Science news

• How Europe's Space Agency Is Helping Preserve the Vatican Library

  09-11-2016 23:24
  
  The partnership between the two organizations follows a five-year effort to digitize the library’s collection using a special file format called Flexible Image Transport System (FITS), which was developed by NASA and ESA in the 1970s. Both NASA and ESA use the FITS file format to preserve data from numerous space missions and make it accessible to future generations. Previous preservation methods that were used by the Vatican library involved scanning the delicate files while those files w
  
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• Why November's Super-Close Supermoon Is a Full Beaver Moon

  09-11-2016 23:00
  
  An alternative name for November's full moon is the Frost Moon, which was also coined by Native Americans, according to the Almanac. November's supermoon will be the largest since 1948, and the full moon will not come this close to Earth again until Nov. 25, 2034, according to NASA.
  
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• Astronauts on Mars: New Book Shows What It Will Take to Get There

  09-11-2016 23:00
  
  Sending people to Mars won't be easy, but the journey isn't entirely out of reach. A new book published by National Geographic explains how the human race can conquer the challenges of getting to Mars and thriving on the Red Planet, blurring the lines between science fiction and reality. In the new work, "Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet," award-winning journalist (and Space.com contributor) Leonard David takes readers on a journey to the future to show what it would take for people to travel
  
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• Stone adze points to ancient burial rituals in Ireland

  09-11-2016 22:33
  
  A polished stone tool discovered in Ireland’s earliest known gravesite helps scientists revive an ancient burial ceremony.
  
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• Babysitters are a big help for chimpanzee moms, study finds

  09-11-2016 22:33 via cbc.ca
  
  A good babysitter can make all the difference — for humans and for chimpanzees. A new study out of the University of Toronto has found that wild chimpanzee mothers who get help parenting their offspring are able to wean their young earlier and reproduce faster.
  
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• Rare molecule on Venus may help explain planet's weather

  09-11-2016 22:22 via cbc.ca
  
  Venus has been called a planet with a runaway greenhouse effect. Astronomers haven't been able to understand the mechanism behind it — until now.
  
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• Ocean plastic emits chemical that tricks seabirds into eating trash

  09-11-2016 20:00
  
  Some seabirds might be eating plastic because it emits a chemical that smells like food.
  
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• How Quickly Could Obamacare Be Erased?

  09-11-2016 19:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Certain congressional actions could help overcome the threat of a Senate filibuster 
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• Monkey regains control of paralyzed limb with wireless 'brain-spine interface'

  09-11-2016 19:20 via cbc.ca
  For the first time, a primate regained control of a paralyzed limb with the help of a brain implant that wirelessly restored communication between its brain and spinal cord — a breakthrough that could have major implications for people recovering from spinal injuries.
  
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• How President-Elect Trump Views Science 

  09-11-2016 18:45 via rss.sciam.com
  
  The victor’s opinions about 20 subjects, from climate change to public health 
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• Climate change: Nations will push ahead with plans despite Trump

  09-11-2016 18:19 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Countries say they are prepared to move ahead on climate change without the US if Donald Trump pulls out of the Paris agreement.
  
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• Record hot year may be the new normal by 2025

  09-11-2016 17:47
  The hottest year on record globally in 2015 could be just another average year by 2025 if carbon emissions continue to rise at their current rate, according to new research.
  
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• If you thought 2015 was hot, just wait

  09-11-2016 17:28
  
  The record-setting global temperatures seen in 2015 could be the “new normal” as soon as the 2020s.
  
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• Astro Cameras Help Mosques Schedule Prayer Times

  09-11-2016 17:12
  
  Camera technology designed for astrophysics research is helping a network of mosques in the United Kingdom schedule dawn prayers — known as fajr — that can be observed at the same times across communities. Fajr is traditionally practiced at daybreak, but different calculations of when the sun rises can lead to prayer times that vary greatly — as much as 45 minutes, even between mosques that are close together, reported the Times. The so-called OpenFajr project, launched by Dr.
  
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• What Triggered Tsunamis that Demolished Bronze-Age Civilization?

  09-11-2016 17:11
  
  The historic eruption of the Greek volcano Thera in about 1650 B.C. triggered massive tsunamis and led to the end of the dominant civilization in the Mediterranean. Now, researchers say these destructive tsunamis may have been generated by the flow of volcanic material into the sea, challenging previous explanations, according to a new study. Studies of the Bronze Age disaster led scientists to think the collapse of the volcanic crater (called the caldera) into the sea caused tsunamis after the
  
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• Severe weather warnings in Scotland and northern England as snow falls

  09-11-2016 17:08
  
  Drivers beware.
  
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• Swirls of Planet Birth Revealed with ESO's Very Large Telescope (Photos)

  09-11-2016 16:46
  
  A trio of planet-forming swirls have been imaged around young stars, revealing the baby pictures of three faraway systems. "The interaction between protoplanetary discs and growing planets can shape the discs into various forms: vast rings, spiral arms or shadowed voids," ESO officials said in a statement.
  
