Sci-Tech news

• Europe-Russia mission departs on hunt for life on Mars (Update 3)

  14-03-2016 23:37
  
  A joint European-Russian mission aiming to search for traces of life on Mars left Earth's orbit Monday at the start of a seven-month unmanned journey to the Red Planet, space agency managers said.
  
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• Hunting for Big Bang neutrinos that could shed new light on the origin of the universe

  14-03-2016 23:23
  
  Big Bang neutrinos are believed to be everywhere in the universe but have never been seen. The expansion of the universe has stretched them and they are thought to be billions of times colder than neutrinos that stream from the sun. As the oldest known witnesses or 'relics' of the early universe, they could shed new light on the birth of the cosmos if scientists could pin them down. That's a tall order since these ghostly particles can speed through planets as if they were empty space.
  
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• Research helps bacteria-powered microrobots plot a course

  14-03-2016 23:17
  
  The problem with having a microscopic robot propelled by a horde of tail-flailing bacteria is you never know where it's going to end up. The tiny, bio-robots, which amount to a chip coated with a "carpet" of flagellated bacteria, emerged from the primordial ooze of microrobotics research a few years ago as a concept for building microscopic devices and delivering medication at the cellular level. But as with any robot, the challenge for making them useful is bridging the gap from movement to aut
  
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• Study shows temperature can dramatically affect behavior of 2-D materials

  14-03-2016 22:52
  
  New research at the University of Arkansas shows that temperature can be used to dramatically alter the behavior of two-dimensional materials that are being investigated as candidates to power the next generation of electronic devices.
  
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• Sony in nationwide US launch of online TV 'bundles'

  14-03-2016 22:46
  
  Sony said Monday its Internet-based television service aimed at luring consumers away from cable subscriptions was being expanded to the entire US market.
  
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• Love trumps budget in sentimental buys, study finds

  14-03-2016 22:14
  
  Brides and the bereaved beware: You, like many shoppers, may have a tendency to reject thriftiness when your purchase is a matter of the heart, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder.
  
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• Climate change redistributes global water resources

  14-03-2016 22:10
  
  Rising temperatures worldwide are changing not only weather systems, but—just as importantly—the distribution of water around the globe, according to a study published today (March 14, 2016) in the journal, Scientific Reports.
  
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• Death-related thoughts discourage consumers from purchasing annuities

  14-03-2016 22:07
  
  Thinking about death isn't doing the annuity industry any favors, but it could be the missing piece of a puzzle that has vexed economists for decades. That's according to a new study by two Boston College marketing professors who say "mortality salience" is one reason why consumers shy away from buying annuities.
  
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• Watch: Human ‘Go’ Champ Pulls Off Consolation Win Against Google Computer

  14-03-2016 22:02 via abcnews.go.com
  Go Grandmaster Lee Sedol scored his first victory against the AlphaGo computer program in the ancient Chinese board game.
  
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• NASA measures US south heavy rainfall from space

  14-03-2016 21:34
  
  Extremely heavy rain fell over the southern United States during the past week and data from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission core satellite and others in the GPM constellation provided a look at areas with heaviest rainfall. The data showed the largest amounts of rain fell from north central Louisiana to southern Arkansas.
  
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• Researcher says now is the time to prioritize endangered species

  14-03-2016 20:00
  
  Human impact on Earth is becoming indelible and as a result humans, like no other species, have an obligation to take care of the planet and all of those who inhabit it. One case in point is the human effort to save endangered species.
  
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• Newly discovered dinosaur reveals how T. rex became king of the Cretaceous

  14-03-2016 20:00
  
  The fossilized remains of a new horse-sized dinosaur reveal how Tyrannosaurus rex and its close relatives became top predators, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
  
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• Inbreeding impacts on mothering ability, red deer study shows

  14-03-2016 20:00
  
  Inbred animals have fewer surviving offspring compared with others, a study of red deer in the wild has found.
  
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• Fish and insects guide design for future contact lenses

  14-03-2016 20:00
  
  Making the most of the low light in the muddy rivers where it swims, the elephant nose fish survives by being able to spot predators amongst the muck with a uniquely shaped retina, the part of the eye that captures light. In a new study, researchers looked to the fish's retinal structure to inform the design of a contact lens that can adjust its focus.
  
