Science news

• SpaceX to Launch Satellite, Land Rocket Early Sunday: Watch It Live

  12-08-2016 23:27
  
  SpaceX will attempt another rocket landing during the launch of a commercial communications satellite early Sunday morning (Aug. 14), and you can watch all the dramatic action live.
  
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• Vibrant Star Cluster Sparkles in Sagittarius Constellation (Video)

  12-08-2016 23:26
  
  The Messier 18 star cluster — which can be seen in the upper left of the new telescope view — is located about 4,600 light-years from Earth, in the constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer). Messier 18 is an example of an open star cluster because its stars are younger and more loosely packed together than those of globular star clusters.
  
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• Olympic Views: The Night Sky from Rio

  12-08-2016 23:26
  
  From now through Aug. 21, the eyes of the world are on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the Games of the XXXI Olympiad. If you were a discus thrower living in Athens, Greece, where the latitude is 38 degrees north, Polaris (the North Star) appears 38 degrees or almost halfway up from the northern horizon to the point overhead, called the zenith. As you travel south, Polaris approaches the horizon at the rate of about 1 degree, which is twice the apparent width of the full moon, for every 70 miles
  
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• Virtual world improves communication following stroke, says study

  12-08-2016 22:04
  A virtual reality world called EVA Park can improve the communication of those who have impaired speech and language following a stroke, according to research.
  
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• Scientists capture neon in an organic environment for the first time

  12-08-2016 22:04
  Researchers have captured neon within a porous crystalline framework. Neon is well known for being the most unreactive element and is a key component in semiconductor manufacturing, but neon has never been studied within an organic or metal-organic framework until now. The results point the way towards a more economical and greener industrial process for neon production.
  
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• Long in the tooth: the Greenland shark may live four centuries

  12-08-2016 21:52
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Greenland shark, a big and slow-moving deep-ocean predator that prowls the frigid waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic, can claim the distinction of being the planet's longest-living vertebrate, with a lifespan perhaps reaching about 400 years.
  
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• Nature and the nurture of aerosols

  12-08-2016 21:19
  Scientists conducted a collaborative study that answered foundational questions about how nature influences the composition of aerosols. The team's findings could help avoid unintended consequences in both regulations and remediation, they say.
  
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• Researchers pinpoint key influenza-fighting immune trigger

  12-08-2016 21:18
  Scientists have identified the molecule that recognizes the influenza virus in infected cells and triggers their suicide to fight the infection, outlines a new report.
  
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• Investigators chart microbial ecology of gingivitis, periodontitis

  12-08-2016 21:18
  Gingivitis, a common and mild form of gum disease can progress to periodontitis, a more serious infection that damages the soft tissue of the gums and sometimes even destroys the bone supporting the teeth. An international team of researchers and clinicians has charted the microbial ecology of the mouth at all stages of this progression, in nearly 1,000 women in Malawi. This work is laying a foundation of knowledge that could lead to better oral health.
  
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• For bacteria, assassination can breed cooperation

  12-08-2016 19:40
  Cholera bacteria stabbing each other can encourage the evolution of cooperation.
  
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• Clues in Zika's genome

  12-08-2016 19:27
  Chemists have found that the Zika virus contains genetic structures similar to other viruses in the Flaviviridae family, and that these structures may serve as potential antiviral drug targets.
  
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• Black, Hispanic children, youth rarely get help for mental health problems

  12-08-2016 19:27
  Black youth are about half as likely as their white counterparts to get mental health care despite having similar rates of mental health problems, and Hispanic youth also get only half as much mental health care as whites. Types of care included visits to psychiatrists, social workers and psychologists, as well as substance abuse counseling and mental health counseling by pediatricians and other doctors. Income and insurance status did not account for the racial/ethnic disparities.
  
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• Junk food fight: Science tests how birds compete for Cheetos

  12-08-2016 19:24
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — It's the early bird that gets the Cheetos. But it's the bigger bird that steals it away.
  
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• Stunning images of Perseid meteor shower

  12-08-2016 19:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Photographs and footage capture the annual Perseid meteor shower, which is more active than usual this year.
  
