Science news

• APNewsBreak: US seeks end to Yellowstone grizzly protections

  03-03-2016 23:34
  
  BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The federal government is proposing to lift threatened-species protections for hundreds of Yellowstone-area grizzlies, opening the door to future hunts for the fearsome bears across parts of three states for the first time since the 1970s.
  
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• Hubble Discovers Ancient Galaxy Far, Far Away

  03-03-2016 23:28
  
  NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered the most remote galaxy ever seen from Earth - 13.4 billion light years away. Known as GN-z11, the constellation of stars is among the first that formed in the universe, 400 million years after the Big Bang. A research team from Yale University, the Space Telescope Science Institute and the University of California used Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 to measure the distance to GN-z11.
  
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• VIDEO: Rare albino whale and calf filmed

  03-03-2016 23:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A rare albino whale has been filmed off Mexico's Pacific coast - apparently gliding through the waters with its calf.
  
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• The Latest: Advocates: Too soon to lift grizzly protections

  03-03-2016 23:17
  BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Latest on a proposal by the federal government to lift threatened-species protections for Yellowstone-area grizzlies (all times local):
  
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• Alien Planet May Have Kicked Its Neighbor Into the Sticks

  03-03-2016 23:06
  
  A planet found at an extreme distance from its parent star may have been kicked out by a fellow planet. A new study of the far-flung alien planet reveals what appears to be a lopsided comet belt surrounding its parent star — a finding scientists say indicates a history of violence in the early planetary system. "Since HD 106906b is very massive, the most likely culprit is another massive planet in the system that gravitationally jostled HD 106906b from its original orbit," Paul Kalas, an a
  
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• Farthest Galaxy Yet Smashes Cosmic Distance Record

  03-03-2016 22:52
  
  The Hubble Space Telescope just calculated the distance to the most far-out galaxy ever measured, providing scientists with a look deep into the history of the universe. The far-away galaxy, named GN-z11, existed a mere 400 million years after the Big Bang, or about 13.3 billion years ago. Because the light from such a distant galaxy must travel huge distances to reach Earth, scientists are seeing the galaxy as it looked over 13 billion years ago.
  
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• What's Your Real Motive for Being Altruistic?

  03-03-2016 22:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  The interaction between brain areas during a generous act may reveal the reasons underlying such behavior
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• What the Deepest Spot in the Ocean Sounds Like

  03-03-2016 22:27
  
  It turns out the ocean is one noisy, riotous place, teeming with the sound of seismic temblors, whale songs and ship propellers — even at the deepest ocean trench. Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sent an underwater microphone nearly 36,000 feet (10,972 meters) below the water's surface into the Challenger Deep trough in the Mariana Trench, the deepest spot in the ocean. "You would think that the deepest part of the ocean would be one of the quietes
  
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• Milestones in the recovery of Yellowstone grizzly bears

  03-03-2016 22:27
  BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. wildlife officials are proposing to remove federal protections for grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park. Here's a look at some significant events leading to Thursday's proposal:
  
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• Errors marred 2015 study that questioned psychological research

  03-03-2016 22:27
  A study that questioned the reliability of scientific research made huge waves last year, but its key finding was likely overblown because of numerous mistakes in methodology, scientists reported Thursday.
  
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• Hubble sets 'new cosmic distance record'

  03-03-2016 22:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Hubble Space Telescope spies a galaxy that existed more than 13 billion years ago, very close to the dawn of star formation.
  
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• Missing genes not always a problem for people

  03-03-2016 21:50
  Humans have ways to make up for missing genes, study suggests.
  
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• NASA: Drought in 1998-2012 in Mideast worst in 900 years

  03-03-2016 21:13
  
  JERUSALEM (AP) — A recent, 14-year dry spell in the Middle East was the worst drought in the past 900 years, according to a new NASA study released this week.
  
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• Are all non-native species 'invaders,' or should we think of them as 'migrants'?

