Science news

• Alpha Centauri Gets a New Moniker as 227 Star Names Are Clarified

  28-11-2016 22:30
  
  For example, the binary star Alpha Centauri, which lies 4.35 light-years from the sun, is now known officially as "Rigil Kentaurus," the ancient name for the system. The approved stellar names will not be available for asteroids, planetary satellites or exoplanets "so as to further reduce confusion," the IAU said of the listing.
  
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• Blue leaves help begonias harvest energy in low light

  28-11-2016 22:19
  
  The iridescent color of some begonias comes from tiny structures that also help the plant convert dim light into energy.
  
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• Hair Ball! How Cats' Tongues Get Them So Clean

  28-11-2016 21:55
  
  Alexis Noel, a mechanical engineer at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, began investigating the spines on cat tonguesafter she watched a cat lick a thick blanket and it immediately got its tongue stuck. "I was home for the holidays and watching TV with the family cats," Noel said. "When I was done laughing at this curious cat, the scientist in me began to question how a soft, wet tissue could stick to something so easily," Noel told Live Science.
  
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• Mining projects, big plantations mean Bolivia's drought hurts more - campaigners

  28-11-2016 21:12
  By Anastasia Moloney BOGOTA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Water shortages caused by Bolivia's worst drought in 25 years have been exacerbated by booming population growth in cities, poor infrastructure and the impact of big agricultural plantations and mining projects, campaigners say. Bolivia declared a national state of emergency last week as a prolonged drought has decimated crop harvests and cattle, affecting more than 177,000 families across the country. Environmental and land rights campa
  
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• San Francisco transit system hijacked by ransomware attack

  28-11-2016 21:06 via cbc.ca
  
  Over the weekend, users of San Francisco's Muni transit system were treated to a free ride when hackers took down their ticketing system.
  
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• Cut leaves in bagged salads help Salmonella grow

  28-11-2016 21:00
  
  Juice from torn-up leafy greens helps Salmonella spread in bagged salads.
  
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• Yemen's Houthis form government in setback to peace process

  28-11-2016 20:54
  Yemen's armed Houthi movement and its political allies formed a new government on Monday, the Houthi-run state news agency Saba reported, in what appeared a blow to U.N.-backed efforts to end 20 months of war in the country. Diplomats had hoped the Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa, would hold off on putting together a cabinet of their loyalists and instead form a unity government with their Yemeni foes, whom they pushed into Saudi exile. The Houthis, who control territory with more than ha
  
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• Nasa is offering a £24,000 prize to anyone who can solve its space poo problem

  28-11-2016 19:02
  
  The agency is looking for an innovative spacesuit design that can deal with human waste for up to six days.
  
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• Pope calls on world leaders to act swiftly on climate change pact

  28-11-2016 18:29 via cbc.ca
  
  Pope Francis urged national leaders on Monday to implement global environmental agreements without delay, a message that looked to be squarely aimed at U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
  
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• Unknown virus or toxin likely killed Aurora the beluga says Vancouver Aquarium

  28-11-2016 18:02 via cbc.ca
  
  An unknown virus or toxin is likely responsible for the death of Aurora the beluga whale and her calf says Vancouver Aquarium officials.
  
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• 'Miniantibodies' Reduce Inflammation and Pain

  28-11-2016 17:09
  
  Researchers in Europe say a new type of biological molecule called nanobodies, or miniantibodies, can block inflammation and reduce pain in mice — a technique they describe as a next-generation strategy against inflammatory diseases. In experiments on mice, the nanobodies appeared to be more effective at controlling inflammation than either regular antibodies or the anti-inflammatory drugs that are typically used, the researchers said. The nanobodies could one day be a potent treatment for
  
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• Exercise May Prevent the Inflammation That Comes with Overeating

  28-11-2016 17:07
  
  Exercise may protect against the inflammation that can come with overindulging for a week, a very small new study suggests. Previous studies have shown that even one week of overeating can impair people's glucose tolerance.However, none of the adults in the study developed impaired glucose tolerance. The samples showed that the study participants did not have increases in important markers of fat tissue inflammation, which otherwise would have been expected in people who consumed 30 percent extr
  
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• Tiny toxic proteins help gut bacteria defeat rivals

  28-11-2016 16:00
  
  A strain of E. coli makes competition-killing tiny proteins and soothes inflamed intestines.
  
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• Astronaut eye problems blamed on spinal fluid

  28-11-2016 15:38 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists might have found the root cause of vision problems that affect some astronauts.
  
