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Top Science News

March 28, 2016

Oddball Planet and Origins of 'Hot Jupiters'

Map of Neanderthal Ancestry in Modern Humans

Moons of Saturn Younger Than the Dinosaurs?

Splitting Water Becomes Easier, Cheaper

Mar. 28, 2016 — Scientists have observed an exoplanet by the name of HD 80606 b. This planet is about the size of Jupiter, though four times as massive, and resides in a system 190 light years from Earth, in the ... read more

Mar. 28, 2016 — Most non-Africans possess at least a little bit Neanderthal DNA. But a new map of archaic ancestry suggests that many bloodlines around the world, particularly of South Asian descent, may actually be ... read more

Mar. 28, 2016 — New research suggests that some of Saturn's icy moons, as well as its famous rings, might be modern adornments. Their dramatic birth may have taken place a mere hundred million years ago, more recent ... read more

Mar. 24, 2016 — With a combination of theory and clever, meticulous gel-making, scientists have developed a new type of catalyst that's three times better than the previous record-holder at splitting water into ... read more

Latest Top Headlines

updated 9:33pm EDT

Novel Stadium-Based Research Helps Us Understand Group Dynamics

Mar. 23, 2016 — New research is backing up the old saying that 'birds of a feather flock together.' The findings emerged after researchers used video cameras on a large covered stadium's roof to track and analyze how strangers formed groups. Individuals were likely to join groups containing members with similar ... read more

Biological Mechanism Passes on Long-Term Epigenetic 'Memories'

Mar. 28, 2016 — According to epigenetics -- the study of inheritable changes in gene expression not directly coded in our DNA -- our life experiences may be passed on to our children and our children's children. Studies on survivors of traumatic events have suggested that exposure to stress may indeed have lasting ... read more

Simple Blood Test Can Detect Evidence of Concussions Up to a Week After Injury

Mar. 28, 2016 — Researchers detected evidence of concussions in patients up to 7 days after their injury using a simple blood test -- which could greatly expand the window for diagnosing concussions, especially in patients who experience a delayed onset ... read more

The 'Not Face' Is a Universal Part of Language, Study Suggests

Mar. 28, 2016 — Researchers have identified a single, universal facial expression that is interpreted across many cultures as the embodiment of negative emotion. The look proved identical for native speakers of English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and American Sign Language. It consists of a furrowed brow, pressed ... read more

Nanocrystal Self-Assembly Sheds Its Secrets

Mar. 24, 2016 — The secret to a long-hidden magic trick behind the self-assembly of nanocrystal structures is starting to ... read more

Efficient Methane C-H Bond Activation Achieved for the First Time

Mar. 24, 2016 — Using a new hybrid breed of computational and experimental chemistry, an international team of chemists was able to solve a puzzle that has been dubbed a 'Holy Grail reaction' and devise a method for catalyzing reactions ... read more

Deadly Stars: Our Sun Could Also Be Superflare Star

Mar. 24, 2016 — Every now and then large sun storms strike the Earth where they cause aurora and in rare cases power cuts. These events are, however, nothing compared to the apocalyptic destruction we would experience if the Earth is struck by a superflare. An international research team has now shown that this is ... read more

Earth's Moon Wandered Off Axis Billions of Years Ago

Mar. 23, 2016 — A new study reports Earth's moon wandered off its original axis roughly 3 billion years ago. Ancient lunar ice indicates the moon's axis slowly shifted by 125 miles, or 6 degrees, over 1 billion years. Earth's moon now a member of solar system's exclusive 'true polar wander' club, which includes ... read more

An Ancient Killer: Ancestral Malarial Organisms Traced to Age of Dinosaurs

Mar. 28, 2016 — A new analysis of the prehistoric origin of malaria suggests that it evolved in insects at least 100 million years ago, and the first vertebrate hosts of this disease were probably reptiles, which at that time would have included the dinosaurs. Researchers say it may have been involved in ... read more

