Science news

• U.S., others doubt North Korea leader's H-bomb claim

  10-12-2015 23:39
  
  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday appeared to say his country has developed a hydrogen bomb, a step up from the less powerful atomic bomb, but the United States and outside experts were sceptical. Kim made the comments as he toured the Phyongchon Revolutionary Site, which marks the feats of his father who died in 2011 and his grandfather, state founder and eternal president, Kim Il Sung, the official KCNA news agency said. The work of Kim Il Sung "turned the DPRK into a powerful nuclea
  
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• SpaceX to launch rocket Dec 19, six months after blast

  10-12-2015 23:21
  
  Space X's Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from space launch complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, Florida on June 28, 2015
  
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• Chile plans hydropower plant -- in desert

  10-12-2015 22:49
  
  Building a $400-million hydroelectric power plant in the world's most arid desert may seem like an engineering debacle, but Chile sees it as a revolutionary way to generate green energy.
  
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• Global climate deal in sight though finance, timing gaps remain

  10-12-2015 22:47
  
  By Barbara Lewis and Bate Felix PARIS (Reuters) - The chairman of global climate talks in Paris said on Thursday negotiators were on the cusp of an agreement, despite persistent differences on key issues dividing rich and developing countries in nearly two weeks of talks. "We want an agreement, we are extremely close to that goal," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told an evening session of delegates now in the grip of almost round-the-clock negotiations in a conference centre on the outsk
  
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• Moscow graveyards upgraded to include free Wi-Fi

  10-12-2015 22:33 via cbc.ca
  
  Visitors to Novodevichy, Troyekurovskoye and Vagankovo cemeteries will have access to free Wi-Fi starting sometime next year, so that they can 'unwind' among the dead.
  
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• These apps can help stop the internet from distracting you

  10-12-2015 22:28 via cbc.ca
  
  When there are so many apps and digital temptations vying for your attention, how can you regain focus? Technology columnist Ramona Pringle suggests some apps and tips that can help you combat digital distraction.
  
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• How to regain focus in the Age of Digital Distraction

  10-12-2015 22:28 via cbc.ca
  
  When there are so many apps and digital temptations vying for your attention, how can you regain focus? Technology columnist Ramona Pringle suggests some apps and tips that can help you combat digital distraction.
  
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• Computer teaches itself human handwriting in new form of learning

  10-12-2015 21:48 via cbc.ca
  
  Computers are stupid compared to humans at learning and applying new concepts. But U.S. and Canadian scientists say they've developed a method to teach computers to learn in a more human-like way.
  
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• Last-ditch UN climate talks head into second night

  10-12-2015 21:42
  
  Sleep-deprived ministers tasked with saving mankind from a climate catastrophe headed into a second night of non-stop talks Thursday, battling to overcome a rich-poor divide in search of a historic accord.
  
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• Microbes show up on schedule after death

  10-12-2015 21:34
  
  Microbes in the soil beneath dead bodies offer forensic clues for time and place of death.
  
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• U.S. vice president, Turkish prime minister discuss Iraq tensions in call

  10-12-2015 21:31
  
  U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday about the fight against Islamic State and tensions between Turkey and Iraq, the White House said in a statement. "The leaders ... discussed ongoing developments in Iraq, emphasizing the importance of defusing recent tensions between Turkey and the Government of Iraq in a manner that respects Iraqi sovereignty and fully coordinates counter-ISIL efforts with the Coalition," it said, referring to Islamic State
  
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• Tiny islands have powerful voice in UN climate talks

  10-12-2015 21:28
  
  LE BOURGET, France (AP) — They barely break the surface of the ocean but in the U.N. talks on how to stop rising seas and other hazards of a warming planet, small island nations have the moral high ground.
  
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• Lost Tomb of 'Suleiman the Magnificent' Possibly Unearthed

  10-12-2015 21:25
  
  The lost tomb of Suleiman the Magnificent, one of the greatest rulers of the Ottoman Empire, may have been unearthed in southern Hungary. In addition to his military prowess, Suleiman "the lawgiver" simplified Ottoman legal code and funded the construction of some of Istanbul's most gorgeous architecture.
  
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• Calling time on a global climate deal: Fabius's fuzzy 'consensus'

  10-12-2015 21:18
  
  By Alister Doyle PARIS (Reuters) - To conclude a landmark global climate agreement expected to set off a trillion-dollar overhaul of the world's high-carbon energy system, there will be no vote, no show of hands, no acclamation. Instead, the weighty task of officially sealing four years of global negotiations falls to the somewhat subjective judgement of French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who will call time on talks as soon as he believes 195 nations have finally reached a "consensus" on ho
  
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• First ever test-tube dogs give 'puppy love' a new meaning

  10-12-2015 20:49
  
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rarely is a major scientific breakthrough so darn cute.
  