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• 1st automated vehicles begin tests on Ontario roads

  28-11-2016 15:17 via cbc.ca
  
  The first automated vehicles are now operating on Ontario roads through a pilot project involving cars developed by the University of Waterloo, the Erwin Hymer Group and BlackBerry QNX.
  
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• Could virtual reality replace high street shopping in the next 30 years? Experts think so

  28-11-2016 14:48
  
  VR changing rooms and AI shop assistants could become the norm.
  
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• Japan Fukushima nuclear plant 'clean-up costs double'

  28-11-2016 14:40 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Japan estimates the cost of dealing with the Fukushima nuclear disaster has doubled, reports say.
  
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• Great Barrier Reef suffered worst bleaching on record in 2016, report finds

  28-11-2016 14:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  This year saw the worst-ever destruction of coral on the Great Barrier Reef, a new study finds.
  
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• Hidden Beneath Bolivian Volcano, Enough Water to Fill a Great Lake

  28-11-2016 13:52
  
  The Bolivian volcano Cerro Uturuncu is a massive barren peak rising from the high plateau of South America's Altiplano. There is no actual lake under Cerro Uturuncu — but there is an incredible amount of water locked up in the melted rock beneath the volcano, approximately enough to fill Lake Superior. This sort of dissolved water is a well-known driver of eruptions for volcanoes in subduction zones, where one piece of the Earth's crust is being pushed under another.
  
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• Muddy Demise: Bird-Like Dinosaur Died While Struggling to Free Itself

  28-11-2016 13:50
  
  More than 66 million years ago, a feathered dinosaur with two skinny legs and a bony crest on top of its head got mired in the mud, likely putting up a mighty struggle before dying and eventually fossilizing, a new study finds. The donkey-size dinosaur, known as an oviraptorid, was preserved nearly intact, and found lying on its chest with its neck and wings outstretched, the researchers said. Like other oviraptorids, which were close cousins to birds, it couldn't fly, but it had a sharp, toothl
  
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• Smash! Super-Stabby Mantis Shrimp Shows Off in Video

  28-11-2016 13:42
  
  The video, produced by KQED San Francisco's Deep Look, shows how some species of mantis shrimp use knockout blows to break open the shells of tasty snails. There are more than 400 species of mantis shrimp around the world, most of which live in subtropical and tropical waters. Mantis shrimp have long fascinated scientists because of the animal's array of near-superpowers.
  
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• Twisters Pop Up in Weird 'Big Bang' Soup

  28-11-2016 13:41
  
  Smashing atoms together could produce a weird kind of fluid that makes whirlpools and rings, revealing secrets of some of the least-understood forces of nature that hold matter together, according to new research. The weird substance is a mix of the subatomic particles called quarks, which make up protons and neutrons, and gluons, which transmit the strong nuclear force that holds quarks together. How this plasma behaves has been the subject of much interest because it can reveal the behavior of
  
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• Surprise Find: More Than 80 Anglo-Saxon Coffins Uncovered in England

  28-11-2016 13:40
  
  An ancient Anglo-Saxon cemetery with more than 80 rare wooden coffins containing skeletons has been unearthed in England. Earlier this year, archaeologists were investigating the ground around a river in the village of Great Ryburgh in eastern England, ahead of the construction of a lake and flood defense system. "We had no idea it [the cemetery] was going to be there," James Fairclough, an archaeologist with the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA), told Live Science.
  
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• Got Milk? People Living 9,000 Years Ago Did, Ceramic Pots Show

  28-11-2016 13:40
  
  Humankind has gulped down mouthfuls of milk and other dairy products from animals, such as sheep, goats and cows, for at least 9,000 years, a new study suggests. Researchers made the discovery after analyzing and dating more than 500 prehistoric pottery vessels discovered in the northern Mediterranean region, which includes the modern-day countries of Spain France, Italy, Greece and Turkey. During each examination, they looked for remnants of milk, which indicated that people had used animal dai
  
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• Great Molasses Flood of 1919: Why This Deluge of Goo Was So Deadly

  28-11-2016 13:30
  
  A bubbling flood of molasses that sent a towering wave of goo down the streets of Boston in 1919, catching everything from horses to humans in its sticky grasp, killing 21 people, injuring 150 more and flattening buildings in its wake. Cool temperatures may have caused the spilled molasses to flow more slowly, complicating attempts to rescue victims and to begin recovery and cleanup, researchers report in a new study. On Jan. 15, 1919, shortly after 12:40 p.m. local time, a giant storage tank 50
  