Ocean Temps Predict US Heat Waves 50 Days out

Mar. 28, 2016 — The formation of a distinct pattern of sea surface temperatures in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean can predict an increased chance of summertime heat waves in the eastern half of the United States up to 50 days ... read more

The Past, Present and Future of African Dust

Mar. 23, 2016 — So much dust is scattered across the planet by the winds of the Sahara that it alters the climate. However, the emission and transport of this dust, which can reach the poles, fluctuate considerably. Although many hypotheses have been put forward to explain this phenomenon, no unambiguous ... read more

Biologists Discover Sophisticated 'Alarm' Signals in Honey Bees

Mar. 25, 2016 — Bees can use sophisticated signals to warn their nestmates about the level of danger from predators attacking foragers or the nest, according to a new study. Biologists found that an Asian species of honey bee can produce different types of vibrational 'stop signals' when attacked by giant ... read more

If Dinosaurs Had Telescopes, Saturn Would've Looked A Lot Different

Microsoft's Holograms Bring Us One Step Closer To 'Star Wars'

Arctic Sea Ice Dips to Record Low: NASA

Honeybee Head-Butts Say More Than We Thought

What's in a Name? In Some Cases, Longer Life

New Hope for Effective Vaccine Against AIDS

Prolonged Daily Sitting Linked to Early Death

People Are Capable of Multiple Life Changes

Mar. 26, 2016 — Black men with historically distinctive black names such as Elijah and Moses lived a year longer, on average, than other black men, according to new research examining 3 million death certificates ... read more

Mar. 24, 2016 — Some people infected with HIV naturally produce antibodies that effectively neutralize many strains of the rapidly mutating virus, and scientists are ... read more

Mar. 23, 2016 — A new study found that sitting for more than three hours per day is responsible for 3.8 percent of all-cause mortality deaths. Investigators also estimate that reducing sitting time to less than ... read more

Mar. 25, 2016 — People are capable of multiple, simultaneous life changes, a new study suggests. Participants in the study were tested on a variety of factors, ... read more

Latest Health Headlines

updated 9:33pm EDT

GI Tract Bacteria Help Decrease Stroke

Mar. 28, 2016 — Certain types of bacteria in the gut can leverage the immune system to decrease the severity of stroke, according to new research. This finding can help mitigate stroke -- which is the second leading cause of ... read more

Structure of Parkinson's Protein Could Lead to New Diagnostic, Treatment Options

Mar. 28, 2016 — Chemists have identified the complex chemical structure of the protein that stacks together to form fibrils in the brains of Parkinson's disease patients. Armed with this knowledge, researchers can identify specific targets for diagnosis and ... read more

Patients With Skin Infections Fail to Complete Antibiotics, Leading to Poor Outcomes

Mar. 28, 2016 — In the first study of its kind, researchers found patients with skin infections took, on average, just 57 percent of their prescribed antibiotic doses, resulting in nearly half of them getting a new infection or needing additional ... read more

Autism Intervention Studies Lack Diversity, Study Suggests

Mar. 28, 2016 — The field's leading research very rarely considers race or nationality of its participants which could present problems in creating the best interventions for young learners with autism spectrum disorders, a new report ... read more

Research on Largest Network of Cortical Neurons to Date

Mar. 28, 2016 — The largest network to date of connections between neurons in the cortex, where high-level processing occurs, has been published. It has revealed several crucial elements of how networks in the brain ... read more

CEO Personality Traits Play Role in Incentive Pay, Compensation

Mar. 28, 2016 — Companies appear to structure compensation contracts and incentive pay based on a manager's personality traits, and not just firm characteristics, according to a new ... read more

Brain Induces Preference for Caloric Food for Energy Storage

Mar. 24, 2016 — Given the choice between eating something caloric with an unpleasant taste and more palatable food with no calories, some vertebrates may choose the former, prioritizing energy to assure their ... read more

Exercise May Slow Brain Aging by 10 Years for Older People

Mar. 23, 2016 — Exercise in older people is associated with a slower rate of decline in thinking skills that occurs with aging. People who reported light to no exercise experienced a decline equal to 10 more years of aging as compared to people who reported moderate to intense exercise, according to a population-based observational ... read more

