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Monday, November 2, 2015

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Fossil unearthed in Spain sheds light on ape evolution

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The well-preserved partial skull and skeleton of a gibbon-like creature that lived 11.6 million years ago in Spain is shedding new light on the evolutionary history of modern apes. The remains include 70 bones or bone fragments including a skull exceptionally complete for a primate from that time.

No Digital Divide: Mobile Media Plentiful in Low-Income Families

Babies and toddlers are spending plenty of time using mobile media devices at their homes, including children whose families are not well-off financially, a new study reveals. The researchers looked at families with children under age 4 in an urban, low-income, minority community, and found that nearly all the children had access to popular electronics, such as televisions, computers, smart phones and tablets. The investigators also found that children's use of these devices began at very early ages.

Third Observatory to Close on Sacred Hawaiian Mountain

A British-built observatory located on Hawaii's tallest mountain announced last week that it would be closing, meeting the request of Hawaii's Gov. David Ige to shut down 25 percent of the telescopes on the mountain, in order to facilitate the construction of the Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT). The UKIRT observatory, located on the dormant volcano Mauna Kea, "had already been identified in the Mauna Kea management plan … as one of the telescopes that will not be recycled after the end of its productive life," Guenther Hasinger, director of the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii, which runs the telescope, told Space.com by email.

Star Ships: New Science Cruises Offer Pristine Cosmic Views

Princes Cruises and Discovery Channel have created a line of science-themed cruises called "Discovery at Sea." The excursions feature activities like diving with sharks, spending time with exotic wildlife, looking at auroras and stargazing. For the cruise program, he helped develop the "tour of the sky" that is presented to passengers, he told Space.com.

Next Higgs? Atom Smasher Probes Highest Energies Yet

Scientists at the world's largest atom smasher have made a precise tally of the jumbled cascade of particles produced when two proton beams are smashed together. The results could help researchers discover new types of particles, akin to the now-famous Higgs boson. Researchers at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland sent two beams of protons hurtling in opposite directions and crashed them together at the highest energy level yet achieved at the LHC.

Giant Pterosaur Sported 110 Teeth (and 4 Wicked Fangs)

A little more than 200 million years ago, a four-fanged pterosaur flew over the vast desert of Triassic Utah snagging other reptiles with its toothy mouth, until it met its untimely end on the banks of a dried-up oasis, new research finds. The pterosaur had a massive wingspan of about 4.5 feet (1.3 meters) — about as wide as a 10-year-old child is tall — and sported a total of 110 teeth, four of them inch-long (2.5 centimeters) fangs, said study researcher Brooks Britt, an associate professor of geology at Brigham Young University in Utah. Brigham Young University student Scott Meek found the specimen, including its skull and bones from its body, in 2014 when he was excavating bones from a 300-lb. (136 kilograms) chunk of sandstone.

No Crap: Missing 'Mega Poop' Starves Earth

"This broken global cycle may weaken ecosystem health, fisheries and agriculture," study researcher Joe Roman, a biologist at the University of Vermont, said in a statement. As a result, natural poop-fertilization by land animals has dropped to 8 percent of what it was at the end of the last ice age, Roman and his colleagues report today (Oct. 26) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The situation is even worse in the ocean, where nutrient transport via pooping is estimated at a mere 5 percent of historic values.

Ancient Native American 'Twins' Had Different Mothers

Native American "twins" who died 11,500 years ago in the area that's now Alaska actually had different mothers, a new genetic analysis suggests. The genetic lineage of one of the fake twin babies suggests all Native Americans can trace can trace their lineage to a single wave of migrants who crossed the Bering Strait, said study co-author Justin Tackney, a doctoral candidate in anthropology at the University of Utah. Native Americans descend from people who first left Siberia and crossed the Bering Strait when sea levels were lower and the region formed a land bridge, sometime between 23,000 and 30,000 years ago.

15 Years Later, Space Station Commander Recalls 1st Expedition

A week into taking up residency on board the International Space Station, Bill Shepherd closed out the first entry in his new (space) ship's log with a note to those supporting him and his crewmates on the ground. Now, 15 years later, Shepherd's focus is on the future and how what he helped start might influence what happens next. "What does Space Station mean in the context of the next century, the next millennium?

Rare Case: Man with Brain Disorder Can't Recognize His Reflection

A man who thought he saw a "stranger" in the bathroom mirror, when he was actually looking at his own reflection, turned out to have a rare neurological condition, a new case report finds. Mr. B said that the stranger looked just him, but stayed in the bathroom mirror, according to the authors of the report published online Aug. 25 in the journal Neurocase. "Eventually, the patient told his daughter that the stranger [had] became aggressive, and she decided to drive her father to the hospital," said Dr. Capucine Diard-Detoeuf, a neurologist at the University Hospital of Tours in France, who treated the man and is one of the co-authors of the report.

