Science news

• A Garden Grows in Space: First Zinnias Bloom, to Astronaut's Delight

  19-01-2016 23:28
  
  Zinnias have opened their pretty petals for the first time on the International Space Station, and NASA astronaut Scott Kelly couldn't be prouder. To better balance conditions for the zinnias, NASA named Kelly an autonomous gardener (or "commander" of Veggie) on Christmas Eve, so he could independently decide when the plants needed to be watered or tended to instead of waiting for directives from Earth. Earlier this year, the space station crew grew romaine lettuce (and snacked on it, while thei
  
  Read more

• MicroRNAs manage gut microbes

  19-01-2016 23:23
  MicroRNAs mold gut microbes into healthier communities for the host.
  
  Read more

• Plastic to outweigh fish in oceans by 2050, study warns

  19-01-2016 22:43
  
  Plastic rubbish will outweigh fish in the oceans by 2050 unless the world takes drastic action to recycle the material, a report warned Tuesday on the opening day of the annual gathering of the rich and powerful in the snow-clad Swiss ski resort of Davos.
  
  Read more

• The first of NASA's space flowers have bloomed on the ISS

  19-01-2016 22:13 via cbc.ca
  
  Orange zinnias bloomed on the International Space Station, making them the first flowers NASA's fully grown in space.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• NASA shows off its 1st zinnia to bloom on the space station

  19-01-2016 22:13 via cbc.ca
  
  Orange zinnias have bloomed on the International Space Station, the first NASA has fully grown in space.
  
  Read more

• [Research Article] Purinergic P2Y6 receptors heterodimerize with angiotensin AT1 receptors to promote angiotensin II-induced hypertension

  19-01-2016 22:10 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Aging changes the response of blood vessels to angiotensin II, contributing to hypertension.
  
  Read more

• [Research Article] ESCRT proteins restrict constitutive NF-κB signaling by trafficking cytokine receptors

  19-01-2016 22:10 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Proteins required for trafficking internalized cytokine receptors prevent the spurious activation of NF-κB signaling.
  
  Read more

• [Editors' Choice] SerpinB1 improves insulin sensitivity

  19-01-2016 22:10 via stke.sciencemag.org
  A protease inhibitor secreted by the liver enables pancreatic βcells to compensate for reduced insulin sensitivity.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• [Editors' Choice] Protein homeostasis limiting cancer

  19-01-2016 22:10 via stke.sciencemag.org
  A protein involved in protein homeostasis limits the maturation of IGF1R and the overproduction of blood cells.
  
  Read more

• [Editors' Choice] Hypoxia micromanages glioma

  19-01-2016 22:10 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Hypoxia alters microRNA biogenesis in glioma cells to promote adaptation in the tumor microenvironment.
  
  Read more

• Exclusive - Saudi Arabia warns against 'nefarious activities' by Iran

  19-01-2016 21:59
  By Angus McDowall RIYADH (Reuters) - The lifting of sanctions on Iran as a result of its nuclear deal with world powers will be a harmful development if it uses the extra money to fund "nefarious activities", Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Reuters on Tuesday. Asked in an exclusive interview if Saudi Arabia had discussed seeking a nuclear bomb in the event Iran managed to obtain one despite its atomic deal, he said Saudi Arabia would do "whatever we need to do in order to pro
  
  Read more

• East Coast, Ohio Valley brace for possible big snowstorm

  19-01-2016 21:16
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Tens of millions of Americans from Washington to Boston and the Ohio Valley could be walloped by an end-of-the-week snowstorm, meteorologists say.
  
  Read more

• Watch Taurus' Orange 'Eye' Disappear from Tonight's Sky

  19-01-2016 21:02
  
  A stellar eclipse will be visible from almost all of the United States tonight (Jan. 19), when a bright waxing gibbous moon passes in front of the star that marks the angry orange eye of Taurus, the bull. The eclipsed star is Aldebaran, the 13th brightest in the sky and certainly a colorful one. A waxing moon always leads with its dark edge as it moves along its orbit against the starry background.
  
