Science news

• Forgetting can be hard work for your brain

  04-04-2016 23:52
  It can take more work to forget something than to remember it.
  
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• 'Abandoned in Place': NASA's Decaying Spaceflight Facilities Preserved in Photos

  04-04-2016 23:20
  
  In his new book "Abandoned in Place," photographer Roland Miller takes readers on a visually stunning, emotionally charged tour of various abandoned facilities connected to NASA's space program, including now-unused launchpads and retired science facilities. In addition to the photographs, the book includes essays by Miller, and people connected to the various sites. "I always joke with people that [if it weren't] for the fact that I wear glasses and about 40 or 50 IQ points, I'm sure I could ha
  
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• Wow! Rare Planetary Alignment Adorns Night Sky Over Singapore

  04-04-2016 23:19
  
  Ng said he had about 20 days from the start of February to capture this shot, in order to get both the Milky Way and get the planetary alignment into a single image. "My ideal location should be one that’s unobstructed from East to West so I can capture all the 5 planets including Mercury, which will be located low on the horizon minutes before sunrise.
  
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• Titan's Hidden Surface: Global Map Shows New Details

  04-04-2016 23:19
  
  Conventional photo surveys might not be able to penetrate Titan's dense haze, but the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) on board NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is one of the few instruments that can see through it to probe the surface below. Now, researchers are pulling together 12 years’ worth of VIMS data to create the detailed and global maps shown above. Cassini has flown past Titan roughly once a month since it arrived in Saturn's system in 2004, and it has collected mo
  
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• First Look: Boeing CST-100 Starliner Crew Spacecraft Program Patch

  04-04-2016 23:18
  
  Now Boeing's CST-100 Starliner crewed spacecraft has its own program patch. The commercial space capsule, which Boeing is producing to transport NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station, features prominently on the new logo. The rectangular insignia, which replaces a circular emblem that was used before the Boeing crew space transportation (CST) system was formally christened in September 2015, now includes the Starliner moniker.
  
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• If Hitomi is Lost, What Science is Lost With It? (Op-Ed)

  04-04-2016 22:00
  
  Elizabeth received her doctorate in astrophysics from the University of Oxford and a Master in Science in theoretical physics from Durham University. At 4:40 p.m. JST (07:40 GMT) on Saturday, March 26, scientists at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) waited to communicate with the five-week-old X-ray space observatory Hitomi. Hitomi's name comes from the Japanese word for "eye pupil." But unlike our eyes that focus visible light, Hitomi's four telescopes focus X-ray radiation.
  
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• Bizarre fossil 'kept babies on strings'

  04-04-2016 21:39 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A newly discovered 430 million-year-old creature appears to have dragged its offspring around on strings, like underwater kites.
  
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• SeaWorld orca breeding ban disappoints some scientists

  04-04-2016 21:07 via cbc.ca
  
  There's one last orca birth to come at SeaWorld, and it will probably be the last chance for research biologist Dawn Noren to study up close how female killer whales pass toxins to their calves through their milk.
  
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• Could this new stem cell become the game changer for regenerative treatments?

  04-04-2016 21:02
  
  Therapies based on iMS cells could be trialled on humans next year.
  
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• Ancient arthropod kept its brood close

  04-04-2016 21:00
  
  A newly discovered ancient arthropod may offer clues on the evolution of parenting styles.
  
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• Tiny tubes move into the fast lane

  04-04-2016 20:17
  For the first time, researchers have shown that carbon nanotubes as small as eight-tenths of a nanometer in diameter can transport protons faster than bulk water, by an order of magnitude.
  
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• Bilingual baby brains show increased activity in executive function regions

  04-04-2016 20:17
  Babies raised in bilingual households show brain activity associated with executive functioning as early as 11 months of age, new research demonstrates. The study also gives evidence that the brains of babies from bilingual families remain more open to learning new language sounds, compared with babies from monolingual families.
  
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• Scientists bemoan SeaWorld decision to stop breeding orcas

  04-04-2016 19:55
  
  ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — There's one last orca birth to come at SeaWorld, and it will probably be the last chance for research biologist Dawn Noren to study up close how female killer whales pass toxins to their calves through their milk.
  
