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Friday, June 3, 2016

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Surprise! The Universe Is Expanding Faster Than Scientists Thought

The universe is expanding 5 to 9 percent faster than astronomers had thought, a new study suggests. "This surprising finding may be an important clue to understanding those mysterious parts of the universe that make up 95 percent of everything and don't emit light, such as dark energy, dark matter and dark radiation," study leader Adam Riess, an astrophysicist at the Space Telescope Science Institute and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said in a statement. Riess — who shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in physics for the discovery that the universe's expansion is accelerating — and his colleagues used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to study 2,400 Cepheid stars and 300 Type Ia supernovas.

Scientists propose project that includes making human DNA

NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists proposed a long-term project Thursday that involves creating DNA blueprints for making human beings, a prospect some observers find troubling.

Scientists propose project to build synthetic human genome

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of 25 scientists on Thursday proposed an ambitious project to create a synthetic human genome, or genetic blueprint, in an endeavour that is bound to raise concerns over the extent to which human life can or should be engineered. A synthetic human genome potentially could make it possible to create humans who lack biological parents - raising the spectre, for instance, of made-to-order human beings with special genetic enhancements. The project aims to build such a synthetic genome and test it in cells in the laboratory within 10 years.

Astronomers say universe expanding faster than predicted

By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - The universe is expanding faster than previously believed, a surprising discovery that could test part of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, a pillar of cosmology that has withstood challenges for a century. The discovery that the universe is expanding 5 percent to 9 percent faster than predicted, announced in joint news releases by NASA and the European Space Agency, also stirs hypotheses about what fills the 95 percent of the cosmos that emits no light and no radiation, scientists said on Thursday. "Maybe the universe is tricking us," said Alex Filippenko, a University of California, Berkeley astronomer and co-author of an upcoming paper about the discovery.

Clean fuel from 'bionic leaf' could ease pressure on farmland - scientists

By Chris Arsenault RIO DE JANEIRO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A new clean technology to turn sunlight into liquid fuel could drastically shrink the need for large plantations to grow crops for biofuels, while combating climate change, Harvard University researchers said on Thursday. Dubbed "bionic leaf 2.0", the technology uses solar panels to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, the scientists said in a study published in the journal Science. Once separated, hydrogen is moved into a chamber where it is consumed by bacteria, and with help from a special metal catalyst and carbon dioxide, the process generates liquid fuel.

Mexican 'Spiderman' weaves web of knowledge for science students

By Edgard Garrido MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A Mexican science teacher has come up with a novel way to get his students' attention - giving lessons dressed as Spiderman. Moises Vazquez, 26, said he was inspired to pull on the tight blue and red suit of the superhero after reading in comics that the Marvel character behind the mask, Peter Parker, worked as a science teacher after his time as a freelance photographer. When giving class at the National Autonomous University of Mexico as the superhero, Vazquez leaves home in eastern Mexico City with his mother's blessing, and rides in public transport to the prestigious seat of learning dressed as the Avenger.

Schrodinger's Cat Arrives? Quantum Weirdness Gets Life Size

The quantum absurdity that leads to the notion of Schrodinger's cat — in which a cat can exist in two states simultaneously — could finally be tested in an object visible to the naked eye, a new study demonstrates. Scientists have created a pendulum-like membrane that is so perfectly isolated from friction and heat "that it would just keep going for 10 years with a single push," said study co-author Simon Gröblacher, a physicist at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. This tiny, flea-size swing could allow scientists to finally test whether the quantum effects behind the Schrodinger's cat thought experiment do indeed exist at large scales.

Greek underwater formation isn't 'lost city,' scientists say

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Scientists say a collection of structures discovered in shallow waters off the Greek island of Zakynthos were actually formed by natural process.

New FDA Salt Targets: Which Foods Would Change Most?

If these target sodium levels are reached over the next 10 years, some of the biggest sodium drops in packaged foods could be in certain sauces and frozen breakfast foods, according to Live Science's calculations. The sodium targets, from the Food and Drug Administration, could help reduce sodium intake for the average American by more than 1,000 milligrams per day — from 3,400 mg per day to 2,300 mg per day, the FDA said. The guidelines are voluntary, but many food companies have already taken steps to lower the amounts of sodium in their products, the FDA noted.

Teen Birthrates Reach Another Record Low, CDC Says

The teen birth rate has declined almost continuously over the past two decades, according to the federal statistics. The 2015 birthrate was a 64 percent decrease from the rate's peak in 1991, at 62 births per 1,000 teens, according to the report, published today (June 2) by researchers at the CDC's Center for National Health Statistics. In the report, the researchers broke down the rate further, by smaller age groups: Among 15- to 17-year-olds, the birthrate decreased from 11 births per 1,000 teens in 2014 to 10 births per 1,000 in 2015.

