Science news

• Odd 'Y' Shape Dominates Saturn Moon Enceladus (Photo)

  20-04-2016 23:28
  
  The giant, sinuous "Y," which appears at the boundary between sunlight and darkness in the photo, is a tectonic feature related to stresses in the icy shell of Enceladus, NASA officials said. Cassini took the newly released image on Feb. 15, 2016, at a distance of about 60,000 miles (100,000 km) from Enceladus.
  
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• Orca tagging stops after dead whale found with fragments

  20-04-2016 23:04
  
  SEATTLE (AP) — Federal biologists have temporarily stopped tagging endangered killer whales in Washington state's Puget Sound after a dead orca was found with pieces of a dart tag lodged in its dorsal fin.
  
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• Sexism in mouse research can lead to medical harm to women, scientists warn

  20-04-2016 23:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Medical research and new drugs to treat human illness usually start with studies on male mice and rats. Scientists warn that could lead to drugs and treatments that are ineffective or even dangerous for women.
  
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• Monkey mariners made monumental migration 21 million years ago

  20-04-2016 22:23
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Monkeys resembling today's capuchins accomplished the astonishing feat of crossing at least 100 miles (160 km) of open ocean 21 million years ago to get from South America to North America eons before the two continents joined together.
  
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• Cameras around Lake Tahoe change fight against wildfires

  20-04-2016 22:08
  RENO, Nev. (AP) — Scientists say a growing network of cameras trained on the mountains around Lake Tahoe is changing the way crews fight wildfires.
  
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• Virgin Galactic returns to Spaceport America for exercises

  20-04-2016 21:38
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — It was nothing but clear, blue skies as the sleek, jet-powered cargo plane approached the runway at Spaceport America in southern New Mexico, only to briefly touch down and then thrust off again.
  
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• Study: Warming giving US type of weather we prefer _ for now

  20-04-2016 21:30
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Global warming has mostly made the weather more pleasant for Americans over the last 40 years, which may explain why much of the public doesn't rank climate change as big a threat as do scientists and the rest of the world, a new study suggests.
  
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• Did volcano eruptions tip Europe into Dark Ages?

  20-04-2016 21:01
  
  Back-to-back volcanic eruptions in the mid-6th century darkened Europe's skies for more than a year and may have ushered in the Dark Ages, according to finding to be presented Friday at a science conference in Vienna.
  
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• Aspirin can boost cancer survival rate by a fifth, researchers say

  20-04-2016 21:00
  
  There is growing evidence that aspirin is of significant benefit in reducing some cancers.
  
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• Surprising Shifts in Pluto Atmosphere Point to Gravity Waves (Photos)

  20-04-2016 20:59
  
  Unexpected variations in the brightness of Pluto's wispy atmosphere may be caused by gravity waves, scientists say. Newly analyzed images captured by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which flew past Pluto last July, show that the dwarf planet's haze layers can change in brightness depending on lighting conditions and viewing perspective. "The brightness variations may be due to buoyancy waves — what atmospheric scientists also call gravity waves — which are typically launched by
  
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• Moon Rocks' Radioactive Iron Suggests Supernova Blasted Earth

  20-04-2016 20:59
  
  Radioactive iron in moon rocks collected by astronauts on NASA's Apollo missions suggests that a nearby supernova blasted Earth a few million years ago, according to a new study. This finding supports the idea that nearby stellar explosions may have influenced life on Earth, including the evolution of humans, the researchers said. Previous research found that supernovas generate huge amounts of a mildly radioactive variety of iron known as iron-60, which these cataclysmic explosions spew out int
  
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• Drones for Canada Post mail delivery worth exploring, expert says

  20-04-2016 20:29 via cbc.ca
  
  Canada's minister for federal public services has droned on about considering "all viable options" for Canada Post but won't commit to bringing back door-to-door delivery. She certainly hasn't discussed one option for postal delivery currently being explored in Australia — actual drones.
  
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• Humans could be at risk of liver damage on deep space missions, study finds

  20-04-2016 20:00
  
  Early signs of liver damage in orbiting "astromice" have raised concerns about sending humans on deep space missions to Mars and beyond.
  
