  North Korea has unveiled a shiny new science and technology complex in the shape of an atom. Members of the Korean People's Army were drafted in to speed up construction, and analysis of satellite imagery shows the sleek structure was completed in about a year. The building's design, clearly visible from the air, is a reminder of North Korea's refusal to abandon its nuclear programme.
  
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• DIY Halloween Costumes: 7 Geeky Getups for Any Party

  28-10-2015 17:47
  
  With Halloween less than a week away, science nerds everywhere are scrambling to put the finishing touches on their costumes. A Halloween costume depicting dark matter can pretty much look however you want it to look, because no one knows what dark matter really is. Adorn yourself in these articles of clothing, and then slink around the party, saying mysterious things like, "Are my axions showing?" Also, be sure to do a lot of unpredictable things, like grab people and hold them in one place (ex
  
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• How electric eels put more zip in their zap

  28-10-2015 17:41
  
  With feisty prey, an electric eel curls its tail to intensify shocks and exhaust prey.
  
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• Hungry baby otter found on California beach is recovering

  28-10-2015 17:39
  
  MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) — A malnourished baby otter found stranded on the beach by kayakers in central California is recovering at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
  
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• Nasa Cassini probe makes lowest pass through ice plumes on Saturn's Enceladus moon

  28-10-2015 17:12
  
  Nasa's Cassini probe is scheduled to make its lowest pass yet over Saturn's Enceladus moon on Wednesday (28 October), swooping through the moon's towering plume of ice and water vapour to provide new insights into how hospitable the ocean thought to cover Enceladus could be to life. Earlier this year, Scientists found that Enceladus, a small moon orbiting the giant ringed planet, is likely to possess a liquid ocean under its icy crust, raising the prospects that it could host life. Cassini has b
  
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• Nepal signs deal with China for supplies as fuel crisis deepens

  28-10-2015 16:38
  
  Nepal signed a deal on Wednesday with China to import petroleum products, its embassy in Beijing said, as the Himalayan nation tries to boost supplies to deal with a deepening fuel crisis. Kathmandu has been forced to ration fuel after protests against a new constitution strangled supplies from India into the landlocked nation. India has been critical of Nepal for rushing through the constitution despite opposition from minorities living close to its border.
  
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• Saudi foreign minister says sees signs Yemen war nearing end

  28-10-2015 16:35
  
  Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Wednesday that the war a Saudi-led coalition has been fighting against Iran-allied fighters in Yemen for seven months may soon end. "One of the indications that the campaign is nearing its end is the fact that ... Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthis are accepting U.N. Security Council Resolution 2216 and entering into talks the U.N. on that basis," al-Jubeir told a press conference with his British counterpart in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Most of Yeme
  
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• YouTube Red subscription service could change the future of YouTube stardom

  28-10-2015 16:00 via cbc.ca
  
  YouTube is set to evolve its long-free video network with Red, a subscription service that removes ads and offers exclusive content featuring its biggest stars. But many of its best known creators know very little about how it might change the way they make a living.
  
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• Northern cod have made a spectacular recovery, study finds

  28-10-2015 15:59 via cbc.ca
  
  A new study into the state of northern cod stocks off Newfoundland and Labrador reveals a dramatic recovery for a species that became commercially extinct in the 1990s.
  
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• All-female Russian crew starts Moon mission test

  28-10-2015 15:38
  
  Six Russian women on Wednesday clambered into a mock spaceship to begin a unique experiment testing how an all-female crew would interact on a trip to the Moon and back.
  
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• Apple Pay coming to Canada this year - for some

  28-10-2015 15:33 via cbc.ca
  
  Apple's mobile wallet, Apple Pay, will become available in Canada later this year — but only to those who have American Express cards.
  
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• Photo shows polar bear injured by tight radio collar

  28-10-2015 15:28 via cbc.ca
  
  A photo of a polar bear with bloody wounds from a too-tight radio collar illustrates an unfortunate but rare side effect of wildlife research, biologists say.
  
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• Three planets align for rare display

  28-10-2015 15:21 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Venus, Jupiter and Mars can be seen from the Earth's skyline this week in a rare grouping of the three planets.
  
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• 290-Million-Year-Old Creature Could Sprout New Limbs

  28-10-2015 14:52
  
  If an ancient amphibian lost a limb or a tail, it could simply sprout a new one, according to researchers who found fossil evidence of limb regeneration dating back 290 million years. The finding shows that some Carboniferous and Permian period animals had regenerative abilities a full 80 million years before salamanders, one of the few modern-day animal groups that can fully regenerate their limbs and tail, existed in the fossil record. The fact that other tetrapods — a group comprised of
  
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• Google Can Help You Find the Perfect Halloween Costume

  28-10-2015 14:50
  
  Not sure what to be for Halloween? Google may be able to help. A new Google Trends tool shows you what costumes are popular right now in your area and around the country, so you can be sure to wear something more original than, say, a Stormtrooper costume to this weekend's festivities.
  
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• Pacific's Palau creates huge ocean sanctuary the size of Spain

  28-10-2015 14:21
  
  The tiny Pacific island nation of Palau created a vast marine sanctuary the size of Spain on Wednesday, banning fishing across the bulk of its waters to preserve the ocean for future generations.
  
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• Africa lion numbers 'may fall by half'

  28-10-2015 14:08 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Authors of a study on lion populations believe many are in rapid decline and the animal should now be classified as endangered in parts of Africa.
  
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• Astronaut takes spacewalk right before setting US record

  28-10-2015 13:41
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA's yearlong spaceman, Scott Kelly, took his first spacewalk Wednesday just hours before setting a new U.S. flight record.
  
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• NASA astronauts kick off spacewalk for upgrades at ISS

  28-10-2015 13:36
  
  Two NASA astronauts stepped out on a spacewalk Wednesday for upgrades and maintenance at the orbiting International Space Station, the US space agency said.
  
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