Science news

• Distant sun-like star eating its planets, astronomers say

  22-12-2017 19:50 via cbc.ca
  A new study in The Astronomical Journal suggests that a star 550 light-years away is gobbling up the remains of destroyed planets.
  
  Read more

• The science behind kids’ belief in Santa

  22-12-2017 18:30
  
  Children’s belief in Santa is strong — until it isn’t anymore, usually at around age 8.
  
  Read more

• The man flu struggle might be real, says one researcher

  22-12-2017 18:00
  
  A researcher reviews the evidence for gender bias among flu viruses in the BMJ’s lighthearted holiday edition.
  
  Read more

• Zika remains a research and public health challenge

  22-12-2017 17:14
  The Zika virus has become established in more than 80 countries, infected millions of people, and left many babies with birth defects. Although scientists have made progress in their understanding of the virus, it would be premature to think that the Zika pandemic is now under control and will not reemerge, perhaps more aggressively, say experts.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Revised 'McDonald criteria' expected to speed the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis

  22-12-2017 17:14
  The McDonald Criteria for the Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis have just been revised in hopes of speeding diagnosis and reducing the chance of misdiagnosis.
  
  Read more

• How small does your rice pudding need to get when stirring jam into it?

  22-12-2017 17:14
  Have you ever tried turning the spoon back after stirring jam into a rice pudding? It never brings the jam back into the spoon. This ever-increasing disorder is linked to the notion of entropy. In a new study, researchers demystify the clash between two theories of entropy by analyzing the practical consequences in two well-defined size systems, with a view to confirming them experimentally.
  
  Read more

• Tech toys could put kids' privacy at risk. Here's how to stay safe.

  22-12-2017 16:09 via cbc.ca
  The FBI warns that internet-connected toys kids unwrap this Christmas could put children's privacy at risk. Here are some precautions you can take to stop online crooks from stealing your kids' personal information while they're having fun with electronic toys.
  
  Read more

• A visual database of human plasma compounds

  22-12-2017 15:32
  Researchers have created a database of metabolites from blood samples collected from over 5,000 Japanese volunteers, making it freely available online as a valuable resource for researchers around the world.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• A kiss of death for prostate cancer

  22-12-2017 15:32
  Researchers have uncovered a cellular protein that stabilizes a tumor promoting signaling pathway, suggesting a new target to treat prostate cancer.
  
  Read more

• Arctic will likely never return to former frigid days, says climate change report

  22-12-2017 15:31 via cbc.ca
  The Arctic will likely never return to the frozen state it once enjoyed because of the effects of climate change, according to the 2017 Arctic Report Card.
  
  Read more

• Tiny polyps save corals from predators and disease

  22-12-2017 15:25
  Corals may have unexpected allies in improving their health and resilience.
  
  Read more

• Tiny Australian rainbow peacock spiders may inspire new optical technologies

  22-12-2017 15:25
  Even if you are arachnophobic, you probably have seen pictures or videos of Australian peacock spiders (Maratus spp.). These tiny spiders are only 1-5 mm long but are famous for their flamboyant courtship displays featuring diverse and intricate body colorations, patterns, and movements.
  
  Read more

• Exploring the phenomenon of superconductivity

  22-12-2017 15:25
  Using ultracold atoms, researchers have found an exotic state of matter where the constituent particles pair up when limited to two dimensions. The findings from the field of quantum physics may hold important clues to intriguing phenomena of superconductivity.
  
  Read more

• A novel way to synthesize antioxidant substances

  22-12-2017 15:25
  Scientists have proposed a novel way to address the most important and fundamental challenge of organic chemistry, such as breaking a bond between carbon and hydrogen atoms to form new organic substances. They were the first to carry out “breaking” in water thanks to especially synthesized substances called arylbenziodoxaboroles. As a result, the scientists synthesized a number of novel phenolic substances that possess high biological and antioxidant activity. In the future, they can
  
  Read more

• West African dolphin now listed as one of Africa's rarest mammals

  22-12-2017 15:03
  A group of scientists now considers a little-known dolphin that only lives along the Atlantic coasts of Western Africa to be among the continent's most endangered mammals, a list that includes widely recognized species such as gorillas, African wild dogs, and black rhinos.
  
  Read more

• Team maps magnetic fields of bacterial cells, nano-objects for the first time

  22-12-2017 15:03
  For the first time, researchers have noted that the magnetic fields of bacterial cells and magnetic nano-objects in liquid can be studied at high resolution using electron microscopy.
  
  Read more

• Taking stock of a thorny issue

  22-12-2017 15:03
  A new book exploring the best scientific research on preventing coral-eating Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) outbreaks, is expected to become a critical resource for informing management of these outbreaks across the Indo-Pacific.
  
  Read more

• Rate and risk of head injury in mixed martial arts remain unknown

  22-12-2017 15:03
  The rate and potential risk of traumatic brain injury in mixed martial arts remain unknown due to lack of regulation and protocols surrounding these injuries, according to a new study.
  
