Science news

• Sharpest images of Pluto's surface

  04-12-2015 23:49 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The New Horizons probe has at last returned some of the super-sharp pictures it took of Pluto during its historic flyby in July.
  
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• Want climate action? Give us cash, India tells rich nations

  04-12-2015 23:32
  
  Rich nations responsible for the bulk of the heat-trapping gases mankind has spewed into Earth's atmosphere must provide cash if they want developing countries to make climate-saving cuts, India insisted Friday.
  
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• The 'Big Moon' Illusion May Be All in Your Head

  04-12-2015 23:22
  
  If you've ever seen the moon as it's just coming over the horizon, you may have wondered why it seems to look bigger than when it lies straight overhead. Later, Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1894), a German physicist known for his mathematics of the eye, theories of vision and ideas on the visual perception of space, asserted more or less the same idea: that when the moon is seen directly above the horizon, our brains unconsciously assign to it a dimension comparable to nearby
  
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• Surfing Einstein's Waves: New Mission Launches to Seek Space-Time Ripples

  04-12-2015 23:22
  
  In a long-running quest to find gravitational waves in space, the European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched a mission yesterday (Dec. 4) to test wave-finding technology. The mission is called LISA Pathfinder and will not actually search for waves itself.
  
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• Japanese Probe Snaps Amazing Views of Earth and Moon in Flyby (Video)

  04-12-2015 23:22
  
  The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Hayabusa2 spacecraft captured a series of Earth photos during a speed-boosting flyby of the planet Thursday (Dec. 3), exactly one year after blasting off on a mission to send home pieces of a near-Earth asteroid. 7:08 p.m. Japan Standard Time), coming within 1,920 miles (3,090 kilometers) of the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii, JAXA officials said. Hayabusa2 is on its way to the 0.6-mile-wide (1 km) asteroid 162173 Ryugu (formerly known as 1999 JU3),
  
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• Crescent Moon Points the Way to a Slowly Brightening Mars This Weekend

  04-12-2015 23:22
  
  This weekend, the crescent moon will point curious skywatchers toward Mars, which is currently quite dim in the night sky. So, when you see that modestly bright object near the moon early Sunday morning, just remember: As far as Mars is concerned, there are better times ahead!
  
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• Photos from flood-ravaged Chennai show city still underwater

  04-12-2015 22:59 via cbc.ca
  
  Authorities in Chennai, the capital of India's southern Tamil Nadu state, are shifting from a rescue effort to disease prevention after the heaviest rains in a century left more than 280 people dead and tens of thousands wading through metres-deep floodwaters.
  
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• Canada to put a price on polluting carbon emissions: government

  04-12-2015 21:49
  
  Canada's new Liberal government vowed Friday to work in 2016 toward putting a price on carbon emissions in order to curb CO2 pollution warming the planet.
  
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• Space flight speeds aging effect on astronauts' arteries

  04-12-2015 21:47 via cbc.ca
  
  Astronauts who return from space show stiffer arteries and insulin resistance, conditions that mimic a fast-forward version of age-related health problems here on Earth.
  
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• AP Interview: Redford says fighting global warming is urgent

  04-12-2015 21:39
  
  PARIS (AP) — American actor and environmental activist Robert Redford called global warming "an urgent matter" Friday and encouraged mayors to reduce local emissions even as world diplomats are trying to work out a global climate accord.
  
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• Animals found living in rock deep, deep underground

  04-12-2015 21:30 via cbc.ca
  
  A wide variety of animals have been found living more than a kilometre underground — far deeper than scientists used to think it was possible for life to thrive.
  
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• Teens know dangers of driving and cellphone use, yet do it anyway, research shows

  04-12-2015 20:59
  Researchers sat down with 30 teens to better understand their perceptions of driving and distractions such as cell-phone use. Their ultimate goal is to develop an intervention to keep teens safe on the roadways.
  
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• Study undercuts idea that 'Medieval Warm Period' was global

  04-12-2015 20:59
  A new study questions the popular notion that 10th-century Norse people were able to colonize Greenland because of a period of unusually warm weather. Researchers say the climate was already cold when the Norse arrived -- and that climate thus probably played little role in their mysterious demise some 400 years later. On a larger scale, the study adds to building evidence that the so-called Medieval Warm Period, when Europe enjoyed clement weather, did not necessarily extend to other parts of t
  
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• Scientists develop 'Shazam for earthquakes'

  04-12-2015 20:59
  A new algorithm designed to find matching seismic signals in large earthquake databases could find previously missed microquakes.
  
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• Mystery of arsenic release into groundwater solved

  04-12-2015 20:59
  Bacteria living in shallow sediment layers of permanently flooded wetlands in Asia drive arsenic release into water by feeding on freshly deposited plant material, a new study finds.
  