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• The 'Sonic hedgehog' gene could prove that our limbs evolved from sharks' gills

  20-04-2016 19:59
  
  A theory proposed over 100 years ago.
  
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• Humanitarian evacuations under way from besieged Syrian towns

  20-04-2016 19:49
  By Lisa Barrington BEIRUT (Reuters) - The humanitarian evacuation of 250 people from two Syrian towns besieged by pro-government forces and another 250 from two towns blocked off by rebels began on Wednesday, coordinated by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. The towns blockaded by pro-government forces are Zabadani and Madaya, near the Lebanese border. Jan Egeland, chairman of a U.N. humanitarian task force on Syria, said last week he was disappointed by a slowdown in aid access, largely due to block
  
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• Speedy eye-tracking device seeks to detect concussions

  20-04-2016 19:44
  BOSTON (Reuters) - A newly-approved device using infrared cameras to track eye movements promises to help detect concussions in one minute, offering a speedy insight into whether athletes have sustained the injury.
  
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• Chameleon's tongue gives up secrets

  20-04-2016 19:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists build a mathematical model that explains the secrets of the chameleon's extraordinary tongue.
  
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• Baked beans, sausages and eggs to fuel Tim Peake's bid to run the London Marathon in space

  20-04-2016 19:21
  
  Peake will run the race in real time with an iPad showing him the streets of London.
  
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• Phone Hacking Fears and Facts

  20-04-2016 19:05 via rss.sciam.com
  
  The lack of security built into phone networks leaves callers vulnerable to snooping, but the growth of encrypted communications will help protect privacy
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• ‘Dirty’ mice better than lab-raised mice for studying human disease

  20-04-2016 19:00
  
  Dirtier mice may better mimic human immune reactions.
  
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• Microsoft to halt production of Xbox 360

  20-04-2016 18:38 via cbc.ca
  
  Microsoft will stop producing its previous generation gaming console, known as the Xbox 360, which was first launched in 2005.
  
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• How to Photograph Wildflowers

  20-04-2016 18:38
  
  Bob Wick is a photographer and U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wilderness specialist. California's Carrizo Plain is an amazing canvas for wildflower photography. When conditions are right in the spring, numerous wildflowers can carpet the valley floor — and although they're short-lived, they can be breathtaking.
  
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• Lost in Space Race: Women Denied Proper Place in History (Op-Ed)

  20-04-2016 18:37
  
  Nathalia Holt is a science writer and author of NY Times bestseller "Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us from Missiles to the Moon to Mars" (Little, Brown and Co., 2016) and "Cured: The People who Defeated HIV" (Plume 2015). Holt contributed this article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Although 14 women are depicted in the photograph, the archives at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, could identify only three of its former employ
  
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• Moon Mosaics: Groundbreaking Science Images of Stunning Lunar Science (Op-Ed)

  20-04-2016 18:36
  
  Mark Robinson is a professor in ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration, LROC principal investigator, and a science team member on a number of missions including NEAR, CONTOUR, MESSENGER and Mars 2020. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was conceived and designed a decade ago to support a human return to the moon. In late 2004 after a competitive process, NASA selected seven science instruments for the LRO, including the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, commonly known as LROC (
  
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• Collider Unleashed! The LHC Will Soon Hit Its Stride

  20-04-2016 18:34
  
  Don Lincoln is a senior scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Fermilab, the United States' biggest Large Hadron Collider research institution. The world's largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), is resuming operations after a pause during the winter months, when the cost for electricity in France is highest. So why is it such a big deal that LHC coming back on line?
  
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• Astronomically Far Away: How to Measure the Universe

  20-04-2016 18:32
  
  Paul Sutter is an astrophysicist at The Ohio State University and the chief scientist at COSI Science Center. Sutter is also host of the podcasts Ask a Spaceman and RealSpace, and the YouTube series Space In Your Face. Sutter contributed this article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.
  
