Science news

• Evidence of 5,000-year-old beer recipe found in China

  23-05-2016 22:47
  
  Ancient brewer’s toolkits put barley on tap in China as early as 3400 B.C.
  
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• Superflares from the Sun May Have Sparked Life by Warming Earth

  23-05-2016 21:51
  
  "That means Earth should have been an icy ball," study lead author Vladimir Airapetian, a solar scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in a statement. The scientists analyzed observations made by NASA's Kepler space telescope, which hunts for exoplanets by looking for the tiny brightness dips these worlds cause when they cross their host stars' faces.
  
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• The center of Earth is younger than the outer surface

  23-05-2016 20:33
  
  Einstein’s general theory of relativity predicts the center of the Earth is two years younger than the crust.
  
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• Cuttlefish, Squid and Relatives Thrive in Warming Oceans

  23-05-2016 20:28
  
  Warming oceans are bad news for a number of marine species, but cephalopods — the many-armed mollusk group that includes octopus, squid and cuttlefish — are doing just fine. Scientists gathered data from cephalopod fisheries around the world, examining how catch rates — the number of cephalopods captured or sampled at one time — changed for 35 species between 1953 and 2013. The researchers found steady increases in diverse cephalopod populations living in a variety of oce
  
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• Yes, It Is Rocket Science: Middle School Team Wins Rocket Competition

  23-05-2016 20:20
  
  A team of middle-school students from Washington state will represent the United States at an international rocketry contest in Europe, after taking home the top prize at the 2016 Team America Rocketry Challenge National Finals on May 16. Hailing from Bellevue, Washington, the Space Potatoes rocketry team from Odle Middle School beat out 789 other groups of students from all over the United States. Students Mikaela Ikeda, Larry Jing, Karl Deerkop, Srivatshan Sakthinarayanan and Stephanie Han wil
  
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• Beyond Pluto, New Horizons Studies Distant Icy Object

  23-05-2016 20:20
  
  As NASA's New Horizons probe speeds toward a possible encounter with an object beyond the orbit of Pluto, the spacecraft has made observations of another icy object located in the same outer region of the solar system. New Horizons finished its close encounter with Pluto last July and since then has completed two sets of observations on an object in the Kuiper Belt, the band of objects beyond the orbit of Neptune. New Horizons' view of the faint, icy body can be seen in this video from Space.com
  
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• Is it the time of the tentacled? There's been a 'remarkable' increase in the cephalopod population

  23-05-2016 18:52
  
  Cephalopods may be able to cope with changing environmental conditions, such as rising temperature, better than many other marine species.
  
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• India's reusable space shuttle blasts off on 1st test flight

  23-05-2016 18:37 via cbc.ca
  
  India has successfully test launched its first ever indigenously built reusable space shuttle.
  
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• Man-eating Nile crocodiles found roaming Florida swamps

  23-05-2016 17:31 via cbc.ca
  
  Step aside, Burmese python — you may no longer be Florida's scariest invasive species. Researchers have confirmed that three Nile crocodiles were captured near Miami, and they say it's possible more of the man-eating reptiles are still out there.
  
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• Mysterious Mass Graves Hold Prisoners of Bloody 17th-Century Battle

  23-05-2016 17:15
  
  Three years ago, archaeologists at Durham University began excavating a site on campus for a proposed addition to the school's library, but work was unexpectedly halted when the researchers uncovered remnants of two mass graves. The estimated 1,700 skeletons, found underground at the southern tip of Durham University's Palace Green Library, were likely Scottish soldiers who had been taken prisoner after the Battle of Dunbar in 1650, the archaeologists said. The prisoners were captured by Oliver
  
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• VR at Cannes: How Will Virtual Reality Change Film?

  23-05-2016 17:14
  
  The 2016 Cannes Film Festival, which began May 11 and runs until May 22 in Cannes, France, featured a festival first: screenings of virtual reality (VR) short films and presentations in a pavilion dedicated exclusively to VR. Famed director Steven Spielberg said he's skeptical about VR's effectiveness as a storytelling tool, and questioned whether it should be seriously considered as a means for developing and presenting visual narratives.
  
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• A New Bot-ticelli? Robot Painters Show Off Works at Competition

  23-05-2016 17:14
  
  Participants in the first annual Robot Art competition showed just how far our silicon counterparts have come in creating great artwork. "The results of this competition show a significant step in the advancement of robotics and artificial intelligence to create beauty. The Robot Art competition drew 70 different competitors, and each of their paintings had a unique look and style.
  