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• Autoimmune epilepsy outcomes depend heavily on antibody type

  04-12-2015 20:59
  Immune dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a cause of drug-resistant epilepsy but how or why the immune system attacks nerve cells -- and the consequences on seizure control -- are not well understood. Two studies explore how different types of autoimmune response elicit markedly different responses in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.
  
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• US star power injected into struggling climate talks

  04-12-2015 20:36
  
  Leonardo DiCaprio delivered a Hollywood-style jolt Friday to divided UN climate talks in Paris, challenging negotiators to act boldly and swiftly to save mankind from disastrous global warming.
  
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• ‘Q-carbon’ may offer quick route to diamonds

  04-12-2015 20:21
  
  Q-carbon might be the third form of solid carbon, but some scientists have doubts.
  
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• More lousy weather as NASA tries for space station delivery

  04-12-2015 19:40
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — For the second day in a row, foul weather threatened to stall a critical space station delivery for NASA on Friday.
  
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• Private Cygnus Spacecraft's Launch Delayed by Bad Weather for 3rd Time

  04-12-2015 19:27
  
  Bad weather foiled the launch attempt of Orbital ATK's Cygnus spacecraft Saturday (Dec. 5), delaying the cargo ship's return-to-flight mission for the third day in a row.
  
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• Private Cygnus Spacecraft's Launch Delayed Again by Bad Weather

  04-12-2015 19:27
  
  Bad weather foiled the launch attempt of Orbital ATK's Cygnus spacecraft Friday (Dec. 4), delaying the cargo ship's return-to-flight mission for the second day in a row. The unmanned Cygnus spaceship was slated to launch into space atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket at 5:33 p.m. EST (2233 GMT) on Friday from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, but strong winds forced mission controllers to give up at the end of the 30-minute window. "The winds were just a couple of k
  
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• Private Cygnus Spacecraft with NASA Cargo Makes 2nd Launch Try Today

  04-12-2015 19:27
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A privately built Cygnus supply craft bound for the International Space Station will get a second chance to launch today (Dec. 4) after bad weather foiled an attempted liftoff yesterday.
  
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• UK Astronaut To Run London Marathon - In Space

  04-12-2015 19:04
  
  Tim Peake has announced he is planning to run a digital version of the London Marathon during his mission on the International Space Station. Major Peake will watch a video showing the route through London during his attempt on 24 April. He aims to raise awareness for The Prince's Trust during his attempt, adding: "The London Marathon is a worldwide event.
  
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• Azeri workers rescued from oil platform fire in Caspian Sea - TV

  04-12-2015 18:52
  
  Forty two workers have been rescued from an offshore oil platform that caught fire in Azerbaijan's sector of the Caspian Sea, Azeri independent TV ANS said on Friday. Azeri state energy company SOCAR was not immediately available to comment. SOCAR said earlier that the fire started after a gas pipeline on the platform was damaged in heavy wind.
  
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• U.S.-led air strikes hit Islamic State oil production in Syria

  04-12-2015 18:42
  
  The U.S.-led coalition carried out 26 air strikes against Islamic State militants on Thursday, targeting oil production in Syria and supporting the Iraqi effort to retake the city of Ramadi, the military said in a statement on Friday. Coalition aircraft carried out two strikes against an oil field well head near Abu Kamal, Syria, and six strikes against an oil and gas separation plant near Dayr az Zawr, Syria, the statement by the coalition said.
  
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• Peru: Orphaned 'Paddington' bear is rescued by farmer

  04-12-2015 18:24
  
  An orphaned spectacled bear cub, also known as an Andean, which inspired Paddington Bear, was in good health after it was rescued in Oxapampa, Peru on Wednesday (2 December). A local farmer, Federico Tarazona, saw the small bear alone and noticeably wet in the middle of a highway in the country's Chontabamba district in central Peru. Tarazona decided to take the spectacled bear cub – the only surviving species of bear native to South America – home to give him some much-needed food a
  
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• Why a climate tipping point matters: Bob McDonald

  04-12-2015 18:20 via cbc.ca
  
  Warming the atmosphere two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels may cause irreversible changes that could lead to global disasters, Bob McDonald writes.
  
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• VIDEO: Dippy the arthritic penguin rehomed

  04-12-2015 18:17 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A 20 year-old penguin that suffers from arthritis is being moved from his home on the Isle of Wight to a new enclosure in Great Yarmouth.
  
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• Solar water splitting: Putting an extra 'eye' on surface reactions that store sunlight as fuel

  04-12-2015 18:14
  Water-splitting cells absorb sunlight and produce fuel. Creating such cells means pairing a material to absorb sunlight and generate electrons with the one that uses those electrons to produce fuel. Scientists introduced a novel way to study the flow of electrons where the materials meet.
  
