Science news

• U.S. to start carry-on electronics ban on flights departing from 8 countries

  20-03-2017 23:39 via cbc.ca
  
  Seeking to bolster airline security, the U.S. government is temporarily barring passengers on certain flights originating in eight other countries from bringing laptops, iPads, cameras and most other electronics in carry-on luggage starting Tuesday.
  
  Read more

• Archeologists find 400,000-year-old cranium fossil related to Neanderthals

  20-03-2017 21:48 via cbc.ca
  
  It was the last day of the expedition in the Gruta da Aroeira cave in Portugal. The archeologists were getting ready to close up the site, but one of their final scans of the thick rock revealed something interesting: an outline of a human skull.
  
  Read more

• Single-atom magnets store bits of data

  20-03-2017 21:25
  
  Scientists read and write data by harnessing the magnetic properties of holmium atoms.
  
  Read more

• Genetic switch offers clue to why grasses are survival masters

  20-03-2017 20:35
  
  Scientists have identified a genetic switch that helps grasses regulate their carbon dioxide intake.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• LHC: Five new particles hold clues to sub-atomic glue

  20-03-2017 20:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Researchers discover five new sub-atomic particles that could help to explain how atoms are held together.
  
  Read more

• Google apologizes to advertisers for posts alongside offensive YouTube content

  20-03-2017 19:58 via cbc.ca
  
  Google apologized on Monday for allowing ads to appear alongside offensive videos on YouTube as more high-profile firms such as Marks & Spencer and HSBC pulled advertising for British markets from Google sites.
  
  Read more

• Under lasers, a feathered dino shows some skin

  20-03-2017 19:40
  
  Laser-stimulated fluorescence reveals detailed images of soft tissue in a feathered dinosaur from 160 million years ago.
  
  Read more

• YouTube faces social media storm over LGBT-blocking 'restricted mode'

  20-03-2017 17:22 via cbc.ca
  
  YouTube says it's looking into concerns about the company's current "Restricted Mode" — a voluntary feature aimed at blocking mature or potentially inappropriate material, but which some users say is seemingly indiscriminately filtering out content by and about the LGBT community.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• 'Made in Canada' wasps next step in battle against ash borer

  20-03-2017 13:13 via cbc.ca
  
  Tetrastichus will join other parasitic wasps — both American and Chinese — released in 2016 to combat the emerald ash borer.
  
  Read more

• Shocking stories tell tale of London Zoo’s founding

  20-03-2017 12:00
  
  In The Zoo, Isobel Charman pens a gripping narrative of the London Zoo’s early days, when workers had a hard time keeping animals alive.
  
  Read more

• Forget Flying Cars: Passenger Drones May Be Hovering Soon at a Location Near You

  20-03-2017 12:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Self-piloting quadcopters make more sense than an airplane–automobile hybrid—but safety and logistics problems remain
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Years after diagnosis, many young cancer survivors continue to struggle socially

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Wiley) A new study indicates that the social difficulties faced by many adolescent and young adult cancer survivors often persist for years after their diagnosis.
  
  Read more

• Will AAV vectors have a role in future novel gene therapy approaches?

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News) Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors for delivering therapeutic genes have demonstrated their safety in multiple diseases and clinical settings over the years and are a proven and effective tool that can be used to deliver new gene editing and replacement and genome modification technologies.
  
  Read more

• Using virtual reality to catch a real ball

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Disney Research) Disney Research scientists have found innovative ways to enhance virtual experiences involving interactions with physical objects by showing how a person using a virtual reality system can use it to reliably catch a real ball.
  
  Read more

• Unexpected, star-spangled find may lead to advanced electronics

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (University of Texas at Dallas) In a recent study, University of Texas at Dallas researchers describe a material that, when heated to about 450 degrees Celsius, transforms from an atomically thin, two-dimensional sheet into an array of one-dimensional nanowires, each just a few atoms wide. An image caught in mid-transformation looks like a tiny United States flag, and with false colors added, is arguably the world's smallest image of Old Glory, researchers said.
  
  Read more

• Tweeting in times of emergency

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Inderscience Publishers) US researchers have assessed the impact of Twitter on the reach and efficacy of information sharing by a global disaster response organization, the Red Cross/Red Crescent. They provide details in the International Journal of Emergency Management.
  
  Read more

• 'Tree-on-a-chip' passively pumps water for days

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) MIT engineers have created a 'tree-on-a-chip' -- a microfluidic pump inspired by the way trees and plants circulate nutrients. The chip pumps water for days, at constant rates that could power small robots.
  
