Science news

• Rosetta boldly went where no one has gone before: Bob McDonald

  30-09-2016 23:42 via cbc.ca
  
  The Rosetta spacecraft by the European Space Agency was the first to rendezvous with a comet. The mission which ended this week was a remarkable success, proving once again, that robots are the true explorers of our solar system.
  
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• To make female pill bugs, just add bacterial genes

  30-09-2016 22:51
  
  Genes from Wolbachia bacteria infiltrated pill bugs and now make genetic males female.
  
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• Shining a laser at the new £5 notes reveals something pretty nifty

  30-09-2016 22:21
  
  There’s a science lesson to be learned here…
  
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• What's in a name? Elon Musk turns to science fiction for Mars ship

  30-09-2016 21:24 via cbc.ca
  
  If SpaceX founder Elon Musk's plan to establish a city on Mars sounds like science fiction, then consider the name of his first passenger ship. He's leaning toward the name Heart of Gold, from the 1979 book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
  
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• Philippine leader's Hitler comments 'troubling' -State Department

  30-09-2016 21:20
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Friday called "troubling" Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's comments likening himself to Adolf Hitler and saying he would be happy to exterminate 3 million drug users. "America's ... partnership with the Philippines is ... based on a mutual foundation of shared values and that includes our shared belief in human rights and human dignity," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. "President Duterte's comments are a significant departure
  
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• CDC urging men at risk of Zika to postpone fatherhood

  30-09-2016 21:19
  CDC today announced updates to its interim guidance for pre-pregnancy counseling and prevention of sexual transmission of Zika based on ongoing assessment of available data, primarily extending the timeframe for men with possible Zika exposure but no Zika symptoms to wait before attempting pregnancy with their partner and extending the time for use of condoms by these men to protect against sexual transmission of Zika virus infection.
  
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• How cancer's 'invisibility cloak' works

  30-09-2016 21:03
  Researchers have discovered how cancer cells become invisible to the body's immune system, a crucial step that allows tumors to metastasize and spread throughout the body.
  
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• World's tallest wood building completed: 18 storeys

  30-09-2016 20:58
  The mass wood structure and façade has been completed for UBC's Brock Commons student residence -- the world's tallest wood building at 18 storeys (53 metres, about 174 feet) -- four months ahead of schedule, showcasing the advantages of building with wood.
  
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• New weapon for hard-to-treat bacterial infections

  30-09-2016 20:58
  Health workers may soon have a new weapon in the fight against abscesses -- difficult-to-treat bacterial infections that lead to millions of emergency-room visits every year. Researchers successfully prevented drug-resistant bacteria from forming abscesses, or painful pus-filled lesions, using a peptide, or mini-protein. The peptide worked by disrupting the bacteria's stress response.
  
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• Ancient global cooling gave rise to modern ecosystems

  30-09-2016 20:44
  Sea surface temperatures dipped dramatically during a period from 7 million to 5.4 million years ago, a time of massive global ecological change, scientists have discovered.
  
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• Formaldehyde damages proteins, not just DNA

  30-09-2016 20:43
  Formaldehyde, a common toxicant and carcinogen recently subjected to new federal regulations, may be more dangerous than previously thought, a new study suggests.
  
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• Details of mysterious Utah Zika-related death: Transmission by tears or sweat

  30-09-2016 20:30
  The first Zika virus-related death in the continental U.S. occurred in June of this year, but even now, months later, two aspects of this case continue to puzzle health experts. First, why did this patient die? It is quite rare for a Zika infection to cause severe illness in adults, much less death. Second, how did another individual, who visited the first while in the hospital, become ill from Zika? This second patient did not do anything that was known at the time to put people at risk for con
  
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• VR an eye-popping new canvas for artists using Tilt Brush

  30-09-2016 19:44 via cbc.ca
  
  Virtual reality isn't just for gamers and engineers anymore: visual artists are dabbling with the technology to make eye-popping artworks.
  
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• Fat cells that amplify nerve signals in response to cold also affect blood sugar metabolism, researchers report

  30-09-2016 19:05
  When exposed to cold, clusters of cells within the body's white fat become beige -- a color change that reflects the creation of more energy-producing mitochondria, cellular components that enable cells to burn calories and give off heat. But since white fat cells have very few nerves, how do beige fat cells get the message that it’s cold outside?
  
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• People's love of beer shaped yeast's genetic history

  30-09-2016 19:00 via cbc.ca
  
  A group of Belgian researchers has discovered that the yeast used to brew beer today started its life more than 500 years ago, and it’s our love of the frothy beverage that shaped the microbe’s genetic history.
  
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• Global carbon emissions have broken a terrifying record and there is no going back

  30-09-2016 18:20
  
  Levels are unlikely to sink back below 400ppm, even if we stop emitting all man-made carbon dioxide today.
  
