Sci-Tech news

• Swept up in the solar wind

  10-05-2016 23:02
  
  From our vantage point on the ground, the sun seems like a still ball of light, but in reality, it teems with activity. Eruptions called solar flares and coronal mass ejections explode in the sun's hot atmosphere, the corona, sending light and high energy particles out into space. The corona is also constantly releasing a stream of charged particles known as the solar wind.
  
  Read more

• World's oldest axe fragment found in Australia

  10-05-2016 22:41
  
  Australian archaeologists have discovered a piece of the world's oldest axe in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia.
  
  Read more

• It's not just Alberta: Warming fueled fires are increasing

  10-05-2016 22:34
  
  Alberta's unusually early and large fire is just the latest of many gargantuan fires on an Earth that's grown hotter with more extreme weather.
  
  Read more

• Facebook denies anti-conservative bias, censorship

  10-05-2016 22:08
  
  Facebook on Tuesday denied allegations from a former news curator that it scrubs its site of articles by and about political conservatives.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• New survey shows that retirement includes work for many older Americans

  10-05-2016 22:06
  
  Departing the workforce entirely and entering retirement at age 65 is no longer a reality for many older people in the United States, according to a recent survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The study finds that there are large numbers of older Americans who are currently, or who expect to be, working longer. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that they are continuing with the same employment circumstances indefinitely. Many are either reducing their hour
  
  Read more

• Acidification and low oxygen put fish in double jeopardy

  10-05-2016 21:54
  
  Severe oxygen drops in the water can leave trails of fish kills in their wakes, but scientists thought adult fish would be more resilient to the second major threat in coastal waters: acidification. A new study published Tuesday from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) shows that is not entirely true—where fish are concerned, acidification can make low oxygen even more deadly.
  
  Read more

• Wildfires to increase in Alaska with future climate change

  10-05-2016 21:45
  
  Climate change is melting glaciers, reducing sea-ice cover and increasing wildlife activity - with some of the most dramatic impacts occurring in the northern high latitudes.
  
  Read more

• 1,284 new planets: Kepler mission announces largest collection ever discovered

  10-05-2016 21:25
  
  NASA's Kepler mission has verified 1,284 new planets – the single largest finding of planets to date.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Amazon takes on YouTube with similar video service

  10-05-2016 19:14
  
  Amazon challenged YouTube Tuesday by adding a platform to its video service that lets "storytellers and creators" share works online and generate revenue.
  
  Read more

• What studying hand-washing is teaching about compliance

  10-05-2016 19:05
  
  In a myriad of workplace settings, standard processes are key to a successful operation, ensuring efficiency and safety. For these processes to work, employees must comply. But what's the best way to go about enforcing that compliance, and sustain it?
  
  Read more

• Northern Galapagos Islands home to world's largest shark biomass

  10-05-2016 19:02
  
  In a study published today in the journal PeerJ, scientists from the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) and the National Geographic Society revealed that the northern Galapagos islands of Darwin and Wolf are home to the largest shark biomass reported to date (12.4 tons per hectare).
  
  Read more

• The Five Horsemen of the Modern World

  10-05-2016 19:00
  
  Global warming, food shortages, water shortages and quality, chronic illness and obesity - these worldwide crises share striking similarities: each is getting worse, despite extensive and concerted efforts to control them. Daniel Callahan calls them the five horsemen of the modern world.
  
  Read more

• Political lobbying, connections may help airlines profits take off

  10-05-2016 19:00
  
  Government lobbying and political connections may add lift to the air transportation industry's profitability, but they could also cause a crash in talented transportation administrators, according to a Penn State Harrisburg researcher.
  
  Read more

• Illinois River water quality improvement linked to more efficient corn production

  10-05-2016 18:59
  
  Good news - the quality of water in the Illinois River has improved in one important aspect. A new study from the University of Illinois reports that nitrate load in the Illinois River from 2010 to 2014 was 10 percent less than the average load in the 1980s and early 1990s.
  
  Read more

• Math, not skin, may be a better way to help researchers test consumer products, study shows

  10-05-2016 18:57
  
  Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy are presenting collaborative research on the use of mathematical methods for understanding the transportation of chemical compounds in biological tissues, like the skin.
  
