Science news

• Cities create accidental experiments in plant, animal evolution

  24-06-2016 23:03
  
  To look for evolution in human-scale time, pick a city and watch a lizard. Or some clover.
  
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• Find the Little-Known Modern Constellations

  24-06-2016 22:20
  
  The modern constellations are an unusual bunch — here's a tour of the highlights.
  
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• How Make-Up Makes Men Admire but Other Women Jealous

  24-06-2016 21:51
  Men think women with make-up on are more 'prestigious', while women think women who wear make-up are more 'dominant,' a psychology study has found.
  
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• Sparrows with unfaithful 'wives' care less for their young

  24-06-2016 21:50
  Sparrows form pair bonds that are normally monogamous, but many females are unfaithful to their partner and have offspring with other males. Biologists believe that the male birds are unfaithful to ensure they father as many chicks as they can, while females are unfaithful with males of better 'genetic quality' -- ones that are fitter and could produce stronger offspring. But new research shows that cheating comes with a cost -- the cheating female's partner will provide less food for their nest
  
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• Giant Blobs of Rock, Deep Inside the Earth, Hold Important Clues About Our Planet

  24-06-2016 21:50
  Two massive blob-like structures lie deep within the Earth, roughly on opposite sides of the planet. The two structures, each the size of a continent and 100 times taller than Mount Everest, sit on the core, 1,800 miles deep, and about halfway to the center of the Earth. Researchers suggest these blobs are made of something different from the rest of Earth's mantle, and are determined to figure out what that is.
  
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• New devices causing 'paradigm shift' in stroke care

  24-06-2016 21:47
  New devices called stent retrievers, which effectively reverse strokes, are revolutionizing the treatment of certain stroke patients, report investigators.
  
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• For nature, gravel-bed rivers most important feature in mountainous western North America

  24-06-2016 21:47
  Gravel-bed river floodplains are some of the most ecologically important habitats in North America, according to a new study by scientists from the US and Canada. Their research shows how broad valleys coming out of glaciated mountains provide highly productive and important habitat for a large diversity of aquatic, avian and terrestrial species.
  
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• Cross talk between hormone receptors has unexpected effects

  24-06-2016 21:47
  Although the estrogen receptor is considered dominant in breast cancer, the progesterone receptor assumes control when both receptors are present and exposed to estrogens and progestins. Then, the progesterone receptor drives estrogen receptor activity. Treating tumor-bearing mice with an estrogen antagonist and a progestin antagonist caused rapid tumor regression, report scientists at the conclusion of their study.
  
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• Hairs, feathers and scales have a lot in common

  24-06-2016 21:46
  The potential evolutionary link between hairs in mammals, feathers in birds and scales in reptiles has been debated for decades. Today, researchers demonstrate that all these skin appendages are homologous. On the basis of analyses of embryonic development, the biologists evidenced molecular and micro-anatomical signatures that are identical between hairs, feathers and scales at their early developmental stages. These observations indicate that the three structures evolved from their common rept
  
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• NASA sets off largest fire on a spacecraft ever in Saffire experiment

  24-06-2016 21:16 via cbc.ca
  
  NASA recently set off the largest fire ever in space — but don't worry, it's for astronauts' own safety.
  
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• New doubts on Zika as cause of microcephaly

  24-06-2016 21:08
  Brazil's microcephaly epidemic continues to pose a mystery -- if Zika is the culprit, why are there no similar epidemics in other countries also hit hard by the virus? In Brazil, the microcephaly rate soared with more than 1,500 confirmed cases. But in Colombia, a recent study of nearly 12,000 pregnant women infected with Zika found zero microcephaly cases. If Zika is to blame for microcephaly, where are the missing cases?
  
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• Latin America is the World's Deadliest Region for Environmental Activists

  24-06-2016 21:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  More environmentalists were murdered in Latin America in 2015 than anywhere else in the world, according to a report by Global Witness
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Saskatoon cyclotron now supplying radioisotopes to Royal University Hospital

  24-06-2016 20:31 via cbc.ca
  
  Medical isotopes used at Saskatoon's Royal University Hospital will now be produced right here at home.
  
