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Monday, November 25, 2013

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Pretty in Pink: 3D-Printing 'Jimmy Choos' for Horses

Gone are the days when a sinewy blacksmith would hammer out a set of horseshoes over a hot anvil. One Australian racehorse is now sporting high-tech horseshoes that some are calling "the Jimmy Choos of horseshoes," referring to the luxury shoe designer. Designed by researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the Australian science agency, the hot-pink horseshoes are custom-made for each of a horse's four hooves, using lightweight titanium and 3D-printing technology. Each new shoe weighs about 3.5 ounces (100 grams) less than a regular aluminum horseshoe — and every ounce counts in the high-stakes world of horse racing.

Gotcha! Photons Seen Without Being Destroyed in a First

The atom was in two states. In the other state it isn't — the atom is "out of tune" with both the cavity and the incoming photon. Atoms and subatomic particles are governed by the rules of quantum mechanics, which allowed the rubidium atom to be in both states at once. When the photon reached the cavity, it would either continue inside and get reflected straight back or it would just bounce off the cavity, never entering — which happened if the atom was coupled to the cavity.

Twice as Much Methane Escaping Arctic Seafloor

The Arctic methane time bomb is bigger than scientists once thought and primed to blow, according to a study published today (Nov. 24) in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Last Chance to See Comet ISON Before Its Thursday Sun Encounter

The early morning of Tuesday, Nov. 26, will be the last chance to spot Comet ISON streaking above the horizon before it makes its Thanksgiving Day slingshot around the sun, according to NASA. Comet ISON can be spotted near the southeast horizon to the right of Saturn and Mercury about an hour before dawn, space agency officials said. From very dark locations free of light pollution, Comet ISON should be visible to the naked eye early Tuesday, though it will be more clearly visible with binoculars and telescopes. For novice skywatchers who need help finding the planets to guide their eyes to ISON, NASA recommends using a stargazing app.

Shrine Found at Buddha's Birthplace dates to 6th Century B.C.

An ancient timber structure that may have once marked Buddha's birthplace has been unearthed in Nepal. Charcoal and grains of sand from a timber structure at the Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal, date to the sixth century B.C., according to the a study published in the December issue of the journal Antiquity. The ancient building may have been a shrine built to enclose a tree that the Buddha's mother clung to during the birth of her son. Previously, the site, which was widely believed to be Buddha's birthplace, contained evidence going back just to the third century B.C. [In Photos: An Ancient Buddhist Monastery]

Dead Bird Drift Hints at Disease Outbreak

That somebody is Karl von Ellenrieder, an associate professor of ocean and mechanical engineering at Florida Atlantic University. Von Ellenrieder and his colleagues' new work contributes to simulations of how deceased birds move as they float along lakes and other bodies of water. "If the die-off resulted from some sort of man-made problem, like maybe dumping or just runoff from crops, it would help them understand what the source was and then maybe mitigate it or clean it up," von Ellenrieder said of the U.S. Geological Survey scientists who will use this research. in 2007, 10,000 more birds died than in 1963 from the effects of the toxin.

Mushrooms 'Make Wind' to Spread Spores

But new research shows mushrooms take a more active role in spreading their seed: They "make wind" to carry their spores about, said UCLA researcher Marcus Roper. This study by Roper and Dressaire presents another example of how "fungi are actively manipulating their environment," said Pringle, who wasn't involved in the study.

SpaceX to Launch Landmark Commercial Satellite Mission Today: Watch It Live

The private spaceflight company SpaceX is counting down to a critical commercial satellite launch in Florida today (Nov. 25), and you can watch the launch attempt live online. SpaceX's upgraded Falcon 9 rocket will blast off from a pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 5:37 p.m. EST (0037 Nov. 26 GMT) carrying the SES-8 satellite into orbit for the communications satellite company SES. The mission will mark several big firsts for SpaceX, including the company's first launch of its upgraded Falcon 9 rocket from Florida, its first launch of a huge commercial satellite and its first flight to a high geostationary transfer orbit needed for commercial satellites. Today's launch will be the second flight of SpaceX's upgraded Falcon 9 rocket, known as the Falcon 9 Version 1.1.

