Science X Newsletter Sunday, Feb 15

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Why do starburst galaxies 'burst'? ALMA sees super stellar nurseries at heart of sculptor galaxy 
- Possible discovery in 2015 of a new particle in physics 
- High-tech contact lenses zoom with a wink of an eye 
- Human neural stem cells restore cognitive functions impaired by chemotherapy 
- World's first rotary 3-D printer-cum-scanner unveiled at AAAS meeting 
- Bionic eyes offering better sight to blind 
- Google's patent is for odor-removing wearable 
- Scientists seek international authority on climate geoengineering
- An Italian cemetery may provide clues on cholera's evolution 
- Hackers steal up to $1 billion from banks, security co. says (Update) 
- Most scientists think they should be active in public debates 
- Europe destroys last space truck to ISS 
- Proposed rules for drones envision routine commercial use (Update) 
- Study: Oklahoma's daily small quakes raise risk of big ones 
- A new way to view Titan: 'Despeckle' it 

Nanotechnology news

Getting two for one: 'Bonus' electrons in germanium nanocrystals can lead to better solar cells Researchers from FOM, the University of Amsterdam, the Delft University of Technology and the University of the Algarve have discovered that when light hits germanium nanocrystals, the crystals produce 'bonus electrons'. These additional electrons could increase the yield of solar cells and improve the sensitivity of photodetectors. The researchers will publish their work in Light: Science & Applications today.

Physics news

Possible discovery in 2015 of a new particle in physics The world's largest atom-smasher could help physicists understand mysterious dark matter in the universe, and later this year it may offer a discovery even more fascinating than the Higgs-Boson, researchers say.

Earth news

	Iconic graph at center of climate debate The "Hockey Stick" graph, a simple plot representing temperature over time, led to the center of the larger debate on climate change, and skewed the trajectory of at least one researcher, according to Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor of Meteorology, Penn State.
Capturing and storing carbon in soil: Is it real and can it scale? Can beef production help restore ecosystems? A team of scientists, advisors and communications specialists are banding together to explore whether ranching management can create robust soils, watersheds and wildlife habitat while sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide.
	Going negative: Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere To combat climate change, President Obama has called for an 80 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2050. To help achieve this goal, the President has encouraged big investments in wind, solar and other renewable forms of energy.
Study: Oklahoma's daily small quakes raise risk of big ones Small earthquakes shaking Oklahoma and southern Kansas daily and linked to energy drilling are dramatically increasing the chance of bigger and dangerous quakes, federal research indicates.
	Scientists seek international authority on climate geoengineering US scientists and legal experts are calling for a strong, international authority to regulate any man-made interventions meant to combat global warming, amid fears that the technology could be harmful to the environment.
	Oil slump not necessarily bad news for climate Since the 1970s, the renewable energy sector has usually trembled each time oil goes through the "bust" phase of the commodity cycle.
Federal environmental review makes Arctic drilling more likely A revised environmental review of a contested Arctic oil lease makes drilling in the area far more likely, a development that has infuriated environmentalists.
'Mystery goo' on shorebirds is nonpetroleum fat or oil, scientists say Scientists are a little closer to identifying the mystery goo that coated hundreds of birds along the Hayward and San Leandro shoreline in mid-January, ruling out petroleum oil, a state agency announced Thursday.
	US Coast Guard tows fishing boat stuck in Antarctic ice (Update) A U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker was towing a fishing boat out of heavy ice in Antarctica on Saturday after the vessel was stuck there for three days with 26 people aboard.
	Rare ray of hope in UN climate talks The detente achieved at UN talks that concluded with a framework for a world climate pact is only temporary, achieved by kicking the difficult decisions down the road, parties and observers say.
US judge tosses coastal damage suit against oil companies A lawsuit filed in 2013 by a Louisiana flood board that sought damages—potentially in the billions of dollars—from scores of oil, gas and pipeline companies over erosion of the state's fragile coast was thrown out Friday evening by a federal judge.
	Limited climate change accord likely in Paris, IPCC expert says Encouraging progress at climate change talks points to the likelihood of an overall accord being reached at the Paris conference in December, but the deal is unlikely to adequately fight global warming, a top IPCC official said Sunday.

