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Saturday, August 15, 2015

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Tianjin Explosions Seen from Space (Photo)

Smoke from two massive explosions that rocked the Chinese port city of Tianjin on Wednesday (Aug. 12) floated east over the Bohai Sea before heading south toward the Shangdong Peninsula, NASA satellite images reveal. The images, captured yesterday (Aug. 13) at 2:30 p.m. local time in Tianjin, show a dark plume snaking across the sky over the blue waters of one of the world's busiest seaways. The source of the smoke was likely the industrial fires that burned after the explosions that took place at a warehouse near the city's port that was reportedly storing "dangerous and chemical goods," according to a BBC News report.

Elysium Space Gets Into the Moon Burial Business

San Francisco-based Elysium Space announced Wednesday (Aug. 12) that it has signed a contract with Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology to deliver people's ashes to the surface of the moon aboard Astrobotic's Griffin lander. Another space burial company, Houston-based Celestis, also plans to fly cremated remains to the moon using Griffin (and using the lunar lander being developed by another company, Moon Express, as well). Celestis' moon burial options start at $12,500, while Elysium Space's "Lunar Memorial" service costs $11,950 (though the first 50 participants will receive a special rate of $9,950).

Electrifying Photo Takes Internet by Storm: Why Rainbow Lightning Is So Rare

A real-estate agent and storm chaser captured a snapshot of a lifetime on Aug. 9, when he photographed a rare duo — an eerie flash of lightning framed by a glorious rainbow — in Tucson, Arizona. The electrifying image took social media by storm: As of Aug. 14, Greg McCown's photo had garnered more than 1,000 Facebook likes and more than 3,600 retweets. Although 100 lighting bolts strike the Earth every second, the chances of them flashing near a rainbow are slim, said Randall Cerveny, a professor of meteorology at Arizona State University in Tucson.

Plankton Graveyards Revealed in First Digital Map of Seafloor

Published Aug. 9 in the journal Geology, the interactive map is available online. The last version of the map was hand drawn in the 1970s, according to the University of Sydney. "The old map suggests much of the Southern Ocean around Australia is mainly covered by clay blown off the continent, whereas our map shows this area is actually a complex patchwork of microfossil remains," study author Adriana Dutkiewicz, a sedimentologist at the University of Sydney, said in a statement.

26-Year-Old 'Corduroy' Crowned World's Oldest Living Cat

Twenty-six-year-old Corduroy, a handsome male kitty from the United States, was crowned the oldest living domestic cat this week by Guinness World Records. Corduroy's title replaces another venerable cat in the record book, Tiffany Two, who died recently at the ripe old age of 27 years, 2 months and 20 days. Corduroy's age may not seem that impressive to long-living humans, but the cat's 26 years are notable for a domestic kitty.

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Friday, August 14, 2015

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Scientists use bioengineered yeast instead of poppies to make opioids

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists have invented a speedy method to make potent painkilling opioids using bioengineered baker's yeast instead of poppies, but need to fine-tune the process to make it commercially viable, according to a study published on Thursday. The new method, if it can be made more efficient, could significantly change the multibillion-dollar pain medication manufacturing business, but raises concerns about aggravating the growing problem of opioid abuse. The scientists said they altered the yeast's genetic make-up in a way that coaxed the cells to convert sugar into two opioids - hydrocodone and thebaine - in three to five days.

Astronomers photograph a baby Jupiter in another solar system

By Irene Klotz Astronomers have taken a photograph of a baby planet beyond the solar system that may reveal clues as to how planets such as Jupiter are formed and influence their planetary siblings, a study released on Thursday shows. The planet, which is about double the size of Jupiter, is positioned a bit farther away from its parent star than Saturn orbits the sun. 51 Eridani b is one of the smallest planets beyond the solar system to be directly imaged.

US Military's Top-Secret X-37B Space Plane Mission Nears 3-Month Mark

The United States Air Force's X-37B space plane has now been in orbit for nearly three months on its fourth mystery mission. The X-37B spacecraft launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on May 20, kicking off a mission dubbed OTV-4 (short for Orbital Test Vehicle-4). OTV-4 is the second flight of the second X-37B vehicle built for the Air Force by Boeing.

