Science news

• Quantum video chat links scientists on two different continents

  29-09-2017 23:07
  
  A Sept. 29 ultrasecure quantum video chat demonstrates the potential for quantum communications across the globe.
  
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• Open-access collider data confirm subatomic particle patterns

  29-09-2017 21:22
  Scientists used the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) data to reveal, for the first time, a universal feature within jets of subatomic particles, which are produced when high-energy protons collide. Their effort represents the first independent, published analysis of the CMS open data.
  
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• A new approach to cancer drug discovery

  29-09-2017 21:22
  Scientists have developed and demonstrated a promising new strategy for the discovery of novel anti-cancer therapies.
  
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• New questions about Arecibo’s future swirl in the wake of Hurricane Maria

  29-09-2017 21:12
  
  The iconic Arecibo Observatory was damaged in Hurricane Maria, but not as much as originally thought. But its funding is still in doubt.
  
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• U.S.-Russia moon station agreement proves space has no borders

  29-09-2017 20:23 via cbc.ca
  A new agreement between American and Russian space agencies proves space is a truly international regime, notes Bob McDonald, host of CBC's Quirks & Quarks. He looks back at how the two countries evolved from rivals to partners in space exploration.
  
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• Ice in space might flow like honey and bubble like champagne

  29-09-2017 20:01
  
  Zapping simulated space ice with imitation starlight makes the ice act more like a liquid than a solid, meaning similar ices in space might be good places for organic chemistry.
  
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• Snapchat users motivation, level of interest

  29-09-2017 19:35
  The simplicity of the platform and brevity of posts are key factors in determining how students can become very regular users.
  
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• Compound from oilseeds may be high-value product

  29-09-2017 19:35
  Extracting a substance called glucosinolate from camelina and carinata seeds may help bring these promising sources of biofuel one stop closer to reality.
  
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• Confronted with bacteria, infected cells die so others can live, study finds

  29-09-2017 19:26
  In a new study, a team of researchers identified a 'back-up alarm' system in host cells that responds to a pathogen's attempt to subvert the immune system.
  
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• Bloodhound supersonic car fires up Eurofighter engine

  29-09-2017 19:07 via bbc.co.uk
  The British-led project to build a 1,000mph car reaches a key milestone in its development.
  
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• Video gamers have an advantage in learning

  29-09-2017 18:51
  Neuropsychologists let video gamers compete against non-gamers in a learning competition. During the test, the video gamers performed significantly better and showed an increased brain activity in the brain areas that are relevant for learning.
  
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• Raccoons solve an ancient puzzle, but do they really understand it?

  29-09-2017 18:51
  Scientists have been using an ancient Greek fable written by Aesop as inspiration to test whether birds and small children understand cause and effect relationships. A group of scientists have now extended this body of work to study raccoon intelligence. Their research uses the Aesop's Fable paradigm to assess if mammalian carnivores understand the principles of water displacement.
  
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• New technique could detect explosives, dangerous gases rapidly, remotely

  29-09-2017 18:50
  A laser-based method that could be used to detect chemicals such as explosives and dangerous gases quickly and accurately has now been developed by researchers.
  
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• New mouse model replicates an underlying cause of intellectual disability

  29-09-2017 18:50
  Researchers have developed the first mice that lack the Upf3b gene, providing a new model for studying its underlying role in intellectual disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders.
  
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• Tesla chief Musk's latest idea: Intercity rocket travel

  29-09-2017 18:39
  ADELAIDE/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Silicon Valley billionaire Elon Musk on Friday outlined ambitious plans for a manned mission to Mars and a rocket capable of carrying passengers from one continent to another on Earth.
  
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• There are only 15 possible pentagonal tiles

  29-09-2017 17:50
  Tiling the plane with a single pattern is a mathematical problem that has interested humans since Antiquity, notably for the aesthetic quality of tiles in mosaics or tiling. One of the unresolved problems in this field that has been puzzling the scientific community since 1918 has now been definitively resolved.
  
