Sci-Tech news

• Texas governor signs texting-while-driving ban into law

  06-06-2017 23:54
  
  Texting while driving will soon be illegal in Texas.
  
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• First farmer lawsuit begins against Syngenta over China trade

  06-06-2017 23:54
  
  The first of tens of thousands of U.S. lawsuits over Swiss agribusiness giant Syngenta's introduction of a genetically engineered corn seed variety is underway in a Kansas federal courtroom.
  
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• Hiding in plain sight: New species of flying squirrel discovered

  06-06-2017 23:46
  
  For hundreds of years, a species of flying squirrel was hiding right under (actually, above) our noses.
  
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• Newly discovered enzyme complexes in herbivore digestive tracts show promise for sustainable fuels and medicines

  06-06-2017 23:44
  
  Herbivore gut fungi hold a lot of promise. Just ask Michelle O'Malley.
  
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• New study identifies energy metabolism adaptations linked to soft shell turtle evolution

  06-06-2017 23:00
  
  Around 250 million years ago, terrestrial-bound turtles began to explore the aquatic environments, and with it, a profound, new ability first developed.
  
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• Scientists have a fascinating new way to determine the age of skeletal remains

  06-06-2017 22:57
  
  HealthSinuses could give forensic anthropologists a hand.
  Forensic scientists have uncovered an X-ray technique to age skulls, even if they no longer have teeth or skeletons attached. Read on.
  
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• Uber probe of cut-throat workplace triggers firings

  06-06-2017 22:49
  
  Uber said Tuesday that an internal investigation into workplace misdeeds has resulted in 20 people being fired.
  
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• New evidence reveals source of 1586 Sanriku, Japan tsunami

  06-06-2017 22:49
  
  A team of researchers, led by Dr. Rhett Butler, geophysicist at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UHM), re-examined historical evidence around the Pacific and discovered the origin of the tsunami that hit Sanriku, Japan in 1586—a mega-earthquake from the Aleutian Islands that broadly impacted the north Pacific. Until now, this was considered an orphan tsunami, a historical tsunami without an obvious local earthquake source, likely originating far away.
  
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• Mass Firings at Uber After Harassment Investigation

  06-06-2017 22:46 via nbcnews.com
  
  Heads are rolling at Uber.
  
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• Sweden's Museum of Failure celebrates products that flopped

  06-06-2017 21:55
  
  Green Heinz ketchup? Fat-free Pringles? Colgate frozen lasagna? You don't need to be an expert to know these products weren't successful.
  
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• Pittsburgh zoo says premature elephant born at nature center

  06-06-2017 21:52
  
  Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium has unveiled an elephant calf born about a month prematurely.
  
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• Cosmic magnifying-glass effect captures universe's brightest galaxies

  06-06-2017 21:51
  
  Boosted by natural magnifying lenses in space, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured unique close-up views of the universe's brightest infrared galaxies, which are as much as 10,000 times more luminous than our Milky Way.
  
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• Cassini Provides a Colorful View of Saturn’s Hexagon in Motion

  06-06-2017 21:49 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Researchers used images from Cassini’s imaging cameras to create the first movie to show Saturn’s hexagon in color filters, and the first movie to show...
  The post Cassini Provides a Colorful View of Saturn’s Hexagon in Motion appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Celestial boondocks: Study supports the idea we live in a void

  06-06-2017 21:45
  
  Cosmologically speaking, the Milky Way and its immediate neighborhood are in the boondocks.
  
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• Researchers explain mystery of 'banging' galaxy clusters

  06-06-2017 21:44
  
  Two galaxy clusters in the process of merging created a layer of surprisingly hot gas between them that University of Colorado Boulder astronomers believe is from turbulence caused by banging into each other at supersonic speeds.
  
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• Does the sex of a cell matter in research?

  06-06-2017 21:00
  
  Over the last decade, many drugs that have been pulled from the market due to toxicity were withdrawn because they affected women more than men. It turns out, the studies that brought the drugs to market were designed using only male cells and animal models, a common flaw a Tulane endocrinologist is working to help correct.
  
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• Is 'doing good' bad for a company's bottom line? Yes, says study

  06-06-2017 20:57
  
  Companies that try to "do good" are likely to find that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is bad for their bottom lines, according to a new study from Florida Atlantic University's College of Business.
  
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• Variable speed limits could reduce crashes, ease congestion in highway work zones

  06-06-2017 20:56
  
  As the summer months approach, most people turn to thoughts of sunshine, outdoor barbecues and destination trips. Yet travelers often are greeted by detours, lane closures and delays for road repairs that generally are reserved for warmer weather. Researchers at the University of Missouri have studied systems to alleviate inevitable backups and delays. Researchers found that using variable speed limits in construction zones may ease congestion, reduce crashes and make work zones safer for both w
  
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• These Pine Trees Always Point Toward the Equator, But Why?

