GoogleTrends

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

FeedaMail: Science News Headlines - Yahoo! News

Science News Headlines - Yahoo! News

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Jaw-Dropping Views of Saturn Cap 2013 for NASA's Cassini Spacecraft (Photos)

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has capped 2013 with a spectacular new collection of Saturn photos showcasing the planet's beauty, as well with its trademark rings and strange moons. The newly released Saturn photos by Cassini include two views of Enceladus, Saturn's sixth-largest moon. Geysers at its poles shoot ice particles into space, some of which make it into orbit around Saturn. Some of this space "snow" becomes part of Saturn's E ring, Saturn's second outermost ring that is made of microscopic particles.

6 US Drone-Testing Centers Announced

In a push to bring drones to U.S. skies, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected six site operators to research and test unmanned aircraft across the country. Three universities — the University of Alaska, Virginia Tech and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi — as well as Griffiss International Airport in upstate New York, the state of Nevada and the North Dakota Department of Commerce were among the FAA's picks announced Monday (Dec. 30). The shape of some ventures, such as Amazon's Prime Air, will hinge on the FAA's decisions. FAA officials say these six new site operators "will conduct critical research into the certification and operational requirements necessary to safely integrate UAS [unmanned aircraft systems] into the national airspace over the next several years."

Light in Cloud Forests Can Outshine a Sunny Day

One surprise: On cloudy days, these misty forests may actually see more light than they would on a perfectly sunny day. "Sometimes it's brighter than complete sunlight," Keith Reinhardt, a plant physiologist at Idaho State University, said last month at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. To find out why, Reinhardt and his colleagues placed light, temperature and moisture sensors on spruce fir trees in the southern Appalachian forestsstretching from Virginia to the Great Smokey Mountains. The mountains, about 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) high, are cool and wet, with cloud bottoms often grazing the forest floor, and mountaintops shrouded in fog for 60 to 80 percent of all the days in the growing season, Reinhardt said.

Florida's Mangrove Forests Expand with Climate Change

Fewer deep freezes, attributable to Earth's warming climate, have caused mangrove forests to expand northward in Florida over the past three decades, new research suggests. "Mangroves showed the largest increases in regions where cold snaps became less frequent over the past 30 years," study co-author Kyle Cavanaugh, an ecologist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Maryland, wrote in an email. The findings, published today (Dec. 30) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that climate change could alter ecosystems even more dramatically in the years to come. They found that the area taken up by mangrove forests in the northernmost latitudes had doubled over the last few decades, while the southern stretches changed little.

Real-Life Smoking Caterpillar Uses Nicotine as Defense

Ripped from the pages of Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland," scientists have discovered a smoking caterpillar of sorts. The researchers found a gene in hornworm caterpillars that allows them to puff nicotine out through their spiracles (tiny holes in their sides), from the tobacco they consume, as a warning to their would-be predators. Researchers called this tactic "defensive halitosis." [Video – See the Smoking Caterpillars in Action] "We never would have discovered the function of this gene if the spider hadn't told us," he told LiveScience.

Gone in 2013: A Tribute to 10 Remarkable Women in Science

Teaching Kids to Love Science, and Falling in Love with the Kids

Rocket Engines and Retired Shuttles: 2013, the Year in Space History Artifacts

The year 2013 has left its mark on space exploration history, but it was also a banner year for space artifacts from decades past. The prior 12 months saw a new type of U.S. commercial cargo spacecraft resupply the International Space Station, the first Canadian astronaut to command a space mission, the first Indian interplanetary probe lift off for Mars and the first Chinese moon landing. But 2013 also marked the reemergence of four-decade-old rocket parts, the re-lighting of an equally-old engine piece, the debut of a retired space shuttle and the redesign of the orbiter's mission control.

Beyoncé Challenger Shuttle Disaster Audio Clip Upsets Astronauts' Families

Beyoncé is ending the year on a sour note with members of the NASA community. The pop singer included an audio clip from the 1986 space shuttle Challenger disaster as part of her new song, "XO." The track was released Dec. 13 as part of Beyoncé's new self-titled album. What followed almost 30 years ago was one of the most solemn moments in NASA's history. In the song however, Nesbitt's words are met with Beyoncé singing about love and being kissed by her lover.

One-Third of Americans Don't Believe in Human Evolution

The new findings come from to the Pew Research Religion & Public Life Project, which surveyed a national sample of 1,983 adults over the phone and also collected survey questionnaires from an additional 4,006 adults. Both white Catholics and white Protestants are similarly likely to see God's hand guiding evolution if they do believe, with 36 percent of all white mainline Protestants and 33 percent of all white Catholics saying a supreme being guided the evolution of living things.

