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Monday, June 22, 2015

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High-tech trap to catch graffiti vandals in the act

By Lester Ranby Sydney is deploying a high-tech system that literally sniffs out vandals on its rail network. The CEO of Sydney Trains, Howard Collins, calls the new system Mousetrap. "So our new operation, Mousetrap, is what it says it does.

China says improved docking technology will help future space missions

Chinese scientists have improved the technology needed to carry out docking between vessels in space with the development of an "eye" guidance system that will make the procedure more efficient and safer, state news agency Xinhua said on Monday. Advancing China's space program has been set as a priority by leaders in Beijing, with President Xi Jinping calling for China to establish itself as a space power. China insists that its space program is for peaceful purposes.

Europe's revived comet lander phones home

By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Europe's Philae comet lander re-established radio contact with its orbiting mother ship on Friday, boosting scientists' hopes of reviving a pioneering mission to study a relic of the solar system's formation, project managers said. In November, Philae, a 62-pound (100-kg) spacecraft that hitched a ride with the Rosetta orbiter, touched down, bounced, then finally landed on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Philae ran through a preprogrammed, 64-hour series of experiments, then fell silent, unable to collect enough sunlight to recharge its batteries from its shadowed landing site beneath a cliff.

Toddlers Have a Sense of Justice

"Children, from a very young age, have some sense of justice, in the sense that they'll treat others as they expect themselves to be treated," said study co-author Keith Jensen, a psychologist at the University of Manchester in England.

U.S. Defense Department to develop UK hoverbike

By Jim Drury The dream of a manned, truly functional hoverbike is a step closer to reality after British and American engineers announced a deal with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop and build the vehicle in the States. Malloy have joined forces with U.S. firm SURVICE, 30 year veterans of defense research and development, to develop the vehicle in the U.S. state of Maryland. According to Malloy's marketing sales director Grant Stapleton, "there are a lot of advantages of the Hoverbike over a regular helicopter.

Solitary Confinement: What Are the Impacts of 43 Years of Isolation?

A man who spent nearly 43 years in solitary confinement in a U.S. prison could soon be set free. The effects of solitary confinement on a prisoner's well-being is a subject that has been debated since the first half of the 20th century, according to Peter Scharff Smith, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for Human Rights in Copenhagen. While several studies have downplayed the negative effects of isolating prisoners for long periods of time, many more have concluded that this practice is quite harmful on both a physiological and psychological level, Scharff Smith told Live Science.

Clouds Over Peru: Upwelling Causes 'Bumpy' Fog Along Coastline

Low winter fog obscures the coastline of Peru in a new image from NASA's Terra satellite. The bird's-eye view of coastal Peru comes from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on that satellite, which whooshed over the region on June 7, according to NASA Earth Observatory. The cold water acts to air-condition the atmosphere above, cooling the air and causing water vapor to condense as it would on the edge of a chilled glass.

Water Droplet-Powered Computers Could Run Mini Science Labs

Whereas conventional microelectronics shuffle electrons around wires, in recent years, scientists have begun developing so-called microfluidic devices that shuffle liquids around pipes. Although microfluidic devices are dramatically slower than conventional electronics, the goal is not to compete with electronic computers on traditional computing tasks such as word processing. "The fundamental limits of computation, such as how fast you can go or how small devices can be, are based in how information has to be represented in physical entities," study co-author Manu Prakash, a biophysicist at Stanford University, told Live Science.

Europe launches satellite to give Earth observation color vision

By Maria Sheahan FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Europe will on Monday will launch a satellite that will give its multibillion-euro Copernicus Earth observation project "color vision," delivering valuable images that could help forecast crop harvests and respond to humanitarian crises. The Sentinel-2a satellite, the second of a planned seven-member network, is to be launched aboard a Vega rocket from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana at 9:52 p.m. EDT (0152 GMT) Tuesday. From its orbital perch 488 miles (786 km) above Earth, the spacecraft will collect environmental data intended to help policymakers craft legislation and react to emergencies, such as natural disasters.

