Science news

• Warnings of imminent extinction crisis for largest wild animal species

  27-07-2016 23:20
  A team of conservation biologists is calling for a worldwide strategy to prevent the unthinkable: the extinction of the world's largest mammal species.
  
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• Forests, species on four continents threatened by palm oil expansion

  27-07-2016 23:20
  As palm oil production expands from Southeast Asia into the Americas and Africa, vulnerable tropical forests and species on four continents face increased risk of loss, a new study finds. The largest areas of vulnerable forest are in Africa and South America. But because forests in all 20 countries studied contain high concentrations of different mammal and bird species at risk of extinction, conservation efforts need to incorporate localized solutions tailored to each region.
  
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• A minute of secondhand marijuana smoke may damage blood vessels

  27-07-2016 23:20
  Rats' blood vessels took at least three times longer to recover function after only a minute of breathing secondhand marijuana smoke, compared to recovery after a minute of breathing secondhand tobacco smoke. With many states legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, and possible corporate expansion within the cannabis industry, this type of research is important to help understand the health consequences of exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke, researchers said.
  
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• British badgers terrified by CBC programming, study suggests

  27-07-2016 23:19 via cbc.ca
  
  A new study from researchers at Western University in London, Ont. suggests there is nothing that terrifies British badgers more than the sounds of CBC News programming.
  
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• 'Game of Thrones' Ant Has Dragon-Like Spikes

  27-07-2016 22:38
  A dragon from "Game of Thrones" has come to life — sort of. A new ant species' dragon-like appearance inspired scientists to name it for the fire-breathing star of the popular fantasy series. The Pheidole drogon's large and distinctive spine reminded researchers of Drogon, one of the dragons on the "Game of Thrones" TV show, adapted from the novels written by George R. R. Martin.
  
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• Indicators of Parkinson's disease risk found in unexpected places

  27-07-2016 22:24
  Clues that point toward new risk mechanisms for developing Parkinson's disease are hiding in some unusual spots, according to a new study.
  
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• Diabetes prevention programs beneficial in improving cardio-metabolic profiles

  27-07-2016 22:24
  A new study shows that lifestyle modification programs modeled on diabetes prevention programs (DPP) trials not only achieved weight reduction, but also additional metabolic benefits -specifically, reductions in blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.
  
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• Science finds many tricks for traveling to the past

  27-07-2016 22:14
  Our editor in chief discusses what science can tell us about the past.
  
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• Readers ponder animal flight

  27-07-2016 22:14
  Readers respond to the June 11, 2016, issue of Science News with questions on cormorants, butterflies, virus-sensing genes and more.
  
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• Great Red Spot makes Jupiter hot, study suggests

  27-07-2016 21:22 via cbc.ca
  
  Why is distant Jupiter as warm as Earth? The answer may be The Great Red Spot, an enormous storm big enough to swallow three Earths that has been raging on Jupiter for at least three centuries, a study showed on Wednesday.
  
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• Whip It Good! Star's Radiation Beam Sparks Cosmic Light Show

  27-07-2016 21:15
  
  The whipping culprit is a white dwarf star (the collapsed remains of a star that ran out of fuel) that's energizing nearby electrons and accelerating them up to almost the speed of light, creating a beam of radiation, according to a statement from the European Southern Observatory. As the white dwarf spins like a record, the radiation beam whips around with the star, and slaps the nearby companion, a red dwarf star. This apparently causes the entire system, known as AR Scorpii, to release intens
  
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• Goodbye Philae: Comet Lander Comm Link Switched Off

  27-07-2016 21:15
  
  The European Space Agency (ESA) on Wednesday (July 27) shut off the Electrical Support System (ESS) processor unit on its Rosetta probe, switching off the interface used to relay communications from the Philae lander on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The Philae probe bounced to a history-making touchdown on Comet 67P on Nov. 12, 2014. Seven months later, as the comet moved closer to the sun, Philae was able to power up and be heard from again.
  
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• Should the gray wolf keep its endangered species protection?

  27-07-2016 21:08
  A decision by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the gray wolf from protection under the US Endangered Species Act may be made as early as this fall. Research presents strong evidence that the scientific reason advanced by the service for delisting the gray wolf is incorrect.
  
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• Gene therapy for metabolic liver diseases shows promise in pigs

  27-07-2016 21:08
  With a shortage of donor organs, medical researchers are exploring therapeutic strategies for patients with debilitating liver diseases. Researchers are testing a new approach to correct metabolic disorders without a whole organ transplant.
  
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• Cod and climate

  27-07-2016 21:08
  In recent decades, the plight of Atlantic cod off the coast of New England has been front-page news. Since the 1980s in particular, the once-seemingly inexhaustible stocks of Gadus morhua -- one of the most important fisheries in North America -- have declined dramatically.
  
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• Serendipitous observation may lead to more efficient solar cells and new gas sensors

  27-07-2016 21:07
  While investigating perovskite crystals, scientists made an observation that could make perovskite solar cells more efficient. It could also lead to new sensors for oxygen and water vapor.
  
