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Sunday, February 16, 2014

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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.

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Saturday, February 15, 2014

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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.

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Friday, February 14, 2014

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Crazy Ants! Secret Weapon Lets Invaders Take Over US South

Invasive "crazy ants" have been displacing fire ants, and a curious defensive strategy may be behind the crazy ants' bold takeover. Fire ants pack potent venom that kills most ants that come into contact with it. "As this plays out, unless something new and different happens, crazy ants are going to displace fire ants from much of the southeastern U.S. and become the new ecologically dominant invasive ant species," study leader Ed LeBrun, a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, said in a statement. Fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) invaded the U.S. South in the 1930s, hailing from their native South America home.

Need a Happy Fix This Valentine's Day? Play Cupid

Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match — there's something in it for you. What's more, matchmaking may be good for society as a whole, because it creates denser, more resilient social networks. The research is just in time for Valentine's Day, said study leader Lalin Anik, a post-doctoral fellow at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. Anik came to the study of matchmaking from personal experience.

Mysterious Energy Ribbon at Solar System's Edge a 'Cosmic Roadmap'

A strange ribbon of energy and particles at the edge of the solar system first spotted by a NASA spacecraft appears to serve as a sort of "roadmap in the sky" for the interstellar magnetic field, scientists say. By comparing ground-based studies and in-space observations of solar system's mysterious energy ribbon, which was first discovered by NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) in 2009, scientists are learning more details about the conditions at the solar system's edge. The study also sheds light into the sun's environment protects the solar system from high-energy cosmic rays. "What I always have been trying to do was to establish a clear connection between the very high-energy cosmic rays we're seeing [from the ground] and what IBEX is seeing," study leader Nathan Schwadron, a physicist at the University of New Hampshire, told Space.com.

EPA Vastly Misjudges Methane Leaks, Study Confirms

The federal government has underestimated methane emissions from the United States by 50 percent for the past 20 years, according to a comprehensive new study. Methane, also called natural gas, is a powerful but short-lived greenhouse gas. The review of scientific studies of methane emissions suggests that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methane counts are about 50 percent too low, though the underestimate could range from 25 percent to as much as 75 percent. That means the United States is pumping about 14 million tons more methane than thought into the atmosphere each year, according to the findings, published today (Feb. 13) in the journal Science.

Satellite Spies Winter Storm as Eastern US Digs Out (Photo)

The massive storm system bringing miserable weather to the eastern United States can be seen blanketing the region in pictures from space. NOAA's GOES-13 satellite captured this storm image of the Eastern Seaboard on Thursday morning (Feb. 13) 9:45 a.m. EST (1455 UTC), as residents from Georgia to Boston awoke to sleet, ice and several inches snow. NASA/NOAA's GOES Project at the space agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., created the picture, which also incorporates true-color land and ocean image data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Earth-watching sister satellites, Aqua and Terra. The spacecraft take pictures of clouds that are used by NOAA's National Weather Service to monitor storms.

Why the South's Ice Storm Was So Destructive

A treacherous winter storm that is sweeping across the southeastern United States has dumped snow, sleet and freezing rain over a region stretching from the Texas Gulf Coast to the Carolinas. As the storm moves into the Northeast, the icy blast is leaving a trail of destruction, with downed trees and power lines leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power in parts of Georgia and South Carolina. As of this morning (Feb. 13), the National Weather Service (NWS) reported about an inch of ice accumulation from central Georgia into South Carolina. Meteorologists say the worst is now over for the South, but lingering ice, particularly on tree branches and power lines, could exacerbate recovery efforts, said NWS spokesman Chris Vaccaro.

Termite-Inspired Robots Could Be Future Construction Workers

Imagine a fleet of robotic construction workers that can autonomously build structures and work together harmoniously without needing supervision or specific, pre-determined roles. Researchers at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, both in Cambridge, Mass., are designing just this sort of robotic construction crew. Now how do we create and program robots that work in similar ways but build what humans want?'" study lead author Justin Werfel, a researcher at the Wyss Institute, said in a statement.

