Science news

• Scientists find minivan-sized sponge, world's largest

  27-05-2016 23:19
  
  HONOLULU (AP) — Researchers in Hawaii have been absorbed by a sea creature they discovered last summer, and their findings are pretty big.
  
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• Sewer robots snoop through poo to track drugs, disease

  27-05-2016 23:00 via cbc.ca
  
  There could soon be robots wandering our sewers, sucking up what we flush down to analyze our diets, our drug use and our health, and to watch out for disease outbreaks.
  
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• How Might Cell Phone Signals Cause Cancer?

  27-05-2016 22:48 via rss.sciam.com
  
  An expert answers questions about what could happen at the cellular level after a report links radiofrequency signals to tumors in rats
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• NASA taking another stab at inflating space station room

  27-05-2016 22:32
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA is taking a second crack at inflating an experimental room at the International Space Station.
  
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• NASA Will Try to Pump Up Inflatable Space Station Room Again Saturday

  27-05-2016 22:27
  
  NASA will try again to inflate the International Space Station's new experimental habitat this Saturday (May 28). NASA called off the first attempt to pump up the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) on Thursday (May 26), after noticing higher-than-expected pressures inside the habitat. "We're very confident that we will get it fully expanded at some point in time," Jason Crusan, director of NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems division, told reporters during a teleconference today
  
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• Cooling technologies become red hot

  27-05-2016 22:23 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Sainsbury's is trialling new food-cooling technologies that promise to be more eco-friendly than current alternatives.
  
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• VIDEO: Ice blocks make fridges less 'stupid'

  27-05-2016 22:22 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Roger Harrabin visits a factory in Wales that is using ice to make fridges more economical.
  
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• Snorkeling Paradise Inside a Volcano Named Best US Beach

  27-05-2016 22:22
  
  Hanauma Bay's new title represents the third in a streak of winners from the island of Oahu in the annual "Best Beaches" rankings, which are put together annually by Stephen Leatherman, a coastal researcher at Florida International University also known as "Dr. Beach." Leatherman ranks the top 10 public beaches around the United States based on factors ranging from sand softness and wind speeds to wave height and pollution. "Frankly, the United States is blessed with hundreds of wonderful beache
  
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• Greece says sanctions against Russia not productive

  27-05-2016 22:22
  Western sanctions against Russia are not productive, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Friday, weeks before the European Union is on track to renew them. The EU slapped sanctions on Russia after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. "We have repeatedly said that ... the vicious circle of militarization, of Cold War rhetoric and of sanctions is not productive," Tsipras told reporters during a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Greece.
  
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• Dangerous New Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Reach U.S.

  27-05-2016 21:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Woman infected with microbes that fight a last-line-of-defense drug; common infections could become untreatable
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Rosetta spacecraft discovers comet carries key ingredients for life

  27-05-2016 21:22 via cbc.ca
  
  Scientists for the first time have directly detected key organic compounds in a comet, bolstering the notion that these celestial objects delivered such chemical building blocks for life long ago to Earth and throughout the solar system.
  
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• Rosetta comet carries key ingredients for life

  27-05-2016 21:22 via cbc.ca
  
  Scientists for the first time have directly detected key organic compounds in a comet, bolstering the notion that these celestial objects delivered such chemical building blocks for life long ago to Earth and throughout the solar system.
  
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• Rosetta spacecraft finds key building blocks for life in a comet

  27-05-2016 20:32
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Scientists for the first time have directly detected key organic compounds in a comet, bolstering the notion that these celestial objects delivered such chemical building blocks for life long ago to Earth and throughout the solar system.
  
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• Here Comes Mars! Red Planet Makes Closest Earth Approach Since 2005 Monday

  27-05-2016 20:18
  
  Named for the Roman god of war, Mars is often called the Red Planet. Editor's note: If you snap an amazing photo of Mars and would like to share it with Space.com and our news partners for a possible story or image gallery, send images and comments to managing editor Tariq Malik at [email protected].
  
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• Building Blocks of Life Found in Comet's Atmosphere

  27-05-2016 20:18
  
  For the first time, scientists have directly detected a crucial amino acid and a rich selection of organic molecules in the dusty atmosphere of a comet, further bolstering the hypothesis that these icy objects delivered some of life's ingredients to Earth. The amino acid glycine, along with some of its precursor organic molecules and the essential element phosphorus, were spotted in the cloud of gas and dust surrounding Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by the Rosetta spacecraft, which has been or
  
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• Got a lousy password like 'password1?' Microsoft is going to ban it and many more

  27-05-2016 20:15 via cbc.ca
  
  Easy to guess passwords like "password" and "123456" will go the way of Clippy and dial-up internet if Microsoft has its way, with the software giant announcing it will soon forbid users of its products to use commonly used log-ins.
  
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• Rosetta probe discovers evidence of life's building blocks on comet

  27-05-2016 20:01
  
  Rosetta reached Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in August 2014 after a four-billion-mile journey through space that took 10 years.
  