  03-03-2016 21:10 via cbc.ca
  
  The term "invader" doesn't quite conjure up feelings of welcome or belonging. But as CBC Radio science columnist Torah Kachur explains, some biologists are trying to change the perception of invasive species — and instead want us to think of them as migrants searching for the right place to live.
  
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• Canada gets down to climate business

  03-03-2016 21:03
  
  Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced antagonistic provincial leaders at climate talks Thursday over his plans to set a national carbon price in order to meet an international commitment to slash CO2 emissions.
  
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• There goes the neighborhood: Changes in chromosome structure activate cancer-causing genes

  03-03-2016 21:02
  In a finding with enormous implications for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, scientists have discovered that breaches in looping chromosomal structures known as “insulated neighborhoods” can activate oncogenes capable of fueling aggressive tumor growth.
  
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• (Rain)cloud computing: Researchers work to improve how we predict climate change

  03-03-2016 20:59
  Two scientists work on simulations that project what the climate will look like 100 years from now. Last year, they completed the highest-resolution climate forecast ever done for North America, dividing the continent into squares just over seven miles on a side -- far more detailed than the standard 30 to 60 miles.
  
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• Cancer expert says public health, prevention measures are key to defeating cancer

  03-03-2016 20:59
  Is investment in research to develop new treatments the best approach to controlling cancer? Many people believe that the time is right for another big push to defeat cancer, including President Obama, who called for a major cancer-fighting campaign in his final State of the Union address. But in a new paper, this kind of effort will never cure cancer without public health and prevention.
  
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• Apple iPhone encryption dispute gets support from Google, Facebook

  03-03-2016 20:59 via cbc.ca
  
  Top technology companies Google, Microsoft, Facebook and AT&T are filing legal briefs supporting Apple in a high-profile fight against the U.S. Justice Department's bid to unlock an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters.
  
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• Selfish or altruistic? Brain connectivity reveals hidden motives

  03-03-2016 20:57
  Often, it is hard to understand why people behave the way they do, because their true motives remain hidden. Researchers have now shown how peoples' motives can be identified as they are characterized by a specific interplay between different brain regions. They also show how empathy motives increase altruistic behavior in selfish people.
  
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• Researchers overturn landmark study on the replicability of psychological science

  03-03-2016 20:57
  An in-depth examination of a 2015 landmark study showing that more than half of all psychology studies cannot be replicated has revealed serious mistakes that make its pessimistic conclusion completely unwarranted.
  
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• Groundbreaking text mining project highlights 'gender gap' in scientific research

  03-03-2016 20:57
  The sexes can have markedly different responses to the same investigations. Not reporting on the sex and age of animal models could significantly reduce the reliability and reproducibility of studies, and lead to drugs that won't work for half of the population.
  
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• Greenland's ice is getting darker, increasing risk of melting

  03-03-2016 20:57
  Greenland's snowy surface has been getting darker over the past two decades, absorbing more heat from the sun and increasing snow melt, a new study of satellite data shows. That trend is likely to continue, with the surface's reflectivity, or albedo, decreasing by as much as 10 percent by the end of the century, the study says.
  
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• Parasites help brine shrimp cope with arsenic habitat contamination

  03-03-2016 20:55
  Do parasites weaken their hosts' resilience to environmental stress? Not always, according to a study. Rather than weakening its brine shrimp intermediate host, tapeworm infection enhances the shrimps' ability to cope with arsenic contamination in the water -- and the same holds true in the warmer waters predicted by climate change models.
  
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• Nanotechnology makes cheap, improved, water filters

  03-03-2016 20:52
  
  BERKELEY, CA (Reuters) - Researchers have developed nano-scaled membranes that could potentially filter contaminants out of water faster and cheaper than current methods. 
  
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• 'Your urine is full of your skeleton': the physical toll space takes on astronauts

  03-03-2016 20:51 via cbc.ca
  
  Short-term missions of a month or less have relatively mild affects on an astronaut's body, but a year-long space odyssey like Scott Kelly's carries with it more significant physiological stresses that are often only felt upon return to Earth.
  
