Sci-Tech news

• Nine prominent early astronauts carrying on US space history

  16-01-2017 22:30
  
  Early U.S. space history is fading with the deaths of Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, John Glenn, the last of the Mercury 7 astronauts, and Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. But others survive, veterans of a time when Americans were glued to their television sets to watch their heroics, from fiery Saturn V launches to ocean splashdowns.
  
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• Professor is developing spray to identify fly spit at crime scenes

  16-01-2017 22:20
  
  The victim lay across the doorway of a home in Mount Airy, Md., a 12-gauge shotgun blast through his chest. The suspect had called in a confession, and the evidence was clear. But that day in April 1999, police puzzled over dark stains on a wall far from the man's body.
  
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• Gene Cernan, last astronaut to walk on the moon, dies at 82 (Update)

  16-01-2017 22:09
  
  Astronaut Gene Cernan traced his only child's initials in the dust of the lunar surface. Then he climbed into the lunar module for the ride home, becoming the last person to walk on the moon.
  
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• Gene Cernan, last astronaut on the moon, dies at 82

  16-01-2017 22:09
  
  Former astronaut Gene Cernan, the last of only a dozen men to walk on the moon who returned to Earth with a message of "peace and hope for all mankind," has died. He was 82.
  
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• Theory lends transparency to how glass breaks

  16-01-2017 21:00
  
  Over time, when a metallic glass is put under stress, its atoms will shift, slide and ultimately form bands that leave the material more prone to breaking. Rice University scientists have developed new computational methods based on a general theory of glasses to explain why.
  
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• New tools will drive greater understanding of wheat genes

  16-01-2017 21:00
  
  Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientists have developed a much-needed genetic resource that will greatly accelerate the study of gene functions in wheat. The resource, a collection of wheat seeds with more than 10 million sequenced and carefully catalogued genetic mutations, is freely available to wheat breeders and researchers, and is already aiding in the development of wheat plants with improved traits.
  
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• New study reveals the structure of DNA helicase at the replication fork

  16-01-2017 21:00
  
  Scientists at Van Andel Research Institute and Rockefeller University have successfully described a crucial structure involved in DNA replication, placing another piece in the puzzle of how life propagates.
  
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• How China is poised for marine fisheries reform

  16-01-2017 21:00
  
  As global fish stocks continue sinking to alarmingly low levels, a joint study by marine fisheries experts from within and outside of China concluded that the country's most recent fisheries conservation plan can achieve a true paradigm shift in marine fisheries management - but only if the Chinese government embraces major institutional reform.
  
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• Ants need work-life balance, research suggests

  16-01-2017 20:29
  
  As humans, we constantly strive for a good work-life balance. New findings by researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology suggest that ants, long perceived as the workaholics of the insect world, do the same.
  
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• Astrophysicists discover dimming of binary star

  16-01-2017 19:58
  
  A team of University of Notre Dame astrophysicists led by Peter Garnavich, professor of physics, has observed the unexplained fading of an interacting binary star, one of the first discoveries using the University's Sarah L. Krizmanich Telescope.
  
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• Multinationals act on ocean-clogging plastics

  16-01-2017 19:55
  
  Forty of the world's biggest companies assembled in Davos agreed on Monday to come up with cleaner ways to make and consume plastic as waste threatens the global eco-system, especially in oceans.
  
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• UK to close Halley Research Station in Antarctica for winter

  16-01-2017 18:58
  
  British scientists have decided to close the Halley VI Research Station in Antarctica for the winter amid concerns about safety.
  
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• Ice cracks force shutdown of UK Antarctic station (Update)

  16-01-2017 18:58
  
  A British research station on an ice shelf in Antarctica is being relocated and shut down over the winter because of fears it could float off on an iceberg, the British Antarctic Survey said on Monday.
  