Surviving Ebola: Physical & Psychological Ailments Linger for Many

Many people who survive an Ebola infection experience appetite loss and joint pain for months after they are declared free of the virus, although nearly half say they feel they've made close to a full recovery, according to a new study of more than 100 survivors of the disease. "Our findings highlight the need for continued surveillance among survivors of Ebola virus disease," the researchers, from Donka National Hospital in Guinea, wrote in the June 9 issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Little is known about the long-term effects of Ebola, but such information is important for providing support for survivors of the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the researchers said.

Sitting Down for Too Long May Increase Anxiety

People who spend too much time sitting down — be it during a daily commute, or in front of a computer or TV — may be at increased risk for anxiety, a new review finds. Researchers looked at nine studies that assessed people's anxiety levels as well as their sedentary behavior, adding up how much time people spent doing activities like watching TV, working at a computer and playing video games. When examined together, the studies showed "moderate evidence" that increased sedentary behavior is associated with higher anxiety risk, the researchers wrote in the review, published online today (June 18) in the journal BMC Public Health.

Hot Car Dangers: How to Prevent Child Deaths

At least five U.S. children have died in overheated cars this year, but experts say there are a number of steps that parents can take to prevent such tragedies. These accidents can also happen when children are left unattended, and they find their way into an unlocked car while playing.

Modern Human Possibly Had Neanderthal 'Great-Great-Grandparent'

One of the earliest modern humans in Europe had a surprisingly recent Neanderthal ancestor, revealing the two species likely interbred there, according to a new study. The Neanderthal relative was so close to the modern human on the family tree that it could have been the equivalent of a great-great-grandparent, the research suggests. The finding is revising scientists' understanding of when and where humans and Neanderthals interbred, as it suggests humans had sex with Neanderthals more recently than was previously known.

Ancient Romanian jawbone sheds light on Neanderthal interbreeding

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - You may not know it, but you probably have some Neanderthal in you. For people around the world, except sub-Saharan Africans, about 1 to 3 percent of their DNA comes from Neanderthals, our close cousins who disappeared roughly 39,000 years ago. The finding that also indicates that interbreeding with Neanderthals occurred much more recently than previously known.

First Color Movies of Pluto Reveal Double-Planet Dance (Video)

The first color "movies" of Pluto as seen by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft reveal the sheer strangeness of the orbital dance between the dwarf planet and its largest moon Charon. In a new animation of color photos of Pluto taken by New Horizons, the dwarf planet and its big moon can be seen orbiting a central point, rather than Charon simply orbiting Pluto itself. The odd arrangement is what scientists call a "double planet," NASA officials wrote in a video description.

Ceres' Odd Bright Spots Coming Into Focus (Photos)

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has beamed home the best-ever photo of the mysterious bright spots that speckle the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres. The new image resolves Ceres' strange spots, which are found inside a crater about 55 miles (90 kilometers) wide, into a cluster comprised of several patches, some of which were not visible in previous photos. "At least eight spots can be seen next to the largest bright area, which scientists think is approximately 6 miles (9 km) wide," NASA officials wrote in a statement today (June 22).

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Sunday, June 21, 2015

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Pentagon appeals for scientists' help tracking anthrax shipments

By Sharon Begley NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Thursday asked microbiologists for help in tracking samples of anthrax that the army shipped to at least 51 labs in 17 U.S. states and three foreign countries, according to an announcement shared with Reuters. The request indicates that the Pentagon does not know where the anthrax wound up. Researchers who had worked with it at the Dugway Proving Ground biological lab in Utah thought the anthrax samples that they shipped had been killed, but at least one of the labs that received it said it in fact contained live spores.

