Science news

• Pink noise can improve sleep and memory in seniors, study shows

  09-03-2017 22:33 via cbc.ca
  
  Sound may be an important part of helping all of us finally get a good night's rest, and not only that, improve our memories, according to a new Northwestern University study.
  
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• Scientists create baker's yeast from scratch

  09-03-2017 21:57 via cbc.ca
  
  Scientists have taken a big step toward designing complex forms of life from scratch by constructing five new artificial chromosomes of baker's yeast, representing a third of the micro-organism's genome, or genetic blueprint.
  
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• Potatoes on Mars? Research suggests spuds could be grown on Red Planet

  09-03-2017 21:40 via cbc.ca
  
  It turns out Mark Watney, the protagonist in 2015's hit movie The Martian, may have been right: potatoes can grow on Mars.
  
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• Warming soils may belch much more carbon

  09-03-2017 20:00
  
  New measurements suggest soils below 15 centimeters deep could play a sizable role in boosting carbon emissions as the planet warms.
  
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• Scientists move closer to building synthetic yeast from scratch

  09-03-2017 20:00
  
  Scientists have created five more synthetic yeast chromosomes.
  
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• Simple Blood Tests for Rapid Concussion Diagnosis

  09-03-2017 19:20 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Physicians need more than the question: “How many fingers am I holding up?”
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Robber fly: Hunting secrets of a tiny predator

  09-03-2017 19:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The mid-air hunting strategy of a tiny fly the size of a grain of rice has been revealed by an international team of scientists.
  
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• Oft-forgotten, why the humble router remains one of the most insecure devices in your home

  09-03-2017 19:15 via cbc.ca
  
  With all the emphasis on security, ask yourself: When was the last time you updated the router in your home?
  
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• Baby chimp thriving after rescue from traffickers

  09-03-2017 19:08 via bbc.co.uk
  
  We revisit Nemley Junior who was freed from wildlife traffickers in Ivory Coast after a BBC News investigation.
  
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• Robber fly: Hunting secrets of a tiny predator revealed

  09-03-2017 18:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A tiny robber fly the size of a grain of rice has an advanced hunting strategy, researchers discover.
  
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• WikiLeaks to share CIA hacking tools with tech companies

  09-03-2017 18:30 via cbc.ca
  
  WikiLeaks will provide technology companies with exclusive access to CIA hacking tools that it possesses, to allow them to patch software flaws, founder Julian Assange said on Thursday.
  
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• EPA head asks Congress to weigh in on dangers of carbon dioxide

  09-03-2017 17:20 via cbc.ca
  
  The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be regulated.
  
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• Here comes the pollution pram

  09-03-2017 16:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The scheme hoping to help parents steer their little ones away from exhaust fumes.
  
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• Oldest croc eggs discovered in dinosaur nest

  09-03-2017 15:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The oldest crocodilian eggs known to science have been discovered in the cliffs of western Portugal.
  
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• Children’s daily life highly regulated: US and Swedish differences

  09-03-2017 15:23
  Children in Sweden and the US experience their daily life as highly structured and regulated. But while US children state that homework and long schooldays are what makes everyday life difficult, Swedish children point to the continuous nagging and stress that occur in relation to daily routines.
  
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• Massive drop in mortality from breast cancer

  09-03-2017 15:06
  The rate of mortality from breast cancer has fallen by one third over the last 30 years. This is due to improvements in early detection, the refinement of treatment concepts and the development of new ones. Today, an important issue for breast cancer experts is also how they can improve the quality of life of their patients.
  
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• Watching the scratching bear is good for you

  09-03-2017 15:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Research from the University of California has found that watching nature programmes, such as Planet Earth II, is good for you.
  
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• Additional Arctic weather data raises forecast accuracy of cold snaps in Japan

  09-03-2017 14:48
  Increased observation of meteorological conditions in the Arctic's upper atmosphere from land-based weather stations and a sea-going research vessels improves the accuracy of cold wave forecasts for Japan and North America's East Coast.
  
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• De-extinction probably isn’t worth it

  09-03-2017 13:00
  
  Diverting money to resurrecting extinct creatures could put those still on Earth at risk.
  
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• Don't Forget: You, Too, Can Acquire a Super Memory

  09-03-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Learning a memorization technique used by elite memory athletes leads to widespread changes in brain wiring
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• DNA provides window into early Aboriginal history

  09-03-2017 06:43 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists use hair to locate where distinct groups lived in Australia up to 50,000 years ago.
  
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• Why the discovery of a bevy of quasars will boost efforts to understand galaxies' origins

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (The Kavli Foundation) Three astrophysicists, including a member of the team that recently announced a huge find of extremely distant quasars, explain how these "lighthouses" of the universe will shed some much-needed light on a formative period of cosmic history.
  
