Science news

• SpaceX to Try Rocket Landing During Dragon Cargo Launch Friday

  07-04-2016 23:38
  
  SpaceX will try yet again to land its Falcon 9 rocket on a robotic ship in the Atlantic Ocean Friday (April 8). The landing attempt will come during the launch of SpaceX's robotic Dragon cargo capsule to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA, which is scheduled to take place at 4:43 p.m. EDT (2043 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SpaceX has tried four such "drone ship" landings before — in January and April of 2015, and January and March of this year.
  
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• Scientists Nuke a Fake Comet to Create Ingredients for Life

  07-04-2016 22:50
  
  By cooking up a faux comet, scientists have produced the first formation of a key sugar required for life as we know it. By creating ices similar to those detected by the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission, which made the first landing on a comet, scientists were able to produce ribose, a sugar that serves as an important ingredient in RNA, an essential ingredient for life. "There is evidence for an 'RNA world' — an episode of life on Earth during which RNA was the only genetic materi
  
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• R/V Neil Armstrong Arrives at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

  07-04-2016 22:50
  
  The world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to studying marine science and engineering took a giant leap forward on Wednesday (April 6), welcoming its new research vessel, the R/V Neil Armstrong, to its port in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The 238-foot-long (72.5 meters) ship, which was named in 2014 for the first man to walk on the moon, arrived at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), where it was met by an audience of invited guests that included members of Armstrong's
  
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• 1st bat with white-nose syndrome in West an 'alarming development'

  07-04-2016 22:36 via cbc.ca
  
  Wildlife researchers are alarmed by the first discovery of a bat with a deadly disease called white-nose syndrome west of the Rocky Mountains.
  
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• Origin of life: An artificial comet holds the missing piece

  07-04-2016 21:56
  Researchers have for the first time shown that ribose, a sugar that is one of the building blocks of genetic material in living organisms, may have formed in cometary ices. They propose the first realistic scenario for the formation of this key compound, which had never been detected in meteorites or cometary ices until now. Their findings shed new light on the emergence of life on Earth.
  
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• Are We Living in a Computer Simulation?

  07-04-2016 21:45 via rss.sciam.com
  
  High-profile physicists and philosophers gathered to debate whether we are real or virtual—and what it means either way
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• Space station getting inflatable room, a cosmic 1st

  07-04-2016 21:30
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Forget blowup air mattresses. Space station astronauts are getting their first inflatable room.
  
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• Bad Touch: Intimate Robot Interactions Cause Discomfort

  07-04-2016 21:12
  
  Li and his colleagues Wendy Ju and Byron Reeves at Stanford University will present their findings on June 13 at the annual conference of the International Communication Association in Fukuoka, Japan. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+.
  
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• Rare meets common: Reacting protactinium with ubiquitous water explains an elemental oddity

  07-04-2016 21:10
  Scientists demonstrated that a positively charged protactinium dioxide ion may not exist in aqueous solution like other highly charged actinides, such as uranium and plutonium.
  
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• How manufacturers win by not playing the field

  07-04-2016 21:10
  Doing business with a limited number of major customers allows manufacturers to hold fewer inventories for a shorter time, according to new research.
  
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• Post-menopausal women taking metformin for diabetes may be at lower risk of cancer

  07-04-2016 21:09
  Post-menopausal women who use metformin long-term for the treatment of diabetes may be at lower risk for developing certain cancers and dying from these diseases, reports a large prospective study. Their analysis was based on data from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a series of large studies undertaken to address common health issues in women. The researchers also found that women with diabetes, compared to women without the disease, were more likely to develop cancer.
  
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• Oil and gas wastewater disposal may harm West Virginia waterways

  07-04-2016 21:08
  Unconventional oil and gas operations combine directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking,' to release natural gas and oil from underground rock. Studies have centered on potential water pollution from this process that may increase endocrine disrupting chemicals in surface and ground water. Now, researchers report high levels of EDC activity in the surface water near a hydraulic fracturing wastewater disposal facility in West Virginia.
  
