GoogleTrends

Monday, February 17, 2014

FeedaMail: Science News Headlines - Yahoo! News

Science News Headlines - Yahoo! News

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Prehistoric Paint to Shield European Sun Probe from Solar Inferno

A European spacecraft set to launch toward the sun in 2017 will be protected by a paint once used in prehistoric cave art. The European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter probe will be coated in a substance derived from burnt bone charcoal — a type of pigment once used by early humans to create art on the insides of caves in France. The robust substance traditionally made from burned bones should help protect the Solar Orbiter when it flies as closer to the sun than any spacecraft before it. While observing the sun from space, the Solar Orbiter will have to face temperatures up to 968 degrees Fahrenheit (520 degrees Celsius), ESA officials said.

Space Station Streaks Across Pleiades Star Cluster in Striking Amateur Photo

The International Space Station streaks through the night sky over Pisa, Italy, as the bright blue Pleiades star cluster glitters in the background in this amazing photo recently submitted to Space.com. Amateur astronomer Giuseppe Petricca took this image of the Pleiades star cluster, which is also known as M45. "But, yesterday, above Pisa, Italy, the International Space Station made a beautiful passage, and it crossed next to the cluster." [See more amazing February night sky photos by stargazers] To see more amazing night sky photos submitted by Space.com readers, visit our astrophotography archive.

Bullying Has Lingering Effects on Children's Mental Health

Researchers found that bullying had its greatest influence on the health of kids who were repeatedly targeted, and it was linked with poorer mental and physical health, increased symptoms of depression and lower self-esteem. The study also revealed that victims of recent bullying fared worse than students who had been picked on by their peers further in the past. "The effects of bullying can snowball over time," said study researcher Laura Bogart, a social psychologist at Boston Children's Hospital. "The results are a strong argument for an immediate, early intervention of bullying," Bogart said.

Whoops! Amazon Green-Up Actually Satellite Error

Surprising dry season growth spurts spotted in the beleaguered Amazon rainforest are fake, the result of misleading satellite data, a new study finds. So scientists were surprised when they discovered the Amazon forest turns green during the tropical dry season from June through October —even during an extreme drought — based on data from NASA's Terra satellite. The initial findings were published in the March 22, 2006, issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters. (During growth spurts, trees and plants produce more chlorophyll, which makes them look greener.)

Will SpaceX Super Rocket Kill NASA's 'Rocket to Nowhere'? (Op-Ed)

The private spaceflight company Space X plans to build a rocket so big it would "make the Apollo moon rocket look small,"the company's CEO, Elon Musk, announced on "CBS This Morning"on Feb. 3. The huge rocket would ultimately send colonists to Mars, but what would SpaceX do in the meantime? The company's primary focus right now is giving NASA astronauts access to the International Space Station (ISS) on American vehicles, drastically lowering prices to Earth orbit versus what the Russians are charging, Musk said. Musk further mentioned SpaceX doing a manned flight around the moon, possibly including a landing.

Are Democratic Presidents Better for Babies?

Having a Democratic president in the United States is linked with a reduction in infant mortality rates, according to a controversial new study. Researchers analyzed U.S. infant mortality rates from 1965 to 2010, a period that spans nine presidencies (four Democratic and five Republican). But when the researchers used statistical methods to focus on short-term changes during this time period, they found that infant mortality rates were about 3 percent higher during years in which a Republican was president, compared with the years in which a Democrat was president. The findings held even after the researchers took into account factors that might affect infant mortality, such as unemployment rates, smoking rates, abortion rates and measures of national education and income level.

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Delievered to you by Feedamail.
Unsubscribe

Sunday, February 16, 2014

FeedaMail: Science News Headlines - Yahoo! News

Science News Headlines - Yahoo! News

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Bonobos, like humans, keep time to music: study

By Irene Klotz CHICAGO (Reuters) - Some animals, like humans, can sense and respond to a musical beat, a finding that has implications for understanding how the skill evolved, scientists said on Saturday. A study of bonobos, closely related to chimpanzees, shows they have an innate ability to match tempo and synchronize a beat with human experimenters. They hear above our range of hearing," said Patricia Gray, a biomusic program director at University of North Carolina in Greensboro. Experimenters beat a drum at a tempo favored by bonobos - roughly 280 beats per minute, or the cadence that humans speak syllables.

