Science news

• Potentially Habitable Planet's Shadow Spotted from Earth

  29-11-2016 23:20
  
  A potentially Earth-like planet circles a bright star 150 light-years away, casting a shadow tracked from space — and now from Earth, too. The planet, called K2-3d, was originally seen crossing in front of its star by NASA's Kepler space telescope during that instrument's ongoing K2 mission. Using this first-ever Earth-based measurement of the planet, the researchers predicted when the planet will cross its star in 2018, when the newly complete James Webb Space Telescope should be able to
  
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• Sit Ringside for a Rocket Launch in This Incredible New Video

  29-11-2016 23:19
  
  The power and beauty of a rocket launch are on full display in a spectacular new video.
  
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• In one-two punch, researchers load 'nanocarriers' to deliver cancer-fighting drugs and imaging molecules to tumors

  29-11-2016 22:15
  Scientists describe a new system to encase chemotherapy drugs within tiny, synthetic "nanocarrier" packages, which could be injected into patients and disassembled at the tumor site to release their toxic cargo.
  
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• Biologists watch speciation in a laboratory flask

  29-11-2016 21:27
  The evolution of a new species can occur rapidly enough for them to observe the process in a simple laboratory flask, biologists have discovered. In a month-long experiment using a virus harmless to humans, biologists documented the evolution of a virus into two incipient species -- a process known as speciation that Charles Darwin proposed to explain the branching in the tree of life, where one species splits into two distinct species during evolution.
  
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• Ready for takeoff: Blues skies thinking to improve aircraft safety

  29-11-2016 21:06
  Nervous flyers and crew alike would prefer jet airliners not to vibrate so much at take off. Research points to blue skies thinking that might explain the phenomenon and find ways to reduce the safety and image problems associated with this troubling aircraft noise.
  
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• [Research Article] Reactive oxygen species induce virus-independent MAVS oligomerization in systemic lupus erythematosus

  29-11-2016 21:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Oxidative stress oligomerizes an outer mitochondrial membrane protein to trigger an antiviral response in the absence of infection.
  
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• Ancient rocks hold evidence for life before oxygen

  29-11-2016 20:48
  Somewhere between Earth's creation and where we are today, scientists have demonstrated that some early life forms existed just fine without any oxygen. The 2.52 billion-year-old sulfur-oxidizing bacteria are exceptionally large, spherical-shaped, smooth-walled microscopic structures much larger than most modern bacteria, but similar to some modern single-celled organisms that live in deepwater sulfur-rich ocean settings today, where even now there are almost no traces of oxygen.
  
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• Scientists identify gene which supresses your desire to drink alcohol

  29-11-2016 20:40
  
  The finding could help protect people from the detrimental effects of over-drinking.
  
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• Crunching the numbers: Researchers use math in search for diabetes cure

  29-11-2016 20:34
  New research by a mathematics professor has successfully reactivated oscillations in insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells — one of the first necessary steps to resurrecting the dormant cells and restoring the production of insulin.
  
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• Animals give clues to the origins of human number crunching

  29-11-2016 20:00
  
  Guppies, dogs, chickens, crows, spiders — lots of animals have number sense without knowing numbers.
  
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• New design of neutron spectrometer being tested for manned spaceflight

  29-11-2016 19:36
  The Fast Neutron Spectrometer (FNS) is now aboard the International Space Station. Neutrons contribute to crew radiation exposure and must be measured to assess exposure levels. The FNS uses a new instrument design that can significantly improve reliability.
  
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• Bioenergy grass can withstand freezing temperatures

  29-11-2016 19:36
  Prairie cordgrass, a native perennial grass used for biomass energy, is tolerant to salt, flooding, and freezing stress. A new study demonstrates the gene expression patterns responsible for freezing tolerance in prairie cordgrass. Once the genes responsible for freezing tolerance are identified in prairie cordgrass, they may be applied to other crops in the future.
  
