Science news

• Apple Fears Court Order Will Open Pandora's Box for iPhone Security [Video]

  17-02-2016 23:35 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Tim Cook defies demands to decrypt the San Bernardino terrorism suspect's iPhone. Yet it is unclear that cracking an iPhone 5c will impact newer, more secure models
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• CRTC chairman slams TV executives as yacht-owning 'complainers'

  17-02-2016 22:30 via cbc.ca
  
  Canada's broadcast regulator mounted a vocal defence of television journalism Wednesday, while slamming the executives who run the outlets as wealthy yacht-owning complainers who are out of touch.
  
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• January 2016 hottest since records began: US agency

  17-02-2016 22:22
  
  Last month was the hottest January in modern times, US data showed on Wednesday, the latest in a string of heat records fuelling concerns over the pace of climate change.
  
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• Japan Launches X-Ray Observatory to Study Black Holes, Star Explosions

  17-02-2016 22:15
  
  The satellite's solar arrays deployed as planned, and the spacecraft is currently in good health, JAXA officials said. The spacecraft's observations should help astronomers better understand a variety of phenomena throughout the universe, including dramatic supernova explosions, how material spirals into the maws of black holes and how gigantic galaxy clusters evolve over time, NASA officials have said. Astro-H should be capable of observing X-ray sources 10 times fainter than those studied by i
  
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• The heat goes on: Earth sets 9th straight monthly record

  17-02-2016 21:37
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The January figures are in, and Earth's string of hottest-months-on-record has now reached nine in a row. But NASA said January stood out: The temperature was above normal by the highest margin of any month on record.
  
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• 'Good' Bacteria Lacking in City Homes

  17-02-2016 21:25
  The researchers found that homes in urban areas in South America tended to have lower levels of certain microbes commonly found in the environment, compared with homes in rural areas. However, homes in urban areas had higher levels of microbes associated with human presence, which could potentially mean an increase in the transmission of the bacteria that cause disease, the researchers said. For now, the researchers don't know with certainty whether the differences in bacterial composition found
  
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• Adderall Misuse Is a Growing Problem, Experts Warn

  17-02-2016 21:25
  Improper use of the stimulant Adderall is becoming a bigger problem among young adults — a growing percentage say they use the drug without a prescription, a new study finds. The results from a nationwide health survey show that from 2006 to 2011, the percentage of adults who said they took Adderall without a prescription increased from 0.73 percent to 1.2 percent. Young adults should be aware that Adderall can cause serious side effects, including high blood pressure and stroke, the resea
  
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• Surgery Leaves Woman with 'Temporary Kleptomania'

  17-02-2016 21:24
  A woman in Brazil who had cosmetic surgery ended up with not only a flatter stomach and larger breasts, she also developed kleptomania for a few weeks, a new case report reveals. A few days after being released from the hospital following her cosmetic surgery, the 40-year-old woman began to have "recurring, intrusive thoughts and an irresistible compulsion towards stealing," according to the case report, published online Jan. 29 in the journal BMJ Case Reports. The most likely explanation for he
  
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• Neanderthal, human sex begets clues about mysterious migration

  17-02-2016 21:18 via cbc.ca
  
  Research showing that our species interbred with Neanderthals some 100,000 years ago is providing intriguing evidence that Homo sapiens ventured out of Africa much earlier than previously thought, although the foray appears to have fizzled.
  
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• Neanderthal, human interbreeding reveals mysterious migration

  17-02-2016 21:18 via cbc.ca
  
  Research showing that our species interbred with Neanderthals some 100,000 years ago is providing intriguing evidence that Homo sapiens ventured out of Africa much earlier than previously thought, although the foray appears to have fizzled.
  
