Science news

• Cosmic ‘barcode’ from distant galaxy confirms Nature’s constancy

  15-11-2016 23:51
  Astronomers have precisely measured the strength of a fundamental force of Nature in a galaxy seen eight billion years in the past. Researchers have confirmed that electromagnetism in a distant galaxy has the same strength as here on Earth.
  
  Read more

• Sounds and glowing screens impair mouse brains

  15-11-2016 23:30
  
  Too much light and noise screws up developing mice’s brains.
  
  Read more

• Hawaii land board seeks quick dismissal of telescope appeal

  15-11-2016 23:29
  HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii's land board is urging the state Supreme Court to quickly dismiss an appeal by opponents of a proposed telescope on a dormant Big Island volcano that is viewed as sacred by some Native Hawaiians.
  
  Read more

• Restless sleep associated with heart rhythm problems

  15-11-2016 23:00
  
  Poor sleep, even without apnea, is tied to heart rhythm problems.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• New online tool aims to help people pronounce your name

  15-11-2016 22:58 via cbc.ca
  
  It can be a frustrating experience when people say your name incorrectly. But now, there's an online tool to help others say your name correctly. CBC Radio technology columnist Dan Misener looks at Vocalizer.
  
  Read more

• Possible explanation for recurring breast cancer

  15-11-2016 22:43
  Many breast cancer survivors worry that their breast cancer may come back. Recurrence has puzzled scientists and health care providers, recognizing that it can suddenly reappear, often with a vengeance, months or years after treatment is over. Now, researchers have found that dormant tumor cells might have become latent because they cannibalized--basically ate--the body's own stem cells.
  
  Read more

• Zika virus can live for hours on hard, non-porous surfaces

  15-11-2016 22:42
  The Zika virus is most commonly transmitted in humans as the result of a bite from an infected mosquito or from an infected human to another human. What is not well known is that the virus also can be transmitted via the environment if an individual is pricked with an infected needle or has an open cut and comes in contact with the live virus. While there are no known cases to date of the general public being infected with the Zika virus through the environment, there has been at least one docum
  
  Read more

• Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week: Here's What to Expect

  15-11-2016 22:41
  
  This week, one of the most famous of the annual meteor displays is due to reach its peak: the Leonid meteor shower. According to Margaret Campbell-Brown and Peter Brown in the 2016 edition of the "Observer's Handbook" by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the Leonids should be at their best early Thursday, Nov. 17, at 6 a.m. EST (1100 GMT).
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Double-charging material makes a run in the sun extra powerful

  15-11-2016 22:31
  
  Textile stores energy from the sun and a person’s movements to power devices.
  
  Read more

• It's a bad time to be in the fake news business too

  15-11-2016 22:21 via cbc.ca
  
  Both Facebook and Google announced new measures on Monday intended to curb the spread of fake news on its platforms by going after those publishers' primary source of revenue — ads.
  
  Read more

• Exclusive - Billionaire green activist Steyer vows to battle Trump, says money not an issue

  15-11-2016 22:15
  By Richard Valdmanis BOSTON (Reuters) - Billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer, who has spent more than $140 million on fighting climate change, said on Tuesday he will spend whatever it takes to fight President-elect Donald Trump's pro-drilling and anti-regulation agenda. The former hedge fund manager from California is putting together a strategy that will "engage voters and citizens to fight back" once Trump takes the White House in January, he told Reuters in an interview. Instead, he
  
  Read more

• A rising tide of heart attacks followed Hurricane Katrina

  15-11-2016 21:09
  Ten years after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, hospital admissions for heart attacks in the city were three times higher than they were before the storm, according to new research.
  
  Read more

• The aging brain benefits from distraction

  15-11-2016 21:07
  As you age, you may find it more difficult to focus on certain tasks. But while distractions can be frustrating, they may not be as bad as we think. In a new report, researchers suggest that there may be some benefits to reduced focus, especially in people over 50. Using behavioral studies and neuroimaging evidence, the researchers discuss how being easily distracted can help adults with, for example, problem solving and learning new information.
  
