Science News
Search for first stars uncovers 'dark matter'
EurekAlert! - 28 Feb 2018 07:00
(American Friends of Tel Aviv University) New research from a Tel Aviv University astrophysicist, published today in Nature, offers the first direct proof that dark matter exists and that it is composed of low-mass parti...
NASA's huge planet-hunting space telescope likely delayed again
New Scientist - 28 Feb 2018 23:58
The James Webb Space Telescope, currently slated for launch in 2019, is facing technical difficulties and budget overruns that might push back its launch date
Genetically engineered cells can seek and destroy brain cancer
New Scientist - 28 Feb 2018 21:00
Brain cancers are particularly difficult to treat, but at last there's hope that a technique that has worked for some other cancers could treat glioblastoma
New mathematical framework establishes the risk of dramatic collapses of real networks
Phys.org - 28 Feb 2018 23:10
A theoretical framework explaining the risk of rare events causing major disruptions in complex networks, such as a blackout in a power grid, has been proposed by a mathematician at Queen Mary University of London.
How your sense of smell may affect your politics
The Economist - 28 Feb 2018 22:47
HUMANS, like other animals, have evolved to notice and avoid sources of infection, whether that be rotten food or sickly members of their own species. This "behavioural immune system" can have unexpected consequences. St...
Over Years, Depression Changes the Brain
Neuroscience News - 28 Feb 2018 21:08
A new study reports those who suffer from persistent depression lasting more than ten years have higher levels of neuroinflammation.
Probiotics and fish oil in pregnancy may reduce child allergies
New Scientist - 28 Feb 2018 21:00
Probiotic and fish oil supplements have been linked to a lower likelihood of eczema and some food allergies, but pregnant women should still avoid cod liver oil
Bacteria on our bodies may be protecting us from skin cancer
New Scientist - 28 Feb 2018 21:00
We are covered in bacteria, but some of it is good for us. One strain makes a molecule that protects against skin cancer and shrinks tumours in mice
Mapping the Neural Circuits Governing Thirst
Neuroscience News - 28 Feb 2018 20:48
Researchers have identified a specific network in the brain of mice that drives the need to drink.
The moon may have formed in a vaporised, doughnut-shaped Earth
New Scientist - 28 Feb 2018 20:35
Early Earth may have been smashed into a vapour by a Mars-sized object. Our moon may have formed at the edges of the leftover doughnut-shaped cloud of debris
Physicists build bizarre molecules called 'Rydberg polarons'
Phys.org - 28 Feb 2018 20:20
Using lasers, U.S. and Austrian physicists have coaxed ultracold strontium atoms into complex structures unlike any previously seen in nature.
Rich-poor divide in past flu pandemics must guide strategy today
New Scientist - 28 Feb 2018 20:00
We ignore the social factors that have shaped death rates in flu pandemics over the past century at our peril, warns Laura Spinney
We have found traces of the universe's first ever stars
New Scientist - 28 Feb 2018 20:00
The earliest stars left their mark on the hydrogen gas that drifts in deep space, and the same traces could also hint at the true nature of dark matter
Unsafe sex and STIs are rising when they really shouldn't be
New Scientist - 28 Feb 2018 20:00
Dating apps, fading fears of HIV and poor education have all been blamed for a rise in sexually transmitted infections. How do we get people to keep it clean?
Ancient Greenland Shark Reveals Its Age in Eerie Underwater Video
Live Science - 28 Feb 2018 19:54Surprise! Having a big brain really does mean having less muscle
New Scientist - 28 Feb 2018 19:01
It's an evolutionary mystery how humans and other primates found the energy to support their large brains, but now it seems sacrificing some muscle might have helped
Lightweight hyperspectral imagers bring sophisticated imaging capability to drones
Phys.org - 28 Feb 2018 18:44
In a new study, researchers used 3D printing and low-cost parts to create an inexpensive hyperspectral imager that is light enough to use onboard drones. They offer a recipe for creating these imagers, which could make t...
How the Temperature of Your Nose Shows How Much Strain You Are Under
Neuroscience News - 28 Feb 2018 18:41
Facial temperature, specifically the temperature above the sinuses, rises as cognitive demands increase, researchers report.
Don't hate all processed foods - they make modern life possible
New Scientist - 28 Feb 2018 18:26
There's a danger that if society condemns all processed food as bad then research into its many potential benefits will be hampered, warns Nicola Temple
The Factors that Most Affect Our Immune System
Neuroscience News - 28 Feb 2018 18:21
Researchers investigate the different factors that affect our immune system and why some of us are more prone to diseases than others.
Most people re-use old passwords (but you don't, right?)
New Scientist - 28 Feb 2018 18:01
The largest ever study of its kind has found that more than half of us reuse or only slightly modify our passwords for different accounts - and that's bad.
How Blockchain Is Helping Democratize Access to Credit
Singularity Hub - 28 Feb 2018 18:00
Inclusive and sustainable economic growth is goal 8 on the UN's list of 17 sustainable development goals to be accomplished by 2030. Goal 8's description emphasizes job creation, but acknowledges the fact that there's a ...