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• New method developed for testing herbicide resistance in weeds

  07-04-2016 21:08
  Herbicide-resistant weeds are becoming increasingly common in agricultural landscapes. Existing methods for confirming herbicide resistance require knowledge of the genes responsible for target-site resistance, but this information is not always known. A new method, developed by researchers for waterhemp, can test for herbicide resistance without prior knowledge of the genes involved.
  
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• Primate evolution in the fast lane

  07-04-2016 21:07
  The pace of evolution is typically measured in millions of years, as random, individual mutations accumulate over generations, but researchers have uncovered a new mechanism for mutation in primates that is rapid, coordinated, and aggressive. The discovery raises questions about the accuracy of using the more typical mutation process as an estimate to date when two species diverged, as well as the extent to which this and related enzymes played a role in primate evolution.
  
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• No more broken hearts

  07-04-2016 21:07
  The genetic mechanisms underlying the development of the coronary atherosclerosis has been investigated. Results show potential value for estimating the risk of the myocardial infarction, say researchers.
  
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• New survey on American attitudes toward Zika virus finds limited awareness or concern

  07-04-2016 21:07
  A surve finds that three-quarters of Americans who have heard at least a little about the Zika virus are aware that the virus is linked to birth defects in babies born to infected mothers. However, the survey found that most Americans are unclear about the availability of tests to diagnose Zika and whether or not preventative vaccines and effective medicines exist to treat it.
  
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• Function of mysterious RNAs may often lie in their genes

  07-04-2016 21:07
  Scientists have determined that one prominent long non-coding RNA may be a 'red herring,' with no evident biological role to play -- whereas the DNA from which it originates does perform an important function, as an 'enhancer' that stimulates the expression of an important protein-coding gene nearby.
  
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• Six to 10 million years ago: Ice-free summers at the North Pole

  07-04-2016 21:06
  A new window has been opened into the climate history of the Arctic Ocean. Using unique sediment samples from the Lomonosov Ridge, the researchers found that six to 10 million years ago the central Arctic was completely ice-free during summer and sea-surface temperature reached values of 4 to 9 degrees Celsius.
  
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• Safer stem cell-derived therapy for brain radiation recovery

  07-04-2016 21:06
  While stem cells have shown promise for treating brain regions damaged by cancer radiation treatments, researchers have found that microscopic vesicles isolated from these cells provide similar benefits without some of the risks associated with stem cells.
  
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• Report shows how to say goodbye to harmful algal blooms

  07-04-2016 21:06
  Harmful algal blooms dangerous to human health and the Lake Erie ecosystem--such as the one that shut down Toledo's water supply for two days in 2014--could become a problem of the past. Scientists have reported on approaches to reduce harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie.
  
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• New predictive tool for assessing breast cancer risk

  07-04-2016 21:06
  Women were five times as likely to develop cancer if they had a higher percentage of Ki67, a molecular marker that identifies proliferating cells, in the cells that line the mammary ducts and milk-producing lobules, researchers have shown. These cells, called the mammary epithelium, undergo drastic changes throughout a woman's life, and the majority of breast cancers originate in these tissues.
  
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• Light and sound waves used to control electron states

  07-04-2016 21:06
  Physicists have combined light and sound to control electron states in an atom-like system, providing a new tool in efforts to move toward quantum-computing systems.
  
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• First transistors made entirely of nanocrystal 'inks'

  07-04-2016 21:06
  Engineers have shown a new approach for making transistors and other electrical devices: sequentially depositing their components in the form of liquid nanocrystal 'inks.'
  
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• Quantum simulation 2.0: Atoms chat long distance

  07-04-2016 21:03
  In an international first, a research team of experimental physicists has measured long-range magnetic interactions between ultracold particles confined in an optical lattice. Their work introduces a new control knob to quantum simulation.
  
