technical updates

Here's how to see three naked-eye planets visible in September's night sky. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2slBjnS

See what's up in the night sky for September 2019, including stargazing events and the moon's phases, in this Space.com gallery courtesy of Starry Night Software. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2urdmcT

Find out what's up in your night sky during September 2019 and how to see it in this Space.com stargazing guide. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2sYlS4N

Two decades of a sedentary lifestyle is associated with a two times risk of premature death compared to being physically active, according to recent study results. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2zCTGH4

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels should be lowered as much as possible to prevent cardiovascular disease, especially in high and very high risk patients. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2PzAm8j

Microorganisms in the body may contribute to destabilization of coronary plaques and subsequent heart attack, according to late breaking research. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2ZpLeKB

Low-dose aspirin does not prolong disability-free survival of healthy people over 70, even in those at the highest risk of cardiovascular disease. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2LdWilc

Artificial intelligence can be used to analyse high-resolution digital X-ray images of paintings, providing more insight for conservators and those restoring classic works of art. A new algorithm was developed and used on the world famous Ghent Altarpiece, as part of an investigative project led by UCL. The finding is expected to improve our understanding of art masterpieces and provide new opportunities for art investigation, conservation and presentation. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2LnStss

Eating nuts at least twice a week is associated with a 17% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2MOpTUq

Hurricane Dorian shut down most major resorts in the Bahamas and forced authorities to evacuate much of the northern shore and low-lying islands Saturday as the fierce Category 4 storm prepared to unleash torrents of rain but was projected to spin farther away from the coast of the Southeast U.S. next week. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2ZsLlFk

The path of Hurricane Dorian, which is currently over the Atlantic and heading for the state of Florida, is closely monitored by US weather services with powerful forecasting tools. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2HwrLNl

The kits improve the sensitivity of smear microscopy and transport of sputum samples from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2NE2pkx

Hurricane Dorian is now a Category 4 storm. See views of its eye from space by astronauts and satellites. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2Pvi2gE

Presence of plantations, livestock significantly increases parasite diversity from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2zGS3rY

Bacteria form biofilms when exposed to low concentrations of antibiotic from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2Lfdozk

The findings can help in determining ‘biosignatures’ that astronomers need to look out for in order to find Earth-like planets outside solar system. from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2ZLUKDe

The bacteria have become resistant to all commonly used antibiotics. The highest resistance was against sulfamethaxozole from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2NI1245

President Donald Trump wants the world to know the United States was not involved in the failure of Iran's most recent rocket launch this week and he's used Twitter to do it. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2ZoO7ey

All you need are a couple of black holes and some cosmic strings. No biggie. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2ZyZe4V

Scientists may have found a volcanic world on the verge of destruction, where the chances of finding life are highly unlikely. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2Llcvnn

Hurricane Dorian strengthened into an "extremely dangerous" storm on Friday as it bore down on the Bahamas and the east coast of the US state of Florida. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2ZKaQgh

Raging wildfires have drawn the world's attention to the Amazon but immolation is just one of the dangers facing the world's largest rain forest, environmental experts across the region say. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/30IvOxz

Hurricane Dorian powered toward Florida with increasing fury Friday, becoming an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm but leaving forecasters uncertain whether it would make a direct hit on the state's east coast or inflict a glancing blow. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2HCUaBh

Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria, which has survived invasions, fires and earthquakes since it was founded by Alexander the Great more than 2,000 years ago, now faces a new menace in the form of climate change. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2UgBlJ9

Jean moves deftly through the tangle of roots and branches before waiting for the rainforest to give him a clue. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2zxSKUa

The US Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday plans to roll back regulations that limit leaks of potent greenhouse gas methane from pipelines and wells, even as some industry players opposed the move. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2PruRsi

The government agency that manages Australia's Great Barrier Reef has downgraded its outlook for the corals' condition from "poor" to "very poor" due to warming oceans. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2LgF4T5

Armed with a tiny new thermometer probe that can quickly measure temperature inside of a cell, University of Illinois researchers have illuminated a mysterious aspect of metabolism: heat generation. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2Zn3lkl

The middle of the Earth's oceans are filled with vast systems of rotating currents known as subtropical gyres. These regions occupy 40% of the Earth's surface and have long been considered remarkably stable biological deserts, with little variation in chemical makeup or the nutrients needed to sustain life. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2LjsDpw

Tiny changes in the microscopic structure of the human brain may affect how patients respond to an emerging therapy for neurological problems. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2zxLg3M