  Read more

• People with Ebola may not always show symptoms

  15-11-2016 21:06
  25 percent of individuals in a Sierra Leone village were infected with the Ebola virus but had no symptoms, a research team has determined, suggesting broader transmission of the virus than originally thought.
  
  Read more

• Research suggests 'missed opportunities' to prescribe drugs for stroke prevention

  15-11-2016 21:02
  An analysis of the records of UK patients who had experienced a stroke has found that over half of those who should get drugs to prevent strokes were not prescribed them.
  
  Read more

• Antibiotic restores cell communication in brain areas damaged by Alzheimer's-like disease in mice

  15-11-2016 21:02
  New research has found a way to partially restore brain cell communication around areas damaged by plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease.
  
  Read more

• Researchers develop way to 'fingerprint' the brain

  15-11-2016 21:01
  Using a new imaging technique, researchers have confirmed what scientists have always thought to be true: the structural connections in the brain are unique to each individual person.
  
  Read more

• '14 Minutes from Earth' Highlights Perils of Death-Defying Skydive

  15-11-2016 21:00
  
  A new documentary chronicles the years-long journey of former Google executive Alan Eustace to complete the highest-altitude skydive in history. On Oct. 24, 2014, Eustace rode a helium-filled balloon to an altitude of more than 25 miles (40 kilometers) above New Mexico — about 18 miles (29 km) above the typical cruising altitude of commercial airliners. The new movie "14 Minutes from Earth" gives some insight into Eustace's motivations, but primarily documents the incredible engineering ch
  
  Read more

• 'Princess Leia' brainwaves help sleeping brain store memories

  15-11-2016 20:58
  Every night while you sleep, electrical waves of brain activity circle around each side of your brain, tracing a pattern that, were it on the surface of your head, might look like the twin hair buns of Star Wars' Princess Leia. The scientists who discovered these circular "Princess Leia" oscillations think the waves are responsible each night for forming associations between different aspects of a day's memories.
  
  Read more

• Potent antibody that neutralizes nearly all HIV strains identified

  15-11-2016 20:57
  Scientists have identified an antibody from an HIV-infected person that potently neutralized 98 percent of HIV isolates tested, including 16 of 20 strains resistant to other antibodies of the same class. The remarkable breadth and potency of this antibody, named N6, make it an attractive candidate for further development to potentially treat or prevent HIV infection, say the researchers.
  
  Read more

• Q&A: One of the Brains behind the China Brain Project [Video]

  15-11-2016 20:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  A leader of the recently announced effort describes its goal of helping the world’s aging population find desperately needed treatments for psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Algeria's Bouteflika returns from medical check-up in France - state media

  15-11-2016 19:27
  Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika returned home on Tuesday after an eight-day trip to France for a medical check-up, state media reported. A statement from the Algerian presidency broadcast on state radio said Bouteflika "underwent periodic medical checks" during a private visit to Grenoble, without giving further details. Bouteflika, a veteran of Algeria's 1954-62 independence war, has governed the North African OPEC state for more than 15 years, and was re-elected in 2014 after a campaig
  
  Read more

• Study explores how immune system functions during sleep

  15-11-2016 19:25
  Researchers have found new insights into sleep’s importance to overall health: it may give the immune system a chance to regroup at a time when the relative risk of infection is low. As the foundation of the human body’s immune system, large quantities of T cells—a type of white blood cell—are present in the bloodstream and are ready to attack viruses and other pathogens that invade the body.
  
  Read more

• Smoke + hot temperatures = increased SIDS risk

  15-11-2016 19:25
  Researchers are a step closer to understanding why cigarette smoke exposure during pregnancy may increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is the unexplained, sudden death of a child younger than one year of age. A new study finds that prenatal cigarette smoke exposure in rats affected breathing responses and immune function of their offspring. Breathing and immune function are further negatively affected by high room temperatures.
  
  Read more

• New technology aims to make photovoltaic cells 70% more efficient

  15-11-2016 19:25
  A technology has been developed that could improve the efficiency of photovoltaic cells by nearly 70 percent. The breakthrough could be a key for harnessing the power of the sun to meet the world’s energy consumption demands.
  
