Science news

• Pokemon Go players stampede through Taipei

  24-08-2016 23:47 via cbc.ca
  
  Hundreds of Pokemon Go enthusiasts caused a stampede in Taipei on Sunday in a rush to catch rare Pokemon.
  
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• AP EXPLAINS: Difference between shallow, deep earthquakes

  24-08-2016 22:30
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — A strong earthquake rocks Italy, flattening towns and killing scores of people. An even bigger quake hits Myanmar the same day, killing a few people and shattering ancient Buddhist pagodas.
  
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• Canadian broadband and mobile internet speeds getting much faster, Ookla says

  24-08-2016 22:07 via cbc.ca
  
  The average Canadian is getting much faster internet speeds than they were a year ago, new numbers suggested Wednesday.
  
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• 520 Days and Counting: Jeff Williams Tops U.S. Record for Time in Space

  24-08-2016 21:51
  
  For the second time in less than one year, a NASA astronaut has broken the record for the most time spent in space by an American. Jeff Williams, a veteran of four spaceflights — including his current expedition aboard the International Space Station, surpassed fellow U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly's record of 520 days, 10 hours and 30 minutes just before 5:00 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT) on Wednesday (Aug. 24). When he returns to Earth next month, Williams will have logged a career total of more than
  
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• Hottest day of 2016 recorded at Gravesend in Kent

  24-08-2016 21:41 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The UK records its highest temperature of the year so far - 33.9C (93F) at Gravesend in Kent - as experts warn of possible health risks.
  
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• Scientific dig in weird Wyoming cave yields ice age insights

  24-08-2016 21:35
  
  CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Paleontologists digging at the bottom of a strange cave in northern Wyoming say they have uncovered a trove of animal bones from the last ice age this summer and have enough funding to head back at the same underground site next year to continue their search.
  
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• Bacteria display qualities that a mother would love

  24-08-2016 21:30
  Editor in chief Eva Emerson discusses big lessons we can learn from some of Earth's smallest organisms.
  
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• Readers respond to terrorism's roots

  24-08-2016 21:17
  Readers respond to the July 9, 2016, issue of Science News with questions on terrorism, dog evolution and more.
  
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• 35 years on, Voyager's legacy continues at Saturn

  24-08-2016 20:40
  Saturn, with its alluring rings and numerous moons, has long fascinated stargazers and scientists. After an initial flyby of Pioneer 11 in 1979, humanity got a second, much closer look at this complex planetary system in the early 1980s through the eyes of NASA's twin Voyager spacecraft.
  
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• Scientists hope new test could help contain meningitis outbreaks

  24-08-2016 20:11
  
  LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A test has been developed that could help diagnose bacterial infections including meningitis in minutes, but it could take several years before a cheap testing device is available to developing countries, scientists said on Wednesday.
  
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• Weapon of bone destruction identified

  24-08-2016 20:00
  
  Scientists discover myeloma’s secret bone-destroying messenger.
  
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• A mystery of form and structure: Untangling the Landscape of China's Tarim Basin

  24-08-2016 19:55
  Earth scientists have untangled the curious landscape of China's Tarim Basin using a model simulation of ancient events. Despite lying in arid desert and being the site of rapidly growing, elongated folds of stratified rock called anticlines, the Tarim Basin region features huge flat surfaces that have been beveled across the tops of those folds. The folds are caused by the ongoing convergence between India and Asia.
  
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• Scientists use ultrasound to jump-start a man's brain after coma

  24-08-2016 19:50
  A 25-year-old man recovering from a coma has made remarkable progress following a treatment to jump-start his brain using ultrasounds, scientists report. This is the first time such an approach to severe brain injury has been tried.
  
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• Humans have caused climate change for 180 years

  24-08-2016 19:50
  An international research project has found human activity has been causing global warming for almost two centuries, proving human-induced climate change is not just a 20th century phenomenon.
  
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• How do antidepressants trigger fear and anxiety?

  24-08-2016 19:50
  Scientists have mapped out a serotonin-driven anxiety circuit that may explain 'anxiety' side effect of antidepressants. More than 100 million people worldwide take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac and Zoloft, to treat depression, anxiety and related conditions.
  
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• Graying but grinning: Despite physical ailments, older adults happier

  24-08-2016 19:50
  While even the best wines eventually peak and turn to vinegar, a new study suggests a paradoxical trend in the mental health of aging adults: they seem to consistently get better over time.
  
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• Calcium channel blockers caught in the act at atomic level

  24-08-2016 19:50
  Atomic level analysis has revealed how two classes of calcium channel blockers, widely prescribed for heart disease patients, produce separate therapeutic effects by acting at different sites on the calcium channel molecule. The study looked at the anti-arrhythmia drug verapamil, and the hypertension and angina drug amlodipine. The study was conducted on bacterial calcium channels, which respond to these cardiovascular medicines. The findings could inform the design of better, safer calcium chan
  
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• Breast cancer cells found to switch molecular characteristics

  24-08-2016 19:50
  A new study reveals how spontaneous changes in the molecular characteristics of tumors can lead to tumors with a mixed population of cells requiring treatment with several types of therapeutic drugs.
  