Academy honors scientists behind special effects

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — The scientists and inventors who make big-screen superheroes and spectacular explosions possible have their own Oscar ceremony.

United Nations Takes Aim at Asteroid Threat to Earth

As the anniversary of last year's surprise Russian meteor explosion nears, a United Nations action team is taking steps to thwart dangerous space rocks, including setting up a warning network and a planning advisory group that would coordinate a counterpunch to cosmic threats. A global group of experts on near-Earth objects (NEOs) met in Vienna Feb. 10 to11 for the 51st session of the United Nations' Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Space. On Feb. 15, 2013, a 65-foot-wide (19 meters) space rock detonated without warning over the city of Chelyabinsk, injuring more than 1,200 people and bringing home the reality of the asteroid threat to much of the world. The plans the experts discussed have taken shape over a decade of work by the UN Action Team on Near Earth Objects, known as Action Team 14.

Huge Asteroid to Fly Safely By Earth Monday: Watch It Live

Near-Earth asteroid 2000 EM26 poses no threat of actually hitting the planet, but the online Slooh Space Camera will track the asteroid as it passes by Earth on Monday. Scientists estimate that 2000 EM26 is about 885 feet (270 meters) in diameter, and it is whizzing through the solar system at a break-neck 27,000 mph (12.37km/s), according to Slooh. During its closest approach, the asteroid will fly about 8.8 lunar distances from Earth. "We continue to discover these potentially hazardous asteroids — sometimes only days before they make their close approaches to Earth," Slooh's technical and research director, Paul Cox said in a statement.

Love, Honor & Cherish — But Share a Password?

What about sharing an online calendar, or a social media profile? For a growing number of couples, digital technology is a dominant feature of their relationship, and — for better or worse — how partners use email, social media and other communication tools says a lot about their relationship. Among people in a committed relationship who use the Internet, two-thirds have shared the password to one of their accounts — email, Twitter, Facebook or an online calendar, according to a new report from Pew Research. "Sharing passwords is [a] vehicle for establishing trust," said Jane Greer, a family therapist and author of "What About Me?

Lincoln vs. Eisenhower: Most Science-Friendly President to Be Voted In

A new contest by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) pits Lincoln against Eisenhower and Kennedy against Nixon in a match-up just in time for President's Day (Feb. 17). The goal of the contest is to highlight science in the presidents' careers, "whether it's Jefferson commissioning the Lewis and Clark expedition, Theodore Roosevelt pushing for the Pure Food and Drug Act, or George H.W. Bush launching new Earth observation programs," said Aaron Huertas, a spokesman for the UCS, a nonprofit organization that promotes science in the public sphere.

Under Active Volcanoes, Magma Sits in Cold Storage

Strike that iconic image of a tall, snow-capped volcano sitting atop a liquid pool of hot, molten magma. "People could see the arrival of this hotter magma from below, and it eventually initiated an eruption," he said.

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Delievered to you by Feedamail.
Unsubscribe

Saturday, February 15, 2014

FeedaMail: Science News Headlines - Yahoo! News

Science News Headlines - Yahoo! News

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Religious People More Likely to Think They're Addicted to Porn

Compared with their less spiritual peers, people who identified as very religious were more likely to have a perceived Internet pornography addiction, no matter how much porn they actually consumed, according to a new study. "We were surprised that the amount of viewing did not impact the perception of addiction, but strong moral beliefs did," the study's lead author Joshua Grubbs, a doctoral student in psychology at Case Western Reserve University, said in a statement. [Sex Quiz: Myths, Taboos & Bizarre Facts] Is porn addiction real? Some researchers have proposed that compulsive viewing of Internet pornography could be a subcategory of sex addiction, sometimes called hypersexual disorder.