The 10 Best Science Stories of 2013

Archaeologists excavated ancient civilizations; Planning is underway, and $232 million of government and private money has been pledged to the initiative, as of November.

Bizarre Physics, Exomoons & Humanoids: Science Wishes for 2014

Science breakthroughs in the past year include the discovery of new planets far beyond Earth's solar system, the confirmation of an elusive particle and new clues about the evolutionary history of early humans. But the worlds still need to be confirmed as such.

11 Must-See Skywatching Events in 2014

During the overnight hours, it will be a night first for Mars and later for the full moon. As a bonus, later that very same night (actually the early hours of April 15), North America will have a ringside seat to a total lunar eclipse when the full moon becomes transformed into a mottled reddish ball for 78 minutes as it is completely immersed in the shadow of the Earth. This total lunar eclipse will be the first one widely visible from North America in nearly 3.5 years. The Americas will have the best view of this eclipse, although over Canada's Maritime provinces, moonset will intervene near the end of totality.

Naked Mole Rat Named 'Vertebrate of the Year'

Famed as the world's longest-living rodent, the wrinkly faced naked mole rat has won Science Magazine's Vertebrate of the Year award, confirming that the contest is based on more than just looks. The naked mole rat, a subterranean rodent native to East Africa, can live up to 30 years, roughly nine times longer than mice of the same size. With two yellow buck teeth protruding from a pale, hairless body, the mammal may not be an eye pleaser, but it has an alluring longevity-related adaptation that has gripped researchers in recent years: It seems to be immune to cancer. The academic journal Science Magazine chose the animal as its 2013 Vertebrate of the Year to celebrate two groundbreaking studies this year that have helped explain the animal's resistance to cancer.

Secret to Ancient Roman Sundial Revealed in 3D Simulations

Using NASA data and new computer simulations, researchers say they've discovered how the sun would have lined up with an Egyptian obelisk and the famed Ara Pacis in ancient Rome. The Ara Pacis, or "Altar of Peace," was dedicated in the year 9 B.C. to honor the Pax Romana, an era of relative peace established by Rome's first emperor Augustus. But in ancient times, it would have stood in the northern outskirts of the city, near an Egyptian obelisk that the Romans uprooted from Heliopolis and repurposed as a gnomon, or giant sundial. Many historians had long accepted German scholar Edmund Buchner's theory that the shadow of the obelisk (which now sits in the Piazza Montecitorio) would hit the center of the facade of the Ara Pacis on Augustus' birthday, Sept. 23.

Why We Make New Year's Resolutions

Ancient people practiced the fine art of New Year's resolutions, though their oaths were external, rather than internally focused. Citizens would bring each other gifts of honey, pears and other sweets as presents for a "sweet new year," Alston said.

Cosmic Horsehead Dances with Flame Nebula in Amateur Astronomer's Photo

The iconic Horsehead and Flame nebulas paint the night sky in this beautiful image recently sent to SPACE.com. Amateur astrophotographer David Ellison captured this image from his backyard in Chattanooga, Tenn. Located approximately 1,500 light years from Earth in the constellation Orion, the Horsehead Nebula is simple to spot due to its unique shape resembling a horse's head. "People don't realize just how large this nebula is in the sky," Ellison told SPACE.com in an email. The star seen just above the Flame nebula is Alnitak. [100 Greatest Night Sky Photos of 2013]

Shapeshifting Northern Lights Dance Over Alaska in Amazing Photos

Dazzling auroras over Alaska take center stage in these spellbinding images captured this month by an amateur astronomer.

Oh, Never Mind: Top 5 Retracted Science Studies of 2013

Mistakes often result in a scientific retraction, a public removal of the flawed paper from publication. A private, U.S.-based blog called Retraction Watch keeps track of such retractions, which seem to be on the rise these days. General anesthesia pertains to a temporary, total loss of sensation and consciousness. Perhaps a group of Chinese scientists inhaled a little too much anesthetic when they published "Different anesthesia methods for laparoscopic cholecystectomy." [No Duh! The 10 Most Obvious Science Findings]

4 Mobile Technologies That Will Change How You Do Business in 2014

Small business owners, get ready. In 2014, new mobile gear will help you connect with customers, sell your product and stay productive wherever you are. In other words, these four burgeoning mobile technologies are primed to change how you do business in the new year.Phablets

6 Ways Retail Will Change in 2014

From mobile technologies changing the way consumers shop to new ways of accepting and processing payments, these trends are just the beginning. Some of the changes retailers saw in 2013 included more robust and flexible mobile credit card processing solutions that enabled businesses to take payments anytime, anywhere; Next year, retailers should expect these trends to play even more significant roles by enabling mobile commerce (m-commerce) and e-commerce to take businesses and consumer expectations to the next level. Not only will there be strong consumer demand that will make m-commerce the norm for retailers, but small businesses will have an even greater opportunity to work with and expand toward global markets via e-commerce.

