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Monday, April 4, 2016

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Religious Reveal: Men Lag Behind Women in Devoutness

The new survey results represent six faith groups (Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews and the religiously unaffiliated) from 84 different countries, according to the Pew Research Center, which collected the data from 2008 to 2015.

California's Extreme Droughts Blamed on 'Ridiculously Resilient Ridge'

The weird weather pattern that hatched California's ongoing drought is becoming more common, and could bring more extreme dry spells in the future, a new study finds. California is suffering its worst drought in 1,200 years because of a persistent atmospheric "high" parked just offshore. This high-pressure ridge — aptly named the "ridiculously resilient ridge" — deflects winter storms northward, away from California, according to the researchers.

Possible Viking Settlement in Canada Revealed in Satellite Images

Scientists have uncovered what may be a previously unknown Viking settlement in Newfoundland, Canada, news sources report. The newly identified site, known as Point Rosee, contains a hearthstone that was likely used for working iron, making it only the second known pre-Columbian, iron-processing site in North America, the researchers told National Geographic. The public can follow their progress by tuning into "Vikings Unearthed," a 2-hour NOVA special that can be watched online Monday (April 4) and on TV Wednesday (April 6).

Are You Ready for America's 1st Virtual-Reality Roller Coasters?

Buckle up, roller coaster enthusiasts! The amusement park Six Flags has joined forces with Samsung to bump up the thrill factor of rides with virtual-reality roller coasters that are set to be the first of their kind in North America. Virtual reality (VR) is already changing how people experience museum exhibits and conduct medical training, and now roller coasters that blend physical sensations with digital worlds can be added to the list. Park-goers will be able to experience these new rides at six different Six Flags locations, with another opening up next Friday (Apr 9) at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts, and two more at Six Flags The Great Escape in Lake George, New York, and La Ronde in Montreal, Canada, later this spring.

Strangely in Sync: Scientists Solve 350-Year-Old Pendulum Clock Mystery

The 350-year-old mystery of why pendulum clocks hanging from the same wall can influence each other and synchronize over time may hold even more secrets than previously thought, researchers say. In 1665, the inventor of the pendulum clock, Dutch physicist Christiaan Huygens, was lying in bed sick, watching two of his clocks, when he noticed something odd: No matter how the pendulums on these clocks started, they ended up swinging in exactly the opposite direction from each other within about a half-hour. Solving the puzzle could help shed light on the mysterious phenomenon of synchronization, scientists say.

Giant Mammoth Skull Discovered by Bulldozer Operator

A bulldozer operator at a sand pit in northwestern Oklahoma got quite a surprise this month when he spotted a huge skull that belonged to a Columbian mammoth. These giants were plentiful across the plains of Oklahoma during the Pleistocene epoch, which lasted from about 1.8 million to 11,700 years ago, said Leland Bement of the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey. The discovery was not unheard of, as the Survey typically receives about three "mammoth-sighting" calls a year, Bement said.

Great Barrier Reef Coral Bleaching is 'Worst in its History'

Australia's Great Barrier Reef corals are in trouble. The northern part of the world's largest coral reef ecosystem is experiencing "the worst mass bleaching event in its history," according to a statement released Tuesday (March 29) by the Australian Research Council. Documented by the National Coral Bleaching Taskforce (NCBT) in aerial surveys, observations of more than 500 coral reefs spanning 2,485 miles (4,000 kilometers) showed that the majority of reefs were undergoing extensive and severe bleaching.

Scientists bemoan SeaWorld decision to stop breeding orcas

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — There's one last orca birth to come at SeaWorld, and it will probably be the last chance for research biologist Dawn Noren to study up close how female killer whales pass toxins to their calves through their milk.

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Sunday, April 3, 2016

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FDA May Limit Arsenic in Infant Cereals

The Food and Drug Administration today proposed a new limit for the level of arsenic allowed in infant rice cereal. After an extensive study of arsenic levels in food, the FDA proposed a limit of 100 parts per billion (ppb) for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal. The agency's testing has shown that most infant rice cereals now on the market (around 80 percent) already meet, or are close to meeting, this requirement, the FDA said.

Obesity Numbers Overtake Underweight Population

Now, new research finds that more of the world's population is obese than underweight. "Over the past 40 years, we have changed from a world in which underweight prevalence was more than double that of obesity to one in which more people are obese than underweight," Majid Ezzati, senior author of the paper and professor of public health at Imperial College London, said in a statement. The researchers looked at the percentage of adults who were underweight (which the researchers defined as having a body mass index, or BMI, below 18.5), obese (a BMI from 30.0 to 34.9), severely obese (a BMI from 35.0 to 39.9) or morbidly obese (a BMI greater than 40.0).