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• Turkey's Erdogan says to fight forces behind Ankara bombing

  17-02-2016 21:12
  Turkey's fight against "pawns" carrying out attacks and the forces behind them will grow more determined, President Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement on Wednesday, after a car bomb killed at least 28 people in the capital Ankara. "We will continue our fight against the pawns that carry out such attacks, which know no moral or humanitarian bounds, and the forces behind them with more determination every day," Erdogan said in a statement. A car laden with explosives detonated next to military bus
  
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• WomenIn seeks to boost gender diversity in gaming

  17-02-2016 21:06 via cbc.ca
  
  The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences wants to empower women to create video games, unveiling a new initiative called WomenIn that seeks to boost gender diversity in the male-dominated gaming industry.
  
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• Chubby king penguins wobble when they waddle

  17-02-2016 20:45
  
  King penguins’ weight gain makes their waddle a bit wobbly, study suggests.
  
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• Asteroid Murder Mystery Solved

  17-02-2016 19:52
  
  Researchers studied the properties of nearly 9,000 near-Earth objects (NEOs) — asteroids and other bodies that come within 1.3 Earth-sun distances of our planet — to build a model of the overall NEO population. This model seemed to have a problem, however: It predicted that astronomers should be seeing 10 times more NEOs that closely approach the sun — come within 9 million miles (15 million kilometers) or so of the star — than they actually observe. "The discovery that a
  
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• Earlier date for Neanderthal-human sex

  17-02-2016 19:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Neanderthals and humans interbred about 40,000 years earlier than was previously thought, a study suggests.
  
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• Writer quits parody Twitter account @TheTweetOfGod

  17-02-2016 19:12 via cbc.ca
  
  The TV writer and producer behind the popular Twitter parody account @TheTweetOfGod said that "God is leaving Twitter," in an interview on public radio.
  
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• Colombia has global relevance in Zika, microcephaly fight - minister

  17-02-2016 19:03
  By Julia Symmes Cobb and Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA (Reuters) - The behaviour of the Zika virus in Colombia will have global relevance, the country's health minister said on Wednesday, as governments and world experts scramble to clarify the mosquito-borne disease's connection to microcephaly, a serious birth defect. Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria told Reuters in an interview the Andean country may revise downward its projection of Zika-linked microcephaly cases because the deformity should hav
  
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• Human DNA found in a Neandertal woman

  17-02-2016 19:00
  
  Interbreeding between humans and Neandertals happened earlier than thought, leaving traces in the Neandertal genome.
  
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• Black hole heavyweights triggered gravity wave event

  17-02-2016 18:34
  
  Those gravity waves came from two black holes more massive than any known outside a galactic core and formed in an environment different than the Milky Way.
  
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• New space telescope with X-ray vision is now in orbit

  17-02-2016 18:24 via cbc.ca
  
  A Japanese space telescope with X-ray vision sharpened by Canadian technology has launched successfully into space, and will be soon offering unprecedented views of objects like supernovas and black holes.
  
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• Tiny fly rattling Florida fruit industry 'eradicated'

  17-02-2016 18:02
  
  The Oriental fruit fly, which all but shut down south Florida's $1.6 billion agricultural industry when it was discovered in the state last year, has been "successfully eradicated," authorities said Wednesday.
  
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• Israeli archaeologists discover 7,000-year-old settlement

  17-02-2016 17:50
  
  JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli archaeologists said Wednesday they have unearthed a 7,000-year-old settlement in northern Jerusalem, describing it as the oldest discovery of its kind in the area.
  
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• Bird cells 'can clear fatal infection'

  17-02-2016 17:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A specialised white blood cell found in birds can destroy an infection which is thought to cause thousands of deaths a year worldwide, scientists claim.
  
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• 120 seconds in Pluto’s shadow

  17-02-2016 17:37
  
  A 747 outfitted with a telescope worked with New Horizons to reveal details about Pluto’s atmosphere.
  
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• When should security trump privacy?

  17-02-2016 17:11 via cbc.ca
  
  Apple's CEO says a U.S. court order to break into an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in the San Bernardino, Calif., attack "calls for public discussion, and we want our customers and people around the [U.S.] to understand what is at stake." When do you believe security should trump privacy?
  
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• CBC Forum: When should security trump privacy?

