Science news

• Despite a new measurement, the neutron’s lifetime is still puzzling

  09-05-2018 23:50
  
  Two techniques for gauging the subatomic particle’s longevity disagree.
  
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• California becomes first US state to mandate solar on homes

  09-05-2018 23:06 via bbc.co.uk
  Officials say homeowners could see significantly lower utilities costs per month.
  
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• This AI uses the same kind of brain wiring as mammals to navigate

  09-05-2018 19:00
  
  This AI creates mental maps of its environment much like mammals do.
  
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• The proton’s weak side is just as feeble as physicists thought

  09-05-2018 19:00
  
  Scientists make the most precise measurement yet of the proton’s weak charge and find it agrees with predictions.
  
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• Cocaine breathalyser 'one step closer'

  09-05-2018 18:10 via bbc.co.uk
  Researchers plan to integrate their cocaine-detecting chip in a portable scanner.
  
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• Google, Facebook take steps to prevent targeted ads in Ireland abortion referendum

  09-05-2018 16:52 via cbc.ca
  Google is suspending all advertising connected to Ireland's abortion referendum as part of moves to protect "election integrity," the company says.
  
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• Lonely asteroid tells Solar System story

  09-05-2018 15:40 via bbc.co.uk
  An unusual object has been found lurking in the Kuiper Belt, and it may have a tale to tell.
  
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• British rival to Galileo satellite system 'possible for 3 billion pounds'

  09-05-2018 14:42
  LONDON (Reuters) - A British satellite navigation system to rival the European Union's Galileo project could be up and running in four to five years and would cost about 3 billion pounds ($4 billion), one expert estimated on Wednesday.
  
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• Google Assistant will call real people for you using John Legend's voice

  09-05-2018 14:21 via cbc.ca
  Google put the spotlight on its artificial intelligence smarts at its annual developers conference Tuesday, announcing new consumer features aimed at simplifying your life.
  
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• Gaia delivers a trove of data revealing secrets of the Milky Way

  09-05-2018 13:00
  
  Astronomers are already using Gaia’s new information to estimate the galaxy’s mass, the diameter of exoplanets and more.
  
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• The Milky Way's Speediest Stars Could Solve a 50-Year-Old Mystery

  09-05-2018 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  Stars traveling more than 1,200 kilometers per second hint at a new mechanism behind cosmos-spanning stellar explosions-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Israeli researchers abuzz about orgasmic fruit flies

  09-05-2018 12:20
  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Male fruit flies enjoy orgasms more than alcohol - and Israeli researchers who tested the insects' addiction to pleasure hope to apply their discovery to controlling human substance abuse.
  
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• Even tropical birds will have a hard time dealing with climate change, new study says

  09-05-2018 11:00 via cbc.ca
  A group of researchers from the University of Windsor and University of Guelph have made a surprising discovery about the lifespan of tropical birds in hot climates.
  
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• How to recycle the 'unrecyclable,' from cigarette butts to squeeze pouches

  09-05-2018 10:00 via cbc.ca
  If you’re feeling guilty about the mountains of coffee pods or squeeze pouches you’re tossing in the trash, there are ways recycle those and many other “unrecyclable” items. Here’s how — and why it isn’t being done by everyone, everywhere.
  
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• X-ray laser opens new view on Alzheimer's proteins

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY) A new experimental method permits the X-ray analysis of amyloids, a class of large, filamentous biomolecules which are an important hallmark of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. An international team of researchers has used a powerful X-ray laser to gain insights into the structure of different amyloid samples. The scientists present their new technique in the journal Nature Communications.
  
