Science news

• Quake on major fault line rattles Reno; experts monitoring

  23-12-2015 23:51
  RENO, Nev. (AP) — A series of more than 30 earthquakes that rattled the Reno area over the past two days occurred on the most significant fault structure in the area, and scientists are monitoring for potentially bigger shock waves to follow, experts said Wednesday.
  
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• Curbing Premature Birth May Hinge on a Single Molecule

  23-12-2015 23:37
  Blocking a molecule in the uterus could delay or even halt premature birth, the leading cause of death and disability of newborns worldwide, according to a new study in rodents. As many as 3 percent are born quite prematurely, after less than 31 weeks of pregnancy, said study co-senior author Dr. David Cornfield, a pediatric pulmonary medicine physician and scientist at Stanford University in California. Premature birth can lead to major problems because many organs, including the brain, lungs,
  
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• Boston Dynamics' robot reindeer pull Santa into the 21st century

  23-12-2015 22:56 via cbc.ca
  
  Magic can only take you so far in the 21st century, even Santa knows that, which is why Boston Dynamics has been pushing for the future of sleigh technology - robots.
  
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• The link between imagery and performance

  23-12-2015 22:55
  Imagine standing on a basketball court, throwing the basketball and watching it arc into the net. Chances are you’ll make that shot without a problem if you’ve been practicing, according to new research.
  
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• Suspected Boko Haram fighters launch four strikes on Lake Chad area

  23-12-2015 22:37
  By Madjiasra Nako and Abdoulaye Massalaki N'DJAMENA/NIAMEY (Reuters) - Suspected Boko Haram militants launched four attacks over 24 hours on villages in Niger, Chad and Cameroon, killing at least seven people, security and administrative sources said on Wednesday. The Islamist militants are mostly based in northeastern Nigeria but have become a major threat to wider regional security by carrying out attacks in the lawless Lake Chad zone where the borders of Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria meet
  
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• Equipment failure pushes back Mars lander mission

  23-12-2015 21:57
  
  The launch of the Mars InSight lander is suspended until at least 2018 because of a faulty seismometer.
  
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• Black bear rides for 65 miles on California trash truck

  23-12-2015 21:55
  
  FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A black bear crawled inside a trash compactor and took the ride of its life on a garbage truck, traveling about 65 miles to a dump in central California where it briefly ran free.
  
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• Streak of light in Western US sky sends social media abuzz

  23-12-2015 21:51
  PHOENIX (AP) — The body of a Russian rocket that burned up as it entered the Earth's atmosphere set off a wave of excitement on social media and fueled speculation over what caused the flash of light to shoot across the sky in the American West.
  
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• Milan limits daytime traffic to battle smog

  23-12-2015 21:04
  
  Drivers in Milan will face a limit on daytime travel three days next week as the northern Italian city tries to bring air pollution down from dangerous levels.
  
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• US Christmas lights use more energy than entire countries

  23-12-2015 20:44
  
  American household Christmas lights, a favorite holiday tradition, use up more electricity than some poorer countries -- such as El Salvador or Ethiopia -- do in a year.
  
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• VIDEO: Fireball filmed over Nevada and California

  23-12-2015 20:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  US defence officials confirm a streaking fireball over the skies of Nevada and California was Russian space debris.
  
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• Potent parasite-killing mechanism of anti-malarial drug uncovered

  23-12-2015 20:14
  A team of researchers has uncovered the mystery behind the potent parasite-killing effect of artemisinin, a drug that is considered to be the last line of defense against malaria. Given the emergence of artemisinin resistance, these findings could potentially lead to the design of new treatments against drug-resistant parasites.
  
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• Experts: Fireball in sky was part of Russian space rocket

  23-12-2015 20:14
  
  PHOENIX (AP) — The body of a Russian rocket that burned up Tuesday night as it entered the earth's atmosphere set off a wave of excitement on social media and fueled speculation over what caused the flash of light to shoot across western skies.
  