Oregon's New Birth Control Law Increases Access, but More Still to Be Done

Mar. 28, 2016 — Experts applaud Oregon's new birth control law, which allows women age 18 or older to obtain some methods of hormonal contraception directly from pharmacies, without having to visit a prescribing clinician, yet note how the law could go even further to improve access to all forms of contraception, according to a new ... read more

Conspicuous Consumption May Drive Fertility Down

Mar. 28, 2016 — A new mathematical model shows how fertility goes down as the cost of achieving social status goes up. The study authors developed a mathematical model showing that their argument is plausible from a biological point of ... read more

Breastfeeding, Vaccinations Help Reduce Ear Infection Rates in Babies

Mar. 28, 2016 — In what would be considered good news for many parents, a new study finds the rates of ear infections during a baby's first year have declined; the investigators suggested that higher rates of breastfeeding, use of vaccinations and lower rates of smoking may be the major ... read more

How Much Sugar Is in Your Child's Fruit Drink?

Mar. 23, 2016 — Researchers in England have assessed the sugar content of over 200 fruit drinks marketed at children and have found them to be 'unacceptably high'. Almost half the products assessed contained at least a child's entire daily recommended maximum sugar intake of 19g or five teaspoons, show the ... read more

In Good Company: Centenarians Share Stories

Raw: Surfer's Shark Scare Closes Sydney Beach

Magnetic Pulses Could Be A Key In Treating Anorexia

Sex Can Wait If You've Been Near Zika, CDC Warns

Quasars Slowed Star Formation, Research Shows

World Record in 5G Wireless Spectrum Efficiency

Solar Storms Trigger Jupiter's 'Northern Lights'

Most 'Outrageously' Luminous Galaxies Ever

Mar. 23, 2016 — Research has found new persuasive evidence that could help solve a longstanding mystery in astrophysics: why did the pace of star formation in the universe slow down some 11 billion years ... read more

Mar. 23, 2016 — New research by engineers has demonstrated how a massive antenna system can offer a 12-fold increase in spectrum efficiency compared with current 4G cellular ... read more

Mar. 23, 2016 — Solar storms trigger Jupiter's intense 'Northern Lights' by generating a new X-ray aurora that is eight times brighter than normal and hundreds of times more energetic than Earth's aurora borealis, ... read more

Mar. 22, 2016 — Astronomers report that they have observed the most luminous galaxies ever seen in the Universe, objects so bright that established descriptors such as 'ultra-' and 'hyper-luminous' used to describe ... read more

Latest Physical/Tech Headlines

updated 9:33pm EDT

Physicists 'Undiscovered' Technetium Carbide

Mar. 28, 2016 — Technetium carbide does not exist -- it was pure technetium that was mistakenly considered as such, say physicists. This is important from the view point of chemistry of transition metal carbides which are in many ways considered as ... read more

Safer, Cheaper, 'Greener,' More Efficient System for the Synthesis of Organic Compounds

Mar. 28, 2016 — Chemists have devised a safer, more environmentally friendly, less expensive and more efficient water-based system for the synthesis of organic compounds typically used in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, cosmetics, plastics, textiles and household ... read more

Engineering Black Gold, as Light as the Bones of Birds

Mar. 28, 2016 — A new material is more solid and 30 percent lighter than standard gold, scientists report. In their study, the team investigated grain boundaries in nanocrystalline np-Au and found a way to overcome the weakening mechanisms of this material, thereby suggesting ... read more

New Terahertz Source Could Strengthen Sensing Applications

Mar. 28, 2016 — Researchers have developed a room temperature, continuous wave, monolithic tunable terahertz source that could lead to advances in biosensing, homeland security, and ... read more

GOES-R Satellite Could Provide Better Data for Hurricane Prediction

Mar. 24, 2016 — The launch of the GOES-R geostationary satellite in Oct. 2016 could herald a new era for predicting hurricanes, according to researchers. The wealth of information from this new satellite, at time and space scales not previously possible, combined with advanced statistical hurricane prediction ... read more