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• Caribbean Sea's Curious 'Whistle' Detected from Space

  24-06-2016 20:31
  Bounded by South America, Central America and the Caribbean islands, the semi-enclosed basin of the Caribbean Sea acts like the body of a giant whistle, the scientists wrote in the study. "When you blow a whistle, you hear something because the air oscillates — pulses in and out of the whistle — and radiates a wave," the study's lead author Chris Hughes, a researcher at the National Oceanography Centre in Liverpool, in the United Kingdom, told Live Science. "In this case, the water i
  
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• '3Doodler' Pen Lets You Draw 3D-Printed Creations in Midair

  24-06-2016 20:09
  
  Still, using a 3D printer isn't always simple: The machine is frequently housed within a box the size of a microwave, and it requires technical software and, in some cases, a detailed knowledge of design. In 2012, Maxwell Bogue and Peter Dilworth, co-founders of 3Doodler along with Daniel Cowen, were trying to come up with the next great kids' toy. The two wished they "could just take the nozzle off the 3D printer and fill in the missing gap," Bogue, now CEO of the company, told Live Science.
  
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• Moral Dilemma of Self-Driving Cars: Which Lives to Save in a Crash

  24-06-2016 20:08
  New research has found that people generally approve of autonomous vehicles (AV) governed by so-called utilitarian ethics, which would seek to minimize the total number of deaths in a crash, even if it means harming people in the vehicle. The study, based on surveys of U.S. residents, found that most respondents would not want to ride in these vehicles themselves, and were not in favor of regulations enforcing utilitarian algorithms on driverless cars.
  
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• Philippine fishing and its links to Japan’s 'sea women'

  24-06-2016 20:07
  A researcher is studying the ancient Japanese culture of “ama” – women who traditionally free-dive in the sea in search of seaweed, lobsters, snail “turbo” shells and, in the distant past, pearls – and its potential connections to Philippine maritime cultures.
  
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• Green fluorescent protein a potential scaffold for protein assembly

  24-06-2016 20:07
  A protein-scaffolding tool has been developed that paves the way for the assembly of diverse proteins with defined structures and functions.
  
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• Computer models show park microclimates improve city life

  24-06-2016 20:07
  Computer modelling based on microclimate data from a Malaysian public park has shown how adding trees and grass can improve living conditions in dense city cores.
  
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• Common chemical highly toxic to blood cell precursors

  24-06-2016 20:07
  Scientists have provided evidence that a widely used chemical is more toxic to certain blood cell precursors in the bone marrow than to others.
  
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• The switch that could double USB memory

  24-06-2016 20:06
  Scientists have developed a device that employs both magnetic and electronic signals, which could provide twice the storage capacity of conventional memory devices, such as USB flash drives.
  
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• Scientists discover unsuspected bacterial link to bile duct cancer

  24-06-2016 20:06
  Findings of a new study could open up possibilities for more targeted therapies for bile duct cancer. A research team discovered that bile duct tissue harboured a community of diverse bacteria species. Stenotrophomonas species -- previously implicated in bile duct infections -- were found to be preferentially dwelling in tumor tissue (compared to normal tissue) of non-fluke-infected Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) patients, highlighting their potential role in development of CCA.
  
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• Exploring the prehistory of Palawan Island through human remains

  24-06-2016 20:06
  Researchers are excavating human remains from caves in Palawan Island in the Philippines to learn more about the diversity of burial and other cultural practices over the past 10,000 years.
  
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• Exhausting our green shipping options

  24-06-2016 20:06
  Scientists have developed a revolutionary emissions abatement system that removes pollutants from exhaust gas to help the international shipping industry meet ambitious emissions targets.
  
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• 'Ergo Kid' chairs, tables developed for comfort of students

  24-06-2016 20:05
  A researcher has developed an adjustable tables where the front portion can be tilted for easy reading and writing in order to minimize the ergonomic health risks among school children.
  