  06-06-2017 20:50 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  In a world of upright trees, one species dares to be different.Cook pines, a type of tall, slim evergreen native to a remote island in the South Pacific, at first glance appear to be falling over. Many tilt precariously to the side as if caught in a heavy wind, though no breeze ruffles their foliage. Though it may seem the result of chance, observe a stand of Cook pines, especially in locations far from their native habitat, and a kind of unnerving hive-mentality emerges. The trees all l
  
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• Fun activities for your next vacation to Mercury

  06-06-2017 20:30
  
  EntertainmentExcerpt: Vacation Guide to the Solar System.
  Check out an out-of-this-world excerpt from Intergalactic Travel Bureau: Vacation guide to the Solar System by Olivia Koski and Jana Grcevich.
  
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• The Dark Side of Laughter

  06-06-2017 20:08 via feedproxy.google.com
  When you hear someone laugh behind you, you probably picture them on the phone or with a friend – smiling and experiencing a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Chances are just the sound of the laughter could make you smile or even laugh along. But imagine that the person laughing is just walking around alone in the street, or sitting behind you at a funeral. Suddenly, it doesn’t seem so inviting.The truth is that laughter isn’t always positive or healthy. According to science, it can
  
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• Fin24.com | Caxton wants answers from Koos Bekker on Media24-Novus merger

  06-06-2017 20:06
  
  Caxton wants Naspers chairperson Koos Bekker to provide evidence on the control structure involved relating to a merger whereby Media24 intends to acquire Novus.
  
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• R Aquarii: Watching a volatile stellar relationship

  06-06-2017 19:25
  
  In biology, "symbiosis" refers to two organisms that live close to and interact with one another. Astronomers have long studied a class of stars—called symbiotic stars—that co-exist in a similar way. Using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes, astronomers are gaining a better understanding of how volatile this close stellar relationship can be.
  
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• Mini-flares potentially jeopardize habitability of planets circling red dwarf stars

  06-06-2017 19:23
  
  Cool dwarf stars are hot targets for exoplanet hunting right now. The discoveries of planets in the habitable zones of the TRAPPIST-1 and LHS 1140 systems, for example, suggest that Earth-sized worlds might circle billions of red dwarf stars, the most common type of star in our galaxy. But, like our own sun, many of these stars erupt with intense flares. Are red dwarfs really as friendly to life as they appear, or do these flares make the surfaces of any orbiting planets inhospitable?
  
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• Novel innovation could allow bullets to disintegrate after designated distance, help prevent collateral damage

  06-06-2017 19:20
  
  Stray-bullet shootings are an often-overlooked consequence of gunfire that can cause severe injury or death to bystanders, or collateral damage victims in the military. A novel technology being developed at Purdue University could help prevent these incidents.
  
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• How to use Google Earth and Street View to explore the planet

  06-06-2017 19:06
  
  DIYGlobetrot from the comfort of the couch
  Using Google's latest online apps, you can take a close-up look at any location in the world, right from your regular web browser.
  
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• Ethiopia mobile internet still off after a week

  06-06-2017 19:03
  
  Ethiopians were still unable to surf the web via mobile networks on Tuesday, despite government claims the nationwide internet shutdown, which began a week ago, had been lifted.
  
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• Czech scientists see growing risk of asteroid hitting Earth

  06-06-2017 19:03
  
  The risk is growing that Earth will be hit by an asteroid from a meteor stream known as the Taurids, Czech astronomers said on Tuesday.
  
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• Keeping captive-bred fish has gotten easier

  06-06-2017 18:59
  
  Remember when keeping a saltwater aquarium was just for experts? Now, the technology has advanced to the point where just about anyone can do it and expect to keep the fish alive and healthy.
  
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• How to not get deadly flesh-eating bacteria in your new tattoo

  06-06-2017 18:52
  
  HealthA recent case study is scary, but tattoos aren't really to blame.
  Doctors report on the case of a man who died of sepsis after flesh-eating bacteria infiltrated his new tattoo. Here's what you need to know.
  
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• Meals on the go: The physics of whales' eating habits

  06-06-2017 18:49
  
  In a recent paper published in PLOS One, Saint Louis University professor of physics Jean Potvin, Ph.D., and biologist Alexander Werth, Ph.D. at Hampden-Sydney College, detail for the first time how baleen whales use crossflow filtration to separate prey from water without ever coming into contact with the baleen. Baleen are comb-like keratin plates that have replaced the teeth of the whale's ancestors about 30 million years ago and play the role of a filtration surface in their mouths. The rese
  
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• Study proves viability of quantum satellite communications

  06-06-2017 18:38
  
  Researchers in Canada have taken a significant step towards enabling secure quantum communication via moving satellites, as announced by the Canadian Government in April 2017.
  
