Science news

• Miners who boasted about killing uncontacted Amazon tribe members now under investigation

  11-09-2017 22:55 via cbc.ca
  Some Brazilian gold miners at a bar boasted about having killed 8-10 members of an uncontacted Amazon tribe. Someone recorded them and now Brazilian prosecutors are investigating.
  
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• Study of circular DNA comes full circle with use of old technique

  11-09-2017 22:32
  A 50-year-old lab technique is helping researchers better understand circular DNA, a lesser-known and poorly understood cousin of the linear version commonly associated with life's genetic blueprint. With the aid of a process called density gradient centrifugation, a research team recently published a study that for the first time characterizes all of the circular DNA in the worm C. elegans, as well as in three human cell types. 
  
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• The sun’s strongest flare in 11 years might help explain a solar paradox

  11-09-2017 22:30
  
  The sun tends to release its biggest flares at the ends of solar cycles — and we might finally be able to test why.
  
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• Final flyby puts Cassini on a collision course with Saturn

  11-09-2017 22:00
  
  A “last kiss goodbye” with Saturn’s largest moon sent the Cassini spacecraft on its final trajectory into the planet’s atmosphere.
  
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• Doctors who take pharmaceutical money often use Twitter to hype drugs

  11-09-2017 21:58 via cbc.ca
  Doctors are directly telling patients about their views on drugs on Twitter, and financial conflict plays a role. But they're not telling patients they have a conflict on the social media platform, a new study suggests.
  
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• Why your ancestors would have aced the long jump

  11-09-2017 21:09
  A 52-million-year-old ankle fossil suggests our prehuman ancestors were high-flying acrobats. For years, scientists thought the ancestors of today's humans, monkeys, lemurs and apes were relatively slow and deliberate animals, using their grasping hands and feet to creep along small twigs and branches. But a new study suggests the first primates were masters at leaping through the trees.
  
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• Ancient Egyptian goldsmith's tomb uncovered

  11-09-2017 19:03 via cbc.ca
  A pharaonic tomb belonging to a royal goldsmith who lived more than 3,500 years ago has been discovered in Egypt.
  
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• The turbulent healing powers of plasma

  11-09-2017 18:27
  Non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma can help heal wounds, destroy cancer cells and kill harmful bacteria. The jets of plasma that doctors might use, however, often become turbulent with the direction and velocity changing dramatically. Now, researchers have found this turbulence likely emerges from heat-induced sound waves generated at the plasma electrodes. This new insight is critical for more consistent and effective medical therapies.
  
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• Scientists track the brain-skull transition from dinosaurs to birds

  11-09-2017 18:27
  The dramatic, dinosaur-to-bird transition that occurred in reptiles millions of years ago was accompanied by profound changes in the skull roof of those animals -- and holds important clues about the way the skull forms in response to changes in the brain -- according to a new study. It is the first time scientists have tracked the link between the brain's development and the roofing bones of the skull.
  
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• Earthquake triggers 'slow motion' quakes in New Zealand

  11-09-2017 18:27
  Slow slip events, a type of slow motion earthquake that occurs over days to weeks, are thought to be capable of triggering larger, potentially damaging earthquakes. In a new study, scientists have documented the first clear-cut instance of the reverse -- a massive earthquake immediately triggering a series of large slow slip events.
  
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• Connecting up the quantum internet

  11-09-2017 18:27
  Major leap for practical building blocks of a quantum internet: New research demonstrates how to dramatically improve the storage time of a telecom-compatible quantum memory, a vital component of a global quantum network. The technology operates in the same 1550 nanometer band as today's telecommunications infrastructure. It can also be operated as a quantum light source or used as an optical link for solid-state quantum computing devices such as superconducting qubits and silicon qubits.
  
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• A new genetic marker for schizophrenia

  11-09-2017 18:27
  Scientists find a rare genetic variant that shows strong association with schizophrenia.
  
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• USA threatened by more frequent flooding

  11-09-2017 18:26
  The East Coast of the United States is threatened by more frequent flooding in the future. According to this study, the states of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are most at risk. Their coastal regions are being immersed by up to three millimeters per year -- among other things, due to human intervention.
  
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• The evolutionary origin of the gut

  11-09-2017 18:26
  How did the gut, the skin and musculature evolve? This question concerns scientists for more than a century. Through the investigation of the embryonic development of sea anemones, a very old animal lineage, researchers have now come to conclusions which challenge the 150-year-old hypothesis of the homology (common evolutionary origin) of the germ layers that form all later organs and tissues.
  
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• Scientists construct first predictive model of inflammatory bowel disease

  11-09-2017 18:26
  An in-depth, multi-omics approach to characterizing the immune component of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been revealed by researchers. These results provide new insights into the biologic networks involved in IBD with potential to identify new targets and eventually novel interventions for the treatment of patients living with IBD.
  
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• Patients to benefit from new 3-D visualizations of the heart

  11-09-2017 18:26
  In the future heart surgeons will have access to a new type of 3-D visualization of the cardiac conduction system. This technique could provide improved safety for patients and improve surgical outcomes in patients suffering from heart disease and cardiac malformations, explains a new report.
  
