Science news

• Watch Live Now! Slooh Snow Moon Lunar Eclipse & Comet Webcasts

  10-02-2017 23:54
  
  The online Slooh Community Observatory will host live, back-to-back webcasts on Friday (Feb. 10) to discuss the first lunar eclipse of the year and the close approach of Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusáková. Then at 10:30 p.m. EST (0330 GMT), Slooh will focus on Comet 45P, which will come closer to Earth than any other comet in the last 34 years. You can go to Slooh.com to join and watch this live broadcast, snap and share your own photos during the event, chat with audience
  
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• PayPal freezes Canadian media company's account over story about Syrian family

  10-02-2017 23:32 via cbc.ca
  
  A community newspaper's payment to enter a feel-good story about a family of Syrian refugees in an awards competition prompted PayPal to freeze the account of a national media organization after flagging the suspicious transaction, The Canadian Press has learned.
  
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• It's Alive! Algae Survive 16 Months Exposure To Space

  10-02-2017 23:20 via cbc.ca
  
  Algae was exposed to extreme heat and cold on the outside of the International Space Station and survived.
  
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• University incubators may lead to lower-quality innovation, new study shows

  10-02-2017 23:00
  The establishment of university-affiliated incubators is often followed by a reduction in the quality of university innovations, according to a new study.
  
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• Scientists discover an unexpected influence on dividing stem cells' fate

  10-02-2017 22:59
  When it divides, a stem cell has a choice: produce more stem cells or turn into the specific types of cells that compose skin, muscle, brain, or other tissue. New experiments in skin show this decision can be altered if tiny organs within cells aren't positioned and divvied up properly.
  
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• No link between immigration and increased crime, four decades of evidence finds

  10-02-2017 22:59
  Political discussions about immigrants often include the claim that there is a relationship between immigration patterns and increased crime. However, results of a new study find no links between the two. In fact, immigration actually appears to be linked to reductions in some types of crimes, according to the findings.
  
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• Rapid Ebola test to detect early infection in the works

  10-02-2017 22:46
  
  Scientists are developing highly specific antibodies to detect Ebola sooner.
  
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• The Trump administration is delaying listing this bumblebee species as endangered

  10-02-2017 22:34
  
  The rusty patched bumblebee will have to wait longer for the decision about its federal protection.
  
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• Scientific data used to track and protect animals is vulnerable to hacking

  10-02-2017 22:16 via cbc.ca
  
  Like many scientists, Carleton University professor Steven Cooke tracks the animals he studies — in his case, fish. But his latest study is about the ways poachers, hunters and wild-life photographers are hacking the kind of scientific data he collects and using it to hunt or harass the animals being studied, from Banff National Park to Australia's ocean reefs.
  
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• Poachers are hacking scientific data to hunt the animals being studied

  10-02-2017 22:16 via cbc.ca
  
  Like many scientists, Carleton University professor Steven Cooke tracks the animals he studies — in his case, fish. But his latest study is about the ways poachers, hunters and wild-life photographers are hacking the kind of scientific data he collects and using it to hunt or harass the animals being studied, from Banff National Park to Australia's ocean reefs.
  
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• Ford investing $1B US in autonomous vehicle tech firm Argo AI

  10-02-2017 21:28 via cbc.ca
  
  Ford Motor Co. plans to invest $1 billion US over the next five years in tech startup Argo AI to help the Detroit automaker reach its goal of producing a self-driving vehicle for commercial ride sharing fleets by 2021, the companies announced on Friday.
  
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• Fleeting dead zones can muck with seafloor life for decades

  10-02-2017 21:06
  
  Low-oxygen conditions can fundamentally disrupt seafloor ecosystems and increase carbon burial, new research shows.
  
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• X-ray to study micronutrients in human minibrains

  10-02-2017 21:02
  It is consensus that mothers' diet has critical effects on fetal development, and the absence of nutrients is related to impairments on brain formation. In order to characterize the nutrients during human brain development, Brazilian scientists investigated human minibrains using synchrotron radiation, a sort of X-ray. Results showed that concentration and distribution of chemical elements are related to the stage of development and similar to previous data obtained from postmortem brain samples
  
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• Newfound effect of cancer drug may expand its use

  10-02-2017 21:02
  A drug first designed to prevent cancer cells from multiplying has a second effect: it switches immune cells that turn down the body's attack on tumors back into the kind that amplify it.
  