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• Volcano breath: Measuring sulfur dioxide from space

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Michigan Technological University) In a new study published in Scientific Reports this week, a team led by researchers from Michigan Technological University created the first, truly global inventory for volcanic sulfur dioxide emissions, using data from the Dutch-Finnish Ozone Monitoring Instrument on NASA's Earth Observing System Aura satellite launched in 2004. The data set will help refine climate and atmospheric chemistry models and provide more insight into human and environmental health
  
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• UT study: Diversity improves problem-solving success. Just ask songbirds.

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Tennessee at Knoxville) Humans seeking to improve their problem-solving and survival skills can learn a thing or two from an unlikely source -- songbirds. A new study from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, shows that diversity within a wild songbird community can enhance its members' access to food.
  
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• University of South Carolina discovery of widespread platinum may help solve Clovis people mystery

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of South Carolina) No one knows for certain why the Clovis people and iconic beasts -- mastodon, mammoth and saber-toothed tiger -- living some 12,800 years ago suddenly disappeared. However, a discovery of widespread platinum at archaeological sites across the US by three UofSC archaeologists has provided an important clue in solving this enduring mystery. Their research findings are outlined in a new study released Thursday (March 9) in Scientific Reports, a publication of Nature.
  
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• Too much TV can impact primary school readiness for kids from low-income families

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Concordia University) Watching television for more than a couple of hours a day has been linked to lower school readiness skills in kindergarteners. That's according to a new study by researchers from Concordia's PERFORM Centre and New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, which shows the particular impact on children from low-income families.
  
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• To buckle or not to buckle

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University) Researchers analyze the stability of chains of magnetic balls under the influence of gravity, giving insight into unstretchable materials used in architecture.
  
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• Thyroid cancer patients opting for non-intervention report lack of support

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice) Patients who choose not to intervene after a diagnosis of thyroid cancer face a challenging path -- one that is often defined by a sense of isolation and anxiety, according to a first-of-its-kind study by researchers from The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and the Veteran's Administration in White River Junction, Vermont. A majority of participants said they kept their thyroid cancer findings secret
  
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• The prototype of a chemical computer detects a sphere

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences) Chemical computers are becoming ever more of a reality -- this is being proven by scientists from the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. It turns out that after an appropriate teaching procedure even a relatively simple chemical system can perform non-trivial operations. In their most recent computer simulations researchers have shown that correctly programmed chemical matrices of oscill
  
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• Studying magnetic space explosions with NASA missions

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Magnetic explosions happen constantly all across the universe, and new results with NASA's ARTEMIS mission help explain how near-Earth explosions convert energy into heat and propel particles toward Earth.
  
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• Study: LGBTQ+ individuals at high risk to be victims of violence

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (RTI International) Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are at high risk for being victims of physical and sexual assault, harassment, bullying, and hate crimes, according to a new study by RTI International.
  
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• Study: Health agencies need clear rules for disclosing foodborne illness outbreaks

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (North Carolina State University) Food safety researchers are calling on public health agencies to develop clear guidelines on when to inform the public about foodborne illness outbreaks -- something which is often handled on an ad hoc basis at the local, state and federal levels.
  
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• Songs that make robots cry

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Osaka University) Machine learning writes songs that elicits emotions from its listeners.
  
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• Social phobia: Indication of a genetic cause

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Bonn) People with social anxiety avoid situations in which they are exposed to judgment by others. Those affected also lead a withdrawn life. Researchers at the University of Bonn have now found evidence for a gene that is believed to be linked to the illness. It encodes a serotonin transporter in the brain. Interestingly, this messenger suppresses feelings of anxiety and depressiveness.
  
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• Sagan Award goes to committee chaired by Carnegie's Alan Dressler

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Carnegie Institution for Science) Over 20 years ago, Carnegie astronomer emeritus Alan Dressler chaired the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Beyond Committee. It has been awarded the 2017 Carl Sagan Memorial Award presented at the meeting of the American Astronautical Society.
  
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• Rosalind Franklin University announces construction of new Innovation and Research Park

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science) Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science will build a new Innovation and Research Park on its campus in North Chicago, IL, providing state-of-the-art research labs and incubator space for faculty and commercial biotech startups and national and international life science firms.The park will spur collaboration among academic and industry scientists and biotech entrepreneurs to accelerate translation of RFU's nationally recognized
  
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• RNA and longevity: Discovering the mechanisms behind aging

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)) Korean researchers suggests that NMD-mediated RNA quality control is critical for longevity in the roundworm called C. elegans, a popularly used animal for aging research. They first discovered that NMD activity decreases during aging. The team then discovered that enhanced NMD underlies the longevity of famous C. elegans strains called daf-2 mutants, which have reduced insulin hormone signaling. This achievement has been published in the
  
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• Rice's Baker Institute receives $3.2 million grant to study effects of US tax and spending policies

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Rice University) Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy has received a five-year, $3.2 million grant from the Charles Koch Foundation to fund a program to examine the dynamic effects of major fiscal policies. Given the complexity of the US tax system and the unsustainability of current US fiscal policy, the goal of the program will be to inform policymakers and the general public about the potential effects of reforming US tax and expenditure policies.
  