  17-02-2016 17:11 via cbc.ca
  
  Apple's CEO says a U.S. court order to break into an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the gunmen in the San Bernardino, Calif., attack "calls for public discussion, and we want our customers and people around the [U.S.] to understand what is at stake." Tell us when you think security should trump privacy.
  
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• Company offering $19 wireless plans could be crippled by dispute with Rogers

  17-02-2016 16:34 via cbc.ca
  
  A new Canadian wireless provider that offers service for $19 a month could lose its ability to operate in Canada because of a dispute with Rogers.
  
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• Automakers still not doing enough to cut CO2, says whistleblower

  17-02-2016 16:09
  
  European automakers are still not doing enough to cut carbon gas emissions, the non-governmental organisation that blew the whistle on the pollution-cheating scandal at Volkswagen complained on Wednesday.
  
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• Parachutes Pop Open Perfectly in SpaceX Test

  17-02-2016 15:45
  
  SpaceX's Dragon is on track. A recent video shows a smooth parachute test for the SpaceX space capsule that will one day ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. A Dragon spacecraft was not actually involved in the test.
  
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• Whoa! Mind-Controlled Arm Lets Man Move Prosthetic Fingers

  17-02-2016 15:41
  A new mind-controlled prosthetic arm was used to help a patient wiggle the device's fingers simply by thinking about it, and required very little training on the patient's part, according to a new study. "We believe this is the first time a person using a mind-controlled prosthesis has immediately performed individual digit movements without extensive training," study senior author Dr. Nathan Crone, a professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in a statement.
  
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• Why 10,000-Plus Sharks Are Hanging Out in Florida Waters

  17-02-2016 15:40
  
  Approximately 10,000 to 12,000 blacktip sharks are currently swimming off the Florida coast, but while these numbers may seem menacing, shark researchers say it’s not unusual to see these animals — visible as tiny dark spots in aerial photos and video — in the area at this time of year. These annual visitors are there to feed on fish and bask in warm coastal waters, according to Stephen Kajiura, a professor of biological sciences at Florida Atlantic University who conducts a su
  
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• Bee Pollen Could Boost Battery Performance

  17-02-2016 15:40
  Pollen — the pesky, sneeze-inducing stuff that makes allergy sufferers everywhere miserable — could be the next greatest thing in battery research, according to a new study. Scientists at Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana, have been researching ways to make better batteries, and recently discovered that pollen grains, and their unique microstructures, could be put to use as a more efficient type of energy storage unit.
  
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• Follow the Salt: Search for Mars Life May Focus on Driest Regions

  17-02-2016 14:05
  
  If life ever existed on Mars, its last outposts near the Red Planet's surface might have been in very salty environments, new research shows. The idea that Mars may have once hosted life is rooted in plentiful evidence suggesting that rivers, lakes and seas covered the Red Planet billions of years ago. Currently, the search for signs of possible life on Mars is mostly focused on ancient wet habitats.
  
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• Jennifer Lawrence Narrates 3D Space Footage in IMAX 'Beautiful Planet'

  17-02-2016 14:04
  
  The movie, which was made in cooperation with NASA and is a co-production between IMAX and The Walt Disney Studios, will debut in large-format theaters on April 29. "'A Beautiful Planet' provides a unique perspective on our relationship with Earth, offering audiences a vantage point that very few have ever been able to experience," stated Alan Bergman, president of Walt Disney Studios.
  
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• Apple's Tim Cook blasts order to unlock iPhone, vowing to fight court order

  17-02-2016 13:52 via cbc.ca
  
  Apple Inc. chief executive Tim Cook says his company will fight an order to open a user's iPhone, saying to do otherwise would create a backdoor that could potentially be used on other future devices.
  
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• Japan launches satellite to study black holes

  17-02-2016 13:43
  
  Japan successfully launched a jointly developed space observation satellite on Wednesday tasked with studying mysterious black holes, the country's space agency said.
  