NASA Test-Fires Engine for Next-Generation Megarocket (Video)

NASA put the engine at the heart of its huge next-generation rocket to the test again today (Aug. 13). The agency performed a nearly 9-minute-long "hot fire" test of an RS-25 engine at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Four RS-25s will power the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket, which NASA is developing to get astronauts to asteroids, Mars and other deep-space destinations.

Genes Confirm: Octopuses Are Brainy and Weird

Octopuses are known to be brainiacs — they can mimic flounder in a flash, unscrew themselves out of a sealed jar and even use coconut shells to build a mobile home. Determining how octopuses' brains and bodies evolved "represents a first step to understanding these really cool animals at a new level," said Caroline Albertin, the lead researcher on the study and a graduate student studying evolution of animal development at the University of Chicago. "The octopus nervous system is organized in a totally different way from ours: The central brain surrounds the esophagus, which is typical of invertebrates, but it also has groups of neurons in the arms that can work relatively autonomously, plus huge optic lobes involved in vision," study co-author Daniel Rokhsar, a professor of genetics and genomics at the University of California, Berkeley, said in a statement.

Ancient Footprints May Show Dinosaur Duo Strolling Along the Beach

About 142 million years ago, two carnivorous dinosaurs wandered along a beach and left their large footprints behind in the sand, a new study finds. These footprints, now fossilized, are helping researchers understand what types of dinosaurs lived in what is now modern-day northern Germany.

Scientists researching brain disorders create super-clever mice

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have genetically modified mice to be super-intelligent and found they are also less anxious, a discovery that may help the search for treatments for disorders such as Alzheimer's, schizophrenia and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Researchers from Britain and Canada found that altering a single gene to block the phosphodiesterase-4B (PDE4B) enzyme, which is found in many organs including the brain, made mice cleverer and at the same time less fearful. "Our work using mice has identified phosphodiesterase-4B as a promising target for potential new treatments," said Steve Clapcote, a lecturer in pharmacology at Britain's Leeds University, who led the study.

Ancient Monolith Suggests Humans Lived on Now-Underwater Archipelago

During a high-resolution mapping of the seafloor surrounding Sicily, researchers discovered an ancient treasure: a stone monolith spanning 39 feet (12 meters), resting on the bottom of the Mediterranean. "It was a great," said lead researcher Emanuele Lodolo, a staff researcher at the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics in Italy.

Low-Fat vs. Low-Carb Diets: Which Trims More Fat?

Following a low-fat diet may help dieters lose more body fat than following a low-carb diet, according to a new study. In comparison, the same people lost 1.9 ounces (53 grams) of fat per day while following a low-carb diet for the same amount of time. "A lot of people have very strong opinions about what matters for weight loss, and the physiological data upon which those beliefs are based are sometimes lacking," study author Kevin Hall, a metabolism researcher at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, said in a statement.

'Exercise Hormone' Irisin Really Does Exist

The "exercise hormone" irisin has generated controversy among scientists — some say it's produced when humans work up a sweat, and holds promise as a weight-loss treatment, but others contend that irisin doesn't even really exist in people.

Melanoma Risk May Be Higher After Organ Transplant

People who receive organ transplants may have an increased risk of developing the deadly skin cancer melanoma, according to a new study. Researchers found that the risk of melanoma among the organ transplant recipients in the study was about double that of people in the general population. Moreover, the organ transplant recipients faced a risk of regional-stage melanoma - cancer that has begun to spread to other parts of the body - that was about quadruple that of the general population.

Jimmy Carter's Cancer: How Doctors May Find Where It Started

Former President Jimmy Carter has not revealed much about his recent cancer diagnosis, but an important part of caring for anyone with cancer is finding out where the disease started, so that doctors can best treat it, experts say. Yesterday, Carter released a statement saying that during a recent liver surgery, doctors discovered metastatic cancer. Metastatic means cancer that has spread to other parts of the body from where it started.

