Science news

• Transit of Mercury 2016: NASA Video Explains It All

  03-05-2016 23:44
  
  While scientists are used to seeing sunspots and solar flares crossing the sun's surface, a different kind of spot will pass through on Monday (May 9): the dark shadow of Mercury, which will travel between the sun and Earth that morning. A new video from NASA sets out what you need to know about the rare celestial event, called a transit, which occurs around 13 times per century, as well as what NASA hopes to learn. Observers will need to use a telescope with a safe solar filter, or a dedic
  
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• Gravitational Wave Discovery Team Awarded $3 Million

  03-05-2016 23:43
  The scientists and engineers who made the first-ever direct detection of gravitational waves are now $3 million richer. In February, researchers with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) project announced that their detectors had recorded evidence of gravitational waves — ripples in the fabric of space-time whose existence was predicted by Albert Einstein in 1916 in his theory of general relativity. "This discovery has huge significance — firstly, as evidenc
  
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• Elusive Dark Matter Galaxy Revealed by Cosmic Lens

  03-05-2016 23:43
  
  "This discrepancy between observed satellites and predicted abundances has been a major problem in cosmology for nearly two decades, even called a 'crisis' by some researchers," said team member Neal Dalal, of the University of Illinois. "If these dwarf objects are dominated by dark matter, this could explain the discrepancy while offering new insights into the true nature of dark matter," he said. According to the researchers, ALMA may bring more of these dark matter satellites to light.
  
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• Fiat Chrysler, Google to co-operate on autonomous minivans

  03-05-2016 23:42 via cbc.ca
  
  Fiat Chrysler and Google will work together to more than double the size of Google's self-driving vehicle fleet by adding 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans.
  
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• [Research Article] Transforming growth factor-β and Notch ligands act as opposing environmental cues in regulating the plasticity of type 3 innate lymphoid cells

  03-05-2016 23:39 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Opposing signals in the tissue microenvironment balance the number of inflammatory innate lymphoid cells.
  
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• [Research Article] PERK mediates the IRES-dependent translational activation of mRNAs encoding angiogenic growth factors after ischemic stress

  03-05-2016 23:39 via stke.sciencemag.org
  PERK may promote blood vessel growth in oxygen-deprived muscles by ensuring the production of angiogenic factors.
  
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• [Research Article] Notch signaling in group 3 innate lymphoid cells modulates their plasticity

  03-05-2016 23:39 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The balance in the proportions of innate lymphoid cell subsets depends on signaling by the receptor Notch2.
  
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• [Podcast] Science Signaling podcast for 3 May 2016: Innate lymphoid cell plasticity

  03-05-2016 23:39 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Notch and TGF-β signaling control the plasticity of group 3 innate lymphoid cells.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] New connections: Regulating innate lymphoid cells

  03-05-2016 23:39 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Studies reveal mechanisms underlying the differentiation and regulation of innate lymphoid cell subsets.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] IP6 in chromosome dynamics

  03-05-2016 23:39 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Structural analysis of the cohesin-regulating protein PDS5 reveals inositol hexakisphosphate as a binding partner.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] Ferritin out iron with pups

  03-05-2016 23:39 via stke.sciencemag.org
  A prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein modulates the function of ferritin so that bacteria can grow under iron-limiting conditions.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] Acetylated tau disrupts synaptic plasticity in Alzheimer's disease

  03-05-2016 23:39 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Reducing the acetylation of tau might restore cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients.
  
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• Smithsonian Plans All-Night Celebration to Mark Air and Space 40 Years

  03-05-2016 23:25
  
  The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum will celebrate its 40th anniversary by premiering a newly-redesigned gallery and staying open as the stars fill the sky above. The flagship building for showcasing aerospace artifactsin the National Collection opened July 1, 1976. Four decades later, the Washington, DC museum will mark the occasion by hosting an evening ceremony and, for the first time in its history, remain open all night long.
  
