Science news

• SpaceX's returned booster rocket back in hangar

  04-01-2016 23:52
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX's booster rocket, the Falcon, is back in its nest following a historic landing.
  
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• Ukraine utility cyber attack wider than reported - experts

  04-01-2016 23:42
  A central European security software firm said on Monday that a cyber attack last month in Ukraine was broader than initially reported last week when the nation's secret police blamed a power outage on Russia. Western Ukraine power company Prykarpattyaoblenergo reported an outage on Dec. 23, saying the area affected included regional capital Ivano-Frankivsk. Ukraine's SBU state security service responded by blaming Russia and the energy ministry in Kiev set up a commission to investigate the mat
  
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• Two studies cast doubt on credibility of medical research

  04-01-2016 23:26
  
  Two studies released Monday found major flaws with a large number of research papers in the biomedical sciences, a problem that authors say wastes billions and slows the pace of life-saving research.
  
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• Impact of seaweed-covered corals on reef fish

  04-01-2016 22:50
  Butterflyfish avoid coral that has come in contact with seaweed, research shows. This is the first study to evaluate how coral-seaweed interactions affect coral associated reef fishes, a key component of coral reef resilience.
  
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• Local Geology Makes Sunday's Earthquake in India Complex

  04-01-2016 22:43
  
  A magnitude-6.7 earthquake shook Manipur state in India Sunday (Jan. 3), collapsing buildings and causing at least 10 deaths, according to news reports. The geology of the area is particularly complex, said Harley Benz, the scientist-in-charge at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado. "This is not the case of something like the San Andreas, where you have a well-defined fault and it's shallow and it has a relatively small width to it," Benz told Live Science.
  
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• Pediatric sickle cell study stopped early due to positive results

  04-01-2016 22:42
  For some children with sickle cell disease, the drug hydroxyurea is as effective as blood transfusions to reduce blood flow speeds in the brain, a national sickle cell disease study has found. Increased blood flows are a major risk factor for stroke in these children, report investigators.
  
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• Gene thought to suppress cancer may actually promote spread of colorectal cancer

  04-01-2016 22:42
  A gene that is known to suppress the growth and spread of many types of cancer has the opposite effect in some forms of colorectal cancer, researchers have found. It is a finding that may lay the foundation for new colorectal cancer treatments.
  
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• Belgian nuclear reactor restarts after shutdown

  04-01-2016 22:42
  
  Belgium on Monday restarted a reactor that was shut down at the weekend just three days after returning to service amid concern in neighbouring countries over its nuclear safety.
  
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• California braces for series of El Nino storms

  04-01-2016 22:35
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — After all the talk, El Niño storms have finally lined up over the Pacific and started soaking drought-parched California with rain expected to last for most of the next two weeks, forecasters said Monday.
  
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• Climate, new physics and Jupiter on the horizon for 2016

  04-01-2016 22:33
  The first issue of the new year features stories about what will, editor in chief Eva Emerson predicts, hold on as scientific newsmakers during 2016.
  
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• Aging, hominid ears, whales and more reader feedback

  04-01-2016 22:32
  Readers offer their thoughts on how hominids heard, a biochemical switch for aging, one-way airflow in lungs and more from the October 31 issue.
  
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• Tiniest chameleons have fastest tongues

  04-01-2016 22:23
  
  The tiniest chameleons on Earth lash out their tongues with amazing speed, going from zero to 60 miles (97 kilometers) per hour in one hundredth of a second, researchers said Monday.
  
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• Annual animal stocktake begins at London Zoo

  04-01-2016 22:13
  
  LONDON - Zookeepers at ZSL London Zoo began carrying out the annual stocktake of animals on Monday, with newborn baby gorilla Gernot a new addition to the 2016 census.
  
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• Arctic passageways let species mingle

  04-01-2016 22:00
  
  People aren’t the only animals likely to use passages that open up as the Arctic melts.
  
