Science news

• Traces of indigenous 'Taíno' in present-day Caribbean populations

  19-02-2018 21:50
  A thousand-year-old tooth has provided the first clear genetic evidence that the Taíno -- the indigenous people whom Columbus first encountered on arriving in the New World -- still have living descendants today, despite erroneous claims in some historical narratives that these people are extinct. The findings are likely to have particular resonance for people in the Caribbean and the US who claim Taíno ancestry, but have until now been unable to prove definitively that such a thin
  
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• Some viruses produce insulin-like hormones that can stimulate human cells -- and have potential to cause disease

  19-02-2018 21:50
  Scientists have identified four viruses that can produce insulin-like hormones that are active on human cells. The discovery brings new possibilities for revealing biological mechanisms that may cause diabetes or cancer.
  
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• Plants colonized Earth 100 million years earlier than previously thought

  19-02-2018 21:50
  A new study on the timescale of plant evolution has concluded that the first plants to colonize the Earth originated around 500 million years ago -- 100 million years earlier than previously thought.
  
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• Pausing evolution makes bioproduction of chemicals affordable and efficient

  19-02-2018 21:50
  Circumventing evolution in cell factories can pave the way for commercializing new biobased chemicals to large-scale.
  
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• How newly discovered gene helps grow blood vessels

  19-02-2018 21:50
  A new study found that a newly discovered gene helps grow blood vessels when it senses inadequate blood flow to tissues.
  
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• Biodiversity loss raises risk of 'extinction cascades'

  19-02-2018 21:50
  New research shows that the loss of biodiversity can increase the risk of 'extinction cascades', where an initial species loss leads to a domino effect of further extinctions.
  
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• Punishing a wrongdoer more rewarding to brain than supporting a victim

  19-02-2018 20:12
  Punishing a wrongdoer may be more rewarding to the brain than supporting a victim. That is one suggestion of new research which measured the brain activity of young men while they played a 'justice game.'
  
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• Israeli scientists complete mock Mars mission in Negev desert

  19-02-2018 19:41
  RAMON CRATER, Israel (Reuters) - A team of six Israeli researchers on Sunday ended a four-day Mars habitat experiment in Israel's Negev desert where they simulated living conditions on the Red Planet, Israel's Science and Technology Ministry said.
  
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• First video of 'Dumbo' octopod hatchling shows that they look like mini-adults

  19-02-2018 18:48
  Researchers who've gotten the first look at a deep-sea 'dumbo' octopod hatchling report that the young octopods look and act much like adults from the moment they emerge from an egg capsule. Dumbo octopods are so named because their fins resemble Dumbo the elephant's ears.
  
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• Earthquakes follow wastewater disposal patterns in southern Kansas

  19-02-2018 18:47
  Wastewater created during oil and gas production and disposed of by deep injection into underlying rock layers is the probable cause for a surge in earthquakes in southern Kansas since 2013, a new report concludes.
  
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• Novel mechanism linking changes in mitochondria to cancer cell death

  19-02-2018 17:55
  Researchers have discovered that the activation of a specific enzyme may help suppress the spread of tumors.
  
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• New algorithm can pinpoint mutations favored by natural selection in large sections of the human genome

  19-02-2018 17:55
  A team of scientists has developed an algorithm that can accurately pinpoint, in large regions of the human genome, mutations favored by natural selection. The finding provides deeper insight into how evolution works, and ultimately could lead to better treatments for genetic disorders. For example, adaptation to chronic hypoxia at high altitude can suggest targets for cardiovascular and other ischemic diseases.
  
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• You are what you eat: Diet-specific adaptations in vampire bats

  19-02-2018 17:54
  Vampire bats feed exclusively on blood, a mode of feeding unique amongst mammals. It has therefore been long suspected that vampire bats have highly specific evolutionary adaptations, which would be documented in their genome, and most likely also have an unusual microbiome, the community of micro-organisms assembled in their digestive tract which may help with the digestion of blood.
  
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• Pattern formation: The paradoxical role of turbulence

  19-02-2018 17:53
  The formation of self-organizing molecular patterns in cells is a critical component of many biological processes. Researchers have proposed a new theory to explain how such patterns emerge in complex natural systems.
  