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• RAND study examines 200 real-world 'zero-day' software vulnerabilities

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (RAND Corporation) Zero-day software vulnerabilities -- security holes that developers haven't fixed or aren't aware of --- can lurk undetected for years, leaving software users particularly susceptible to hackers. A new study from the RAND Corporation, based on rare access to a dataset of more than 200 such vulnerabilities, provides insights about what entities should do when they discover them.
  
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• Rabbits' detached retina 'glued' with new hydrogel

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Tokyo) A newly developed elastic gel administered in liquid form and shown to turn jellylike within minutes after injection into rabbits' eyes to replace the clear gelatinous fluid inside their eyeballs, may help pave the way for new eye surgery techniques, says an international team of researchers led by Japanese scientists.
  
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• Primary care as a first-line defense for treating and identifying postpartum depression

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Boston University Medical Center) The study, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), will evaluate whether providing initial depression treatment in a primary care setting will result in fewer disparities for low-income women, as well as when during the pregnancy and postpartum period is the most accurate time to screen for depression.
  
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• Poor sleep in early childhood may lead to cognitive, behavioral problems in later years

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Massachusetts General Hospital) A study led by a Massachusetts General Hospital pediatrician finds that children ages 3 to 7 who don't get enough sleep are more likely to have problems with attention, emotional control and peer relationships in mid-childhood.
  
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• Petrol and jet fuel alternatives are produced by yeast cell factories

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Chalmers University of Technology) There have been many attempts to modify this stubborn little enzyme, but none have succeeded. Until now. With new findings from Chalmers University of Technology, the fatty acid synthase (FAS) enzyme has started to produce sustainable chemicals for biofuels. The results were recently published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.
  
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• OU professor receives NSF Early CAREER Award

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Oklahoma) A University of Oklahoma Gallogly College of Engineering professor, Steven P. Crossley, is the recipient of a five-year, National Science Foundation Early CAREER Award in the amount of $548,829 for research that can be used to understand catalysts that are important for a broad range of chemical reactions ranging from the production of renewable fuels and chemicals for natural gas processing. The research will be integrated with educational and outreach programs intended
  
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• NTU Singapore and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences strengthen research ties

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Nanyang Technological University) Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and China's University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) are strengthening research and exchange ties. Under the five-year agreement, the two leading institutions in Asia will enhance joint research collaborations as well as ramp up visits and exchanges for students, academic and research staff.An area of focus will be in translating research outcomes in fields such as artificial intelligence and d
  
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• New technologies for astronomical research

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Cologne) Researchers from Heidelberg, Cologne and Potsdam are involved in a project to develop a new technology in astronomy. The team intends to render micro-optic systems used in telecommunications suitable for use in large telescopes. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved funding of approximately 1.1 million euros for the three-year project.
  
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• New material helps record data with light

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (ITMO University) Russian physicists with their colleagues from Europe through changing the light parameters, learned to generate quasiparticles -- excitons, which were fully controllable and also helped to record information at room temperature. These particles act as a transitional form between photons and electrons so the researchers believe that with excitons, they will be able to create compact optoelectronic devices for rapid recording and processing an optical signal. The study appeared i
  
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• New indicators to aid Crohn's disease diagnosis and treatment

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Arizona State University) The diagnosis, understanding and management of Crohn's disease may have just received a helping hand from a joint ASU Biodesign Institute and Mayo Clinic study aimed at developing a better blood test for the disease.The study, led by Biodesign scientists Josh LaBaer and Ji Qiu, along with gastroenterologists Shabana Pasha and Jonathan Leighton from Mayo Clinic Arizona, successfully identified several molecules, called biomarkers, that were unique indicators found only
  
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• NASA examines the soaking from ex-tropical Cyclone Enawo exiting Madagascar

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) NASA's Aqua satellite observed Ex-Tropical Cyclone Enawo leaving Madagascar, while rainfall data from the Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM satellite helped determine the amount of rainfall it brought to the country.
  
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• NASA catches newly formed Tropical Cyclone 11S

  09-03-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Just after Tropical Cyclone 11S formed in the Southern Indian Ocean NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead gathering data using infrared light.
  
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