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• Heatwaves, drought may curb global power output: study

  04-01-2016 21:51
  
  Thousands of power plants worldwide face sharp reductions in electricity output by mid-century due to more frequent heatwaves and drought driven by global warming, according to a study published Monday.
  
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• Stretchy silicon sticker monitors your heartbeat

  04-01-2016 21:38
  
  A new stretchy memory device looks like a temporary tattoo and works like a heart rate monitor.
  
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• U.S. raised concerns with Saudis before cleric execution - White House

  04-01-2016 21:30
  The United States had raised concerns with Saudi Arabia ahead of the recent execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric that worsened tensions between the Sunni kingdom and Iran and deepened the sectarian divide in the Middle East, the White House said on Monday. White House spokesman Josh Earnest also said the United States "certainly would condemn any country that's carrying out mass executions" and warned that the dispute between Tehran and Riyadh would make it more difficult to push warring sides i
  
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• What 2016 Holds for the Mysterious World of Physics

  04-01-2016 21:24
  
  The New Year may also be a year of discoveries for physicists plumbing the deepest mysteries of matter. Since 2013, when scientists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) confirmed they had discovered the Higgs boson, the particle that lends others mass, physics has been in a kind of limbo. From finding new particles to explaining dark matter, here are some of the things physicists are most excited for in 2016.
  
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• Climate change could hobble electricity production

  04-01-2016 21:11 via cbc.ca
  
  Climate change could lead to significant declines in electricity production in coming decades as water resources are disrupted, a new study predicts.
  
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• The science of avalanches

  04-01-2016 21:01
  
  High-tech instruments are helping researchers study how temperature can change the character — and danger — of an avalanche
  
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• 4 New Superheavy Elements Land on Periodic Table

  04-01-2016 20:57
  Four new elements will join more than a hundred others on the periodic table of the elements, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) announced last week. IUPAC has now initiated the process of formalizing names and symbols for these elements," Jan Reedijk, president of the Inorganic Chemistry Division of IUPAC, said in a statement. Right now, the new elements have placeholder names and symbols that denote the elements' atomic numbers.
  
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• Why the real King Kong became extinct

  04-01-2016 20:40
  
  The largest ape to roam Earth died out 100,000 years ago because it failed to tuck into savannah grass after climate change hit its preferred diet of forest fruit, scientists suggest.
  
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• Astronaut Tim Peake sends 'God save the Queen' message live from space

  04-01-2016 20:10
  Tim Peake has become the first person to deliver a "God save the Queen" message directly to the monarch from space.
  
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• Frutarom invests in algae startup for food, cosmetic products

  04-01-2016 20:06
  
  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - One of the world's largest flavoring and specialty natural ingredient companies is investing in algae to enhance its food and cosmetic products.
  
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• APNewsBreak: States divvy up Yellowstone-area grizzly hunt

  04-01-2016 19:47
  
  BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Wildlife officials have divvied up how many grizzly bears could be killed by hunters in the Yellowstone region of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
  
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• Guatemala warily monitors erupting volcano

  04-01-2016 19:42
  Guatemalan authorities Monday warily monitored the eruption of a volcano near its capital that spewed columns of ash up to seven kilometers (four miles) high.
  
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• The Search for the Origin of Life [Excerpt]

  04-01-2016 19:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  In this excerpt from their new book, A Brief History of Creation, Bill Mesler and H. James Cleaves II catalogue famed microbiologist Carl Woese's efforts to trace all life to a tiny single-celled...
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Avoiding heartbreak: Sending a blue whale's heart across the Atlantic

  04-01-2016 18:55 via cbc.ca
  
  Scared of sending a porcelain plate across the country? Try sending the world’s biggest heart across the world.
  
