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Top Science News

February 19, 2016

Ancient Ocean On Pluto's Moon Charon?

5-D Black Hole Could 'Break' General Relativity

Neanderthal-Modern Human Mating: Much Earlier

Human Split From Other Primates Pushed Way Back

Feb. 19, 2016 — Pluto's largest moon may have gotten too big for its own skin. Images from NASA's New Horizons mission suggest that Pluto's moon Charon once had a subsurface ocean that has long since frozen and ... read more

Feb. 18, 2016 — Researchers have successfully simulated how a ring-shaped black hole could cause general relativity to break down: assuming the universe contains at least five dimensions, that ... read more

Feb. 17, 2016 — Researchers report strong evidence of an interbreeding event between Neanderthals and modern humans occurring around 100,000 years ago, much earlier ... read more

Feb. 16, 2016 — A common ancestor of apes and humans, Chororapithecus abyssinicus, evolved in Africa, not Eurasia, two million years earlier than previously thought, ... read more

Latest Top Headlines

updated 2:23pm EST

Link Made Between Genetics, Aging

Feb. 19, 2016 — A hormone instrumental in the aging process is under genetic control, introducing a new pathway by which genetics regulates aging and disease, new ... read more

Exposure to Air Pollution Increases Risk of Obesity

Feb. 19, 2016 — Laboratory rats who breathed Beijing's highly polluted air gained weight and experienced cardio-respiratory and metabolic dysfunctions. A study found pollution-breathing pregnant rats had heavier lungs and livers and increased tissue inflammation. These rats had higher LDL cholesterol; higher ... read more

The Intestinal Microbiota: A New Ally for Optimum Growth

Feb. 19, 2016 — The intestinal microbiota is necessary to ensure optimum postnatal growth and contributes to determining the size of adult individuals, notably in the event of undernutrition. The key element in this relationship is Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), whose production and activity are in part ... read more

Zika Virus Can Cross Placental Barrier, but Link With Microcephaly Remains Unclear, New Evidence Suggests

Feb. 18, 2016 — Zika virus has been detected in the amniotic fluid of two pregnant women whose fetuses had been diagnosed with microcephaly, according to a study. The report suggests that Zika virus can cross the placental barrier, but does not prove that the virus ... read more

Longest-Lasting Stellar Eclipse: Three-and-a-Half Year Eclipses in Binary System

Feb. 18, 2016 — Astronomers have discovered an unnamed pair of stars that sets a new record for both the longest duration stellar eclipse (3.5 years) and longest period between eclipses (69 years) in a ... read more

Researchers Find the Tipping Point Between Resilience and Collapse in Complex Systems

Feb. 17, 2016 — Using statistical physics, network theorists have developed the first-ever tool to identify whether systems -- be they technological, ecological, or biological -- are in danger ... read more

Astronomer Detected a New Source of Intense Gamma-Radiation in the Sky

Feb. 17, 2016 — Astronomers have discovered a new source that confirmed the fact that binary systems with strong colliding stellar winds comprise a separate new population of high-energy ... read more

Puzzling Asteroid Observations Explained by Destruction of Asteroids Close to Sun

Feb. 17, 2016 — For two decades it was thought that most near-Earth objects (NEOs) -- asteroids and comets that may pose a hazard to life on Earth -- end their existence in a dramatic final plunge into the Sun. A new study finds instead that most of those objects ... read more

The 'Ugliest Fossil Reptiles' Who Roamed China

Feb. 19, 2016 — Long before the dinosaurs, hefty herbivores called pareiasaurs ruled Earth. Now, for the first time, a detailed investigation of all Chinese specimens of these creatures -- often described as the 'ugliest fossil reptiles' -- has been published by ... read more

Oxygen Was Present in the Atmosphere Much Earlier Than Previously Assumed

Feb. 16, 2016 — Reconstructing the emergence and evolution of life on our planet is tightly linked to the questions as to when and to what extent Earth's atmosphere became oxygenated. New geological studies based on data from Western Greenland indicate that small levels of atmospheric oxygen developed already 3.8 ... read more