Black-Death Survey Reveals Incredible Devastation Wrought by Plague

The devastation wrought by the Black Death plague pandemic in medieval England has been revealed in a uniquely detailed archaeological study carried out for more than a decade with the help of thousands of village volunteers. Although some historians have played down the impact of the bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the 1300s, new research shows that the Black Death was as deadly as described in writings that have survived from the time, with some villages suffering an almost 80 percent drop in population after the plague. The study gathered and analyzed data about broken pieces of domestic pottery found in more than 2,000 test pits measuring 11 square feet (1 square meter) at the surface and up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) deep that were dug in 55 villages in eastern England.

19th-Century White House Garden Aligns with Solstice Sun

A 19th-century garden just north of the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, in Washington, D.C., was designed so that its statues align with the rising and setting sun on the summer and winter solstices, a physics professor has found. Using satellite imagery and astronomical software, Amelia Sparavigna, of Politecnico di Torino in Italy, discovered the phenomenon. The solstice sun aligns with the center of the garden, which contains a statue of President Andrew Jackson, and the endings of four walkways that now contain four statues of generals from the American Revolutionary War, the physicist found.

Mexican 'Spider-Man' weaves web of knowledge for science students

By Edgard Garrido MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A Mexican science teacher has come up with a novel way to get his students' attention - giving lessons dressed as Spider-Man. Moises Vazquez, 26, said he was inspired to pull on the tight blue and red suit of the superhero after reading in comics that the Marvel character behind the mask, Peter Parker, worked as a science teacher after his time as a freelance photographer. When giving class at the National Autonomous University of Mexico as the superhero, Vazquez leaves home in eastern Mexico City with his mother's blessing, and rides in public transport to the prestigious seat of learning dressed as the Avenger. Vazquez's family originally thought that pretending to be Spider-Man could hurt his career when he started donning the suit for class a year and a half ago - but instead the unusual turn has gone down well with students and other teachers, he said.

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Thursday, June 2, 2016

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Slain Cincinnati gorilla likely to live on in genetic 'frozen zoo'

After shooting dead a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo to save a 3-year-old boy, zoo officials said they had collected a sample of his sperm, raising hopes among distraught fans that Harambe could sire offspring even in death. "Currently, it's not anything we would use for reproduction," Kristen Lukas, who heads the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Gorilla Species Survival Plan, said on Wednesday.

Scientists: Vibrant US marine reserve now a coral graveyard

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists found most of the coral is dead in what had been one of the world's most lush and isolated tropical marine reserve.

Genes of slain Cincinnati gorilla to live on

Scientists disagree over Zika risk at Brazil's Olympics

One day after a top U.S. health official declared there was no public health reason to cancel or delay this summer's Olympics in Brazil, more than 150 scientists on Friday called for just that, saying the risk of infection from the Zika virus is too high. The scientists, many of them bioethicists, who signed an open letter published online to Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization. The letter urged that the Games, due to be held in Rio de Janeiro in August, be moved to another location or delayed.

Archaeologists vs. robbers in Israel's race to find ancient scrolls

By Ari Rabinovitch TZEELIM VALLEY, Israel (Reuters) - The disposable paper face masks offer little protection from the clouds of dust that fill the cliffside cave where Israeli archaeologists are wrapping up the largest excavation in the Judean desert of the past half-century. The three-week excavation was the first part of a national campaign to recover as many artefacts as possible, particularly scrolls, left behind by Jewish rebels who hid in the desert some 2,000 years ago, before they are snatched up by antiquity robbers. Now Israel wants to uncover whatever may remain in the desert hideouts before it is destroyed or ends up on the black market.

Researchers find 39 unreported sources of major pollution: NASA

(Reuters) - Researchers in the United States and Canada have located 39 unreported sources of major pollution using a new satellite-based method, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration said. The unreported sources of toxic sulfur dioxide emissions are clusters of coal-burning power plants, smelters and oil and gas operations in the Middle East, Mexico and Russia that were found in an analysis of satellite data from 2005 to 2014, NASA said in a statement on Wednesday. The analysis also found that the satellite-based estimates of the emissions were two or three times higher than those reported from known sources in those regions, NASA said.

Flour Recall: Do You Really Need to Throw It Out?

General Mills is recalling 10 million pounds of flour that may be linked with an outbreak of E. coli. "I wouldn't want to have it in my home," said Benjamin Chapman, an associate professor and food safety specialist at North Carolina State University. General Mills announced on Tuesday (May 31) that the company is working with health officials to investigate the cause of a new E. coli outbreak that has sickened 38 people in 20 states, including 10 people who had to be hospitalized.

What the New Superbug Means for the US

Experts say a Pennsylvania woman's recent case of an antibiotic-resistant infection shows the urgency for new antibiotics. In the case, the E. coli bacteria causing the 49-year-old woman's urinary tract infection were found in lab testing to be resistant to an antibiotic called colistin. Doctors consider colistin a "last resort" drug — it can have serious side effects, such as kidney damage, so it is used only when other antibiotics do not work.