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• Italy Earthquake: Complex Geology Drives Frequent Shaking

  24-08-2016 19:25
  
  Powerful earthquakes like the 6.2-magnitude temblor that rocked central Italy early this morning (Aug. 24) are surprisingly common in the region, geologists say. The shaking was caused by movement in the Tyrrhenian Basin, a seismically active area beneath the Mediterranean Sea. Here, the ground is actually spreading apart, said Julie Dutton, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
  
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• Found! Potentially Earth-Like Planet at Proxima Centauri Is Closest Ever

  24-08-2016 19:24
  
  The star closest to the sun hosts a planet that may be very much like Earth, a new study reports. Astronomers have discovered a roughly Earth-size alien world around Proxima Centauri, which lies just 4.2 light-years from our own solar system.
  
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• Digging in weird Wyoming cave yields ice age insights

  24-08-2016 19:21
  CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Paleontologists say they have enough funding for one more season of digging at a Wyoming cave where they're carefully removing a trove of animal bones from the last ice age.
  
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• Jackpot: Scientists find Earth-like planet at star next door

  24-08-2016 19:16
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — After scanning the vast reaches of the cosmos for Earth-like planets where life might exist, astronomers have found one right next door.
  
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• Planet discovered just four light years away could hold alien life, scientists say

  24-08-2016 19:13
  
  Proxima b is believed to contain a “habitable zone” where temperatures are mild enough to permit liquid surface water.
  
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• New Planet Found 'Which Humans Could Colonise'

  24-08-2016 19:13
  An Earth-like planet, which may have deep oceans and harbour life, has been discovered and could be reached in future space missions.
  
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• Scientists find Earth-like planet circling sun's nearest neighbour

  24-08-2016 19:08
  Scientists have discovered a planet that appears to be similar to Earth circling the star closest to the sun, potentially a major step in the quest to find out if life exists elsewhere in the universe, research published on Wednesday showed. The relative proximity of the planet, known as Proxima b, gives scientists a better chance to eventually capture an image of it, to help them establish whether it has an atmosphere and water, which is believed to be necessary for life. Future studies may rev
  
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• Earth-like planet found orbiting the star next door

  24-08-2016 19:05 via cbc.ca
  
  After scanning the vast reaches of the cosmos for Earth-like planets where life might exist, astronomers have found one right next door.
  
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• Study: Man-made warming may have started decades earlier

  24-08-2016 19:02
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Man-made global warming may have started a few decades earlier than scientists previously figured, a new study suggests.
  
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• Meet Octobot, a robot that's a real softie, and cheap

  24-08-2016 19:02
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The latest revolutionary robot isn't the metallic, costly machine you'd expect: It's squishy like Silly Putty, wireless, battery-less and made for pennies by a 3-D printer.
  
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• The Earth Next Door

  24-08-2016 19:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Astronomers find an exoplanet that could be habitable—and it’s as close to us as it could possibly be
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Signs of planet detected around sun’s nearest neighbor star

  24-08-2016 19:00
  
  A planet roughly the size of Earth orbits within the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the sun.
  
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• Neighbouring star Proxima Centauri has Earth-sized planet

  24-08-2016 19:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists identify a planet only slightly larger than Earth that is orbiting Proxima Centauri - the closest star to our Solar System.
  
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• Five ways Proxima b find is important

  24-08-2016 19:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists have discovered a planet similar to Earth that is orbiting our Sun's nearest neighbour, Proxima Centauri.
  
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• Earth-sized world 'around nearest star'

  24-08-2016 19:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists say their investigations of the closest star, Proxima Centauri, show it to have an Earth-sized planet in orbit around it.
  
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• Bulgaria seeks closer ties with Turkey to tackle migrant inflow

  24-08-2016 18:20
  The lack of coordinated European response to the migrant flow from the Middle East means Bulgaria must work more closely with neighbouring Turkey to deal with the crisis, Prime Minister Boiko Borisov said on Wednesday. Government sources say Borisov is due to visit Turkey on Friday or Saturday, although there has been no official confirmation of the planned visit. One million migrants and refugees, many coming via Turkey which says it hosts 2.7 million Syrian refugees, arrived in Europe last yea
  
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• Good news: Average human's ecological 'footprint' appears to be shrinking

  24-08-2016 17:22 via cbc.ca
  
  A new study has some hopeful news about our future — the average human's impact or ecological "footprint" on natural habitats around the world is declining.
  
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• Average human's ecological impact on the planet shrinking, study suggests

  24-08-2016 17:22 via cbc.ca
  
  A new study has some hopeful news about our future — the average human's impact or ecological "footprint" on natural habitats around the world is declining.
  