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• Noncoding mutations disrupt cooperative function of 'gene families' in rare genetic disorder

  30-09-2016 18:04
  Scientists say they are one step closer to understanding the genetic mechanism of a rare, complex, multiple-gene disorder called Hirschsprung’s disease. Their results suggest that many patients develop the disease when multiple mutations in gene regulatory sequences of a specific gene combine to destroy the normal cooperative function of a whole network of genes.
  
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• First evidence of deep-sea animals ingesting microplastics

  30-09-2016 18:04
  Scientists working in the mid-Atlantic and south-west Indian Ocean have found evidence of microfibers ingested by deep sea animals including hermit crabs, squat lobsters and sea cucumbers, revealing for the first time the environmental fallout of microplastic pollution.
  
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• Registry data used to examine oral anticoagulant therapy, appropriate use

  30-09-2016 18:02
  The American College of Cardiology's National Cardiovascular Data Registry was the source of data for research published throughout 2016, including a study examining if atrial fibrillation patients are being prescribed oral anticoagulants, how appropriate use criteria correlates to angioplasty rates and the variation among racial groups for revascularization procedures.
  
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• Lake brownification, eutrophication decrease the content of essential fatty acids in fish used in human diets

  30-09-2016 18:02
  Eutrophication and brownification change phytoplankton community structure and decrease the production of essential omega-3 fatty acids in lakes. Perch growing in oligotrophic clear-water lakes contain 1.5-1.9 times more essential omega-3 fatty acids than those grown in eutrophic and brown-water lakes.
  
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• Advancing non-animal testing methods: First set of novel knowledge tools published

  30-09-2016 18:02
  An adverse outcome pathway, or AOP, is a highly structured way of describing a toxicological process which can lead to an adverse health effect in humans or wildlife, caused by an unsafe exposure to a chemical substance. The first five adverse outcome pathways have now been published by experts. The AOPs are novel knowledge management tools in toxicology and are useful for supporting risk assessment to human health. They are also valuable for helping to avoid animal testing through the use of al
  
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• Mission Complete: Rosetta says farewell with comet crash-landing

  30-09-2016 17:56
  
  BERLIN (Reuters) - The Rosetta spacecraft ended its historic mission on Friday, crashing on the surface of the dusty, icy comet it has spent 12 years chasing in a hunt that has provided insight into the early days of the solar system and captured the public's imagination.
  
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• Final descent image from Rosetta spacecraft

  30-09-2016 17:37
  A new image of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft shortly before its controlled impact into the comet's surface on Sept. 30, 2016. The final descent gave Rosetta the opportunity to study the comet's gas, dust and plasma environment very close to its surface, as well as take very high-resolution images.
  
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• World's deepest underwater cave found in the Czech Republic

  30-09-2016 17:19
  
  WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A team of explorers say they've found the world's deepest underwater cave, located at least 404 meters (1,325 feet) down a limestone formation in the eastern Czech Republic.
  
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• Massive U.K. Brain-Mapping Project Releases First Results

  30-09-2016 17:15 via rss.sciam.com
  
  The UK Biobank Imaging Study aims to track brain health in 100,000 individuals as part of a long-running effort to understand how diseases develop
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Nature has a dog problem

  30-09-2016 17:00
  
  Free-roaming dogs spread disease, kill wildlife by the thousands and have even caused extinctions. But their full effect on the environment has been little studied.
  
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• Europe's comet probe Rosetta ends 12-year mission with crash

  30-09-2016 16:58
  
  BERLIN (AP) — After 12 years of hurtling through space in pursuit of a comet, the Rosetta probe ended its mission Friday with a slow-motion crash onto the icy surface of the alien world it was sent out to study.
  
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• Eight Cartoons that Expose Climate Denial

  30-09-2016 16:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  A famous scientist and a famous cartoonist dismantle what they see as the biggest threat to the planet
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• 8 Cartoons That Expose Climate Denial [Slide Show]

  30-09-2016 16:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  A famous scientist and a famous cartoonist dismantle what they see as the biggest threat to the planet
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• 8 Cartoons That Expose Climate Denial

  30-09-2016 16:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  A famous scientist and a famous cartoonist dismantle what they see as the biggest threat to the planet
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• This is definitely the cutest Twitter account ever run by a spacecraft

  30-09-2016 15:59
  
  The Rosetta’s account documented the crash in the best way possible.
  
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• Samsung recommends washing bedding on delicate to prevent injury risk in top-loading washers

  30-09-2016 15:54 via cbc.ca
  
  ​Samsung says it is working with Health Canada to address potential safety issues with certain top-loading, high-efficiency washing machines that can vibrate to the point where they could pose a risk of injury or property damage.
  
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• I'll Bee There for You: Do Insects Feel Emotions?

