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Monday, February 2, 2015

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See NASA Launch Rockets Into the Northern Lights in These Spectacular Photos

Five rockets launched from Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska this week carried experiments aimed at studying the science behind the aurora borealis. Photographer Jamie Adkins captured long exposures of the rockets as they lifted off, and combined them into a single image. The first rocket, a NASA Terrier-Improve Malemute sounding rocket, took off at 4:13 a.m. EST (0913 GMT), followed one minute later by a NASA Terrier-Improved Orion rocket. Another Malemute rocket was launched at 4:46 a.m. EST (0946 GMT), followed one minute later by another Orion rocket.

Greenland's Hidden Ice Layers Revealed in New Map

Layer by layer, scientists have filled in a new map of the hidden expanses of Greenland's vast ice sheet, revealing where the island hides its oldest ice. The research team built the 3D map of Greenland's ice sheet using data from airborne radar and ice cores. Radar measurements revealed the ice's thickness, and was also used to find internal layers concealed under the surface. The ice cores provided precisely dated ages for these different layers at various points around the island.

Facebook Users Aren't Bragging — Really!

Everyone knows that Facebook is just a place for people to brag about their perfect lives: engagements, job promotions, weddings. New research finds that although positive news is more likely to be shared on the social media site than negative news, people do attempt to be modest. Positive news is more likely to be shared indirectly — with a subtle status change, for example — compared to a more direct approach, such as with a boastful wall post. "We suspect that there are 'face' considerations related to this finding," study leader Jennifer Bevan, a professor of communication studies at Chapman University in California, wrote in an email to Live Science.

When Ant-Eating Bears Arrive, A Native Plant Thrives

Biologist Josh Grinath seized a rare chance to study an ecosystem from top to tiny bottom when a black bear blundered through his Rocky Mountain meadow research plot, gobbling up ants and gnawing on equipment. Grinath, a researcher at Florida State University, was already analyzing the codependent relationship between ants and treehoppers, which are tiny insects that poop sweet honeydew juice. The ants ward off predators that eat treehoppers, and in return, gorge on honeydew. Grinath's earlier research in the meadow showed that rabbitbrush produces fewer seeds and struggles to grow whenever ants and treehoppers are present on the plants.

1st Americans Used Spear-Throwers to Hunt Large Animals

Despite a lack of archaeological evidence, the first North Americans have often been depicted hunting with spear-throwers, which are tools that can launch deadly spear points at high speeds. Current models of Paleo-Indian society are based on the assumption that hunters sometimes used spear-throwers, or atlatls, said study author Karl Hutchings, an archaeologist at Thompson Rivers University in Canada. "We can now be assured that those assumptions were right," Hutchings told Live Science. Archaeological evidence indicates that hunter-gathers in the Old World used atlatls beginning at least 18,000 years ago.

650-Year Drought Triggered Ancient City's Abandonment

Scientists have long debated whether it was drought or cultural forces that led to the abandonment of Cantona, a once-fortified city located just east of modern-day Mexico City. In its heyday, about 90,000 people lived in Cantona, which is located in a dry volcanic basin.

People with Dementia May Have Hidden Talents, Strange Case Shows

A 60-year-old businessman lost his job and much of his personality to dementia. The Korean man, called J.K. in the report, had developed a form of dementia known as frontotemporal dementia (FTD), in which the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain shrink. As a result of the condition, J.K.'s personality gradually changed. The case shows that people with dementia may have hidden talents and abilities that can emerge when given the opportunity, said Dr. Daniel Potts, a dementia specialist in Alabama and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Toddler Foods Have as Much Salt as Junk Food

Unfortunately, new research finds that many foods marketed to the 1- to 3-year-old set are high in salt and added sugar. Meanwhile, 32 percent of toddler dinners, and most fruit-based and savory snacks, include at least some added sugar, the researchers reported. "Some of the foods had about similar [sugar or salt] content to what we see in adult foods," study co-author Mary Cogswell, a senior scientist in the division for heart disease and stroke prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told Live Science. These findings are concerning, Cogswell said, because research shows that kids set their taste preferences early in life.

As Bamboo Forests Fade, Can Pandas Survive? (Op-Ed)

Giant pandas, with their fuzzy raccoon eyes and innocent faces, are one of the world's most treasured endangered species. It helps explain why the latest threat to giant pandas , rising global temperatures, has raised such alarm. Poaching and habitat destruction over the past 3,000 years have brought the total panda population down below 2,000 individuals in the wild. Today, giant pandas exist in an area that is less than 1 percent of their historical range.

The Cheapest, Cleanest Way to Meet Electricity Demand (Op-Ed)

Last year, the United States' largest electric grid operator held an auction to determine how to meet future electricity demand in its service area, spanning all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia. The winning resource, which will supply 47.5 percent of all new electrical capacity for PJM in 2017–2018, was "demand response," a set of techniques for reducing peak electricity demand. Demand response technologies, which range from smart thermostats and water heaters in homes to sophisticated industrial systems, aren't discussed as often as renewables or conventional fossil fuel technology, but they will be critical for the future of our electricity system. During different hours of the day and different days of the year, demand for electricity is not constant.

Human Nature May Seal the Planet's Warming Fate (Op-Ed)

Raghu Murtugudde is executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Forecasting System at the University of Maryland Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC) and a professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science. The metaphor of a frog in a pot being warmed slowly seems quite apt for the way humanity is struggling with global warming.

Fear, Ridicule, Danger: Is It Safe to Be a Climate Scientist? (Op-Ed)

Minda Berbeco is programs and policy director at the National Center for Science Education and visiting scholar at the UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology.

The Hunt for Alien Extremophiles is Taking Off (Kavli Q+A)

Lindsay Borthwick, writer and editor for The Kavli Foundation, contributed this article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Jocelyne, how have those boundaries shifted in recent years?

'Rise of the Machines' is Not a Likely Future (Op-Ed)

Michael Littman is a professor of computer science at Brown University. He is co-leader of Brown's Humanity-Centered Robotics Initiative, which aims to document the societal needs and applications of human-robot interaction research as well as the ethical, legal and economic questions that will arise with its development. Every new technology brings its own nightmare scenarios. Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are no exceptions.

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