Sci-Tech news

• Largest undersea landslide revealed on the Great Barrier Reef

  07-02-2017 23:08
  
  James Cook University scientists have helped discover the remnants of a massive undersea landslide on the Great Barrier Reef, approximately 30 times the volume of Uluru.
  
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• 'In 50 years, reading will be much easier—for computers and humans alike'

  07-02-2017 23:03
  
  Have you ever been told you have writing like chicken scratch? It turns out this might not only bother your grade four teacher—your computer could be confused too.
  
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• Teachers may be cause of 'obesity penalty' on girls' grades

  07-02-2017 23:02
  
  While obesity is often thought of as a health problem, a new study by a University of Illinois at Chicago sociologist suggests that discrimination by body weight may be the more important factor for obese white female students' lower success in school.
  
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• Facebook takes search warrant challenge to NY's top court (Update)

  07-02-2017 22:31
  
  Facebook and Manhattan prosecutors went to New York state's highest court Tuesday to settle a legal dispute over search warrants for users' accounts, a closely watched case with big implications for online privacy.
  
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• Facebook takes search warrant challenge to NY's top court

  07-02-2017 22:31
  
  Facebook has told New York's highest court that it must be allowed to object when law enforcement seeks search warrants for its users' information.
  
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• Trump Policies Scare Away Geniuses, Execs Say

  07-02-2017 22:30 via nbcnews.com
  
  An executive order pausing immigration from seven mostly Muslim countries is scaring away would-be entrepreneurs, biotechnology executives said.
  
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• Scientists to Trump: You're Scaring Off Valuable Minds

  07-02-2017 22:30 via nbcnews.com
  
  An executive order pausing immigration from seven mostly Muslim countries is scaring away would-be entrepreneurs, biotechnology executives said.
  
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• YouTube adds mobile video streaming for top talent

  07-02-2017 22:06
  
  YouTube on Tuesday began letting popular online video personalities broadcast on the go using mobile devices, ramping up a challenge to Facebook and Twitter in the live-streaming arena.
  
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• Major global warming study again questioned, again defended

  07-02-2017 22:06
  
  Another round of bickering is boiling over about temperature readings used in a 2015 study to show how the planet is warming.
  
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• Coal ash selenium found in fish in N.C. lakes

  07-02-2017 22:03
  
  A new Duke University study has found high levels of selenium in fish in three North Carolina lakes receiving power plants' coal ash waste.
  
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• Broader updrafts in severe storms may increase chance of damaging hail

  07-02-2017 21:59
  
  Strong updrafts—currents of rising air—in severe thunderstorms are a prerequisite for hail formation. The width of these updrafts may be an indicator of an increased hail threat, according to Penn State meteorologists.
  
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• New scientific approach assesses land recovery following oil and gas drilling

  07-02-2017 21:58
  
  A new scientific approach can now provide regional assessments of land recovery following oil and gas drilling activities, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
  
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• How life survives: Researchers confirm basic mechanism of DNA repair

  07-02-2017 21:56
  
  Day in and day out, in our bodies, the DNA in cells is damaged for a variety of reasons, and thus intercellular DNA-repair systems are fundamental to the maintenance of life. Now scientists from the UNC School of Medicine have confirmed and clarified key molecular details of one of these repair systems, known as nucleotide excision repair.
  
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• Video: Milk versus dark chocolate: A scientific showdown

  07-02-2017 21:54
  
  Valentine's Day is nearly here. Whether you're spending it with your significant other or flying solo, chocolate is often in the mix. But which is the better choice: milk or dark chocolate?
  
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• New HiRISE Image Views Contrasting Colors of Crater Dunes and Gullies on Mars

  07-02-2017 20:45 via scitechdaily.com
  This new HiRISE image shows dunes and gullies on the surface of Mars. Gullies are relatively common features in the steep slopes of crater walls,...
  The post New HiRISE Image Views Contrasting Colors of Crater Dunes and Gullies on Mars appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Biotech industry blasts 'misguided' Trump travel ban

  07-02-2017 19:28
  
  Bosses of more than 150 US biotech companies Tuesday criticised US President Donald Trump's travel ban against seven Muslim-majority countries, saying the sector stood to lose talented workers and its global dominance.
  