Humans Settled, Set Fire to Madagascar's Forests 1,000 Years Ago

Feb. 18, 2016 — A widespread and permanent loss of forests in Madagascar that occurred 1,000 years ago was due not to climate change or any natural disaster, but to human settlers who set fire to the forests to make way for grazing cattle, ... read more

Prehistoric Village Found in the Jordan Valley Links Old and New Stone Ages

Feb. 18, 2016 — Newly-excavated village in the Jordan Valley sheds light on the historical shift from foraging to agriculture, ... read more

This 3,000-Year-Old Wheel Is One Of The Oldest Discovered In Britain

Did Pluto's Moon Once Have a Subsurface Ocean?

'Unprecedented' Cancer Treatment Making Patients Symptom-Free

Severe Air Pollution Might Have Killed Millions Worldwide

Core Symptom of Schizophrenia Eliminated in Mice

Is Salt Really Bad for You? Jury Still Out

Light-To-Moderate Drinking Good for Your Heart

Half the World to Be Short-Sighted by 2050

Feb. 18, 2016 — Researchers have successfully disrupted a genetic chain of events in a mouse model of schizophrenia and reversed memory deficits, one of the disorder's most difficult-to-treat symptoms. This ... read more

Feb. 18, 2016 — An analysis of scientific reports and comments on the health effects of a salty diet reveals a polarization between those supportive of the hypothesis that population-wide reduction of salt intake is ... read more

Feb. 18, 2016 — People who drink wine, liquor or beer regularly are less prone to heart failure and heart attacks than those who rarely or never drink. Three to five drinks a week can be good for your ... read more

Feb. 17, 2016 — Half the world's population (nearly 5 billion) will be short-sighted (myopic) by 2050, with up to one-fifth of them (1 billion) at a significantly increased risk of blindness if current trends ... read more

Latest Health Headlines

updated 2:23pm EST

3-D Protein Map Offers New Malaria Vaccine Hope

Feb. 19, 2016 — The first three-dimensional 'map' of a critical protein that malaria parasites use to invade human red blood cells has been created, offering clues for developing a vaccine countering the most widespread species of ... read more

New Mathematical Model Explains Variability in Mutation Rates Across the Human Genome

Feb. 19, 2016 — Researchers developed a mathematical model to estimate the rates of mutation as a function of the nearby sequences of DNA 'letters' -- called nucleotides. This new model not only provides clues into the process of mutation, but also helps discover ... read more

Gene Therapy: T Cells Target Mutations to Fight Solid Tumors

Feb. 19, 2016 — An international research team has successfully modified immune cells to recognize and specifically target tumor cells in mice. Cancer treatments based on the findings would likely have fewer side effects than standard therapies currently in use, ... read more

Popular Stem Cell Techniques Deemed Safe; Unlikely to Pass on Cancer-Causing Mutations

Feb. 19, 2016 — A new study shows that the act of creating pluripotent stem cells for clinical use is unlikely to pass on cancer-causing mutations to ... read more

Nonverbal Behavior May Overshadow Substance in Presidential Debates

Feb. 19, 2016 — Fair warning to presidential candidates participating in upcoming presidential debates: your inappropriate nonverbal behavior is noticed, and it could overshadow the substance of what you ... read more

Specific Gene Network Found That Promotes Nervous System Repair

Feb. 19, 2016 — Injured nerve cells in the limbs (the peripheral nervous system or PNS) can regrow and repair. Nerve cells in the central nervous system (CNS) -- brain and spinal cord -- cannot. Now a network of genes has been identified in a mouse study that promotes PNS repair. In addition, an existing drug that mimics that gene network has been repurposed to promote nerve regeneration in the ... read more

New Charts to Assess Head Circumference at Birth Will Be Valuable Tool in Zika Crisis