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• Twittersphere does listen to the voice of reason, sometimes

  04-04-2016 19:43
  In the maelstrom of information, opinion and conjecture that is Twitter, the voice of truth and reason does occasionally prevail, according to a new study. Tweets from "official accounts" can slow the spread of rumors on Twitter and correct misinformation that's taken on a life of its own.
  
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• Major upgrade will boost power of world's brightest x-ray laser

  04-04-2016 19:43
  Construction will begin on a major upgrade to a unique X-ray laser. The project will add a second X-ray laser beam that’s 10,000 times brighter, on average, than the first one and fires 8,000 times faster, up to a million pulses per second.
  
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• Surgery residency program directors believe flexible duty hours improve continuity of care

  04-04-2016 19:42
  Directors of general surgery residency programs believe that flexible work hour schedules for surgeons in training (residents) improve the continuity of patient care as well as resident training without compromising patient safety.
  
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• Potential new source for pain inhibition found

  04-04-2016 19:42
  A new neurological mechanism has been found that appears to contribute to a reduction in pain. According to the researchers, the discovery of neuroligin-2 as a cause exacerbating chronic pain is significant for the research community. Although the findings likely won't immediately lead to new pain therapies, the findings offer a potential new therapeutic direction to investigate.
  
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• North Atlantic played pivotal role in last great climate tipping point

  04-04-2016 19:42
  An international research team has discovered ground-breaking new reasons why large continental ice-sheets first grew in North America and Scandinavia during the late Pliocene Epoch era, 2.7 millions of years ago.
  
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• New study adds key piece to autism puzzle

  04-04-2016 19:42
  The first study to use eye-tracker technology to monitor eye movement of children with autism spectrum disorder during an interactive conversation shows that children with the developmental disability fixate longer on a speaker's mouth rather than the eyes when the conversation turns emotional.
  
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• Microbiologists unmask the Hannibal route enigma

  04-04-2016 19:42
  Microbiologists have recently released results that may have answered one of ancient history's greatest enigmas: Where did Hannibal cross the Alps?
  
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• How companies can synchronize digital strategies and investments

  04-04-2016 19:42
  Conventional wisdom in strategy holds that companies need to choose between cost-cutting or revenue growth. Pursuing both strategies at the same time can result in incoherence -- or getting stuck in the middle, some argue. That conventional wisdom, however, is challenged by a new study which suggests that information technology investments can enable firms to pursue dual-focus or ambidextrous IT strategies successfully.
  
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• Death of an independent director leads CEOs to make fewer acquisitions

  04-04-2016 19:42
  CEOs who have experienced an independent director's death engage in fewer acquisitions after the director's death, according to a new paper by strategic management experts.
  
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• Unraveling truly one-dimensional carbon solids

  04-04-2016 19:40
  Elemental carbon appears in many different forms, including diamond and graphite.Researchers have succeeded in developing a novel route for the bulk production of carbon chains composed of more than 6,000 carbon atoms, using thin double-walled carbon nanotubes as protective hosts for the chains. These findings represent an elegant forerunner towards the final goal of carbyne's bulk production.
  
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• New tool enables scientists to interpret 'dark matter' DNA

  04-04-2016 19:40
  Scientists have invented a new way to read and interpret the human genome. The computational method, called TargetFinder, can predict where non-coding DNA -- the DNA that does not code for proteins -- interacts with genes. This technology helps researchers connect mutations in the so-called genomic 'dark matter' with the genes they affect, potentially revealing new therapeutic targets for genetic disorders.
  
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• New fluorescent probes help solve cell membrane mystery

  04-04-2016 19:40
  Scientists have developed new fluorescent probes that prove the existence of 'raft domains' in the live cell membrane -- opening new possibilities to study how toxins and viruses invade cells.
  
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• 'Key' to recognizing, immunizing herpes/common cold

  04-04-2016 19:40
  Prior to this study, it was known that interferon regulatory factor-3 (IRF-3), a protein coding gene, contributed to a first line of defense against viral infection by triggering antiviral activity. However the activation of IRF-3 following infection was not fully understood. The study found that an interaction with the protein S6K1 and the signaling adaptor STING is a fundamental regulatory mechanism for IRF3 and, thus, helps trigger antiviral responses.
  