  Read more

• Astronauts and Skydivers to Help Open Houston 747-Shuttle Exhibit

  19-01-2016 21:02
  
  The countdown is on to the grand opening of Houston's newest landmark — a $12 million, eight-story tall attraction dedicated to the largest single artifact saved from NASA's 30-year space shuttle program. Independence Plaza, featuring the space agency's original Shuttle Carrier Aircraft — a modified Boeing 747 jumbo jet — topped by a full-scale model of a space shuttle orbiter, will open on Saturday (Jan. 23) at Space Center Houston, the visitor center for NASA's Johnson Space
  
  Read more

• Stephen Hawking Warns of Planetary Doom (Again)

  19-01-2016 20:50
  
  Stephen Hawking has once again warned that humanity could wipe itself out before it has a chance to establish far-flung space colonies. At a recent talk in England, the famed physicist singled out nuclear war, genetically engineered viruses and global warming as likely culprits. According to Hawking, the odds of a planetary disaster in the next millennia are high.
  
  Read more

• Smart thermostat owners freeze after gadgets fail

  19-01-2016 20:34 via cbc.ca
  
  Some owners of the Nest smart thermostat recently found themselves very chilly after the gadgets failed and shut off their home heating in the middle of winter. CBC's Dan Misener explains what happens when the connected home disconnects.
  
  Read more

• 'X-Files' reunites Mulder and Scully in search for a truth closer to home

  19-01-2016 20:20
  By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - For nine years on Fox's hit sci-fi show "The X-Files," FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully searched for an alien truth that was seemingly hidden in the skies. Starting Sunday, six new episodes will reunite Mulder, played by David Duchovny, and Scully, portrayed by Gillian Anderson. From 1993 to 2002 the series followed Mulder, a dogged believer in extraterrestrial existence and unexplained phenomena, and Scully (Gillian Anderson), a skeptic with a medi
  
  Read more

• US official heads to Africa on anti-poaching campaign

  19-01-2016 19:47
  US Interior Secretary Sally Jewell heads to Africa on Wednesday to denounce the trafficking of wild animals, on the rise over the past five years.
  
  Read more

• Big 3 telcos raise prices on wireless, home phone and internet

  19-01-2016 19:40 via cbc.ca
  
  Canada's big 3 telecommunications companies have raised or plan to raise the prices of their wireless packages in January, and warn of increases to home phone, internet and TV prices in February.
  
  Read more

• Astronaut nurses zinnia to full bloom after mold invasion

  19-01-2016 19:12
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The International Space Station now has a bright pop of orange, thanks to commander Scott Kelly's green thumb.
  
  Read more

• Ocean fish catches grossly underreported worldwide, study suggests

  19-01-2016 18:41 via cbc.ca
  
  Humans are scooping millions of tonnes more fish out of the oceans than official statistics show — about 50 per cent more, estimates a new Canadian study that sheds some light on the extent of the problem and on who's catching all those extra fish.
  
  Read more

• The Walls Have Compound Eyes: Most Households Teem with Insect Life

  19-01-2016 18:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Scientists find there’s nearly a 100 percent chance that bugs are creeping, slithering and hopping throughout your home at this very moment
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Eyes wide open: National Geographic takes a fascinating close-up look at animal eyes

  19-01-2016 18:17
  National Geographic magazine's February issue features a close-up look at the eyes of various species. Inside the Eye: Nature's Most Exquisite Creation, an article by Ed Yong, discusses the anatomy and evolution of eyes, looking at how a creature's environment contributes to the function, form and appearance of its eyes. Yong says there is an almost endless variation of eyes in the animal kingdom.
  
  Read more

• Forget life on Mars... astronaut nurses flower to full bloom on space station

  19-01-2016 18:04
  The International Space Station is home to a new life form: a thriving zinnia with a beautiful orange-yellow bloom.
  
  Read more

• Biodegradable bodies for more eco-friendly robots

  19-01-2016 17:56
  
  Scientists from the Italian Institute of Technology are developing 'smart materials' that could lead to robots that will decompose like a human body once they've reached the end of their life-span.
  
  Read more

• Extinct crustacean Dollocaris was all eyes

  19-01-2016 17:46
  
  A tiny but scary-looking marine critter that died out with the dinosaurs, caught prey with the aid of two monstrous eyes -- each a quarter of its body length, scientists said Tuesday.
  
  Read more

• Plenty of fish in the sea? Maybe not, says study

  19-01-2016 17:35
  
  The global fisheries catch has been underestimated by more than half since 1950, with tens of millions of tonnes unreported every year, said a study Tuesday, warning that stocks may be running low.
  