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• 'Singing Snake' Busted: Real Voice Behind Legend Discovered

  28-11-2016 13:28
  
  Local folklore in the Amazon region and in parts of Central America claims that the bushmaster — a giant and deadly viper — can "sing." The breathy, repetitive notes of this call are associated with the venomous snake, and they instill fear in people living in the northwestern Amazon River basin, researchers have reported. The scientists were researching frog populations in Ecuador and Peru when they learned of the alleged singing ability of the viper Lachesis muta from their field a
  
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• 'Lover' Cockroaches Grow Bigger Testicles to Woo Mates

  28-11-2016 13:27
  
  Cockroaches are known for their superior survival skills, but it seems these bugs have another evolutionary advantage when it comes to the mating game: Male roaches can grow bigger testicles, if need be, to woo a mate. Roaches compete for females in various ways, with two main approaches being to defend a female by force, or to sneak past larger males to mate. Based on these two strategies, the researchers think that males from two species of giant cockroaches from Madagascar evolved different p
  
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• Extinct Mammals Are Real-Life 'Fantastic Beasts'

  28-11-2016 13:26
  
  If you think dinosaurs are amazing and unusual, you may want to take a closer look at your own mammalian family tree — it's brimming with extinct animals that are just as bizarre and fascinating as a duck-billed and crested hadrosaur, or a frilled and horned Triceratops. A new, illustrated "field guide" to extinct prehistoric mammals describes the range of warm-blooded creatures of all sizes that roamed the Earth millions of years ago, and they're stranger and more spectacular than you mig
  
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• Altar of Miracle-Making Viking King Discovered in Norway

  28-11-2016 13:26
  
  The original shrine to a Viking-king-turned-saint has been discovered in Norway, archaeologists say.
  
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• 130-Million-Year Old Proteins Still Present in Dinosaur-Age Fossil

  28-11-2016 13:25
  
  Microscopic pigment structures and proteins that graced the feathers of a Cretaceous-age bird are still present in its 130-million-year-old fossil, a new study finds. The tiny and ancient structures were found on Eoconfuciusornis, a crow-size early bird that lived in what is now northern China during the early Cretaceous. Eoconfuciusornis is one of the first birds known to have a keratinous beak and no teeth.
  
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• The Clever Way Females Fend Off Male Fish with Big Genitals

  28-11-2016 13:23
  
  Male mosquitofish with bigger genitals are typically best at coercing females into the "sack," but now researchers have found that females that are not interested in such pushy lovers grow bigger brains to fight back. "We did not expect to find that female, but not male, brain size increased in lines selected for a longer gonopodium," said study lead author Séverine Buechel, an evolutionary biologist at Stockholm University.
  
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• Trump's First 100 Days: Health Care

  28-11-2016 13:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  The president-elect could initiate a massive transformation of health care—including birth control funding. But without a replacement plan ready, lawmakers may hesitate to repeal Obamacare...
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Nat Geo 'Mars' Series Explores Making a Home on the Red Planet

  28-11-2016 12:44
  
  The third episode of the National Geographic series "Mars" airs tonight and will explore the challenge of building a long-term home on Mars. The six-part series is a combination of science fiction and science fact, consisting primarily of a scripted drama about the first human mission to Mars, set in 2033. In the third episode, the astronauts are looking for a place to deploy a domed habitat that will serve as their long-term home on Mars.
  
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• Superbright Radio Burst Illuminates the Intergalactic Web

  28-11-2016 12:43
  
  An extraordinarily luminous fast radio burst (FBR) — a brief, powerful emission of radio waves from a distant cosmic source — has revealed new clues about the web of matter that stretches between galaxies, according to a new study. As the light from an FBR travels through space, it is distorted by the intergalactic material it passes through. "Because FRBs like the one we discovered occur billions of light-years away, they help us study the universe between us and them," Vikram Ravi,
  
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• Trapping carbon works, but high cost will limit its use to essential processes: Don Pittis

  28-11-2016 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  As business leaders throw support behind carbon pricing, carbon capture and storage has now proven itself as an essential technology that works. But maybe not the way the fossil fuel industry originally hoped.
  
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• The Canadian government doesn't want hackers' help

  28-11-2016 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  The U.S. Department of Defence is encouraging well-intentioned hackers to look for flaws in its computer systems. Meanwhile, the Canadian government's stance on bug hunters remains unclear.
  