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• As Trump draws closer to Republican victory, Cruz boils over

  03-05-2016 22:49
  By Emily Flitter BEDFORD, Ind. (Reuters) - With Donald Trump emerging as the favourite to win Indiana's primary on Tuesday and cement his grip on the Republican U.S. presidential nomination, his main rival Ted Cruz lashed out in unusually harsh terms, slamming the billionaire as a "pathological liar" and "amoral." Cruz has been counting on a win in Tuesday's primary to slow the New York businessman's progress towards the nomination. Campaigning in Evansville, Indiana, Cruz sounded deeply frustra
  
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• Meet the WISP: Radio-powered computer doesn't need batteries

  03-05-2016 21:52 via cbc.ca
  
  As we become increasingly connected to everything from fitness trackers to our homes, one constant remains — something has to power all these smart devices. CBC Radio technology columnist Dan Misener looks at a tiny computer that requires no battery whatsoever.
  
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• United Nations to start inspecting commercial shipments to Yemen

  03-05-2016 21:45
  By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations will start inspecting shipments to rebel-held ports in Yemen in a bid to boost commercial imports and enforce an arms embargo, the world body said on Tuesday, some eight months after announcing it would establish such a procedure. Yemen relies almost solely on imports, but a 14-month long conflict between Houthi rebels and a Saudi Arabian-led coalition has slowed to a trickle commercial shipments to the impoverished country where
  
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• What Science Says--and Doesn't--about Spanking

  03-05-2016 21:25 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Are kids being spanked for acting out, or acting out because they’re spanked?
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Scientific evidence should inform politicized debates

  03-05-2016 21:00
  Our editor in chief discusses science's role in informing divisive political and social issues.
  
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• Gun research faces roadblocks and a dearth of data

  03-05-2016 21:00
  
  Gun violence research is stifled by funding shortfalls and limitations on data access.
  
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• Move over drones and driverless cars - unmanned ships are next

  03-05-2016 20:17 via cbc.ca
  
  It's not only drones and driverless cars that may become the norm someday — ocean-faring ships might also run without captains or crews.
  
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• CDC: Preschoolers with ADHD often given drugs before therapy

  03-05-2016 19:16
  NEW YORK (AP) — Too many preschoolers with ADHD still are being put on drugs right away, before behavior therapy is tried, health officials say.
  
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• Biggest Loser contestants have slower metabolisms: study

  03-05-2016 19:09 via cbc.ca
  
  ​A new study has found that many competitors on NBC's The Biggest Loser leave the show with a slower metabolism, making it more difficult to keep off the pounds.
  
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• Is brain death reversible? One biotech firm wants to find out in a ground-breaking project

  03-05-2016 19:00
  
  Scientists are trialling a new project to see if those who have been declared clinically dead can be brought back to life.
  
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• More acidic seawater now dissolving bit of Florida Keys reef

  03-05-2016 17:53
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Seawater — increasingly acidic due to global warming — is eating away a tiny part of the limestone framework for coral reef in the upper Florida Keys, according to a new study. It's something that scientists had expected, but not so soon.
  
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• Gravitational waves discovery earns $3M US prize

  03-05-2016 17:22 via cbc.ca
  
  Researchers who helped detect gravitational waves for the first time, confirming part of Albert Einstein's theory in a landmark moment in scientific history, will share a $3 million US Special Breakthrough Prize, according to the prize's selection committee.
  
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• Rainwater can help trigger earthquakes

  03-05-2016 17:00
  
  Rainwater plays a major role in the triggering of earthquakes along New Zealand’s Alpine Fault.
  
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• Diving Robot 'Mermaid' Lends a Hand (or 2) to Ocean Exploration

  03-05-2016 16:57
  
  In Mediterranean waters, off the coast of France, a diver recently visited the shipwreck La Lune —  a vesssel in King Louis XIV's fleet — which lay untouched and unexplored on the ocean bottom since it sank in 1664.
  