  Read more

• Atmospheric tides alter rainfall rate

  19-01-2016 17:24
  
  Atmospheric tides caused by the moon’s gravitational pull ever-so-slightly alter rainfall rates on Earth by producing rises and falls in atmospheric pressure.
  
  Read more

• Hawking: Threats to human survival likely from new science

  19-01-2016 16:46
  LONDON (AP) — Physicist Stephen Hawking has warned that new technologies will likely bring about "new ways things can go wrong" for human survival.
  
  Read more

• Self-Filling Water Bottle Converts Humid Air into Drinkable H2O

  19-01-2016 16:32
  
  Kristof Retezár, a designer based in Vienna, invented a device that can extract humidity from the air and condense it into drinkable water. The handy gadget, dubbed Fontus, can be attached to a bike so that cyclists can generate water during long-distance rides through the countryside, where pit stops may be few and far between. Fontus works using the basic principle of condensation, which can be easily demonstrated by taking something out of a refrigerator (for instance, a can of soda) a
  
  Read more

• NASA to Capture Best-Ever Portrait of Coral Reef Health

  19-01-2016 16:30
  
  NASA is about to get up close and personal with Earth's corals: The space agency will use airplanes and water instruments to survey these delicate structures and capture the most detailed views ever of the planet's corals. Corals are crucial to Earth's ecosystem, but they are typically studied only occasionally, during diving expeditions. The new NASA campaign is aptly named CORAL (short for COral Reef Airborne Laboratory), and aims to assess the condition of these vulnerable ecosystems and to c
  
  Read more

• Worm in the Eye! Creepy Crawly Removed in Odd Case

  19-01-2016 16:12
  "His occupation as a fruit vendor may have increased his risk for infection, as fruit flies may carry the parasite," said Dr. Bhagabat Nayak, an ophthalmologist and eye surgeon at the Dr. R.P. Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences in New Delhi, India. Worms inside the eye are generally rare in India, he added.
  
  Read more

• Poor Sleep Tied to Hardened Brain Arteries in Older Adults

  19-01-2016 16:09
  Older people who sleep poorly may have a slightly increased risk of having hardened blood vessels in the brain, and oxygen-starved brain tissue, according to a new study. Both of these issues may contribute to a greater risk of stroke and cognitive impairment, the researchers said. "The forms of brain injury that we observed are important because they may not only contribute to the risk of stroke but also to chronic progressive cognitive and motor impairment," study author Dr. Andrew Lim, a neur
  
  Read more

• Doctors Reflect on 'Surreal' Day of 2013 Asiana Airlines Crash

  19-01-2016 16:08
  On July 6, Flight 214 from Incheon International Airport in South Korea crashed just short of the runway at San Francisco International Airport, striking the airport's seawall with its landing gear and tail section. It was San Francisco General that received the most patients of any area hospital that day, and doctors are now reporting their experience in the hopes of helping other hospitals prepare for a similar event. "The day was a surreal experience," said Dr. Rachael Callcut, a surgeon, and
  
  Read more

• Mysterious Cancers of 'Unknown' Origin in Men Traced Back to HPV

  19-01-2016 16:04
  Some cancers are mysterious, in that doctors cannot determine where they originate and how they will spread. About 4 percent of head and neck cancers are of the UPSCC variety. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore have found that the human papillomavirus (HPV) is strongly associated with UPSCCs in the head and neck area and, more specifically, cancer of the oropharynx, the middle part of the throat that includes the tonsils and the base of the tongue.
  
  Read more

• These were the worst passwords of 2015

  19-01-2016 16:03 via cbc.ca
  
  If your password is on this list, you better change it ASAP. The 25 worst passwords of 2015 have been released by Los Gatos, Calif.-based SplashData.
  
  Read more

• Cobalt mined with child labour used by Apple, Samsung, Sony & others, Amnesty International says

  19-01-2016 15:25 via cbc.ca
  
  Technology and automotive companies such as Apple, Samsung, Sony, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Microsoft and LG may be using cobalt in their products that has been mined by child labour, Amnesty International says.
  
  Read more

• More quakes rattle Oklahoma but state avoids tough measures

  19-01-2016 14:53
  
  OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — In Oklahoma, now the country's earthquake capital, people are talking nervously about the big one as man-made quakes get stronger, more frequent and closer to major population centers. Next door in Kansas, they're feeling on firmer ground though no one is ready yet to declare victory.
  