Feb. 18, 2016 — The INTERGROWTH-21st Consortium has published the final set of charts that enable healthcare professionals worldwide to assess the weight, length and head circumference of newborns from 24 to 42 weeks of gestation, and which apply to all babies, regardless of race or ... read more

Brain Gives Up More Secrets

Feb. 18, 2016 — New ground has been broken in our understanding of the complex functioning of the brain. The research demonstrates that brain cells, known as astrocytes, which play fundamental roles in nearly all aspects of brain function, could be adjusted by neurons in response to injury ... read more

Navigation Using Music Leaves the User's Hands Free

Feb. 19, 2016 — According to a new study most people are able to navigate easily by following audio guidance while walking or cycling. The study investigated two different guidance types: route guidance and ... read more

Binge Drinking Dangerous for Young Adults

Feb. 19, 2016 — Having an occasional drink is fine, but 'binge' drinking is a known health hazard and now high blood pressure may need to be added to the list of possible consequences. Young adults in their twenties who regularly binge drink have higher blood pressure which may increase the risk of developing hypertension, concludes a ... read more

Manipulative Behavior Could Be Link Between Emotional Intelligence and Delinquency in Young Women

Feb. 16, 2016 — An academic has published a study showing that young women with high emotional intelligence are more likely to use manipulative behaviors, resulting in a greater engagement in ... read more

Breast Milk Sugars Promote Healthy Infant Growth Through Gut Microbiome

Feb. 18, 2016 — Bacteria that live in the gut interact with dietary components to affect health and wellness. Scientists now finds key components in breast milk that promote healthy infant growth and how interactions with the gut bacteria drive ... read more

Sugary Drinks Might Hurt Our Brains As Much As Stress Or Abuse

CDC Still Says Americans Aren't Getting Enough Sleep

Hospital Pays Hackers' Bitcoin Ransom For Hijacked Patient Records

'Tricorder' Brings Diagnosis Into the Home

Super-Earth: Dry Atmosphere With Hint of Carbon?

Mind-Controlled Prosthetic Arm Moves ‘Fingers'

Microwaves Train Electrons: Quantum Computing?

3-D Printing Replacement Tissue

Feb. 16, 2016 — The first successful detection of gases in the atmosphere of a super-Earth reveals the presence of hydrogen and helium, but no water vapor. The ... read more

Feb. 15, 2016 — Physicians and biomedical engineers from Johns Hopkins report what they believe is the first successful effort to wiggle fingers individually and independently of each other using a mind-controlled ... read more

Feb. 15, 2016 — In what may provide a potential path to processing information in a quantum computer, researchers have switched an intrinsic property of electrons from an excited state to a relaxed state on demand ... read more

Feb. 15, 2016 — Using a sophisticated, custom-designed 3-D printer, regenerative medicine scientists have proved that it is feasible to print living tissue structures to replace injured or diseased tissue in ... read more

Latest Physical/Tech Headlines

updated 2:23pm EST

Shape-Shifting Engineered Nanoparticles for Delivering Cancer Drugs to Tumors

Feb. 19, 2016 — Over the last decade, one researcher has spent his time figuring out how to deliver chemotherapy drugs into cancerous tumors -- and nowhere else. Now his lab has designed a set of nanoparticles attached to strands of DNA that can change shape to ... read more

New Nanoparticle With Potential to Treat Ocular Cancer Developed

Feb. 18, 2016 — Researchers are using nanoparticles to kill tumor cells inside the eye. This nanotechnology also has the potential to be used for multiple applications in ophthalmology and other disciplines, they ... read more

Promising Results Obtained With New, Simpler Way to Fabricate Graphene Component

Feb. 19, 2016 — Graphene is a so-called 2D material, meaning that it is only one atom thick film. Graphite, which is a well-known material, consists of huge number of graphene layers on top of each other. Now researchers say that a 2D material device may prove ... read more