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• Vienna's famed late panda gets stuffed for final journey

  07-02-2017 19:26
  
  Long Hui, a giant panda feted for having fathered five cubs in captivity and who succumbed to a stomach tumour in December, will be stuffed and returned to China for posterity, the Vienna Zoo said Tuesday.
  
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• NASA sees Tropical Storm Carlos west of La Reunion Island

  07-02-2017 19:24
  
  NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone Carlos as its center moved just to the west of La Reunion Island in the Southern Indian Ocean.
  
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• From Utah with love and thanks for all the uranium

  07-02-2017 19:24
  
  Three new minerals discovered by a Michigan Tech alumnus are secondary crusts found in old uranium mines. They're bright, yellow and hard to find.
  
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• Enzyme key to learning in fruit flies

  07-02-2017 19:20
  
  An animal's reaction to an odor or food or other stimuli depends largely on past experiences and how they have been entered into memory.
  
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• A new way to discover structures of membrane proteins

  07-02-2017 19:20
  
  University of Toronto scientists have discovered a better way to extract proteins from the membranes that encase them, making it easier to study how cells communicate with each other to create human health and disease.
  
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• How hydras know where to regrow lost body parts

  07-02-2017 19:16
  
  Few animals can match the humble hydra's resilience. The small, tentacled freshwater animals can be literally shredded into pieces and regrow into healthy animals. A study published February 7 in Cell Reports suggests that pieces of hydras have structural memory that helps them shape their new body plan according to the pattern inherited by the animal's "skeleton." Previously, scientists thought that only chemical signals told a hydra where its heads and/or feet should form.
  
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• Overcoming hurdles in CRISPR gene editing to improve treatment

  07-02-2017 19:15
  
  More and more scientists are using the powerful new gene-editing tool known as CRISPR/Cas9, a technology isolated from bacteria, that holds promise for new treatment of such genetic diseases as cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and hemophilia. But to work well, the new gene-clipping tool must be delivered safely across the cell membrane and into its nucleus, a difficult process that can trigger the cell's defenses and "trap" CRISPR/Cas9, greatly reducing its treatment potential.
  
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• After Toys 'R' Us Online Hack Attempt, You'd Better Change Your Password

  07-02-2017 19:02 via nbcnews.com
  
  Some Scrooge tried to pick the locks on the Toys "R" Us toy chest.
  
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• Chandra Reveals a Decade-Long Sustained Tidal Disruption Event

  07-02-2017 18:36 via scitechdaily.com
  A trio of X-ray observatories has captured a remarkable event in their data: a decade-long binge by a black hole almost two billion light years...
  The post Chandra Reveals a Decade-Long Sustained Tidal Disruption Event appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• H&M Just Partnered with Google to Make You a Digital Dress

  07-02-2017 18:25 via nbcnews.com
  
  Wearing your heart on your sleeve is so 2000s. Now you can wear your digital profile on your sleeve.
  
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• Airbnb imposes limits on rentals in Barcelona

  07-02-2017 18:18
  
  Homeowners in central Barcelona will only be able to rent out one place on Airbnb as part of new rules announced Tuesday by the home rentals website, at loggerheads with local authorities.
  
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• Bacterium lassoes its way from the mouth to the heart to cause disease

  07-02-2017 18:16
  
  The human mouth can harbour more than 700 different species of bacteria. Under normal circumstances these microbes co-exist with us as part of our resident oral microbiota. But when bacteria spread to other tissues via the blood stream, the results can be catastrophic.
  