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• New treatment option discovered for brain injury patients suffering from aggression

  11-09-2017 18:26
  A drug originally developed in the 1960s as an antiviral medication is showing promise as a treatment option for people who suffer from increased feelings of aggression following traumatic brain injury, researchers have reported.
  
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• How openings in Antarctic sea ice affect worldwide climate

  11-09-2017 18:26
  In a new analysis of climate models, researchers reveal the significant global effects that seemingly anomalous polynyas, or openings in sea ice, can have. Their findings indicate that heat escaping from the ocean through these openings impacts sea and atmospheric temperatures and wind patterns around the globe and even rainfall around the tropics.
  
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• Half-a-billion-year-old fossils shed light animal evolution on Earth

  11-09-2017 18:26
  Scientists have discovered traces of life more than half-a-billion years old that could change the way we think about how all animals evolved on Earth.
  
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• Fathers can influence the sex of their offspring, scientists show

  11-09-2017 18:26
  It has traditionally been thought that in mammals only mothers are able to influence the sex of their offspring. But a new study in wild mice has shown that fathers can, in fact, influence sex ratios.
  
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• Cold region 'tipping point' now inevitable

  11-09-2017 18:26
  The decline of cold regions called periglacial zones is now inevitable due to climate change, researchers say.
  
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• Biophysics study makes exciting advancements for the future of DNA sequencing

  11-09-2017 18:26
  New technology that optimizes DNA sequencing using nanophysics and electric currents has been developed by scientists. Their work offers a method for loading DNA into sequencing wells with orders of magnitude higher efficiencies.
  
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• Biodiversity just as powerful as climate change for healthy ecosystems

  11-09-2017 18:26
  Biodiversity is proving to be one of humanity's best defenses against extreme weather. In past experiments, diversity has fostered healthier, more productive ecosystems, like shoreline vegetation that guards against hurricanes. However, many experts doubted whether these experiments would hold up in the real world. A study offers a decisive answer: biodiversity's power in the wild surpasses experimental predictions, in some cases topping even effects of climate.
  
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• 'We sent a spaceship to the stars!': Remembering Voyager 2

  11-09-2017 18:09 via cbc.ca
  Forty years ago, NASA launch the Voyager 2 spacecraft on a multi-million-year journey. CBC's Bob McDonald recounts what it was like to be there for that historic moment and reflects on the message from Earth the spacecraft carries into interstellar space.
  
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• Fire ant venom compounds may lead to skin treatments

  11-09-2017 15:59
  Solenopsins, the main toxic components of fire ant venom, chemically resemble ceramides, which are lipid-like molecules essential for maintaining for the barrier function of the skin. Solenopsin analogs can reduce skin thickening and inflammation in a mouse model of psoriasis, scientists have shown.
  
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• Desert locusts: New risks in the light of climate change

  11-09-2017 15:59
  The desert locust is an invasive species that is both well known and feared because of the large-scale agricultural damage it can cause. It is particularly closely monitored, to prevent the risks of outbreaks and invasions. Climate change could modify its distribution area, meaning a new threat to agriculture, according to a study.
  
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• Biosensor detects adulteration of horse in beef meat within one hour

  11-09-2017 15:59
  Fraud in meat products has become, in recent years, a battle of the food industry and public health. Although there are numerous strategies to detect it, they are not sufficiently selective and sensitive to differentiate close animal species. A collaboration of experts has developed an electrochemical biosensor capable of detecting, in just one hour, processes of adulteration of beef with horse meat.
  
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• Ancient wetlands offer window into climate change

  11-09-2017 15:59
  Environmental researchers have uncovered a wealth of information about a unique part of Australia that offers never-before-seen insights into climate change since the last ice age.
  
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• Pope Francis urges world leaders to take action on climate change

  11-09-2017 15:57 via cbc.ca
  Pope Francis says the recent spate of hurricanes should prompt people to understand that humanity will "go down" if it does not address climate change and history will judge those who deny the science on its causes.
  
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• Row over AI that 'identifies gay faces'

  11-09-2017 15:17 via bbc.co.uk
  Researchers and LGBT groups clash over facial recognition tech that supposedly spots gay people.
  
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• Tesla temporarily boosts batteries for customers fleeing Irma

  11-09-2017 14:41 via cbc.ca
  Electric car maker Tesla says it has temporarily increased the battery capacity of some of its cars to help drivers escaping Irma.
  
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• Badger culling gets go ahead in 11 new areas of England

  11-09-2017 14:35 via bbc.co.uk
  A vaccination programme to stop the spread of bovine tuberculosis is also restarting.
  
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• Science can’t forecast love

  11-09-2017 13:00
  
  Scientists’ forecast for romantic matches is unpredictable.
  
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• China's Delayed Moon Mission Sparks Debate over Lunar Samples

  11-09-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  The Chang’e 5 spacecraft could return invaluable new moon rocks to Earth, but who will get to study them?
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Research may reveal mysteries of Nova Scotia seaweed

  11-09-2017 12:30 via cbc.ca
  New mapping technology may help reveal more about rockweed, a Nova Scotia plant that's shipped around the world in an industry that employs hundreds of people.
  