Transport Vehicles of the Future

Feb. 19, 2016 — Emissions from the transport sector can be drastically reduced with more streamlined trucks. Researchers have calculated, and have had built an initial version of the transport vehicle of ... read more

Rotation of Cloudy 'Super-Jupiter' Directly Measured

Feb. 18, 2016 — Astronomers have measured the rotation rate of 'super-Jupiter-class' exoplanet 2M1207b by observing the varied brightness in its atmosphere. This is the first rotation rate measurement of a massive exoplanet using direct imaging. The observations also confirm that the planet's atmosphere has layers ... read more

Dynamical Systems Theory Enhances Knowledge of Jupiter's Atmosphere

Feb. 17, 2016 — Scientists use video footage to analyze Jupiter's transport barriers and examine prior conclusions about Jupiter's ... read more

New Clues in the Hunt for the Sources of Cosmic Neutrinos

Feb. 18, 2016 — Incredibly dense and powerful objects beyond our Milky Way Galaxy may prevent the escape of high-energy gamma rays that accompany the production of the cosmic neutrinos detected on Earth by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory buried deep in the Antarctic ice sheet, according to a ... read more

The Mystery About the Chelyabinsk Superbolide Continues Three Years Later

Feb. 15, 2016 — Hundreds of webcams recorded the historic event: In 2013 February 15, the approach of asteroid (367943) Duende to our planet was being closely monitored by both the public and the scientific community worldwide when suddenly a superbolide entered the atmosphere above the region of Chelyabinsk in ... read more

Technology Set to Personalize Tendon, Tissue Injury Rehab

Feb. 19, 2016 — A revolution in the treatment and rehabilitation of muscle/tendon injuries is on its way with the development of a ground-breaking new ... read more

Real or Virtual: Can We Tell the Difference?

Feb. 18, 2016 — People find it increasingly difficult to distinguish between computer-generated images and real photos, researchers have shown, but they do say that a small amount of training greatly improves ... read more

The Real Value of Taking Your Business Offshore

Feb. 17, 2016 — While it seems prestigious -- and tax-savvy -- to be based in the Cayman Islands or Luxembourg, companies that choose to do so aren't actually worth more, according to a new study. It's the companies whose subsidiaries are offshore that are reaping the financial benefits. However, there are hidden costs associated with this ... read more

Wearable Robotic Exoskeltons: Science Fiction Meets Multiple Sclerosis

Feb. 18, 2016 — Walking with a wearable robotic exoskeleton may enable people with multiple sclerosis to walk more efficiently by reducing the energy and muscle activity needed to walk, according to ... read more

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Did Pluto's Moon Once Have a Subsurface Ocean?

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Environment News

February 19, 2016

Mapping the World for Climate Sensitivity

Climate Change: Depletion of Western Groundwater

Sauropod Swimmers or Walkers?

Socialization Alters Fruit Fly Sexuality

Feb. 18, 2016 — By using satellites, biologists are now able to map which areas are most sensitive to climate variability on a global scale. A new metric, Vegetation Sensitivity Index (VSI), allows a more ... read more

Feb. 17, 2016 — By 2050 climate change will increase the groundwater deficit even more for four economically important aquifers in the western US. The new report is the first to integrate scientists' knowledge about ... read more

Feb. 18, 2016 — Palaeontologists have shed new light on some unusual dinosaur tracks from northern China. The tracks appear to have been made by four-legged sauropod dinosaurs yet only two of their feet have left ... read more

Feb. 17, 2016 — A genetic study on the courtship behavior of mutant fruit flies may illuminate human sexual ... read more

Latest Environment Headlines

updated 2:23pm EST

Immunity Gene Fusions Uncovered in Plants

Feb. 19, 2016 — Researchers have surveyed immune genes across flowering plants to uncover the molecular 'traps' that plants use to ... read more

New Plant Species Discovered on Yakushima

Feb. 19, 2016 — A new species of plant has been discovered on the subtropical Japanese island of Yakushima (located off the southern coast of Kyushu in Kagoshima prefecture) and named it ... read more