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• Carbon from land played a role during last deglaciation

  14-03-2016 20:00
  
  As the Earth emerged from its last ice age several thousand years ago, atmospheric carbon dioxide increased and further warmed the planet. Scientists have long speculated that the primary source of this CO2 was from the deep ocean around Antarctica, though it has been difficult to prove.
  
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• Nobel laureate Lloyd S. Shapley dies at 92 in Arizona

  14-03-2016 18:50
  
  Lloyd S. Shapley, a researcher of strategic decision-making called "game theory" who shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in economics, has died at 92.
  
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• Experimentation and largest-ever quantum simulation of a disordered system explain quantum many-particle problem

  14-03-2016 18:50
  
  Using some of the largest supercomputers available, physics researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have produced one of the largest simulations ever to help explain one of physics most daunting problems.
  
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• Don't build your model on sand

  14-03-2016 18:49
  
  Volcanic ash can damage jet engines, and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich volcanologists have developed a new empirical model for assessment of the risk. Their results show that tests using sand do not reflect the behavior of ash in this context.
  
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• Freedom of religion, civic rights were important components of a 'Muslim nation'

  14-03-2016 18:48
  
  Prophet Muhammad believed that freedom of religion and civic rights were important components of a 'Muslim nation,' according to a Rice University analysis of the prophet's covenants with Christians. The researcher argues that the covenants can be used to develop a stronger democratic partnership between Muslims and Christians in the Islamic world and elsewhere.
  
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• How science can help tackle global water scarcity

  14-03-2016 18:24
  
  Millions of people around the world lack access to clean drinking water, and experts predict the situation could get worse unless new solutions are implemented. A panel of scientists addressing the issue outlines strategies that could help curb this humanitarian crisis in a new white paper, "Chemistry and Water: Challenges and Solutions in a Changing World." They discuss the report today at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.
  
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• Astronomers Analyze the Distribution of Globular Clusters

  14-03-2016 18:20 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Astronomers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics have analyzed the distribution of over eighty thousand globular clusters to infer an active history of galaxy-galaxy interactions. Globular clusters are gravitationally bound, roughly spherical ensembles of stars. Some contain as many as a million stars, and their sizes are as small as only tens of light-years in […]
  The post Astronomers Analyze the Distribution of Globular Clusters appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• DOJ 'Got a Little Carried Away,' Apple's Lawyer Says

  14-03-2016 18:15 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  Apple counsel Ted Boutrous told CNBC on Monday that federal lawyers 'got a little carried away' with their rhetoric in the latest court filing.
  
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• Sustainable Power Sources Based on High Efficiency Thermopower Wave Devices

  14-03-2016 18:12 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Engineers from MIT have developed an alternative system for generating electricity, which harnesses heat and uses no metals or toxic materials. The batteries that power the ubiquitous devices of modern life, from smartphones and computers to electric cars, are mostly made of toxic materials such as lithium that can be difficult to dispose of and […]
  The post Sustainable Power Sources Based on High Efficiency Thermopower Wave Devices appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Aimed at cable cord-cutters, Sony TV service goes nationwide

  14-03-2016 18:10
  
  Sony's streaming TV service is expanding nationwide Monday, giving TV lovers throughout the U.S. a new, potentially cheaper way to get cable channels such as AMC and ESPN.
  
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• VR's future to become clearer at video game conference

  14-03-2016 18:04
  
  With the release of a pair of high-definition headsets on the horizon, virtual reality will soon be, well, a reality for consumers curious about the immersive medium.
  
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• CCNY research team in molecular breakthrough

  14-03-2016 18:04
  
  Reducing a barrier that generally hinders the easy generation of new molecules, a team led by City College of New York chemist Mahesh K. Lakshman has devised a method to cleave generally inert bonds to allow the formation of new ones. The study is the cover story in the journal ACS Catalysis published by the American Chemical Society.
  