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• Offshore wind power cheaper than new nuclear

  11-09-2017 11:15 via bbc.co.uk
  Figures from the government are seen as a milestone in the advance of renewable energy.
  
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• Finstas: Using 'fake' social media accounts to reveal your authentic self

  11-09-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  Some people are creating multiple accounts on social media platforms, aimed at finding or avoiding different audiences. Sometimes the "fake" accounts are the most authentic.
  
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• Astronomers find fast-spinning 'clocks in the sky' using gaming tech

  11-09-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  Astronomers have discovered the second-fastest rotating star ever known — and they did it using technology originally used for gaming.
  
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• Cycling: Groups call for action on 'car-dooring'

  11-09-2017 10:06 via bbc.co.uk
  A door-opening method that involves using the "wrong" hand should be taught to drivers, groups say.
  
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• Wendelstein 7-X: Second round of experimentation started

  11-09-2017 06:00
  (Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik (IPP)) The plasma experiments in the Wendelstein 7-X fusion device at Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Greifswald, Germany, have been resumed after a 15-month conversion break. The extension has made the device fit for higher heating power and longer pulses. This now allows the optimised concept of Wendelstein 7-X to be tested. Wendelstein 7-X, the world's largest fusion device of the stellarator type, is to investigate its suitability f
  
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• Want to improve your business's online ratings? Make sure to respond to reviews

  11-09-2017 06:00
  (Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) Can responding to online reviews improve a business' online reputation? According to a forthcoming study in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science, a leading academic marketing journal, management responses can not only lead to higher ratings for businesses, but also more informative reviews.
  
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• UTSA receives $800,000 grant for earthquake resilience research

  11-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Texas at San Antonio) Wassim Ghannoum, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Texas at San Antonio, has received a nearly $800,000 grant from the US Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop a new generation of computer simulation models that will characterize the impact of severe earthquake conditions on reinforced concrete structures.
  
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• Using mirrors to improve the quality of light particles

  11-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Basel) Scientists from the University of Basel's Department of Physics and the Swiss Nanoscience Institute have succeeded in dramatically improving the quality of individual photons generated by a quantum system. The scientists have successfully put a 10-year-old theoretical prediction into practice. With their paper, published recently in Physical Review X, they have taken an important step towards future applications in quantum information technology.
  
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• UC Davis, City of Davis Host International Cycling Safety Conference

  11-09-2017 06:00
  (University of California - Davis) Making the streets safer for cyclists and promoting cycling for all are goals of the International Cycling Safety Conference, to be held Sept. 21-22 at the UC Davis Conference Center. It is the first time that the conference has been held in the US and appropriately enough, it's coming to the nation's premier cycling city.
  
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• Toxicologists recommend human cell-based methods to identify asthma-causing chemicals

  11-09-2017 06:00
  (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) Chemicals that could potentially cause asthma through an immune reaction could be better identified with human cell- and computer-based test methods, according to a new research paper co-authored by the Physicians Committee's Kristie Sullivan, M.P.H., in Applied In Vitro Toxicology.
  
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• Top Army researcher lays out innovation priorities at Innovation Summit

  11-09-2017 06:00
  (U.S. Army Research Laboratory) ARL Director Dr. Philip Perconti is scheduled to speak Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. to industry and government officials during the Defense & National Security Innovation Summit at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, in Norfolk, Va.There, he will lay out the Laboratory's innovative front- and back-office initiatives, highlighting recent science and technology successes and Laboratory's unconventional business model, Open Campus.
  
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• To improve health monitoring, simply trip the 'nanoswitch'

  11-09-2017 06:00
  (Boston Children's Hospital) A team of researchers from Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Harvard's Wyss Institute have adapted their DNA nanoswitch technology -- previously demonstrated to aid drug discovery and the measure of biochemical interactions --into a new platform that they call the nanoswitch-linked immunosorbent assay (NLISA) for fast, sensitive and specific protein detection.
  
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• These mutations could be key to understanding how some harmful conditions develop

  11-09-2017 06:00
  (University of California - San Diego) A team of researchers led by a bioinformatician at the University of California San Diego has developed a method to help determine whether certain hard-to-study mutations in the human genome, called short tandem repeats or microsatellites, are likely to be involved in harmful conditions. The team, which also includes scientists from the New York Genome Center, Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, details their findings in the S
  
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• The business of bioanalysis: Expert panel addresses hot topics in industry

  11-09-2017 06:00
  (Future Science Group) Bioanalysis Zone has partnered with key figures in the pharmaceutical and CRO industries for a unique panel discussion series offering perspectives on current issues in the field of bioanalysis.
  
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• The 2017 Balzan Prizewinners announced today in Milan

  11-09-2017 06:00
  (Gold Communications) The names of the 2017 Balzan Prizewinners were disclosed today in a public announcement: 750,000 Swiss Francs (approx. €660,000; $790,000)for each of the subjects. Half of the amount must be destined by the winners to research projects.
  
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