  Read more

• Transport systems face disruption by extreme weather -- better risk management is needed

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland) Extreme weather conditions due to climate change pose a new threat to ageing infrastructure. We need to be better prepared, according to a publication by the OECD's International Transport Forum.
  
  Read more

• SwRI-led team focusing on safety chosen for NASA's SSERVI

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Southwest Research Institute) NASA announced it has selected a new team led by Southwest Research Institute to its Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI).
  
  Read more

• Study points a way to better implantable medical devices

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) MIT researchers have identified a signaling molecule key to the formation of scar tissue surrounding implantable medical devices, a process called fibrosis. Blocking this molecule prevents scar tissue from forming and could help scientists extend the lifespan of many types of implantable medical devices.
  
  Read more

• Stem cells seem speedier in space

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (NASA/Johnson Space Center) Growing significant numbers of human stem cells in a short time could lead to new treatments for stroke and other diseases. Scientists are sending stem cells to the International Space Station to test whether these cells proliferate faster in microgravity without suffering any side effects.
  
  Read more

• Scientists created nanopowders for the synthesis of new aluminum alloys

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Siberian Federal University) The research team of Siberian Federal University together with the scientists of the Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center of the SB RAS has developed a method for the synthesis of aluminum alloys, the use of which will allow the creation of new types of products with improved characteristics based on aluminum.
  
  Read more

• Research teaches machines to decipher the dawn chorus

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) Innovative research looking at the timing and sequence of bird calls could provide new insight into the social interaction that goes on between birds. It will also help teach machines to differentiate between man-made and natural sounds and to understand the world around them. The work is being led by Dr. Dan Stowell, a research fellow in machine listening at Queen Mary University of London.
  
  Read more

• Protein could prevent brain damage caused by stroke

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (University of Queensland) A small protein that could protect the brain from stroke-induced injury has been discovered by researchers from the University of Queensland and Monash University.
  
  Read more

• Power partners: Sandia draws industry into quest for cheaper, cleaner electricity

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (DOE/Sandia National Laboratories) Sandia National Laboratories is working with three industry partners to commercialize a distributed power system that can produce cheaper, cleaner, more efficient electricity.
  
  Read more

• Piece of mind

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (University of Utah) With just an inexpensive micro-thin surgical needle and laser light, University of Utah engineers have discovered a minimally invasive, inexpensive way to take high-resolution pictures of an animal brain, a process that also could lead to a much less invasive method for humans. The team has now proven the process works on mice for the benefit of medical researchers studying neurological disorders such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and aggression.
  
  Read more

• People remain calm as the world ends, video game study suggests

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (University at Buffalo) As the world ends, will you lock arms and sing 'Kumbayah' or embark on a path of law-breaking, anti-social behavior? A new study, based upon the virtual actions of more than 80,000 players of the role-playing video game ArcheAge, suggests you'll be singing. The study found that despite some violent acts, most players tended toward behavior that was helpful to others as their virtual world came to an end.
  
  Read more

• Parsley and other plants lend form to human stem cell scaffolds

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (University of Wisconsin-Madison) Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are using the decellularized husks of plants such as parsley, vanilla and orchids to form three-dimensional scaffolds that can then be primed and seeded with human stem cells to optimize their growth in the lab dish and, ultimately, create novel biomedical implants.
  
  Read more

• Orbital ATK Cygnus set to deliver research to space station

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (NASA/Johnson Space Center) Orbital ATK is targeted to launch its Cygnus spacecraft into orbit for a resupply mission to the International Space Station March 24, 2017 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
  
  Read more

• NTU Singapore and Schaeffler set up joint lab to develop smart mobility devices

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Nanyang Technological University) In the future, you could get off the train and hop onto an electric kickboard equipped with a smart unit that can warn you of potential hazards while it navigates you home.
  
  Read more

• New feedback system could allow greater control over fusion plasma

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory) A physicist has created a new system that will let scientists control the energy and rotation of plasma in real time in a doughnut-shaped machine known as a tokamak.
  
  Read more

• NASA's Swift mission maps a star's 'death spiral' into a black hole

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Astronomers measured the light produced when a sun-like star wandered too close to a 3-million-solar-mass black hole similar to the one at the center of our own galaxy.
  
  Read more

• Mutants in microgravity

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (NASA/Johnson Space Center) A proof-of-concept investigation, Nanobiosym Genes, is sending two strains of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria to the International Space Station.
  