Water Fights and Grown-Up Talk: How Dads Do It Differently

Dads toss their kiddos in the air, they roughhouse, and they're always game for a water-balloon fight. Thousands of studies have found differences, on average, in how dads and moms parent. From their willingness to tickle-fight to their grown-up speech, here are several ways dads parent differently from moms.

'Astronaut Wives Club' Post-'Launch' Review: Space History vs. Hollywood

"The Astronaut Wives Club," ABC's new drama about the women behind America's first spacemen, has left the launch pad. The premiere of the 10 episode "limited series," aptly titled "Launch," debuted Thursday (June 18), almost two years after the network announced it was adapting Lily Koppel's 2013 book about the "Astro Wives" for the small screen. Spanning two years over the course of the hour, the first episode followed the selection of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts in 1959 through the launch of Alan Shepard (played here by Desmond Harrington) to become the first U.S. astronaut to fly in space in May 1961.

Name a Mars Crater for Dad This Father's Day

If dad already has enough ties and coffee mugs, you could always name a Mars crater for him this Father's Day. The space-funding company Uwingu, which sells naming rights to the 580,000 cataloged Mars craters that have yet to receive a moniker, is offering a special deal: Name a crater between now and Father's Day (June 21) and receive a decorative certificate, either a downloadable digital version or a printed and framed one. In addition, the people who buy the 50 biggest craters through Father's Day get a gift certificate whose value equals that of their purchase, which they can use to name more Red Planet craters through the end of the year.

Father's Day Summer Solstice Marks Longest Day of the Year

Dads everywhere will celebrate Father's Day today (June 21), and the Earth is joining the fun this year with the summer solstice, kicking off the first day of the northern summer. The height of the midday sun has been getting progressively higher since Dec. 21 (the winter solstice), as its direct rays have been gradually migrating to the north. In the summer solstice, the sun stops its northward motion and begins heading south.

Solstice Science: How Humans Celebrate Official Start of Summer

Today (June 21) marks the summer solstice, the official start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The summer solstice is also the longest day of the year for places in the Northern Hemisphere, which means daylight will get progressively shorter each day until the winter solstice in December. For countries north of the Tropic of Cancer, the summer solstice takes place when the Earth's tilt toward the sun is at a maximum, and the sun is directly over countries located across the Tropic of Cancer, such as Mexico, Egypt, India, and southern China.

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Saturday, June 20, 2015

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NYC Ivory Crush Sends Strong Anti-Poaching Message

NEW YORK — Some 1,500 people gathered in New York City's Times Square today (June 19) to witness the destruction of 1 ton of confiscated ivory — a move intended to demonstrate to the world that objects made from poached ivory have no value.

Will Pope Francis' Climate Encyclical Change the World?

Pope Francis has drawn the world's attention with a new encyclical that urges action on climate change. The papal letter, titled "Laudato si," or "On Care for Our Common Home," paints a bleak picture of Earth as sick and poisoned at almost every level. "The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth," Pope Francis wrote in the document, which is typically sent to bishops of all Roman Catholic churches.

Daddy's Here! Why Fathers Call Themselves 'Dad' Around Children

Parents are often their children's language coaches, said Lisa Pellerin, an associate professor of sociology at Ball State University in Indiana. "They're using the terms that they want the child" to use, Pellerin said. Parents may also avoid using pronouns such as "I" or "you" because they are "too abstract and it's somewhat confusing to kids," said Emie Tittnich, an infant mental health specialist at the University of Pittsburgh.

Earth's Mysteriously Light Core Contains Brimstone

Biblical views of the center of the Earth as a hellish pit raging with fire and brimstone have some support from new research. "In a way, we can also say that we have life imitating art," study lead author Paul Savage, a research scientist in the Department of Earth Sciences at Durham University in the United Kingdom, said in a statement."For millennia, tales have been told of the underworld being awash with fire and brimstone. The researchers estimate that the Earth's core contains 10 times the amount of sulfur than in the rest of the world, or comparable to about 10 percent of the mass of the moon.

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