Welcome to the “Science News” update from Hawaii Science Digest.
Views expressed in this science and technology news summary are those of the reporters and correspondents.
Content provided by “Science News”, an official publication of the Society for Science & the Public.
Accessed on 08 March 2019, 0420 UTC.
Source: https://www.sciencenews.org
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NEWS IN BRIEF
Merging magnetic blobs fuel the sun’s huge plasma eruptions
Solar eruptions called coronal mass ejections grow from a series of smaller events, observations show.
NEWS
Human encroachment threatens chimpanzee culture
Human activity is affecting chimps’ behavioral repertoire, a new study suggests. Creating chimp cultural heritage sites might save unique behaviors.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
NEWS
How helpful gut microbes send signals that they are friends, not foes
Some beneficial gut bacteria use unique form of communication to let immune cells know that they’re friendly.
FEATURE
Nanosponges sop up toxins and help repair tissues
Nanoparticles coated with blood cell membranes can move through the body to clean up toxins or heal tissues — without instigating an immune reaction.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Japan puts plans for the world’s next big particle collider on hold
The jury is still out on whether Japan will host the world’s first “Higgs factory” — the International Linear Collider.
NEWS IN BRIEF
FDA has approved the first ketamine-based antidepressant
A nasal spray with a ketamine-based drug promises faster relief from depression for some people.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Hominids may have hunted rabbits as far back as 400,000 years ago
Stone Age groups in Europe put small game on the menu surprisingly early.
FEATURE
Extreme elements push the boundaries of the periodic table
The hunt for the next elements on the periodic table might turn up superheavy atoms that flaunt the rules of chemistry.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Tiny bits of iron may explain why some icebergs are green
Scientists originally thought the green hue of some icebergs came from carbon particles. Instead, iron oxides may color the ice.
NEWS IN BRIEF
This spider slingshots itself at extreme speeds to catch prey
By winding up its web like a slingshot, the slingshot spider achieves an acceleration rate far faster than a cheetah’s.
FEATURE
With its burning grip, shingles can do lasting damage
Varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles, may instigate several other problems.
NEWS IN BRIEF
The first planet Kepler spotted has finally been confirmed 10 years later
Astronomers had dismissed the first exoplanet candidate spotted by the Kepler space telescope as a false alarm.
NEWS
A CRISPR spin-off causes unintended typos in DNA
One type of CRISPR gene editor makes frequent and widespread mistakes, studies in mice and rice reveal.
NEWS
A second HIV patient has gone into remission after a stem cell transplant
A second person with HIV has gone into remission after receiving blood stem cells from a donor unable to make a protein needed by the virus.
NEWS
Ripples race in the brain as memories are recalled
A fast brain wave called a ripple often came before a person’s correct answer on a memory test.
THE –EST
A 2,000-year-old tattoo tool is the oldest in western North America
The artifact is made of two pigment-stained cactus spines, and has been sitting in storage since its discovery in 1972.
NEWS
Hidden ancient neutrinos may shape the patterns of galaxies
The gravitational pull of subatomic particles born in the universe’s first second seem to influence how galaxies cluster into rings.
NEWS
Welfare reforms may have hurt some single moms’ teenage kids
Welfare reform was meant to help the next generation, but making moms work and capping aid has led to more harm than gain, says a new study.
NEWS
Bears that eat ‘junk food’ may hibernate less and age faster
Wild black bears snacking on leftovers of sugary, highly processed foods in Colorado show possible signs of faster cellular wear.
NEWS
Eating a lot of fiber could improve some cancer treatments
A high-fiber diet, which boosts the diversity of gut microbes, may make an immune therapy against skin cancer more effective.
SCIENCE VISUALIZED
Here’s how long the periodic table’s unstable elements last
Most elements on the periodic table have at least one stable form. But some don’t. Here’s how long those unstable members endure.
NEWS
Sleeping in on the weekend can’t make up for lost sleep
Using the weekend to catch up on sleep is ineffective at making-up for lost sleep and offsetting the consequences to a person’s health.
NEWS
How singing mice belt out duets
A precise timing system in the brain helps musical rodents from the cloud forests of Costa Rica sing to one another.
SCIENCE STATS
Oceans that are warming due to climate change yield fewer fish
Warming water due to climate change is diminishing sustainable fishery yields in the world’s oceans.