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• Visualization of molecular soccer balls

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Tsukuba) Researchers led by the University of Tsukuba imaged lithium ion-doped fullerene, which resembles a molecular soccer ball, by scanning tunneling microscopy. The microscopy images of the single lithium ion-doped fullerene molecules and corresponding density functional theory calculations allowed the electronic structure of lithium ion-doped fullerene to be comprehensively determined. Such knowledge of the electronic structure of fullerenes is important for optimizing their
  
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• Virtual reality technology opens new doors of (spatial) perception

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (Acoustical Society of America) Locating and discriminating sound sources is extremely complex because the brain must process spatial information from many, sometimes conflicting, cues. Using virtual reality and other immersive technologies, researchers can use new methods to investigate how we make sense of the word with sound. At the 175th ASA Meeting, G. Christopher Stecker will survey his team's use of virtual reality and augmented auditory reality to study how people use explicit and implic
  
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• Vaginal estradiol tablets outperform moisturizers when treating vulvovaginal problems

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (The North American Menopause Society (NAMS)) Sex shouldn't hurt at any age, yet 75 percent of postmenopausal women report vaginal dryness, and up to 40 percent report pain with intercourse. A new study reports that vaginal estradiol tablets just might be what's needed to relieve vulvovaginal problems and improve overall quality of life. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
  
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• UTSA researcher identifies barriers impacting PrEP use among Latino gay and bisexual men

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Texas at San Antonio) A new study led by a UTSA researcher examines the social perceptions of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication to prevent HIV, among gay and bisexual men in Texas. Over a six-month period, UTSA assistant professor Phillip Schnarrs worked with education, health care and nonprofit partners to survey more than 100 gay and bisexual men from the White, Latino and African-American communities about their perceptions of PrEP.
  
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• UTA study finds art therapy helps veterans cope with trauma

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Texas at Arlington) Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington have found that 98 percent of veterans participating in the University's Artopia program consider that art therapy helped them cope with service-related trauma or disability. An equal percentage reported that art therapy helped them cope with everyday life.
  
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• USAF and NSF announce partnership in science and engineering research

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (National Science Foundation) Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and National Science Foundation (NSF) Director France Córdova signed a Letter of Intent May 9, 2018, creating a new partnership for collaboration on scientific and engineering research to bolster national security.
  
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• Unlocking cancer's secrets using the 'social networks' of cells

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Arizona Health Sciences) Megha Padi, PhD, of the UA Cancer Center has developed a method for probing the genetic underpinnings of cancer and other diseases, which could lead to better treatments.
  
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• University of Michigan professor, graduate work together to empower Sudanese women

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Michigan) South Sudanese women have among the highest fertility rates and maternal death rates in the world, yet cultural norms still frown upon contraceptives -- even to make pregnancy and birth safer for women.
  
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• 'Top-ranked' reviewers aren't the top influencers when it comes to online sales

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (Indiana University) Top-ranked reviewers on online retail sites such as Amazon.com may influence purchases, but a research study from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business finds that those who post reviews less often and more informally can be seen as more trustworthy and have more of an impact on sales.
  
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• The slipperiness of ice explained

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research) Everybody knows that sliding on ice or snow, is much easier than sliding on most other surfaces. But why is the ice surface slippery? Researchers from AMOLF, the University of Amsterdam and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, have now shown that the slipperiness of ice is a consequence of the ease with which the topmost water molecules can roll over the ice surface.
  
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• 'The consciousness instinct'

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of California - Santa Barbara) Despite massive breakthroughs in the field of neuroscience over the last century, one area continues to baffle both scientists and philosophers: How do molecules, cells, neurotransmitters and other brain 'stuff' create the abstract experience of self-awareness?
  