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• Lookin' Good, Mars! ExoMars' First High-Res Photos Are Incredible

  29-11-2016 19:30
  
  Behold! The European Space Agency's new Mars orbiter just sent back its first high-resolution images of the Red Planet, and the view is amazing. Since then, TGO has been circling Mars, testing out its machinery, and taking spectacularly sharp pictures of the landscape using its Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS). "The first images we received are absolutely spectacular ― and it was only meant to be a test," Nicolas Thomas, CaSSIS team leader at the University of Bern's Cente
  
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• Supermoon Party! Space Fan Helps Inspire New Skywatchers (Photos)

  29-11-2016 19:23
  
  Amateur astronomer and space enthusiast Zack Payne wants more people to get excited about looking at the sky. Payne, who happens to be an old friend of mine, threw his supermoon viewing party on Nov. 14 in my hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. Originally, his plan was to take his brand-new Orion SkyQuest XT10g Dobsonian Telescope out for its first test run and to spend the evening moon gazing with a few of his fellow space fans.
  
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• Russia's Soyuz Spacecraft Marks 50 Years Since First Flight

  29-11-2016 19:23
  
  It launched under a different name and was not officially disclosed until almost two decades later, but Russia's first Soyuz spacecraft lifted off into history 50 years ago Monday (Nov. 28). The Soyuz, which became the former Soviet Union's third class of crewed transport spacecraft and is still used today to take cosmonaut and astronaut crews to the International Space Station, first flew under the intentionally nondescript title "Kosmos 133" on Nov. 28, 1966. The less-than-successful, 34-orbit
  
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• Carleton University computers infected with ransomware

  29-11-2016 19:19 via cbc.ca
  
  Students at Carleton University are being warned that some of its computers have been infected by ransomware — a type of computer virus that uses encryption to effectively hold files hostage in exchange for payment.
  
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• Peace talks on Ukraine end without agreement

  29-11-2016 19:17
  By John Irish and Sabine Siebold MINSK (Reuters) - Four-way talks on ending a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine finished without a breakthrough on Tuesday, with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier declaring that "lip service" statements were not enough to achieve lasting peace. Amid low expectations, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia met in the Belarussian capital to discuss ways of implementing last year's Minsk ceasefire accord for Ukraine's Donbass
  
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• Great Barrier Reef: Scientists record biggest ever coral die-off in history

  29-11-2016 18:59
  
  Global warming has caused the water temperatures to rise leading to coral bleaching.
  
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• Researchers create first 'water-wave laser'

  29-11-2016 18:45
  Researchers have demonstrated that laser emissions can be created through the interaction of light and water waves. This 'water-wave laser' could someday be used in tiny sensors or 'lab-on-a-chip' devices used to test new drug therapies.
  
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• Trump rollback of Obama climate agenda may prove challenging

  29-11-2016 18:20
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump plans to dismantle President Barack Obama's efforts to reduce planet-warming carbon emissions. But delivering on his campaign pledges to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency and bring back tens of thousands of long-gone coal mining jobs could prove far more difficult.
  
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• Great Barrier Reef sees record coral bleaching

  29-11-2016 17:53 via cbc.ca
  
  A new report has confirmed the largest die-off of coral along Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
  
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• Study offers coastal communities better way to prepare for devastating storms

  29-11-2016 17:44
  With massive coastal storms on the rise, a new study describes a method for stakeholders in vulnerable communities to be involved in preparing for, absorbing, recovering and adapting from devastation.
  
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• Platypus venom could hold key to diabetes treatment

  29-11-2016 17:44
  Australian researchers have discovered remarkable evolutionary changes to insulin regulation in two of the nation's most iconic native animal species -- the platypus and the echidna -- which could pave the way for new treatments for type 2 diabetes in humans. The findings reveal that the same hormone produced in the gut of the platypus to regulate blood glucose is also surprisingly produced in their venom.
  
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• A molecular switch between life, sex and death

  29-11-2016 17:44
  Shortly after mating, marine bristle worms die, leaving thousands of newly fertilized eggs to develop in the water. This extreme all-or-nothing mode of reproduction demonstrates a general principle: Animals need to decide if they invest their available energy stores either in growth or in reproduction. Researchers are now able to solve a 60-year-old riddle and determine the molecule that orchestrates this decision in marine bristle worms.
  
