Science news

• UK strikes research deal with US in run-up to Brexit

  20-09-2017 21:58 via bbc.co.uk
  The UK and US reach an agreement that aims to allow freer movement of research equipment and scientists.
  
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• 4 in 10 Canadians think science is a matter of opinion, poll suggests

  20-09-2017 21:13 via cbc.ca
  Are scientific findings a matter of opinion? Forty-three per cent of Canadians say they agree that they are, accoprding to a new poll whose results are being described as “worrisome.”
  
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• Scientists want to sail the seas of Titan

  20-09-2017 21:10 via cbc.ca
  Saturn's moon Titan has oceans made of methane. What would it be like to explore them, and how would we do it? CBC's Bob McDonald looks into the possibilities.
  
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• Scientists want to sail the seas of Saturn's moon Titan

  20-09-2017 21:10 via cbc.ca
  Saturn's moon Titan has oceans made of methane. What would it be like to explore them, and how would we do it? CBC's Bob McDonald looks into the possibilities.
  
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• This newfound hermit crab finds shelter in corals, not shells

  20-09-2017 20:57
  
  A newly discovered hermit crab takes its cue from peanut worms and uses walking corals as a permanent shelter.
  
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• Unique type of object discovered in our solar system

  20-09-2017 20:47
  Astronomers have observed the intriguing characteristics of an unusual type of object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter: two asteroids orbiting each other and exhibiting comet-like features, including a bright coma and a long tail. This is the first known binary asteroid also classified as a comet.
  
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• Plants combine color and fragrance to procure pollinators

  20-09-2017 20:47
  Who knew that it's possible to predict the fragrance of a flower by looking at its color? This is true for many of the 41 insect-pollinated plant species growing in a Phrygana scrubland habitat on the Greek island of Lesbos.
  
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• By ganging up, HIV antibodies may defeat the virus

  20-09-2017 20:30
  
  A duo or trio of powerful antibodies was effective at stopping an HIV-like infection in lab monkeys, two studies find.
  
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• Meet the newly discovered hermit crab that carries coral around

  20-09-2017 20:00 via cbc.ca
  Scientists have discovered a new species of hermit crab off the coast of Japan that roams the ocean floor with coral on its back.
  
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• In a first, human embryos edited to explore gene function

  20-09-2017 19:24
  
  In groundbreaking research, CRISPR/Cas9 used to study human development for the first time.
  
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• Scientists edit embryos' genes to study early human development

  20-09-2017 19:23 via cbc.ca
  British scientists have used a genome editing tool to knock out a gene in embryos just a few days old, testing the technique's ability to decipher key gene functions in early human development.
  
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• UK scientists edit DNA of human embryos

  20-09-2017 19:01 via bbc.co.uk
  Understanding the first moments of life could lead to better IVF and explain why women miscarry.
  
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• Readers ponder mini-spacecraft and Canaanites’ genomes

  20-09-2017 19:00
  Readers have questions about miniature spacecraft project and Canaanite genealogy.
  
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• Nature offers inspiration, and occasionally courage

  20-09-2017 18:47
  Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses how nature can inspire people to make long-lasting change.
  
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• How bats could help tomato farmers (and the U.S. Navy)

  20-09-2017 18:30
  
  The way bats navigate their environs inspires engineers to develop better sonar and robots that can estimate crop yield or deliver packages
  
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• Bat brain signals illuminate navigation in the dark

  20-09-2017 18:30
  
  New lab technologies that let bats fly freely allow scientists to track nerve cell signals as the animals dodge and weave.
  
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• Radio waves 'make the sky glow': Artificial aurora to be created over western Arctic

  20-09-2017 16:41 via cbc.ca
  Experiment to understand what causes the sky's brightest lights to take place Thursday night.
  
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• 'Bound to have an impact on global climate': Arctic sea ice drops to 8th lowest summer level

  20-09-2017 16:05 via cbc.ca
  Arctic sea ice set a record for the smallest winter amount earlier this year and was close to 2012's record low levels through July, but a cloudy and cooler than normal August kept melt to a minimum.
  
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• Students learn to spot fake news with Google-funded school project

  20-09-2017 14:54 via cbc.ca
  Program will highlight the importance of journalism in a democracy, and give students the tools and the know-how to find and filter information online.
  