Exercise immediately prior to and during pregnancy restores key tissues in the body, making them better able to manage blood sugar levels and lowering the risk of long term health problems, suggests new research carried out in mice. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/32cXc79

Researchers have uncovered a molecular mechanism by which the human stomach pathogen Helicobacter pylori is attracted to bleach. The study revealed that H. pylori uses a protein called TlpD to sense bleach and swim toward it. The researchers propose H. pylori uses the protein to sense sites of tissue inflammation, which could help colonize the stomach and perhaps locate damaged tissue and nutrients. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/32df5mh

Researchers have developed the first fully-integrated, non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) gas sensor enabled by specially engineered synthetic materials known as metamaterials. The sensor has no moving parts, requires little energy to operate and is among the smallest NDIR sensors ever created. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/30KMpRr

The protozoan disease visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has recently expanded to places where it had not previously been reported and has expanded its geographic distribution within countries where it was already endemic. Now, researchers describe three dispersion routes that have moved Leishmania infantum into and through central-Southern Brazil, helping shed light on the overall mechanisms of VL dispersal. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2PkPo1A

Researchers used a powerful new computer-assisted technology called single-cell transcriptomics that measures thousands of individual cells simultaneously to map cell types and molecular cascades that drive the growth of SHH-medulloblastoma. The scientists report they discovered new treatment strategies for the disease that may help patients fight a recurrent cancer. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2Ukl862

The obesity epidemic affects nearly half a billion people worldwide, many of them children. Obesity-related diseases including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer are a leading cause of preventable death. Researchers have now developed a gene therapy that specifically reduces fat tissue and reverses obesity-related metabolic disease in obese mice. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/34a4ZnX

Scientists used geologic records from deep-sea drill cores to extend the astronomical time scale beyond 50 million years, by about 8 million years. Using their new chronology, they provide a new age for the Paleocene-Eocene boundary (56.01 Ma) with a small margin of error (0.1%). from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2ZArsr4

Only a few individuals of a plant species may be prepared for increasing droughts. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2L5UWZB

A research team has developed a new method for actively controlling the breaking of chemical bonds by shining infrared lasers on tiny antennae. This research may have applications in improving the yields of chemical reactions. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2ZxkiDX

Researchers have found that a protein called TREM2 could positively influence the course of Alzheimer's disease. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2Hx357a

Researchers have identified genetic variants in mice that impact the levels of different bile acids as well as the size of a specific population of microbes in the gut. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2ZqPhWM

A new method for permanently marking cells infected with chikungunya virus could reveal how the virus continues to cause joint pain for months to years after the initial infection, according to a study. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2LhA6W7

A new study uncovered the reason behind chemistry variations in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre ecosystem. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/349Yp0X

Armed with a tiny new thermometer probe that can quickly measure temperature inside of a cell, University of Illinois researchers have illuminated a mysterious aspect of metabolism: heat generation. Mitochondria, the cell's power stations, release quick bursts of heat by unleashing the power stored in an internal proton 'battery,' the researchers found. Better understanding of this process could point to new targets for treating obesity and cancer, they say. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2Uk3Tlk

Researchers have combined two high profile, large-scale datasets to produce something completely new -- a first draft model of the rules guiding neuron-to-neuron connectivity of a whole mouse neocortex. They generated statistical instances of the micro-connectome of 10 million neurons, a model spanning five orders of magnitude and containing 88 billion synaptic connections. A basis for the world's largest-scale simulations of detailed neural circuits. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/343nv1k

A rocky extrasolar moon (exomoon) with bubbling lava may orbit a planet 550 light-years away from us. This is suggested by an international team of researchers on the basis of theoretical predictions matching observations. The 'exo-Io' would appear to be an extreme version of Jupiter's moon Io. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2ZzdY2L

In a study published in Scientific Reports, a group of researchers affiliated with São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil describes an important theoretical finding that may contribute to the development of quantum computing and spintronics (spin electronics), an emerging technology that uses electron spin or angular momentum rather than electron charge to build faster, more efficient devices. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/30EKJZA

Thousands of fires raging across the Amazon, many deliberately set by loggers, ranchers, and others seeking to clear land, have triggered public outrage in recent weeks and prompted climate experts to warn of a fast-approaching point of no return for the lush jungle that covers more than 2 million square miles and extends into nine countries. The rich rainforest is critical to the Earth's climate, influencing weather systems, generating oxygen, and absorbing huge amounts of carbon dioxide—the heat-trapping greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Harvard's Brian Farrell, director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Monique and Philip Lehner Professor for the Study of Latin America, curator of entomology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and professor of biology, has conducted research in the Amazon for decades. He spoke to the Gazette recently about what the fires mean for the future of the planet. from Phys.org - latest science and techn...

