Science news

• As Google for Education tools enter classrooms across Canada, some parents are asking to opt-out

  06-06-2018 23:34 via cbc.ca
  Around the world 60 million students and teachers are using Google for Education products. Parents are raising concerns about what data Google might be collecting from their kids, and some are critical of a lack of options should they choose not to use them.
  
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• There are benefits to prenatal yoga, but lingering questions remain

  06-06-2018 21:30
  
  Prenatal yoga offers benefits to pregnant women, but a bigger and more rigorous body of research is needed.
  
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• You'll be able to ride self-driving electric shuttles in Alberta's largest cities this fall

  06-06-2018 21:26 via cbc.ca
  Calgarians and Edmontonians will be able to test-ride autonomous, electric vehicles for free once two pilot programs launch later this year.
  
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• Tropical cyclones are slowing down, dumping more rain

  06-06-2018 21:16 via cbc.ca
  Tropical cyclones around the world are moving slightly slower over land and water, dumping more rain as they stall, just as Hurricane Harvey did last year, a new study has found.
  
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• A new 3-D printer builds temporary electronics on your skin

  06-06-2018 20:30
  
  A new 3-D printer that tracks and compensates for your slightest twitch can precisely print simple electronic devices onto your skin.
  
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• Tropical cyclones have slowed over the last 70 years

  06-06-2018 19:34
  
  Tropical cyclones are moving 10 percent slower, on average, than they did in the mid-20th century.
  
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• Astronauts successfully launch to the International Space Station

  06-06-2018 19:17 via cbc.ca
  A trio of astronauts from Russia, the United States and the European Space Agency blasted off Wednesday for a mission on the International Space Station.
  
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• Pollution hits fungi that nourish trees - study

  06-06-2018 19:16 via bbc.co.uk
  Scientists say pollution could have unpredictable effects on Europe's forests by damaging fungi.
  
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• Canada to hold key 5G spectrum auction in 2020, says Innovation Minister Bains

  06-06-2018 19:11 via cbc.ca
  Canada's minister for telecommunications says the government will hold a key auction of wireless spectrum for fifth-generation mobile networks in 2020 — a schedule that's unlikely to satisfy the country's major carriers.
  
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• Infant sent to ER after getting venomous caterpillar stuck in her mouth

  06-06-2018 18:15 via cbc.ca
  A Nanaimo, B.C., mother says an encounter with a furry caterpillar sent her eight-month-old daughter to the hospital.
  
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• Has US physics lab found a new particle?

  06-06-2018 18:07 via bbc.co.uk
  Results from the MiniBooNE physics experiment suggest a particle known as the sterile neutrino might have been found.
  
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• EU Commission shoots for stars with increased space budget

  06-06-2018 17:50
  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Wednesday it planned to increase its budget for space programs to 16 billion euros ($18.85 billion) between 2021 and 2027, aiming to consolidate the bloc's role as a "space power".
  
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• What are those creepy robotic animals for? Boston Dynamics offers hints

  06-06-2018 16:57 via cbc.ca
  It's never been clear whether robotics company Boston Dynamics is making killing machines, household helpers, or something else entirely. But now the company is starting to open up about its intentions and plans.
  
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• Scientists map genetic codes of 3,000 dangerous bacteria

  06-06-2018 16:53 via cbc.ca
  The DNA of deadly strains of plague, dysentery and cholera were decoded in what the researchers said was an effort to better understand some of the world's most dangerous diseases.
  
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• If real, dark fusion could help demystify this physics puzzle

  06-06-2018 15:00
  
  Fusing dark matter particles might explain why galaxy cores have evenly distributed dark matter.
  
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• European astronaut set to command ISS launches on Soyuz

  06-06-2018 14:44 via bbc.co.uk
  The next European commander of the International Space Station has just blasted off into orbit.
  
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• Facebook confirms it shared user data with Chinese handset makers

  06-06-2018 14:37 via cbc.ca
  Facebook confirms Chinese firms Huawei, Lenovo, Oppo and TCL were among the handset makers given access to Facebook user data without explicit consent. But Facebook and Huawei, flagged by U.S. intelligence officials as a security threat, downplay privacy concerns.
  
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• She did it for love: Rare wild owl tries burrowing into Manitoba enclosure to find mate

  06-06-2018 13:12 via cbc.ca
  A small, tenacious owl discovered trying to worm its way into a captive male's enclosure last weekend has found a love connection researchers hope will result in much-needed burrowing owl chicks.
  
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• A big analysis of environmental data strengthens the case for plant-based diets

  06-06-2018 13:00
  
  A new study calculates the bonus for the planet of choosing more foods from plants.
  
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• European Commission seeks to boost space spending

  06-06-2018 12:53 via bbc.co.uk
  The European Commission wants to expand its space activities, and will set up a new agency to support them.
  