Timeless Thoughts on the Definition of Time

Mar. 24, 2016 — The earliest definitions of time-interval quantities were based on observed astronomical phenomena. Today's definition of time uses a combination of atomic and astronomical time. However, their connection could be modified in the future to reconcile the divergence between the astronomic and atomic definitions. These observations provide unprecedented insights into the nature of time and its ... read more

Magnetar Could Have Boosted Explosion of Extremely Bright Supernova

Mar. 24, 2016 — Calculations by scientists have found highly magnetized, rapidly spinning neutron stars called magnetars could explain the energy source behind two extremely unusual ... read more

Tracing Star Formation Rates in Distant Galaxies

Mar. 23, 2016 — Researchers have observed 17 bright distant galaxies with the MOSFIRE high-resolution near-infrared spectrometer at the W. M. Keck Observatory telescopes. Then, they combined the spectra with infrared images of the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Herschel Space Observatory, and optical images of the ... read more

Scientists Call for New Strategy to Study Climate Change Impacts on Coral Reefs

Mar. 28, 2016 — An international research team calls for a targeted research strategy to better understand the impact multiple stressors will have on coral reef in the future due to global ... read more

Unlocking the Gates to Quantum Computing

Mar. 25, 2016 — Researchers have overcome one of the key challenges to quantum computing by simplifying a complex quantum logic operation. They demonstrated this by experimentally realizing a challenging circuit -- the quantum Fredkin gate -- for the ... read more

Could Free Streaming Ultimately Cost Consumers?

Mar. 24, 2016 — That “all you can stream” offer from your Internet service provider sounds like a bargain, but it could have a hidden cost, suggests authors of a new ... read more

Phone-Based Laser Rangefinder Works Outdoors

Mar. 25, 2016 — A new infrared depth-sensing system is being presented by researchers, built from a smartphone with a $10 laser attached to it, that works outdoors as well ... read more

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Robot Greets Travelers at Tokyo Airport

If Dinosaurs Had Telescopes, Saturn Would've Looked A Lot Different

Microsoft's Holograms Bring Us One Step Closer To 'Star Wars'

Netflix Cops To Throttling Its Content, Promises More User Control

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Environment News

March 28, 2016

Fitness Means Tolerance to Daily Temp Changes?

Cavefish Walk, Climb Waterfalls Like Tetrapods

Earth's Global Energy Flow Changed by Humans

Cell Created With Just Enough Genes for Life

Mar. 24, 2016 — Vertebrates that have adapted to endure greater swings in seasonal temperatures tend to have greater elevational range sizes, the theory goes, but a new study analyzing more than 16,500 terrestrial ... read more

Mar. 24, 2016 — Researchers have identified unique anatomical features in a species of blind, walking cavefish in Thailand that enable the fish to walk and climb ... read more

Mar. 23, 2016 — The impact humans have made on Earth in terms of how we produce and consume resources has formed a 'striking new pattern' in the planet's global energy flow, according to ... read more

Mar. 24, 2016 — Researchers have designed and synthesized a minimal bacterial genome, containing only the genes necessary for life, and consisting of just 473 ... read more

Latest Environment Headlines

updated 9:33pm EDT

World's Most Endangered Sea Turtle Species in Even More Trouble Than We Thought

Mar. 28, 2016 — Researchers used novel approach with historic film to discover just how endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are. Kemp's ridley turtles are currently classified as critically endangered on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species. The species was ... read more

Scientists Cross-Breed to Improve Head Shape in Toy Dogs Predisposed to a Painful Disorder

Mar. 23, 2016 — New research shows it is possible to prevent Chiari malformation in toy dogs by cross breeding. Chiari malformation is found in toy dogs and affects 1 in 1,280 humans. Researchers say findings give insight into the inheritance of Chiari malformation and should be used in new breeding ... read more