  Read more

• How algae could save plants from themselves

  10-05-2016 18:57
  
  Algae may hold the key to feeding the world's burgeoning population. Don't worry; no one is going to make you eat them. But because they are more efficient than most plants at taking in carbon dioxide from the air, algae could transform agriculture. If their efficiency could be transferred to crops, we could grow more food in less time using less water and less nitrogen fertilizer.
  
  Read more

• Why cancer drugs can't take the pressure

  10-05-2016 18:00
  
  A major reason why cancer drugs fail is that they cannot penetrate the high-pressure environment of solid tumors. A study published May 10th in Biophysical Journal reveals that a large, naturally occurring molecule called hyaluronic acid is primarily responsible for generating elevated gel-fluid pressures in tumors. In a mouse model of pancreatic cancer, treatment with an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid normalized fluid pressure in tumors and allowed vessels to re-expand, thereby overcom
  
  Read more

• Performing cellular surgery with a laser-powered nanoblade

  10-05-2016 18:00
  
  To study certain aspects of cells, researchers need the ability to take the innards out, manipulate them, and put them back. Options for this kind of work are limited, but researchers reporting May 10 in Cell Metabolism describe a "nanoblade" that can slice through a cell's membrane to insert mitochondria. The researchers have previously used this technology to transfer other materials between cells and hope to commercialize the nanoblade for wider use in bioengineering.
  
  Read more

• Astronomers Explain Mystery Star’s Unusual Behavior

  10-05-2016 17:51 via scitechdaily.com
  
  New research clarifies the mystery of the unusual fluctuations in light coming from distant star KIC 8462852. Sorry, E.T. lovers, but the results of a new study make it far less likely that KIC 8462852, popularly known as Tabby’s star, is the home of industrious aliens who are gradually enclosing it in a vast shell […]
  The post Astronomers Explain Mystery Star’s Unusual Behavior appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
  Read more

• New study shows rapid marsh bank sediment build up does not equate land loss resilience

  10-05-2016 17:48
  
  When the banks of a marsh channel accumulate sediment at a faster rate than relative sea level rise, it may seem like the marsh is resilient. However, a new study published in Geology proposes a new framework to look at sediment fluxes in marsh channels that takes into account the natural process of sediment recycling. Understanding how sediments are transported within salt marshes is critical to predict the effect that processes such as nutrient loading, sea-level rise and sediment supply have
  
  Read more

• Genetic testing proves Bene Israel community in India has Jewish roots

  10-05-2016 17:25
  
  A new study from Tel Aviv University, Cornell University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine reveals genetic proof of the Jewish roots of the Bene Israel community in the western part of India. They have always considered themselves Jewish.
  
  Read more

• From sweet potatoes to orchids: Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet

  10-05-2016 17:24
  
  The first annual State of the World's Plants report, which involved more than 80 scientists and took a year to produce, is a baseline assessment of current knowledge on the diversity of plants on earth, the global threats these plants currently face, as well as the policies in place and their effectiveness in dealing with threats.
  
  Read more

• New design of primitive quantum computer finds application

  10-05-2016 17:22
  
  Scientists and engineers from the Universities of Bristol and Western Australia have developed how to efficiently simulate a "quantum walk" on a new design for a primitive quantum computer.
  
  Read more

• Hijacked cell division helped fuel rise of fungi

  10-05-2016 17:20
  
  A new study finds that the more than 90,000 species of mushrooms, molds, yeasts and other fungi found everywhere in the soil, water and air may owe their abilities to grow, spread, and even cause disease to an opportunistic virus they caught more than a billion years ago.
  
  Read more

• Bioengineers show why lab-made stem cells might fail: Errors in DNA folding

  10-05-2016 17:19
  
  Induced pluripotent stem cells hold promise for regenerative medicine because they can, in theory, turn into any type of tissue and because they are made from a patient's own adult cells, guaranteeing compatibility. However, the technique that turns adult cells into these iPS cells is not foolproof; after reverting to their pluripotent state, these cells don't always correctly differentiate back into adult cells.
  
  Read more

• Radioactive isotopes reveal age of oil and gas wastewater spills

  10-05-2016 17:13
  
  Spills from oil and gas operations can contaminate local water and soil with high levels of toxic chemicals, salts and radioactivity, but in many cases there is insufficient information to determine how long ago the spill occurred and identify its source.
  