  Read more

• Technology lights the way for quantum computing

  15-11-2016 19:23
  Researchers have developed scalable, electrically driven photon sources to drive powerful quantum technologies, outlines a new report.
  
  Read more

• What makes your perfect cup of coffee?

  15-11-2016 19:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The BBC's Bryony Hopkins asked Londoners for their idea of the perfect cup of coffee.
  
  Read more

• Super Mario Run hits iPhone, iPad on Dec. 15

  15-11-2016 19:03 via cbc.ca
  
  Nintendo has announced a release date and price for Super Mario Run, the company's first mobile app to feature its marquee mascot.
  
  Read more

• The clouds came between us and the supermoon but there's still hope...

  15-11-2016 18:33
  
  “We still have a chance to enjoy the sight if the weather obliges.”
  
  Read more

• Twitter announces new features to thwart cyberbullying

  15-11-2016 18:32 via cbc.ca
  
  Twitter, facing pressure for not doing enough to curb abusive behaviour on its platform, said on Tuesday it would upgrade some features to better combat cyberbullying.
  
  Read more

• Scientists devise more accurate system for predicting risks of new chemical products

  15-11-2016 18:32
  A new structural alert system could reduce years and millions of dollars from bringing a new drug or product to market, report scientists.
  
  Read more

• Following a healthy lifestyle can greatly reduce genetic heart attack risk

  15-11-2016 18:21
  It is well known that following a healthy lifestyle -- not smoking, avoiding excess weight and getting regular exercise -- can reduce the risk of heart disease. But what about people who have inherited gene variants known to increase risk? A study has found that, even among those at high genetic risk, following a healthy lifestyle can cut in half the probability of a heart attack or similar event.
  
  Read more

• What can Google tell us about 'the memory web' in the brain?

  15-11-2016 18:15
  Associations are a key memory mechanism - to remember personal experiences like meeting a person in a place, we create associations between the concepts involved. A research team used internet search engines such as Google and Bing for establishing degree of association between concepts and how these associations are encoded by neurons in memory areas. The study reveals the neural mechanism underlying 'the memory web', as neurons showed a long term coding of meaningful associations
  
  Read more

• For First Nations people, effects of European contact are recorded in the genome

  15-11-2016 18:14
  A study of the genomes of 25 individuals who lived 1,000 to 6,000 years ago on the north coast of present-day British Columbia, and 25 of their descendants who still live in the region today, opens a new window on the catastrophic consequences of European colonization for indigenous peoples in that part of the world.
  
  Read more

• There’s something cool about Arctic bird poop

  15-11-2016 18:11
  
  Ammonia from seabird poop helps brighten clouds in the Arctic, slightly cooling the region’s climate.
  
  Read more

• LED lights attract fewer insects than other lights

  15-11-2016 18:03
  Domestic LED lights are much less attractive to nuisance insects such as biting midges than traditional filament lamps, new research has revealed.
  
  Read more

• Widespread evidence of prehistoric dairying discovered along the Mediterranean coast

  15-11-2016 18:02
  An inter-disciplinary team of scientists and archaeologists has discovered widespread evidence of prehistoric milk production in southern Europe.
  
  Read more

• 'Project Blue' Space Telescope Launches Crowdfunding Campaign

  15-11-2016 18:01
  
  Project Blue, an ambitious initiative to directly image planets around the double suns of Alpha Centauri, has started crowdfunding for its space telescope. The initiative would launch a small space telescope designed specifically to look at Alpha Centauri, which, along with Proxima Centauri, is the nearest stellar neighbor to Earth's solar system.
  
  Read more

• Good drugs for bad bugs: Simple changes to antibiotic treatment of MRSA may help beat the bacteria

  15-11-2016 18:00
  Simple changes to the antibiotic treatment of MRSA may help beat the bacteria, explain scientists. 20% of patients infected with MRSA die from systemic infections. Antimicrobial resistance infections are projected to cause more deaths than cancer by 2050 if not addressed urgently.
  