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• Why Donald Trump's election might be a disaster for the environment

  09-11-2016 16:21
  
  He has previously pledged to pull out of the Paris Agreement.
  
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• Hydro power a risk to human health, says Harvard paper on methylmercury

  09-11-2016 15:51 via cbc.ca
  
  A scientific paper published Wednesday by researchers at Harvard University says 11 other proposed hydroelectric sites in Canada would have even higher levels of methylmercury than at Muskrat Falls in Labrador.
  
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• 11 hydro projects even worse for health than Muskrat Falls, Harvard study

  09-11-2016 15:51 via cbc.ca
  
  A scientific paper published Wednesday by researchers at Harvard University says 11 other proposed hydroelectric sites in Canada would have even higher levels of methylmercury than at Muskrat Falls in Labrador.
  
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• Biomarker research offers new hope in the fight against prostate cancer

  09-11-2016 15:31
  
  A new molecule could deliver targeted treatments.
  
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• Trump win the 'most miserable U.S. election result' for fighting climate change, scientists say

  09-11-2016 15:25 via cbc.ca
  
  The election of a U.S. president who has called global warming a "hoax" raised questions Wednesday about America's involvement in the Paris Agreement on climate change — and the future of the deal itself.
  
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• Trump win a 'disaster' in the fight against climate change, scientists and environmentalists say

  09-11-2016 15:25 via cbc.ca
  
  The election of a U.S. president who has called global warming a "hoax" raised questions Wednesday about America's involvement in the Paris Agreement on climate change — and the future of the deal itself.
  
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• Researchers find key to drug resistant bowel cancer

  09-11-2016 15:03
  Blcoking a molecule could bypass bowel cancer’s defense against the drug cetuximab, according to new research.
  
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• Personality tests for fish could help boost reproduction rates

  09-11-2016 15:03
  Aquaculture experts have found the way fish, Senegalese sole, cope with stress is determined by their personality and remains consistent regardless of the situation they are in.
  
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• New regulator in glucose metabolism discovered

  09-11-2016 15:03
  A key genetic switch in the liver regulates glucose metabolism and insulin action in other organs of the body, scientists have discovered.
  
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• New approach predicts price trends in the stock options market

  09-11-2016 15:03
  A novel method to identify how options traders exploit mutual fund non-fundamental price pressure on aggregate stock prices is outlined in a new paper.
  
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• Marker for aggressive prostate cancer doubles-up as a drug target

  09-11-2016 15:03
  A marker found on aggressive prostate cancer cells could also be used as a way to guide treatments to the cancer, according to new research.
  
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• Giving more pregnant women common thyroid medicine may reduce risk of complications

  09-11-2016 15:03
  Extending the number of pregnant women given the common drug levothyroxine to boost thyroid hormone levels may lead to a reduced number of stillbirths, early caesarean sections and low-weight babies, according to a new study.
  
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• Dyke inspection robot with an innovative powertrain

  09-11-2016 15:03
  Future robots that continuously inspect our dykes, don’t come across an electrical charging station every few hours. Using a smart gear box for the robot, a researcher manages to drastically reduce the energy consumption. The energy-autonomous robot comes closer.
  
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• Comet Chury is much younger than previously thought

  09-11-2016 15:03
  Based on computer simulations, astrophysicists conclude that the comet Chury did not obtain its duck-like form during the formation of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago. Although it does contain primordial material, they are able to show that the comet in its present form is hardly more than a billion years old.
  
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• Urinary incontinence is common also in women who have not given birth

  09-11-2016 14:58
  Women who have not given birth often end up under the radar for research on urinary incontinence. In a study of this group, however, one in five women over 45 years say they experience this type of incontinence.
  
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• Sculpting solar systems: Instrument reveals protoplanetary discs being shaped by newborn planets

  09-11-2016 14:58
  Three teams of astronomers have made use of SPHERE, an advanced exoplanet-hunting instrument on the Very Large Telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory, in order to shed light on the enigmatic evolution of fledgling planetary systems. The explosion in the number of known exoplanets in recent years has made the study of them one of the most dynamic fields in modern astronomy.
  
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• Microscopic sensor for more precise radiology treatments

  09-11-2016 14:58
  A team of researchers is the first in the world to succeed in quantifying the effects of radiation on individual cancer cells. This means that radiation therapies can now be tailored to individual tumors and thus be more effective.
  
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• Excessive BMI increase during puberty identified as a new risk factor for mortality due to cardiovascular disease

  09-11-2016 14:58
  Boys with a large increase in body mass index (BMI) during puberty are at increased risk of death due to cardiovascular disease later in life. There is no corresponding risk among boys overweight when younger and who have normal weight during adolescence, according to a study.
  