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• Comet 67P carries two ingredients for life: glycine, phosphorus

  27-05-2016 20:00
  
  Two ingredients essential for all life, phosphorus and the amino acid glycine, have been found floating around a comet.
  
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• Zika virus infects human placental macrophages

  27-05-2016 19:33
  One of Zika's mysteries is how the virus passes from an infected mother, through the placenta, to a developing fetus. The route may not be direct either -- transmission via multiple cell types may be necessary. A new study supports the possibility that placental immune cells called Hofbauer cells, which have direct access to fetal blood vessels, are one cell type involved.
  
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• Cave art trove found in Spain 1,000 feet underground

  27-05-2016 18:49
  
  MADRID (AP) — Spanish archaeologists say they have discovered an exceptional set of Paleolithic-era cave drawings that could rank among the best in a country that already boasts some of the world's most important cave art.
  
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• Tropical storm warning issued for South Carolina

  27-05-2016 18:48 via cbc.ca
  
  A tropical storm warning has been issued for south Carolina, just as U.S. meteorologists issued a report predicting number of storms in the upcoming 2016 Atlantic hurricane season would be higher than least year.
  
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• Hurricane season may bring more storms to U.S. after last year's lull

  27-05-2016 18:48 via cbc.ca
  
  U.S. meteorologists on Friday predicted the number of storms in the upcoming 2016 Atlantic hurricane season would be near normal, after fewer than normal storms last year.
  
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• Hurricane season expected to bring more storms than last year's lull

  27-05-2016 18:48 via cbc.ca
  
  U.S. meteorologists on Friday predicted the number of storms in the upcoming 2016 Atlantic hurricane season would be near normal, after fewer than normal storms last year.
  
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• Atlantic hurricane season expected to bring more storms than last year

  27-05-2016 18:48 via cbc.ca
  
  U.S. meteorologists on Friday predicted the number of storms in the upcoming 2016 Atlantic hurricane season would be near normal, after fewer than normal storms last year.
  
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• Earth-like planet 1,200 light years away 'could be habitable'

  27-05-2016 18:39
  
  Computer simulations suggest Kepler 62f might even possess surface oceans…
  
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• No longer God of War, Mars looks like a possible new home

  27-05-2016 18:36 via cbc.ca
  
  Our fascination with Mars has gone from myths to our best hope for life on another world, and perhaps for a new home for humans. On May 30 the Red Planet makes its closest swing past Earth in 11 years.
  
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• Rethinking hospital alarms

  27-05-2016 18:30
  On average, there are about 480,000 patients in hospitals in the United States -- each generating about 135 clinical alarms per day. But studies show that more than 90 percent of these alarms result in no action, and alarm errors occur roughly 8 million times per day.
  
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• Bell customers to get $11.8M refund for unwanted premium text messages

  27-05-2016 17:44 via cbc.ca
  
  Some Bell wireless customers will get rebates totalling $11.82 million after paying for unwanted premium text messages, the federal Competition Bureau says.
  
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• Bell customers to be refunded millions for unwanted premium text messages

  27-05-2016 17:44 via cbc.ca
  
  Some Bell wireless customers will get rebates, totalling up to $11.82 million, after paying for unwanted premium text messages, the federal Competition Bureau says.
  
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• First-of-its-kind procedure combines scalp, skull, kidney and pancreas transplant

  27-05-2016 17:30
  Simultaneous transplantation of a "composite" skull and scalp flap plus a kidney and pancreas -- all from the same donor -- provided excellent outcomes for a patient with a non-healing scalp defect and declining organ kidney and pancreas function, according to a report.
  
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• New technique produces real randomness

  27-05-2016 17:09
  
  A new technique makes it easier for computers to roll the dice.
  
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• Can Stomach Botox Injections Help People Lose Weight?

  27-05-2016 17:06
  Doctors are considering a new use for Botox: The drug may help obese people lose weight, according to early research. In addition, researchers in earlier studies assumed that Botox, which relaxes muscles, would help people lose weight because it would slow down the rate that the stomach empties itself.
  
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• Vaping Could Make Medical Pot Healthier

  27-05-2016 17:05
  A new type of smoking called "cannavaping" — using e-cigarettes for vaping cannabis — may help people use marijuana for medical reasons, according to a small, early study. Smoking conventional marijuana cigarettes may lead a person to inhale high amounts of the toxic contaminants that are released when marijuana is burned, the researchers said. In contrast, cannavaping might provide a way to avoid inhaling high levels of these contaminants, the researchers said.
  