  Read more

• New Approach Identifies Genetic Markers Linked to Complex Diseases

  10-05-2016 17:12 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Researchers from MIT have developed a new approach that identifies genetic markers linked to complex diseases. Many diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and schizophrenia, tend to be passed down through families. After researchers sequenced the human genome about 15 years ago, they had high hopes that this trove of information would reveal the genes that […]
  The post New Approach Identifies Genetic Markers Linked to Complex Diseases appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
  Read more

• Exploring the mystery of how enzymes work via simulations

  10-05-2016 17:00
  
  Enzymes play a crucial role in most biological processes—controlling energy transduction, as well as the transcription and translation of genetic information and signaling. They possess a remarkable capacity to accelerate biochemical reactions by many orders of magnitude compared to their uncatalyzed counterparts.
  
  Read more

• Enhancing lab-on-a-chip peristalsis with electro-osmosis

  10-05-2016 17:00
  
  If you've ever eaten food while upside down - and who hasn't indulged this chimpanzee daydream? - you can thank the successive wave-like motions of peristalsis for keeping the chewed bolus down and ferrying it into your stomach. In mechanical microdevices, this method of transport moves fluids without a separate pump- saving precious space in lab-on-a-chip and futuristic organ-on-a-chip devices - but this transport method is difficult to finely control.
  
  Read more

• Daffodils help inspire design of stable structures

  10-05-2016 17:00
  
  In 1940, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed in dramatic fashion, twisting in the wind before it snapped and plunged into the water below. As wind blew across the span, the flow induced oscillating sideways forces that helped bring down the bridge—just months after opening. This type of side-force oscillation can also damage antennae, towers and other structures.
  
  Read more

• Building compact particle accelerators: Bunching electrons can get more done

  10-05-2016 17:00
  
  In the world of particle accelerators, laser wakefield devices are the small, but mighty upstarts. The machines can accelerate electrons to near the speed of light using a fraction of the distance required by conventional particle accelerators. However, the electrons are not all uniformly accelerated and beams with a mix of faster (higher energy) and slower (lower energy) particles are less practical.
  
  Read more

• US must step-up forest pest prevention, new study says

  10-05-2016 16:59
  
  Imported forest pests cause billions of dollars in damages each year, and U.S. property owners and municipalities foot most of the bill. Efforts to prevent new pests are not keeping pace with escalating trade and must be strengthened if we are to slow the loss of our nation's trees. So reports a team of 16 scientists in a new paper published online today in the journal Ecological Applications.
  
  Read more

• ESO Image of the Week – Vela Ring Galaxy

  10-05-2016 16:57 via scitechdaily.com
  
  This newly released ESO image of the week shows the Vela ring galaxy, visible as a bright core surrounded by a baby blue halo. As the name suggests, the Vela ring galaxy — located in the southern constellation of Vela (The Sails) — is notable due to its compact core and large circular belt of […]
  The post ESO Image of the Week – Vela Ring Galaxy appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
  Read more

• Nuclear physics' interdisciplinary progress

  10-05-2016 16:50
  
  The theoretical view of the structure of the atom nucleus is not carved in stone. Particularly, nuclear physics research could benefit from approaches found in other fields of physics. Reflections on these aspects were just released in a new type of rapid publications in the new Letters section of EPJ A, which provides a forum for the concise expression of more personal opinions on important scientific matters in the field. In a Letter to the EPJ A Editor, Pier Francesco Bortignon and Ricardo A.
  
  Read more

• Phones at the dinner table: Study explores attitudes

  10-05-2016 16:49
  
  Checking email for work. Posting a photo to Facebook. Texting the kids to come downstairs. Sending a quick snap to a friend. People of all ages might use their smartphones in these ways during shared meals.
  
  Read more

• Study finds health advertorials misleading but persuasive

  10-05-2016 16:42
  
  Health advertorials, or advertisements camouflaged as credible news, succeed in misleading people, in part, by tamping down their skepticism and expectations for truth in advertising, a Dartmouth College-Stanford University study finds.
  
  Read more

• How US police departments can clear more homicides

  10-05-2016 16:40
  
  Only about 65 percent of homicides in the United States are solved - down 15 percent from the mid-1970s - but a new study led by a Michigan State University criminologist examines how some police departments are getting it right.
  