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• Chaining up to move a hefty meal

  24-06-2016 20:05
  Researchers have documented the first known instance of insects moving prey by forming chains. In 2010, ant researchers spotted chains of bluish ants dragging a huge millipede in Phnom Kulen National Park, Cambodia. Each ant bit on a constriction on the abdomen of the ant ahead of it, while the first ant bit tight on the millipede's antenna. Walking backwards, the ants heaved the millipede away.
  
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• Parents, especially fathers, play key role in young adults' health

  24-06-2016 20:04
  Parents, and especially fathers, play a vital role in developing healthy behaviors in young adults and helping to prevent obesity in their children. When it came to predicting whether a young male will become overweight or obese, the mother-son relationship mattered far less than the relationship between father and son.
  
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• Reptile scales share evolutionary origin with hair, feathers

  24-06-2016 20:01
  
  Hair, scales and feathers arose from same ancestral appendage.
  
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• List of Possible Zika Birth Defects Grows Longer

  24-06-2016 20:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Even without microcephaly, seizures and developmental delays may appear in the months following birth
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Insect debris fashion goes back to the Cretaceous

  24-06-2016 20:00
  
  Ancient insects covered themselves in dirt and vegetation just as modern ones do, fossils preserved in amber suggest.
  
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• Primary care visits result in more colon cancer screening, better followups

  24-06-2016 19:58
  People who visit their primary care physicians are more likely to get potentially life-saving colon cancer screenings and follow up on abnormal stool blood test results -- even in health systems that heavily promote mail-in home stool blood tests that don't require a doctor visit, a study shows.
  
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• Neonicotinoid pesticides cause harm to honeybees

  24-06-2016 19:58
  One possible cause of the alarming bee mortality we are witnessing is the use of the very active systemic insecticides called neonicotinoids. A previously unknown and harmful effect of neonicotinoids has been identified by researchers. They discovered that neonicotinoids in low and field-relevant concentrations reduce the concentration of acetylcholine in the royal jelly/larval food secreted by nurse bees.
  
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• Beneficial bacteria may protect breasts from cancer

  24-06-2016 19:58
  Bacteria that have the potential to abet breast cancer are present in the breasts of cancer patients, while beneficial bacteria are more abundant in healthy breasts, where they may actually be protecting women from cancer, according a study. These findings may lead ultimately to the use of probiotics to protect women against breast cancer.
  
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• Skeletons, coins found in dig of ancient Pompeii shop

  24-06-2016 18:41
  
  ROME (AP) — Italian and French archaeologists have discovered four skeletons and gold coins in the ruins of an ancient shop on the outskirts of Pompeii.
  
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• Beach replenishment helps protect against storm erosion during El Niño

  24-06-2016 18:18
  A comparison of recent and previous nourishments of San Diego beaches suggests that a larger sand grain size improved nourishment performance.
  
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• Tiny algae ideal for sniffing out nutrient pollution in water

  24-06-2016 18:16
  Tiny algae, called diatoms, living in water could be key to providing a definitive and clear measure of whether streams, rivers and lakes have damaging levels of nutrients in them.
  
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• Regenerative medicine offering new treatment for bronchopleural fistulas

  24-06-2016 18:16
  For the first time in human application, researchers successfully closed an open wound on the upper chest caused by postoperative complications of lung removal. The protocol and approach were based on an ongoing trial investigating this method to treat anal fistulas in Crohn's disease.
  
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• 'Star Trek' Actor Brent Spiner Talks New Movie, Stephen Hawking in Q&A

  24-06-2016 18:00
  
  We chatted with Spiner about the new movie, the 50th anniversary of "Star Trek," his comedic icons, and his (unauthorized) nickname for Stephen Hawking. It's impossible to convey these qualities through print alone, but his story about Stephen Hawking is a great example of what kind of interviewee he is. Brent Spiner: Well, I'm particularly excited to see it, since I haven't seen it.
  
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• Life after death? New study suggests certain genes remain active even after demise

  24-06-2016 17:29
  And researchers believe a similar process might occur with humans.
  
