Science news

• Dramatic Video Shows Huge Scale of SpaceX Rocket Explosion

  01-09-2016 23:33
  The explosion of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket this morning (Sept. 1) was caught on video, and viewing it is quite an experience. The two-stage Falcon 9 and its payload, a communications satellite called Amos-6, were destroyed during an engine test Thursday, which was part of the standard protocol to prepare for a planned Saturday (Sept. 3) launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The rocket's upper stage exploded at 9:07 a.m. EDT (1307 GMT), setting off a dramatic, fiery cas
  
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• 'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse Treats Skywatchers in Africa (Photos, Video)

  01-09-2016 23:14
  
  A glorious solar eclipse made its way across the African sky early this morning (Sept. 1). Viewers from Gabon to Tanzania to Madagascar could see the annular solar eclipse, with the moon crossing the sun front and center. Even for observers gazing up at a partial eclipse under cloudy skies, the view was spectacular.
  
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• U.S. astronauts perform seven-hour spacewalk outside station

  01-09-2016 22:50
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Two U.S. astronauts sailed through a seven-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Thursday to pack up a spare cooling radiator and tackle other maintenance, a NASA TV broadcast showed.
  
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• 'Ring of fire': Moon passes before Sun

  01-09-2016 22:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Thousands of people have watched the Moon pass in front of the Sun, to make a so-called "ring of fire".
  
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• Is China the world's new scientific superpower?

  01-09-2016 22:34 via cbc.ca
  
  China's science program is immense, ambitious and changing the world. Science columnist Torah Kachur explains the rise of China as scientific superpower.
  
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• U.K. researchers confirm discovery in B.C. of first pterosaur fossil

  01-09-2016 22:13 via cbc.ca
  
  A specimen was thought to have been found in 2011, but later research suggests it was a fish.
  
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• SpaceX rocket explodes at Cape Canaveral ahead of launch

  01-09-2016 22:07 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A rocket operated by the aerospace company SpaceX explodes on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral where it was being test-fired ahead of a launch.
  
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• Successful Spacewalk! NASA Astronauts Reel in Radiator, Install New Cameras

  01-09-2016 21:57
  
  NASA astronauts successfully spacewalked today (Sept. 1), retracting a thermal control radiator that was no longer in use and installing two cameras onto the exterior of the International Space Station. "Good to be out here," Rubins said as she exited the space station's quest air lock after Williams. This is Rubins' second spacewalk and the fifth of Williams' career.
  
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• Ceres' geological activity, ice revealed in new research

  01-09-2016 21:51
  A lonely 3-mile-high (5-kilometer-high) mountain on Ceres is likely volcanic in origin, and the dwarf planet may have a weak, temporary atmosphere. These are just two of many new insights about Ceres from NASA's Dawn mission published in six papers.
  
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• Inactive volcano spotted on largest object in asteroid belt

  01-09-2016 21:34 via cbc.ca
  
  A NASA spacecraft has spied what appears to be an inactive volcano on the surface of Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
  
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• SpaceX rocket explodes on Florida launchpad

  01-09-2016 21:33
  
  SpaceX has lost a Falcon 9 rocket and its satellite payload in a standard prelaunch test.
  
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• The Crick, one of Europe's biggest biomedical labs opens

  01-09-2016 21:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Europe's biggest biomedical laboratory, the Francis Crick Institute, has opened in London.
  
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• 'For the Love of Spock': Leonard Nimoy Fought for Diversity (Exclusive Clip)

  01-09-2016 21:28
  
  A new exclusive clip from the documentary "For the Love of Spock," which explores the life and legacy of "Star Trek" actor Leonard Nimoy and starts public screenings Sept. 9, shows the famous actor willing to take a hit for his fellow co-stars. Nimoy played Vulcan alien Spock in all of the original-series episodes. Although the show was canceled in 1969 after three seasons, the series did well in syndication, and NBC subsequently started "Star Trek: The Animated Series" in 1973.
  