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• SpaceX rocket aiming to fly again next week after accident

  10-12-2015 20:45
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Privately-owned Space Exploration Technologies is aiming to return its repaired Falcon 9 rocket to flight next week, following a launch accident six months ago, the company said on Thursday.
  
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• Astronomers Skeptical Over "Planet X" Claims

  10-12-2015 20:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Two controversial new studies suggest the discovery of large objects at the outer reaches of the solar system
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• Astronomers Skeptical About "Planet X" Claims

  10-12-2015 20:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Two controversial new studies suggest the discovery of large objects at the outer reaches of the solar system
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Montreal bans single-use plastic bags as of 2018

  10-12-2015 20:28
  
  Greater Montreal announced Thursday a ban on non-biodegradable, single-use plastic bags starting in 2018, in the largest of its kind proscription in Canada, while urging other major cities around the world to follow suit.
  
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• VIDEO: How do you give a gorilla a root canal op?

  10-12-2015 20:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Paignton Zoo's 28-stone silverback Western Lowland gorilla, Pertinax, has had a root canal operation.
  
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• Alberta firm selling fresh Canadian air in canisters

  10-12-2015 20:05 via cbc.ca
  
  Two entrepreneurs are capitalizing on air pollution problems abroad by selling people bottled fresh air from the Canadian Rockies.
  
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• Gooey rock in mantle thickens 1,000 kilometers down

  10-12-2015 20:00
  
  Gravitational tugs provide an unprecedented peek into the structure of Earth’s mantle and reveal a sudden increase in viscosity roughly 1,000 kilometers below ground.
  
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• Elusive chemical reaction transition state captured

  10-12-2015 20:00
  A new method provides a detailed look at the elusive transition state.
  
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• Nobel laureates receive prizes in Stockholm

  10-12-2015 19:54
  
  Dressed to the nines in tails and long gowns, the 2015 Nobel laureates in medicine, literature, economics, physics and chemistry received their prizes at a glittering ceremony in Stockholm on Thursday.
  
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• SpaceX launches may resume Dec. 19, 6 months after accident

  10-12-2015 19:48
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX says it's close to launching rockets again six months after an accident.
  
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• Brain shapes come from mom and dad

  10-12-2015 19:35
  
  By linking genes to brain shapes, scientists have a new way to study how the brain works.
  
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• White House doubts North Korea claim to have hydrogen bomb

  10-12-2015 19:30
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday said it was doubtful that North Korea had developed a hydrogen bomb, as its leader had apparently claimed. "At this point, the information that we have access to calls into serious question those claims, but we take very seriously the risk and the threat that is posed by the North Korean regime in their ambitions to develop a nuclear weapon," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; writing by Tim Ahmann)
  
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• German physicists see landmark in nuclear fusion quest

  10-12-2015 19:25
  
  Scientists in Germany said Thursday they had reached a milestone in a quest to derive energy from nuclear fusion, billed as a potentially limitless, safe and cheap source.
  
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• Geminid Meteor Shower Puts on Dazzling Display This Week

  10-12-2015 19:12
  
  This week marks the return of one of the best meteor showers in the year, the Geminids. In rare cases, asteroids rather than comets cause these fields, and the Geminid meteor shower is one of those exceptions. The Geminids appear to be related to the asteroid 3200 Phaethon.
  
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• Cricket's call has 'predatory roots'

  10-12-2015 19:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The high-pitched mating chirp of a group of crickets may have evolved from the insects impersonating predators, scientists say.
  
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• Still divided, nations make final push for climate deal

  10-12-2015 18:55
  
  By David Stanway and Bate Felix PARIS (Reuters) - Exhausted climate negotiators from 195 nations sought ways on Thursday to strengthen a planned global agreement to combat global warming, and argued over who should pay billions of dollars to help developing nations meet those goals. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, chairing the U.N. conference, said he planned to issue a penultimate draft on Thursday evening with as few disagreements or bracketed passages as possible, to pave the way for
  
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• El Nino remains strong; wet California winter expected

  10-12-2015 18:53
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — This year's El Nino is staying unusually strong, and forecasters say it's still expected to bring a wet winter to drought-stricken California.
  
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• 6,000-year-old skeletons in French pit came from victims of violence

  10-12-2015 18:50
  
  Human bones in a French pit recall lethal conflicts and limb lopping 6,000 years ago.
  
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• Storm Desmond: Glenridding river bursts banks causing more trouble in Cumbria

  10-12-2015 18:28
  
  Residents of Glenridding in Cumbria, north west England, have been hit with another round of flooding. The flooding on 10 December was the second time the Glenridding village's river bhas roke its banks. Edwin Holme, station manager for the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, said his team was attempting to "give some reassurance and check the people of Glenridding are safe".
  