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• Morphology suggests an endangered goby in southern California is a new species

  27-07-2016 21:07
  An endangered fish along the coast of California -- the tidewater goby -- may actually be two species rather than one, according a new study.
  
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• Frog reproduction in created ponds may be affected by disease and food availability

  27-07-2016 21:07
  Food availability and disease in created habitats may affect the reproductive output of reintroduced frogs, according to a new study.
  
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• Dragon ants are coming: New 'Game of Thrones' species identified

  27-07-2016 21:07
  The dragons from 'Game of Thrones' have come to life in insect form. New ant species that appear dragon-like due to their large and distinctive spines were recently found in the tropical rainforests of Papua New Guinea. Although they lack fire-breathing capabilities, the unique, spiny characteristics of the ants reminded the scientists who discovered them of the mythical dragons from the fantasy series and inspired them to name the ants after the 'Game of Thrones' dragons.
  
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• Rosetta spacecraft has stopped listening for Philae lander

  27-07-2016 20:30
  
  Rosetta is no longer listening for communications from the comet lander Philae.
  
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• You have 2 more days to update to Windows 10 for free, if you want it

  27-07-2016 20:27 via cbc.ca
  
  PC users still on the fence about upgrading their Windows operating system only have a couple of days to make the jump to Windows 10 for free.
  
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• Transformations to granular zircon revealed: Meteor Crater, Arizona

  27-07-2016 20:03
  Having been reported in lunar samples returned by Apollo astronauts, meteorites, impact glass, and at a number of meteorite craters on Earth, granular zircon is the most unusual and enigmatic type of zircon known. The mechanisms and transformations that form this distinctive granular zircon have, until now, remained speculative because it has not been produced in shock experiments.
  
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• Stroke Care: Randomized penumbra 3-D trial of next generation stent retriever meets primary endpoints

  27-07-2016 20:03
  The Penumbra 3D Trial successfully met the primary trial endpoints, demonstrating non-inferiority in both safety and efficacy of the company's next-generation stent retriever, Penumbra 3D Revascularization Device, when used with Penumbra System aspiration devices compared to Penumbra System aspiration devices alone.
  
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• Seeing structure that allows brain cells to communicate

  27-07-2016 20:03
  For more than a century, neuroscientists have known that nerve cells talk to one another across the small gaps between them, a process known as synaptic transmission. But the details of how this crucial aspect of brain function occurs have remained elusive. Now, new research has for the first time elucidated details about the architecture that allows brain cells to communicate.
  
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• Scientists simulated a nuclear explosion of an asteroid

  27-07-2016 20:03
  Scientists are developing measures to protect the Earth from potentially dangerous celestial bodies. With the help of supercomputer SKIF Cyberia, the scientists simulated the nuclear explosion of an asteroid 200 meters in diameter in such a way that its irradiated fragments do not fall to the Earth.
  
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• When targeting cancer genes, home in on the one percent

  27-07-2016 20:00
  Drugs that stop the overproduction of proteins by cancer cells may shut them down, but it also shuts down production of essential proteins in healthy cells. Researchers have found a protein with an active site that opens and initiates translation only when the protein binds to a small subset of mRNAs -- those critical to regulating the growth and proliferation of cell. Drugs to block this protein may allow a more targeted drug approach, say the investigators.
  
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• Studies in mice provide insights into antibody-Zika virus interactions

  27-07-2016 20:00
  In research that could inform prophylactic treatment approaches for pregnant women at risk of Zika virus infection, investigators conducted experiments in mice and identified six Zika virus antibodies, including four that neutralize African, Asian and American strains of the mosquito-borne virus. The team also developed atomic-level X-ray crystal structure images showing four of the antibodies in complex with three distinct regions (epitopes) of a key Zika protein.
  
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• Resveratrol appears to restore blood-brain barrier integrity in Alzheimer's disease

  27-07-2016 20:00
  Resveratrol, given to Alzheimer's patients, appears to restore the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, reducing the ability of harmful immune molecules secreted by immune cells to infiltrate from the body into brain tissues, say researchers. The reduction in neuronal inflammation slowed the cognitive decline of patients, compared to a matching group of placebo-treated patients with the disorder.
  
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• Newly discovered big-headed ants use spines for support

  27-07-2016 20:00
  
  Two newly discovered ant species provide new insights into spiny evolution.
  
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• New scenario proposed for birth of Pacific Plate

  27-07-2016 20:00
  
  The Pacific tectonic plate formed at the junction of three other plates and above of the remains of a submerged plate, geophysicists propose.
  
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• Ketone drink gives competitive cyclists a boost by altering their metabolism

  27-07-2016 20:00
  A drink developed for soldiers to generate energy from ketones allowed highly trained cyclists to add up to 400 meters of distance to their workouts, a new study reports. The supplement, which will be commercially available within the year, works by temporarily switching the primary source of cellular energy from glucose or fat to ketones -- molecules derived from fat that are known to be elevated in people consuming a low-carb, Atkins-like diet.
  