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• Skin-to-Skin 'Kangaroo-Style' Care May Benefit Newborns' Health

  23-12-2015 20:06
  Babies born with a low birth weight who are regularly held by their mothers skin-to-skin — or "kangaroo style" — may have a lower risk of dying prematurely, according to a new analysis of previous research. In the analysis, researchers looked at 124 studies that examined the relationship between so-called kangaroo mother care and health outcomes in newborns. Newborns born at a low birth weight — less than 4.4 lbs. (2 kilograms) — who received kangaroo mother care had a 36
  
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• Dating historic activity at Oso site shows recurring major landslides

  23-12-2015 19:41
  Radiocarbon dating of landslides near the deadly March 2014 mudslide in Oso, Washington show that this is a geologically active region, with other large slides in the relatively recent past.
  
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• VIDEO: El Nino's effect around the world

  23-12-2015 19:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC Weather's Nick Miller looks at how the effects of El Nino are being felt around the world.
  
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• Innovation sheds light on how genetic information travels from cell's nucleus

  23-12-2015 19:05
  A new research discovery is opening a window on cell biology rarely seen before. The work has revealed a real-time look at how genetic information travels within a living cell. The discovery, observed through a specially designed high-powered microscope, significantly alters current understanding of how RNA is transported from a cell's nucleus -- findings that researchers believe will lead to medical advances.
  
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• Beijing's smog 'red alerts' are a positive sign of the times in China

  23-12-2015 19:05
  This morning, I and the rest of Shanghai, woke to a thick blanket of ominous, pale grey smog cloaking the city's modern skyline, reducing visibility and leaving residents inhaling a thick, PM2.5 particulates heavy air soup. The pollution level in China's most populous city of 24 million people has been in the "heavily polluted" range – around seven times the safety guideline set by the World Health Organisation – yet, life went on, no alerts were issued, businesses kept running and c
  
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• Absence of serotonin alters development, function of brain circuits

  23-12-2015 19:05
  The first complete model to describe the role that serotonin plays in brain development and structure has been created by researchers. Serotonin is an important neuromodulator of brain development and the structure and function of neuronal (nerve cell) circuits.
  
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• Mathematical model for animal stripes

  23-12-2015 19:02
  The back of a tiger could have been a blank canvas. Instead, nature painted the big cat with parallel stripes, evenly spaced and perpendicular to the spine. Scientists don't know exactly how stripes develop, but since the 1950s, mathematicians have been modeling possible scenarios. Now researchers assemble a range of these models into a single equation to identify what variables control stripe formation in living things.
  
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• Kidney injury common following vascular surgery

  23-12-2015 19:00
  Both acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease were common in patients undergoing major vascular surgical procedures and were associated with an increase in long-term cardiovascular-specific death compared with patients with no kidney disease, according to a study.
  
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• See the last closeups of Enceladus and the first closeups of Ceres

  23-12-2015 18:52 via cbc.ca
  
  NASA's Cassini spacecraft sends home its last, stunning closeups of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus, just as the Dawn spacecraft shares its closest-ever views of the dwarf planet Ceres.
  
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• Enceladus, Ceres closeups captured by NASA spacecraft

  23-12-2015 18:52 via cbc.ca
  
  NASA's Cassini spacecraft sends home its last, stunning closeups of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus, just as the Dawn spacecraft shares its closest-ever views of the dwarf planet Ceres.
  
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• Ceres closeups captured by Dawn spacecraft

  23-12-2015 18:52 via cbc.ca
  
  You may feel as if you're soaring over the dwarf planet Ceres when you look at the latest images captured by NASA's Dawn spacecraft.
  
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• Will an Asteroid Threaten Earth on Christmas Eve? Not a Chance, NASA Says

  23-12-2015 18:49
  There is no substance to multiple media reports that an asteroid passing by Earth on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) will cause earthquakes on the planet, according to asteroid experts at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. At its closest approach on Christmas Eve, asteroid 2003 SD220 will be about 6.6 million miles (10.6 million kilometers) from Earth — about 27 times farther than the moon is from Earth.
  