A complete international ban will be enforced on their trade as part of efforts to boost numbers from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/30NluEI

Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, attached the tiny Mars Helicopter to the agency's car-size Mars 2020 rover today (Aug. 28), agency officials announced. from Space.com https://ift.tt/32aliiR

The protection of trade routes and lines of communication are traditional military responsibilities, and this will continue to be true as cislunar space becomes "high ground." from Space.com https://ift.tt/2HyCC9p

Claims of a crime aboard the International Space Station raise the question: Who investigates a space crime? from Space.com https://ift.tt/32cwueQ

Nine Saturn V rockets moved astronauts to the moon between 1969 and 1972, but there were three extras made — and you can still see some of the pieces today, says a retired Boeing engineer. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2MJkmOG

A team of researchers and explorers tested the MS1 Mars analog spacesuit in Iceland in one of the most Mars-like environments on Earth. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2UdoozU

The structure of ultra-white beetle scales could hold the key to making bright-white sustainable paint using recycled plastic waste, scientists at the University of Sheffield have discovered. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2PoLzsc

The death toll from heavy rains in Japan rose to three on Thursday, as authorities urged local authorities to stay on alert despite the lifting of some evacuation orders. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2ZruFx2

Papua New Guinea officials have sealed off the area around a Chinese-owned nickel plant in the north of the country after the leakage of potentially toxic slurry that has turned the ocean red. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2MFB3L3

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro signed a decree Wednesday to ban burning throughout the country for two months, government sources cited in local media said, as the authorities scramble to defuse the Amazon fires which have triggered a global outcry. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2zq0wj4

Almost two centuries after descending to its watery grave, the HMS Terror could offer up new clues to its demise—and solve one of the most enduring mysteries in the history of Arctic discovery. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2ZueO0F

Marriott International, the world's largest hotel chain, said Wednesday it was ditching single-use toiletry bottles as part of plans to reduce its environmental impact. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2Ubv1CV

Hurricane Dorian moved out over open waters early Thursday after doing limited damage in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, though forecasters warned it was gaining strength and probably would grow into a dangerous storm while heading toward the northern Bahamas and Florida's east coast. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/34aZDsD

An official with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday a study is needed to consider changes to flood-control measures along the Missouri River south of Sioux City, Iowa. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2Ub3Xnn

Fires have destroyed 1.2 million hectares (3.2 million acres) of forest and grasslands in Bolivia this year, the government said on Wednesday, though environmentalists claim the true figure is much greater. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/347xcfq

People who identify more intensely with a political tribe or ideology share an underlying psychological trait: low levels of cognitive flexibility, according to a new study. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2Ub3QYZ

Clues from Canadian rocks formed billions of year ago reveal a previously unknown loss of life even greater than that of the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, when Earth lost nearly three-quarters of its plant and animal species. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2MHAnoD

Americans throw out a lot more food than they expect they will, food waste that is likely driven in part by ambiguous date labels on packages, a new study has found. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2MHj0UU

ADDIS ABABA A "remarkably complete" 3.8-million-year-old skull of an early human has been unearthed in Ethiopia, scientists announced Wednesday, a discovery that has the potential to alter our understanding of human evolution. The skull, known as "MRD", was discovered not far from the younger Lucy—the ancient ancestor of modern humans—and shows that the two species may have co-existed for about 100,000 years. "This skull is one of the most complete fossils of hominids more than 3 million years old," said Yohannes Haile-Selassie, the renowned Ethiopian paleoanthropologist of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History who is a co-author of two studies published Wednesday in the journal Nature. It "looks set to become another celebrated icon of human evolution," joining the ranks of other high-profile hominid findings, Fred Spoor of the Natural History Museum of London wrote in a commentary accompanying the studies. "Toumai" (of the spec...