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• Ice Volcanoes and More: Dwarf Planet Ceres Continues to Surprise

  01-09-2016 21:27
  The dwarf planet Ceres is a complex and active world unlike any other place in the solar system, new research suggests. Observations by NASA's Ceres-orbiting Dawn spacecraft indicate that "ice volcanos" have erupted on the dwarf planet in the recent past and that Ceres' crust is an odd ice-rock mixture that has never been observed before, scientists reported in a series of six new studies published online today (Sept. 1) in the journal Science. "When we got to Ceres, we were expecting to be
  
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• Moment SpaceX Falcon rocket exploded at Cape Canaveral

  01-09-2016 21:23 via bbc.co.uk
  
  SpaceX was fuelling the unmanned Falcon 9 rocket for a test engine firing when the blast happened.
  
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• Sorry, kids — mysterious radio signal was from Earth, not aliens

  01-09-2016 21:22 via cbc.ca
  
  That radio signal that might have been from extra-terrestrials? Sorry, it was actually from Earth, Russian scientists confirm.
  
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• The geomorphology of Ceres

  01-09-2016 21:16
  Analysis of Dawn spacecraft Framing Camera image data allows evaluation of the topography and geomorphology of features on the surface of Ceres. The dwarf planet is dominated by numerous craters, but other features are also common. Linear structures include both those associated with impact craters and those that do not appear to have any correlation to an impact event. Abundant lobate flows are identified, and numerous domical features are found at a range of scales. Features suggestive of near
  
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• Cryovolcanism on Ceres

  01-09-2016 21:16
  Volcanic edifices are abundant on rocky bodies of the inner solar system. In the cold outer solar system, volcanism can occur on solid bodies with a water-ice shell, but derived cryovolcanic constructs have proved elusive. We report the discovery, using Dawn Framing Camera images, of a landform on dwarf planet Ceres that we argue represents a viscous cryovolcanic dome. Parent material of the cryomagma is a mixture of secondary minerals, including salts and water ice. Absolute model ages from imp
  
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• Cratering on Ceres: Implications for its crust and evolution

  01-09-2016 21:16
  Thermochemical models have predicted that Ceres, is to some extent, differentiated and should have an icy crust with few or no impact craters. We present observations by the Dawn spacecraft that reveal a heavily cratered surface, a heterogeneous crater distribution, and an apparent absence of large craters. The morphology of some impact craters is consistent with ice in the subsurface, which might have favored relaxation, yet large unrelaxed craters are also present. Numerous craters exhibit pol
  
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• Distribution of phyllosilicates on the surface of Ceres

  01-09-2016 21:15
  The dwarf planet Ceres is known to host phyllosilicate minerals at its surface, but their distribution and origin have not previously been determined. We used the spectrometer onboard the Dawn spacecraft to map their spatial distribution on the basis of diagnostic absorption features in the visible and near-infrared spectral range (0.25 to 5.0 micrometers). We found that magnesium- and ammonium-bearing minerals are ubiquitous across the surface. Variations in the strength of the absorption featu
  
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• Detection of local H2O exposed at the surface of Ceres

  01-09-2016 21:15
  The surface of dwarf planet Ceres contains hydroxyl-rich materials. Theories predict a water ice-rich mantle, and water vapor emissions have been observed, yet no water (H2O) has been previously identified. The Visible and InfraRed (VIR) mapping spectrometer onboard the Dawn spacecraft has now detected water absorption features within a low-illumination, highly reflective zone in Oxo, a 10-kilometer, geologically fresh crater, on five occasions over a period of 1 month. Candidate materials are H
  
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• Massive explosion destroys rocket during routine test in Florida

  01-09-2016 21:13
  
  The blast, right next door to Kennedy Space Centre, shook buildings several miles away.
  