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• Private Smarts: Can Digital Assistants Work without Prying into Our Lives?

  06-06-2018 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  Personalized AI requires personal data. Apple, Google and others say they can now grab more of it while keeping privacy and security intact-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• 50 nations 'curbing plastic pollution'

  06-06-2018 11:19 via bbc.co.uk
  Levies and bans have been among the most effective strategies to curb plastic waste, a UN report says.
  
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• How an N.L. developer landed the voice of Siri for its new anti-smoking app

  06-06-2018 10:30 via cbc.ca
  You might not know Susan Bennett, but chances are you know her voice.
  
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• Why Guatemala's Volcano of Fire is so much deadlier than Hawaii's Kilauea

  06-06-2018 10:00 via cbc.ca
  Guatemala's Volcano of Fire has killed at least 70 people since it erupted three days ago. The death toll stands in stark contrast to the nearly month-long eruption of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, which has also caused massive destruction but has spared human life.
  
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• Unregistered groups targeting Ontario voters with online ads

  06-06-2018 10:00 via cbc.ca
  Two dozen groups who aren’t registered as third parties under Ontario’s election rules have been quietly targeting Ontario voters with Facebook ads on a range of issues during the provincial election campaign, CBC News has learned.
  
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• U of T researchers developing tool to jam facial recognition software

  06-06-2018 10:00 via cbc.ca
  While your selfie might get lots of “likes” on social media, companies and perhaps fraudsters might “like” your face even more, because they can profit from it. Now, a Toronto researcher has found a way for internet users to opt out.
  
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• U of T researchers develop a 'privacy filter' that jams facial recognition software

  06-06-2018 10:00 via cbc.ca
  While your selfie might get lots of “likes” on social media, companies and perhaps fraudsters might “like” your face even more, because they can profit from it. Now, a Toronto researcher has found a way for internet users to opt out.
  
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• Smart system keeping dementia sufferers safe in their own homes

  06-06-2018 10:00 via cbc.ca
  A smart technology research project offered by Ottawa's Bruyère Research Institute aims to keep dementia sufferers safe by preventing them from wandering from their homes.
  
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• World's most efficient production of succinate from carbon dioxide

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (Kobe University) Succinate is widely used as a raw ingredient for petrochemicals, and there is high demand for a way of producing succinate that is renewable and environmentally benign. A Japanese researcher has discovered that succinate production levels increase when cyanobacteria is grown above the ideal temperature for cell growth. He used insights into the metabolic pathway engineering to achieve the world's most efficient production rate for bio-succinate.
  
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• Who should be on the $10 and $20 bills? How race, gender, and politics shape public opinion

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (Wiley) Race, gender, political affiliation, and the prejudices and biases associated with them (racism, sexism, and political ideology) seem to be at the forefront of citizen's minds when it comes to preferences for US currency -- specifically, who should be on the $10 and $20 bills.
  
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• Wellcome Sanger Institute sequences reference genomes of 3,000 dangerous bacteria

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (Bioscribe) The genomes of more than 3,000 bacteria, including some of the world's most dangerous, have been sequenced by researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in collaboration with Pacific Biosciences (PacBio). By decoding the DNA, researchers will be able to better understand these diseases and how they become resistant to antibiotics. The publicly available genomic maps could also lead to the development of new diagnostic tests, vaccines or treatments.
  
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• Want narcissists to donate to your cause? Make it about them

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (University at Buffalo) When narcissistic individuals are able to imagine themselves in a victim's situation, they are more likely to donate to charity, according to new research from the University at Buffalo School of Management.
  
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• Vermont start-up's small packets a big deal for energy industry

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (University of Vermont) The innovative products developed by the University of Vermont spinoff company Packetized Energy take a new approach to helping utilities tap the power of renewables. The rapidly growing company is being watched by the utility industry as demonstration projects with two Vermont utilities play out in 2018.
  
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• UC Riverside neuroscientist receives Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship Award in neuroscience

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (University of California - Riverside) Hongdian Yang, whose research focuses on neural circuit mechanisms underlying sensory perception, has received a Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship Award in Neuroscience, a joint project of The Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund and the Simons Foundation. This year, only 13 researchers were awarded the fellowship. Yang, an assistant professor of molecular, cell, and systems biology, is the first researcher at the University of California, Riverside, to re
  
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• Tumultuous galaxy mergers better at switching on black holes

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (University of Colorado at Boulder) A new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder finds that violent crashes may be more effective at activating black holes than more peaceful mergers.
  
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• Transparent, conductive films promising for developing flexible screens

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (The Optical Society) Because silver is less brittle and more chemically resistant than materials currently used to make these electrodes, the new films could offer a high-performance and long-lasting option for use with flexible screens and electronics. The silver-based films could also enable flexible solar cells for installation on windows, roofs and even personal devices.
  