Seeking a Russian Silicon Valley (Op-Ed)

Nikolai Nikiforov, minister of Communications and Mass Media for the Russian Federation, contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. With more Internet users than anyplace else in Europe, Russia is not exactly a newcomer to the digital superhighway. But a new information technology (IT) roadmap approved by the Russian government in July 2013 is eliminating speed bumps as never before, with the potential to drive growth rates comparable to the expansion of the oil, gas and natural resources sectors a generation ago. Venture capital investment into the IT sector in the next five years is expected to multiply by a factor of five, reaching $1.2 billion, and this should be accompanied by a doubling of the export of IT products and services to $9 billion, according to estimates compiled by the Russia Ministry of Telecommunications and Mass Media.

Baby Dinosaur Skeleton Unearthed in Canada

The toddler was just 3 years old and 5 feet (1.5 meters) long when it wandered into a river near Alberta, Canada, and drowned about 70 million years ago. The fossil is the smallest intact skeleton ever found from a group of horned, plant-eating dinosaurs known as ceratopsids, a group that includes the iconic Triceratops. "The big ones just preserve better: They don't get eaten, they don't get destroyed by animals," said study co-author Philip Currie, a paleobiologist at the University of Alberta. Paleontologists had unearthed a few individual bones from smaller ceratopsids in the past.

Scientists Explore New Zealand s Deep Sea (Part I)

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Sunday, November 24, 2013

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How to Stop Hating Your Job and Be Happier at Work

A study by staffing services firm OfficeTeam revealed that aside from a paycheck, employees are most grateful for their friendly co-workers. "Many full-time workers spend more than half of their waking hours at the office, so having friendly colleagues can make all the difference when it comes to job satisfaction," said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. "While you can't always control who you work with, employees do have a say in other aspects of their job that can improve their overall happiness." With recent research from Monster.com showing that 15 percent of U.S. employees either dislike or hate their current jobs, OfficeTeam highlights five small shifts professionals can make to be happier at work:

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Saturday, November 23, 2013

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European satellites launched to eye Earth's magnetic field

The European Space Agency on Friday launched three satellites it hopes will help understand why the magnetic field that makes human life possible on Earth appears to be weakening. The satellites, comprising ESA's Swarm project, were launched from Russia's Plesetsk Cosmodrome on a Rockot vehicle at 7.02 a.m. EST and were placed in near-polar orbit at an altitude of 490 kilometers (304 miles) about 91 minutes later. Data that Swarm is due to collect for the next four years will help improve scientists' relatively blurry understanding of the magnetic field that shields life on Earth from deadly solar radiation and helps some animals migrate. It has happened before - the geological record suggests the magnetic field has reversed every 250,000 years, meaning that, with the last event 800,000 years ago, another would seem to be overdue.

ADHD on the Rise Among Children, New Study Says

The percentage of U.S. children with of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has risen dramatically in recent years, new research suggests. In 2011, 6.4 million children between ages 4 and 17 were diagnosed with the disorder, 2 million more than were diagnosed in 2003. More than two-thirds of children with ADHD were prescribed medication for the disorder, according to the study, published online Nov. 19 in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. "Early treatment can be a tremendous help to children whose behavior, performance and relationships are being negatively impacted by ADHD," said study researcher Susanna Visser, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a statement.

Sugar-Sweetened Drinks May Boost Women's Uterine Cancer Risk

Postmenopausal women who drink beverages with added sugar may be more likely to develop cancer of the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus, according to a new study. Researchers found the more sugar-sweetened beverages the women in their study drank, the higher their risk for developing estrogen-dependent endometrial cancer. And women who consumed the highest intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, about 60 servings a week, had a 78 percent increased risk for the cancer, compared with women who didn't drink sugar-sweetened beverages. The findings suggest that consuming drinks with added sugar "may be a risk factor for type I endometrial cancer regardless of other lifestyle factors," the researchers wrote in their study. Endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, and eighth most common cause of cancer death among women in the United States.