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• New Curiosity Results Bring the Paradox of Ancient Mars to Focus

  07-02-2017 18:14 via scitechdaily.com
  
  New research reveals that Mars had far too little carbon dioxide about 3.5 billion years ago to provide enough greenhouse-effect warming to thaw water ice....
  The post New Curiosity Results Bring the Paradox of Ancient Mars to Focus appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Making a scavenger—the meat-thieving traits that have stood the test of time

  07-02-2017 18:12
  
  Take a look at the teeth of any animal. The chances are you'll then have a good idea if it's a meat eater or a vegetarian. Sharp canines? Easy. All the better to eat you with. But how would you find out whether your chosen species got by on dead meat, or if it survived and thrived by catching live prey? To answer that kind of question you have to go beyond teeth and look at many other aspects of its biology—from the way the creature moves to how far it can see.
  
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• Study offers new insights into receptor that regulates Staphylococcal virulence

  07-02-2017 18:09
  
  A recent study published in Cell Chemical Biology has revealed new insights into a molecular pathway that leads to Staphylococcus aureus virulence. Using a tool that mimics the cellular environment, Princeton University researchers reconstituted a key receptor protein responsible for regulating S. aureus virulence. These bacterial infections can cause a range of human illnesses from skin infections to pneumonia.
  
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• Material can turn sunlight, heat and movement into electricity—all at once

  07-02-2017 18:09
  
  Many forms of energy surround you: sunlight, the heat in your room and even your own movements. All that energy—normally wasted—can potentially help power your portable and wearable gadgets, from biometric sensors to smart watches. Now, researchers from the University of Oulu in Finland have found that a mineral with the perovskite crystal structure has the right properties to extract energy from multiple sources at the same time.
  
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• Tarantulas inspire new structural color with the greatest viewing angle

  07-02-2017 18:06
  
  Inspired by the hair of blue tarantulas, researchers from The University of Akron lead a team that made a structural-colored material that shows consistent color from all viewing directions. This finding overturns the conventional wisdom that long-range order photonic structures are always iridescent, opening new potential to mass produce structural colors because highly ordered designs are easy to scale-up and manufacture. Bor-Kai (Bill) Hsiung and his colleagues at UA, Ghent University, Karlsr
  
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• NASA advances first-ever silicon-based X-ray optic

  07-02-2017 18:04
  
  NASA scientist William Zhang has created and proven a technique for manufacturing lightweight, high-resolution X-ray mirrors using silicon—a material commonly associated with computer chips.
  
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• Portable superconductivity systems for small motors

  07-02-2017 18:03
  
  Superconductivity, where electrical currents course unhindered through a material, is one of modern physics' most intriguing scientific discoveries. It has many practical uses. Governments, industries, and health care and science centers all make use of superconductivity in applications extending from MRIs in hospitals to the cavities of particle accelerators, where scientists explore the fundamentals of matter. However, practical exploitation of superconductivity also presents many challenges.
  
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• Exhibition charts 500 years of evolution of robots

  07-02-2017 18:02
  
  Inspired by his belief that human beings are essentially terrified of robots, Ben Russell set about charting the evolution of automatons for an exhibition he hopes will force people to think about how androids and other robotic forms can enhance their lives.
  
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• Human DNA softer than DNA single-celled life

  07-02-2017 18:00
  
  Single-celled organisms have stiffer DNA than multicellular lifeforms like humans and rice. Theoretical physicists managed to simulate the folding in full genomes for the first time to reach this conclusion. Publication in Biophysical Journal on February 7.
  
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• Hubble Image of the Week – A Spiral in Andromeda

  07-02-2017 17:46 via scitechdaily.com
  
  This newly released Hubble image shows barred spiral galaxy NGC 7640, which is located 30 million light-years away. Not to be confused with our neighboring...
  The post Hubble Image of the Week – A Spiral in Andromeda appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• DNA 'barcoding' allows rapid testing of nanoparticles for therapeutic delivery

  07-02-2017 16:34
  
  Using tiny snippets of DNA as "barcodes," researchers have developed a new technique for rapidly screening the ability of nanoparticles to selectively deliver therapeutic genes to specific organs of the body. The technique could accelerate the development and use of gene therapies for such killers as heart disease, cancer and Parkinson's disease.
  
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• Dinosaurs: Juvenile, adult or senior?