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• U.K. pushes Google, Facebook to remove extremist content faster

  20-09-2017 14:43 via cbc.ca
  The leaders of the U.K., France and Italy will push social media companies today to remove "terrorist content" from the internet within one to two hours of it appearing because they say that is the period when most material is spread.
  
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• Pink salmon caught in N.L. likely from Russian stocking program

  20-09-2017 14:08 via cbc.ca
  Two recent cases of pink salmon being found in Newfoundland and Labrador rivers are not a reason for panic, says the Atlantic Salmon Federation.
  
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• Frog ancestors devoured prey with thousands of hooked teeth

  20-09-2017 14:06 via cbc.ca
  Canadian researchers say they've found evidence that the ancient ancestors of modern-day frogs were once keen predators with thousands of teeth to help devour their prey.
  
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• Great Lakes Defenders Have a Shocking Idea to Stave Off Invasive Carp

  20-09-2017 13:00 via rss.sciam.com
  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has proposed electric and sound barriers to repel Asian carp approaching Lake Michigan 
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• A Challenge to the Textbooks on How We Learn about Our Surroundings

  20-09-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  New experiments provide an alternative to a long-reigning theory of the way we form memories of experiences
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• What's killing right whales? P.E.I. wildlife pathologists spend summer searching for answers

  20-09-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  Solving the mystery of what's killing North Atlantic right whales is the goal of a team of scientists and volunteers from the Atlantic Veterinary College, work that also involves pathologists from the University of Montreal. Solving the "unprecedented" deaths in the Gulf of St. Lawrence sometimes amounts to a race against time.
  
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• Toronto and Vancouver tech insiders weigh in on value of snagging Amazon's HQ2

  20-09-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  Canadian cities are vying to play host to Amazon's second headquarters — but not everyone agrees they should be.
  
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• Owls hold secret to ageless ears

  20-09-2017 09:18 via bbc.co.uk
  Barn owls keep their acute sense of hearing into old age, scientists have discovered.
  
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• What will become of English in a post-Brexit European Union?

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Wiley) How might the Brexit process affect the status of the English language within the European Union? Without Britain, will English even cease to be a language of the Union? A new article in World Englishes explores these questions.
  
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• Wayne State receives $1.2 million NSF grant to develop autonomous battery operating system

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Wayne State University - Office of the Vice President for Research) Researchers at Wayne State University led by Nathan Fisher, associate professor of computer science in the College of Engineering, received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to address the need for effective, integrative battery operating systems that provide sustained and reliable power.
  
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• Wave Glider surfs across stormy Drake Passage in Antarctica

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Washington) A hardy ocean drone made a first-ever attempt to surf across Antarctica's stormy Drake Passage gathering data about ocean mixing.
  
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• Voters reward -- or punish -- school board incumbents based on white students' achievement

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Baylor University) Voters reward or punish incumbent school board members based on the achievement of white students in their district, while outcomes for African-American and Hispanic students get relatively little attention at the ballot box, according to a study co-authored by a Baylor University scholar.
  
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• UTA computer scientist earns grant to combine methods to better analyze brain image data

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Texas at Arlington) Junzhou Huang, an associate professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at The University of Texas at Arlington, will use a $210,000 National Science Foundation grant to explore how to combine the two methods to more accurately predict the outcome of future data. Chao Chen at the City University of New York is co-principal investigator on the project.
  
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• Using AI, citizen science and disaster response to help victims of Hurricane Irma

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Oxford) A highly unusual collaboration between information engineers at Oxford, the Zooniverse citizen science platform and international disaster response organization Rescue Global is enabling a rapid and effective response to Hurricane Irma.
  
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• University researchers awarded grant for non-invasive system to detect atrial fibrillation

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Rochester Institute of Technology) A team of engineers and clinicians at Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester Medical Center received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a non-contact, video recording technology to detect the presence of atrial fibrillation.
  
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• UNIST to track the spread of deadly Avian influenza

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology(UNIST)) South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology has embarked on a research project to develop a new type of tracking device, capable of monitoring the migration routes of wild birds.
  
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• UNIST to showcase the future of 3-D printing

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology(UNIST)) South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology held a 3-D printing gala to showcase the future of 3-D printing.
  