The oldest stars in our Galaxy are also the busiest, moving more rapidly than their younger counterparts in and out of the disk of the Milky Way, according to a new analysis. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2PloxCK

The development of new bone can be a multistep process: first, stem cells differentiate into cartilage cells. Next, the cartilage cells become bone cells. But that's not all: the cells must experience some mechanical stresses during the transformation in order to transform efficiently from stem cells to bone cells. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2zru7IG

‘ISRO is looking at test pilots from the armed forces and none of them have any women in that post’ from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/3262Mbx

LONDON Social media users tend to tackle stress from one platform by hopping on to another leading to the risk of becoming more and more addicted to such platforms, says a new study co-conducted by Indian-origin professor. Facebook and Instagram are known to cause stress in users. Faced with these technostress, users however refuse to shut down their device and instead shuttle between Social networking sites (SNS). When faced with such stress, instead of switching off or using them less, people move from one aspect of the social media platforms to another, says Monideepa Tarafdar, Professor at the Lancaster University.   "While it might seem counter-intuitive, social media users are continuing to use the same platforms that are causing them stress rather than switching off from them, creating a blurring between the stress caused and the compulsive use," Tarafdar said.  Published in the Information Systems Journal, the research conducted on the habitual profile of 444...

Mars mission managers are dealing with the biggest source of electromagnetic interference in the solar system. from Space.com https://ift.tt/329Obf2

Step right up and pick your doomsday — and then figure out what we could theoretically do, if we tried to avoid meeting that fate. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2LbkNON

Read an exclusive excerpt from "End Times" addressing whether space entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are right to want to flee Earth. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2Zj3hSF

If HR 5183 b were magically dropped into our solar system, the planet's orbit would reach inside that of Jupiter but extend way out beyond the path of Neptune. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2L8Sn84

NASA should be allowed to consider launching its highly anticipated mission to Jupiter's ocean moon Europa on a private rocket, the space agency's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) just concluded. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2Zl7fdB

In an orange grove outside Exeter, California, workers climb aluminum ladders to pick fruit with expert speed. California produces 80 percent of the nation's fresh oranges, tangerines and lemons, most of it in small Central California communities like these. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2HtY0wH

A new study on agricultural land use calls into question conclusions made by previous studies that recent land-use changes have caused the United States to take up more carbon than it emits. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/32cwmfE

A competitive housing market combined with the rapid rise of immigration is driving gentrification in Seattle's low-cost black neighborhoods, according to a new study by Stanford sociologist Jackelyn Hwang. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2HxxqCS

Captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission on 21 August 2019, this image features a huge raft of pumice rock drifting in the Pacific Ocean. The pumice is believed to have come from an underwater volcano near Tonga, which erupted on 7 August. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/328MsGP

The incredible diversity of life forms on the planet led Charles Darwin to note, "From so simple a beginning, endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." In order to gain a true understanding of the power and limitations of evolution to produce such "endless forms," it is important to study a variety of organisms from across the tree of life. Luckily, next-generation sequencing technologies have enabled in-depth genomic analysis of virtually any organism, expanding the scope of powerful evolutionary analyses beyond model organisms. For example, take the decidedly unusual animal, the Dicyemida. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2HuWXfQ

Researchers from the street medicine team at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have developed "HOUSED BEDS," the first published tool designed specifically to help outreach teams clearly assess the situation of unsheltered homeless patients. This memory-prodding acronym can help clinicians ask high-yield questions and gather vital information necessary to providing quality care tailored to the needs and lifestyles of patients living on the street. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/32bkv1f

Lingering smoke in the Amazon caused concern Tuesday among Brazilians who say that respiratory problems—particularly among children and the elderly—have increased as fires in the region rage. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2Zt9V7X

Moving cargo ships into the slow lane, an idea French President Emmanuel Macron floated at the G7 summit in Biarritz, would be one way to cut maritime transport's giant carbon emissions footprint. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/329vqIE

The fires tearing through the Amazon represent a "tipping point" for the health of the rainforest, the head of a top global forestry management body said Wednesday, urging the world to do more to save the trees. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2UbTEiO

From matcha ice cream to cake and chocolate, producers of traditional Japanese green tea are capitalising on growing global interest in its flavour—even as demand for the drink declines at home. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/344qMNQ

Archeologists in Peru say the 227 bodies they have unearthed from a site used by the pre-Columbian Chimu culture is the biggest-ever discovery of sacrificed children. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2HtJgxO

Soil scientists can't possibly be everywhere at once to study every bit of soil across the planet. Plus, soils are constantly changing. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/32cfUfo

On many evenings during spring and fall migration, tens of millions of birds take flight at sunset and pass over our heads, unseen in the night sky. Though these flights have been recorded for decades by the National Weather Services' network of constantly scanning weather radars, until recently these data have been mostly out of reach for bird researchers. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2HvctIN