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• High Seas High Tech: How the Cruise Industry Is Personalizing Your Vacation

  16-01-2017 18:39 via nbcnews.com
  
  Why leave your lounger to go order a drink when you can just tap your wrist to get a Daiquiri at your deck chair?
  
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• MIT Engineers Program Yeast to Convert Plant Sugars Into Oils

  16-01-2017 18:13 via scitechdaily.com
  By modifying the metabolic pathways of yeast, chemical engineers from MIT are able to convert plant sugars into oils. MIT engineers have genetically reprogrammed a strain of yeast so that it converts sugars to fats much more efficiently, an advance that could make possible the renewable production of high-energy fuels such as diesel. The researchers, […]
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• Prehistoric Extinctions Offer Insights for Today’s Endangered Species

  16-01-2017 17:59 via scitechdaily.com
  New research from Yale University is using data from prehistoric extinctions to teach valuable, real-world lessons about what happens to an ecosystem when its most distinct species go extinct. Researcher Matt Davis tracked the history of some of the world’s largest mammals and the roles they played within their respective environments. The findings appear in […]
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• Now drivers can hear ambulances no matter how loud their music is playing

  16-01-2017 17:52
  
  If you've ever been startled by the sudden appearance of an ambulance while blasting music in your car, then you appreciate the value of a loud siren. Fortunately, your car is probably equipped already to receive warning signals on its audio system, thanks to a new solution developed by students in Sweden.
  
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• Report: Trucking firms using gadgets to cheat on emissions

  16-01-2017 17:51
  
  German public broadcaster ZDF reports that trucking companies in Europe may be using electronic equipment to commit large-scale emissions fraud.
  
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• Juno Spacecraft Image Shows Crescent Jupiter with the Great Red Spot

  16-01-2017 17:46 via scitechdaily.com
  Using data from Juno’s JunoCam instrument, citizen scientist Roman Tkachenko created this image of a crescent Jupiter and the iconic Great Red Spot. The image also shows a series of storms shaped like white ovals, known informally as the ‘string of pearls.’ Below the Great Red Spot a reddish long-lived storm known as Oval BA […]
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• Hubble Telescope Views a Slice of Sagittarius

  16-01-2017 17:36 via scitechdaily.com
  This Hubble image of the week shows part of the sky in the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer). The region is rendered in exquisite detail — deep red and bright blue stars are scattered across the frame, set against a background of thousands of more distant stars and galaxies. Two features are particularly striking: the […]
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• As robots take jobs, Europeans mull free money for all

  16-01-2017 17:27
  
  I am, therefore I'm paid. The radical notion that governments should hand out free money to everyone—rich and poor, those who work and those who don't—is slowly but surely gaining ground in Europe. Yes, you read that right: a guaranteed monthly living allowance, no strings attached.
  
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• After long decline, St. Louis tries to rebuild with startups

  16-01-2017 17:27
  
  It's tough to rebuild a city's image when the national perception is that it peaked a century ago, and when recent news has sometimes been dismal.
  
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• Tracking Antarctic adaptations in diatoms

  16-01-2017 17:00
  
  Diatoms are a common type of photosynthetic microorganism, found in many environments from marine to soil; in the oceans, they are responsible for more than a third of the global ocean carbon captured during photosynthesis. This leads to a significant amount of sequestered carbon ending up in the sediments at the bottom of the ocean. In both freshwater and marine ecosystems, the base of the food web is comprised of a diverse community of phytoplankton that includes diatoms who can thrive in a wi
  
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• Study tracks 'memory' of soil moisture

  16-01-2017 17:00
  
  The top 2 inches of topsoil on all of Earth's landmasses contains an infinitesimal fraction of the planet's water—less than one-thousandth of a percent. Yet because of its position at the interface between the land and the atmosphere, that tiny amount plays a crucial role in everything from agriculture to weather and climate, and even the spread of disease.
  