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• Delta militants threaten 'something big', greet Nigerian children

  27-05-2016 17:04
  The Niger Delta Avengers militant group, which has mounted a bombing campaign against oil pipelines, on Friday threatened "something big" - but also wished Nigerian youngsters a Happy Children's Day. The Avengers say oil firms in the Delta are responsible for pollution and say the poor swampland region fails to reap any benefit from the wealth on which it sits. The militants, whose activities have hammered Nigeria's crude output, posted a warning on Twitter to the army and oil firms: "Watch out
  
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• Major Cell Phone Radiation Study Reignites Cancer Questions

  27-05-2016 16:45 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Exposure to radiofrequency radiation linked to tumor formation in rats
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Spain: Cave art trove found 1,000 feet underground

  27-05-2016 16:43
  MADRID (AP) — Spanish archaeologists say they have discovered an exceptional set of Paleolithic-era cave drawings that could rank among the best in a country that already boasts some of the world's most important cave art.
  
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• Having helpless babies may have helped humans evolve intelligence

  27-05-2016 16:17 via cbc.ca
  
  From an evolutionary standpoint, one of the most baffling features of human babies is just how helpless they are. But a new study suggests the more helpless the baby is, the smarter it can grow up to be. CBC Radio science columnist Torah Kachur explains why.
  
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• Jurassic pork? Saskatchewan dino-pig now on stamp

  27-05-2016 15:44 via cbc.ca
  
  As prehistoric porkers go, Cypretherium coarctatum was no Miss Piggy. In fact, it was downright ugly.
  
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• Why Siri Won't Listen to Millions of People with Disabilities

  27-05-2016 15:15 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Speech-recognition systems promise the world. But for more than nine million people with voice ailments, that world is out of reach
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Using virtual users to develop accessible ICT-based applications

  27-05-2016 15:10
  In a new report, researchers report the development of a set of parametric cognitive virtual models of users with disabilities that can be used to simulate the user interaction with Information and communications technology (ICT) applications. This simulation will allow researchers to develop more efficient and accessible ICT applications for people with functional limitations and disabilities.
  
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• Sharks have individual personalities: Study

  27-05-2016 15:10
  A new study indicates that sharks of the same species can have different personalities.
  
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• New model of T cell activation

  27-05-2016 15:10
  Biologists show that cholesterol prevents an immune response, even when no antigen is present. T cell receptors are an important part of the human immune system. They are able to switch their conformation from an inactive to an active state spontaneously without any antigens present. Cholesterol binds and stabilizes inactive receptors, giving it a decisive role in the activation of a T cell, the study shows.
  
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• Molds and plants share similar ways in alkaloid biosynthesis

  27-05-2016 15:10
  The fungus Aspergillus fumigatus produces a group of previously unknown natural products. With reference to plant isoquinoline alkaloids, these substances have been named fumisoquins. Researchers have discovered the novel substances together with their American colleagues while studying the fungal genome. The family of isoquinoline alkaloids contains many pharmacologically active molecules. This study shows that fungi and plants developed biosynthetic pathways for these complex molecules indepen
  
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• Rapid bone growth and underwater breathing: Putting the science of Harry Potter’s universe to the test

  27-05-2016 15:09
  In the world of Harry Potter the young wizard undergoes two magical biological transformations: eating Gillyweed to grow gills in order to breathe underwater and drinking Skele-Gro to repair broken bones. Students have put these arcane medical practices to the test -- and have concluded that a little magic might indeed be required in both situations to make them scientifically feasible.
  
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• Predicting the spread of the Zika virus

  27-05-2016 15:09
  A new tool predicts the risk of Zika virus importation and local transmission for 189 countries.
  
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• Tax on plug-in vehicles is not answer to road-funding woes, study shows

  27-05-2016 15:06
  Given declining revenues from gasoline and diesel fuel taxes and the need for new ways of funding road infrastructure, state and federal policymakers are considering or have enacted annual registration fees for plug-in vehicles. In a new paper, researchers say that approach is misguided.
  
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• Study finds that protein puts the brakes on melanin

  27-05-2016 15:06
  Skin, eye and hair pigmentation requires a delicate balance of acidity within the cellular compartments where melanin is made -- that balance is partly regulated, scientists now know, by a protein called TPC2.
  
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• Restoring chemotherapy sensitivity by boosting microRNA levels

  27-05-2016 15:06
  By increasing the level of a specific microRNA (miRNA) molecule, researchers have for the first time restored chemotherapy sensitivity in vitro to a line of human pancreatic cancer cells that had developed resistance to a common treatment drug.
  
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• Remains of bizarre group of extinct snail-eating Australian marsupials discovered

  27-05-2016 15:06
  Fossil remains of a previously unknown family of carnivorous Australian marsupials that lived 15 million years ago have been discovered at the Riversleigh World Heritage Fossil Site in north-western Queensland. The ancient animals appeared to eat snails using a huge, hammer-like premolar that would have been able to crack the strongest of snail shells.
  
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• Palliative, hospice care lacking among dying cancer patients, researcher finds

  27-05-2016 15:06
  Medical societies recommend that patients with advanced cancer receive palliative care soon after diagnosis and receive hospice care for at least the last three days of their life. Yet major gaps persist between these recommendations and real-life practice, a new study shows.
  
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