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• Shape shifters: Demonstrating tunable phase shifting

  04-12-2015 18:14
  Scientists devised a new approach that balances attractions between particles and promises to become a useful tool to create designer materials that can repair damage.
  
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• Certain herpes viruses can infect human neurons

  04-12-2015 18:14
  Epstein-Barr virus and Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus can infect and replicate in cultured and primary neurons, report scientists.
  
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• Space station shipment delayed again after weather halts rocket launch — again

  04-12-2015 18:12 via cbc.ca
  
  Poor wind conditions grounded a critical space station delivery for NASA on Friday, the second day in a row the rocket launch has been delayed by weather.
  
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• NASA says rocket launch attempt delayed again by wind

  04-12-2015 18:12 via cbc.ca
  
  For the second day in a row, foul weather threatened to stall a critical space station delivery for NASA on Friday.
  
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• Foul weather threatens NASA rocket launch attempt, space station delivery

  04-12-2015 18:12 via cbc.ca
  
  For the second day in a row, foul weather threatened to stall a critical space station delivery for NASA on Friday.
  
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• British astronaut Tim Peake: Space marathon first is a 'personal ambition'

  04-12-2015 18:12
  
  The British astronaut set to become the first man to run a marathon in space has said he is not doing it for the record but because the challenge is "part of who I am".
  
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• Gene pair plays crucial role in colon cancer, vet team shows

  04-12-2015 18:11
  Two related genes in the Musashi family are required for colon cancer to develop, researchers have discovered, adding that they may be useful targets for effective treatment.
  
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• Bloodhound Diary: It's rocket science

  04-12-2015 18:10 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Why a supersonic car must live in a hybrid world
  
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• Porsche plans 1 bn euro electric car by 'end of decade'

  04-12-2015 17:45
  
  Porsche said Friday it was pumping in a billion euros to bring its first all electric car to market by "the end of the decade", as the German luxury sportscar giant joined the race for a slice of the green car market.
  
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• Italy's Etna in most dramatic eruption in 20 years

  04-12-2015 17:37
  
  Fire and hot ash spewed high into the sky from Italy's Mount Etna in Sicily Friday, in one of the most dramatic eruptions of Europe's highest active volcano in the past 20 years.
  
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• AP Interview: UN climate chief to negotiators: sleep, focus

  04-12-2015 17:23
  
  LE BOURGET, France (AP) — The head of the U.N. climate change agency says high-intensity negotiations in Paris are on track so far and says her biggest concern now is that negotiators get enough rest to stay focused.
  
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• New director for U.S. Office of Research Integrity

  04-12-2015 17:15
  
  Kathy Partin of Colorado State to head office that polices fraud
  
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• Marine debris travels far, research shows

  04-12-2015 17:14
  Local wind and tide data was fed into a computer model to determine where sea-borne debris would come ashore. Results show that the debris can travel long distances.
  
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• Two genes linked to intellectual disability, circular skin creases on limbs

  04-12-2015 17:13
  Clinical geneticists have identified two genes that cause the rare congenital syndrome known as circumferential skin creases Kunze type. With less than a dozen cases reported worldwide, the syndrome is extremely rare.
  
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• Error correction strategies of cells

  04-12-2015 17:13
  Error correction of cells have been reviewed by researchers who have investigatred the importance of crosstalk and its effects, and propose an alternative model that suppresses erroneous initiation.
  
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• Back from the 'Dead': Scientists unlock secrets of Aussie 'resurrection' grass

  04-12-2015 17:13
  The native grass, Tripogon loliiformis, has been the focus of recent researchbecause of its amazing ability to survive extreme environmental stresses. The researchers have proved sugar manipulation and the controlled sacrifice of cells are keys to the native grass's survival.
  
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• Give vultures a little love, conservationists say

  04-12-2015 17:03
  
  MAGADI, Kenya (AP) — These are tough times for African vultures.
  
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• Some Facebook users test new live video feature

  04-12-2015 16:54 via cbc.ca
  
  Get ready to start watching live video of your friends and family doing something fun, boring or even dumb on Facebook.
  
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• Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide actually cools part of Antarctica

  04-12-2015 16:30
  
  Local weather conditions, altitude to blame for counterintuitive trend
  
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• World's top nature photos to be projected onto St Peter's

  04-12-2015 16:14
  
  Images by some of the world's greatest environmental photographers will be projected onto Saint Peter's Basilica next week in solidarity with the climate change talks in Paris, the Vatican said Friday.
  
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• The cell's 'coal plant': Fermentation

  04-12-2015 16:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The longstanding mystery as to why cells prefer the more "wasteful" process of fermentation has been solved and the solution provides a new perspective for cancer research, scientist say.
  
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