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• SMiLE-seq: A new technique speeds up genetics

  16-01-2017 17:00
  
  Scientists at EPFL have developed a technique that can be a game-changer for genetics by making the characterization of DNA-binding proteins much faster, more accurate, and efficient.
  
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• Self-assembling particles brighten future of LED lighting

  16-01-2017 17:00
  
  Just when lighting aficionados were in a dark place, LEDs came to the rescue. Over the past decade, LED technologies—short for light-emitting diode—have swept the lighting industry by offering features such as durability, efficiency and long life.
  
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• Mapping the skies for Earth-like exoplanets

  16-01-2017 16:10
  
  EU scientists have helped to confirm the existence of Earth-like exoplanets and issued weather reports from planets 1 000 light years away.
  
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• Who are the eight richest people? All men, mostly Americans

  16-01-2017 16:08
  
  The eight individuals who own as much as half of the rest of the planet are all men, and have largely made their fortunes in technology. Most are American, with one European and one Mexican in the mix. Several have pledged to give it all to charity.
  
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• SpaceX Falcon 9 comes roaring back to life with dramatically successful Iridium fleet launch and ocean ship landing

  16-01-2017 16:00
  
  SpaceX Falcon 9 comes roaring back to life with dramatically successful Iridium fleet launch and ocean ship landing
  
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• New atmospheric detector technology demonstrated on a CubeSat

  16-01-2017 15:50
  
  The GEO-CAPE ROIC In- Flight Performance Experiment (GRIFEX) CubeSat was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Saturday, January 31, 2015, as an auxiliary payload to the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission.
  
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• Study shows women are underrepresented in the film industry

  16-01-2017 15:40
  
  In 2016, women comprised just seven percent of all directors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films, according to the 19th annual Celluloid Ceiling report released by Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University. This figure represents a decline from nine percent in 2015 and is two percent below the level achieved in 1998.
  
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• Presumed young star turns out to be a galactic senior citizen

  16-01-2017 15:40
  
  49 Lib, a relatively bright star in the southern sky, is 12 billion years old rather than just 2.3 billion. For many decades, researchers were stumped by conflicting data pertaining to this celestial body, because they had estimated it as much younger than it really is. Determining its age anew, astronomers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have now successfully resolved all inconsistencies. Dr Klaus Fuhrmann and Prof Dr Rolf Chini published their results in the Astrophysical Journal.
  
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• Graphene photodetector enhanced by fractal golden 'snowflake'

  16-01-2017 15:30
  
  (Phys.org)—Researchers have found that a snowflake-like fractal design, in which the same pattern repeats at smaller and smaller scales, can increase graphene's inherently low optical absorption. The results lead to graphene photodetectors with an order-of-magnitude increase in photovoltage, along with ultrafast light detection and other advantages.
  
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• Computational modeling reveals anatomical distribution of drag on downhill skiers

  16-01-2017 15:30
  
  Minimizing air resistance and friction with snow is key to elite performance in downhill skiing. Experiments in wind tunnels have revealed the total drag experienced by skiers, but have not provided precise data on which parts of the body cause the most air resistance when adopting the full-tuck position.
  
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• UK experts warn of Trump climate science clampdown

  16-01-2017 15:29
  
  More than 100 of Britain's top climate scientists on Monday urged Prime Minister Theresa May to press US President-elect Donald Trump to safeguard government-led research on global warming.
  
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• Oslo temporarily bars diesel cars to combat pollution

  16-01-2017 15:28
  
  Oslo will ban diesel cars from the road for at least two days this week in a bid to combat rising air pollution, angering some motorists after they were urged to buy diesel cars a few years ago.
  
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• Light source discovery 'challenges basic assumption' of physics

  16-01-2017 15:26
  
  A widely held understanding of electromagnetic radiation has been challenged in newly published research led at the University of Strathclyde.
  
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• Imposing 'meaningful work' leads to staff burnout

  16-01-2017 15:26
  
  Strategies to boost staff performance and morale by manipulating our desire for meaningful work often achieve the opposite - damaging organisations and alienating employees – a new study suggests.
  