  Read more

• Dakota Access pipeline delay a political tactic, company says

  15-11-2016 17:58 via cbc.ca
  
  The Army Corps of Engineers' decision to further delay construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline so it can continue studying the issue and gather more input from the Standing Rock Sioux reservation that opposes it is purely political, according to the company behind the project.
  
  Read more

• Too much fatty food could set children up for mental problems: Study in mice

  15-11-2016 17:48
  Chances are that children who eat excessive amounts of fatty foods will not only become obese, but will develop cognitive and psychiatric problems when they are older, a study in mice suggests. This is because, according to a recent study, diets rich in fat deplete the levels of a key protein known to help synapses in the brain to work properly. In turn, this leads to a dip in several forms of cognitive functions, such as behavioral flexibility and memory.
  
  Read more

• British hacking suspect Lauri Love fears he will die behind bars

  15-11-2016 17:33
  
  Lauri Love faces up to 99 years in jail in the US if he is found guilty of cyber-attacks against organisations including the FBI. Lauri Love, 31, who has Asperger syndrome, has spoken of his fears as his father called for "British justice for a British citizen". Mr Love is accused of stealing huge amounts of data from US agencies including the Federal Reserve, US Army, the Department of Defense, NASA and the FBI.
  
  Read more

• France, U.N. tell Trump action on climate change unstoppable

  15-11-2016 17:22
  By Aziz El Yaakoubi and Nina Chestney MARRAKESH, Morocco (Reuters) - France and the United Nations on Tuesday stepped up warnings to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump about the risks of quitting a 2015 global plan to combat climate change, saying a historic shift from fossil fuels is unstoppable. French President Francois Hollande, addressing almost 200 nations meeting in Morocco on ways to slow global warming, said that inaction would be "disastrous for future generations and it would be danger
  
  Read more

• Apollo 11 Astronauts Call on Lawmakers to Mint Coins for Moon Landing 50th

  15-11-2016 17:19
  
  Legislation calling for the U.S. Mint to issue coins commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing has gained the support of the surviving astronauts who flew on the historic mission. Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, who lifted off to the moon in July 1969 with the late Neil Armstrong, have each sent letters to Congress urging for the passage of the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act. The bill, which was first introduced in 2015, needs to be approved by both the U.S
  
  Read more

• Scientists uncover genetic evidence that 'we are what we eat'

  15-11-2016 17:17
  Researchers have demonstrated that the diets of organisms can affect the DNA sequences of their genes.
  
  Read more

• New way to image solar cells in 3-D

  15-11-2016 17:17
  Scientists have developed a way to use optical microscopy to map thin-film solar cells in 3-D as they absorb photons.
  
  Read more

• Organized prescription drug collection programs may have minimal impact on reducing availability of controlled medications

  15-11-2016 17:16
  More than 3.8 billion controlled medications, such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, Valium and Adderall, are dispensed by pharmacies annually in the United States. It has been estimated that only about 30 percent of these drugs are used by the people for whom they were prescribed. The remaining 70 percent represent a large surplus of controlled medications that could be abused or sold to others for abuse.
  
  Read more

• Exploring gigantic volcanic eruptions that caused worldwide mass extinctions

  15-11-2016 17:16
  A new article confirms a major feature in the formation of large igneous provinces -- massive worldwide volcanic eruptions that created incredibly high volumes of lava and triggered environmental catastrophes and mass extinctions from 170 to 90 million years ago.
  
  Read more

• Rheumatoid arthritis drugs: Direct switch has a beneficial effect

  15-11-2016 17:14
  For the first time, a multicentre study has compared the action of two rheumatoid arthritis drugs from the same class. The study established that the two TNF inhibitors investigated are equally effective. It was also shown that, if treatment is failing, patients can benefit from an "on-the-fly" switch from one drug to the other. For example, 40% of patients responded positively to the "new" drug. This could result in a paradigm shift in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
  
  Read more

• Microbes in your gut influence age-related macular degeneration

  15-11-2016 17:14
  Bacteria in your intestines may play an important role in determining if you will develop blinding wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
  
  Read more

Follow @ScienceUKnews on Twitter!