Beautiful Corals in Home Aquariums Can Poison You

Aquarium enthusiasts and people who work in aquarium stores should be aware that some types of coral produce dangerous toxins that can be hazardous to your health, according to a new report. The report, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, describes 10 cases of toxin poisoning in Alaska between 2012 and 2014 that were linked to zoanthid corals, a common type of coral in home aquariums. Some zoanthid contain high levels of palytoxin, a toxin that can cause life-threatening symptoms if people touch, inhale or ingest it, the CDC said.

Mobile Health Tech Looks Promising, But Does It Work?

Smartphone apps, health-monitoring devices and wearable sensors that collect real-time data have the potential to help Americans improve their heart health. In a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association published in the journal Circulation, a committee of heart-health experts evaluated the scientific evidence on the mobile health technologies that people might use to reduce their risk of heart disease. "The review found that the research on mobile health technologies is still in the very early stages, and more research is needed to understand the role of mobile solutions for cardiovascular disease prevention," said Dr. Jun Ma, a professor of public health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a co-author of the statement.

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Thursday, August 13, 2015

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Perseid Meteor Shower Weather Forecast: Clear Skies for Most of US Tonight

For many skywatchers across the United States, clear skies and a dark moon will create optimal viewing conditions for tonight's Perseid meteor shower. You can also watch a live webcast of the meteor shower courtesy of NASA TV starting at 10 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT). The annual Perseid meteor shower will take place during the predawn hours of Thursday (Aug. 13), with the best views starting at about 2 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT) for much of North America.

Music boosts recovery from surgery, reduces pain

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Listening to music before, during and after surgery reduces patients' pain, eases anxiety and lessens the need for painkillers, British scientists said on Thursday. After reviewing evidence from around 7,000 patients, the scientists said people going for surgery should be allowed to choose the music they'd like to hear to maximize the benefit. "Music is a non-invasive, safe, cheap intervention that should be available to everyone undergoing surgery," said Catherine Meads from Brunel University, who co-led the research.

Colorado Mine Spill Aftermath: How to Clean a River

On Aug. 5, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) workers inadvertently breached a wall of loose debris that was holding back a pool of mustard-hued wastewater from the abandoned Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado. The EPA is now scrambling to clean up the mess.

Bang! Exploding Star Reveals Lithium Discovery

Now, new measurements from the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) La Silla facility in Chile reveal that the explosion is ejecting the element lithium, the first time that element has been seen in a nova system. This may help explain the topsy-turvy lithium distribution within stars, according to ESO officials. "Older stars have less lithium than expected, and some younger ones up to 10 times more." [Video: Lithium Found in Nova Blast] The amount of lithium ejected from Nova Centauri is small, less than 1 billionth the mass of Earth's sun.

Mystery Deepens: Matter and Antimatter Are Mirror Images

Matter and antimatter appear to be perfect mirror images of each other as far as anyone can see, scientists have discovered with unprecedented precision, foiling hope of solving the mystery as to why there is far more matter than antimatter in the universe. Everyday matter is made up of protons, neutrons or electrons. The profound mystery is, why the universe is not made up of equal parts antimatter, since the Big Bang that is thought to have created the universe 13.7 billion years ago produced equal amounts of both.

Comet and Rosetta Spacecraft Make Closest Approach to the Sun

After more than a year in orbit around a comet, the European Rosetta spacecraft and its icy dance partner are hitting a huge milestone: their closest approach to the sun. In late July, Rosetta's camera caught a jet eruptingin the space of less than half an hour. It is there to watch and observe changes in the comet over time, with the same suite of instruments, as opposed to a flyby — or maybe different missions having flybys at different times with different instruments," said Joel Parker, an interdisciplinary scientist on the mission.

King Tut's Tomb May Hide Nefertiti's Secret Grave

The burial chamber of King Tut has revealed many secrets over the years, but there may be a whopper yet to discover: the tomb of his mother, Queen Nefertiti. A scan of the wall texture in King Tutankhamun's tomb reveals indentations or faint lines, which could suggest two hidden doors. Based on other aspects of the tomb's geometry, it's possible that Nefertiti is hiding behind the door, said Nicholas Reeves, an archaeologist at the University of Arizona who has proposed the theory of Queen Nefertiti's secret tomb.