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• Piggybacking tadpoles are epic food beggars

  07-04-2016 21:00
  
  Tadpoles beg so frantically among mimic poison frogs that researchers check to see whether they’re just scamming.
  
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• Typhoid toxin aids survival in mice

  07-04-2016 20:20
  
  A DNA-damaging bacterial protein may prolong the lives of infected animals.
  
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• How to Shift Anti-Transgender Attitudes

  07-04-2016 20:20 via rss.sciam.com
  
  A new study shows that door-to-door “deep canvassing” conversations can change real voters’ attitudes to be more tolerant
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• Another study says warming may be worse than experts think

  07-04-2016 20:04
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Most computer simulations of climate change are underestimating by at least one degree how warm the world will get this century, a new study suggests.
  
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• P.E.I. company researching how people walk for new floor sensor products

  07-04-2016 20:00 via cbc.ca
  
  In the not-too-distant future, you could soon be recognized by the way you walk — not just visually, but by the pressure of your footsteps in hidden floor sensors.
  
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• Key sugar needed for life could have formed in space

  07-04-2016 20:00
  
  Sugar that forms backbone of cell machinery can form on icy grains blasted by ultraviolet light from young stars.
  
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• Space station astronauts to get inflatable room

  07-04-2016 19:26
  Forget blow-up air mattresses. Space station astronauts are getting their first inflatable room.
  
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• Meet the cutlery that can count calories and tell you when to stop eating

  07-04-2016 19:15
  
  The smart utensils can process the number of calories and nutritional value of the food you are eating.
  
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• FBI says iPhone unlocking method won't work with newer models

  07-04-2016 19:01 via cbc.ca
  
  The Federal Bureau of Investigation's secret method for unlocking the iPhone 5c used by one of the San Bernardino shooters will not work on newer models, FBI Director James Comey said.
  
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• 'Barbershop' returns with social and political message

  07-04-2016 18:46
  The "Barbershop" franchise is back, with the third instalment tackling the issue of gangs and gun crime but with much of the same cast and comedy as before. "Barbershop: The Next Cut" sees lead Calvin, played by musician-cum-actor Ice Cube, invite a beauty salon to share their working space. The film, which co-stars Eve, Anthony Anderson and Nicki Minaj, sees the staff of the now-unisex salon organize their workplace as a safe haven for local people to sort out their issues, and soon their idea
  
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• Record-Setting Mars Odyssey Orbiter Launched 15 Years Ago Today

  07-04-2016 18:04
  
  A long-lived NASA Mars spacecraft began its record-setting Red Planet mission 15 years ago today. On April 7, 2001, the Mars Odyssey orbiter blasted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, kicking off a mission designed to hunt for water ice and study the Red Planet's geology and radiation environment. In December 2010, Odyssey became the longest-serving Mars spacecraft in history, and it's still going strong today.
  
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• SpaceX's Dragon Is Launching a Huge Science Haul to Space Station Friday

  07-04-2016 18:03
  
  Packed in the Dragon cargo ship, among supplies for the crew, will be a group of fungi that could help scientists develop new medicines, as well as the latest installment in a series of experiments to grow vegetables in space. The cargo also will include live mice that will be part of an experiment that could help scientists develop drugs to prevent muscle degeneration in astronauts or people on Earth. Friday's launch will be SpaceX's eighth mission to the station, as part of NASA's Commercial R
  
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• Russia styles itself lead mediator in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

  07-04-2016 18:02
  By Denis Dyomkin and Christian Lowe YEREVAN/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia staked out its claim on Thursday to be the lead player in brokering a settlement to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, a role it hopes will enhance its clout in a region where it competes for influence with Washington. Dozens of people were killed this week in four days of shelling and rocket strikes between Azerbaijan's military and Armenian-backed separatists over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, prompting fe
  
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• 'Key piece of ageing puzzle' identified

  07-04-2016 18:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A common drug, lithium, could hold the key to long life, in flies at least, according to research.
  