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• Scientists have made a major breakthrough in bone marrow transplants

  12-08-2016 18:53
  
  New research from Stanford University may mean that chemotherapy and radiation can be bypassed.
  
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• Rare tarantulas hatch at British zoo

  12-08-2016 18:48
  
  (Reuters) - A clutch of around 200 rare Montserrat tarantulas have successfully hatched at a British zoo in what keepers hailed on Friday as a first in breeding such spiders.
  
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• Greenland sharks are the longest-living vertebrates on Earth, scientists say

  12-08-2016 18:42
  
  Some of them live up to 400 years.
  
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• Draft Nice guidelines over anti-clotting drug could benefit thousands

  12-08-2016 18:28
  
  It suggests people who have had a heart attack should take 60mg of ticagrelor with aspirin to reduce the risk of any further cardiovascular events.
  
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• Keyless entry systems on many vehicles are hackable, security researchers say

  12-08-2016 18:14 via cbc.ca
  
  A group of computer security experts say they figured out how to hack the keyless entry systems used on millions of cars, meaning that thieves could in theory break and steal items without leaving a broken window.
  
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• ‘Promiscuous’ enzymes can compensate for disabled genes

  12-08-2016 18:03
  
  Promiscuous enzymes can step in when bacteria lose genes they need to function.
  
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• Capybaras may be poised to be Florida’s next invasive rodent

  12-08-2016 17:30
  
  Some capybaras have escaped their owners in Florida. Others have been set loose. Now there are fears the giant rodents could become established in the state.
  
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• Perseid Meteor Shower Peak Thrills Skywatchers: How You Can Still Watch

  12-08-2016 17:16
  
  A bright moon made this year's Perseids more challenging to capture, but once the moon set late-night stargazers took full advantage of the peak — like Jason Miller, who caught the above photo of a Perseid meteor streaking over Mount Laguna, California in the wee hours of the morning. You can see more awesome photos of the 2016 Perseids here, which were sent in by Space.com readers. If you missed the peak of the Perseids last night, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center will host a
  
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• These Jobs Are Linked to the Worst Heart Health

  12-08-2016 16:54
  Truck drivers and social service workers have something in common: The people who work in these two occupations are the least likely to be heart healthy, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To determine how heart healthy people were, the researchers counted up how many of the American Heart Association's seven "ideal" metrics of heart health each person met: whether they refrained from smoking, were physically active, had normal blood pressure and  
  
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• The 'Doping Arms Race': How Athletes Evade Testing

  12-08-2016 16:53
  However, testing athletes for doping can be complicated, as there is no single test that can reveal if an athlete has taken a suspected drug or used any of the banned performance-enhancing techniques, such as blood doping. Rather, each drug — and there are hundreds — requires its own test, said Rhonda Orr, a senior lecturer in exercise and sport science at the University of Sydney in Australia. "A specific, standardized testing regime has been tailored for each drug," Orr told Live S
  
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• Woman's 'Double Uterus' Case Highlights the Mysteries of HPV

  12-08-2016 16:52
  A woman with a rare condition that gave her two uteruses, along with two cervixes, had an even more unusual case of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, according to a new report of her case. The 35-year-old Massachusetts woman had a rare condition called uterine didelphys, which happens when the uterus doesn't form properly during development and instead forms two uteruses. The woman also had two cervixes (the neck-like structure that connects the uterus to the vagina), but one vagina, wh
  
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• Why Guys Should Not Drink After Exercising

  12-08-2016 16:50
  Getting drunk may undo the effects of an intense workout, at least for men, new research suggests. Men in the study who drank alcohol after doing heavy strength training showed reduced levels of the chemical signals that spur muscle growth and repair compared to men who did not drink, according to a new study that will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. "A little bit of alcohol is probably not a problem," said study co-author Jakob Vingren,
  
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• Structure of mammalian respiratory complex I

  12-08-2016 16:38
  New research outlines discoveries on the complex I (NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase), one of the largest membrane-bound enzymes in the cell, powers ATP synthesis in mammalian mitochondria by using the reducing potential of NADH to drive protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane.
  
