Science news

• Microsoft pushes 'mixed reality' features with Windows 10 update

  01-09-2017 21:19 via cbc.ca
  Microsoft is to update Windows 10 next month so that the latest generation of hardware devices and software can tap into augmented and virtual reality technologies
  
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• Car 0, grizzly 1: Bear survives without even a limp in crash that totals vehicle

  01-09-2017 21:10 via cbc.ca
  A grizzly that was struck by a car travelling at about 100 km/h in Alberta doesn't seem to have suffered any lasting injuries, says the ecologist who later captured the bear to check him out.
  
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• Rings of Uranus reveal secrets of the planet’s moon Cressida

  01-09-2017 20:00
  
  By studying variations in the rings of Uranus, researchers have determined the mass and density of the planet’s moon Cressida.
  
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• Physicists propose new theories of black holes from the very early universe

  01-09-2017 19:55
  'Primordial black holes,' believed to have formed shortly after the Big Bang, might explain how heavy elements such as gold, platinum and uranium came to be, physicists report.
  
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• Bacteria act as aphrodisiac for the closest relatives of animals

  01-09-2017 19:55
  Choanoflagellates are a ubiquitous but enigmatic one-celled ocean organism that may give clues to the origin of multicellularity in animals. New research has turned up a surprising kink in the organism's sex life: swarming and mating are triggered by a marine bacterium common in their environment. Researchers traced this response to a protein secreted by the bacteria. The choanos seem to be eavesdropping on bacteria to determine their life history.
  
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• How deep water surfaces around Antarctica

  01-09-2017 19:00
  
  New 3-D maps trace the pathway that deep water takes to the surface of the Southern Ocean.
  
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• Earthworms at the root of sugar maple decline

  01-09-2017 18:51
  Non-native worms are eating up the forest floor, causing sugar maples to die back and perhaps harming other forest dwellers, a new study suggests.
  
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• Drug may curb female infertility from cancer treatments

  01-09-2017 18:51
  An existing drug may one day protect premenopausal women from life-altering infertility that commonly follows cancer treatments, according to a new study.
  
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• Cognitive fatigue after TBI linked with activation of caudate

  01-09-2017 18:51
  Researchers have further elucidated the mechanisms for cognitive fatigue, a disabling symptom that affects many individuals after traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
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• This sea snake looks like a banana and hunts like a Slinky

  01-09-2017 18:00
  
  A newly identified sea snake subspecies is known to live in a single gulf off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
  
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• Intellectual disabilities caused by protein defect

  01-09-2017 17:36
  Intellectual disabilities are often caused by a mutation that damages a gene, preventing the associated protein from functioning properly. However, a mutation can also change the function of a gene. As a result, the gene in question acts in a completely different way. Researchers discovered this mechanism in fifteen genes playing a role in the development of intellectual disabilities. Their research results show that these changes in function play a more prominent role than previously thought.
  
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• Minuscule jitters may hint at quantum collapse mechanism

  01-09-2017 17:05
  
  Vibrations of a tiny cantilever could help reveal why quantum rules fail on large scales.
  
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• XFEL: Brilliant X-ray laser comes online

  01-09-2017 17:04 via bbc.co.uk
  A powerful machine opens in Germany to probe the structure of matter to help make new drugs and materials.
  
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• Reusable ruthenium-based catalyst could be a game-changer for the biomass industry

  01-09-2017 16:46
  Researchers have developed a highly efficient reusable catalyst for the production of primary amines. By cutting the amount of undesired by-products, the catalyst is set to revolutionize the production of bio-based fuels, pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals and more.
  
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• Etosis phenomenon discovered in human blood monocytes

  01-09-2017 16:46
  The first clear demonstration of etosis in human blood monocytes, a type of immune cell, has now been discovered by scientists.
  
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• Bit data goes anti-skyrmions

  01-09-2017 16:46
  Scientists have discovered a new kind of magnetic nano-object in a novel material that could serve as a magnetic bit with cloaking properties to make a magnetic disk drive with no moving parts -- a Racetrack Memory -- a reality in the near future.
  
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• Molecules move faster near sticky surfaces

  01-09-2017 15:39
  Molecules move faster as they get closer to adhesive surfaces, but this effect is not permanent.
  
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• Can corals survive climate change?

  01-09-2017 15:39
  Scientists have issued advice that more research is urgently required to determine whether corals can acclimate and adapt to the rapid pace of climate change.
  
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• New light shed on photosynthesis

  01-09-2017 15:38
  A team of scientists has taken us a step closer to unlocking the secrets of photosynthesis, and possibly to cleaner fuels. Their discovery describes the structure of a reaction center (from a heliobacterium) which preserves the characteristics of the ancestral one, and so provides new insight into the evolution of photosynthesis.
  