Neighborhood Marijuana Shops Linked to Pot-Related Hospital Stays

California neighborhoods that have more medical marijuana dispensaries may also have more hospitalizations related to marijuana abuse or addiction, a new study finds. In the study, researchers calculated the number of dispensaries per square mile within California ZIP codes, and found that each additional pot shop was linked to a 6.8 percent increase in the number of pot-related hospitalizations. The findings may help illuminate the effects of increased marijuana availability, as voters and state legislatures decide whether the drug should become medically or recreationally legal, the researchers wrote in their findings, which will be published in the Sept. 1 issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Comet lander still silent, scientists shift focus to drilling

BERLIN/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - European scientists have revised their plans for the comet lander Philae and are now focusing on getting images and drill samples if communications are restored. After coming to rest in the shadows when it landed on a comet in November, Philae woke up in June, delighting scientists from the European Space Agency, who came up with plans for several experiments they wanted to run before working up to the most risky one - drilling into the surface. "The problem is not power, but communications," Aurelie Moussi from space agency CNES said in a webcast on Thursday.

Comet lander still silent, scientists shift focus to drilling

BERLIN/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - European scientists have revised their plans for the comet lander Philae and are now focussing on getting images and drill samples if communications are restored. After coming to rest in the shadows when it landed on a comet in November, Philae woke up in June, delighting scientists from the European Space Agency, who came up with plans for several experiments they wanted to run before working up to the most risky one - drilling into the surface. "The problem is not power, but communications," Aurelie Moussi from space agency CNES said in a webcast on Thursday.

Supersniffing Ants Smell Things Humans Can't

Ants may be experts at sniffing out body odor, according to a new study that reveals these insects have a "high-definition ability" to detect tiny chemical changes in the pheromones other ants give off. Scientists from the University of California, Riverside, studied how ants tell each other apart in their colonies based on tiny, nearly undetectable changes in how other ants smell. Social insects, like ants, detect each other's smells using sensors in their antennae.

Cheers! Yeast's Evolutionary Journey Gave Beer Its Flavor

Whether discussing the crisp taste of lagers or the more robust flavor of ales, beer buffs typically have plenty to say about where their preferences lie. What sets lagers and ales apart has to do with the beer's fermentation process. Now, new research explains how different strains of yeast came to be (particularly those used to make lagers), which had been something of a mystery.

'Best Meteor Shower in Years': Perseids Put on a Spectacular Show

The moon posed no obstacle as the Perseid meteor shower peaked last night, giving some skywatchers the best views of shooting stars in years — even in areas that usually have too much light for skywatchers to see anything. The Perseid meteor shower comes around every year as Earth passes through the debris left in the wake of Comet Swift-Tuttle, a 6-mile-wide (10 kilometers) body that orbits the sun every 133 years. "Just wanted to share my shot of the meteor shower tonight with you," photographer Chris Bakley wrote in an email to Space.com.

Tennis Ball-Size Octopuses Suction Each Other During Sex

The larger Pacific striped octopus, or LPSO for short, engages in a variety of odd behaviors — from startling prey into its outstretched arms with a sneaky tapping motion to suctioning onto its partner during mating. Though scientists first observed the species in the 1970s, LPSOs have remained relatively unstudied until recently, said Roy Caldwell, a professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley, whose study outlining the LPSO's odd tendencies was published today (Aug. 12) in the journal PLOS One.

Scientists use bioengineered yeast instead of poppies to make opioids

Found! 'Young Jupiter,' the Smallest Exoplanet Directly Seen by Telescope

Astronomers have found the smallest planet outside this solar system yet to be directly photographed by a telescope on Earth, a methane-shrouded gas giant much like a young Jupiter. This newfound alien planet, called 51 Eridani b, orbits a star about 96 light-years from Earth in a planetary system that may be much like Earth's own solar system. The discovery could shed light on how our solar system formed, scientists added.

Drones Spook Bears

Bears apparently find UFOs unbearable — airborne robots and other unidentified flying objects can make bear hearts beat four times faster, researchers say. This finding suggests that greater caution might be necessary with drones flying above wildlife, scientists added. Airborne drones — also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) — are becoming increasingly popular, with Amazon suggesting they could deliver goods to online shoppers and tech giants such as Google potentially investigating their use to bring wireless Internet connectivity across the planet.

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