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• Trailer for 'Star Trek: Axanar' Unveiled Amid Lawsuit (Exclusive)

  24-06-2016 17:03
  
  A second teaser trailer for a fan-made "Star Trek" movie was released this week, despite an ongoing lawsuit over the film. The new teaser trailer for "Star Trek: Axanar" was released by the filmmakers yesterday (June 22). Called "Honor Through Victory," the trailer shows Klingon ships flying through a planetary ring system and features an intense voice-over that sounds like a prebattle pep talk.
  
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• DNA testing challenges traditional species classification

  24-06-2016 17:03
  Experts have made a surprising discovery that could subvert the significance of traditional criteria used for species classification. Employing novel techniques to retrieve DNA sequences from thousands of genomic locations, the researchers were able to uncover an unusual case of cryptic speciation in the Streak-eared Bulbul [Pycnonotus blanfordi], a bird widespread throughout South-east Asian countries.
  
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• Wow! Spacecraft Spots Earth, Mars and Pluto's Position in Time-Lapse Sequence

  24-06-2016 17:02
  
  The spacecraft, whose primary mission is to monitor solar activity, was on the far side of the sun when the pictures were taken earlier this month. The time-lapse sequence was captured while STEREO-A was performing routine operations at the time, looking at the inner heliosphere (the sun's region of influence), said Karl Battams, an astrophysicist and computational scientist based at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, in an email to Space.com. The spacecraft took the ph
  
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• Tiny multi-function antenna for laptops

  24-06-2016 17:01
  A tech start-up has invented a world-first multi-function antenna for laptops that fits into the extremely limited space of the hinge cavity.
  
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• Next-Generation Batteries Ramp Up Capacity

  24-06-2016 17:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  For people who currently have no access to the grid, the combination of renewable generation and grid-scale batteries is utterly transformative 
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Give yourself a No Device Day this summer: Bob McDonald

  24-06-2016 17:00 via cbc.ca
  
  The sun is blazing and the breeze is soft. Now that summer is officially here it's time to put away those screens and look up.
  
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• New tool to measure polarization of light

  24-06-2016 16:59
  Researchers have developed a new tool for detecting and measuring the polarization of light based on a single spatial sampling of the light, rather than the multiple samples required by previous technologies. The new device makes use of the unique properties of organic polymers, rather than traditional silicon, for polarization detection and measurement.
  
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• Would Aliens Really Kill Us, 'Independence Day'-Style?

  24-06-2016 16:56
  
  In the new movie "Independence Day: Resurgence," opening in theaters today (June 24), Earth will once again gear up for an epic fight with a hostile alien race. The premise will set up some awesome action sequences, but how realistic is the idea that if aliens were to visit Earth, their one goal would be to destroy us? Twenty years ago, the new movie's predecessor, "Independence Day," featured Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum cracking wise while using a computer virus (presumably written in an Earth
  
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• Should first-year college students assessed as needing remedial math take college-level quantitative courses instead?

  24-06-2016 16:52
  Policies placing first-year college students assessed as needing remedial math directly into college-level quantitative courses, with additional support, can increase student success, according to a first-of-its-kind study.
  
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• New treatment approaches to improve peritoneal dialysis

  24-06-2016 16:47
  One of the main functions of the kidneys is to filter metabolic products out of the blood. If the kidneys are no longer able to do this, the blood has to be artificially purified and drained of excess fluid. This is the purpose of dialysis. Now researchers are seeking new, better therapeutic approaches for those patients on dialysis.
  
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• Aggressiveness of acute myeloid leukemia elucidated

  24-06-2016 16:47
  Scientists have discovered why acute leukemias with the same genetic abnormality vary in their aggressiveness based on their cellular origin. They found that the cancer inducing alteration is particularly devastating if it occurs in early hematopoietic stem cells expressing certain genes involved in cell migration and tissue invasion. These findings should now make it possible to classify patients into more clearly defined groups, to adapt treatment, and hopefully also to develop personalized th
  
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