Protecting Pregnant Women in the US from Zika Is a Top Priority, Officials Say

More than 300 local, state and federal officials met today (April 1) to discuss these plans at a "Zika Action Summit" in Atlanta. Although the virus, which is carried by mosquitoes, is not yet spreading in the United States, officials stressed that action is needed now to prevent the virus from affecting pregnant women here.

Lab-Grown Skin Sweats and Sprouts Hair

In a lab in Japan, researchers have grown complex skin tissue, complete with hair follicles and sweat glands, according to a new study. The findings may one day help researchers create better skin transplants for human patients with severe burns or skin diseases. Prior to the new study, researchers had already developed a more basic type of skin substitute that had been used successfully in human patients, said Takashi Tsuji, a team leader at RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Japan.

Bezos praises third Blue Origin launch-and-land rocket test as 'perfect'

By Eric M. Johnson SEATTLE (Reuters) - Jeff Bezos' space transportation company Blue Origin successfully launched and landed for the third time a suborbital rocket capable of carrying six passengers, taking another step on its path in developing reusable boosters, the company said on Saturday. "Perfect booster landing," Bezos wrote on Twitter. Blue Origin declined to comment on the test but said on Twitter, "Congrats Blue team on today's (flight)!" Saturday's flight marks the third successful launch-and-land for the rocket, with similar missions completed in January and November.

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Saturday, April 2, 2016

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Europe gives green light to first gene therapy for children

By Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) - The world's first life-saving gene therapy for children, developed by Italian scientists and GlaxoSmithKline, has been recommended for approval in Europe, boosting the pioneering technology to fix faulty genes. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Friday it had endorsed the therapy, called Strimvelis, for a tiny number of children with ADA Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (ADA-SCID) for whom no matching bone marrow donor is available.

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Friday, April 1, 2016

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A gorilla named Susie illustrates genome similarities with humans

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A gorilla named Susie is helping provide fresh insight into the genetic similarities and differences between people and these endangered apes that are among our closest living relatives. Scientists on Thursday unveiled an upgraded version of the gorilla genome based on DNA from Susie, an 11-year-old Western lowland gorilla at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio, that fills in many gaps present in the first gorilla genetic map published in 2012. The new research revealed that gorillas and humans are slightly more closely related genetically than previously recognized, with the genomes diverging by just 1.6 percent.

Probe of ULA rocket engine early cutoff focuses on fuel system

By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - The Russian-made rocket motor that catapulted a United Launch Alliance booster toward orbit last week shut down six seconds early apparently because of a fuel system problem, the company said on Thursday, in its first explanation of the issue. The ULA Atlas 5 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on March 22 carrying an Orbital ATK cargo ship bound for the International Space Station. The rocket's Russian-made RD-180 engine shut down about six seconds early, but the booster's second-stage motor compensated for the shortfall by firing longer, ULA said in a statement.

A gorilla named Susie illustrates genome similarities with humans

Purple Digging Frog Undergoes Amazing Transformation

A strange purple species of frog that lives most of its life underground undergoes a drastic change from rock-clinging tadpole to grown-up digger, new research finds. While most frog tadpoles swim freely in the water, the Indian purple frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis) spends its tadpole time clinging, with its suckerlike mouth, to the undersides of rocks. "For these remarkable frogs, being clinging and digging specialists seems to have enabled them to survive since the Jurassic," study co-author Madhava Meegaskumbura, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka, said in a statement.

10-Million-Year-Old Snake Revealed in Living Color

The fossilized remains of a snake that lived 10 million years ago don't look very colorful to the naked eye today. Though the pigment grains held within the snake's cells were long gone when scientists discovered the fossil, the cell shapes resembled several types of pigment cells in modern snakes that contain various kinds of color information. Matching the ancient and modern cell shapes allowed researchers to use modern snake color cell data as a road map.

Morgan Freeman Delves into 'The Story of God' in Nat Geo Special

"Over the past few months, I've traveled to nearly 20 cities in seven different countries on a personal journey to find answers to the big mysteries of faith," Freeman said in a statement. The idea for the miniseries took root when Freeman was visiting Istanbul about six years ago with film producer Lori McCreary, who helped Freeman found the Revelations Entertainment production company. "The man said no, that Muslims celebrated these stories, too," Freeman said.