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• New study of ferroelectrics offers roadmap to multivalued logic for neuromorphic computing

  10-02-2017 21:02
  Research lays out a theoretical map to use ferroelectric material to process information using multivalued logic -- a leap beyond the simple ones and zeroes that make up our current computing systems that could let us process information much more efficiently.
  
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• Genetic tool to improve arsenic studies

  10-02-2017 21:02
  Arsenic-contaminated drinking water impacts millions of people worldwide. Groundwater contamination is primarily caused by microbes that convert one form of arsenic into another form that can infiltrate groundwater. Researchers have now developed a genetic tool that makes it easier to identify which microbial species have arsenic-converting genes.
  
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• Yemen rebels call on U.N. to investigate bombings, dismiss peace envoy

  10-02-2017 21:00
  Rebels controlling Yemen's capital called on the United Nations on Friday to take action to end violence that has destroyed large parts of the country and to investigate bombings carried out by a Saudi-led coalition. In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Houthi movement urged the U.N. to investigate a Saudi-led airstrike on a funeral in Sanaa last year and not renew the term of U.N. peace envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. "The United Nations should take a serious stance again
  
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• Watch the Moon Waltz, Wobble and Eclipse the Sun with Mobile Apps

  10-02-2017 21:00
  
  The phases of the moon follow from the way its sphere is illuminated by sunlight, which arrives from different directions as the moon orbits Earth. From time to time, the moon dips into Earth's shadow or passes in front of the sun, producing eclipses. February 2017 will have two unusual eclipses — one lunar and one solar.
  
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• 'Snow Moon' Eclipse Weather Forecast: Will Clouds Block Your View?

  10-02-2017 20:50
  
  Unless you live in the Northeast quarter of the U.S. and are still living under the cloud cover left over from Thursday's major midwinter storm, chances are that you will be able to get a view of this evening's (Feb. 10) "Snow Moon" penumbral lunar eclipse, coupled with a comet streaking through the night sky. But the eclipse will also be visible online via a webcast from the Slooh Community Observatory. You can watch the webcast on the Slooh website or right here at Space.com.
  
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• This guy risked his £1,149 laptop by putting it in a laser cutter and the results will surprise you

  10-02-2017 20:46
  
  Sam Nicholls wanted his device to resemble Cosima Niehaus’s version from Orphan Black.
  
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• Epilepsy drug discovered in fish model shows promise in small pediatric clinical trial

  10-02-2017 20:11
  'Bench-to-bedside' describes research that has progressed from basic science in animal models that has led to therapies used in patients. Now, a study describes what could be considered a direct 'aquarium-to-bedside' approach, taking a drug discovered in a genetic zebrafish model of epilepsy and testing it, with promising results, in a small number of children with the disease.
  
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• Scientists create beating 3D heart cells

  10-02-2017 20:09 via cbc.ca
  
  Scientists at York University have created 3D heart cells that are able to beat in synchronization with existing heart cells.
  
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• Giant flying reptile ruled ancient Transylvania

  10-02-2017 19:13
  A giant pterosaur – a toothless flying reptile with a 10 metre wingspan – may have been the dominant predator in ancient Romania, suggests new research. The creature has a considerably shorter and stronger neck with larger muscles than the long graceful necks of others in its species.
  
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• Exploring mysteries on the surface

  10-02-2017 19:13
  Scientists have discovered the unique properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials and metals grown on graphene, graphite, and other carbon coated surfaces.
  