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• New study changes our view on flying insects

  29-09-2017 17:49
  For the first time, researchers are able to prove that there is an optimal speed for certain insects when they fly. At this speed, they are the most efficient and consume the least amount of energy. Corresponding phenomena have previously been demonstrated in birds, but never among insects.
  
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• Erosion from ancient tsunami in Northern California

  29-09-2017 17:30
  Geologists use ground-penetrating radar to determine the breadth and depth of erosion from an ancient tsunami in Northern California.
  
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• Protein that could improve symptoms and reduce mortality in flu

  29-09-2017 17:29
  Flu season is on its way, and a new report has identified an innovative strategy for battling this deadly illness.
  
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• Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities exposed with new DNA sequencing approach

  29-09-2017 17:29
  Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal systems play crucial roles in their environment, affecting the plants that can grow there and the nutrients in the soils. Researchers have developed a new DNA sequencing technique using barcoded primers that is capable of detecting rare fungal species in a community, paving the way for future insights into how they might vary in response to environmental changes.
  
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• Algae with light switch

  29-09-2017 17:29
  The adhesion of Chlamydomonas, a unicellular alga, to surfaces is light-dependent.
  
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• Seeing an adult struggle before succeeding inspires toddlers to persevere too

  29-09-2017 17:12
  
  When 15-month-olds watched an adult struggle and then succeed, the toddlers were more likely to try harder themselves, a study found.
  
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• Iconic kiwi could be extinct in 50 years

  29-09-2017 16:07 via bbc.co.uk
  New Zealand's forest used to be home to millions of kiwi. Now there are only 68,000 left.
  
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• Canadian Space Agency developing robotic arms for moon station

  29-09-2017 15:53 via cbc.ca
  The Canadian Space Agency is working to develop robotic arms as its contribution to a small lunar outpost to be built by international partners in the next decade.
  
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• Why do we fall asleep when bored?

  29-09-2017 15:34
  Why do we have the tendency to fall asleep in the absence of motivating stimuli, i.e., when bored.
  
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• Safety, effectiveness of cognitive enhancers for Alzheimer's ranked

  29-09-2017 15:33
  A new study ranking the safety and effectiveness of four drugs taken to enhance concentration, memory, alertness and moods, found that donepezil was most likely to effectively improve cognition in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
  
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• New role for fragile X protein could offer clues for treatment

  29-09-2017 15:33
  The protein behind fragile X syndrome, a leading cause of autism and intellectual disability, controls a suite of genetic regulators.
  
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• New regulator of liver metabolism discovered

  29-09-2017 15:33
  Researchers have identified an enzyme that has a major effect on glucose utilization in liver cells. The enzyme, retinol saturase, helps these cells adapt to variations in glucose levels. However, when glucose levels are consistently too high, retinol saturase appears to exert a damaging effect on cells.
  
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• New clues from brain structures of mantis shrimp

  29-09-2017 15:33
  New research sheds new light on the evolution of some of the earliest brain structures, and stirs up new, intriguing questions about the origins of centers that support learning and memory.
  
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• MRIs are safe for patients with wide variety of pacemakers, defibrillators, study shows

  29-09-2017 15:33
  Magnetic resonance imaging appears to be safe for patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices, even for chest imaging, according to a new study.
  
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• How the lungs of premature babies can undergo damage

  29-09-2017 15:33
  Premature babies that need ventilation to support their breathing often suffer from a condition known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Researchers have now discovered a molecular mechanism that plays a key role in the development of the disease.
  
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• Frequent sauna bathing keeps blood pressure in check

  29-09-2017 15:33
  Frequent sauna bathing reduces the risk of elevated blood pressure, according to an extensive follow-up population-based study. The risk of developing elevated blood pressure was nearly 50 percent lower among men who had a sauna 4-7 times a week compared to men who had a sauna only once a week.
  