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• Psychology’s replication crisis sparks new debate

  03-03-2016 20:41
  
  Controversy flares again about whether psychology studies survive further scrutiny.
  
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• Happy Events Can Spur 'Broken Heart Syndrome'

  03-03-2016 20:40
  A rare condition known as "broken heart syndrome" is usually brought on by an emotionally devastating or stressful event. This is the first time researchers have linked pleasant experiences with broken heart syndrome, which causes a sudden but temporary weakness in the heart muscle, according to the findings, published on Thursday (March 3) in the European Heart Journal. Broken heart syndrome can be easily confused with a heart attack because people who experience the syndrome have symptoms such
  
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• Sex Tied to Better Brain Power in Older Age

  03-03-2016 20:39
  People over age 50 who are more sexually active also have better memory and cognitive skills than people who get busy less often, a new study from England suggests. Sex appeared to give men's brains a bigger boost than women's: Men who were more sexually active showed higher scores on tests of memory skills and executive function — the mental processes involved in planning, solving problems and paying attention — whereas women who were more sexually active saw only a higher score in
  
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• Many Melanoma Patients May Have Few Moles

  03-03-2016 20:39
  
  Checking out the moles on your skin is a common way to look for the deadly skin cancer melanoma, but a new study shows that many people with melanoma may have few moles. In the study, researchers looked at about 560 people with melanoma and found that 66 percent of them had 20 or fewer moles. The new results show that all people, including those who have few moles, "should be paying attention to their moles, should be looking at their skin really carefully and should be asking their doctors
  
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• Yearlong spaceman plunges into pool: 'Man, that feels good'

  03-03-2016 20:29
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA's yearlong spaceman Scott Kelly took a long-anticipated plunge Thursday, jumping into his backyard pool, astronaut outfit and all.
  
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• Mating without males decreases lifespan

  03-03-2016 19:36
  Roundworm species reproducing self-fertilization instead of mating with males have shorter lifespans.
  
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• PGK1 protein promotes brain tumor formation, cancer metabolism

  03-03-2016 19:35
  PGK1, a glycolytic enzyme, has been found to play a role in coordinating cellular processes crucial to cancer metabolism and brain tumor formation, according to results of a new study.
  
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• New method for producing heart cells may hold the key to treating heart failure

  03-03-2016 19:35
  Scientists have discovered how to make a new type of cell that is in between embryonic stem cells and adult heart cells, and that may hold the key to treating heart disease. These induced expandable cardiovascular progenitor cells (ieCPCs) can organically develop into heart cells, while still being able to replicate. When injected into a mouse after a heart attack, the cells improved heart function dramatically.
  
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• New maps reduce threats to whales, dolphins

  03-03-2016 19:35
  Biologists have created highly detailed maps charting the seasonal movements and population densities of 35 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises -- many of them threatened or endangered -- in US Atlantic and Gulf waters. The maps give government agencies and marine managers better tools to protect these highly mobile animals and guide ocean planning, including decisions about the siting of wind energy and oil and gas exploration along US coasts.
  
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• New kind of stem cell discovered

  03-03-2016 19:35
  A new kind of stem cell, one that could lead to advances in regenerative medicine as well as offer new ways to study birth defects and other reproductive problems, has been discovered by a team of researchers.
  
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• Hubble breaks cosmic distance record: Sees universe soon after Big Bang

  03-03-2016 19:35
  By pushing the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to its limits astronomers have shattered the cosmic distance record by measuring the distance to the most remote galaxy ever seen in the Universe. This galaxy existed just 400 million years after the Big Bang and provides new insights into the first generation of galaxies.
  
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• Healthy cells 'collaborate' with tumors to help build new blood vessels

  03-03-2016 19:35
  Healthy cells actively collaborate with tumors by creating a mesh of collagen that encourages cancer cells to build new blood vessels, a new study shows. Researchers found that 'collaborator' cells build a beneficial environment around the tumor which helps it to build the new blood vessels it needs to grow.
  
