Science news

• Saudi Arabia says it will punish anyone linked to Hezbollah

  13-03-2016 20:42
  Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it would punish anyone who belongs to Lebanon's Iran-backed Shi'ite Islamist group Hezbollah, sympathises with it, supports it financially or harbours any of its members. An Interior Ministry statement carried by the state news agency SPA said that Saudis and expatriates would be subjected to "severe penalties" under the kingdom's regulations and anti-terrorism laws. The move comes after Gulf Arab countries declared Hezbollah a terrorist organisation, raising the poss
  
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• Iranian commander rejects claims of regional interference, calls Saudis adventurists

  13-03-2016 19:25
  A leader of Iran's Revolutionary Guard rejected on Sunday accusations that Iran was interfering in regional affairs and accused Saudi Arabia of "adventurism". In rare remarks, Commander Qassem Soleimani, one of the most influential figures in Iran, suggested the Saudis were responsible for militant Islamist groups such as Islamic State. "Takfir and takfiris" - Shi'ite terms for Sunni extremists - "are a fire within the house of our Sunni brothers," Soleimani said.
  
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• Climate change could foster toxic algae along Pacific coast, says report

  13-03-2016 18:42 via cbc.ca
  
  A recently published study suggests climate change may encourage longer and more frequent blooms of toxic algae along Canada's Pacific coast.
  
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• Google DeepMind computer AlphaGo beaten by human after 3 tries

  13-03-2016 16:16 via cbc.ca
  
  A champion Go player scored his first win over a Go-playing computer program on Sunday after losing three straight times in the ancient Chinese board game, saying he finally found weaknesses in the software.
  
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• Wild Ride to Mars: Inside ExoMars' Schiaparelli Lander Prototype

  13-03-2016 15:26
  
  The ExoMars mission launching Monday (March 14) will pack an orbiter as well as an ambitious Mars lander prototype that will make the challenging descent to a controlled landing on Mars. The little lander, called Schiaparelli, will demonstrate the technology necessary to land a life-hunting rover on ExoMars' next mission. Schiaparelli and the orbiter will travel for seven months after the launch to get to Mars, but they'll part ways about three days before reaching the Martian atmosphere, on Oct
  
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• Next Mission to Mars Launches Monday: Watch It Live

  13-03-2016 15:22
  
  A European-led Mars mission is blasting off early Monday morning (March 14), and you can watch the liftoff live. The rocket launch will kick off a seven-month journey to the Red Planet for the ExoMars payload, which consists of two spacecraft: the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and a lander called Schiaparelli. The orbiter will also map out buried hydrogen, work that could help researchers identify near-surface deposits of water-ice on the Red Planet, ESA officials have said.
  
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• Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it's a toilet bowl

  13-03-2016 13:57
  
  Thousands of people Sunday lined the banks of an Australian river to watch home-made flying devices take to the air in a quirky competition, with some contestants dressed as a toilet bowl and a space shuttle.
  
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• U.K. teen leads team to win inaugural World Drone Prix

  13-03-2016 11:45 via cbc.ca
  
  A team led by a 15-year-old pilot from England has taken first place in the World Drone Prix in Dubai.
  
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• Scientists create 'good cholesterol' nanoparticles in their labs to help fight heart disease

  13-03-2016 11:37
  
  Researchers hope synthetic molecule will help remove plaques on artery walls.
  
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• Abandoned U.S. bird to become Manitoba wildlife ambassador

  13-03-2016 11:30 via cbc.ca
  
  A baby bird abandoned in 2014 is in training to become a wildlife ambassador for the Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre, who took her in when no one else could.
  
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• Here's another good reason why you should include blueberries in your diet

  13-03-2016 10:40
  
  This is a ‘superfruit’ that keeps on giving.
  
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• Netflix crackdown on border hoppers could kill some unblocking companies, says expert

  13-03-2016 10:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Since Netflix began its crackdown, the company has been fiercely targeting unblocking companies. As a result, some are struggling as they face the wrath of unhappy customers. A tech expert says the battle could put some unblocking companies out of business.
  
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• Brazil uses dammed lake surface for floating solar panels

  13-03-2016 08:29
  
  Two decades ago, a section of the Amazon rainforest was flooded for a dam that currently produces little electricity. Engineers now see that artificial lake as an ideal surface for floating solar panels.
  
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• Three key start-ups from Africa's top science forum

  13-03-2016 07:17
  
  Senegalese President Macky Sall (L) delivers a speech in Dakar, during the opening of the "Next Einstein Forum" (NEF)
  
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• Study shows patients prefer iPads to doctors when discussing surgery

  13-03-2016 06:00
  
  (European Association of Urology) Often patients undergo procedures without real informed consent being achieved due to technical language, jargon and time pressure, with up to half of patients finding it difficult to understand what their doctor tells them. Now a group of Australian doctors has prepared patients for surgery using iPads, and found that patients' understanding was much better than after a face-to-face consultation.
  
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• Active surveillance for prostate cancer can give men good quality of life

  13-03-2016 06:00
  
  (European Association of Urology) Choosing ongoing monitoring instead of immediate curative treatment (surgery or radiotherapy) leads to a better overall quality of life for men with low-risk prostate cancer. In fact, the quality of life (QoL) is about the same as for men who do not have cancer.These are the findings of a new long-term study comparing Active Surveillance, immediate curative treatment, and a reference group of men without cancer.
  
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