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• GALEX Reveals Flares May Threaten Habitability of Planets Near Red Dwarfs

  06-06-2017 18:37 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Using 10 years of ultraviolet observations by NASA’s Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) Spacecraft, astronomers examine the habitability of planets near red dwarfs. Cool dwarf stars...
  The post GALEX Reveals Flares May Threaten Habitability of Planets Near Red Dwarfs appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Histamine Cures Tourette-Like Tics in Mice

  06-06-2017 18:35 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Researchers from Yale University produced increased grooming behavior in mice that may model tics in Tourette syndrome and discovered these behaviors vanish when histamine is...
  The post Histamine Cures Tourette-Like Tics in Mice appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Hubble Comparison of Two “Hot Jupiter” Exoplanets

  06-06-2017 18:16 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Using the Hubble Space Telescope astronomers compare two seemingly similar “hot Jupiter” exoplanets, finding that WASP-67 b and HAT-P-38 b have very different atmospheres. Is...
  The post Hubble Comparison of Two “Hot Jupiter” Exoplanets appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Is whole wheat bread better than white? That may depend on your gut bacteria.

  06-06-2017 18:04
  
  HealthThere’s no such thing as one size fits all nutrition.
  There’s no such thing as one size fits all nutrition. Read on.
  
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• Researchers identify a key controller of biological machinery in cell's 'antenna'

  06-06-2017 18:00
  
  St. Jude Children's Research Hospital molecular biologists have identified an enzyme that activates and "supercharges" cellular machinery that controls how cells become specialized cells in the body.
  
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• Battle of the Breads: Industrial White or Artisanal Whole-Grain?

  06-06-2017 18:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  What's a more healthful option for a sandwich: industrially processed white bread, or artisanal whole-grain bread?To those who seek clear-cut, black-and-white answers to burning questions like this one, we apologize preemptively. The answer is both; it simply depends on who’s eating it.
  The Better Bread?
  That conclusion is from researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science who recently compared the short-term health effects of switching to a diet heavy in calories from white
  
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• Fin24.com | Department spent close to R1m on single Gupta-sponsored breakfast

  06-06-2017 17:47
  
  The Department of Communications says it spent close to R1m on a single breakfast business briefing sponsored by Gupta-owned The New Age on SABC in 2016.
  
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• France seeks to attract US-based climate scientists

  06-06-2017 17:39
  
  France's government is encouraging U.S.-based scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs to move to France to work on climate change issues, following President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord.
  
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• Astonishingly speedy brain mechanism helps bats get louder when necessary

  06-06-2017 17:31
  
  When trying to be heard over noise, humans and animals raise their voices. It's a split-second feat, from ear to brain to vocalization, and Johns Hopkins University researchers are the first to measure just how fast it happens in bats: 30 milliseconds. That's just a tenth of the time it takes to blink an eye, and a record for audio-vocal response.
  
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• New way to detect Palmer amaranth in contaminated seedlots

  06-06-2017 17:30
  
  Last summer, farmers in the Midwest got an unwelcome surprise after planting native seed on Conservation Reserve Program acres. Palmer amaranth, the aggressive and hard-to-kill weed, had established in droves. As a possible solution, some states declared Palmer a noxious weed, which prohibits its sale and transport.
  
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• Ambiguous pledges leave large uncertainty under Paris climate agreement

  06-06-2017 17:30
  
  Under the pledges made by countries under the Paris Agreement on climate change, greenhouse gas emissions could range from 47 to 63 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent (GtCO2e) per year in 2030, compared to about 52 GtCO2e in 2015, according to a new analysis. That range has critical consequences for the feasibility of achieving the goal of keeping warming "well below 2°C" over preindustrial levels, according to the study published in the journal Nature Communications.
  
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• A method to improve in vitro tests

  06-06-2017 17:29
  
  Before new nanoparticles or other nanomedicines can be injected into the human body, a whole series of tests must be conducted in the laboratory, then in living cells, and in the end on humans. But often the results obtained in vitro do not resemble what actually happens in the animal or human body. Thus, the researchers reconsidered the basis of the in vitro experimental design.
  
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• Tinder for Moms? New App Matches Mamas for Friendship and Banter

  06-06-2017 17:24 via nbcnews.com
  
  A new app matches moms with other moms based on profile info including their location, lifestyle — from "wine time" to LGBTQ — to encourage lasting friendships.
  
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• WATCH: Apple unveils voice-activated smart speaker

  06-06-2017 17:21
  
  The "GMA" team of insiders analyzes some of the biggest stories trending this morning.
  
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• Why Do Onions Make Us Cry?

  06-06-2017 17:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  We all know that feeling: the burning sensation as we slice into a fresh onion, eyes watering and wincing to relieve the stinging. There are claims that home remedies can solve this problem, including burning a candle, putting the onion in the freezer before chopping, or cutting the onion underwater. In this article we will investigate the culprit behind our onion tears and a possible scientific resolution that has emerged in the 21st century.The teary-eyed response to cutting an onion i
  
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• El Nino and global warming combine to cause record-breaking heat in Southeast Asia

  06-06-2017 17:00
  
  Scientists at The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) have found that a devastating combination of global warming and El Niño is responsible for causing extreme temperatures in April 2016 in Southeast Asia.
  
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