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• Number of symptoms may indicate how likely patients recover from post-concussion syndrome

  29-11-2016 17:43
  Researchers have identified symptom trends that may not only help predict how soon patients suffering from post-concussion syndrome (PCS) will recover, but also provide insight on how to treat those who experience persistent concussion symptoms.
  
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• Myocarditis caused by infection on rise globally

  29-11-2016 17:43
  Myocarditis, an assortment of heart disorders often caused by infection and inflammation, is known to be difficult to diagnose and treat. But the picture of who is affected is becoming a little clearer. Men may be as much as twice as likely as women to develop severe and possibly fatal reactions. And the risk of sudden cardiovascular death in the young is relatively high.
  
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• Evidence of brain injury found in young NFL players

  29-11-2016 17:43
  In a small study of young or recently retired NFL players, researchers report finding evidence of brain injury and repair that is visible on imaging from the players compared to a control group of men without a history of concussion.
  
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• Amphetamine may slow rise of body temperature, mask fatigue to enhance endurance, study finds

  29-11-2016 17:42
  Amphetamine may slow down the rise of temperature in the body and mask fatigue, which could allow athletes to run significantly longer but result in potentially dangerous overheating of muscles, according to a study.
  
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• Patients should stop using e-cigarettes before plastic surgery, experts conclude

  29-11-2016 17:41
  Cigarette smokers are at increased risk of complications after plastic surgery. Could e-cigarette users face a similar risk? Evidence and recommendations related to e-cigarette use by plastic surgery patients are discussed in a new paper.
  
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• Transport Canada lags in responding to vehicle safety issues, auditor general finds

  29-11-2016 17:34 via cbc.ca
  
  Transport Canada has an out-of-date regulatory framework that fails to respond quickly to safety risks or stay current with safety issues being investigated by manufacturers in their own vehicles, Canada's Auditor General reports.
  
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• Mars probe returns first pictures

  29-11-2016 17:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The new satellite that Europe and Russia put in orbit at Mars on 19 October has sent back its first images of the planet.
  
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• New HIV Vaccine Study Starts in South Africa

  29-11-2016 17:07
  
  A new HIV vaccine is now being tested in South Africa in a study that aims to enroll several thousand people, officials announced today. The study is the first in seven years to test the effectiveness of a vaccine against HIV, said the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is funding the study. "If deployed alongside our current armory of proven HIV-prevention tools, a safe and effective vaccine could be the final nail in the coffin for HIV," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the NIH's Nationa
  
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• Good Cognition in Older Women Linked to Pregnancy History

  29-11-2016 17:07
  
  Women who have their last baby when they are older than age 35 may have sharper cognitive skills later in life than those who finished with their pregnancies at a younger age, a new study suggests. Researchers found that the women in the study who had their last baby when they were older than 35 were better at memorizing lists of words at age 60, compared with those who stopped bearing children earlier on. "The study provides strong evidence that there is a positive association between later age
  
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• How to Talk to Kids About Divorce

  29-11-2016 17:06
  
  Research shows that children may experience a range of behavioral changes as a result of their parents' divorce, the authors of the report said. Because that last factor — the parents' own functioning — affects children's ability to cope with their parents' divorce, parents should make sure they can cope with their own emotions related to the separation in order to be able to offer stronger support to their children, said Dr. Carol C. Weitzman, a co-author of the report and a pr
  
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• Star-starved galaxies fill the cosmos

  29-11-2016 17:00
  
  Astronomers are detecting hundreds of galaxies that are almost devoid of stars. There are at least four theories on how they got that way.
  
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• Alaska biologists research mystery of declining caribou herd

  29-11-2016 16:58
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The size of a large caribou herd in Alaska's Arctic region has dropped by more 50 percent over the last three years, and researchers who have tentatively ruled out hunting and predation as significant factors for the decline are trying to determine why.
  
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• Scurvy has returned to Australia and overcooking vegetables may be to blame

  29-11-2016 16:53
  
  The study shows that people who are overweight are still susceptible to the disease, despite high calorie intake.
  