Momentum Builds for Obama's Brain Initiative

SAN DIEGO — A new initiative to understand the human brain, announced by President Barack Obama earlier this year, has left people wondering exactly what its goals will be. The BRAIN Initiative (short for Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) is a collaborative effort between government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and private funding organizations. Obama has called the BRAIN Initiative "the next great American project," and indeed, that was the mood among the panel members here.

Evolution battle stirs as Texas delays new biology text

By Jim Forsyth SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - Social conservatives on the Texas State Board of Education have delayed approval of a high school biology textbook, pending a review by experts, citing concerns about the book's lessons on evolution. In the latest episode of a lengthy battle by evangelicals in Texas to insert Christian and Biblical teachings into public school textbooks, the board on Thursday blocked the book's approval. A volunteer reviewer concluded that the assertions in "Pearson Biology," which include lessons on natural selection and the Earth's cooling process, are "errors" that need to be corrected by publisher Pearson Education, one of the nation's largest producers of school textbooks, board members said. "Publishers of several other books agreed to make the changes we pointed out," said David Bradley, a leader of the social conservatives on the board, referring to earlier efforts to change other science texts.

Fred Kavli, science research supporter, dies at 86

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Fred Kavli, who launched a foundation to support science research and award prizes of $1 million to scientists, has died. He was 86.

New US Space Transportation Policy Stresses Private Spacecraft, Heavy-Lift Rocket

The Obama administration has outlined its strategy for maintaining what it describes as the United States' global leadership role in spaceflight and exploration. The White House's new national space transportation policy, released Thursday (Nov. 21), reinforces several previously stated administration priorities. It calls on federal agencies to continue supporting the development of private American spaceships to carry astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit, for example, and directs NASA to keep working on a heavy-lift rocket to send people much farther afield. This plan makes a lot of sense for NASA, allowing the agency to put its limited financial resources to the best possible use, NASA chief Charles Bolden said.

Stargazer Snaps Stunning Milky Way Photo of Mount Rainier (Image)

The brilliant band of the Milky Way dazzles over Mount Rainier National Park in an amazing new image. Paula Cobleigh captured this photo on Oct. 25 while visiting Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. Mount Rainier is an active volcano, ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level (4,392 meters).

How Bright Will Comet ISON Get? Only Time Will Tell

The potentially dazzling Comet ISON is currently visible to the unaided eye — a milestone for the comet's much-anticipated pass through the inner solar system — but its future all depends in how it reacts to a close Thanksgiving encounter with the sun, comet observers say. You can follow the latest Comet ISON news, photos and video on SPACE.com.

NASA Moon Dust Probe Begins Lunar Science Mission

NASA's newest lunar probe has officially begun its mission to study the moon's tenuous atmosphere like never before, as well as track how dust moves across the lunar sky.

Incredible Tech: How to Engineer Life in the Lab

Editor's Note: In this weekly series, LiveScience explores how technology drives scientific exploration and discovery. The year was 2003, the place MIT. A handful of engineers, computer scientists and a molecular biologist convened, intent on answering a simple question: What if biology were faster, cheaper and more predictable to engineer? The molecular biologist was Pamela Silver, of Harvard Medical School.

Roman Emperor Hadrian's Villa Brought to Life with Gaming Software

In ruins today, Hadrian's Villa can only hint at its second-century glory. But a new digital archaeology project promises to transport computer users to the Roman emperor's opulent compound as it might have been nearly 2,000 years ago. Five years in the making, the Digital Hadrian's Villa Project brings to life all 250 acres (101 hectares) of the estate in Tivoli, Italy, through 3D reconstructions and gaming software. The project launched Friday (Nov. 22), and the first of its 20 interactive Web players should be publicly available sometime before Thanksgiving (Nov. 28), said the project's leader Bernie Frischer of Indiana University.

Track Your Trackers: New Tools Organize All Your Data

"A single tracker is only ever going to give you a one-dimensional view of your life," said Josh Sharp, co-founder of Exist, a company that aims to launch one such meta-tracker early next year. Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner.

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