Florida's Monkey River

Feb. 19, 2016 — A colony of feral rhesus macaques calls the banks of the Silver River in Silver Springs State Park in central Florida its home. The monkeys are part of a larger feral population living throughout the Cross Florida Greenway. Many locals enjoy having the monkeys in the park, but wildlife officials are concerned about overpopulation caused by human feeding, the nonnative animals' ecological impact ... read more

New Device May Speed Up DNA Insertion Into Bacteria

Feb. 19, 2016 — A new microfluidic device may help scientists quickly home in on the electric field 'sweet spot' -- the range of electric potentials that will harmlessly and temporarily open up membrane pores to let DNA in. In principle, the simple device could be used on any microorganism or cell, significantly ... read more

Arctic Opposite to North Atlantic

Feb. 19, 2016 — For long time freshwater has been seen as one potential cause for rapid climate change in the North Atlantic – Arctic region – probably most people have heard about the ‘Gulf Stream is slowing down’ scenarios with freshwater leading to sluggish currents and less heat being transported to ... read more

Biofuel Tech Straight from the Farm

Feb. 18, 2016 — Anaerobic gut fungi perform as well as the best fungi engineered by industry in their ability to convert plant material into sugars that are easily transformed into fuel and other products, ... read more

Renewable Fuels from Algae Boosted by Refinery Process

Feb. 16, 2016 — A new biorefinery process has proven to be significantly more effective at producing ethanol from algae than previous ... read more

Nocturnal Migrating Songbirds Drift With Crosswinds and Compensate Near Coastal Areas

Feb. 16, 2016 — Using novel, recently developed techniques for analysis of Doppler polarimetric weather surveillance radar data, biologists examined impediments (crosswinds and oceans) of nocturnally migrating songbirds in Eastern North America. Migrants in flight ... read more

How Hunter-Gatherers Preserved Their Food Sources

Feb. 17, 2016 — New research explores the impact of hunter-gatherers on north Pacific marine food webs and the behaviors that helped preserve their network of ... read more

Colossal Antarctic Ice-Shelf Collapse Followed Last Ice Age

Feb. 18, 2016 — A new study is providing clues about how Antarctica's nation-sized Ross Ice Shelf might respond to a warming climate. US and Japanese oceanographers showed that a 100,000-square-mile section of the ice shelf broke apart within 1,500 years during a warming period after the last ... read more

Portion of Ancient Australian Chert Microstructures Definitively Pseudo-Fossils

Feb. 16, 2016 — A team of scientists have weighed in on whether microstructures found in 3.46-billion-year-old samples of a silica-rich rock called chert found in Western Australia are the planet's oldest fossils. The purported fossils have been a heated scientific ... read more

New Study Is 'a Leap Forward' in Our Understanding of Ice Sheet Behavior

Feb. 17, 2016 — In recent years, climate scientists have grown increasingly concerned that massive rivers of ice flowing into the ocean from Greenland and Antarctica could accelerate as the planet warms, leading to a catastrophic collapse of Earth's ice sheets. But a new article presents an alternative narrative of the manner in which an ice sheet can ... read more

Sugary Drinks Might Hurt Our Brains As Much As Stress Or Abuse

Raw: Grass Fire & High Winds Form 'Fire Tornado'

Raw: Search for Missing Lions in Kenya

This 3,000-Year-Old Wheel Is One Of The Oldest Discovered In Britain

How Do Kids Globally Feel About Their Lives?