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• Facebook-Backed $195 Million Satellite Lost in SpaceX Rocket Explosion

  01-09-2016 20:58
  
  A satellite co-funded by Facebook and intended to bring internet access to parts of sub-Saharan Africa, was destroyed on a launchpad in Florida today (Sept. 1), when the rocket meant to carry it to space exploded. The AMOS-6 communications satellite was scheduled to launch on Saturday (Sept. 3), and was already secured atop a Falcon 9 rocket, built by Elon Musk's private spaceflight company SpaceX. The rocket exploded during a routine prelaunch static-fire test, in which the first stage of the r
  
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• Communication Satellite Lost in SpaceX Rocket Explosion Was Co-Leased by Facebook

  01-09-2016 20:58
  
  A satellite co-leased by Facebook and intended to bring internet access to parts of sub-Saharan Africa, was destroyed on a launchpad in Florida today (Sept. 1), when the rocket meant to carry it to space exploded. The AMOS-6 communications satellite was scheduled to launch on Saturday (Sept. 3), and was already secured atop a Falcon 9 rocket, built by Elon Musk's private spaceflight company SpaceX. The rocket exploded during a routine prelaunch static-fire test, in which the first stage of the r
  
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• Dog vaccine offers hope in China’s fight against rabies

  01-09-2016 20:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists in China find that a dog vaccine can also protect large livestock against rabies infection.
  
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• Radiative human body cooling by nanoporous polyethylene textile

  01-09-2016 20:26
  Thermal management through personal heating and cooling is a strategy by which to expand indoor temperature setpoint range for large energy saving. We show that nanoporous polyethylene (nanoPE) is transparent to mid-infrared human body radiation but opaque to visible light because of the pore size distribution (50 to 1000 nanometers). We processed the material to develop a textile that promotes effective radiative cooling while still having sufficient air permeability, water-wicking rate, and me
  
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• Plant development regulated by cytokinin sinks

  01-09-2016 20:26
  Morphogenetic signals control the patterning of multicellular organisms. Cytokinins are mobile signals that are perceived by subsets of plant cells. We found that the responses to cytokinin signaling during Arabidopsis development are constrained by the transporter PURINE PERMEASE 14 (PUP14). In our experiments, the expression of PUP14 was inversely correlated to the cytokinin signaling readout. Loss of PUP14 function allowed ectopic cytokinin signaling accompanied by aberrant morphogenesis in e
  
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• Neural mechanisms for lexical processing in dogs

  01-09-2016 20:26
  During speech processing, human listeners can separately analyze lexical and intonational cues to arrive at a unified representation of communicative content. The evolution of this capacity can be best investigated by comparative studies. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we explored whether and how dog brains segregate and integrate lexical and intonational information. We found a left-hemisphere bias for processing meaningful words, independently of intonation; a right auditory brai
  
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• Ligand-accelerated enantioselective methylene C(sp3)-H bond activation

  01-09-2016 20:26
  Effective differentiation of prochiral carbon–hydrogen (C–H) bonds on a single methylene carbon via asymmetric metal insertion remains a challenge. Here, we report the discovery of chiral acetyl-protected aminoethyl quinoline ligands that enable asymmetric palladium insertion into prochiral C–H bonds on a single methylene carbon center. We apply these palladium complexes to catalytic enantioselective functionalization of β-methylene C–H bonds in aliphatic amides. Usi
  
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• Instantaneous ion configurations in the K+ ion channel selectivity filter revealed by 2D IR spectroscopy

  01-09-2016 20:26
  Potassium channels are responsible for the selective permeation of K+ ions across cell membranes. K+ ions permeate in single file through the selectivity filter, a narrow pore lined by backbone carbonyls that compose four K+ binding sites. Here, we report on the two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectra of a semisynthetic KcsA channel with site-specific heavy (13C18O) isotope labels in the selectivity filter. The ultrafast time resolution of 2D IR spectroscopy provides an instantaneous snapshot o
  
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• Enantioselective cyanation of benzylic C-H bonds via copper-catalyzed radical relay