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• Tufts University to advance the study of student learning at collegiate level

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Tufts University) Tufts University will elevate its standing as a national leader in improving student learning outcomes thanks to an $8 million gift from the James S. McDonnell Family Foundation to establish the Institute for Research on Learning and Instruction (IRLI). IRLI will be one of the first research centers to focus on better understanding how students learn at the collegiate level.
  
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• Treatment of heart attack patients depends on history of cancer

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (European Society of Cardiology) Treatment of heart attack patients depends on their history of cancer, according to research published today in European Heart Journal: Acute Cardiovascular Care.1 The study in more than 35 000 heart attack patients found they were less likely to receive recommended drugs and interventions, and more likely to die in hospital if they had cancer than if they did not.
  
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• Test for safe CO2 storage to aid world-leading technology project

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Edinburgh) A test that inexpensively monitors the safe storage of industrial carbon dioxide gas emissions in carbon capture and storage technology is to be used at a $5 million test site in Canada.
  
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• Tablets can teach kids to solve physical puzzles

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Frontiers) Researchers replicated a previous study to confirm that 4- to 6-year-old children can transfer learning of a puzzle from a touchscreen deviceto the physical version. This contradicts most previous research and suggests that different types of screen learning media could have different effects on whether children can transfer learned skills to the physical world.
  
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• System automatically modifies code for transfer to other programs

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed a new system that allows programmers to transplant code from one program into another. The programmer can select the code from one program and an insertion point in a second program, and the system will automatically make modifications necessary -- such as changing variable names -- to integrate the code into its new context.
  
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• Study: US women report diverse preferences related to sexual pleasure

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Indiana University) A recently published paper in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy finds that US women report a diversity of preferencesrelated to sexual pleasure and orgasm.
  
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• Study suggests you can 'pick up' a good or bad mood from your friends

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (University of Warwick) New research suggests that both good and bad moods can be 'picked up' from friends, but depression can't.A team led by the University of Warwick has examined whether friends' moods can affect an individual therefore implying that moods may spread across friendship networks.
  
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• Spinning a lighter, safer electrode

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Drexel University) A group of Drexel University researchers have created a fabric-like material electrode that could help make energy storage devices -- batteries and supercapacitors -- faster and less susceptible to leaks or disastrous meltdowns. Their design for a new supercapacitor, which looks something like a furry sponge infused with gelatin, offers a unique alternative to the flammable electrolyte solution that is a common component in these devices.
  
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• Space radiation is risky business for the human body

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (NASA/Johnson Space Center) NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) is working to protect the whole human body from radiation in space. Space radiation is dangerous and one of the primary health risks for astronauts. Virtually any cell in the body is susceptible to radiation damage.
  
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• Solving the Easter Island population puzzle

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Frontiers) The nearly nine hundred giant stone statues discovered by the first Europeans to land on Easter Island seemed at odds with the small population found living there. It is believed a once thriving community witnessed sweeping ecological change and suffered internal conflict, resulting in a population crash. A new detailed study of the farming potential of the Island suggests it could have sustained 17,500 people at its peak.
  
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• Smokers who quit have metabolite levels that resemble those of nonsmokers

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (American Chemical Society) Even after years of smoking, the body has a remarkable ability to repair itself. Now in a study appearing in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research, scientists report that certain metabolic changes occur soon after quitting, and these changes could help explain how some ill-effects of smoking might be reversible.
  
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• Small intestine permeable peptides facilitate digestive tract absorption

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Kumamoto University) Biopharmaceuticals, medium- and high-molecular weight biologically active macromolecules, are not easily absorbed by the small intestine, the main organ responsible for gastrointestinal absorption, resulting in a bottleneck for oral administration type biopharmaceutical development. Now, researchers have found a new small intestine permeable peptide that can facilitate digestive tract absorption of biopharmaceutical products. The discovery should make it possible for oral a
  
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• Shedding light on brain activity

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (University of California - Santa Barbara) UCSB is named a National Science Foundation Neurotechnology Hub for optical brain imaging
  
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• Seniors with Type 2 diabetes may have increased risk for fracture

  20-09-2017 06:00
  (Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research)Though seniors with type 2 diabetes (T2D) tend to have normal or higher bone density than their peers, researchers have found that they are more likely to succumb to fractures than seniors without T2D. In a new study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, researchers from Hebrew SeniorLife's Institute for Aging Research found older adults with type 2 diabetes had deficits in cortical bone.
  
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