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• 'Rap Guide to Climate Chaos': Q&A with Baba Brinkman

  23-05-2016 17:13
  
  In his newest theater performance — "Rap Guide to Climate Chaos," currently running at the SoHo Playhouse in New York City through June 11 — he tackles the heated topic of climate change. Using his unique approach, Brinkman questions how individuals and governments are coping with a changing planet and addresses some of the tough choices that we face as Earth continues to warm at an unprecedented rate. Brinkman recently spoke with Live Science about his latest show, and the challenge
  
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• Calling All Kids! President Obama Wants Your Science and Tech Ideas

  23-05-2016 17:12
  Inspired by the recommendation of a 9-year-old inventor during the White House Science Fair in April, President Barack Obama has put out a call to kids across the United States to share their thoughts on science, technology and innovation. Both in and out of classrooms, kids know firsthand how to inspire students in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math. "Whether you care about tackling climate change, finding a cure to cancer, using technology to help make people's l
  
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• Flying Insect-Inspired Robot Can 'Rest' Midflight

  23-05-2016 17:11
  
  As engineers and scientists collaborate to design ever more sophisticated aerial robots, nature has been a constant source of inspiration, with flying insects, birds and mammals providing valuable insights on how to get airborne. Recently, a robotics team at Harvard University developed a method that would allow their insect-size flying robot — dubbed "RoboBee" — to conserve energy midflight, much as bees, bats and birds do.
  
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• Young sun’s super solar flares helped set early Earth up for life

  23-05-2016 17:00
  
  Super solar flares may have provided early Earth with planet-warming and life-building molecules.
  
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• Particle blasts could have created molecules to warm planet, seed DNA

  23-05-2016 17:00
  
  Super solar flares may have provided early Earth with planet-warming and life-building molecules.
  
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• The Science of Intuition: How to Measure 'Hunches' and 'Gut Feelings'

  23-05-2016 16:55
  Whether you call it a "gut feeling," an "inner voice" or a "sixth sense," intuition can play a real part in people's decision making, a new study suggests. For the first time, researchers devised a technique to measure intuition. After using this method, they found evidence that people can use their intuition to make faster, more accurate and more confident decisions, according to the findings, published online in April in the journal Psychological Science.
  
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• What's Causing E-Cigs' Trail of Injuries? 

  23-05-2016 16:54
  An electronic cigarette  exploded in the face of a man in Albany, New York, recently, leaving him with a hole his tongue and burns on his hand, CNN reported. The explosion also knocked out several of the man's teeth.
  
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• Stung for Science: Meet the Man Who Measures Pain

  23-05-2016 16:54
  Been stung by a bug? Well, Justin Schmidt feels your pain. No, seriously — no matter what type of insect stung you, Schmidt surely has been stung by it, too, and has documented that pain.
  
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• Google's new app gives everyone the chance to be a scientist

  23-05-2016 16:54
  
  Science Journal can be used to carry out your own experiments using your smartphone.
  
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• Hate Exercise? How Talk Therapy May Help

  23-05-2016 16:53
  Several recent studies suggest that this therapy, called acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), can boost people's physical activity levels and improve fitness in those who previously didn't exercise at all. People learn how to accept uncomfortable physical sensations and metaphorically "make room" for these feelings in their bodies, according to a 2015 study of ACT in Australia.
  
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• Healthy Living Could Prevent Half of Deaths from Cancer

  23-05-2016 16:52
  Following a healthy lifestyle — which includes maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and refraining from smoking — may prevent cancer, a new study finds. Healthy lifestyle choices could potentially prevent 20 to 40 percent of cancer cases and about half of cancer deaths, the study found. The study, published today (May 19) in the journal JAMA Oncology, comes after a different study, published last year, found that the majority of cancers were caused by random mutations i
  
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• The Weird Way Your Latitude May Affect Your Blood Pressure

  23-05-2016 16:51
  The distance people live from the equator may influence their blood pressure, a new study suggests. Researchers found that people in Chile who lived at greater distances from the equator had higher average blood-pressure levels compared with people who lived closer to 0 degrees latitude. The study also found that the 37 percent of people in the country's southern latitudes (farther from the equator) had blood pressure high enough to diagnose the individuals with hypertension, whereas only 29 per
  
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• Slimy hagfish inspire 'super hydrogels'

  23-05-2016 16:50
  
  The unusual secretions of the Atlantic hagfish are being studied by scientists who want to harness the viscous and elastic properties of the creature's slime for human use.
  