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• Efficacy of steroid use in late preterm delivery demonstrated

  03-03-2016 19:35
  Babies born in the late preterm period -- between 34 and 36 weeks gestation -- benefit from the use of antenatal corticosteroids to help mature the baby's lungs, new research shows.
  
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• Common genetic variant in a tumor suppressor gene linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes

  03-03-2016 19:30
  P53, a tumor suppressor referred to as has often been described as the 'guardian of the genome,' may also be the 'guardian of obesity.' New research found that a variant of the gene is heavily implicated in metabolism, which may lead to obesity and the development of type 2 diabetes.
  
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• 'Broken' heart breakthrough: Researchers reprogram cells to better battle heart failure

  03-03-2016 19:30
  Patients with heart failure often have a buildup of scar tissue that leads to a gradual loss of heart function. In a new study, researchers report significant progress toward a novel approach that could shrink the amount of heart scar tissue while replenishing the supply of healthy heart muscle.
  
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• Blocking transfer of calcium to cell's powerhouse selectively kills cancer cells

  03-03-2016 19:30
  Inhibiting the transfer of calcium ions into the cell's powerhouse is specifically toxic to cancer cells, suggesting new ways to fight the disease. Calcium addiction by mitochondria is a novel feature of cancer cells. This unexpected dependency on calcium transfer to the mitochondria for the survival of cancer cells surprised the researchers.
  
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• Researchers unravel pathways of potent antibodies that fight HIV infection

  03-03-2016 19:29
  One of the most crucial and elusive goals of an effective HIV vaccine is to stimulate antibodies that can attack the virus even as it relentlessly mutates. Now a research team has tracked rare potent antibodies in an HIV-infected individual and determined sequential structures that point to how they developed.
  
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• People with anxiety show fundamental differences in perception

  03-03-2016 19:29
  People with anxiety fundamentally perceive the world differently, according to a new study. They aren't simply making the choice to 'play it safe.'
  
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• How many types of neurons are there in the brain?

  03-03-2016 19:29
  For decades, scientists have struggled to develop a comprehensive census of cell types in the brain. Now, researchers describe powerful new approaches to systematically identify individual classes of neurons in the spinal cord. In doing so, they reveal elements of the underlying circuit architecture through which these neurons shape movement -- and highlight how statistical approaches could provide neuroscientists with a critical tool to quantify the cellular diversity of any region of the brain
  
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• Google Self-Driving Car at Fault for Bus Crash

  03-03-2016 19:10
  
  One of Google's self-driving cars crashed into a bus last month, marking the first time a vehicle in the company's robotic fleet caused a collision, according to an accident report filed to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The report says the crash took place on Feb. 14 in Mountain View, California, between Google's self-driving Lexus RX450h and a public transit bus. The collision occurred after Google's autonomous vehicle (AV) came to a stop and tried to maneuver around sandba
  
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• U.N. warns against slowing recent increase in aid flow to Yemen

  03-03-2016 18:56
  The United Nations' aid chief Stephen O'Brien on Thursday warned countries not to take any steps that would reverse the recent increase in emergency aid for Yemen moving through ports in the conflict-torn country. Last month O'Brien said that a Saudi Arabian-led coalition and Houthi rebels fighting in Yemen were both restricting humanitarian aid access in the impoverished country, where more than 80 percent of people need help. "In recent months, there has been a significant increase of fuel and
  
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• What if E.T. phoned Earth? New study suggests best way to hear the call

  03-03-2016 18:33 via cbc.ca
  
  Two researchers connected to McMaster University in Hamilton have published a new study identifying what they think is our best chance, if extraterrestrials call, to make sure we hear the message.
  
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• Astronomers spot record distant galaxy from early cosmos

  03-03-2016 18:32
  
  Astronomers say they have discovered a hot, star-popping galaxy that is far, far away — farther than any previously detected, from a time when the universe was a mere toddler of about 400 million years ...
  
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• Robotic arm allows 'cyborg drumming'

  03-03-2016 18:22
  
  A wearable robotic limb that allows drummers to play their kit with three arms has been invented by U.S.-based researchers.
  
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