  Read more

• Molecular motor-powered biocomputers

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Technische Universität Dresden) A five-year, 6.1 M€ EU-Horizon 2020 project aims to build a new type of powerful computer based on biomolecules. TU Dresden is participating.
  
  Read more

• Mars volcano, Earth's dinosaurs went extinct about the same time

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Arsia Mons produced one new lava flow at its summit every 1 to 3 million years during the final peak of activity, about 50 million years ago.
  
  Read more

• Lust for power

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (University of Utah) Thanks to the discovery of a new material by University of Utah engineers, a cooking pan could generate enough electricity to charge a cellphone in just a few hours. The team found that a combination of the chemical elements calcium, cobalt and terbium can create an efficient, inexpensive and bio-friendly material that can generate electricity through a thermoelectric process involving heat and cold air.
  
  Read more

• Less radiation in inner Van Allen belt than previously believed

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (DOE/Los Alamos National Laboratory) The inner Van Allen belt has less radiation than previously believed, according to a recent study in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Observations from NASA's Van Allen probes show the fastest, most energetic electrons in the inner radiation belt are actually much rarer and harder to find than scientists expected. This is good news for spacecraft that are orbiting in the region and can be damaged by high levels of radiation.
  
  Read more

• Hubble's glittering frisbee galaxy

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Hubble caught a cross-section of NGC 1448, a spiral galaxy located about 50 million light-years from Earth.
  
  Read more

• How fullerite becomes harder than diamond

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology) The scientists suggested that under pressure, part of the fullerite turned into diamond, while the other part remained as fullerite, but in a compressed state within the diamond. After comparing the X-ray spectra, it was assumed that most likely in the experiment, they had obtained an amorphous carbon medium with a hydrostatically compressed fullerite inside, while the model dealt with a diamond containing a fullerite inside. According to the calculat
  
  Read more

• Does Mars have rings? Not right now, but maybe one day

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Purdue University) Purdue researchers developed a model that suggests that debris that was pushed into space from an asteroid or other body slamming into Mars around 4.3 billion years ago and alternates between becoming a planetary ring and clumping up to form a moon.
  
  Read more

• Coffee shops, 24-hour ATMs the best locations for life-saving AEDs, research shows

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering) Tim Horton's tops the list: U of T Engineering researchers studied data on cardiac arrest locations in Toronto to draft a list of 'top 10' businesses where placing automated external defibrillators would save lives.
  
  Read more

• Chicago's red-light camera program has significant safety benefits

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Northwestern University) Chicago's red-light cameras reduce serious injury crashes at intersections where they are placed and also have a measurable 'spillover effect' that improves safety at intersections without cameras, according to a new Northwestern University Transportation Center study. The report provides tools and analysis that can help the city identify existing and potential camera locations requiring further attention and notes that enforcing red-light camera violations occurring wi
  
  Read more

• Carnegie Mellon University launches carbon emissions index

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University) Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems and Carnegie Mellon University today announced the creation of a new index that will measure carbon dioxide emissions from the US electrical power generation sector.
  
  Read more

• Anti-bacterial discovery will prevent infections spreading on medical devices

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Trinity College Dublin) Bacterial biofilms frequently attach to medical devices in the body, such as hip replacements and heart valves, after surgery. These biofilms often cause the removal of these devices because the bacteria cannot be killed by antibiotics. However, a team of microbiologists from Trinity College Dublin has just discovered how to prevent these bacteria establishing, which has significant financial and health-related implications.
  
  Read more

• Academics urged to strengthen ties to US peers in face of Trump travel ban

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (Canadian Medical Association Journal) In the face of the Trump travel ban, academics must strengthen, rather than sever, ties to the United States, argues Dr. Matthew Stanbrook, Deputy Editor, CMAJ, in an editorial.
  
  Read more

• A pocket-sized retina camera, no dilating required

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (University of Illinois at Chicago) Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School have developed a cheap, portable camera that can photograph the retina without the need for pupil-dilating eye drops.
  
  Read more

• A new tool to predict the potential public health benefit of e-cigarettes

  20-03-2017 05:00
  
  (R&D at British American Tobacco) A new study predicts that when e-cigarettes are available as alternative to cigarettes, by 2050 the 32 percent of smokers in the UK that otherwise would have continued smoking would have completely switched to e-cigarettes.
  
  Read more

• Secret of a sperm's success

  20-03-2017 01:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  How a sperm manages to reach the fallopian tubes is clear at last, scientists say.
  
  Read more

Follow @ScienceUKnews on Twitter!