July ended with the hottest recorded average temperature since people have been making daily readings. A huge chunk of Greenland has melted, Arctic seas have opened, and the diversity of life on Earth is threatened. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/322wpdE

Can you tell the difference between a young dolphin and an old one? Neither can scientists—not without pulling a tooth, sawing it in half and counting the growth layers like the rings of a tree. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2Pg2Nbe

Dublin As contractors in the Irish city of Cork listened to over 1,000 Siri recordings per shift before Apple suspended the programme last month, they regularly heard drug deals, sensitive business deals and even recordings of people having sex picked up by Apple's digital assistant, a media report said. The contractors had the job of listening to and grading recordings by Apple's virtual assistant Siri, the Irish Examiner reported last week, citing a former employee. The employee said that the details of each Siri user were kept anonymous. "They (the recordings) were about a few seconds long, occasionally we would hear personal data or snippets of conversations but mostly it would be Siri commands," the employee was quoted as saying. Contractors working for Globetech, a Cork-based firm, regularly listened to more than 1,000 recordings from Siri each shift, according to the former employee. These details were revealed after a whistleblower last month told the Gu...

In 2014, Kazakhstan's newest and largest oil field was slated to become a major contributor to the global supply. But within a month of operation, a total shutdown occurred. Without warning, large cracks appeared in its pipelines. For the next two years, the field remained idle due to costly repairs. The cause: embrittlement of the pipelines. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2MDKWZC

Anyone who has gone through the stress and discomfort of raw, irritated skin knows the relief that comes with slathering on a creamy lotion. Topical creams generally contain a few standard ingredients, but manufacturers know little about how these components interact to influence the performance of the product. Now, researchers report the first direct glimpse of how a cream or lotion is structured on the molecular scale, and it's not quite what they expected. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2ZsNQma

Movies featuring heroes with superpowers, such as flight, X-ray vision or extraordinary strength, are all the rage. But while these popular characters are mere flights of fancy, scientists have used nanoparticles to confer a real superpower on ordinary mice: the ability to see near-infrared light. Today, scientists report progress in making versions of these nanoparticles that could someday give built-in night vision to humans. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2MH8ehk

How does ice form? Surprisingly, science hasn't fully answered that question. Differences in ice formation on various surfaces still aren't well understood, but researchers today will explain their finding that the arrangements that surface atoms impose on water molecules are the key. The work has implications for preventing ice formation where it isn't wanted (windshields, power lines) and for promoting ice formation where it is (food or organ preservation). The results could also help improve weather prediction. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2HspRNH

When it comes to historical fashion, nothing stands out more than an item woven with shiny metal threads. These threads have been woven into textiles since ancient times and have been used by cultures around the world. However, the historical record has limited insight into how these materials were made, and conservation efforts limit scientists' ability to obtain samples because many methods are destructive. Today, researchers report their progress toward a new, less damaging methodology for analyzing metal threads. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2ZqTvZH

Made infamous by outbreaks on cruise ships, norovirus can really ruin a vacation, causing severe vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. But the highly infectious virus can also strike closer to home, with water- and foodborne outbreaks occurring in municipal water systems, schools and restaurants. Today, researchers report a sensitive, portable device that can detect as few as a handful of norovirus particles in water. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2L8V4Gz

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)—defined as a bump, blow or jolt to the head that disrupts normal brain function—sent 2.5 million people in the U.S. to the emergency room in 2014, according to statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today, researchers report a self-assembling peptide hydrogel that, when injected into the brains of rats with TBI, increased blood vessel regrowth and neuronal survival. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2Humupz

A major challenge for cancer surgeons is to determine exactly where a tumor starts and where it ends. Removing too much tissue can impair normal functions, but not taking enough can mean the disease could recur. The "MasSpec Pen," a handheld device in development, could someday enable surgeons to distinguish between cancerous and healthy tissue with greater certainty in seconds, while in the operating room. Today, researchers report first results of its use in human surgeries. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2MDNNSs

Tropical Storm Dorian intensified Monday as it approached the Caribbean on a track that will take it near Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic by midweek, possibly at hurricane strength, US forecasters said. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2znEQUD

A team of scientists in the US have managed to reproduce coral in a lab setting for the first time ever, an encouraging step in the race to save "America's Great Barrier Reef" off the coast of Florida. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2PhcnL7