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• Privacy watchdog urges more care with memory sticks containing Canadians' data

  10-12-2015 18:17 via cbc.ca
  
  Canada's privacy watchdog says federal agencies must put more rigorous safeguards in place to protect sensitive personal information — especially when that data is on an easy-to-lose memory stick.
  
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• Explosion in new dragonfly species results in animals named after gorillas, Pink Floyd

  10-12-2015 18:15
  
  The 60 new species identified speak to biodiversity yet to be discovered
  
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• Stakes rise with one day left in UN climate talks

  10-12-2015 17:44
  
  Weary ministers tasked with rescuing mankind from catastrophic climate change struggled Thursday to overcome a rich-poor divide, with little more than 24 hours left to reach a deal.
  
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• XSTAT: Sponge injection that can plug open gunshot wound in 15 seconds approved for civilian use

  10-12-2015 17:30
  
  The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the civilian use of the XSTAT Rapid Haemostasis System, which can stop the bleeding from an open gunshot wound in 15 seconds. The treatment uses a syringe-style applicator to puts tablet-sized cellulose sponges into the wound to absorb blood and stop the bleeding.
  
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• A New Autism Risk Factor: Moms with Polycystic Ovaries

  10-12-2015 17:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Prenatal exposure to elevated levels of male sex hormones may play a role in the development of autism, results of a new study suggest
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• Canada's new goal for limiting global warming 'perhaps a dream'

  10-12-2015 17:16 via cbc.ca
  
  The Canadian government's new goal for limiting climate change is ambitious, scientists say, and all governments will have to act now and garner enough buy-in from citizens to spark some big changes to make it possible.
  
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• Efforts to prevent ‘coywolf’ hybrids is working, study finds

  10-12-2015 17:00
  
  Finding comes as officials mull future of red wolf conservation
  
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• Effort to prevent ‘coywolf’ hybrids is working, study finds

  10-12-2015 17:00
  
  Finding comes as officials mull future of red wolf conservation
  
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• ‘Test tube puppies’ offer hope for endangered species

  10-12-2015 16:45
  
  World’s first IVF dogs born after 40 years of trying
  
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• Angkor Wat Yields Astounding Buried Towers & Spiral Structure

  10-12-2015 16:03
  
  Eight buried towers and the remains of a massive spiral structure created from sand have been discovered at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The massive structure — almost a mile long — contains a spiral design, with several rectangular spirals that form a giant structure, archaeologists say. "This structure, which has dimensions of more than 1,500 m × 600 m (about 1 mile by 1,970 feet) is the most striking discovery associated with Angkor Wat to date.
  
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• Da Vinci Droid & Dancing Machines: Japan Convention's Coolest Bots

  10-12-2015 15:55
  
  Leonardo da Vinci (or rather, a robot that looks a heck of a lot like the Renaissance painter and inventor) made an appearance at a robotics show in Japan last week. The humanoid da Vinci bot was on display at the Robot Exhibition 2015 (iREX), a biannual convention that opened in Tokyo on Dec. 2. With its long white beard, bright blue eyes and pensive facial expressions, the da Vinci robot really does bear a striking resemblance to the man best known as the inventor of flying machines and painte
  
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• Bigger Smiles, Less Hair: How Yearbook Photos Have Changed

  10-12-2015 15:54
  
  People now may have more to smile about — at least when it comes to their yearbook photos. High school seniors today are much more likely to smile for the camera in their senior- year snaps, compared with the turn of the 20th century, new research finds. Few young women now would contemplate shellacking their hair into a beehive, instead opting for longer, more natural locks, said study lead author Shiry Ginosar, a doctoral candidate in computer science at the University of California at B
  
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• World's 1st IVF puppies make their debut

  10-12-2015 15:50 via cbc.ca
  
  Scientists finally announce the first litter of puppies born through in vitro fertilization — 37 years after the first human test tube baby.
  
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• Ontario photographer's stunning shots of Lake Erie amaze online

  10-12-2015 14:41 via cbc.ca
  
  Dave Sandford spent two or three days a week, sometimes putting in six-hour days, photographing the awesome natural power of Lake Erie during a four-week span in November.
  
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• Climate talks stretch through night as deadline for historic deal looms

  10-12-2015 14:31 via cbc.ca
  
  What at the outset the French hosts called a "week of hope," is now coming to an end with frenetic, caffeine-fueled all-nighters aimed at beating the clock.
  
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• Ambition of Paris climate talks rises by half a degree

  10-12-2015 14:28
  
  By Valerie Volcovici PARIS (Reuters) - It would have been unthinkable just a few months ago, but a new global deal to combat climate change may set the world a much more ambitious target than expected, even if achieving that goal is far out of reach for now. With the unexpected support of the United States and Europe, the agreement, due to be completed within days, could go beyond the current goal of limiting the rise in global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels
  
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