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• A look at whether the HTC Vive virtual reality headset is worth $1,149

  23-05-2016 15:32 via cbc.ca
  
  CBC's Jonathan Ore went hands-on (or is it face-on?) with the HTC Vive virtual reality headset. While the experiences are unlike anything found in traditional media, the device's price tag could be a hurdle to all but the hardest of hardcore fans.
  
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• Iraqi forces clash with Islamic State near Falluja, bombard city centre

  23-05-2016 15:23
  By Ahmed Rasheed and Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi government forces fought Islamic State militants near Falluja on Monday and bombarded central districts at the outset of an offensive to retake the longtime jihadist stronghold on the western approaches to the capital Baghdad. Some of the first direct clashes occurred in al-Hayakil area on Falluja's southern outskirts, a resident said. Air strikes and mortar salvoes overnight targeted neighbourhoods inside the city proper where Islamic
  
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• Mars is going to be the closest it's been to Earth in 11 years

  23-05-2016 15:06
  
  Mars will be 47.2 million miles away.
  
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• For baby sea turtles, it helps to have a lot of siblings

  23-05-2016 14:31
  
  After hatching, baby sea turtles must dig themselves out of their nest. This requires less energy if there are lots of siblings, a new study finds.
  
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• Strange Microbe Lacks Cell's 'Powerhouse'

  23-05-2016 14:20
  
  A microbe that lives in the guts of chinchilla is missing mitochondria, the energy-generating cell organelle once thought crucial to the function of eukaryotes. Eukaryotes are cells with membrane-bound organelles, including a nucleus, a feature that makes them different from prokaryotes (which include bacteria and archaea). One of these membrane-bound organelles is the mitochondria.
  
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• Swirling, Spinning Clouds Seen from Space

  23-05-2016 14:18
  
  Whimsical cloud vortices dot the sky in a new satellite image of an island volcano. The island is in the Indian Ocean and belongs to Australia. At 9,006 feet (2,745 meters), Mawson Peak is the island's highest point, according to NASA's Earth Observatory, which released the image May 8.
  
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• Ancient 'Mad Libs' Papyri Contain Evil Spells of Sex and Subjugation

  23-05-2016 14:17
  
  Ancient, magical spells of love, subjugation and sex: It may sound like a "Game of Thrones" episode, but these evildoings are also found on two recently deciphered papyri from Egypt dating to around 1,700 years ago. One spell invokes the gods to "burn the heart" of a woman until she loves the spell caster, said Franco Maltomini of the University of Udine in Italy, who translated the two spells. The spells are written in Greek, a language widely used in Egypt at the time.
  
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• Space Shuttle External Tank Completes Road Trip to CA Science Center

  23-05-2016 13:27
  
  LOS ANGELES — The space shuttle Endeavour now has its external tank. The massive orange-brown fuel tank, NASA's last remaining example of its type, built for flight but never used, arrived at the California Science Centeron Saturday evening (May 21), completing a nearly one-day road trip through the streets of Los Angeles. The external tank, together with the orbiter Endeavour — which was delivered to the Science Center in a similar, but longer parade in October 2012 — and
  
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• NJ Town Celebrates Hometown Astronaut Twins Mark and Scott Kelly (Photos)

  23-05-2016 13:27
  
  Not all of the kids of West Orange, New Jersey's Pleasantdale Elementary School were exactly thrilled when they heard their school would be renamed to Kelly Elementary, according to the school's PTA members. Later, they stopped at West Orange, New Jersey's town hall to receive the town's first Mayoral Medals, and to have May 19 marked Kelly Family Day. "I think it's a most deserved honor," said Phyllis Tolkowsky, who told Space.com she'd lived in West Orange for 55 years.
  
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• Iraqi forces clash with Islamic State near Falluja, bomb city centre

  23-05-2016 13:27
  By Ahmed Rasheed and Saif Hameed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces clashed with Islamic State militants near Falluja on Monday while bombing central districts in the initial hours of an offensive to retake the militant stronghold just west of Baghdad that could last several weeks. Air strikes and mortars overnight targeted neighbourhoods inside the city proper where Islamic State is thought to maintain its headquarters. Iraqi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasool, speaking on state te
  
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• Alien Megastructure? Kickstarter Campaign Launched to Study 'Tabby's Star'

  23-05-2016 13:27
  
  Last fall, a star named KIC 8462852 made news when volunteers from the Planet Hunters citizen-science program uncovered something odd about the object's light. KIC 8462852 is an otherwise-ordinary F-type star, slightly larger and hotter than Earth's sun. These analyses of the star — now nicknamed "Tabby's Star," or the WTF star for "Where's the Flux?" — raised the possibility that scientists had detected signs of intelligent alien life.
  