  01-09-2016 20:26
  Direct methods for stereoselective functionalization of sp3-hybridized carbon–hydrogen [C(sp3)–H] bonds in complex organic molecules could facilitate much more efficient preparation of therapeutics and agrochemicals. Here, we report a copper-catalyzed radical relay pathway for enantioselective conversion of benzylic C–H bonds into benzylic nitriles. Hydrogen-atom abstraction affords an achiral benzylic radical that undergoes asymmetric C(sp3)–CN bond formation upon reacti
  
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• De novo synaptogenesis induced by GABA in the developing mouse cortex

  01-09-2016 20:26
  Dendrites of cortical pyramidal neurons contain intermingled excitatory and inhibitory synapses. We studied the local mechanisms that regulate the formation and distribution of synapses. We found that local -aminobutyric acid (GABA) release on dendrites of mouse cortical layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons could induce gephyrin puncta and dendritic spine formation via GABA type A receptor activation and voltage-gated calcium channels during early postnatal development. Furthermore, the newly formed inhi
  
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• Dawn arrives at Ceres: Exploration of a small, volatile-rich world

  01-09-2016 20:26
  On 6 March 2015, Dawn arrived at Ceres to find a dark, desiccated surface punctuated by small, bright areas. Parts of Ceres’ surface are heavily cratered, but the largest expected craters are absent. Ceres appears gravitationally relaxed at only the longest wavelengths, implying a mechanically strong lithosphere with a weaker deep interior. Ceres’ dry exterior displays hydroxylated silicates, including ammoniated clays of endogenous origin. The possibility of abundant volatiles at de
  
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• Benefits and risks of the Sanofi-Pasteur dengue vaccine: Modeling optimal deployment

  01-09-2016 20:26
  The first approved dengue vaccine has now been licensed in six countries. We propose that this live attenuated vaccine acts like a silent natural infection in priming or boosting host immunity. A transmission dynamic model incorporating this hypothesis fits recent clinical trial data well and predicts that vaccine effectiveness depends strongly on the age group vaccinated and local transmission intensity. Vaccination in low-transmission settings may increase the incidence of more severe "seconda
  
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• Antibody-mediated protection against SHIV challenge includes systemic clearance of distal virus

  01-09-2016 20:26
  HIV-1–specific broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) can protect rhesus monkeys against simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) challenge. However, the site of antibody interception of virus and the mechanism of antibody-mediated protection remain unclear. We administered a fully protective dose of the bNAb PGT121 to rhesus monkeys and challenged them intravaginally with SHIV-SF162P3. In PGT121-treated animals, we detected low levels of viral RNA and viral DNA in distal tissues for se
  
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• A highly active and stable IrOx/SrIrO3 catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction

  01-09-2016 20:26
  Oxygen electrochemistry plays a key role in renewable energy technologies such as fuel cells and electrolyzers, but the slow kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) limit the performance and commercialization of such devices. Here we report an iridium oxide/strontium iridium oxide (IrOx/SrIrO3) catalyst formed during electrochemical testing by strontium leaching from surface layers of thin films of SrIrO3. This catalyst has demonstrated specific activity at 10 milliamps per square centim
  
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• Engineers give new meaning to the phrase 'cool clothes'

  01-09-2016 20:21
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Engineers have created clothing for a warming world — a fabric that allows your body heat to escape far better than other materials do.
  
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• Earthquake off New Zealand's coast triggers minor tsunami

  01-09-2016 20:20 via cbc.ca
  
  A strong magnitude 7.1 earthquake rattled the coast of New Zealand's North Island on Friday morning, triggering a small tsunami and shaking items from shelves but not causing any major damage or injuries.
  
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• Earthquake off New Zealand's coast prompts tsunami warning, evacuations

  01-09-2016 20:20 via cbc.ca
  
  The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting a magnitude 7.1 earthquake about 160 kilometres off the east coast of New Zealand's North Island.
  