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• It's Splitsville: Divorce May Be Seasonal, Study Finds

  24-08-2016 17:20
  The rates of divorce filings may peak twice a year, a new study from one state suggests. In a 14-year study of divorce filings in Washington state, researchers found that the rates of such filings consistently peaked in March and August. "People tend to face the holidays with rising expectations, despite what disappointments they might have had in years past," study co-author Julie Brines, an associate sociology professor at the University of Washington, said in a statement.
  
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• Mental Toll of Bad Jobs Lasts Decades

  24-08-2016 17:18
  If your job causes stress and anxiety in your life, it may seem obvious that it may be bad for your health. A new study shows that people who had low levels of job satisfaction in their 20s and 30s may have an increased risk of mental health problems in their 40s. "We found that there is a cumulative effect of job satisfaction on health that appears as early as your 40s," lead author Jonathan Dirlam, a doctoral student in sociology at The Ohio State University, said in a statement.
  
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• Man Swallows 40 Knives: What's Behind His Weird Craving

  24-08-2016 17:18
  A man's craving for metal that led him to swallow 40 knives may sound bizarre, but such strange cravings can be symptoms of an eating disorder in which people ingest anything from dirt to talcum powder. The 42-year-old man in India said he had consumed the knives over a 2-month period, according to CNN. Some of the knives were folded up when the man ingested them, but some were unfolded, and extended to about 7 inches (18 centimeters) long.
  
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• Not So Sweet: New Sugar Limits for Kids Announced

  24-08-2016 17:15
  Kids in the United States are sweet on sugar, but a major health organization is issuing new guidelines to curb children's consumption of sugary foods and beverages. In the first of three new recommendations from the American Heart Association (AHA), a panel of health and nutrition experts suggested that children ages 2 to 18 consume no more than 6 teaspoons (30 milliliters) of added sugar a day, according to the organization's statement published today (Aug. 22) in the journal Circulation. "The
  
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• Diets avoiding dry-cooked foods can protect against diabetes, say researchers

  24-08-2016 17:12
  Simple changes in how we cook could go a long way towards preventing diabetes, say researchers. A new study found that obese individuals with signs of insulin resistance showed improvement simply by avoiding the intake of advanced glycation endproducts, or AGEs, a byproduct of cooking found most commonly in dry heat-cooked or heat-processed foods.
  
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• Predicting plant-soil feedbacks from plant traits

  24-08-2016 17:11
  In nature, plants cannot grow without soil biota like fungi and bacteria. Successful plants are able to harness positive, growth-promoting soil organisms, while avoiding the negative effects of others. Which plant traits can predict these interactions, or the success of a plant? Researchers and plant breeders would like to know.
  
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• Barcodes show the blood family tree

  24-08-2016 17:11
  By assigning a barcode to stem cells, researchers have made it possible to monitor large blood cell populations as well as individual blood cells, and study the changes over time. Among other things, they discovered that stem cells go through different stages where their ability to restore immune cells varies. The new findings provide important information for the research and treatment of leukemia and autoimmune diseases.
  
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• Arctic gives clues on worst mass extinction of life

  24-08-2016 17:11
  Extreme global warming 252 million years ago caused a severe mass extinction of life on Earth. It took life up to 9 million years to recover. New study finds clues in the Arctic as to why this recovery took so long.
  
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• Whales in the desert?

  24-08-2016 17:09
  In Cerro Colorado, located in the Ica Desert of Peru, sedimentary sequences dating back nine million years have been found to host the fossil skeletons of hundreds of marine vertebrates. In 2008, remains of a giant raptorial sperm whale, Livyatan melvillei, were discovered at this site. In September 2014, the same international team of researchers found a partial skeleton of a mysticete whale in a rock boulder.
  
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• Progress in vaccination against vespid venom

  24-08-2016 17:09
  Especially in late summer, apprehension about wasp stings increases among allergy sufferers. So-called hyposensibilization therapy can help, but it is linked to a heavy burden on patients and health insurers. Researchers have now presented a new method which facilitates a personalized procedure.
  
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• Plumbing the secrets of tissue paper

  24-08-2016 17:09
  Tissue manufacturers are now much closer to producing the perfect paper, thanks to new research.
  
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• Ocean acidification threatens cod recruitment in the Atlantic

  24-08-2016 17:09
  Increasing ocean acidification could double the mortality of newly hatched cod larvae. Researchers quantified mortality rates of cod at conditions which the fish may experience towards the end of the century. They integrated results of two experiments in model calculations on stock dynamics. The scenarios showed that the recruitment could decrease to between one quarter and one twelfth of last decades' recruitment -- a strong call for action for fisheries management.
  
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• New small molecule compounds could treat Ebola virus infection

  24-08-2016 17:09
  Scientists have found Ebola's Achilles' heel: a new kind of chemical compound can block the protein Ebola uses to break out of cells and infect new cells. The compounds could potentially be used to treat the disease after infection.
  
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• Molecular signature shows plants are adapting to increasing atmospheric CO2

  24-08-2016 17:09
  Plants are adapting to increasing atmospheric CO2 according to a new study.The research provides insight into the long-term impacts of rising CO2 and the implications for global food security and nature conservation.
  
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