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• 'Messenger always gets shot': Hackers say the Canadian government doesn't want their help

  28-11-2016 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  The U.S. Department of Defence is encouraging well-intentioned hackers to look for flaws in its computer systems. Meanwhile, the Canadian government's stance on bug hunters remains unclear.
  
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• Japanese skating rink featuring frozen fish causes a stink

  28-11-2016 07:40
  
  A skating rink with thousands of dead fish frozen underneath the ice has been forced to close its doors after causing outrage among its customers. About 25 different kinds of fish were inserted into the new attraction at the Space World theme park in Kitakyushu, Japan, with some arranged into words and shapes to create what the owners called an "ice aquarium". Toshimi Takeda, general manager of Space World, said the intention was for customers to have fun while
  
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• We had lunch with a food scientist to find out how music affects taste

  28-11-2016 07:01
  
  Next time you have a roast, you may want to wear headphones.
  
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• People with Alzheimer's Disease Can Still Have Sharp Memories

  28-11-2016 06:43
  
  Some older people who have signs of Alzheimer's disease in their brains may actually have pretty good memories, a small new study suggests. The results suggest that some individuals with Alzheimer's disease may be protected against some of its symptoms, like memory problems, said lead study author Changiz Geula, a professor of cognitive neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. It is not clear why some people's brains and memories seem to be protected
  
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• Why Your Problem-Solving Skills May Sharpen with Age

  28-11-2016 06:42
  
  You may get better at creative problem solving as you age, new research suggests. The scientists found that, generally, older adults' ability to focus and avoid distraction was not as strong as that of young adults' — but that this in turn may help older adults to perform better on some creativity and problem-solving tasks.
  
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• What All Effective Weight-Loss Diets Have in Common

  28-11-2016 06:40
  
  Low-fat, low-carb, low-sugar, high-protein, Mediterranean — with so many diets out there and new, sometimes-conflicting research coming out all the time on the best ones for weight loss, how can you possibly know which one will be the most effective in helping you shed pounds? And for doctors and scientists who spend their time designing and carrying out studies, fad diets make for an added challenge. But instead of trying to figure out which diet is best overall, doctors and scientists sh
  
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• Young toddlers can tell when others hold false beliefs, study finds

  28-11-2016 06:00
  
  (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) A new study finds that, under the right conditions, 2 1/2-year-old children can answer questions about people acting on false beliefs, an ability that most researchers believe does not develop until age 4.
  
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• Wives with a 'soul mate' view of marriage are less likely to volunteer, study finds

  28-11-2016 06:00
  
  (Baylor University) Wives who have a romantic view of marriage are less likely to do volunteer work, leading their husbands to volunteer less as well. But husbands' romantic view of marriage was associated with neither their own nor their wives' volunteering, according to a Baylor University study.
  
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• When judging other people, first impressions last

  28-11-2016 06:00
  
  (Cornell University) A well-known saying urges people to 'not judge a book by its cover.' But people tend to do just that -- even after they've skimmed a chapter or two, according to Cornell University research.
  
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• WDS DSA announce unified requirements for Core Trustworthy Data Repositories certification

  28-11-2016 06:00
  
  (ICSU World Data System) The ICSU World Data System and the Data Seal of Approval Board are pleased to announce the availability of their unified Requirements for Core Trustworthy Data Repository certification.
  
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• Warwick and Waitrose tackle global food security together

  28-11-2016 06:00
  
  (University of Warwick) Food security is at the heart of a new doctoral training collaboration between the University of Warwick and Waitrose, thanks to an award from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
  
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• VirusDetect, a new bioinformatics pipeline for virus identification released

  28-11-2016 06:00
  
  (Boyce Thompson Institute) A new bioinformatics analysis tool developed by researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute can help scientists to identify all known and novel viruses and viroids within small RNA datasets on a local to global scale.
  
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• Vestibular function declines starting at age 40

  28-11-2016 06:00
  
  (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary) A new study led by researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear found that vestibular thresholds begin to double every 10 years above the age of 40, representing a decline in our ability to receive sensory information about motion, balance and spatial orientation. The report was published online ahead of print in Frontiers in Neurology.
  
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• UTSW researchers' international study zeros in on gene that limits desire to drink alcohol

  28-11-2016 06:00
  
  (UT Southwestern Medical Center) In the largest study of its kind, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers and colleagues in Europe identified a gene variant that suppresses the desire to drink alcohol.
  
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