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• Lack of guidance may delay a child's first trip to the dentist

  19-02-2018 17:53
  Without a doctor or dentist's guidance, some parents don't follow national recommendations for early dental care for their children, a new national poll finds.
  
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• Global grazing lands increasingly vulnerable to a changing climate

  19-02-2018 17:52
  A new study shows precipitation variability has increased significantly on 49 percent of the world's grazing lands.
  
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• Fifteen new genes identified that shape our face

  19-02-2018 17:52
  Researchers have identified fifteen genes that determine our facial features.
  
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• Farming crops with rocks to reduce CO2 and improve global food security

  19-02-2018 17:52
  Farming crops with crushed rocks could help to improve global food security and reduce the amount of CO2 entering the atmosphere, a new study has found.
  
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• Duplicate genes help animals resolve sexual conflict

  19-02-2018 17:52
  Duplicate copies of a gene shared by male and female fruit flies have evolved to resolve competing demands between the sexes. New genetic analysis describes how these copies have evolved separate male- and female-specific functions that are crucial to reproduction and fertility.
  
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• DNA secrets of how vampire bats became bloodthirsty

  19-02-2018 17:51 via bbc.co.uk
  New research shows how vampire bats evolved to survive on a diet of blood alone.
  
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• It may not be finished, but the Canadian High Arctic Research Station is ahead of schedule

  19-02-2018 17:26 via cbc.ca
  While the federal government hasn't set a date for a grand opening, the CHARS main research facility is weeks away from completion.
  
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• The starry sky shows nocturnal animals the way

  19-02-2018 16:39
  Nocturnal animals can use the stars and the Milky Way to find their way during the darkest hours.
  
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• Spatial perception of odorants in cockroaches

  19-02-2018 16:39
  A recent study has described the first neural architecture capable of encoding the spatial location of odorants.
  
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• Flexible warped nanographene developed for bioimaging

  19-02-2018 16:39
  An international team of scientists has developed a water-soluble "warped nanographene," a flexible molecule that is biocompatible and shows promise for fluorescent cell imaging. The new nanographene molecule also induces cell death when exposed to blue laser light. Further investigation is required to determine how nanocarbons could be used for a range of biological applications, such as photodynamic therapy for cancer treatments.
  
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• Modern tech unravels mysteries of Egyptian mummy portraits

  19-02-2018 14:00
  
  A museum exhibit showcases what modern analytical tools can reveal about ancient Egyptian funerary portraits and mummies.
  
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• Road Trip!: Elon Musk's Tesla Won't Strike Earth Anytime Soon

  19-02-2018 13:00 via rss.sciam.com
  Plotting the spacefaring car’s interplanetary trajectory helps test forecasts for potentially Earth-threatening asteroids-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Tech Dealers Now Trying to Save the Tech "Addicts" They've Created

  19-02-2018 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  The new Center for Humane Technology aims to lead the fight against society’s obsession with the Web, apps and social media—but it may just add to the confusion-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Mix of metals in this Picasso sculpture provides clues to its mysterious origins

  19-02-2018 12:00
  
  The alloys used to cast Picasso’s bronze sculptures provide a valuable piece of the puzzle in reconstructing the histories of the works of art.
  
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• Advertisers warn social media to step up, or they're out

  19-02-2018 10:00 via cbc.ca
  Trust in what we read online is eroding quickly, and social media and 'Big Tech' are facing blame. It's even reaching a tipping point for advertisers, who are threatening to pull their ad dollars from the digital domain unless things change — fast.
  
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• Unconventional superconductor may be used to create quantum computers of the future

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (Chalmers University of Technology) With their insensitivity to decoherence what are known as Majorana particles could become stable building blocks of a quantum computer. The problem is that they only occur under very special circumstances. Now researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have succeeded in manufacturing a component that is able to host the sought-after particles.
  