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• Young planets carve rings and spirals in the gas around their suns

  09-11-2016 14:07
  
  New telescope images show rings and spiral arms in disks encircling young stars, suggesting the presence of actively growing planets.
  
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• Florida polls split on GM mosquitoes

  09-11-2016 13:33 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Voters across one Florida county have signalled their approval for releasing genetically modified mosquitoes in a bid to fight Zika.
  
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• Full Ariane 6 rocket funding is unlocked by Esa

  09-11-2016 13:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A final sum of €1.7bn (£1.5bn) is committed to Airbus Safran Launchers to enable it to develop Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket.
  
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• The Future of Space: Top Issues Facing President-Elect Donald Trump

  09-11-2016 12:45
  
  Most of the conversations between President-elect Trump and Congress will probably involve immigration, health care, the economy and other similarly high-profile issues. One of the hottest topics will likely be the direction of NASA's human-spaceflight program, said Brian Weeden, a technical adviser for the nonprofit Secure World Foundation. In his first term, President Barack Obama canceled George W. Bush's moon-oriented Constellation program and instructed NASA to get astronauts to a near-Eart
  
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• What the 2016 Election Results Mean for Health

  09-11-2016 11:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Voters sent some strong signals on marijuana use and assisted suicide
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Mangalyaan Money: India Celebrates Mars Orbiter Mission on New Banknote

  09-11-2016 11:00
  
  Three years (and five days) after it was launched to circle Mars, India's first interplanetary probe is now entering circulation on the back side of the country's new banknote. The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday (Nov. 8) revealed the new bill, part of the "Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series" of banknotes, which features an illustration on its reverse of the Indian Space Research Organization's Mangalyaan or Mars Orbiter Mission that was launched on Nov. 5, 2013. The bill has a face value of 2000 rupe
  
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• France says would have to clarify key issues on Syria, Iran if Trump wins

  09-11-2016 08:43
  France would need to clarify with the United States key issues such as the conflict in Syria, Iran's nuclear deal and climate change, if Donald Trump became the U.S. President, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday. Jean-Marc Ayrault also told France 2 Television that he thought Trump's personality raised "questions".
  
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• Who has the better memory -- men or women?

  09-11-2016 06:00
  
  (The North American Menopause Society (NAMS)) In the battle of the sexes, women have long claimed that they can remember things better and longer than men can. A new study proves that middle-aged women outperform age-matched men on all memory measures, although memory does decline as women enter postmenopause. The study is being published online today in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society.
  
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• When crystal vibrations' inner clock drives superconductivity

  09-11-2016 06:00
  
  (Springer) Superconductivity is like an Eldorado for electrons, as they flow without resistance through a conductor. However, it only occurs below a very low critical temperature. Physicists now believe they can enhance superconductivity. Andreas Komnik from the University of Heidelberg and Michael Thorwart from the University of Hamburg, Germany, adapted the simplest theory of superconductivity to reflect the consequences of externally driving the occurrence of phonons. Their main result is pub
  
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• What makes Francisella such a bad actor?

  09-11-2016 06:00
  (University of Washington Health Sciences/UW Medicine) New technologies and techniques are giving scientists an insider's look behind the notorious infectivity of Francisella tularensis, the cause oftularemia in humans, rabbits and rodents, among others.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies F. tularensis as a Category A bioterrorism agent and tracks tularemia cases nationwide. Despite years of study, how these microbes cause such severe disease remains mysterious.This latest
  
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• Visitors to countryside not attracted by conservation importance

  09-11-2016 06:00
  
  (University of East Anglia) Countryside visitors choose where to go based on the presence of features such as coastline, woodland or abundant footpaths, rather than a site's importance to conservation, according to new research. While conservation organisations stress the important health, psychological and emotional wellbeing benefits of connecting people to nature, it isn't the sites with the highest conservation importance which people choose to visit.
  
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• Two NASA Goddard employees win Women in Aerospace awards

  09-11-2016 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Dr. Colleen Hartman and Dr. Holly Gilbert of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., recently received awards for their contributions to the aerospace community.
  
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• Trickling electrons

  09-11-2016 06:00
  (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft) Close to absolute zero, the particles exhibit their quantum nature.
  
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• Toward a hand-held 'breathalyzer' for diagnosing diabetes

  09-11-2016 06:00
  
  (American Chemical Society) For several years, scientists have been working toward 'breathalyzers' that can diagnose various diseases without painful pinpricks, needles or other unpleasant methods. Now, one team has developed a new, portable breath analyzer that could someday help doctors diagnose diabetes noninvasively in the office. The report appears in the ACS journal Analytical Chemistry.
  
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• The thinnest photodetector in the world

  09-11-2016 06:00
  (Institute for Basic Science) Graphene-based device could accelerate the development of 2-D photoelectronics.
  
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