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• Protein research—the computer as microscope

  16-01-2017 15:25
  
  Using a combination of infrared spectroscopy and computer simulation, researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have gained new insights into the workings of protein switches. With high temporal and spatial resolution, they verified that a magnesium atom contributes significantly to switching the so-called G-proteins on and off.
  
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• First color image from the joint UK and Algeria CubeSat Mission

  16-01-2017 15:25
  
  AlSat Nano, which was designed and built at the University of Surrey in just 18 months, has captured and downloaded its first full colour image—a step forward in demonstrated UK nanosatellite capability.
  
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• Nanoparticle exposure can awaken dormant viruses in the lungs

  16-01-2017 15:24
  
  Nanoparticles from combustion engines can activate viruses that are dormant in in lung tissue cells. This is the result of a study by researchers of Helmholtz Zentrum München, a partner in the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), which has now been published in the journal 'Particle and Fibre Toxicology'.
  
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• Mars Curiosity rolls up to potential new meteorite

  16-01-2017 15:23
  
  Rolling up the slopes of Mt. Sharp recently, NASA's Curiosity rover appears to have stumbled across yet another meteorite, its third since touching down nearly four and a half years ago. While not yet confirmed, the turkey-shaped object has a gray, metallic luster and a lightly-dimpled texture that hints of regmaglypts. Regmaglypts, indentations that resemble thumbprints in Play-Doh, are commonly seen in meteorites and caused by softer materials stripped from the rock's surface during the brief
  
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• Study finds links between swearing and honesty

  16-01-2017 15:22
  
  It's long been associated with anger and coarseness but profanity can have another, more positive connotation. Psychologists have learned that people who frequently curse are being more honest. Writing in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science a team of researchers from the Netherlands, the UK, the USA and Hong Kong report that people who use profanity are less likely to be associated with lying and deception.
  
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• How to reuse materials from trash

  16-01-2017 15:22
  
  Most people can agree that it would be more sustainable to reuse materials in the trash that we throw away to make new products. Even though, it's not that much of the waste that is being used again. What is it that makes recovering resources from waste so difficult? In the doctoral thesis "Designing out waste: exploring barriers for material recirculation" by Isabel Ordonez Pizarro we find out what some of the common problems are when it comes to recirculating materials in society and suggestio
  
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• A stone, skip and a hop away from saving a bay

  16-01-2017 15:20
  
  In Victoria's Port Phillip Bay, commercial and environmental interests can live in harmony, just like the vast variety of organisms that inhabit the bay's spectacular rocky reefs.
  
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• UV light for producing customized surfaces

  16-01-2017 15:18
  
  Scientists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a new process to structure surfaces and to apply or detach functional molecules. They use UV light for the formation or breaking of so-called disulfide bridges, i.e. bonds of sulfur atoms. Both photodynamic reactions allow for a temporally and spatially controlled and reversible modification of the surface and, hence, can be used to produce functional interfaces. The process is reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie.
  
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• Why does a bit of snow plunge Britain into transport chaos?

  16-01-2017 15:16
  
  A couple of times a year, the UK is presented with the competing emotions of seeing children bouncing off the walls with excitement and the dread of the chaotic morning commute. It is snowing.
  
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• The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder finally hits the big-data highway

  16-01-2017 15:15
  
  You know how long it takes to pack the car to go on holidays. But there's a moment when you're all in, everyone has their seatbelt on, you pull out of the drive and you're off.
  
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• Golden mystery solved

  16-01-2017 15:15
  
  Gold is prized for its preciousness and as a conductor in electronics, but it is also important in scientific experimentation.
  
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• Microbes could survive thin air of Mars

  16-01-2017 15:13
  
  Microbes that rank among the simplest and most ancient organisms on Earth could survive the extremely thin air of Mars, a new study finds.
  
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