  07-02-2017 16:31
  
  How old were the oldest dinosaurs? This question remains largely unanswered. The natural life span of these long-extinct giants is of interest to scientists, in combination with questions regarding how fast they could grow and how they could obtain sufficient nutrients from their habitat. Palaeontologists at the University of Bonn estimate by means of bone structures whether a particular dinosaur fossil is a young, adult or very old animal. The results have now been published in the journal Pale
  
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• Fin24.com | SA Post Office warns of new scam

  07-02-2017 16:25
  
  The SA Post Office warns the public to be on alert for a parcel delivery scam designed to steal their money.
  
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• Twitter steps up effort to curb harassment

  07-02-2017 16:11
  
  Twitter on Tuesday unveiled a new initiative to crack down on "abusive accounts," in the latest attempt by the social network to curb online harassment.
  
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• Longtime Autodesk CEO stepping down

  07-02-2017 16:11
  
  The longtime CEO of the design software company Autodesk is stepping down after reaching an agreement with activist investors.
  
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• Computational methods applied to big datasets are compelling tools for historical linguistics

  07-02-2017 16:11
  
  Digital approaches applied to big data play an increasingly important role in the humanities. However, there is skepticism about the accuracy and potential of computational methods for historical linguistics. A key task is the identification of etymologically related words (cognates) with a common ancestor, such as stone in English and Stein in German. Up to now, cognate detection is exclusively carried out by trained historical linguists who manually examine big datasets. This could change rath
  
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• Efficient approach to leaching lithium and cobalt from recycled batteries

  07-02-2017 16:09
  
  Rechargeable lithium ion batteries power our phones and tablets they drive us from A to B in electric vehicles, and have many applications besides. Unfortunately, the devices that they power can fail and the batteries themselves are commonly only usable for two to three years. As such, there are millions batteries that must be recycled. Research published in the International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy describes a new way to extract the lithium and the cobalt that make up the bulk o
  
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• Detecting early onset of metastatic disease using FAST disc

  07-02-2017 16:08
  
  A new research, affiliated with UNIST has been highlighted on the front cover of the January 2017 issue of the prestigious journal Analytical Chemistry. The key finding of this study is the development of a new technique that seperates circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from whole blood at a liquid-liquid interface.
  
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• More order with less judgment: An optimal theory of the evolution of cooperation

  07-02-2017 16:07
  
  A research team led by mathematician Tatsuya Sasaki from the University of Vienna presents a new optimal theory of the evolution of reputation-based cooperation. This team proves that the practice of making moral assessments conditionally is very effective in establishing cooperation in terms of evolutionary game theory. 'Our study also demonstrates the evolutionary disadvantage of seeking reputation by sanctioning wrongdoers,' says Sasaki. The results of the study were published in Scientific R
  
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• Departure of migratory birds from stopover sites is hormone-controlled

  07-02-2017 16:07
  
  Migratory birds often stop along their long journeys to replenish their fat stores. The purpose of these stopovers – rest and refuelling – is clear. To date, however, it had been unclear which physiological signals triggered the birds' decision to continue their flight. A team led by researchers from Vetmeduni Vienna has now identified, for the first time, the hormone ghrelin as a signal for the birds' brains. Ghrelin, which is known to be an appetite-regulating hormone in humans, wa
  
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• Persistent tropical foraging in the highlands of terminal Pleistocene/Holocene New Guinea

  07-02-2017 16:02
  
  The development of agriculture is frequently seen as one of the major economic, social, and demographic thresholds in human history. From the perspective of the modern world it is often seen as an inevitable, desirable subsistence strategy, allowing larger populations, settled life, and the development of cities. Likewise it has even been argued that long-term human survival in tropical forests must have been impossible without some form of agricultural system, with agriculture developing as a r
  
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• Powerful change: Team profiles of today's solar consumer

  07-02-2017 15:59
  
  People with higher incomes and better education no longer dominate demand for the domestic solar market in Queensland with a new QUT study revealing the highest uptake in solar PV systems comes from families on medium to lower incomes.
  
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