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• Yale Study Shows Key Protein In Pancreatic Cancer Growth May Also Be Its Undoing

  14-03-2016 18:01 via scitechdaily.com
  
  In a newly published study, Yale scientists reveal that the overexpression of a protein called renalase in pancreatic cancer plays a critical role in spurring the cancer’s growth while also providing a possible new target for attacking the tumors it helps develop. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, causing about 40,000 deaths annually […]
  The post Yale Study Shows Key Protein In Pancreatic Cancer Growth May Also Be Its Undoing appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Smartphone 'voices' not always helpful in a health crisis

  14-03-2016 18:00
  
  It can give you street directions or find the nearest deli, but how helpful is your smartphone's virtual voice in a health crisis? A study says the answer is often "not very."
  
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• Tilted Terminator – Cassini Spacecraft Views Enceladus

  14-03-2016 17:51 via scitechdaily.com
  
  This new image from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft shows wrinkled plains that are remarkably youthful in appearance on Saturn’s moon Enceladus. When viewed with north pointing up, as in this image, the day-night boundary line (or terminator) cuts diagonally across Enceladus, with Saturn approaching its northern summer solstice. The lit portion on all of Saturn’s large, […]
  The post Tilted Terminator –Cassini Spacecraft Views Enceladus appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Ex-worker says VW destroyed documents, obstructed justice

  14-03-2016 17:50
  
  Volkswagen deleted documents and obstructed justice after the U.S. Environmental Protection accused the company of cheating on emissions tests, a former employee alleged in a lawsuit.
  
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• Warming ocean water undercuts Antarctic ice shelves

  14-03-2016 17:46
  
  "Upside-down rivers" of warm ocean water threaten the stability of floating ice shelves in Antarctica, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder's National Snow and Ice Data Center published today in Nature Geoscience. The study highlights how parts of Antarctica's ice sheet may be weakening due to contact with warm ocean water.
  
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• Scientists using crowdfunding to sequence the genome of Joshua tree

  14-03-2016 17:43
  
  Scientists at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center have teamed up with researchers at Willamette University, a liberal arts college in Salem Oregon, to develop genetic tools that could save the Joshua tree from extinction. Together with scientists from The University of Georgia and the University of British Columbia, and with the support of several Mojave Desert conservation organizations, researchers are inviting members of the public to help get the project off the ground by making donatio
  
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• New virtual reality app Timelooper takes you back in history

  14-03-2016 17:40
  
  Imagine watching frantic shopkeepers busily extinguish the Great Fire of London, or sheltering from Nazi bombing raids during the Blitz.
  
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• Scientists create painless patch of insulin-producing beta cells to control diabetes

  14-03-2016 17:38
  
  For decades, researchers have tried to duplicate the function of beta cells, the tiny insulin-producing entities that don't work properly in patients with diabetes. Insulin injections provide painful and often imperfect substitutes. Transplants of normal beta cells carry the risk of rejection or side effects from immunosuppressive therapies.
  
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• Researchers develop new lens for terahertz radiation

  14-03-2016 17:37
  
  Terahertz radiation is a relatively unexplored slice of the electromagnetic spectrum, but it holds the promise of countless new imaging applications as well as wireless communication networks with extremely high bandwidth. The problem is that there are few off-the-shelf components available for manipulating terahertz waves.
  
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• Gravity glasses offer a view of the Earth's interior

  14-03-2016 17:34
  
  How does the ice on the polar caps change? And which are the geological characteristics of the Earth's crust beneath? What is the structure of the boundary between the Earth's crust and mantle? Geophysicists will be able to answer these questions in the future using gravity field measurements from ESA's GOCE gravity satellite. Geodesists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have prepared the measurement data mathematically in such a way that they can be used to resolve structures deep b
  
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• Bee flower choices altered by exposure to pesticides

  14-03-2016 17:33
  
  Scientists have shown that low levels of pesticides can impact the foraging behaviour of bumblebees on wild flowers, changing their floral preferences and hindering their ability to learn the skills needed to extract nectar and pollen.
  