  Read more

• New term for role of microbiota in neurodegeneration proposed

  22-12-2017 15:03
  Recent studies have shown that gut microbes may cause or worsen Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Neurologists have proposed a new term to describe an interaction between gut microbiota and the brain: mapranosis.
  
  Read more

• Multifunctional protein contributes to blood cell development

  22-12-2017 15:03
  Researchers have uncovered a mechanism for how blood cells mature and specialize -- and why errors can sometimes lead to leukemia.
  
  Read more

• Humidity may prove breaking point for some areas as temperatures rise, says study

  22-12-2017 15:03
  Climate scientists say that killer heat waves will become increasingly prevalent in many regions as climate warms. However, most projections leave out a major factor that could worsen things: humidity, which can greatly magnify the effects of heat alone. Now, a new global study projects that in coming decades the effects of high humidity in many areas will dramatically increase.
  
  Read more

• Getting straight to the heart of the matter in stem cells

  22-12-2017 15:03
  Scientists have discovered how to generate functioning cardiac cells from stem cells in single step.
  
  Read more

• Ancient dolphin species Urkudelphis chawpipacha discovered in Ecuador

  22-12-2017 15:03
  An extinct dolphin species likely from the Oligocene has been discovered. The fossil is one of the few fossil dolphins from the equator, and is a reminder that Oligocene cetaceans may have ranged widely in tropical waters.
  
  Read more

• A 508-million-year-old sea predator with a 'jackknife' head

  22-12-2017 15:03
  Paleontologists have revisited a tiny yet fierce ancient sea creature called Habelia optata that has confounded scientists since it was discovered more than a century ago. Analysis of new fossil specimens suggest it was a close relative of the ancestor of all chelicerates, a sub-group of arthropods living today named for appendages called chelicerae in front of the mouth used to cut food.
  
  Read more

• Mathematical model reveals solution to sloshing coffee

  22-12-2017 15:01
  When commuters rush out the door with coffee in hand, chances are their hastiness causes some of the hot liquid to slosh out of the cup. In a new paper, authors use surprisingly simple mathematics to develop a model for such sloshing.
  
  Read more

• Tiny trackers reveal the secret lives of young sea turtles

  22-12-2017 15:00
  
  Young loggerhead turtles can end up in very different places in the Atlantic depending on when they hatch.
  
  Read more

• A catalytic balancing act

  22-12-2017 15:00
  Scientists have recently used a new and counterintuitive approach to create a better catalyst that supports one of the reactions involved in splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. By first creating an alloy of two of the densest naturally occurring elements and then removing one, the scientists reshaped the remaining material's structure so that it better balanced three important factors: activity, stability and conductivity.
  
  Read more

• Get a little closer: Moth females use scent proximity to attract mates

  22-12-2017 14:59
  Female moths with an ineffective pheromone blend can use proximity to better-smelling females to attract mates.
  
  Read more

• Reindeer hunted by wolverines get safety app

  22-12-2017 13:53 via bbc.co.uk
  It is designed to protect the animals, which have a special role in Christmas tradition, from predators.
  
  Read more

• Higher temperatures linked to EU asylum figures

  22-12-2017 13:33 via bbc.co.uk
  Asylum seekers to the EU could almost double because of rising temperatures in farming areas around the world.
  
  Read more

• How DNA Could Unlock the Mysteries of Melting Glaciers and Ice Sheets

  22-12-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  Researchers have created tiny DNA-filled capsules that can track where and how water flows when ice thaws
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• 'Milestone' reached in fighting deadly wheat disease

  22-12-2017 11:18 via bbc.co.uk
  Scientists say they have made a step forward in the fight against a wheat disease that threatens food security.
  
  Read more

• The wait is over. The battery revolution is here: Don Pittis

  22-12-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  Economic disruption from batteries is already underway as prices charge down and energy efficiency and safety charge up. And there are more radical developments coming in 2018.
  
  Read more

• Alberta renewable revolution begins with launch of largest solar project in Western Canada

  22-12-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  The Brooks project is the first of several renewable energy projects to be constructed in Alberta as the province shifts away from coal power plants.
  
  Read more

• Curbs on plastic bottle and packaging waste sought by MPs

  22-12-2017 09:04 via bbc.co.uk
  MPs want deposits on plastic bottles and a higher levy on packaging to protect the seas from pollution.
  
  Read more

• Why this pig could make you go vegan

  22-12-2017 08:27 via bbc.co.uk
  This Christmas, Hope the pig will be the star of the first vegan advert to be screened across UK cinemas.
  
  Read more

• Australian WW1-era submarine found after 13th search mission

  22-12-2017 07:05 via bbc.co.uk
  The discovery of the first Allied submarine lost in World War One solves Australia's oldest naval mystery.
  