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• 'Deep Learning' used to assist overburdened diagnosticians

  04-04-2016 19:40
  A laboratory has developed tools to facilitate computer-assisted diagnosis of X-rays, CTs and MRIs, freeing radiologists to attend to complex cases.
  
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• Aging impacts therapeutic response of melanoma cells

  04-04-2016 19:40
  Aged tumor cells in melanoma behave differently than younger tumor cells, according to study results. New research highlights how vital it is to treat melanoma in an age-appropriate manner, suggesting anti-oxidants may be a more effective treatment for older patients.
  
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• World's smallest diode created

  04-04-2016 19:39
  The world's smallest diode, the size of a single molecule, has been created. Scientists have constructed a theoretical model of the DNA molecule inside the electric circuit to better understand the results of the experiment.
  
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• Treating myasthenia gravis with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplants

  04-04-2016 19:39
  A report on seven cases of severe myasthenia gravis (an autoimmune disease characterized by severe muscle weakness) suggests that autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (when a patient's own stem cells are used) may result in long-term remission that is symptom and treatment free, according to an article.
  
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• Reasons reported by children, youth for being on the streets

  04-04-2016 19:39
  Poverty was the most common reason reported by children and youth, globally, for why they were on the streets, according to a new article.
  
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• How is the quality of care in a commercial virtual visit?

  04-04-2016 19:39
  Quality of care varied among commercial virtual visit companies where patients used websites to request consultations with physicians they have never met via videoconference, telephone or web chat, according to a new study.
  
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• Fentanyl patch prescribing still not safe in 50 percent of prescriptions

  04-04-2016 19:39
  Although prescribing of the fentanyl patch has improved, physicians are still failing to adhere to safe prescribing guidelines, with half of new prescriptions being written for people who have not had the required previous opioid exposure, new research has found.
  
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• Cell therapy may mend damaged hearts, study says

  04-04-2016 19:39
  End-stage heart failure patients treated with stem cells harvested from their own bone marrow experienced 37 percent fewer cardiac events -- including deaths and heart failure hospital admissions -- than a placebo-controlled group, according to a new study.
  
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• Three demonstrators killed in clash over planned power plant in Bangladesh

  04-04-2016 19:28
  Three people were killed on Monday when Bangladeshi riot police fired shots after coming under attack from demonstrators in a disturbance over a planned, Chinese-built power plant, authorities said. S Alam Group, a Bangladeshi company, signed a deal earlier in the day with SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Corporation of China to build the coal-fired plant in the coastal Chittagong district to produce 1,320 megawatts of electricity. In the incident in the village of Banshkhali in Chittagong,
  
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• Southernmost polar bears losing weight as ice shrinks: study

  04-04-2016 19:13 via cbc.ca
  
  The world's southernmost population of polar bears has already lost significant amounts of body weight after decades of shrinking sea ice with breeding females suffering the most, says new research from the Ontario government.
  
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• Armenia warns Nagorno-Karabakh clashes could turn into all-out war

  04-04-2016 18:42
  By Nailia Bagirova and Hasmik Mkrtchyan BAKU/YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenia's president warned on Monday that an outbreak of violence in breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh risked spiralling into all-out war after a third day of fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenian-backed separatists in which more soldiers were killed. Ex-Soviet states Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a war over the territory in the early 1990s in which thousands were killed on both sides and hundreds of thousands displaced. Azerbaijan's d
  
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• U.S. behind strike that killed Nusra Front's Abu Firas - officials

  04-04-2016 18:37
  The United States has carried out an air strike in Syria that killed a prominent leader of al Qaeda offshoot Nusra Front, Abu Firas al-Suri, U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday. Islamist rebel sources said Abu Firas, who was a former Syrian army officer discharged in the late 1970s because of his Islamist leanings, was a founding member of the militant group and had fought in Afghanistan in the 1980s.
  