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• A VR Joyride Through Space: Trying 'Elite Dangerous'

  23-05-2016 13:27
  
  Oculus virtual-reality headset brings that realism to a whole new level as When I attended a 25th anniversary celebration for Thrustmaster — a company that builds joysticks and other hardware for flight simulators — I tested out a few of those controllers while immersed in a demonstration of "Elite: Dangerous" on the Rift.
  
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• Insect poop threatens to damage marble at India's Taj Mahal

  23-05-2016 13:00
  
  LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Swarms of insects breading in a polluted river near the Taj Mahal are threatening the intricate marble inlay work at the 17th century monument to love by leaving green and black patches of waste on its walls, archaeological experts said Monday.
  
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• Viral memes blur lines between cute videos and savvy marketing: Dianne Buckner

  23-05-2016 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Marketers are working hard to take advantage of those bits of online gold that go viral, prompting people to share them with their personal networks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — with zero additional expense for the advertiser, Dianne Buckner writes.
  
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• Can't stop the meme-ing? Companies love the free ads

  23-05-2016 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Marketers are working hard to take advantage of those bits of online gold that go viral, prompting people to share them with their personal networks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — with zero additional expense for the advertiser, Dianne Buckner writes.
  
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• Iraqi forces clash with Islamic State south of Falluja, bomb city centre

  23-05-2016 10:51
  Iraqi forces clashed with Islamic State militants near Falluja on Monday while bombing central districts in the initial hours of an offensive to retake the militant stronghold just west of Baghdad that could take several weeks. Some of the first direct engagement occurred in al-Hayakil area on the city's southern outskirts, a resident said. Air strikes and mortars overnight targeted neighbourhoods inside the city proper where Islamic State is thought to maintain its headquarters.
  
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• U.S.-Vietnam ties should not put Asia stability at risk - China's Xinhua

  23-05-2016 07:56
  Improving ties between the United States and Vietnam should not put peace and stability in Asia at risk, China's state news agency said, as U.S. President Barack Obama began his first visit to Vietnam, which hopes Washington will scrap its arms embargo. Obama's three-day stay in the country underscores the importance he places on expanding relations with Hanoi as part of his strategic "rebalance" towards Asia to counter China's growing strength in the region.
  
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• India's mini space shuttle blasts off

  23-05-2016 06:50
  
  India successfully launched its first model space shuttle on Monday, a top official said, as New Delhi joined the race to develop a reusable rocket to make space travel easier and cheaper.
  
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• Yellow fever epidemic threatens to spread from Angola to China

  23-05-2016 06:00
  
  (Elsevier Health Sciences) The spread of yellow fever is a global health threat. In response to current outbreaks in Angola, other African countries, and China, WHO convened an emergency committee on May 19, 2016 to underscore the severity of the outbreak. In the current issue of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, noted infectious disease authorities from South Africa and Singapore explain the epidemiology and ecology of YF and discuss the factors that can increase and decrease th
  
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• Why children confuse simple words

  23-05-2016 06:00
  
  (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Study: Kids have 'and/or' problems despite sophisticated reasoning.
  
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• UTHealth study finds e-cigarette marketing linked to teen e-cigarette use

  23-05-2016 06:00
  
  (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston) Exposure to e-cigarette marketing messages is significantly associated with e-cigarette use among middle school and high school students, according to researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
  
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• Using drones without disturbing wildlife

  23-05-2016 06:00
  
  (Cell Press) Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more popularly known as drones, are increasingly employed to monitor and protect wildlife. But researchers writing in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on May 23 say that steps should be taken to ensure that UAV operations are not causing undue stress to animals.
  
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• Use of video decision aids increases advance care planning in Hilo, Hawaii

  23-05-2016 06:00
  
  (Massachusetts General Hospital) A program encouraging physicians and other providers to discuss with patients their preferences regarding end-of-life care significantly increased the documented incidence of such conversations and the number of patients with late-stage disease who were discharged to hospice.
  
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• UCLA study identifies how brain connects memories across time

  23-05-2016 06:00
  
  (University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences) UCLA neuroscientists have identified in mice how the brain links different memories over time. While aging weakens these connections, the team devised a way for the middle-aged brain to reconnect separate memories.The findings suggest a possible intervention for people suffering from age-related memory problems.
  
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• UC3M is investigating aerospace engines of the future

  23-05-2016 06:00
  
  (Carlos III University of Madrid) A Universidad Carlos III de Madrid research study is analyzing how to improve rocket engines for use in future spacecrafts.
  
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