  Read more

• Study offers a new route to design the 'cellular machines' needed to understand and battle diseases

  10-05-2016 16:20
  
  Proteins are nature's machines. They provide oxygen to power our muscles, catalyze reactions that help us extract energy from food, and fend off infections from bacteria and viruses. For decades, scientists have searched for ways to design new proteins that can serve specific purposes in medicine, research, and industry. Now, researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have developed a method that creates novel proteins by stitching together pieces of already existing prot
  
  Read more

• Video: Do homeopathic remedies work?

  10-05-2016 16:17
  
  Homeopathic remedies are marketed as effective alternatives to traditional medicine. But do they work?
  
  Read more

• As bioenergy booms, certification schemes must consider food security

  10-05-2016 16:16
  
  As countries around the world look for ways to reduce their use of fossil fuels, the growing demand for bioenergy runs the risk of threatening the global food supply. Researchers reporting in Biomass and Bioenergy have developed a certification scheme for biomass resources designed to incorporate food security, to help ensure people in affected regions of the world can continue to put food on their tables.
  
  Read more

• FBI suspects insiders in $81 mn Bangladesh central bank theft: report

  10-05-2016 16:10
  
  The US Federal Bureau of Investigation suspects the computer hacking theft of $81 million from Bangladesh's central bank was in part an inside job, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
  
  Read more

• Nation's beekeepers lost 44 percent of bees in 2015-16

  10-05-2016 16:09
  
  Beekeepers across the United States lost 44 percent of their honey bee colonies during the year spanning April 2015 to April 2016, according to the latest preliminary results of an annual nationwide survey. Rates of both winter loss and summer loss—and consequently, total annual losses—worsened compared with last year. This marks the second consecutive survey year that summer loss rates rivaled winter loss rates.
  
  Read more

• LED treatments enhance lettuce phytochemicals, antioxidants

  10-05-2016 16:07
  
  Increasingly, vegetables are being efficiently grown using soilless techniques such as hydroponics. Hydroponic systems are favored for their ability to improve water and nutrient use efficiency and crop yields, and have the added benefit of allowing growers to use fewer chemical fertilizers. Researchers in China and United Kingdom studied the effects of LED light combinations on lettuce grown in hydroponic systems to determine whether the treatments could reduce nitrate accumulation, and to find
  
  Read more

• Common nanoparticle has subtle effects on oxidative stress genes

  10-05-2016 16:05
  
  A nanoparticle commonly used in food, cosmetics, sunscreen and other products can have subtle effects on the activity of genes expressing enzymes that address oxidative stress inside two types of cells. While the titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are considered non-toxic because they don't kill cells at low concentrations, these cellular effects could add to concerns about long-term exposure to the nanomaterial.
  
  Read more

• Space technology comes down to earth in new agricultural device

  10-05-2016 16:02
  
  Space technology is to be put to work on Earth - in a device for testing soil quality, in research involving the University of Strathclyde.
  
  Read more

• Scientists: Mussels, without noses, use smell to find homes

  10-05-2016 16:01
  
  Mussels don't have noses, but two Maine scientists believe the dark shellfish rely on smells when choosing where to set up their homes.
  
  Read more

• Opinion: Can we save the algae biofuel industry?

  10-05-2016 15:50
  
  Algal biofuels are in trouble. This alternative fuel source could help reduce overall carbon emissions without taking land from food production, like many crop-based biofuels do. But several major companies including Shell and ExxonMobil are seemingly abandoning their investments in this environmentally friendly fuel. So why has this promising technology failed to deliver, and what could be done to save it?
  
  Read more

• Fin24.com | Free WhatsApp for FNB mobile users

  10-05-2016 15:41
  
  First National Bank has enabled free WhatsApp use for users of its mobile network.
  
  Read more

• Space mission to 'weigh' Earth's forests moves closer to launch

  10-05-2016 15:30
  
  A pioneering mission to measure the Earth's forests from space, conceived by an international team of researchers led by the University of Sheffield, has moved a step closer to launch following the signing of a contract to build the technology.
  
  Read more

• Geometric heat engine simultaneously maximizes both power and efficiency

  10-05-2016 15:30
  
  (Phys.org)—As its name suggests, a heat engine converts heat into mechanical energy that can be used to do work—for example, to power a car. Heat engines can operate either in a steady state (where heat is constantly being supplied) or in a cyclic state (where heat is added only during parts of the cycle). Over the past several years, researchers have discovered that steady state heat engines are inherently limited by a power-efficiency trade-off, meaning that their power and efficie
  
  Read more

Follow @NewslockSciTech on Twitter!