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• NASA's ISS-RapidScat Earth science mission ends

  29-11-2016 16:39
  NASA's International Space Station Rapid Scatterometer (ISS-RapidScat) Earth science instrument has ended operations following a successful two-year mission aboard the space station. The mission launched Sept. 21, 2014, and had recently passed its original decommissioning date.
  
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• New Pyramid in Antarctica? Not Quite, Say Geologists

  29-11-2016 16:34
  
  But Occam's razor — the idea that the simplest explanation is usually the right one — points to a far more mundane cause: Those steep, pyramid-like sides are likely the work of hundreds of millions of years of erosion, experts told Live Science. "This is just a mountain that looks like a pyramid," Eric Rignot, a professor of Earth system science at the University of California, Irvine, told Live Science in an email. The pyramidal mountain, which doesn't have a formal name, is on
  
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• Metallic glass gears make for graceful robots

  29-11-2016 16:33
  At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, scientists are building a better gear. Specifically, they are developing gears made from bulk metallic glass (BMG), a specially crafted alloy with properties that make it ideal for robotics.
  
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• NASA Saturn mission prepares for 'ring-grazing orbits'

  29-11-2016 16:29
  A thrilling ride is about to begin for NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Engineers have been pumping up the spacecraft's orbit around Saturn this year to increase its tilt with respect to the planet's equator and rings. And on Nov. 30, following a gravitational nudge from Saturn's moon Titan, Cassini will enter the first phase of the mission's dramatic endgame.
  
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• Surprise! Life Thrives Under Ice-Covered Lakes

  29-11-2016 15:49
  
  In winter, an icy freshwater lake can appear frozen in time. But frozen freshwater lake ecosystems don't take a winter break after all. In fact, cyclical winter activity of tiny aquatic organisms, like zooplankton and photosynthesizing algae, could play critical roles in the lake ecosystems' overall health, infusing the water with nutrients to fuel other organisms' spring and summer growth.
  
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• Coral die-off in Great Barrier Reef reaches record levels

  29-11-2016 15:43
  
  Bleaching has killed more than two-thirds of corals in some parts of the Great Barrier Reef, scientists have confirmed.
  
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• California sets its sights on cows in effort to combat climate change

  29-11-2016 15:29 via cbc.ca
  
  California is taking its fight against global warming to the farm. The nation's leading agricultural state is now targeting greenhouse gases produced by dairy cows and other livestock.
  
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• Gut microbes contribute to recurrent 'yo-yo' obesity

  29-11-2016 15:11
  Researchers have shown in mice that intestinal microbes -- collectively termed the gut microbiome -- play an unexpectedly important role in exacerbated post-dieting weight gain, and that this common phenomenon may in the future be prevented or treated by altering the composition or function of the microbiome.
  
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• Life and death following Great Barrier Reef bleaching

  29-11-2016 15:04
  Scientists have confirmed the largest die-off of corals ever recorded on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The worst affected area, a 700 km swath of reefs in the northern region of the Great Barrier Reef has lost an average of 67% of its shallow-water corals in the past 8-9 months. Further south, over the vast central and southern regions of the Great Barrier Reef, the scientists were relieved to find a much lower death toll.
  
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• Voice appeal: Men and women perceive consonants differently

  29-11-2016 14:50
  Researchers have used new data about the vocal attractiveness of consonants. Vowels are already well studied and there are several acoustic cues intrinsic to vowels -- such as pitch -- that effect listeners’ judgments of attractiveness. According to the researchers, consonants are different.
  
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• Komodo dragons help researchers understand microbial health in captive animals

  29-11-2016 14:50
  A new study is the first to identify similarities in the way in which Komodo dragons and humans and their pets share microbes within closed environments.
  
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• Cancer risks in blacks: 'a complex, entangled web'

  29-11-2016 14:50
  A breakthrough study shows major differences between the types of cancer and mortality rates of U.S.-born blacks versus those who emigrate from the Caribbean.
  
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• Acetaminophen, supplements and other medications may trigger drug-induced liver injury

  29-11-2016 14:50
  More than 1,000 medications, with acetaminophen being the most common, have been associated with drug-induced liver injury (DILI). A new article discusses the clinical impact of DILI and reviews the medications that most frequently cause it.
  
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