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• Equatorial jet in Venusian atmosphere

  01-09-2017 15:38
  Observations by Japan's Venus climate orbiter Akatsuki have revealed an equatorial jet in the lower to middle cloud layer of the planet's atmosphere, a finding that could be pivotal to unraveling a phenomenon called superrotation.
  
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• Adipose tissue may affect cancer development in multiple ways

  01-09-2017 15:38
  Adipose tissue, or fat, may influence the development of cancer in diverse ways, depending on the type of fat and the location in the body.
  
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• Apple expected to unveil next iPhones at Sept. 12 showcase

  01-09-2017 14:15 via cbc.ca
  Apple has sent out invitations marking Sept. 12 as the date for an annual showcase, where it's expected to unveil new iPhones.
  
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• Could Samaritan Drone Aircraft Help Hurricane Harvey Rescuers?

  01-09-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  Drone pilots say they can save lives, but emergency responders want them grounded
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Suffolk Wildlife Trust launches Lackford Lakes appeal

  01-09-2017 12:04 via bbc.co.uk
  Suffolk Wildlife Trust says species including the stone curlew will benefit from the purchase.
  
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• Florence: Largest asteroid in century to safely fly by Earth

  01-09-2017 11:57 via bbc.co.uk
  Florence will pass by at a relatively close distance but scientists say there is nothing to worry about.
  
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• Last Lake Superior caribou herd could vanish thanks to hungry wolves

  01-09-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  Alarms are being raised in northern Ontario about one of the last remaining caribou herds in the province. Concerned citizens say the herd on a remote island in Lake Superior is close to being wiped out by hungry wolves.
  
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• Is it time to tax job-stealing robots?

  01-09-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  Bill Gates thinks so, but some experts warn such an approach could harm the economy.
  
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• Health Canada reviewing fix to protect pacemakers from hackers

  01-09-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved new firmware designed to correct a potential cybersecurity vulnerability that could theoretically allow unauthorized access to pacemakers implanted in patients.
  
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• UCLA physicists propose new theories of black holes from the very early universe

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (University of California - Los Angeles) 'Primordial black holes,' believed to have formed shortly after the Big Bang, might explain how heavy elements such as gold, platinum and uranium came to be, UCLA physicists report.
  
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• UC researcher looks at Trump's waterboarding boasts -- do they matter?

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Cincinnati) University of Cincinnati political science research asks how President Trump's 'hell of a lot worse than waterboarding' rhetoric could shift legal norms.
  
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• The 'reality' of accent change

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (Linguistic Society of America) A new study of how accents change over differing periods of time demonstrates the limited impact of intense social interactions in isolated environments, and surprisingly large differences among people in how susceptible their accents are to change. The study 'The medium-term dynamics of accents on reality television,' by Morgan Sonderegger (McGill University), Max Bane (University of Chicago) and Peter Graff (University of Vienna) will be published in the Septemb
  
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• Tampa's growth prompts changes to bike share program

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (University of South Florida (USF Health)) Downtown Tampa is becoming more congested, creating a need for alternative transportation like bike share programs. Tampa is now the first city to offer real-time information on bike share locations and city bus service through a new mobile app feature.
  
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• Study: Drug may curb female infertility from cancer treatments

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (Cornell University) An existing drug may one day protect premenopausal women from life-altering infertility that commonly follows cancer treatments, according to a new study.
  
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• Stellar corpse sheds light on origin of cosmic rays

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Arizona) New research revealed that the entire zoo of electromagnetic radiation streaming from the Crab nebula -- one of the most iconic objects in the sky -- has its origin in one population of electrons and must be produced in a different way than scientists have traditionally thought. The results have implications for our understanding of how cosmic rays attain their incredible energies.
  
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• Source code of award-winning knowledge base is now available for everyone

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (Saarland University) Almost every word has more than one meaning. Modern search engines solve this problem using knowledge bases. Yago was one of the first knowledge bases, developed by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbrücken and the Télécom ParisTech in Paris. Last week, the researchers received an award for their work on Yago from the most important scientific journal in the field of artificial intelligence. Today, they are releasing Yago's sou
  
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• Satellite tracks post-Tropical Cyclone Harvey spreading into Ohio Valley

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Harvey is beginning to lose tropical characteristics as heavy rain spread toward the Ohio valley on Sept. 1. NOAA's GOES East satellite provided a visible image of the clouds associated with the depression.
  