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• Over 1,000 arrested as post-election riots rage in Gabon

  01-09-2016 20:06
  By Gerauds Wilfried Obangome LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - Three people were killed and up to 1,100 were arrested in Gabon on Thursday, the government said, in a second day of rioting over the announcement of President Ali Bongo's re-election and his main rival's accusation that the vote was rigged. Opposition challenger Jean Ping accused the elections commission of inflating Bongo's score to hand him a slim victory and extend his family's nearly half-century rule in the oil-producing Central African c
  
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• Water has played a big role in shaping dwarf planet Ceres

  01-09-2016 20:00
  
  Findings from the Dawn spacecraft turn up cryovolcanoes, ice patches and hydrated minerals on Ceres, supporting the idea that water helped shape the dwarf planet.
  
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• High-tech cloth could make summer days a breeze

  01-09-2016 20:00
  
  A plastic material like kitchen cling wrap may be the next big thing in high-tech clothing. The fabric lets heat pass through, but blocks visible light, making it opaque enough to wear.
  
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• Bacterial weaponry that causes stillbirth revealed

  01-09-2016 20:00
  
  Vaginal bacteria may cause stillbirth by deploying tiny weapons
  
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• Syrian opposition says Aleppo battle hides 'cleansing' of siege towns

  01-09-2016 19:28
  By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - Russian air cover and Iranian-backed militias are enabling Syria's government to keep fighting in Aleppo, distracting the world from the planned "cleansing" of besieged areas across Syria, an opposition negotiator told Reuters on Thursday. Basma Kodmani, a member of the Saudi-backed opposition High Negotiations Committee, said forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had changed tactics after failing to starve rebels out of besieged zones.
  
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• Venezuelan opposition floods Caracas in vast anti-Maduro protest

  01-09-2016 18:37
  By Diego Oré and Brian Ellsworth CARACAS (Reuters) - Dressed in white and chanting "this government will fall," hundreds of thousands of opposition supporters flooded Venezuela's capital on Thursday to press for an end to socialist leader Nicolas Maduro's rule. The opposition coalition estimated at least one million people took part in rallies to demand a recall referendum against Maduro and decry the deep economic crisis. "We are going to bring down Maduro!" said Naty Gutierrez, 53, whos
  
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• It's officially the end of summer ... meteorologically speaking

  01-09-2016 18:37
  
  Today could be the last day of summer 2016 if you go by the meteorological calender.
  
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• Astronaut James Halsell Indicted For 'Reckless Murder' Of Girls In Car Crash While Intoxicated

  01-09-2016 18:18
  A former NASA space shuttle commander has been indicted in the deaths of two girls who were killed when his car ploughed into another vehicle. James Halsell was arrested after the wreck that killed 11-year-old Niomi James and 13-year-old Jayla Parler on a rural Alabama highway on 6 June. Police reports show investigators believe alcohol and speed could have been factors.
  
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• The Science of Timeouts: How to Make Them Work for Your Kids

  01-09-2016 17:58
  In the 1960s, though, researchers began to turn their attention to a newfangled option: the timeout. Sometimes controversial, the timeout is nevertheless now among the most mainstream disciplinary recommendations for children. The good news is that there's strong science supporting the timeout, as long as parents make a point of using it correctly — and focus on the positive, too.
  
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• Pothead Rats Are Up to Task, But Just Don't Feel Like It

  01-09-2016 17:57
  Marijuana can have many effects, some of them less desirable than others. In a new study, researchers gave rats increasing doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, and then presented the animals with a choice of two tests of their attention. "When rats were given this main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis, they weren't willing to exert cognitive energy," said study lead author Mason Silveira, a graduate psychology student at the University of British C
  
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• Record-Low Arctic Sea Ice Is the 'New Normal,' NASA Says

  01-09-2016 17:38
  
  Melt season in the Arctic Ocean has consistently experienced record lows in recent years. This year, a record low for the sea-ice extent (the area of ocean covered by the ice) was set in March, with relatively rapid ice loss continuing through May, according to NASA scientists. Although the melting slowed in June — likely keeping this year's summertime sea-ice minimum extent from setting a new record low — the Arctic ice is not bouncing back, the scientists said.
  
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