'Alien Megastructure' Mystery May Soon Be Solved

Astronomers around the world are keeping a close eye on the star KIC 8462852, which has dimmed dramatically numerous times over the past few years, dropping in brightness by up to 22 percent. "As long as one of those events occurs again, we should be able to catch it in the act, and then we'll definitely be able to figure out what we're seeing," said Jason Wright, an astronomer at Pennsylvania State University. KIC 8462852 is a large star that lies about 1,500 light-years from Earth.

Is Pumpkin (Everything) Good for You?

The nutritional benefits of eating real pumpkin do not necessary translate to eating pumpkin-flavored food products, according to Suzy Weems, a registered dietitian and professor of nutrition sciences at Baylor University's College of Health and Human Sciences.

Alan Alda issues latest science challenge: What is sound?

STONY BROOK, N.Y. (AP) — Alan Alda says he's "all ears" for scientists to answer a question for him and 11-year-old children around the world: What is sound?

Scientists dispute study touting vocal learning in chimpanzees

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A team of scientists took issue on Monday with a study published in February claiming to demonstrate vocal learning by chimpanzees in their food grunts, saying the researchers offered exaggerated assertions backed by scant evidence. Julia Fischer of the German Primate Center, New York University's James Higham and the University of Kent's Brandon Wheeler, re-analyzing the study for the same journal, questioned its methods and said the researchers misrepresented data and failed to rule out alternative explanations. "This was a pretty drastic example of exaggerated claims based on a thin data set," Fischer said.

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Sunday, November 1, 2015

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Skull-Shaped Halloween Asteroid Zips by Earth, a Treat for Scientists

On Halloween night, while ghouls and goblins did their trick-or-treating, an asteroid that is most likely a dead comet made a close flyby of Earth, with radar images revealing its eerie skull shape. On Saturday (Oct. 31), the asteroid 2015 TB145 passed by Earth at a range of just over 300,000 miles (480,000 kilometers), placing it just outside the orbit of the moon, where it posed no threat to the planet. Unfortunately for skywatching hobbyists, 2015 TB145 was extremely difficult to see from the ground, but the online Slooh Community Observatory hosted a webcast Saturday afternoon that featured updates on the asteroid's path, and discussions about the dangers of near-Earth asteroids.

Virgin Galactic on Road to Recovery After Fatal SpaceShipTwo Crash

It's been one year since Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo space plane broke apart during a test flight, a tragic accident that killed the copilot and seriously injured the pilot. Now, the commercial spaceflight company is moving forward on construction of its next SpaceShipTwo passenger spaceliner as it pursues other projects to become a global competitor in the new frontier of commercial space. Founded in 2004 by billionaire Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic has made headlines for pre-selling tickets for its private SpaceShipTwo spaceplane at $250,000 a passenger.

New Health Warning Explained: How Processed Meat Is Linked to Cancer

The news for people who eat steaks and other unprocessed red meat was only slightly better. After reviewing data from more than 800 studies that looked at the link between the consumption of red meat or processed meat and the risk of certain cancers, the panel of 22 scientists categorized red meat as probably causing cancer.

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Saturday, October 31, 2015

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Vampires, Zombies & Werewolves, Oh My! The Origins of Halloween Monsters

Love them or fear them, the spooky creatures that haunt your Halloween nightmares have complicated histories. From the 15th century vampire myths of Serbia to the werewolf tales of ancient Rome, here are the origin stories of your favorite Halloween monsters. Vampire legends were popular long before Edward Cullen won the hearts of "Twilight" fans.

Science of the Paranormal: Can You Trust Your Own Mind?

Of all the paranormal phenomena that surround Halloween, the haunted house may be the last to inspire real fear. After checking that none of the medical gas bottles were leaking, he sat back at his desk, only to see a gray figure emerge in the corner of his vision.

Goblin Sharks and 'Skeletorus': 6 Scary Beasts to Haunt Your Halloween

Some sport extra-long fangs, while others perform ghoulish acts. Some roam the deep sea, while others haunt the land. But if there's one thing all of the animals listed here have in common, it's this: They are ready for Halloween 365 days of the year. Here are 10 creepy critters to contemplate as you bob for apples, carve pumpkins and eat copious amounts of candy.

Low-Fat Diets Are Not Better for Weight Loss

Low-fat diets are unlikely to result in greater weight loss than higher-fat diets that have the same amount of calories, a new study finds. The scientists found no difference in people's average weight loss when comparing low-fat and higher-fat diets. Reducing fat only led to greater weight loss when compared to not following any type of diet.