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• Santa in Space? Christmas Full Moon Prompts St. Nick Webcast at Slooh

  23-12-2015 18:49
  
  Think you can spot a jolly, red-clad old man as he speeds across the moon in a sleigh, spreading Christmas cheer? If so, the Slooh Community Observatory wants to hear from you. On Christmas Eve (Dec. 24), Slooh is letting kids take control of its new StarShare camera, which will let the children snap a picture of the full moon — and maybe catch Santa Claus on his way to deliver presents to all the good children.
  
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• What Does NASA Mars Lander's Launch Delay Mean for Red Planet Exploration?

  23-12-2015 18:48
  
  The launch delay and possible cancellation of NASA's next Mars lander shouldn't affect the agency's other activities at the Red Planet going forward, officials say. On Tuesday (Dec. 22), NASA announced that a leak in the vacuum chamber surrounding a key scientific instrument will prevent the InSight Mars lander from blasting off in March 2016 as planned. The space agency will now work to determine whether to target the next available launch window, which opens in mid-2018, or to cancel InSight a
  
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• How seeing ‘Star Wars’ satisfies your narcissistic tendencies

  23-12-2015 18:29
  
  Participating in geek culture allows self-identified geeks to satisfy a narcissistic need for expert status, a new study hypothesizes.
  
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• New recipe found for making supermassive black hole

  23-12-2015 18:00
  
  The universe’s first supermassive black holes may have formed directly from gas in colliding galaxies, new simulations suggest.
  
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• Scientific American's Most-Read Stories of 2015

  23-12-2015 18:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Which of our posts did readers flock to this year? Stories about Lenin’s embalming, war in space and more!
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Chinese city's purple haze blows the country's mind

  23-12-2015 17:59
  Nanjing's purple haze has put a spell on Chinese social media as much of the country suffers its latest bout of choking smog.
  
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• Celebrity chefs create gourmet delights for astronauts

  23-12-2015 17:39
  
  Michelin-starred chefs are vying to create Christmas delights for astronauts spending the festive season 400 kilometres away from Earth and their families.
  
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• Gene behavior distinguishes viral from bacterial infections

  23-12-2015 16:59
  
  Researchers have identified signatures of viral infection, a distinction that may help doctors tell whether bacteria or a virus is causing trouble.
  
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• Scientific American's Top 10 Science Stories of 2015

  23-12-2015 16:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  An historic climate-change agreement, new views of the solar system, cybersecurity shortcomings and the discovery of a new human species—these and other events highlight the year in science and...
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Beatles catalogue to hit streaming services worldwide on Dec. 24

  23-12-2015 16:05 via cbc.ca
  
  The Beatles, long one of music's digital distribution holdouts, are giving fans an early holiday gift: their catalogue via the world's most popular streaming services.
  
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• Oh, Rats: Pet Rodent's Bite Gives Teen Rare Fever

  23-12-2015 15:52
  A teenage girl who was scratched when breaking up a scuffle among her three pet rats wound up in the hospital with an extremely rare case of rat-bite fever. The infection, which is caused by a bacterium found in rat saliva, generally causes fever, joint pain and rash, and is fatal in up to 13 percent of cases, according to the report of the young woman's case. Rat-bite fever, which was described in writings dating back 2,300 years, is rare: Only about 200 cases of the disease have been reported
  
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• Fireball spotted over western U.S. identified by military

  23-12-2015 15:34 via cbc.ca
  
  People in Nevada, California and Arizona saw a bright fireball move slowly across the sky last night. The U.S. military has now identified the object.
  
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• South Korea finally MERS-free

  23-12-2015 15:30
  
  One patient harbored virus for 6 months because of underlying condition
  
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• Fireball streaking across US sky was Russian rocket debris

  23-12-2015 14:58
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Military officials say a streak of light seen burning across the sky by people in three Western states was debris from a Russian rocket re-entering the atmosphere.
  