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• VIDEO: In a spin: Tim Peake demos gyroscope

  17-02-2016 12:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Watch astronaut Tim Peake demonstrate how gyro-stabilisation is used to allow greater control on the International Space Station.
  
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• Space archaeologist wins $1m TED prize

  17-02-2016 12:56 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Archaeologist Dr Sarah Parcak says she will spend the $1m TED prize to try to locate undiscovered sites around the world.
  
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• VIDEO: Rocket launch from Japan space centre

  17-02-2016 12:55 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Japan has launched a rocket from the Tanegashima Space Centre in the south of the country.
  
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• 'Significant' fertiliser boost needed

  17-02-2016 12:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The world must significantly increase its use of phosphorus-based fertiliser to meet future demands for food says a new study.
  
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• PayPal cuts off another unblocking service amid Netflix crackdown

  17-02-2016 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Another volley has been fired in the battle to stop Netflix viewers from sneaking across virtual borders. CBC News has learned that the online payment service PayPal has cut ties with another major unblocking company — Barbados-based Unblock-Us.
  
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• Netflix crackdown heats up as PayPal cuts off another major unblocking service

  17-02-2016 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Another volley has been fired in the battle to stop Netflix viewers from sneaking across virtual borders. CBC News has learned that the online payment service PayPal has cut ties with another major unblocking company — Barbados-based Unblock-Us.
  
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• Modern 'Indiana Jones' on mission to save antiquities

  17-02-2016 09:44
  
  A technology-wielding archeologist billed as a real-world "Indiana Jones" called for an online platform that entices just about anyone to help find undiscovered treasures and defend archeological wonders.
  
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• Three gravitational wave projects unveiled in China

  17-02-2016 07:04
  
  Chinese scientists have unveiled three separate projects to investigate gravitational waves, state media said Wednesday, days after earthshaking US discoveries that confirmed Einstein's century-old predictions.
  
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• New species of turtle found in Papua New Guinea

  17-02-2016 06:52
  
  A new species of freshwater turtle has been discovered in Papua New Guinea, one of a group that would have been present for the full geological formation of its main Pacific island, researchers said.
  
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• Wearable robot transforms musicians into 3-armed drummers

  17-02-2016 06:00
  
  (Georgia Institute of Technology) Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have built a wearable robotic limb that allows drummers to play with three arms. The two-foot long 'smart arm' can be attached to a musician's shoulder and responds to human gestures and the music it hears. When the drummer moves to play the high hat cymbal, for example, the robotic arm maneuvers to play the ride cymbal.
  
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• UTA researcher earns grant to build conductive bioelastomers for safer tissue engineering

  17-02-2016 06:00
  
  (University of Texas at Arlington) Yi Hong, an assistant professor of bioengineering, has won a five-year, $500,000 National Science Foundation Early Career Development, or CAREER, Program grant to create conductive, single-component and biodegradable elastomers. Hong's technology is an advancement over conventional conductive polymers that are very stiff, hard to be processed and non-degradable.
  
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• USABc awards $1 million to WPI for a novel recycling process for lithium-ion batteries

  17-02-2016 06:00
  
  (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) The United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC), a collaborative organization of FCA US LLC, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors, has awarded a two-year, $1 million contract to a research team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to support further development and scale-up of a novel process for recycling lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and producing new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) battery cells using the recovered cathode materials.
  
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• Update on menopausal symptoms and treatment options published in Journal of Women's Health

  17-02-2016 06:00
  
  (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News) The vast majority of women going through the period of menopausal transition, or perimenopause, will seek medical help coping with symptoms that can significantly impact their health and quality of life, such as hot flashes, poor sleep, depression, and vaginal dryness. The pattern of common perimenopausal symptoms, how they often interact to worsen the effects of each, and current hormonal and non-hormonal therapeutic options are examined in a co
  
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• Unraveling the gene-environment interaction

  17-02-2016 06:00
  
  (Society for Research in Child Development) A special issue of the journal Child Development has been released. It highlights new studies exploring how genes and the environment interact to shape how a child's behavior develops.
  
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