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• Jet-Powered Hoverboard Sets New World Record

  03-05-2016 16:56
  
  Franky Zapata flew a hoverboard 7,388 feet (2,252 meters) from a height of 164 feet (50 m), according to Guinness World Records. The daredevil set the new record on the Flyboard Air, a futuristic craft developed by his company, Zapata Racing. Previous world record holder Catalin Alexandru Duru piloted a hoverboard prototype of his own design that flew 905 feet, 2 inches (275.9 m).
  
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• Ancient American: Kennewick Man's Tribal Links Confirmed

  03-05-2016 16:55
  
  The origins of a man who lived some 8,500 years ago, and whose skeleton was discovered in 1996 in Kennewick, Washington, have finally been pinned down. The ancient remains are most closely related to modern Native Americans, a new study led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed. Now that the skeleton's Native American link has been confirmed — a 2015 analysis of Kennewick Man found similar results — the re-burial of the remains must follow the guidelines of the Native America
  
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• Long-Lost Revolutionary War Shipwreck May Have Been Found

  03-05-2016 16:52
  The wreck of a famous research vessel turned Revolutionary War troopship may soon be discovered. The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) will announce its progress in the hunt for a ship dubbed "Lord Sandwich" on Wednesday (May 4). This ship is better known by its previous name: the HMS Endeavour, the British Royal Navy vessel that James Cook took to explore Australia and New Zealand between 1768 and 1771.
  
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• Airing of Grievances: First-Class Cabins Raise 'Air Rage' Risks

  03-05-2016 16:51
  You've seen the headlines about airline passengers losing their cool on flights, but is there a reason behind these mile-high rages? Rather, the presence of a first-class cabin — and whether all passengers need to walk through it when boarding, to get to their own seats — may be playing a role in these incidents of "air rage," according to the study, published today (May 2) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
  
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• Hangry No More: Dieting Actually Improves Mood

  03-05-2016 16:50
  "We found that normal-weight and mildly overweight people who wish to lose weight need not worry about decreased quality of life," said Corby Martin, the director of the Ingestive Behavior Laboratory at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana and the lead author on the study. Researchers have hypothesized that calorie restriction "might negatively affect mood, stamina and libido, and increase irritability, particularly among normal-weight people," Martin told Live Science. The par
  
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• Juice May Keep Sick Kids Hydrated Better Than Pricey Drinks

  03-05-2016 16:49
  For young children with a mild "stomach bug," drinking diluted apple juice may be just as good as more expensive drinks that tout having electrolytes for preventing dehydration, a new study suggests. The study involved nearly 650 children in Toronto, ages 6 months to 5 years, who went to the emergency room with diarrhea and vomiting, but were only mildly dehydrated. The children were randomly assigned to receive either diluted apple juice or an apple-flavored drink with electrolytes while they w
  
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• Bitcoin creator's apparent unmasking leaves some in tech world unconvinced

  03-05-2016 16:44 via cbc.ca
  
  Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? For many in the tech world, the identity of bitcoin's elusive creator has been a long-running parlour game. And the speculation might not be over.
  
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• Tim Peake made a special video call from space to a 5-year-old with cancer

  03-05-2016 16:31
  
  Major Peake and Maddison discussed being separated from their families and restricted diets.
  
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• Tim Peake fired up by combustion experiments on International Space Station

  03-05-2016 16:07
  
  Playing with fire in space has been the "coolest" part of Major Tim Peake's scientific mission so far, the British astronaut has revealed.
  
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• Arsenic's Afterlife: How Scientists Learned to Identify Poison Victims [Excerpt]

  03-05-2016 15:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Crime expert Linda Stratmann describes 19th century efforts to understand what traces poison leaves on a body after death in this excerpt from her new book “The Secret Poisoner: A Century of...
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Solar-powered plane lands in Arizona on round-the-world flight

  03-05-2016 15:18
  
  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A solar-powered airplane midway through a historic bid to circle the globe completed the 10th leg of its journey on Monday, landing in Arizona after a 16-hour flight from California, the project team said.
  