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• Brazil energy minister to quit Rousseff government, return to Senate

  20-04-2016 18:10
  SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian Mines and Energy Minister Eduardo Braga said on Wednesday he is leaving the post to retake his seat in the Senate as the upper chamber of Congress prepares to vote on the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff next month. Braga, who is from the PMDB major opposition party, said however that he will take a break for medical tests and might not be present when the vote takes place. He declined to say if he is in favour or against the removal of Rousseff on charges
  
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• Here's what auroras look like from space in ultra high-definition

  20-04-2016 17:58 via cbc.ca
  
  Footage released by NASA shows the aurora borealis and aurora australis, as seen from an astronaut's perspective, in a new "ultra high-definition" video resolution.
  
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• Obama meets Saudi king as U.S. Iran policy strains alliance

  20-04-2016 17:56
  By Roberta Rampton RIYADH (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama met Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Wednesday to seek joint action on security threats including Iran and Islamic State, but his visit is overshadowed by Gulf Arab exasperation with his approach to the region. The American president has come to the world's top oil exporter for a fourth and likely last time, hoping to reassure Salman and other Gulf leaders, whom he will meet on Thursday, of Washington's commitment to their security.
  
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• LHC can be 'biggest rain meter'

  20-04-2016 17:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The LHC is not just the world's most powerful particle accelerator, it could also be its biggest rain meter.
  
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• Ecuador disaster toll tops 500, big new quake shakes coast

  20-04-2016 17:51
  By Ana Isabel Martinez and Julia Symmes Cobb PEDERNALES, Ecuador (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook Ecuador's already devastated Pacific coast before dawn on Wednesday, terrifying residents and hindering rescuers searching for survivors of an even bigger quake at the weekend which killed more than 500 people. The latest big tremor, which followed several hundred aftershocks from Saturday's 7.8 quake, hit 25 km (15 miles) off the island of Muisne on the northwest coast at a depth of 15
  
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• Trying to find ET and our place in the universe

  20-04-2016 17:46
  Editor in Chief discusses the search for life beyond Earth.
  
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• What would happen if a drone collided with a jet engine? We have no idea

  20-04-2016 17:00 via cbc.ca
  
  More drones than ever are filling the sky, and nobody knows what might happen if a drone got sucked into a turbojet engine. It's an unlikely scenario, but the consequences could be deadly.
  
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• Star Fox Zero reboots classic franchise, but awkward controls cause turbulence

  20-04-2016 17:00 via cbc.ca
  
  The best games are easy to learn, but challenging to master. But Nintendo's latest instalment in its 23-year-old franchise falls well below this threshold.
  
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• Tim Peake ready to leap into London Marathon space challenge

  20-04-2016 16:58
  It will be more than a few small steps for British astronaut Tim Peake, and a giant leap for the London Marathon.
  
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• Evacuations begin from blockaded Syrian towns

  20-04-2016 16:56
  The evacuation of 250 people from two Syrian towns blockaded by pro-government forces began on Wednesday, a witness told Reuters, after an agreement was reached which also allows for another 250 people to leave two towns blocked off by rebels. The towns blockaded by pro-government forces are Zabadani and Madaya, near the Lebanese border. A Syrian Arab Red Crescent car leaving Madaya and Zabadani came under rebel fire but there were no casualties, a witness told Reuters.
  
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• Humans have pondered aliens since medieval times

  20-04-2016 16:30
  
  People have been fascinated with extraterrestrials for centuries. If only aliens would get in touch.
  
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• 'Extraordinary Find': Ancient Roman Villa Unearthed in Britain

  20-04-2016 16:02
  
  One of Britain's best-preserved Roman-age villas was recently discovered beneath a home in southwest England. Homeowner Luke Irwin, who lives in Wiltshire, wanted to run electrical cables from his house to an old barn, where his children could play table tennis. "It was extraordinary," Irwin told Live Science.
  
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• Competition Bureau clears Google of accusations of anticompetitive behaviour

  20-04-2016 15:39 via cbc.ca
  
  Canada's Competition Bureau has finished a three-year investigation into Google and cleared the search giant of accusations it engages in anticompetitive behaviour, now that it has stopped including a certain clause in its contracts with advertisers.
  