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• Zika mosquitoes caught in recycled tire trap

  07-04-2016 17:49 via cbc.ca
  
  A Canadian-led research team has taken a form of trash that promotes the spread of mosquitoes and turned it into a potential weapon against the disease-carrying insects.
  
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• ‘Wild Ways’ showcases need for wildlife corridors

  07-04-2016 17:30
  
  The TV documentary 'Wild Ways' shows how wildlife corridors bridge the gap between isolated populations of animals.
  
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• One Question Could Help Spot Drinking Problems in Teens

  07-04-2016 17:02
  One simple question may reveal a lot about a teen's risk of developing an alcohol problem, a new study finds. The study focused on teen alcohol screening, or questions that doctors can ask to flag those who may be at risk for problem drinking. Results showed that one question — how many days they drank in the past year  — was particularly good at spotting those at risk for a drinking problem, which researchers call alcohol use disorder.
  
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• Street Heroin Use Could Be Curbed with Morphine-Like Drug

  07-04-2016 17:01
  Heroin addiction is notoriously difficult to overcome, but a new study finds that some people with particularly serious addictions may benefit from treatment with a drug related to morphine. The study, from researchers in Canada, focused on the small portion of people with heroin addiction who have tried and failed to treat their addiction multiple times with existing medications — mainly, the oral medications methadone and buprenorphine — and who continue to use street drugs and eng
  
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• Are You Impulsive? Maybe Your Brain Is to Blame

  07-04-2016 17:01
  Some people's brain structures may lower their inhibitions and make it easier for them to engage in risky or impulsive behavior, according to a new study. Researchers examined more than 1,200 healthy young adults with no history of psychiatric disorders or substance dependence. "The findings allow us to have a better understanding of how normal variation in brain anatomy in the general population might bias both temperamental characteristics and health behaviors," said Avram Holmes, an assistant
  
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• Sit Up Straight! How Good Posture Benefits Your Health

  07-04-2016 16:56
  Unless you are a ballet dancer or in the military — occupations where poor posture is readily noticed — you probably don't pay much attention to your posture. Posture refers to the preferred biomechanical alignment of the body, said Eric Robertson, director of graduate physical therapy education at Kaiser Permanente of Northern California and a spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association. Good posture is important because it minimizes the excessive force that muscles a
  
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• Fetal Tissue Controversy: How These Cells Are Used in Research

  07-04-2016 16:55
  Congress wants to know the names of researchers who study fetal tissue, and what exactly they are doing: A House committee has subpoenaed a number of medical organizations for a list of people involved in this research. The committee says it wants "to find out ‘what is going on?’" at organizations that procure and use fetal tissue for research purposes. "This is an invasion of academic freedom, a serious government overreach, and an effort to intimidate scientists who have devoted th
  
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• Cuddly Dog Missing After Trip To Edge Of Space

  07-04-2016 16:47
  
  Primary children at a school in Lancashire have put out an urgent SOS for a soft toy dog who has gone missing at the edge of space. Sam the dog was launched at the beginning of the week by pupils of the Morecambe Bay Primary School as part of a science experiment. A school spokesperson said: "The search for Sam the dog stretches into a third day.
  
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• Possible source of high-energy neutrino reported

  07-04-2016 16:46
  
  Scientists may have found the cosmic birthplace of an ultra-high energy neutrino: a blazar 9 billion light years away.
  
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• Black hole as massive as 17 billion suns surprises astronomers

  07-04-2016 16:23 via cbc.ca
  
  Scientists have stumbled upon one of the largest supermassive black holes discovered to date in a place they never would have expected to find such a monster.
  
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• The remnants of ancient stars have been found at the bottom of Earth's oceans

  07-04-2016 16:11
  
  Scientists believe the supernovae explosions could even have impact human evolution.
  
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• Food waste key in emissions cuts

  07-04-2016 15:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Reducing food waste and changing the way people consume calories will help deliver a sustainable food system and reduce emissions, a study suggests.
  
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