Citrus Scion/rootstock Combinations Show Tolerance to Huanglongbing

Mar. 28, 2016 — Scientists studied tolerance to huanglongbing under field conditions in trees of commercial citrus scion/rootstock combinations. All trees showed symptoms of HLB and tested positive for the Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus bacterium by 20 months after planting. However, all trees continued to grow ... read more

Water Bears Do Not Have Extensive Foreign DNA, New Study Finds

Mar. 28, 2016 — Tardigrades, also known as moss piglets or water bears, are eight-legged microscopic animals that have long fascinated scientists for their ability to survive extremes of temperature, pressure, lack of oxygen, and even radiation exposure. Tardigrades have not acquired a significant proportion of ... read more

Climate Change: Greenland Melting Tied to Shrinking Arctic Sea Ice

Mar. 28, 2016 — Vanishing Arctic sea ice. Dogged weather systems over Greenland. Far-flung surface ice melting on the massive island. These dramatic trends and global sea-level rise are linked, according to a ... read more

Simulation Shows How Modern Interventions Can Affect Tropical Forests and Indigenous People

Mar. 25, 2016 — Carefully designing government interactions with rural indigenous people is critical for protecting the sustainability of people, wildlife and the land, a computer simulation ... read more

Ancient Bones Point to Shifting Grassland Species as Climate Changes

Mar. 25, 2016 — More rainfall during the growing season may have led to one of the most significant changes in Earth's vegetation in the distant past, and similar climate changes could affect the distribution of plants in the future as well, a new study ... read more

Micro-Sanctuaries Key to Survival of Wildlife in Human-Dominated Landscapes

Mar. 25, 2016 — Maintaining even the tiniest wildlife sanctuaries will help preserve some biodiversity in increasingly urbanized landscapes, a new report ... read more

Human Ancestors Explored 'out of Africa' Despite Impaired Nasal Faculties

Mar. 24, 2016 — In humans inhaled air is conditioned poorly in the nasal cavity in comparison with primates, such as chimpanzees and macaques, according a recent study. Unlike our protruding external nose, which has little effect on improving air conditioning performance, other hominins (including australopithecines) were endowed with flat nasal features and faculties to improve air ... read more

Metallic Ink Revealed in Herculaneum Papyri

Mar. 25, 2016 — Thanks to a novel, non-invasive X-ray imaging technique (3D phase contrast tomography), scientists were able to decipher words and reconstitute an almost complete Greek alphabet from inside the very badly damaged and rolled papyrus scrolls, carbonized during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Since this discovery, scientists have continued to reveal the secrets of the Herculaneum papyri ... read more

The First 3-D Atlas of the Extinct Dodo

Mar. 25, 2016 — For the first time since its extinction, a 3-D atlas of the skeletal anatomy of the dodo has been created, based upon two exceptional dodo skeletons that have remained unstudied for over a century. This atlas represents the culmination of nearly five years of work and thousands of human-hours of digital investigation on the only two associated, near-complete skeletons of the dodo in ... read more

Land Bridges Linking Ancient India, Eurasia Were 'Freeways' for Biodiversity Exchange

Mar. 24, 2016 — Before the final collision of Eurasia and the Indian subcontinent, land bridges between the landmasses may have served as 'freeways' of biodiversity exchange that flowed in both directions, new ... read more

Raw: Surfer's Shark Scare Closes Sydney Beach

Mexican Volcano Spews Column of Gas, Ash

Poland Wants To Log A Big Chunk Of Europe's Last Primeval Forest

Arctic Sea Ice Dips to Record Low: NASA

Ground-Nesting Bees Grow Smaller On Farms

Efforts To Curtail World Temps Will Fail?