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• Caregivers should be screened early, often to prevent depression, anxiety

  10-02-2017 19:12
  Currently, more than 34 million people in the U.S. care for terminally ill love ones, but few resources are available to help them navigate the challenges they encounter. A study has found that nearly one-quarter of caregivers were moderately or severely depressed and nearly one-third had moderate or severe anxiety. The researchers recommend that health providers remember to treat the whole family, providing ongoing screening to family caregivers to identify early signs of depression and anxiety
  
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• Breaking research could help to combat rise in drivers impaired by edible marijuana consumption

  10-02-2017 19:12
  Though marijuana edibles are becoming increasingly common, scant information exists on how to test drivers for impairment following their consumption. For the first time, research evaluates the performance of roadside saliva tests for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) following consumption of edibles, showing that lower THC cutoff points are needed for these tests to effectively detect marijuana ingestion.
  
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• Baby's sex plays a role in pregnant woman's immunity

  10-02-2017 19:12
  Women have claimed for years that their bodies react differently whether they’re pregnant with a boy or girl. Now evidence shows the sex of a baby is associated with pregnant women’s immune responses.
  
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• Stressed out interferons reveal potential key to alternative lupus treatment

  10-02-2017 19:10
  New research has identified a previously unknown mechanism involved in the immune response that could provide an alternative therapy target for treating the estimated 1.5 million Americans and five million-plus people worldwide suffering from lupus.
  
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• What drives universe's expansion?

  10-02-2017 19:09
  Experiments with advanced technology could soon test an idea developed by Albert Einstein almost exactly a century ago, and settle a longstanding puzzle over what is driving the accelerated expansion of the universe.
  
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• Taming complexity

  10-02-2017 19:09
  Quantum systems consisting of many particles are a major challenge for physicists, since their behavior can be determined only with immense computational power. Physicists have now discovered an elegant way to simplify the problem.
  
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• Prebiotics may help to cope with stress

  10-02-2017 19:09
  Probiotics are well known to benefit digestive health, but prebiotics are less well understood. Recent study in rats shows that prebiotic fibers may help to protect beneficial gut bacteria and restore healthy sleep patterns after a stressful event.
  
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• Pre-eclampsia deaths are avoidable, say researchers

  10-02-2017 19:09
  Pregnancy in the UK has never been safer, say scientists. Less than 1 in 10,000 women in the UK die in pregnancy and women who get pre-eclampsia have a less than 1 in 1,000,000 chance of dying.
  
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• New method reduces adverse effects of rectal cancer treatment

  10-02-2017 19:09
  Short-course preoperative radiotherapy combined with delayed surgery reduces the adverse side-effects of rectal cancer surgery without compromising its efficacy, report scientists.
  
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• Litter levels in the depths of the Arctic are on the rise

  10-02-2017 19:09
  The Arctic has a serious litter problem: in just 10 years, the concentration of marine litter at a deep-sea station in the Arctic Ocean has risen 20-fold, according to researchers.
  
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• Lecithin enhances antimicrobial properties of the essential oil, eugenol

  10-02-2017 19:09
  Lecithin, a natural emulsifier commonly used in processed foods, synergistically enhances the antimicrobial properties of the natural essential oil, eugenol, but only when applied in very small quantities, report scientists.
  
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• Laser-based camera improves view of the carotid artery

  10-02-2017 19:09
  Novel technology has been used to monitor vulnerabilities for cardiovascular events, aid in diagnosis and treatment.
  
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• Developmental biology: Life support for precursor cells

  10-02-2017 19:09
  Programmed cell death is an integral part of embryonic development. Exploring the regulation of the process, researchers have shown that so-called microRNAs protect the precursors of neurons from 'precocious' elimination.
  
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• Cold plates and hot melts: New data on history of Pacific Ring of Fire

  10-02-2017 19:09
  The movements of Earth's tectonic plates shape the face of our planet. The sinking of one plate beneath another causes volcanism and earthquakes. Scientists have been able to drill and investigate the origin of a subduction zone for the first time in 2014.
  
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• Bluebells may fail to flourish as warmer days speed start of spring

  10-02-2017 19:09
  Bluebells and some other spring flowers appear to be slipping out of sync with spring, as changes in seasonal temperatures alter the optimum time for them to come into leaf or flower, a new study has found.
  