Equipped with hoses connected to rubber backpacks, Brazilian firefighters in the Amazon on Monday raced in a truck along dirt roads toward plumes of smoke after a spotter in a military helicopter directed them to a fast-spreading fire. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2zlVN1B

Holidaymakers splash in the turquoise waters of the Rosignano Solvay beach in Tuscany and laze on its pristine white sands—most of them fully aware that the picture-perfect swimming spot owes its allure to a nearby factory. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2KX44j8

An unmanned spacecraft carrying Russia's first humanoid robot to be sent into orbit successfully docked at the International Space Station on Tuesday, following a failed attempt over the weekend, Moscow's space agency said. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2HsUFxQ

In a first-ever study investigating the risk of neonicotinoid insecticides to ground-nesting bees, University of Guelph researchers have discovered at least one species is being exposed to lethal levels of the chemicals in the soil. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2ZxcXnz

CANBERRA A vast "raft" of volcanic rocks stretching over 150 sq km has been found drifting through the Pacific Ocean, scientists said on Monday. The sea of pumice— the size of 20,000 football fields—was first reported by Australian sailors earlier this month, the BBC reported. Pumice is a lightweight, bubble-rich rock that can float in water. It is produced when magma is cooled rapidly. Experts have said that the mass likely came from an underwater volcano near Tonga which erupted around August 7 according to satellite images. Sailors have been warned to stay clear of the potential hazard. An Australian couple sailing their catamaran to Fiji were the first to report the "pumice raft", after inadvertently entering the rubble at night. They have since sent samples of the pumice stone—which range "from marble to basketball size" —to researchers at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia. Associate Professor Scott Bryan, a geologist ...

As planets in our solar system go, Venus is one for the textbooks. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/30CGnCi

The FEDOR (Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research) robot is on a planned mission to support the crew and test its skills. It will stay on the station until Sept. 7. from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/32bNt17

Dublin As contractors in the Irish city of Cork listened to over 1,000 Siri recordings per shift before Apple suspended the programme last month, they regularly heard drug deals, sensitive business deals and even recordings of people having sex picked up by Apple's digital assistant, a media report said. The contractors had the job of listening to and grading recordings by Apple's virtual assistant Siri, the Irish Examiner reported last week, citing a former employee. The employee said that the details of each Siri user were kept anonymous. "They (the recordings) were about a few seconds long, occasionally we would hear personal data or snippets of conversations but mostly it would be Siri commands," the employee was quoted as saying. Contractors working for Globetech, a Cork-based firm, regularly listened to more than 1,000 recordings from Siri each shift, according to the former employee. These details were revealed after a whistleblower last month told the Gu...

For the first time in history, a Russian Soyuz spacecraft linked up with the International Space Station without a human in the driver's seat. And it brought a robot friend. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2Pb8win

San Francisco, August 27  In a fresh assault on Snapchat, Facebook is developing a new messaging app called "Threads" which will promote sharing your status, location and more with your closest friends. According to The Verge, "Threads" which is being tested internally at Facebook is meant to be a companion to photo-sharing app Instagram. "Threads invites users to automatically share their location, speed, and battery life with friends, along with more typical text, photo, and video messages using Instagram's creative tools," the report said late Monday. Earlier this year, Instagram put an end to "Direct", its standalone camera-first messaging app which was used to send Instagram direct messages. Initially launched in six countries -- Chile, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Turkey and Uruguay --Ain 2017, the Direct app came in with plenty of Snapchat-style filters and also allowed users to swipe down from the top of the screen to type messages t...

Bacteria isolated from Neyyar sanctuary soil has antimicrobial properties from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2ZxrS5i

SpaceX postponed the launch of its Starhopper test rocket's highest flight yet on Monday (Aug. 26) after a last-second abort. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2HsCKHx

We've all been there before. We rummage around our fridge to find those long-forgotten strawberries we bought days ago. Our intentions were good. We really did intend to eat them, but now they've been colonized by an unappetizing mold. Alas, the time has come to bid farewell to the snack that should have been but never was. With a final glance, we toss them in the trash for good. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2ZkPk5Z

As a pediatrician who works in an emergency department, I am reminded daily of how firearm violence impacts my patients and our communities. In many of the hospitals where I and my fellow physicians work, firearm violence is as ingrained as the scrubs we wear and the stretchers that wheel into our emergency departments every day. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/31W8ahk

New data from NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument, aboard the Aqua satellite, shows the movement high in the atmosphere of carbon monoxide associated with fires in the Amazon region of Brazil. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2MBGOti