  30-09-2016 15:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  These winged pollinators appear to have emotions, but it’s an open question whether they subjectively experience feelings
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Rosetta: Mission control confirms probe has 'crash landed'

  30-09-2016 15:25 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Mission control in Darmstadt, Germany, react to confirmation that the Rosetta probe has ended its mission to Comet 67P by crash-landing on to the icy object's surface.
  
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• Famine killing tens of thousands in Boko Haram region - U.N.

  30-09-2016 15:19
  By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people are dying of hunger in the area of west Africa where Boko Haram militants are active, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the region, told a news conference on Friday. About 65,000 people are in a "catastrophe" or "phase 5" situation, according to a food security assessment by the IPC, the recognised classification system on declaring famines. Phase 5 applies when, even with humanitarian assistance, "starvation, death and destitution"
  
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• Rosetta mission: 'Really sad, but the legacy lives on'

  30-09-2016 15:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Professor Monica Grady of the Open University gives her reaction to the Rosetta probe crash landing into the comet it has been studying for two years.
  
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• Rosetta: British scientists and role of UK Space Agency

  30-09-2016 15:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Where now for British scientists and plans to explore the galaxy?
  
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• Genetically engineered crops are safe, review of studies finds

  30-09-2016 15:02
  Genetically engineered crops are no different from conventional crops in terms of their risks to human health and the environment, according to a new report.
  
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• What's in a face? Study shows puberty changes facial recognition

  30-09-2016 15:00
  Faces are as unique as fingerprints and can reveal a great deal of information about our health, personalities, age, and feelings. Researchers recently discovered adolescents begin to view faces differently as they prepare for the transition to adulthood. The ability of adolescents to retune their face processing system, from showing a bias toward adult female faces as children, to preferring peer faces that match their own developmental stage in puberty, is part of the social metamorphosis that
  
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• Heavy hitters: Obesity rate soars among professional baseball players

  30-09-2016 14:59
  Major League Baseball players have become overwhelmingly overweight and obese during the last quarter century, say health researchers. They found that the athletes' weight held steady for over 100 years, with the majority of them weighing in at what is considered "normal," -- i.e., with a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9. However, around 1991 the average player's BMI began to rise, and over the last 25 years nearly 80 percent of players fall into the overweight or obese category with
  
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• Universal flu vaccine designed by scientists

  30-09-2016 14:58
  Scientists have designed a new generation of universal flu vaccines to protect against future global pandemics that could kill millions. Researchers researchers have devised two universal vaccines; a USA-specific vaccine with coverage of 95% of known US influenza strains; and a universal vaccine with coverage of 88% of known flu strains globally.
  
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• Feral chickens spread light on evolution

  30-09-2016 14:58
  Different genes are involved during the adaptation of a domestic animal to life in the wild than when a wild animal becomes domesticated, concludes a new study. The results increase our understanding of what happens as a species evolves.
  
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• Polish explorer says he's found deepest underwater cave

  30-09-2016 14:47
  
  WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A team of explorers say they have discovered the world's deepest underwater cave, 404 meters (1,325 feet) down, near the eastern Czech town of Hranice.
  
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• Rosetta spacecraft lands on comet, ends mission

  30-09-2016 14:19
  
  The Rosetta mission comes to an end as spacecraft touches down on surface of comet 67P/ Churyumov–Gerasimenko.
  
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• New genetic variations discovered

  30-09-2016 14:09
  New research identifies 17 rare human genetic variations associated with risk factors for diseases. The study shows how large scale genomic datasets can be used to help identify potential novel biological targets for studying cardiovascular and other diseases.
  
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• With worrisome animal research, more focus needed on effects of cannabis on human development

  30-09-2016 14:08
  In this new era of legalized marijuana, far too little research has been conducted on the effect of cannabis on the development of human embryos, say researchers who scoured medical literature on the topic and found what they say is worrisome animal research.
  
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• We all got pretty emotional over Rosetta's crash landing

  30-09-2016 14:08
  
  The spacecraft has completed its last mission.
  
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• Caffeine-based compounds show promise against Parkinson's disease

  30-09-2016 14:08
  Two caffeine-based chemical compounds have been developed that show promise in preventing the ravages of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease attacks the nervous system, causing uncontrolled shakes, muscle stiffness, and slow, imprecise movement, chiefly in middle-aged and elderly people. It is caused by the loss of brain cells (neurons) that produce dopamine, an essential neurotransmitter that allows neurons to “talk” to each other.
  
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• As the thermostat goes up, COPD symptoms may worsen

  30-09-2016 14:08
  High indoor temperatures appear to worsen symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, particularly in homes that also have high levels of air pollutants, according to new research.
  
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• Why aren't some dogs walked regularly?

  30-09-2016 14:07
  A new study has examined why some people feel motivated to walk their dogs regularly and others don’t.
  
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