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• Global shift in farmed fish feed may impact nutritional benefits ascribed to seafood

  14-03-2016 17:31
  
  The fish-farming industry is increasing its use of plant-based ingredients in its feed and moving away from traditional feed made from fish, which could impact some of the health benefits of eating certain types of seafood, suggests a new analysis from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
  
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• New 'machine unlearning' technique wipes out unwanted data quickly and completely

  14-03-2016 17:30
  
  Machine learning systems are everywhere. Computer software in these machines predict the weather, forecast earthquakes, provide recommendations based on the books and movies we like and, even, apply the brakes on our cars when we are not paying attention.
  
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• 3D images of Syria archaeological treasures go online

  14-03-2016 17:30
  
  3D reconstructions of some of Syria's most spectacular archaeological sites go online Tuesday after a big push to digitalise the war-torn country's threatened heritage.
  
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• Searching for big insights from online reviews

  14-03-2016 17:29
  
  There is no question that data are big: 2.5 quintillion new bytes are added every day from our keyboards, sensors, entertainment, and medical scans, to name but a few. Data scientists have begun refining tools to encourage civilians to join them in extracting important insights from the aggregation and analysis of big data sets.
  
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• Hydrocarbon storage, fracking and lightning risk

  14-03-2016 17:28
  
  Fires caused by lightning strikes on hydrocarbon storage plants are a century-old, yet to be addressed, problem, according to research published in the International Journal of Forensic Engineering. In the era of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, this is becoming an even more poignant issue for the fossil fuel industry.
  
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• Three Datasets Produce a Unique New View of MACS J0717

  14-03-2016 17:24 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Using the Hubble Space Telescope, the NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory and the NRAO Jansky Very Large Array, astronomers have created a unique view of MACS J0717.5+3745. In October of 2013 Hubble kicked off the Frontier Fields program, a three-year series of observations aiming to produce the deepest ever views of the Universe. The project’s targets […]
  The post Three Datasets Produce a Unique New View of MACS J0717 appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Shock compression research shows hexagonal diamond could serve as meteor impact marker

  14-03-2016 17:23
  
  In 1967, a hexagonal form of diamond, later named lonsdaleite, was identified for the first time inside fragments of the Canyon Diablo meteorite, the asteroid that created the Barringer Crater in Arizona.
  
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• Despite economic gains, rural Chinese children continue to lag urban counterpart

  14-03-2016 17:19
  
  A new comprehensive study of children's well-being in China reveals glaring disparities in education, economic conditions and emotional health between rural and urban children and the need for educational and public policy reforms to help close those gaps.
  
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• In today's advertising environment, cleverness can backfire

  14-03-2016 17:06
  
  When it comes to display advertising—especially online—simpler can be better. That's the implication of new research from the University of Maryland and Tilburg University in The Netherlands.
  
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• Lake Huron's Chinook salmon fishery unlikely to recover due to ongoing food shortage

  14-03-2016 17:04
  
  Lake Huron's Chinook salmon fishery will likely never return to its glory days because the lake can no longer support the predatory fish's main food source, the herring-like alewife, according to a new University of Michigan-led computer-modeling study.
  
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• Inventory of moths: Entomologist identifies nearly 2,000 moth species in the Andes

  14-03-2016 17:03
  
  The rain forests in the mountains of the tropical Andes are amongst the most biodiverse regions on the planet. But the multitude of ants, beetles, moths and butterflies which can be found here are largely unknown. An international team of researchers recently drew up a thorough inventory of the family of the species of looper moths (Geometridae). They came up with a surprising result: The diversity of these moths is much greater than was previously assumed. The scientists working with Dr Gunnar
  
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• More than bugs: Spiders also like to eat vegetarian

  14-03-2016 17:02
  
  Spiders are known to be the classic example of insectivorous predators. Zoologists from the University of Basel, the US and UK have now been able to show that their diet is more diverse than expected. Their findings show that spiders like to spice up their menu with the occasional vegetarian meal. The Journal of Arachnology has published the results.
  
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• Simple mechanism may have allowed primitive cells to maintain internal conditions

  14-03-2016 17:00
  
  A Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research team investigating how the earliest stages of life might have developed has discovered a way the first living cells could have met a key challenge—maintaining a constant internal environment, a process called homeostasis, even when external conditions change. In a report receiving advance online publication in Nature Chemistry, the investigators describe finding that the dilution of a simple cell's internal contents that takes place when the
  
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