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• New study re-evaluates the total burden of norovirus on the UK

  10-02-2017 19:04
  The annual number of estimated number of norovirus cases annually in the UK is approximately 800,000 greater than previously estimated, new research concludes.
  
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• New research demonstrates a link between swearing fluency and emotion

  10-02-2017 19:04
  A new research paper explores how experiencing emotion impacts on people swearing. The findings show there is a direct connection between swearing and emotional arousal. Although this may seem obvious, this research confirms such a link objectively. The findings cast new light on opinions around whether swearing may be considered to be a socially acceptable way of expressing emotion.
  
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• Spaceflight Changes the Shape of Astronauts' Brains

  10-02-2017 18:23
  
  It appears that spaceflight really goes to astronauts' heads. Doctors and scientists have long known that exposure to a weightless environment causes muscles to atrophy, bones to weaken and vision to deteriorate, among other effects. Now, a new study has determined that spaceflight also causes some parts of the brain to expand and others to contract.
  
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• Warm ocean water triggered vast seabird die-off, experts say

  10-02-2017 18:21
  
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A year after tens of thousands of common murres, an abundant North Pacific seabird, starved and washed ashore on beaches from California to Alaska, researchers have pinned the cause to unusually warm ocean temperatures that affected the tiny fish they eat.
  
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• Emergency spillway use likely at Oroville Dam in California

  10-02-2017 17:40
  
  OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Water could pour over an emergency spillway at Lake Oroville for the first time ever, a last-ditch alternative that California officials said they had been hoping to avoid.
  
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• Trump administration delays adding bumblebee to endangered list

  10-02-2017 17:36 via cbc.ca
  
  The Trump administration on Thursday delayed what would be the first endangered designation for a bee species in the continental U.S., one day before it was to take effect.
  
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• 'Snow Moon' Lunar Eclipse Shines with Comet Tonight: What to Expect

  10-02-2017 16:31
  
  Early this evening (Feb. 10), careful observers across parts of North America can watch a Full Snow Moon penumbral lunar eclipse. Put another way, the uppermost edge of the moon will be just a mere 75 miles (120 kilometers) away from the indiscernible edge of the Earth’s umbra.
  
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• Snapshot of Hawaii: Why NASA Is Studying Islands' Volcanoes & Reefs

  10-02-2017 16:20
  
  Whether it's the noxious gases rising from the Kilauea volcano, or the lively coral reefs that sprawl across the seafloor around the island chain, Hawaii's ecosystems are under some serious scientific scrutiny this month. Researchers are here gathering data using NASA's high-altitude airplanes, outfitted with cameras that capture visible light as well as infrared radiation. One airplane, the ER-2, can soar to 67,000 feet, or "the edge of space," as NASA systems engineer Michael Mercury put it.
  
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• Daily Low-Dose Aspirin May Boost Chances of Successful Pregnancy

  10-02-2017 16:19
  
  The analysis, which looked at women who'd had a prior pregnancy loss and taken part in an earlier study, found that women who benefited from the aspirin regimen had high blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation in the body. Among these women, those who took a daily aspirin were 31 percent more likely to become pregnant, and 35 percent more likely to carry a pregnancy to term, than those who took a placebo. However, it's too soon to officially recommend daily aspirin to
  
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• Can the HPV Vaccine Protect Against Skin Cancer?

  10-02-2017 16:15
  
  The HPV vaccine, which protects against several strains of the human papillomavirus, shows potential for preventing new spots of skin cancer from popping up in people who have had skin cancer in the past, a new report of two patients’ cases suggests. Previous research has suggested that there's a link between HPV and certain types of skin cancer. However, the study was very small, and more research in larger groups of patients is needed before scientists can determine if the HPV vaccine re
  
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• Eww! Live Cockroach Pulled from Woman's Nose in Rare Case

  10-02-2017 16:14
  
  The 42-year-old woman, who lives in Chennai, India, said she woke up after feeling that something had crawled up her nose, reported the New Indian Express. "I could not explain the feeling, but I was sure it was some insect. Whenever it moved, it gave me a burning sensation in my eyes," the woman told the New Indian Express.
  
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