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• Distinctions blur between wolf species

  27-07-2016 20:00
  
  Red and eastern wolves might be gray wolf/coyote blends instead of distinct species
  
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• Jupiter's Great Red Spot is Also Red Hot, Study Shows

  27-07-2016 19:52
  
  The Great Red Spot (GRS) is a massive storm about twice the diameter of Earth that lies in lowest layer of Jupiter's atmosphere. Generally, atmospheric temperatures on Jupiter are around 1,700 degrees F (around 930 degrees C), with the exception of areas above the planet's poles, which are heated by auroras.
  
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• Jack White's Label to Play Record in Near-Space Saturday

  27-07-2016 19:52
  
  Singer-songwriter Jack White plans to make some music history this weekend. The record chosen for the occasion — which will mark Third Man's seventh anniversary — is "A Glorious Dawn," a collection of the late astronomer Carl Sagan's words from his famous "Cosmos" TV series. The sky-bound copy of "A Glorious Dawn" is the 3 millionth record pressed by Third Man, label representatives said.
  
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• House GOP chairman threatens more action on climate probe

  27-07-2016 19:47
  The chairman of the House Science Committee is threatening further action after the New York and Massachusetts attorneys general refused to comply with congressional subpoenas seeking records about their investigations into whether Exxon Mobil misled investors about man-made climate change.
  
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• Scientist Brian Cox holds summer master class in London for kids

  27-07-2016 19:24
  
  (Reuters) - British physics professor Brian Cox taught students at St. Paul's Way Trust School in London on Tuesday how to create fire with methane gas.
  
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• The nose knows how to fight staph

  27-07-2016 19:23
  
  A bacterium isolated from the nose produces a new antibiotic active against resistant pathogens.
  
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• 340-year-old cheese discovered at shipwreck site and, man, does it stink

  27-07-2016 19:15 via cbc.ca
  
  Aged to perfection? Probably not. This dairy product has been found on a 340-year-old shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. Researchers think it's cheese, but the stuff is too rank to determine by smell alone. And it probably wouldn't pass a taste test.
  
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• 340-year-old cheese discovered at ship wreck site and, man, does it stink

  27-07-2016 19:15 via cbc.ca
  
  Aged to perfection? Probably not. This dairy product has been found on a 340-year-old shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. Researchers think it's cheese, but the stuff is too rank to determine by smell alone. And it probably wouldn't pass a taste test.
  
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• Jupiter's Great Red Spot 'roars with heat'

  27-07-2016 19:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Astronomers discover that Jupiter's giant storm is somehow heating the planet's upper atmosphere - possibly by means of sound waves.
  
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• Time to say goodbye

  27-07-2016 19:10 via bbc.co.uk
  
  As Philae, the robotic lander, is finally switched off and the world says goodbye.
  
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• Scientists find potential new antibiotic, right under their noses

  27-07-2016 19:08
  
  LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists in Germany have discovered a bacteria hiding out in peoples' noses that produces an antibiotic compound that can kill several dangerous pathogens, including the superbug MRSA.
  
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• New whale species discovered in Bering Sea

  27-07-2016 19:02 via cbc.ca
  
  Scientists have made the rare discovery of a whale species, which lives in the Bering Sea between Japan and Alaska.
  
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• Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is hot

  27-07-2016 19:00
  
  High temperatures over Jupiter’s Great Red Spot suggest that storms pump heat into the atmosphere and warm the entire planet.
  
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• New nano tech to cool down buildings

  27-07-2016 18:49
  A new system can lower room temperature in buildings.
  
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• Nanodisks drive a polarizing transformation

  27-07-2016 18:49
  Manipulating magnetic and electric dipoles inside nanostructured insulators enables newfound control of light polarization at any angle.
  
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• More efficient way to write data into non-volatile memory devices improves performance

  27-07-2016 18:49
  A scheme to write data into next generation memory chips has been developed. The proposal requires considerably fewer resources to write data safely into memory -- even during a system failure.
  
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• Disposable and ultrafast optical humidity sensors provide better moisture control for manufacturing and storage

  27-07-2016 18:49
  Researchers have designed a low-cost, stable and ultrafast responsive sensor that is easy to manufacture, overcoming the challenge of producing a simple, fast and highly sensitive version.
  
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• 20 minutes of ultrasound to the forearm cuts high blood pressure

  27-07-2016 18:49
  Blood pressure can significantly drop by applying 20 minutes of ultrasound to the forearm of type II diabetes patients with treatment-resistant hypertension, according to new research.
  
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• Finding the loneliest young star

  27-07-2016 18:46
  Alone on the cosmic road, far from any known celestial object, a young, independent star is going through a tremendous growth spurt. When a team of scientists examined infrared images of the same area, they realized this object has a lot of warm dust around it, which must have been heated by an outburst. Researchers determined it likely is a young star that has been outbursting for several years.
  
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