Window to Reduce Carbon Emissions Is Small

Memory Replay Prioritizes High-Reward Memories

Carbon Dioxide Stored Underground Often Escapes

Feb. 16, 2016 — A major international study has provided a fresh perspective on how children around the world feel about their lives. The Children's Worlds study asked children about all key aspects of their lives ... read more

Feb. 11, 2016 — At the rate humans are emitting carbon into the atmosphere, Earth may suffer irreparable damage that could last tens of thousands of years, according to a new analysis published this ... read more

Feb. 12, 2016 — Why do we remember some events, places and things, but not others? Our brains prioritize rewarding memories over others, and reinforce them by replaying them when we are at rest, according to new ... read more

Feb. 11, 2016 — When carbon dioxide is stored underground in a process known as geological sequestration, it can find multiple escape pathways due to chemical reactions between carbon dioxide, water, rocks and ... read more

Latest Society/Education Headlines

updated 2:23pm EST

No Increase in Major Crimes After State’s 2011 Prisoner Release

Feb. 19, 2016 — In 2011, California embarked on one of the biggest and most controversial criminal justice experiments in history. Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Plata, the state passed the Public Safety Realignment Act – in legislative shorthand AB 109 – which required that California’s 58 counties develop policies that best fit their local needs in anticipation of the transfer of ... read more

Genetically Modified Technology a Safe Tool to Help Meet Food Supply Demands, Plant Scientists Say

Feb. 18, 2016 — More than 1,000 scientists from nonprofit, corporate, academic, and private institutions say that public doubts about genetically modified food crops are hindering the next Green ... read more

Market Integration Could Help Protect Poor from Climate-Related Food Insecurity

Feb. 18, 2016 — Global market integration is key to buffering future commodity prices and food security from the negative effects of climate change on agriculture, says an agricultural economist in a new ... read more

Health Provider Awareness Can Curb Prescription Drug Abuse

Feb. 18, 2016 — Increasing health care providers' level of concern about prescription drug abuse in their communities may be an effective public health tool in fighting America's prescription drug abuse epidemic, according to a ... read more

Find a Partner Who Marches to the Beat of Your Own Drum

Feb. 9, 2016 — Everyone marches to the beat of their own drum: From walking to talking to producing music, different people's movements occur at different speeds. But do these differences influence coordination of group actions? The answer is yes, according to researchers. The finding has the potential to help us predict for each person how successful they will be in a group task, depending on how similar their ... read more

Early Bedtime, Better School Performance

Feb. 8, 2016 — There is a strong relationship between sleep problems and poor academic performances among adolescents, a new study demonstrates. Results show that high school students going to bed between 10 and 11 p.m. on weekdays get better ... read more

Anti-Bullying Program Focused on Bystanders Helps the Students Who Need It the Most

Feb. 2, 2016 — Many K-12 school efforts to reduce bullying have proven not very effective, leading educators to wonder what bullying prevention approach works best. A new study finds one anti-bullying program works extremely well. The study of more than 7,000 ... read more

Want to Learn a New Skill? Faster? Change Up Your Practice Sessions

Jan. 28, 2016 — When practicing and learning a new skill, making slight changes during repeat practice sessions may help people master the skill faster than practicing the task in precisely the same way, researchers ... read more

Good but Few and Underpaid: Female Inventors Gain 14% Less Than Men

Feb. 18, 2016 — New research calls for actions to ensure equal wages for equally performing or skilled employees and to encourage female students to engage in scientific studies, as females are only 4.2% of ... read more

Benefits Associated With the Reduction of Mercury Emissions Far Outweigh Industry Cost

Feb. 16, 2016 — After a review of the recent scientific literature, researchers concluded that the benefits associated with the reduction of mercury emissions far outweigh the cost to ... read more

Research Success Increasingly Hinges on Honing Teamwork Skills

Feb. 12, 2016 — Collaborative capabilities are more critical than ever as team science and engineering become the norm. New research on interactive team cognition provides insights into challenges faced by such collective ... read more

Well-Known Game Theory Scenario Solved

Feb. 11, 2016 — A team of computer scientists is the first to solve a game theory scenario that has vexed researchers for nearly a century. The game, known as 'Colonel Blotto,' has been used to analyze the potential outcomes of elections and other similar two-party conflicts since its invention in 1921. Until now, however, the game has been of limited use because it lacked a definitive ... read more

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