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• Just In Time for Christmas: Russian Cargo Ship Makes Space Station Delivery

  23-12-2015 14:57
  
  A robotic Russian cargo ship made it to the International Space Station just in time for Christmas. The six astronauts currently living aboard the space station will soon begin unloading the 2.8 tons (2.5 metric tons) of supplies that Progress 62 carried to space. The cargo ship will remain attached to the orbiting lab for about six months, and then will be loaded up with trash and sent off to burn up in Earth's atmosphere.
  
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• Hello Kitty owner Sanrio says security leak affecting 3.3 million users fixed

  23-12-2015 14:56 via cbc.ca
  
  ​The Japanese company that owns the Hello Kitty brand said it has fixed a security leak in an online fan site for the character that compromised the personal information of 3.3 million users.
  
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• Evil-Thwarting 'Rattles' Found in Prehistoric Infant's Grave

  23-12-2015 14:53
  
  Tiny figurines that may have been used as rattling toys or charms to ward off evil spirits were discovered in the grave of an infant dating back 4,500 years, archaeologists say. The infant's remains, which were found in what appears to be a birchbark cradle, suggest he or she was less than a year old at death. On the infant's chest, archaeologists found "eight miniature horn figurines representing humanlike characters and heads of birds, elk, boar and a carnivore,"wrote archaeologists Andrey Pol
  
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• Crows' tool time captured on camera

  23-12-2015 14:23 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Ecologists observe wild New Caledonian crows making and using hook-shaped tools, thanks to tiny tail-mounted cameras.
  
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• VIDEO: Crows shoot selfie videos for science

  23-12-2015 14:21 via bbc.co.uk
  
  New Caledonian crows have been caught in the act of making and using hook-shaped tools, thanks to tiny tail-mounted cameras.
  
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• SpaceX Rocket Landing Is a Giant Leap Toward a City on Mars, Elon Musk Says

  23-12-2015 14:03
  
  Elon Musk's Mars dream is looking more and more achievable. Musk's company, SpaceX, successfully landed the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket at Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station during an orbital launch Monday night (Dec. 21). The historic accomplishment brings SpaceX a big step closer to developing fully and rapidly reusable rockets — technology that Musk says is vital to the colonization of Mars.
  
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• Solar Impulse 2 'ready to fly again by April 20'

  23-12-2015 14:03
  
  The sun-powered plane Solar Impulse 2, grounded in Hawaii since the summer for repairs, will be ready to fly again by April 20, the project's spokeswoman told AFP Wednesday.
  
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• Rare Christmas Full Moon Will Add to Holiday Light

  23-12-2015 14:03
  
  Holiday lights will adorn many neighborhoods this Christmas, but look out for a very special lighting treat in the form of a full moon this Friday. This month, the full moon will peak at 6:11 a.m. EST (1111 GMT) on Dec. 25. When the December full moon rises, it will be a Full Cold Moon, because it will light up the sky during the beginning of winter, according to NASA.
  
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• NASA Europa Mission May Land on Potentially Life-Hosting Jupiter Moon

  23-12-2015 14:03
  
  There's a good chance that NASA's highly anticipated Europa mission will do much more than just fly by the ocean-harboring Jupiter moon. NASA has already selected the nine primary science instruments for the Europa spacecraft, whose core mission involves performing dozens of flybys to gauge the Jovian satellite's life-hosting potential. "There's a variety of things that we can do," Jim Green, the head of NASA's Planetary Science division, said here Tuesday (Dec. 15) during a town hall presentati
  
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• Iraqi troops expected to drive IS from Ramadi in days - State TV

  23-12-2015 13:06
  By Maher Chmaytelli BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's army chief was quoted on Wednesday as saying he needed only days to drive Islamic State from the city of Ramadi, whose fall in May exposed the weakness of the Baghdad government and dampened hopes of restoring control in the north and west. Iraqi troops began advancing on Tuesday in an offensive complicated by rivalries and suspicions harboured by local Sunni tribes and by Shia militia backed by Iran. U.S. officials, concerned also by militant opera
  
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• ISS crew receives Christmas delivery

  23-12-2015 13:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A Russian cargo vehicle carrying food and supplies has docked with the International Space Station - just in time for Christmas.
  
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