Scientists prepare to lift tusk from Seattle pit

SEATTLE (AP) — Scientists on Friday partially encased a mammoth tusk in plaster as they prepared to extract it from the 30-foot-deep pit where it was found this week at a downtown Seattle construction site.

Report: Americans Respect Scientists, But Could Brush up on Basic Science

Though many Americans are lacking in their own knowledge of basic science, a majority have a high opinion of scientists and are eager to hear about new discoveries, according to a new report. What's more, four out of five Americans say they are interested in "new scientific discoveries," with new medical discoveries topping the list. "It's important for Americans to maintain a high regard for science and scientists," John Besley, an associate professor in MSU's department of advertising and public relations, said in a statement. Even so, only a third of the survey's respondents actually think science and technology should get more funding.

Royal Air Force Combat Plane Aids UK Flood Recovery (Photos)

Photos of flooding taken by a Royal Air Force jet are aiding recovery in the United Kingdom after the Thames overflowed its banks this week.

Full-Size Space Shuttle Exhibit Launching at Ohio Air Force Museum

A historic mockup of a NASA space shuttle crew cabin has grown wings and a tail to launch as the newest exhibit at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Ohio. Set to debut Wednesday (Feb. 26), the Dayton museum's Space Shuttle Exhibit was built around NASA's first Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT), which has now been outfitted with a full-size representation of the shuttle's payload bay, engine and tail sections. The new exhibit offers museum visitors the opportunity to experience the size and shape of an actual space shuttle orbiter by entering through the 60-foot-long (18 m) payload bay and looking into the trainer's flight deck and mid-deck levels. "We are very pleased to open this one-of-a-kind Space Shuttle Exhibit," Lt. Gen. Jack Hudson, the director of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, said.

Military's 'Iron Man' Suit May Be Ready to Test This Summer

The first prototypes of a high-tech suit of armor to give soldiers superhuman abilities could be ready to test this summer, according to top military officials. The suits, which have drawn comparisons to the one worn by Marvel Comics superhero "Iron Man," could be delivered to special operations forces as early as June. The Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit, or TALOS, is being developed by engineers at MIT; The TALOS technology will be rigorously tested, and military personnel hope to have operational systems in the field by August 2018, according to Navy Adm. William McRaven, head of the U.S. Special Operations Command.

Arctic Sea Ice Melt Season Getting Longer

The summer melt season for Arctic sea ice has lengthened by a month or more since 1979, a new study finds. The primary culprit is a delayed fall freeze-up — the autumn chill when sea water freezes into ice — but the fallout remains the same: the Arctic ice cap is stuck in a vicious feedback loop betwixt its warming environment and melting ice, researchers reported Feb. 4 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The seven lowest September ice extents (a measure of the total ice cover) have been in past 10 years, including 2013. As the ice cover gets smaller, the amount of heat absorbed by the Arctic Ocean rises.

Low-Cost Tech Helps Brain-Injured Patients Speak

Editor's Note: This writer was a colleague of the founder of SpeakYourMind in Brown University's BrainGate lab. A week before Maggie Worthen was due to graduate from Smith College, she suffered a severe brain stem stroke that left her unable to move or speak. Maggie's doctors diagnosed her as being in a persistent vegetative state. But Maggie's mother kept looking for a way to get through to her daughter.

Gelada Baboon Yawns Send Social Messages

From intimidating and intense to warm and fuzzy, distinct yawns among gelada baboons send different social messages, according to a new study.

Marry or Move In Together? Brain Knows the Difference

Marriage is linked with numerous health benefits that simply cohabiting doesn't seem to provide. "We really pay close attention to when it's safe to let down our guard and to outsource our stress response to our social networks," said study researcher Jim Coan, a psychologist at the University of Virginia.

(Sponsor this newsletter)

Delievered to you by Feedamail.
Unsubscribe