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• How to make gravitational waves ‘sing’

  20-04-2016 15:30
  
  A rapidly spinning black hole would make a unique pattern of gravitational waves when it sucks in a smaller companion.
  
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• Iraq's Sadr calls for protests to bring about new cabinet

  20-04-2016 15:20
  By Saif Hameed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Wednesday called for renewed protests demanding that parliament approves a long-delayed new cabinet and end political and sectarian wrangling that is hampering a vote on the matter. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced an overhaul of the government in February in a bid to tackle corruption. In a statement received by email, Sadr called for "continuing peaceful protests in the same intensity and even more in
  
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• Android accused of giving unfair preference to Google apps

  20-04-2016 15:20 via cbc.ca
  
  The European Union is broadening its battle with Google, alleging that the technology giant rigs the global market for mobile apps by making its Android operating system give preferential treatment to its own products.
  
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• Unmasking the Bad Guys in the Fight Against Alzheimer's

  20-04-2016 15:10 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Research on a key brain immune cell suggests it is a tantalizing but slippery target for new therapies 
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Uncovering New Players in the Fight Against Alzheimer's

  20-04-2016 15:10 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Research on a key brain immune cell suggests it is a tantalizing but slippery target for new therapies 
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• 6.1-magnitude earthquake strikes off eastern Japan

  20-04-2016 15:05 via cbc.ca
  
  An earthquake measuring 6.1 magnitude struck off northeastern Japan on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
  
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• New quake, magnitude 6.2, strikes off Ecuador coast

  20-04-2016 14:53
  By Ana Isabel Martinez and Julia Symmes Cobb PEDERNALES, Ecuador (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook Ecuador's coast early on Wednesday, terrifying locals and impeding rescuers after a bigger weekend quake battered the same area and killed nearly 500 people. The latest earthquake hit 25 km (15 miles) off Muisne on the northwest Pacific coast at a depth of 15 km, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said. Ecuador's Geophysical Institute said there were in fact two quakes of magnitude 6.2, f
  
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• Evacuation from blockaded Syrian towns begins, witness says

  20-04-2016 14:51
  The evacuation of 250 Syrians from two towns blockaded by pro-government forces near the Lebanese border began on Wednesday, a witness told Reuters, after an agreement was reached which also allowed for another 250 people to leave two other towns blocked off by Syrian rebels in northwestern Syria. The towns at the Lebanese border blockaded by pro-government forces are Zabadani and Madaya. One Syrian Arab Red Crescent car leaving Madaya and Zabadani came under rebel fire but there were no casualt
  
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• Obama meets Saudi king with Iran on agenda

  20-04-2016 14:26
  By Roberta Rampton RIYADH (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to meet Saudi Arabia's King Salman ahead of a summit with other Gulf Arab leaders on Thursday and with regional tensions with Iran likely to be high on the agenda. Obama comes to the world's top oil exporter for a fourth and likely last time as president hoping to reassure it and other Gulf allies of Washington's commitment to their security, and to seek ways to reduce sectarian tensions in the regio
  
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• 'What's It Like In Space' Reveals How to Belch in Zero Gravity and Other Tales

  20-04-2016 14:05
  
  A new book called "What's It Like in Space?" (Chronicle, 2016) is fairly self-explanatory: It's a book filled with short anecdotes from astronauts about, well, what it's like to be in space. Simple as that may sound, many of the stories in the new book cannot be found on NASA's website or in other books and papers that describe the experience of spaceflight in a technical way. "What's It Like in Space?
  
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• Possible Light Flash from Black Hole Collision Spotted

  20-04-2016 14:05
  
  When black holes collide, do they hide in the dark or emit flashes of light? That question is up the air after an Earth-based detector spotted gravitational waves, or ripples in the fabric of space-time, created by two black holes merging together. Previous work suggested that for black holes of this size — about 30 times the mass of the sun — there would be no bright flash, no hazy glow, no light to speak of.
  
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