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• Terror: The power of narration

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (University of Bonn) Literary texts have the potential to penetrate war and terror by overcoming divisive narratives. Dr. Dana Bönisch is convinced of this. In her thesis at the University of Bonn, she examined newer, largely unknown novels on 9/11 and the so-called 'War on Terror.' She worked on literary examples that counteract a simplistic narrative of 'good versus evil.' She also made extensive use of methods from visual and spatial theory and in particular from topology.
  
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• Targeting strategy may open door to better cancer drug delivery

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (Penn State) Bioengineers may be able to use the unique mechanical properties of diseased cells, such as metastatic cancer cells, to help improve delivery of drug treatments to the targeted cells, according to a team of researchers at Penn State.
  
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• 'Super window' could save $10 billion annually in energy costs

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) About $20 billion worth of energy leaks out of windows in the United States each winter -- and that's with double-paned insulating windows installed on a majority of buildings. The Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is now working with manufacturers to bring to market a 'super window' that is at least twice as insulating as 99 percent of the windows for sale today and will be ready to achieve mass-market status.
  
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• Study explores options that optimize profit in broadband satellite constellations

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (University of Illinois College of Engineering) Several large telecommunications companies have proposed plans to provide global broadband services by launching hundreds and even thousands of satellites into orbit. Although broadband for everyone sounds like a great idea, it also carries great financial risk, resulting in bankruptcy for some who've tried it. Recent research at the University of Illinois suggests a more cost-effective strategy using regional coverage and staged deployment.
  
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• Study examines sickness absence from work among abstainers, low-risk drinkers and at-risk drinkers

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (Wiley) In a recent study, people who reported not drinking any alcohol over several years were absent from work due to illness more often than low-risk drinkers.
  
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• Strengthening indigenous Arctic voices in IPBES' Global Biodiversity Assessment 2019

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (Terry Collins Assoc) The University of Helsinki hosts indigenous representatives and Arctic leaders -- including the Arctic Council -- and world leading scientists and experts for a groundbreaking dialogue June 6-7.The goal: strengthen representation of Arctic indigenous expertise and knowledge in a landmark global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services to be released in May 2019 by the 130 member States of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
  
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• Social media images of culture can predict economic trends in cities

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (Frontiers) A vibrant arts, music and science culture -- as measured by images posted to social media site Flickr -- successfully predicted the economic rise of certain neighborhoods in London and New York City. The model could even anticipate gentrification by five years. With more than half of the world's population living in cities, such information could help policymakers ensure human wellbeing in dense urban settings.
  
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• Sensor detects whiff of bad breath

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (American Chemical Society) Ever wish you could do a quick 'breath check' before an important meeting or a big date? Now researchers, reporting in ACS' journal Analytical Chemistry, have developed a sensor that detects tiny amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas, the compound responsible for bad breath, in human exhalations.
  
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• Scientists see inner workings of enzyme telomerase, which plays key roles in aging, cancer

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (University of California - Los Angeles) Cancer, diseases related to aging and other illnesses are closely tied to an important enzyme called telomerase. UCLA scientists report in the journal Cell the deepest scientific understanding ever of this once-mysterious enzyme, whose core they can now see in near atomic resolution.
  
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• Salt Lake's light rail trains are air quality sleuths

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (University of Utah) The TRAX project is the only known transit-based mobile air quality network in North America. Some results are unsurprising, such as spikes of carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, byproducts of gasoline combustion, at street intersections. But the sensors also found methane emissions patterns that didn't correlate to daytime working hours, suggesting possible fugitive methane leaks.
  
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• Risk assessment tools may increase incarcerations rates

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (Rice University) New research from a Rice University sociologist suggests risk assessment tools may contribute to expanding the number of people caught up in the criminal justice system.
  
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• Research aims to help children with communication disorders gain a voice through apps

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (University of Central Florida) Researchers at the University of Central Florida and the University of New Mexico have been awarded a $2.7 million National Institutes of Health grant to study how language therapy, combined with technology, can help children with severe speech disorders communicate.
  
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• Prolonged stress can impact quality of sperm, according to Ben-Gurion U. researchers

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) 'Mental stress is known to have an adverse effect on fertility, but there is little research on the impact of stress on sperm quality,' says Dr. Eliahu Levitas, a member of the Ben-Gurion University Faculty of Health Sciences and director of the IVF Unit at Soroka. 'This study shows that prolonged stress can have an effect on sperm quality.'
  
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• Preterm newborns sleep better in NICU while hearing their mother's voice

  06-06-2018 06:00
  (American Academy of Sleep Medicine) Hearing a recording of their mother's voice may help neonates maintain sleep while in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), according to preliminary data from a new study.
  
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