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• Tip for Keeping New Year’s Resolutions: Turn Them into Questions

  04-01-2016 18:44
  If you normally have trouble sticking to your New Year's resolutions, a new study may help: Psychologists have found that asking questions and then answering them, instead of making statements, is one key to sticking with your promises. The studies were looking into this effect of asking questions in a variety of contexts, such as eating healthier or going out to vote. In most of the studies, the participants were questioned by another person, and only had to answer the question, said Eric Spang
  
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• Brain Circuit Linked to Depression Found in Rats

  04-01-2016 18:28
  The brain circuits responsible for the inability to feel pleasure have now been discovered in rats, a finding that could help researchers better understand the mechanisms underlying depression and schizophrenia. Previous brain-imaging research suggested that anhedonia might be linked to a part of the brain that sits just behind the forehead known as the medial prefrontal cortex. Now, scientists have conducted experiments on the medial prefrontal cortex of rats.
  
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• Scientific journals omit locations of new species to stop poaching

  04-01-2016 18:17 via cbc.ca
  
  In an effort to combat poaching, some academic journals are choosing to omit the location of newly discovered species. Smugglers have been known to use geographic information published in scientific papers to find new animals.
  
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• Russia's Monkeys-to-Mars Mission Draws PETA Protest

  04-01-2016 18:05
  
  The word from Russia is that the country wants to send monkeys to the Red Planet by 2017. A few months ago, it was reported that researchers from the Russian Academy of Science are busy training four macaque monkeys to make a long-distance trek to the Red Planet. Researcher Inessa Kozlovskaya is the leader of the team responsible for teaching the monkeys at the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
  
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• Texas blizzard kills 15,000 cows

  04-01-2016 18:00
  A freak blizzard killed at least 15,000 dairy cows in the US state of Texas and for almost two days kept farmers from milking some of those that survived, officials said Monday.
  
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• Gorgeous Images Reveal Parasitic Plant in 3-Way Symbiotic Relationship

  04-01-2016 17:44
  
  Scientists have found a bizarre food triangle between three different organisms lurking deep in the Peruvian Amazon. The cast of characters includes a yellow parasitic plant that bursts forth like boils from tree bark, a caterpillar that feeds on that plant, and an ant that drinks the sweet liquid that the caterpillar produces in a special gland near its neck. "It's really a weird relationship, I've never seen anything like it before," said Aaron Pomerantz, an entomologist who works with a rainf
  
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• Saudi Arabia recruits Sunni allies in row with Iran

  04-01-2016 17:38
  
  By Sam Wilkin DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia rallied Sunni allies to its side in a growing diplomatic row with Iran on Monday, deepening a sectarian split across the Middle East following the kingdom's execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric. Bahrain and Sudan cut all ties with Iran, following Riyadh's example the previous day. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Reuters Riyadh would also halt air traffic and commercial relations between the rival powers.
  
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• Tough, 3D-Printed Ceramics Could Help Build Hypersonic Planes

  04-01-2016 17:36
  
  Strong, flawless ceramics in various shapes, including spirals and honeycombs, can now can be created using 3D printing, researchers say. One potential strategy for making ceramics that have complex shapes is 3D printing. A 3D printer usually works by depositing layers of material, just as ordinary printers lay down ink, except 3D printers can also lay down flat layers on top of each other to build 3D objects.
  
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• How to identify a bad vaccine reaction before it happens

  04-01-2016 17:15
  
  A new study uncovers immune “signatures” that predict side effects to a flu shot
  
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• Self-driving taxis move closer to reality with GM, Lyft partnership

  04-01-2016 17:14 via cbc.ca
  
  General Motors Co. and ride-hailing company Lyft Inc. are forming an unprecedented partnership that could help them beat their rivals to the self-driving future.
  
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• Tiny Chameleons' Tongues Pack a Powerful Punch

  04-01-2016 17:08
  
  Having super-spring-loaded tongues lets them capture more prey, said study author Christopher Anderson, a postdoctoral researcher at Brown University. Researchers already knew that chameleon tongues are incredible things. Chameleons don't use muscle power alone to snap at passing flies.
  