Women's Risk of Early Death Linked to Reproductive Milestones

Some factors related to a woman's reproductive health — such as the age at which she had her first period or the age at which she gave birth to her first child — may be related to her risk of dying early, a new study suggests. Still, "further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to identify the mechanisms that may link reproductive factors with risk of death," Merritt told Live Science.

People with Type 2 Diabetes Fall into 3 Distinct Groups, Study Finds

Type 2 diabetes doesn't affect every person who has it in exactly the same way, but now, a new study shows that people with Type 2 diabetes can be divided into a few distinct groups. The scientists found that there are actually three groups of people with Type 2 diabetes, each with a different set of problems associated with the disease. The findings show "there are statistically meaningful differences between patients," said Joel Dudley, the leader of the study and the director of biomedical informatics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

Halloween Asteroid Flies By Earth Today: Watch It Live Online

A huge asteroid the size of the football stadium has a close encounter with Earth today (Oct. 31) and you can watch the space rock safely fly by online this Halloween. NASA scientists have dubbed asteroid a cosmic "Great Pumpkin" to celebrate the spooky holiday flyby. The asteroid poses no threat of hitting Earth, but it does give astronomers a tantalizing chance to ping the space rock with radar to learn more about what it's like.

Boo! Halloween Asteroid Looks Just Like a Creepy Skull

NASA has called it a "Great Pumpkin." Others have called it "spooky." But this image of a huge asteroid making a Halloween flyby of Earth today looks so much like a skull, it's scary. The radar image of the stadium-sized asteroid 2015 TB145 was captured on Friday, Halloween eve (Oct. 30), by scientists using the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. This radar view - while fitting for today's Halloween asteroid flyby - is actually just one of several images of 2015 TB145 that show it rotating in space, with pitted surface scarred by time. The National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center overseeing Arecibo released the skull-shaped view, as well as another image showing a series of views of the asteroid over time.

Halloween in Space: A Vampire Astronaut and Nightmare in Orbit

You might masquerade as an astronaut for Halloween, but what about when astronauts dress up? In search of eerie holiday cheer, Space.com caught up with retired astronaut Clayton Anderson to hear about his dedication to Halloween garb. "It was Halloween," Anderson recounted.

Always 'Z' Prepared: When Zombies Attack, Look for a Scout

The upcoming horror-comedy film "Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse," opening today (Oct. 30), provides a seemingly unlikely answer: the kid on your block with a sash full of badges. "I was never a Boy Scout, but it's actually a terrific guide for survival," said Mat Mogk, founder of the Zombie Research Society (ZRS), which promotes studies relevant to the (hypothetical) zombie threat. Zombie societies and fictional Scouts aside, some very sober experts have taken the idea of zombie survival at least semiseriously.

Fall Back? Why Daylight Saving Time Is So Confusing

There is mixed research on whether daylight saving time causes an uptick in car accidents as a result of groggy drivers. More objective measures of timekeeping go way back: Ancient Egyptians divided the day into 12 hour-long segments, and used both astronomy and devices called water clocks to track the hours. Other ancient timekeeping methods included sundials and candle clocks, which worked like water clocks except by melting wax rather than by dripping water.

Aftermath of Gargantuan Landslide Captured in Space Image

A huge chunk of rock and ice slid down the flanks of Canada's Mount Steele on Oct. 11, at a dizzying speed — one estimate suggests a whopping 123 mph (nearly 200 km/h). The aftermath of the gargantuan landslide — about 50 million tons (45 million metric tons) tumbled down the mountain — was captured in a stunning satellite image, released last week by NASA's Earth Observatory. The fifth tallest mountain in Canada, Mount Steele is a major peak in the Saint Elias Mountains, towering over part of the southwestern Yukon Territory.

Scared to Death: Can You Really Die of Fright?

There's no question about it, the answer is yes, said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. This response likely benefited early humans when they faced a menacing beast or aggressor, giving them the necessary adrenaline to either fight the attacker or flee the scene, Glatter said. The rush of adrenaline is an involuntary response controlled by the autonomic nervous system.

Fitful Sleep Is Worse Than Staying Awake

It's the first question anyone asks when someone has a new baby: Are you getting enough sleep? Several nights of interrupted sleep may be tougher to deal with than getting less sleep, new research suggests. "When your sleep is disrupted throughout the night, you don't have the opportunity to progress through the sleep stages to get the amount of slow-wave sleep that is key to the feeling of restoration," study lead author Patrick Finan, a professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, said in a statement.

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