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• Hispanic men in California need more screening for colorectal cancer, Study finds

  12-08-2016 16:38
  Colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates in California have decreased markedly for men and women in all major racial-ethnic groups since 1990, except for Hispanic men -- a disparity that can be improved by greater screening, a study has found.
  
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• Caught in the act: Coral's bleaching behavior

  12-08-2016 16:38
  Coral researchers have for the first time captured the specific behavior of a coral as it's bleaching. While scientists have known for some time that coral bleaching occurs when the relationship between the coral and their Symbiodinium breaks down as ocean temperatures rise, new research show for the first time how this coral removes the algae.
  
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• Sugar addiction: Discovery of a brain sugar switch

  12-08-2016 16:37
  Researchers have discovered that our brain actively takes sugar from the blood. Prior to this, researchers had assumed that this was a purely passive process. The transportation of sugar into the brain is regulated by so-called glia cells that react to hormones such as insulin or leptin; previously it was thought that this was only possible for neurons.
  
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• Greenland sharks live for hundreds of years

  12-08-2016 16:37
  The 5 meter long Greenland shark's general biology and way of life have been a mystery to biologists for many years. However, marine biologists have now deployed an epoch-making method to unveil one of the greatest of the mysteries surrounding this enigmatic shark -- and have come to an amazing revelation: with a life expectancy of at least 272 years, the Greenland shark has the longest life expectancy of all vertebrate animals known to science.
  
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• Global crosstalk limits gene regulation

  12-08-2016 16:37
  Scientists at the interface of biophysics, evolutionary biology and systems biology have developed a new framework to analyze effects of global crosstalk on gene regulation, a new report explains.
  
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• Gastrointestinal illnesses cost the Swiss health care sector up to EUR 45 million per year

  12-08-2016 16:37
  Acute diarrhea entails annual health care costs of EUR 29 to EUR 45 million in Switzerland. Thereof, around a quarter is due to infections of the diarrhea-causing pathogen Campylobacter, say investigators.
  
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• First public collection of bacteria from the intestine of mice

  12-08-2016 16:37
  Mouse models are extensively used in pharmaceutical and medical research, and the microbes in their intestine can have an impact on research. However, there is still insufficient information available about many bacteria in mice. For the first time, a collection of cultured bacterial strains provides comprehensive information on the mouse gut microbiota: Scientists were able to isolate, characterize, and archive a hundred strains, including 15 hitherto unknown taxa.
  
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• Discovery of a unique subcellular structure determining the orientation of cell division

  12-08-2016 16:37
  New work has revealed that in the sea squirt embryo, the orientation of the cell division machinery in epithelial cells is controlled by a unique cell membrane structure, which we call an 'invagination.'
  
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• 'Chemtrails' not real, say atmospheric science experts

  12-08-2016 16:37
  Well-understood physical and chemical processes can easily explain the alleged evidence of a secret, large-scale atmospheric spraying program, commonly referred to as 'chemtrails' or 'covert geoengineering.' A survey of the world's leading atmospheric scientists categorically rejects the existence of a secret spraying program.
  
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• Intestinal flora effects drug response

  12-08-2016 16:36
  Intestinal flora has multiple influences on human health, but research has new revealed that it is also likely to have an effect on the body's response to drugs. Individual changes in the intestinal flora caused by antibacterial and antibiotic drugs may affect the effectiveness and side effects of other medicines.
  
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• Dark matter candidate particles are a no-show in Hitomi data

  12-08-2016 16:24
  
  Before the Hitomi satellite broke apart, it captured data that cast further doubt on evidence of X-rays from dark matter particles in a galaxy cluster.
  
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• Greenland Sharks May Live 400 Years

  12-08-2016 16:14
  
  Greenland sharks are slow. Researchers suspected that Greenland sharks' exceptionally slow growth meant that they lived a long time, but they had no idea just how long that might be. A new study provides the first estimates for Greenland shark longevity, and shows that these slowpokes of the sea stick around a very long time — at least 272 years, and perhaps as long as 390 years on average, making them longer-lived than any other vertebrate in the world.
  
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• Mystery as fish land in Banff garden

  12-08-2016 16:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Two-inch long fish have appeared in a garden in Banff.
  