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• Penguins on parade: Keepers count the animals during London Zoo's annual stocktake

  04-01-2016 16:53
  Keepers at ZSL London Zoo, armed with clipboards, calculators and cameras, have welcomed in the New Year with the annual animal stocktake. While for some animals the keepers' task is as simple as "one, two, three", imaginative tactics sometimes have to be used to ensure every creature is accounted for. Aquarium keepers take a photo of the tanks and use still images to avoid counting the same fish twice, while at Penguin Beach keepers wait for the birds to line up at feeding time to do their head
  
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• Bahrain police fire tear gas, birdshot at protesters - witnesses

  04-01-2016 16:49
  Bahraini police on Monday fired tear gas and birdshot at protesters demonstrating against the execution of a top Shi'ite cleric in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, witnesses said. The standoff in the village of al-Daih, west of the capital Manama, was the latest of several protests which have turned violent since Saudi Arabia executed Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr on Saturday, stoking outrage among Shi'ites in Bahrain and elsewhere in the Middle East. Several dozen women wearing face veils faced off with police
  
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• 'Humbled' Tim Peake Sends Message To The Queen

  04-01-2016 16:18
  British astronaut Tim Peake has recorded a video message for the Queen on board the International Space Station (ISS). During the one-minute video, recorded in response to the Queen sending him a good luck message, Major Peake said he hoped his time on board the ISS would demonstrate how international co-operation can change the world. "I'm truly honoured to have received your Majesty's message, inspired by its wording, and humbled to be able to represent the UK and Europe on board the ISS," he
  
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• How do elements get their names?

  04-01-2016 15:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  How do elements get their names?
  
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• Thousands protest in Iraq against Saudi Shi'ite cleric execution

  04-01-2016 15:08
  Riyadh's execution on Saturday of the cleric, Nimr al-Nimr, and three other Shi'ites on terrorism charges along with dozens of Sunni jihadists have stirred up protracted Middle East rivalries and driven up tension across the region. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Shi-ite Iran, and fellow-Sunni Bahrain and Sudan followed suit on Monday, two days after Iranian demonstrators stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran in protest at Nimr's death. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also downgraded its ties with Iran
  
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• Transport Canada following up on drone vs. vehicle crash in Belleville, Ont.

  04-01-2016 14:23 via cbc.ca
  
  Transport Canada says its enforcement investigators are looking into a Belleville, Ont., crash between a drone and a vehicle last month, and that while charges may not be warranted, it's a good opportunity to raise awareness about drone safety.
  
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• London Zoo begins annual stocktake of 17,000 residents

  04-01-2016 14:19
  
  Zookeepers armed with clipboards, calculators and cameras fanned out across London Zoo on Monday to start its annual animal stocktake.
  
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• Middle East tensions boil as Saudi Arabia cuts ties with Iran

  04-01-2016 13:29
  By Sam Wilkin DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran accused Saudi Arabia on Monday of using an attack on its embassy as a pretext to sever ties in a diplomatic crisis deepening their often violent struggle for influence across the Middle East. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran on Sunday and fellow-Sunni Bahrain followed suit on Monday, two days after Iranian demonstrators stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran in protest at Riyadh's execution of a senior Shi'ite cleric. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also downgrade
  
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• Map pinpoints hotspot of bat-transmitted diseases

  04-01-2016 13:15
  
  Sub-Saharan Africa has the biggest overlap between human and bat viruses
  
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• Halo of light crowns Antarctica

  04-01-2016 13:00
  
  Ice crystals in the air bend sunlight into a ring over a research base in eastern Antarctica.
  
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• Supermodel Karlie Kloss Visits SpaceX Rocket Factory (Video)

  04-01-2016 12:39
  
  SpaceX opened its doors recently for a supermodel photo shoot. Model Karlie Kloss got access to the private spaceflight company's manufacturing facility in Hawthorne, California, in September to take pictures for a profile in the current issue of the Wall Street Journal's WSJ. Kloss spent a fair amount of time inside the rocket factory, judging by the photos and video.
  
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