Flirting with Trouble: Office Romances Can Prove Costly

Whether it's a drop in workplace morale or a sexual harassment lawsuit, office romances have the potential to cause big trouble for businesses of all sizes. Dianne Shaddock Austin, president of Easy Small Business HR, said there is a clear downside to colleagues getting involved in romantic relationships. "All employers should be concerned about workplace romances," Austin told Business News Daily. Research from the Society for Human Resource Management revealed that 43 percent of HR professionals reported romances in their workplaces.

'Pax'? Meteorologists in a Flurry Over Winter-Storm Naming

While a winter storm battered the southern United States and is now barreling up the East Coast, another storm is brewing among meteorologists. Since 2012, The Weather Channel has named some winter storms; Those who oppose the policy say naming winter storms is a publicity stunt and that the criteria for giving blizzards a name is arbitrary. The Weather Channel, for its part, says that naming storms raises awareness of potentially dangerous weather systems, and can make it easier to track a storm's progress across the country, as well as monitor updates on social media.

Gigantic Black Hole Jets Shines in Amazing New Video, Photo

A powerful jet shooting from a supermassive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy shines in a newly released image and video tour. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory gathered data that was used to create the new photo of the galaxy Centaurus A — which is located about 12 million light-years from Earth. The space-based observatory collected the data from 1999 to 2012, but the space agency released the photo on Feb. 6. While the black hole jet is a prominent feature, the picture also shows what scientists think to be the leftovers of a collision between Centaurus A (Cen A for short) and a smaller galaxy millions of years ago.

Rare Sight: See Venus During the Day (Photo)

PHOENIX — One of the more amazing sights in our sky is the planet Venus. At its best, Venus is brighter than all other celestial objects except the sun and moon. Right now, Venus is well up in the morning sky before sunrise, and any time this week, if the sky is clear, you'll have no trouble finding it.

Venus Shines at Its Most Brilliant This Week: How to See It

Venus will perform a balancing act this week. Normally Venus, like most objects in space, gets fainter as it gets farther away from Earth. This week, the planet's distance from Earth and its angle to the sun combine so that Venus shows more of its reflective surface than at any other point in the sun's orbit, causing the planet to shine at its very brightest. Unfortunately, observers can only see Venus at its brightest by getting up early in the morning.

Valentine's Day: Geeky Gift Ideas For Your Sweetheart

If you're looking to spoil your science-minded sweetheart with a special gift on Valentine's Day on Friday, the American Chemical Society has some ideas for how to inject a little chemistry into the festivities. The ACS has put together a list of ideas for science-y Valentine's Day cards and gifts, including experiments that couples can do together. Among some of the suggestions are cards that say, "We make a perfect electron pair," "I will alloys love you," "You light my Bunsen burner," and "Valentine, I have my ion you." A blog entry written by Larry Sherman, a senior scientist in the division of neuroscience at the Oregon National Primate Research Center, explains the effect of love on the brain.

Love Connection: Facebook Gets Credit for Lasting Marriages

Couples who meet on social networking sites such as Facebook are more likely to be satisfied with their marriages than those who meet in other ways, new research suggests. The study, which drew from a representative sample of Americans who were married between 2005 and 2012, also found that 7 percent of people found love through social media sites. Though most researchers haven't looked at "social networking as an avenue for dating, this study suggests it's a pretty safe and good avenue for finding a partner," said study author Jeffrey Hall, a communications researcher at Kansas University. But relatively little attention has been paid to online social networks in particular.