New Year, New Career: How to Land Your Dream Job in 2014

"Oftentimes, companies have just re-evaluated their budget and departmental needs, and are prepared to bring in new employees at the beginning of the year," said Thomas Moran, CEO of staffing firm Addison Group. Originally published on BusinessNewsDaily.

Big Space Missions to Watch in 2014

Two new probes are expected to make it into Martian orbit in September and NASA's Curiosity and Opportunity rovers are still sending science back to Earth from the surface of the Red Planet. Both India's Mars orbiter Mangalyaan and NASA's MAVEN mission are expected to get into their orbits around Mars in September. MAVEN is going to investigate the Martian atmosphere and hopefully help piece together the history of how the Red Planet lost its atmosphere. Mangalyaan, India's first Mars probe, is designed to beam back images of Mars' surface and hunt for methane in the planet's atmosphere.

10 Coolest Archaeology Discoveries of 2013

Archaeologists dig through the faint traces of the past to learn more about human history. From royal tombs to the mysterious vanished inhabitants of Europe, here are some of the strangest and most exciting archaeology finds of the year. It turns out Richard III may have been a control freak who spoke with a lilt and was subjected to painful scoliosis treatment.

Tracker Craze: Fitness Wristbands' Popularity Will Continue to Grow

Fitness trackers like the Fitbit Force, Jawbone Up and Nike+ Fuelband are rapidly increasing in popularity, and experts say this trend will continue in the coming years. While the overall market for devices for sports and fitness tracking devices — which includes things like heart-rate monitors, GPS watches and biking computers — is predicted to see a 10 percent increase in revenue by the end of 2017, the market for activity trackers is predicted to see a nearly 25 percent increase, said Shane Walker, an analyst at the research company IHS.

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Delievered to you by Feedamail.
Unsubscribe

FeedaMail: TRENDS IN NEUROSCIENCES

TRENDS IN NEUROSCIENCES

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Contents page + Editorial Board + Cover figure legend

Measuring and using light in the melanopsin age

Robert J. Lucas, Stuart N. Peirson, David M. Berson, Timothy M. Brown, Howard M. Cooper, Charles A. Czeisler, Mariana G. Figueiro, Paul D. Gamlin, Steven W. Lockley, John B. O'Hagan, Luke L.A. Price, Ignacio Provencio, Debra J. Skene, George C. Brainard.

• Photoreceptive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) regulate behavior and physiology.
• ipRGCs use melanopsin-dependent intrinsic light responses and rod/cone inputs. Read More »

The elusive engram: what can infantile amnesia tell us about memory?

Bridget L. Callaghan, Stella Li, Rick Richardson.

• Infantile amnesia is an underutilized approach to studying memory.
• Developmental changes in molecular balance may underlie infantile amnesia.
• Manipulations ....

Omega-3 fatty acids and traumatic neurological injury: from neuroprotection to neuroplasticity?

Adina T. Michael-Titus, John V. Priestley.

• Evidence for positive effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in CNS.
• Omega-3 PUFAs potential treatment for spinal cord or traumatic brain injury. Read More »

New insights into the therapeutic potential of Girk channels

Rafael Luján, Ezequiel Marron Fernandez de Velasco, Carolina Aguado, Kevin Wickman.

• Girk channels are novel targets for therapeutic interventions in a broad array of human nervous system disorders.
• Girk channels exist in multiprotein complexes wh....

The neuroimmune basis of fatigue

Robert Dantzer, Cobi Johanna Heijnen, Annemieke Kavelaars, Sophie Laye, Lucile Capuron.

• Despite its prevalence, the pathophysiology of fatigue remains elusive.
• We focus on the etiology of fatigue in chronic inflammatory diseases, cancer or neuropatho....

Light sleep versus slow wave sleep in memory consolidation: a question of global versus local processes?

Lisa Genzel, Marijn C.W. Kroes, Martin Dresler, Francesco P. Battaglia.

• Light NREM is the key stage for active memory consolidation.
• Deep NREM may fulfill a homeostatic 'downscaling' role.
• Global corticohippocampal interactions ....

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Delievered to you by Feedamail.
Unsubscribe

Monday, December 30, 2013

FeedaMail: Science News Headlines - Yahoo! News

Science News Headlines - Yahoo! News

(Sponsor this newsletter)

What Lies Beneath: Tiny Organisms Thrive Below Earth's Surface

And scientists have failed to culture, or grow, the bacteria in the lab, making it difficult to understand how they survive the harsh, energy-starved environment below the planet's surface. How many of them are there?" said Jan Amend, an earth scientist at the University of Southern California's Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations.