Green Light Stops Sea Turtle Deaths

Fertilizer Will Pollute Water for Decades

Mar. 24, 2016 — The size of a common ground-nesting bee -- an important crop pollinator -- has grown smaller in heavily farmed landscapes, a new study has found. The study points out yet another potential threat to ... read more

Mar. 23, 2016 — The goals set a few months ago in Paris to prevent further rising of worldwide temperatures are almost sure to fail and will never be achieved, according to a new ... read more

Mar. 23, 2016 — Attaching green battery powered light-emitting diodes (LED) to gillnets used by a small-scale fishery reduced the number of green turtle deaths by 64 per cent, without reducing the intended catch of ... read more

Mar. 22, 2016 — Dangerous nitrate levels in drinking water could persist for decades, increasing the risk for blue baby syndrome and other serious health concerns, according to a new ... read more

Latest Society/Education Headlines

updated 9:33pm EDT

Choosing to Die at Home Does Not Hasten Death for Patients With Terminal Cancer

Mar. 28, 2016 — A large study from Japan found that cancer patients who died at home tended to live longer than those who died in ... read more

Sniffing out a Dangerous Vapor

Mar. 26, 2016 — Engineers have developed a new type of fiber material for a handheld scanner that can detect small traces of alkane fuel vapor, a valuable advancement that could be an early-warning signal for leaks in an oil pipeline, an airliner, or for locating a terrorist's ... read more

Botswana Study Shows 96 Percent Rate of Viral Suppression for Patients on HIV Drugs

Mar. 23, 2016 — Botswana appears to have achieved very high rates of HIV diagnosis, treatment, and viral suppression -- much better than most Western nations, including the United States -- according to a new ... read more

Boost Fundraising With Something Simple: Sandpaper

Mar. 25, 2016 — Researchers have discovered that touching rough surfaces increases awareness of discomfort in our surroundings, which can trigger empathy. This leads to more interest in donating to ... read more

Academic Superheroes? A Critical Analysis of Academic Job Descriptions

Mar. 23, 2016 — Traditionally, a PhD was seen as a prestigious qualification where individuals, working on their own initiative, demonstrated their talent, academic excellence and a thirst for knowledge. It opened doors to the academic community and guaranteed an advantage in the job market. However, for the last decade, debate has raged about the nature and purpose of the PhD -- including its role as ... read more

Dutch Students' Grades Lower Due to Lack of Sleep

Mar. 22, 2016 — Students who have a chronic lack of sleep have lower grades and find it harder to concentrate. Around a third of students do not feel well rested enough to be able to study properly, a Dutch study ... read more

College Can Cultivate Innovative Entrepreneurial Intentions

Mar. 18, 2016 — Innovative entrepreneurial intentions -- or the aim to create new products and bring them to market, rather than replicating existing products -- are boosted by college experiences, according to ... read more

Forgetting to Learn: Neural Mechanisms in Mouse Brains Indicate That We Actively Forget as We Learn

Mar. 18, 2016 — They say that once you've learned to ride a bicycle, you never forget how to do it. But new research suggests that while learning, the brain is actively trying ... read more

Shuffling May Be Best Cybersecurity Defense

Mar. 23, 2016 — Researchers propose a “moving-target” defense against distributed denial-of-service attacks. The defense works by repeatedly shuffling client-to-server assignments to identify and eventually quarantine ... read more

Even 'Diversity-Friendly' Employers Discriminate Against Racial Minority Job Seekers

Mar. 17, 2016 — Minority applicants may fare even worse in the resumes pile at companies purporting to support diversity than they would at companies that don't make the claim, shows a new study. That's because job seekers are less likely to "whiten" their resumes by downplaying their racial identities when responding to pro-diversity job ... read more

Communicating Vehicles Could Ease Through Intersections More Efficiently, Study Finds

Mar. 17, 2016 — Imagine a scenario where sensor-laden vehicles pass through intersections by communicating with each other, rather than grinding to a halt at traffic lights. A newly published study claims this kind of traffic-light-free transportation design, if it ... read more

New Work-Family Research Shows How Team Makeup, 'Virtuality' Affect Social Loafing

Mar. 16, 2016 — Is virtual teamwork productive? Are managers really getting the most out of their teams when virtuality is involved? A new study argues that productivity and effectiveness of virtual teamwork centers heavily on the makeup of the team and how that affects ... read more

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