Spotlight on Science. 25 November 2018.
Nov 22, 2018 in Evolution
Accessed on 25 November 2018, 0602 UTC.
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Comment: Here are today’s top science news stories from https://phys.com. 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
Spotlight Science News
New lander will add to humans’ long fascination with Mars
In our solar system family, Mars is Earth’s next-of-kin, the next-door relative that has captivated humans for millennia. The attraction is sure to grow with Monday’s arrival of a NASA lander named InSight.
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Huge quake edges New Zealand islands closer together
A destructive earthquake that struck New Zealand two years ago has left its two main islands edging towards each other, and one city sinking, according to scientists.
Drone standards get a first set and lasting nod as helpful guide
From taking pictures of crops, to delivering food and medical supplies to monitoring natural disasters, drones are becoming an increasingly important feature of daily lives, helping to transform businesses and industries.
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 …
Climate correction: when scientists get it wrong
On November 1, AFP joined news outlets around the world in covering the release of a major academic paper warning that our oceans were warming dramatically quicker than previously thought.
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 …
Cells beneath the skin explain differences in healing
Differences in the cells that give skin its resilience and strength during wound repair may explain why individuals heal differently, according to a new Yale study published Nov. 23 in the journal Science.
Named for Roman god of war, Mars isn’t very kind to visitors
Mars has a nasty habit of living up to its mythological name and besting Earth when it comes to accepting visitors.
Shaping the surface of Mars with water, wind and ice
ESA’s Mars Express has imaged an intriguing part of the Red Planet’s surface: a rocky, fragmented, furrowed escarpment lying at the boundary of the northern and southern hemisphere.
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 …
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, inexpensive, and would be unlikely to remain secret.
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.
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.
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 …
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.
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 …
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.
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 …
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 …
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.
Artificial intelligence improves highway safety in Las Vegas
Artificial intelligence is helping improve safety along a stretch of Las Vegas’ busiest highway.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
Nov 22, 2018 in Evolution