Rare Gene Mutation Linked with High MS Risk

People with a rare genetic mutation are very likely to develop a severe form of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study finds. The findings mark the first time researchers have discovered a genetic mutation that is so strongly tied to the chronic, nerve-damaging disease. This genetic mutation is not common — it appears in only about 1 in every 1,000 MS patients, the researchers said.

Scientists propose project to build synthetic human genome

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of scientists on Thursday proposed an ambitious project to create a synthetic human genome, or genetic blueprint, in an endeavor that is bound to raise concerns over the extent to which human life can or should be engineered. The project, which arose from a meeting of scientists last month at Harvard University, aims to build such a synthetic genome and test it in cells in the laboratory within 10 years. A synthetic human genome could make it possible to create humans who lack biological parents.

Tasmanian devil returns to San Diego Zoo after pacemaker surgery

A Tasmanian devil named Nick is back in his exhibit area at the San Diego Zoo after receiving a pacemaker to make his heartbeat normal. In January, zoo veterinarians discovered that Nick suffered from an abnormally slow heartbeat and his cardiologist decided that surgery was in order. Nick is only the second of his species on record ever to be implanted with a pacemaker, according to staff at the San Diego Zoo. "His heartbeats were too slow and now the pacemaker is going to actually take over (pacing) his heart and is going to determine when to pace fast or slow depending on his activity," said Dr. Joao Orvalho, a cardiologist at the University of California, Davis, Veterinary Medical Center in San Diego.

How dogs became man's best friend - twice over

By Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) - Ancient humans made dogs their best friend not once but twice, by domesticating two separate populations of wolves thousands of miles apart in Europe and Asia. It was widely believed dogs were tamed just once, with some experts claiming this happened in Europe and others favoring central Asia or China. "Our data suggests that dogs were domesticated twice, on both sides of the Old World," said Laurent Frantz, a geneticist at the University of Oxford, whose work was published in the journal Science.

Clean fuel from 'bionic leaf' could ease pressure on farmland: scientists

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Wednesday, June 1, 2016

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Hurricane 2016 Forecast: A 'Near-Normal' 10 to 16 Storms

Hurricane season officially kicks off tomorrow (June 1), and forecasters expect the Atlantic Ocean will spawn a near-average number of hurricanes in 2016. "Near-normal may sound relaxed and encouraging, but we could be in for more activity than we've seen in recent years," warned Kathryn Sullivan, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Officials with NOAA issued the forecast at a news conference Friday (May 27) in Suitland, Maryland.

Supersponge the Size of a Minivan Found Near Hawaii

An unusual sponge was making waves in waters near the Hawaiian Islands — though it doesn't wear square pants and is far too big to live in a pineapple under the sea. Identified as measuring approximately 12 feet (3.5 meters) in length and 7 feet (2.1 m) in height, the minivan-size creature was discovered at a depth of 7,000 feet (2,134 m) during dives by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) system, which was deployed from the ship Okeanos Explorer by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). During the 69-day expedition, which extended from July 10 through Sept. 30, 2015, scientists investigated deep-sea ecosystems in Papah?naumoku?kea Marine National Monument and the Johnston Atoll Unit of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.

Distracted Driving May Play a Bigger Role in Teen Crashes Than Thought

And more than half of these crashes involve some form of distracted driving, according to a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Nearly 11 percent of the crashes involved the driver looking at or attending to something in the car, the study found.

New Report Doesn't Prove Cellphones Cause Cancer

Part of a new report from a U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) study on the potential association between cellphone use and cancer has renewed attention to this uncertain relationship. In the study, released last week, researchers at the NTP, part of the National Institutes of Health, found that long-term exposure to high levels of this type of radiation might be linked with a small increase in the risk of brain cancer in male rats. "The implications of this for the safety of mobile phone use is between questionable and nonexistent," John Moulder, a professor of radiation oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin who was not involved in the research, said in an email interview with Live Science.

Women with Migraines More Prone to Heart Disease

Women who suffer from migraines may be more likely than other women to develop heart problems, a new study suggests. Researchers found that women who have migraines were at greater risk of having a heart attack and angina (chest pain), and of needing to undergo heart-related procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting, compared with women who did not get the severe headaches, according to the findings published online today (May 31) in the journal The BMJ. Migraines in women were not only linked with an increased risk of developing heart disease, but they were also associated with a greater chance of dying from heart-related problems than they were in women without migraines, the researchers found.

Has Aristotle's Tomb Been Found? Archaeologists Doubt Claims

An archaeologist thinks he has found the tomb of Aristotle at Stagira, an ancient city where the Greek philosopher lived for much of his life. But several other archaeologists say there is hardly enough evidence to link the tomb to Aristotle, and there's probably no way to confirm it either way. Konstantinos Sismanidis, the archaeologist who discovered the tomb in question, has told media outlets that he cannot be certain that the structure is Aristotle's tomb.

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