Relic of Beheaded Medieval Swedish King Might Be Authentic

To open a medieval reliquary containing a saint's bones, you have to have a good reason, said Sabine Sten. Sten is an osteoarchaeologist (a type of scientist who studiesskeletal remains from archaeological sites) at Uppsala University in Sweden. Two years ago, she got permission to open a reliquary (a container used to hold objects deemed holy) at the Uppsala Cathedral, to study the bones of Erik Jedvardsson, a medieval Swedish king turned saint.

Scientists Hijack Bugs, Turn Them into Cyborgs

For decades, scientists have looked to insects for inspiration when designing robots, with the hope of learning from millions of years of evolution. In the past two decades, instead of attempting to create intricate robots that mimic the complexity of the insect form, researchers have tried hijacking bugs to turn them into robots themselves. Although the researchers acknowledged that cyborg insects do have a number of drawbacks compared to true robots, such as limited life spans, they have several advantages, too.

5 Ways Science Could Make Football Safer

Now, in response to concerns from the public and players about injuries, research into making football safer has become a leading topic of discussion for the NFL and many sports medicine organizations, experts say. An investigation published last week by The New York Times revealed that concussion research from the National Football League (NFL) was incomplete to the point of being misleading. According to the Times, data that the NFL used in 13 peer-reviewed articles, which supported the NFL's claims that brain injuries from football cause no extended harm to players, left out over 100 diagnosed concussions, including the injury that ended the career of Steve Young.

Needle Stuck in Woman's Heart Gives Her a Stroke

A 48-year-old woman in China suffered a stroke that was later found to be caused by a finger-length needle stuck in her heart, according to a new case report. The needle had pierced the woman's chest a few months before the stroke (although the case report doesn't say how it happened). It had penetrated layers of tissue and had gotten stuck in her heart muscle.

It's a Girl! Ancient Viral Genes May Determine a Baby's Sex

It's a boy! Or maybe it's a girl, but either way, new research suggests that the sex of mouse babies, and perhaps the sex of human babies, may be influenced by a newfound way to deactivate ancient viral genes that have been embedded in mammal genomes for more than a million years. In the research, the scientists looked at viral DNA that is active in the mouse genome. Viral DNA can become part of an animal's genome when a kind of virus called a retrovirus infects a cell, and slips its genes into the DNA of host cells.

Zika Revealed: Here's What a Brain-Cell-Killing Virus Looks Like

The destructive Zika virus has been visualized for the first time, shedding light on similarities and differences between this and related viruses, according to a new study. The new findings may be helpful in developing effective antiviral treatments and vaccines against the Zika virus, the researchers said. "The structure of the virus provides a map that shows potential regions of the virus that could be targeted by a therapeutic treatment, used to create an effective vaccine, or [used] to improve our ability to diagnose and distinguish Zika infection from that of other related viruses," Richard Kuhn, the director of the Purdue University Institute for Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Diseases in Indiana and a co-author on the study, said in a statement.

Tribeca Film Debate: Why the Anti-Vaxxers Just Won't Quit

The anti-vaccination movement regained attention due to actor Robert De Niro's decision late last week to pull the film "Vaxxed" from the Tribeca Film Festival, which he runs. Despite the public pressure to pull the film — not to mention the innumerable studies showing that vaccines are safe — there are many reasons the movement persists, sociologists told Live Science. "We know vaccines carry some risk, and we know that risk is very small," said Jennifer Reich, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Colorado Denver.

Pentagon awards $75 million for advanced textiles institute

The Pentagon will partner with a consortium of 89 universities, manufacturers, non-profits, and other groups to establish an institute that would research materials "that can see, hear, sense, communicate, store energy, regulate temperature, monitor health, change color, and much more," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Friday. Carter announced the initiative in a speech at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which will host the institute. The Pentagon has awarded $75 million for the purpose, funding it said had been matched by over $240 million from non-federal sources.

April Fools' Day! Why People Love Pranks

Pranks have not been thoroughly studied, though researchers have found that people find being tricked a very aversive experience. Prank-based humor can be cruel or kind, loved or hated, but it's anything but simple. Pranks "combine a whole bunch of theories, potentially, of laughter," said Cynthia Gendrich, a professor of acting and directing at Wake Forest University who teaches a seminar on why people laugh.

Hidden King Tut Chambers? Not So Fast, Officials Caution

Egypt's new antiquities minister, Khaled El Anany, sounded caution this morning at a press conference in Luxor over the claim that Tutankhamun's tomb holds two hidden chambers. Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves, of the Amarna Royal Tombs Project, had proposed that two hidden chambers were lurking in the tomb of Tutankhamun and that the hidden rooms may hold the tomb of Queen Nefertiti, the stepmom of King Tutankhamun.

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