Spotlight Science News, 23 November 2018.
Accessed on 23 November 2018, 1718 UTC.
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Comment: Here are today’s top science and technology news stories from “Spotlight Science News” (https://phys.org). Views expressed in this science news summary are those of the reporters and correspondents.
Thanks for joining us today.
Until next time,
Russ Roberts
https://hawaiisciencedigest.blogspot.com
Who let the trolls out? Researchers investigate state-sponsored trolls
Over the past few years, journalists and politicians have often highlighted the presence of state-sponsored online trolls with the mission of swaying public opinion on particular issues. Researchers at Cyprus University of …
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Breast cancers enhance their growth by recruiting cells from bone marrow
Researchers in Israel have discovered that breast tumors can boost their growth by recruiting stromal cells originally formed in the bone marrow. The study, which will be published November 23 in the Journal of Experimental …
Patent talk: New-car smell removal courting consumers in China
“Mmm. Love the smell of a new car!” How often have you heard from that from a starstruck passenger getting his or her first ride in your cruiser. Not so fast. One man’s new-car nirvana is another’s eeew. Evidently, Ford …
Could an anti-global warming atmospheric spraying program really work?
A program to reduce Earth’s heat capture by injecting aerosols into the atmosphere from high-altitude aircraft is possible, but unreasonably costly with current technology, and would be unlikely to remain secret.
Human ancestors not to blame for ancient mammal extinctions in Africa
New research disputes a long-held view that our earliest tool-bearing ancestors contributed to the demise of large mammals in Africa over the last several million years. Instead, the researchers argue that long-term environmental …
Poorest dying nearly 10 years younger than the rich in ‘deeply worrying’ trend for UK
The gap between the life expectancy of the richest and poorest sectors of society in England is increasing, according to new research from Imperial College London.
ISS microbes should be monitored to avoid threat to astronaut health
Strains of the bacterium Enterobacter, similar to newly found opportunistic infectious organisms seen in a few hospital settings, have been identified on the International Space Station (ISS). The strains found in space were …
The origins of asymmetry: A protein that makes you do the twist
Asymmetry plays a major role in biology at every scale: think of DNA spirals, the fact that the human heart is positioned on the left, our preference to use our left or right hand … A team from the Institute of biology …
Scientists find remains of huge ancient herbivore
A giant, plant-eating creature with a beak-like mouth and reptilian features may have roamed the Earth during the late Triassic period more than 200 million years ago, scientists said Thursday.
ALMA’s highest frequency receiver produces its first scientific result on massive star formation
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has tuned in another new channel for signals from space. Using its highest frequency receivers yet, researchers obtained 695 radio signatures for various molecules, …
For ants, unity is strength—and health
When a pathogen enters their colony, ants change their behavior to avoid the outbreak of disease. In this way, they protect the queen, brood and young workers from becoming ill. These results, from a study carried out in …
Artificial intelligence improves highway safety in Las Vegas
Artificial intelligence is helping improve safety along a stretch of Las Vegas’ busiest highway.
Discovery of selective chemical probes that inhibit epigenetic factors for acute myeloid leukemia
Some severe forms of leukemia develop because proteins on the epigenetic level lose their regulative function. Now, in a broad international collaboration, UK researchers have identified molecules that can effectively inhibit …
Exploring the resurrection of digital consciousness using AI
Researchers at Shree Devi Institute of Technology, in India, have recently carried out a study investigating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to communicate with deceased loved ones. Like in the chilling sci-fi fantasy …
Greenhouse gas levels in atmosphere hit new high: UN
The levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the main driver of climate change, have hit a new record high, the UN said Thursday, warning that the time to act was running out.
Quantum sound waves to open doors for more powerful sensors
For the last decade, scientists have been making giant leaps in their ability to build and control systems based on the bizarre rules of quantum mechanics, which describe the behavior of particles at the subatomic scale.
Big test coming up for tiny satellites trailing Mars lander
A pair of tiny experimental satellites trailing NASA’s InSight spacecraft all the way to Mars face their biggest test yet.
Fish genes hold key to repairing damaged hearts
The Mexican tetra fish can repair its heart after damage — something researchers have been striving to achieve in humans for years.
Spotting nature’s own evolution of quantum tricks could transform quantum technology
A new test to spot where the ability to exploit the power of quantum mechanics has evolved in nature has been developed by physicists at the University of Warwick.
From gamma rays to X-rays: New method pinpoints previously unnoticed pulsar emission
Based on a new theoretical model, a team of scientists explored the rich data archive of ESA’s XMM-Newton and NASA’s Chandra space observatories to find pulsating X-ray emission from three sources. The discovery, relying …
Researchers measure carbon footprint of Canada hydroelectric dams
Squatting on spongy soil, a climate scientist lays a small cone-shaped device to “measure the breathing” of a peat bog in the northern part of Canada’s Quebec province.
NASA’s Lucy in the sky with … asteroids?
A little over 4 billion years ago, the planets in our solar system coexisted with vast numbers of small rocky or icy objects orbiting the Sun. These were the last remnants of the planetesimals – the primitive building blocks …
Corals and their microbiomes evolved together, new research shows
Corals and the microbes they host evolved together, new research by Oregon State University shows.
35 kidney genes linked to chronic kidney disease risk
An international study lead by University of Manchester scientists has discovered the identity of genes that predispose people to chronic kidney disease.
DNA with a twist: Discovery could further antibiotic drug development
Scientists reveal how a ‘molecular machine’ in bacterial cells prevents fatal DNA twisting, which could be crucial in the development of new antibiotic treatments.
First mapping of cells in the early human placenta to advance research on problem pregnancies
To treat and prevent pregnancy-related disorders, researchers must understand not only what can go wrong, but when. Complications, such as preeclampsia and pre-term birth, often occur in the second or third trimester, and …
Google’s shoe idea teases moonwalks in the VR zone
“Try walking forwards and the magic quickly falls apart—either when you walk into a wall, or are yanked back by the cable attaching your headset to a computer.” That is Alistair Charlton in GearBrain. He was—you guessed …
What magnetic fields can tell us about life on other planets
Every school kid knows that Earth has a magnetic field – it’s what makes compasses align north-south and lets us navigate the oceans. It also protects the atmosphere, and thus life, from the sun’s powerful wind.
Engineers fly first-ever plane with no moving parts
Since the first airplane took flight over 100 years ago, virtually every aircraft in the sky has flown with the help of moving parts such as propellers, turbine blades, and fans, which are powered by the combustion of fossil …
Canadians’ and Americans’ Twitter language mirrors national stereotypes, researchers find
A new study examining differences in the language used in nearly 40-million tweets suggests national stereotypes—Canadians tend to be polite and nice while Americans are negative and assertive—are reflected on Twitter, …