  Read more

• UTA researcher working to correlate blast trauma to neuronal damage in the brain

  22-12-2017 06:00
  (University of Texas at Arlington) Ashfaq Adnan, an associate professor in UTA's Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, recently was awarded a three-year, $613,079 grant from the Office of Naval Research to show the potential link between blast-like trauma and neurological disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer's disease and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE.
  
  Read more

• Study identifies new loci associated with asthma enriched in epigenetic marks

  22-12-2017 06:00
  (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus) An international study led by scientists from Inserm and Paris Diderot University (France), the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (USA), the University of Chicago (USA) and the National Heart and Lung Institute (UK) together with researchers of the Trans-National Asthma Genetics Consortium (TAGC) has discovered five new regions of the genome that increase the risk of asthma. This study was published Friday, Dec. 22, in the journal Nat
  
  Read more

• Shape separates substance

  22-12-2017 06:00
  (Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo) Researchers at University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science (IIS) report a new physical model that shows how the topology of a porous material influences the phase separation of binary mixtures. The model uses two variables, the density field of a porous structure and the composition field of a binary mixture, to show that topology has very different effects on phase separation depending on the porous structure being random and ei
  
  Read more

• Scientists describe how solar system could have formed in bubble around giant star

  22-12-2017 06:00
  (University of Chicago) Scientists with the University of Chicago have laid out a comprehensive theory for how our solar system could have formed in the wind-blown bubbles around a giant, long-dead star. Published Dec. 22 in the Astrophysical Journal, the study addresses a nagging cosmic mystery about the abundance of two elements in our solar system compared to the rest of the galaxy.
  
  Read more

• Researchers shed light on why exercise slows progression of Parkinson's disease

  22-12-2017 06:00
  (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus) While vigorous exercise on a treadmill has been shown to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease in patients, the molecular reasons behind it have remained a mystery.
  
  Read more

• Quantum noise reduction method for enhanced precision in atomic clocks

  22-12-2017 06:00
  (Springer) Finding ways to reduce quantum noise can enhance the precision of measurement in atomic fountain clocks or in methods used for quantum information processing. A team of physicists including Aranya Bhattacherjee from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India and colleagues is now investigating ways of improving the analysis of quantum noise measurement in the case of spectroscopic investigations; their preliminary findings were released in a study in EPJ D.
  
  Read more

• New study visualizes motion of water molecules, promises new wave of electronic devices

  22-12-2017 06:00
  (DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory) A novel approach to studying the viscosity of water has revealed new insights about the behavior of water molecules and may open pathways for liquid-based electronics. Oak Ridge National Laboratory used a high-resolution inelastic X-ray scattering technique to measure the strong bond involving a hydrogen atom sandwiched between two oxygen atoms. This hydrogen bond is a quantum-mechanical phenomenon responsible for various properties of water, including viscosi
  
  Read more

• NASA's next major telescope to see the big picture of the universe

  22-12-2017 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) NASA is beginning to design its next big astrophysics mission, a space telescope that will provide the largest picture of the universe ever seen with the same depth and clarity as the Hubble Space Telescope.
  
  Read more

• NASA sees second Tropical soaking in Southern Philippines

  22-12-2017 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Philippines and infrared imagery showed that Tropical Storm Tembin contained strong thunderstorms with heavy rainmaking potential as it moved across Mindanao in the southern part of the country. The southern Philippines recently experienced a soaking from what is now Tropical Depression Kai-Tak.
  
  Read more

• NASA captures Tropical Depression Kai-Tak's final bow

  22-12-2017 06:00
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Malay Peninsula and infrared imagery showed Tropical Depression Kai-Tak dissipating in the Gulf of Thailand under strong vertical wind shear.
  
  Read more

• How odors are turned into long-term memories

  22-12-2017 06:00
  (Ruhr-University Bochum) Neuroscientists from the Ruhr-Universität Bochum have investigated which brain area is responsible for storing odours as long-term memories. Some odours can trigger memories of experiences from years back. The current study shows that the piriform cortex, a part of the olfactory brain, is involved in the process of saving those memories; the mechanism, however, only works in interaction with other brain areas.
  
  Read more

• Helpful intestinal bacteria counteracts tendency to depression

  22-12-2017 06:00
  (Aarhus University) Animal studies from Aarhus University indicate that certain lactic acid bacteria can prevent the type of depression which is linked to an unhealthy lifestyle. The result may be of significance for the treatment of depression in people, says medical doctor and PhD Anders Abildgaard, who is behind the study.
  
  Read more

• Electronically-smooth '3-D graphene': A bright future for trisodium bismuthide

  22-12-2017 06:00
  (ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies) Researchers have found that the topological material trisodium bismuthide (Na3Bi) can be manufactured to be as 'electronically smooth' as the highest-quality graphene-based alternative, while maintaining graphene's high electron mobility.
  
  Read more

Follow @ScienceUKnews on Twitter!