China Targets Moon Sample-Return Mission in 2017

As China's Chang'e 3 lander and Yutu rover mission to the moon unfolds, the country's space authorities are pushing forward on their next stage of lunar progress — gathering select samples of the moon and rocketing them back to Earth. China plans to launch the unmanned sample-return mission, known as Chang'e 5, in 2017, signaling the third stage in the country's lunar exploration plans, officials said. "The development of Chang'e 5 is proceeding smoothly," Wu Zhijian, a spokesman for China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, said in a Dec. 16 press conference. As reported by China's state-run Xinhua news organization, Chang'e 4 is the backup probe for the Chang'e 3 mission, which successfully put a lander and rover down on the moon on Dec. 14.

5 Most Amazing Spaceflight Feats of 2013

The year 2013 marked an incredible one for spaceflight, with space agencies around the world making giant leaps in their own exploration of the solar system, while NASA welcomed the addition of a new commercial cargo ship to its list of supplies for the International Space Station. Also this year, Virgin Galactic and other private spaceflight companies made strides in their work to make space tourist flights a reality, while one Canadian astronaut became a social media mega-star by showing what life is truly like in space. When China's Chang'3 spacecraft landed on the moon on Dec. 14, it marked the first soft lunar landing in 37 years and the country's first-ever successful touchdown on an extraterrestrial surface. China is the third country to achieve a soft landing on the moon after Russian and the United States, Chang'e 3 beamed live views of its landing on the moon's Sinus Iridium (Bay of Rainbows), as well as the Chinese flag on Yutu — a symbol of how far China's space program has come in a short while.

'Neanderthal' Remains Actually Medieval Human

Instead, the new study reveals the bones to belong to modern Homo sapiens. The teeth and the bone were found in the San Bernardino Cave in the 1980s in a rock layer dating back to Neanderthal times, approximately 28,000 to 59,000 years ago. But location alone is not enough for a firm identification, said study researcher Stefano Benazzi, a physical anthropologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany. "The taxonomical discrimination of the species was based mainly on the layer the human fossil was found instead of the morphological features," or shape and size of the bones, Benazzi told LiveScience.

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Delievered to you by Feedamail.
Unsubscribe

Sunday, December 29, 2013

FeedaMail: Science News Headlines - Yahoo! News

Science News Headlines - Yahoo! News

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Strange New Worlds: The Amazing Alien Planet Discoveries of 2013

While astronomers didn't bag that elusive first "alien Earth" in 2013, they made plenty of exciting exoplanet discoveries during the past year. Here's a list of the top exoplanet finds of 2013, from a tiny world about the size of Earth's moon to a blue gas giant on which it rains molten glass: In February, astronomers announced the discovery of Kepler-37b, the smallest alien world ever found around a sun-like star. Kepler-37b, which was spotted by NASA's prolific Kepler space telescope, lies about 215 light-years from Earth.

Scientists Petition U.S. Congress for Return to the Moon

China's Chang'e 3 robotic landing on the moon has helped spur a political crusade in the United States to more aggressively explore and utilize the moon. At the heart of the campaign is the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG), a group chartered by NASA Headquarters to assist in planning the scientific exploration of the moon. LEAG is organizing a letter writing campaign to Congress to underscore the importance of the moon. The LEAG scripted strategy is being orchestrated under the banner "Destination Moon" with a key, straightforward goal highlighted in a flyer: "Use the moon to create a sustained human space-faring capability, advancing exploration of the Solar System." [See photos from China's first moon lander and rover] The flyer is to be sent, along with a cover letter, to all members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate committees that have influence on NASA funding, and to all the lawmakers of the LEAG executive committee members.

6 Biggest Space Science Discoveries of 2013

From extrasolar planets to extraterrestrial neutrinos, these finds have made sure that 2013 has been an unforgettable year. NASA's Voyager 1 reaches interstellar space After almost 35 years of traveling, scientists reported this year that NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft reached interstellar space in August 2012. Because the solar system doesn't contain helpful "You Are Here" signs to mark its boundary, scientists relied on a powerful solar eruption to determine the density of the molecules in space around the craft.

What We Learned About Human Origins in 2013

The existence of a mysterious ancient human lineage and the possibility that the earliest humans were actually all one species were among the human-evolution-related discoveries of 2013. Other breakthroughs include the sequencing of the oldest human DNA yet. Recent analyses of fossil DNA have revealed that modern humans occasionally had sex and produced offspring not only with Neanderthals but also with Denisovans, a relatively newfound lineage whosegenetic signatureapparently extended from Siberia to the Pacific islands of Oceania.

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Delievered to you by Feedamail.
Unsubscribe