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• TGen develops quality-control test for detecting cancer in blood

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (The Translational Genomics Research Institute) There is vast potential in precision-medicine methods of both detecting and monitoring disease by looking for indications of cancer mutations in cell-free DNA (cfDNA), found floating in the blood.To help ensure the quality of these molecular biomarkers, a scientific team led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) has devised a rapid test -- a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay -- so these samples can be used to help determine the pr
  
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• Study reveals challenges of menstrual hygiene management in emergencies

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health) Researchers developed a toolkit to address the menstruation-related needs of girls and women fleeing disaster or conflict. A pilot test of the toolkit gathered feedback from humanitarian experts and displaced girls and women in refugee camps in Tanzania. Findings showed there remains a lack of effective, coordinated approaches for assisting vulnerable groups to manage their menstruation in challenging settings around the world, and tha
  
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• Study about 'shock therapy' for depression suggests more patients should try it sooner

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan) Very few depression patients receive the treatment once known as 'shock therapy'. But a new cost-effectiveness study suggests that the modern form of the approach, called ECT, should be made more available to patients who fail to get relief from two other types of treatment.
  
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• Stress helps unlearn fear

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (Ruhr-University Bochum) Stress can have a positive effect on extinction learning, which causes previously learned associations to dissolve. According to the findings of cognitive psychologists at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, stress causes extinction learning to occur independent of context. This might prove useful for example in therapies for anxiety disorders. Dr. Shira Meir Drexler, Professor Dr. Oliver Wolf, and assistant professor Dr. Christian Merz from the Institute for Cognitive Neurosc
  
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• Step aside Superman, steel is no competition for this new material

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (American Chemical Society) When it comes to materials, there is no question as to who wins the strongman competition. Spider silk is known as being the strongest fabric, and steel, ceramics and glass fibers are the best building materials. But now, researchers are reporting in ACS Nano that specially arranged nano-sized cellulose fibers are the strongest material of them all, in a move that might cause some to re-name Superman the 'man of cellulose.'
  
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• Spinning science

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (NASA/Johnson Space Center) Delivered to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX CRS-14, the Multi-use Variable-g Platform (MVP) is a new commercial testbed for centrifuge-based science aboard the orbiting laboratory.
  
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• Snagging card skimmers: UF, NYPD team up to stop them

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Florida) Credit card skimmers -- electronic devices criminals stick on ATMs and gas pumps to secretly suck up your sensitive financial information -- may have finally met their match.
  
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• Revealing the mysteries of superconductors: Ames Lab's new scope takes a closer look

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (DOE/Ames Laboratory) The US Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory has successfully demonstrated that a new type of optical magnetometer, the NV magnetoscope, can map a unique feature of superconductive materials that along with zero resistance defines the superconductivity itself.
  
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• Research reveals key factors to support quality of life in dementia

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Exeter) The study, led by the University of Exeter and published in the journal Psychological Medicine, found that good relationships, social engagement, better everyday functioning, good physical and mental health, and high-quality care were all linked to better quality of life for people with dementia.
  
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• Religious left mobilized in solidarity for Women's March on Chicago, study finds

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Notre Dame) Kriag Beyerlein's study, co-authored with Notre Dame graduate student Peter Ryan, compares the 2017 Women's March Chicago with historical examples of religiously motivated progressive social activism and is now published in Sociology of Religion.
  
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• Red Sea fungus yields leads for new epilepsy drugs

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (American Chemical Society) New treatments for epilepsy are sorely needed because current medications don't work for many people with the disease. To find new leads, researchers have now turned to the sea -- a source of unique natural products that have been largely untapped for prospective drugs. The scientists report in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience that two metabolites produced by a fungus from the Red Sea look promising.
  
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• Reconnection tames the turbulent magnetic fields around Earth

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of California - Berkeley) Wherever magnetic fields occur in the cosmos, their field lines tend to cross and reconnect, spitting out charged particles. To date, space scientists have studied these short circuits in the near-Earth environment, but only in rather calm regions of the magnetosphere. Now scientists led by Tai Phan at UC Berkeley have seen how turbulent magnetic fields reconnect in the much more violent magnetosheath. While normal reconnection generates ion jets, turbulent
  
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• Progress in posttraumatic stress disorder --Increased understanding points to new approaches for PTSD prevention and treatment

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (Wolters Kluwer Health) Recent advances in scientific understanding of how posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops and persists may lead to more effective treatment and even prevention of this debilitating disorder, according to the May/June special issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry, published by Wolters Kluwer.
  