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• Study identifies traces of indigenous 'Taíno' in present-day Caribbean populations

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (St John's College, University of Cambridge) A thousand-year-old tooth has provided the first clear genetic evidence that the Taíno -- the indigenous people whom Columbus first encountered on arriving in the New World -- still have living descendants today, despite erroneous claims in some historical narratives that these people are extinct. The findings are likely to have particular resonance for people in the Caribbean and the US who claim Taíno ancestry, but have until now been
  
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• Real-time Captcha technique improves biometric authentication

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (Georgia Institute of Technology) A new login authentication approach could improve the security of current biometric techniques that rely on video or images of users' faces. Known as Real-Time Captcha, the technique uses a unique 'challenge' that's easy for humans -- but difficult for attackers who may be using machine learning and image generation software to spoof legitimate users.
  
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• Mouse model of intellectual disability isolates learning gene

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (Society for Neuroscience) Adult male mice lacking a gene linked to intellectual disability have trouble completing and remembering mazes, with no changes in social or repetitive behavior, according to new research published in JNeurosci. This animal model provides a new way to study the role of this gene in learning and memory and provides a rodent model of pure intellectual disability.
  
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• In living color: Brightly-colored bacteria could be used to 'grow' paints and coatings

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (University of Cambridge) Researchers have unlocked the genetic code behind some of the brightest and most vibrant colors in nature. The paper, published in the journal PNAS, is the first study of the genetics of structural color -- as seen in butterfly wings and peacock feathers -- and paves the way for genetic research in a variety of structurally colored organisms.
  
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• Hydroxychloroquine no more effective than placebo for relieving osteoarthritis hand pain

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (American College of Physicians) Hydroxychloroquine is no more effective than placebo for relieving moderate to severe hand pain and radiographic osteoarthritis. The findings of a randomized trial are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
  
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• How the brain responds to injustice

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (Society for Neuroscience) Punishing a wrongdoer may be more rewarding to the brain than supporting a victim. That is one suggestion of new research published in JNeurosci, which measured the brain activity of young men while they played a 'justice game.'
  
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• How companies can restore trust after CEO misconduct

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (Taylor & Francis Group) A new study published today in the Journal of Trust Research reveals how boards of directors can proactively address CEO misconduct to increase public trust towards an organization.
  
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• Fake news 'vaccine': Online game may 'inoculate' by simulating propaganda tactics

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (University of Cambridge) A new experiment, launching today online, aims to help 'inoculate' against disinformation by providing a small dose of perspective from a "fake news tycoon". A pilot study has shown some early success in building resistance to fake news among teenagers.
  
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• Electrical implant reduces 'invisible' symptoms of man's spinal cord injury

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (University of British Columbia) An experimental treatment that sends electrical currents through the spinal cord has improved 'invisible' yet debilitating side effects for a Canadian man with a spinal cord injury.
  
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• Electric eel-inspired device reaches 110 volts

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (Biophysical Society) In an effort to create a power source for future implantable technologies, a team of researchers developed an electric eel-inspired device that produced 110 volts from gels filled with water, called hydrogels. Their results show potential for a soft power source to draw on a biological system's chemical energy. Anirvan Guha will present the research during the 62nd Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, Feb. 17-21.
  
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• Computers aid discovery of new, inexpensive material to make LEDs with high color quality

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (University of California - San Diego) Computers have helped researchers develop a new phosphor that can make LEDs cheaper and render colors more accurately. Researchers predicted the new phosphor using supercomputers and data mining algorithms, then developed a simple recipe to make it in the lab. Unlike many phosphors, this one is made of inexpensive, earth-abundant elements and can easily be made using industrial methods. As computers predicted, the new phosphor performed well in tests and in
  
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• College roommates underestimate each other's distress, new psychology research shows

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (New York University) College roommates are sensitive to their roommates' distress but tend to underestimate the level of distress being experienced by others.
  
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• Association of risk of death and cigar, pipe and cigarette use

  19-02-2018 06:00
  (JAMA Network) Contemporary population estimates suggest that like cigarette-only smokers, current cigar-only and pipe-only smokers have a higher risk of dying from cancers known to be caused by tobacco, and cigarette and cigar smokers have a higher risk of death from any cause compared with people who never used tobacco.
  
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• B.C. man gets 'once-in-a-lifetime' job managing world's largest telescope in Chile

  19-02-2018 02:50 via cbc.ca
  A man from the South Okanagan is about to become the boss at the world's largest telescope observatory located in Chile.
  
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