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• VIDEO: Footage shows 'passenger' rocket test

  04-04-2016 18:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Space transportation company Blue Origin say they have successfully launched and landed a suborbital rocket, which is capable of carrying six passengers, for the third time.
  
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• Launch. Land. Repeat. Blue Origin's Amazing Rocket Liftoff & Landing in Pictures

  04-04-2016 18:31
  
  A brilliant column of fire, blasting out the back of a rocket ship, lit up the cool blue sky above the west Texas desert on Saturday (April 2), when the private spaceflight company Blue Origin successfully launched and landed its New Shepard vehicle for the third time. Blue Origin's photos and amazing video of the New Shepard launch show the rocket heading skyward, where it eventually separated from the crew capsule (although no one was inside). The crew capsule parachuted back to Earth, but the
  
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• Blink and you'll miss it - This is how magicians fool their audience with the oldest trick in book

  04-04-2016 17:49
  
  Just as a performer’s quick hands are setting up the next jaw-dropping feat of magic, most of the audience will have their eyes closed.
  
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• Drones will deliver blood in Rwanda starting this July

  04-04-2016 17:30 via cbc.ca
  
  Drone delivery might be years away in the North America, but it's becoming a reality in Rwanda this summer.
  
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• Earth's internal heat drives rapid ice flow, subglacial melting in Greenland

  04-04-2016 17:16
  The North Atlantic Ocean is an area of active plate tectonics. Between 80 and 35 million years ago tectonic processes moved Greenland over an area of abnormally hot mantle material that still today is responsible for the volcanic activity of Iceland. The mantle material heated and thinned Greenland at depth producing a strong geothermal anomaly that spans a quarter of the land area of Greenland. That distant history of the North Atlantic region contributes to the present-day ice loss, suggests a
  
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• Vibrations make large landslides flow like fluid

  04-04-2016 17:15
  New research shows why some large landslides travel greater distances across flat land than scientists would generally expect, sometimes putting towns and populations far from mountainsides at risk.
  
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• Potential of satellite remote sensing to monitor species diversity

  04-04-2016 17:15
  Satellite remote sensing (SRS) has proven to be one of the most cost-effective approaches to identify biodiversity hotspots and predict changes in species composition. What is the real potential of SRS and what are the pitfalls that need to be avoided to achieve the full potential of this method is the topic of a new research.
  
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• New understanding of liquid-like materials to solid state transition discovered

  04-04-2016 17:15
  New research has identified how liquid-like materials can change into a solid-like state without the addition of extra particles or changes in volume. Liquid-like materials with particles in, known as dense suspensions, are found in the food industry (for example molten chocolate) and clay deposits on the bottom of oceans or rivers. Understanding the 'jamming transition' - when such a system behaves like a solid (if you want to build something on it) or when it flows (important if you want to pr
  
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• Fast radio burst 'afterglow' was actually a flickering black hole

  04-04-2016 17:15
  Last February a team of astronomers reported detecting an afterglow from a mysterious event called a fast radio burst, which would pinpoint the precise position of the burst's origin. These findings were quickly called into question by follow-up observations. New research shows that the radio emission believed to be an afterglow actually originated from a distant galaxy's core and was unassociated with the fast radio burst.
  
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• Efmoroctocog alfa for hemophilia A: Added benefit not proven

  04-04-2016 17:15
  Regarding Efmoroctocog alfa for hemophilia A, reviewers found that no added benefit can be derived. Type A hemophilia is an inherited disorder that impairs blood clotting.
  
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• How crispy is your bonbon?

  04-04-2016 17:13
  A theory and simple fabrication technique may help chocolate artisans create uniformly smooth shells and precisely tailor their thickness.
  
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• Surprising exotic flies in the backyard: New gnat species from Museum Koenig's garden

  04-04-2016 17:12
  Little did the scientists expect to discover a new species in Germany's Alexander Koenig Museum's garden upon placing a malaise trap for testing purposes. However, not only did an unknown and strikingly colored gnat get caught, but it turned out to be a species, which showed to have much more in common with its relatives from New Zealand than with any known from Europe.
  
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