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• Newfound Glow-in-the-Dark Fish Identified

  12-08-2016 16:10
  
  In doing so, the scientists found three different pigment patterns, suggesting three distinct species. Differences in mitochondrial DNA, the genetic material of the structure within cells that generates energy,supported this conclusion.
  
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• Ancient Greek Skeleton May Be Remains of Human Sacrifice to Zeus

  12-08-2016 16:06
  A 3,000-year-old skeleton has been discovered at an altar dedicated to Zeus at Mount Lykaion in Greece, and archaeologists say the new finding may be the remains of a human sacrifice offered to the Greek god. The discovery was announced Wednesday (Aug. 10) in a statement from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs. Archaeologists from the Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project excavated the skeleton, which appears to be that of a male teenager, this summer.
  
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• Perseid meteor shower photos will inspire you to watch again tonight

  12-08-2016 16:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Check out some amazing views of last night's Perseid meteor shower peak and outburst. Clouded out last night? Here's some good news — the show isn't over yet.
  
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• Monkey selfie: Animal charity Peta challenges ruling

  12-08-2016 15:57 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An animal charity appeals against a court decision which ruled a monkey could not own the copyright to a selfie photograph it took.
  
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• Ghost in the Machine: Atom Smasher's 'New Particle' Was Illusion

  12-08-2016 15:44
  
  In December 2015, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) — the world's largest particle accelerator — thought they may have seen a hint of a brand-new particle, and with it, a window into physics beyond what scientists know now. Yet despite the negative result, the fact that there is nothing there shows that reigning theories of particle physics are working remarkably well, experts said. "The bad news is [the measurements] don't show anything," said theoretical physicist Matt
  
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• New Technique Searches for Exomoons by the Light of Their Planets

  12-08-2016 15:28
  
  The new method suggests using the polarization of the light from the planet to find these small moons. Polarization light refers to light waves that are oriented in the same direction. "When you use polarized sunglasses, you block one direction of the light waves and not the other," Mark Marley, a research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center in California, told Space.com by email.
  
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• New Book 'Trekonomics' Investigates Challenges of a No-Money Universe

  12-08-2016 15:28
  
  As Captain Jean-Luc Picard explained in "Star Trek: First Contact": "The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force of our lives. Manu Saadia — a Los Angeles resident who advises startups for a day job — tackled the tricky issue of a no-money society in his new book, "Trekonomics" (Pipertext, 2016). Saadia told Space.com that he wishes "Star Trek" would show more of Starfleet's ordinary citizens, and not the "1 percent" who live on spaceships.
  
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• NASA Picks 6 Companies to Design Deep-Space Habitats

  12-08-2016 15:27
  
  NASA has taken another step on its planned journey to Mars. The space agency has selected six companies to design prototype deep-space habitats — a key piece of the effort to send astronauts on the long trek to the Red Planet, which NASA aims to do by the end of the 2030s. "The next human exploration capabilities needed beyond the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule are deep-space, long-duration habitation and in-space propulsion," Jason Crusan, director of NASA's Advan
  
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• Mercury's Violent Volcanoes Shut Off 3.5 Billion Years Ago

  12-08-2016 15:27
  
  Violent volcano eruptions that shaped Mercury's sun-scorched surface likely ended 3.5 billion years ago, which is strikingly early compared to the volcanic history of other terrestrial planets like Venus, Mars and Earth. This discovery will help astronomers better understand the geological history of Mercury and what happens after volcanic activity ends on a planet, researchers said in a statement. "These new results validate 40-year-old predictions about global cooling and contraction [of Mercu
  
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• Air strikes near Yemen's capital wound six - residents

  12-08-2016 15:20
  Saudi-led coalition jets bombed rebel positions in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Friday for a fourth consecutive day, residents said, in renewed fighting following the breakdown of peace talks. Air strikes hit a presidential compound and military base in Sanaa early on Friday and wounded six farmers on a road west of the capital, said the residents. Dozens of civilians have been killed in Saudi-led air strikes since Sunday, including three women working at a potato chip factory near a military base t
  
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