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• Research analyzes how development clusters are born

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) The concentration of technology- and knowledge-intensive firms is, to the 21st-century view on economics, the main variable in the definition of public policies leading for wealth-generating clusters. According to international specialists who met in a symposium of the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), by strength of its diversified economy and research funding structure, the Brazilian State of S&atil
  
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• Physician experts highlight research ahead of Otolaryngology's annual meeting

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery) The latest research on patient preferences, quality-of-life, ear health, thyroidectomy, and other topics related to the specialty of otolaryngology will be presented in Chicago, IL, Sept. 10-13, during the AAO-HNSF 2017 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience. The 2017 Annual Meeting includes hundreds of research presentations. All abstracts to be presented are now available online.
  
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• Palliative care makes only limited gains in Africa

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine) An Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai student leads the first comprehensive analysis of African palliative care literature over past 12 years.
  
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• New book on The Biology of Exercise from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press) "The Biology of Exercise", published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, examines the biological basis of exercise from the molecular to the systemic levels. Contributors discuss how transcriptional regulation, cytokine and hormonal signaling, glucose metabolism, epigenetic modifications, microRNA profiles, and mitochondrial and ribosomal functions are altered in response to exercise training, leading to improved skeletal muscle, hippocampal, and cardiov
  
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• Nature imagery calms prisoners

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Utah) Sweeping shots of majestic landscapes. Glaciers, forests and waterfalls.Research published today shows that these images, shown to people deprived of access to nature, can reduce tension, help defuse anger and make some of the harshest environments, like a solitary confinement cellblock in a maximum-security prison, a little easier to bear.
  
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• NASA sees Sanvu strengthen into a Typhoon

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Tropical Storm Sanvu continued to strengthen in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean and NASA's Aqua satellite viewed the storm after it became a typhoon.
  
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• NASA sees large Tropical Depression Mawar develop

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) NASA's Aqua satellite gathered temperature data on Tropical Depression Mawar as it was consolidating in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Satellite imagery showed that this large system was getting better organized.
  
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• NASA gets a night-time and under-the-hood look at Hurricane Irma

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP Satellite provided a night-time and infrared look at the Atlantic's latest hurricane that revealed the power under the clouds. NASA's GPM also provided a look at the rainfall being generated by Hurricane Irma.
  
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• NASA examines Hurricane Lidia's eye on the Baja

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Hurricane Lidia's eye was visible in NASA satellite imagery as it approached Baja California, Mexico's southernmost tip. Hurricane Lidia was making landfall on the Baja on Sept. 1 at 5 a.m. PDT and continued to bring soaking rains to the region.
  
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• Multi-mechanism approach to treating neonatal hypoxic ischemia

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (Medical University of South Carolina) Male sex is a risk factor for worse outcome following neonatal insult, including hypoxic ischemia. While N-acetylcysteine and hypothermia promote functional improvement in female rodents, similar improvement in males requires the addition of vitamin D, report investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina in the September 1, 2017 issue of Neuropharmacology. Multi-mechanism approaches are needed to treat neonatal hypoxic ischemia, and those approa
  
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• 'Mitaka' now delivers more realistic universe in more languages

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (National Institutes of Natural Sciences) Now you can witness the final mission of Cassini and enjoy thebeauty of Saturn's rings and the moon in your own room. NAOJ hasreleased the latest version (1.4) of the astronomical software'Mitaka' with many new features. Mitaka version 1.4 can reproduceCassini's 'Grand Finale' mission. Also, the moon and Saturn's ringsare displayed based on more realistic physical models for lightscattering. Moreover, Chinese has been added to the availablelanguages.
  
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• Lifestyle factors may affect how long individuals live free of disability

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (Wiley) New research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society indicates that a healthy lifestyle may help reduce the duration of an individual's disabled period near the end of life.
  
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• Kessler researchers correlate cognitive fatigue after TBI with activation of the caudate

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (Kessler Foundation) 'These results are consistent with findings in our related research in the multiple sclerosis (MS) population,' said Dr. Wylie, the lead author, 'which suggests that the TBI and MS populations share a mechanism for cognitive fatigue.' This has important implications for the development of effective treatments. 'This study points to the caudate nucleus as a likely target for clinical interventions to alleviate fatigue,' explained Dr. Wylie, who is associate director of Neuros
  
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• ESO's La Silla Observatory will host new planet hunter

  01-09-2017 06:00
  (Université de Genève) Developed and built by the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and the University of Montreal, NIRPS (Near Infra Red Planet Searcher) is an infrared spectrograph designed to detect Earth-like rocky planets around the coolest stars. The formal agreement to add NIRPS to the suite of instruments on ESO telescopes was signed on June 7, 2017.
  
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