Quitting Smoking May Bring Mental Health Benefits

Quitting smoking is known to have benefits for physical health, including a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease, but a new study suggests that giving up the habit may improve mental health as well. In the study, researchers reviewed information from 26 previous studies, and found that people who quit smoking had a reduction in feelings of depression, anxiety and stress, and an increase in positive mood and quality of life, after they quit, compared with those who continued smoking. This finding was true for people in the general population as well as those with mental health disorders, the researchers said. The findings contradict the widely held assumption that smoking is good for mental health: many smokers continue smoking because they feel that the habit alleviates feelings of depression, anxiety and stress, and helps them relax, the researchers said.

Why You Should Put Down Your Smartphone and Talk to Strangers

Contrary to expectations, people are happier after a conversation with a stranger, the study revealed. "At least in some cases, people don't seem to be social enough for their own well-being," said study researcher Nicholas Epley, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. "They think that sitting in solitude will be more pleasant than engaging in conversation, when, in fact, the opposite is true." [7 Thoughts That Are Bad For You] During his own commute in Chicago, he sees "highly social animals getting on the train every morning and being remarkably anti-social … They might as well be sitting next to a rock."

How to Make Valentine's Day About Love, Not Couples

For singles, Valentine's Day can be a stressful referendum on whether they're lovable. "Perhaps if we widened what the holiday meant, it might be different," said Sandra Faulkner, a relationship researcher at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Despite the advertising, or perhaps because of it, most people probably don't care that much for Valentine's Day, said Jeffrey Hall, a communications researcher at Kansas State University. "There's this real dance where one person, typically the woman, puts expectation on what a guy is supposed to do for Valentine's Day and reserves the right to judge the performance as being good or bad — but doesn't give him any clue as to what she actually wants," Hall said.

Wild Winter Weather Rages — But Not in Sochi

Once again, the eastern United States has been pummeled by a winter storm that's dumped massive amounts of snow on sidewalks and roadways, many of which are still icy from the last snowstorm. Revelers at the Winter Olympics, meanwhile, went shirtless at Sochi's Black Sea beaches, and some athletes were flummoxed by mountain temperatures that hovered near 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). The difference between the two regions' weather is largely due to climate: Sochi is located at 43 degrees north latitude — the same latitude as the south of France — and enjoys a humid, subtropical climate at its lower elevations. The daily temperatures during February in Sochi range from an average low of 37 F (3 C) to an average high of 51 F (11 C), making this winter a fairly typical one for the Black Sea resort.

How Computer Simulations Help Olympic Figure Skaters

Some athletes — including Team USA's Gracie Gold and Ashley Wagner who are competing in the Winter Olympics in Sochi — have turned to computer models seeking the slight adjustments that could help them spin faster in the air to land their triple axels and toe loops on the ice. Jim Richards, a professor of kinesiology and applied physiology at the University of Delaware, developed a system of to help figure skaters refine their jumps.

SpaceX Prepares for Mid-March Launch to Space Station

Juggling flight delays and busy skies with the skill of seasoned air traffic controllers, International Space Station managers have approved the launch date for SpaceX's next cargo resupply mission for March 16. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral's Complex 40 launch pad is set for 4:41 a.m. EDT (0841 GMT), the time when Earth's rotation brings the space station's flight path over the Space Coast, NASA announced last week. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo carrier will make the company's third commercial logistics delivery to the space station under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA. The Dragon spacecraft will chase the space station for two days, with final approach set for March 18 under the guidance of high-tech laser mapping sensors.

Indonesia's Deadly New Volcanic Eruption 'Heard' Around the World

A powerful eruption yesterday evening (Feb. 13) at Indonesia's Mount Kelud volcano, in eastern Java, hurled ash 9 miles (15 kilometers) into the sky, grounding air travel and sending out sound waves picked up by more than a dozen nuclear weapon detectors. More than 200,000 people have been evacuated from the region near Mount Kelud, one of Indonesia's most deadly volcanoes. Volcanic lighting flashed as Kelud flung ash and lava into the air, and lava poured down the volcano's slopes, eyewitnesses said. A lahar killed more than 5,000 people when Kelud erupted in 1919.

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