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• People with OCD process emotions differently than their unaffected siblings

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (Elsevier) A new study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging reports that people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) feel more distress when viewing images to provoke OCD-related emotions than their unaffected siblings. Although the unaffected siblings showed lower levels of distress, they had higher levels of brain activity in regions important for attention. The findings suggest that the family members may draw on additional brain resources to compensate for po
  
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• Penn experts call for safeguards if Medicaid work requirement policies prevail

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine) When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced controversial policies inviting states to establish work requirements as a condition to receive Medicaid, many in the medical community opposed it. If these measures continue to be approved, CMS should act to minimize the potential harms they could cause to Medicaid recipients, two Penn Medicine experts in law and ethics argue in a new JAMA Viewpoint published this week, that lays
  
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• Penn engineer make drug microparticles a thousand times faster than ever before

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Pennsylvania) Extended-release drugs rely on microparticles of consistent size and shape so they dissolve at a predictable rate. University of Pennsylvania engineers have now developed a microfluidic system where more than ten thousand microparticle generators run in parallel, making more than 300 billion an hour, all on a silicon-and-glass chip that can fit into a shirt pocket.
  
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• 'Peace has only recently become the prime objective of politics'

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics") Historian Hans-Ulrich Thamer on the history of peace politics and the peace movement to present day: potential for mobilisation in the face of growing feelings of threat -- Church and Katholikentag provided for mobilisation and continuity in the history of the movement -- Symbols of peace such as the dove and the peace sign linked the diverse peace groups, whether communist, ecological or Christian - Münster conference "Peace. From Antiquity t
  
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• Operating on brain gliomas by detecting the 'glow'

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center) Research by Barrow Neurological Institute physicians and University of Washington scientists on novel imaging technology for malignant brain tumors was published in the April issue of World Neurosurgery.
  
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• Nuclear detectives: Penn State awarded $1.8 million grant from Department of Defense

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (Penn State) The United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency, a division of the Department of Defense, has awarded the Penn State Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering a $1.8 million grant to further the fundamental data for nuclear forensics.
  
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• New study demonstrates toll of anxiety on bone health

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (The North American Menopause Society (NAMS)) Anxiety has already been shown to take its toll on the human body in many ways, including increased risk for heart disease and gastrointestinal disorders. Now a new study demonstrates how anxiety levels are linked to an increased risk of bone fractures in postmenopausal women. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
  
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• New research shows how Indo-European languages spread across Asia

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Copenhagen - Faculty of Humanities) A new study has discovered that horses were first domesticated by descendants of hunter-gatherer groups in Kazakhstan who left little direct trace in the ancestry of modern populations. The research sheds new light on the long-standing "steppe theory" on the origin and movement of Indo-European languages made possible by the domestication of the horse.
  
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• New research reveals how energy dissipates outside Earth's magnetic field

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Maryland) A new research paper in Nature provides the first evidence that magnetic reconnection--a process that dissipates magnetic energy and accelerates charged particles in Earth's magnetic field--also occurs at very small spatial scales in the turbulent magnetosheath. The results suggest that small-scale magnetic reconnection may play a role in heating the solar corona and the solar wind, as well as turbulent magnetic systems elsewhere in space.
  
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• New fund to advance commercialization at University of Utah

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Utah) The Center for Technology & Venture Commercialization at the U announced a new funding program for early stage technology development and commercialization. The University of Utah Seed Fund will allocate up to $1 million, focused on technologies at an early stage of development.
  
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• Nationwide program launches to train new generation of quantum engineers

  09-05-2018 06:00
  (University of Chicago) Funded by a $1.6 million award from the National Science Foundation, the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago and Harvard University will head a new nationwide graduate student training program for quantum science and engineering.
  
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