  Read more

• First flower blooms on international space station

  19-01-2016 14:52
  
  A bright orange zinnia has blossomed aboard the International Space Station, marking a first in space.
  
  Read more

• U.S., allies hit Islamic State with 24 strikes in Syria, Iraq - statement

  19-01-2016 14:20
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and it allies staged two dozen strikes against the Islamic State militant group in Syria and Iraq on Monday, the Combined Joint Task Force overseeing the operations said in a statement. In Iraq, 21 strikes centred near Ramadi, where nine of the strikes hit various targets, including an Islamic State petroleum oil and lubricant tank. Other strikes near Al Huwayja, Kisik, Mosul, Qayyara and Sinjar hit several tactical units, fighting positions and other tar
  
  Read more

• New Horizons Pluto Mission Leader Alan Stern Wins Carl Sagan Award

  19-01-2016 13:09
  
  The accolades keep rolling in for NASA's New Horizons mission, which performed history's first-ever flyby of Pluto this past July. The American Astronautical Society (AAS) has given New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern the 2016 Carl Sagan Memorial Award, which recognizes people who have made outstanding contributions to the field of space exploration. "I am honored to receive this," Stern, who's based at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado, said in a statement.
  
  Read more

• How NASA's Flying Observatory Revealed Secrets About Pluto

  19-01-2016 13:09
  
  The airplane was not a typical passenger jet or cargo aircraft but a mobile scientific observatory called SOFIA, which stands for Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. On June 29, 2015, SOFIA was chasing a moving target in the sky: the shadow of the dwarf planet Pluto. Observing this event held incredible promise for Pluto scientists, but it meant getting SOFIA in exactly the right spot for them to see it.
  
  Read more

• Surprise! Black-Hole Instrument Finds One Star That's Actually Two (Video)

  19-01-2016 13:08
  
  A new instrument designed to study the extreme environments around black holes has observed the heavens for the first time — and made a surprising discovery. The Gravity instrument, which researchers recently installed at the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) in northern Chile, has achieved "first light," eyeing the Trapezium Cluster, a well-studied group of bright, young stars in the Orion star-forming region. During the course of this test, Gravity &md
  
  Read more

• Red, Dead Galaxies Are Also LIERs, Scientists Say

  19-01-2016 13:08
  Many galaxies are LIERS, says Francesco Belfiore, a graduate student at the Kavli Institute for Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. Earth lies in a galaxy that is flush with new star birth. In trying to study the chemistry of these "dead" galaxies, researchers have found a different chemical fingerprint than the one that dominates star-forming galaxies.
  
  Read more

• Whales are full of toxic chemicals

  19-01-2016 13:00
  
  For decades, scientists have been finding troublesome levels of PCBs, mercury and other toxic chemicals in whales and dolphins.
  
  Read more

• Tim Peake: British astronaut shows how to make a coffee in space

  19-01-2016 12:28
  British astronaut Tim Peake has shown how to brew a coffee in space in a new video filmed from the International Space Station (ISS). In the video, published to YouTube by the European Space Agency (ESA), the 43-year-old former army major shows how he does it aboard the space station. A coffee with cream and sugar substitute mixture is stored in protective foil pouches, the packet is then attached to a machine and filled with hot water, before it can be drunk through a straw.
  
  Read more

• Twitter hit by outage

  19-01-2016 11:25 via cbc.ca
  
  Twitter Inc. was only sporadically available to users on Tuesday, suffering technical problems that have lasted for about two hours.
  
  Read more

• Twitter experiencing outage issue

  19-01-2016 11:25 via cbc.ca
  
  Twitter Inc. was only sporadically available to users on Tuesday, suffering technical problems that have lasted for about two hours.
  
  Read more

• Venus' age 'irrelevant', says tennis star Konta after upset

  19-01-2016 06:42
  
  Venus Williams' 69th Grand Slam came to a premature halt in the first round Tuesday when she was shocked by rising British star Johanna Konta, who said the veteran's age was "irrelevant".
  
  Read more

• Zinnias from space!

  19-01-2016 06:00
  
  (NASA/Johnson Space Center) In space, there is no scent of baking bread, no wind on your face, no sound of raindrops hitting the roof, no favorite kitten to curl up in your lap. Over time, being deprived of these common earthbound sense stimulations takes a toll. Having limited access to stimuli to the senses is identified as a significant risk by NASA's Behavioral Health and Performance team.
  
  Read more

Follow @ScienceUKnews on Twitter!