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• Iraq holding hundreds of detainees in 'inhumane conditions' - Amnesty

  03-05-2016 14:40
  Amnesty International said on Tuesday Iraq is holding more than 1,000 detainees, some as young as 15, without charge in "inhumane and degrading conditions" at makeshift holding centres in western Anbar province. The London-based human rights watchdog said 683 men have been crammed into disused warehouses in Amiriyat al-Falluja, just west of Baghdad, which counter-terrorism forces (CTF) have turned into a detention and interrogation facility. "The detainees are squeezed into a space of less than
  
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• Scientists win $3 million for detecting Einstein's waves

  03-05-2016 14:19
  
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Researchers who helped detect gravitational waves for the first time, confirming part of Albert Einstein's theory in a landmark moment in scientific history, will share a $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize, according to the prize's selection committee.
  
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• 2D Spacecraft, Reprogrammable Microbes & More: NASA Eyes Wild Space Tech Ideas

  03-05-2016 13:53
  
  Get ready for two-dimensional spacecraft and microorganisms that can recycle Mars dirt into working electronics. While both may sound like science fiction, they could soon be a reality, thanks to the latest round of space technology funding from NASA.
  
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• NASA's Inflatable Heat Shield Takes Vacuum Packing to a New Level

  03-05-2016 13:52
  
  An inflatable-heat-shield prototype designed to protect spacecraft on other worlds has passed its first key step: making sure it fits into a rocket. By studying the doughnut-shaped heat shield tech, engineers hope to better understand how the material will behave when it automatically deploys during a future deep-space mission. "During testing, we used a vacuum pump to compress the test article into a small space," lead project engineer Keith Johnson said in a statement from NASA.
  
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• Alec Falkenham, Dalhousie researcher, inks deal for tattoo removal cream

  03-05-2016 13:35 via cbc.ca
  
  An Ontario pharmaceutical company has licensed the rights to develop and market a tattoo removal cream created by PhD student Alec Falkenham of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.
  
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• Which Came First on Earth--Habitability or Life?

  03-05-2016 13:15 via rss.sciam.com
  
  One astronomer suggests that we cannot necessarily disentangle the two
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Why Trump and Clinton Voters Won't Switch: It's in Their Brains

  03-05-2016 13:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Neural images show it takes more than logic and facts to win a political argument
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• What is a sonic boom and how do jet planes cause them?

  03-05-2016 12:57
  
  Quick Reaction Alert crews can take off within minutes flying at supersonic speeds – which may cause a sonic boom.
  
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• Anti-Semitism Row: Labour Suspends 16

  03-05-2016 12:49
  
  Sixteen Labour members have been suspended pending investigations into alleged anti-Semitism and racism, according to Sky News sources. Three councillors were suspended in the space of seven hours on Monday after it emerged all had posted offensive comments on their Facebook accounts - all claiming Israel should be relocated to the US. One, the former Blackburn Mayor Salim Mulla, even claimed Israel was behind so-called Islamic State sharing a post that suggested French and Japanese support for
  
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• Glowing fibre optic dress is everything fashion lovers needed from the 2016 Met Gala

  03-05-2016 11:49 via cbc.ca
  
  Zac Posen just put a glow-in-the-dark dress atop every fashion lover's wish list by dressing Claire Danes for the 2016 Met Gala in New York City.
  
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• A glowing fibre optic dress is everything fashion lovers needed from the 2016 Met Gala

  03-05-2016 11:49 via cbc.ca
  
  Zac Posen just put a glow-in-the-dark dress atop every fashion lover's wish list by dressing Claire Danes for the 2016 Met Gala in New York City.
  
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• Zap your brain. Boost your strength? Controversial headbands hit the market

  03-05-2016 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Halo Sport is one of a growing number of devices that claim to improve brain function by sending a mild electric current through the skull. The device is being used by elite athletes and will soon be available to the public. But experts say more research is needed to determine if there are long-term side effects.
  
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