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• Breakdown of brain cells' metabolic collaboration linked to Alzheimer's disease

  29-09-2017 15:33
  Researchers have discovered that impairing a critical partnership between brain cells can lead to neurodegeneration.
  
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• Antarctica: Return of the Weddell polynya supports Kiel climate model

  29-09-2017 15:33
  Currently, winter has still a firm grip on Antarctica. At this time of the year, the Weddell Sea usually is covered with a thick layer of sea ice. In spite of the icy temperatures in the region, satellite images depict a large ice-free area in the middle of the ice cover.
  
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• A stinging report: Climate change a major threat to bumble bees

  29-09-2017 15:33
  New research is helping to explain the link between a changing global climate and a dramatic decline in bumble bee populations worldwide.
  
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• Uncovering a winning basketball formula

  29-09-2017 15:32
  Scientists have come up with a winning formula for basketball teams looking to take home Olympic gold.
  
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• Sharks and rays live a lot longer than we thought

  29-09-2017 15:32
  Sharks and rays live a lot longer than we thought -- some twice as long as previously estimated.
  
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• New functions of hippocampus unveiled

  29-09-2017 15:32
  A research team has made major breakthrough in unveiling the mysteries of the brain to reveal functions of an important region, hippocampus, not known to scientists before.
  
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• Global methane emissions from agriculture larger than reported, according to new estimates

  29-09-2017 15:32
  Global methane emissions from agriculture are larger than estimated due to the previous use of out-of-date data on carbon emissions generated by livestock, according to a new study.
  
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• An epidemic of dream deprivation: Unrecognized health hazard of sleep loss

  29-09-2017 15:32
  A sleep and dream specialist has completed a comprehensive review of data about the causes, extent and consequences of dream loss includes recommendations for restoring healthy dreaming.
  
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• Transcranial electrical stimulation shows promise for treating mild traumatic brain injury

  29-09-2017 15:30
  Using a form of low-impulse electrical stimulation to the brain, documented by neuroimaging, researchers report significantly improved neural function in participants with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
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• Hawaii approves telescope on volcano sacred to indigenous people

  29-09-2017 15:25
  (Reuters) - A team of scientists won approval from Hawaii officials on Thursday to build a $1.4 billion telescope atop a volcano indigenous people consider sacred, but opponents vowed to continue fighting.
  
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• Elon Musk: Rockets will fly people from city to city in minutes

  29-09-2017 13:49 via bbc.co.uk
  The entrepreneur says his new rocket could fly people from London to New York in 29 minutes.
  
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• The portable science kit entrepreneur

  29-09-2017 13:46 via bbc.co.uk
  Creator of ChemStart, Bathabile Mpofu, takes hands-on scientific experiments into schools in South Africa.
  
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• Zeroing In on How Supermassive Black Holes Formed

  29-09-2017 13:15 via rss.sciam.com
  Astronomers have a new model for the origin of these impossibly primitive cosmic monsters
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Homing in on How Supermassive Black Holes Formed

  29-09-2017 13:15 via rss.sciam.com
  Astronomers have a new model for the origin of these impossibly primitive cosmic monsters
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Chip Reprograms Cells to Regenerate Damaged Tissue

  29-09-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  A device that delivers infusions of DNA and other molecules restored injured limbs in mice
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• 'Very impressive' marine life enters North America on debris from Japanese tsunami

  29-09-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  Researchers have found that not only is debris from the tsunami making its way to western shores, but so is some marine life never seen before in the region.
  
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• This is how SpaceX will get humans to Mars by 2024

  29-09-2017 09:03 via cbc.ca
  To cut costs, Elon Musk's SpaceX company has shrunk the size of the rocket ship it is developing to go to Mars.
  
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• Elon Musk shrinks SpaceX Mars rocket to cut costs

  29-09-2017 09:03 via cbc.ca
  To cut costs, Elon Musk's SpaceX company has shrunk the size of the rocket ship it is developing to go to Mars, aiming to start construction on the first spaceship in the first half of next year.
  
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