Astronomy & Space news

	Why do starburst galaxies 'burst'? ALMA sees super stellar nurseries at heart of sculptor galaxy Starburst galaxies transmute gas into new stars at a dizzying pace - up to 1,000 times faster than typical spiral galaxies like the Milky Way. To help understand why some galaxies "burst" while others do not, an international team of astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to dissect a cluster of star-forming clouds at the heart of NGC 253, one of the nearest starburst galaxies to the Milky Way.
	A new way to view Titan: 'Despeckle' it During 10 years of discovery, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has pulled back the smoggy veil that obscures the surface of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Cassini's radar instrument has mapped almost half of the giant moon's surface; revealed vast, desert-like expanses of sand dunes; and plumbed the depths of expansive hydrocarbon seas. What could make that scientific bounty even more amazing? Well, what if the radar images could look even better?
	Europe destroys last space truck to ISS The European Space Agency (ESA) on Sunday said it had destroyed its last supply ship to the International Space Station, bringing a seven-year venture to a successful close.
	SETI scientists say it's time to send messages to ET Scientists want to contact extraterrestrial civilizations. Some applause the effort. Others say this is not a good plan at all. The idea is for messages encoded in radio signals to be sent repeatedly for hundreds of years to planets in habitable zones around stars, said a report in The Guardian. Repeated signals would be beamed at nearby planets that were chosen for their odds of harboring life. The scientists are from the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute in California.
	Europe's Rosetta craft swoops for close look at comet The European Space Agency has sent its Rosetta probe in for a close look at the comet it's been tracking for months, a swoop that scientists hope will provide them with detailed measurements and photos of its surface.
	Europe space truck undocks from ISS Europe's last supply vessel to the International Space Station undocked on Saturday at the end of a six-month mission, the European Space Agency (ESA) said.

Technology news

	Video of SmartEyeglass Attach! from Sony is released Sony continues to seed interest in its smart eyewear concept. Sony recently released a video showing the SmartEyeglass Attach! in action, sent to YouTube via the Sony's Xperia Development team. The video is a follow-up to Sony's introduction at CES 2015 of its single-lens display module with OLED tech. The concept focuses on being able to turn existing eyeglasses or sunglasses into smart devices.
	When fake news goes viral, blame the media, says study It's true. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.
	Report: Apple has hundreds working on electric car project (Update) You've heard of the iPhone and iPad. How about the iCar?
	Light reveals new details of Gauguin's creative process French artist Paul Gauguin is well known for his colorful paintings of Tahitian life—such as the painting that sold recently for nearly $300 million—but he also was a highly experimental printmaker. Little is known, however, about the techniques and materials Gauguin used to create his unusual and complex graphic works.
	Social network analysis privacy tackled Protecting people's privacy in an age of online big data is difficult, but doing so when using visual representations of such things as social network data may present unique challenges, according to a Penn State computer scientist.
	Proposed rules for drones envision routine commercial use (Update) Small drones could become a familiar sight across the nation's skies if the government adopts proposals that are largely favorable to commercial use of the remote-controlled aircraft.
	High-tech contact lenses zoom with a wink of an eye Swiss researchers are developing contact lenses that contain tiny telescopes to boost vision and zoom in and out with the wink of an eye.
	World's first rotary 3-D printer-cum-scanner unveiled at AAAS meeting Nanyang Technological University's (NTU Singapore) start-up Blacksmith Group today launched the world's first compact 3D printer that can also scan items into digitised models.
	Google's patent is for odor-removing wearable A Google patent for a wearable aims to make you smell better when you need to smell better. The patent was issued this month by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Google was granted a patent for an "odor removing device" also referred to as a "fragrance emission device" that carries an activity sensor, a communication portion, and a route-suggesting portion. The device can perform a number of functions. It can tell if you have body odor and it can deodorize the odor too; it can steer you away of friends who may be in locations where they would bump into you—and your bad odor. The device would map out an alternative route on your phone so that you can avoid them while you are smelling so bad. The patent talks about an activity module which can detect when the user starts to exert himself or herself. The module may pick up a rise in sweat levels, increase in body odor or body temperature, or any other parameter that may indicate exertion.
	Hackers steal up to $1 billion from banks, security co. says (Update) A hacking ring has stolen up to $1 billion from banks around the world in what would be one of the biggest banking breaches known, a cybersecurity firm says in a report scheduled to be delivered Monday.
	Obama calls for public debate over encryption President Barack Obama said Friday that he probably leans more toward strong computer data encryption than many in law enforcement, but added that he understands investigators' concerns over the matter because of their need to protect people from attacks.
Leading China taxi apps to merge Leading China taxi apps Didi Dache and Kuaidi Dache on Saturday announced a plan to merge, creating a new challenge for Uber Technologies Ltd.'s global expansion.
Alibaba: SEC seeking information on fight over fake goods E-commerce giant Alibaba said Friday that U.S. regulators have requested information on Chinese authorities' allegations that the company has failed to do enough to prevent fake goods from being sold on its websites.
	Over 100 banks hit by sophisticated cyberattack: report A sophisticated global cyberattack struck more than 100 banks in 30 countries stealing hundreds of millions of dollars, The New York Times reported Saturday.
China's latest cyberwar: the battle for New Year train tickets As hundreds of millions in China flock home to celebrate the Year of the Sheep, the world's biggest human migration places extraordinary pressure on roads and railways—but technology is offering new ways to find a route home.
Apple Pay gets a boost from the federal government Apple Pay has won the federal government's stamp of approval.
	US proposes rules for routine commercial use of drones (Update) The government proposed long-awaited rules Sunday to usher in an era of commercial drones zipping through U.S. skies, but packages from these unmanned aircraft won't be landing on doorsteps any time soon.
A look at proposed drone rules Some highlights of rules proposed Sunday on routine flights by small, commercial drones and on privacy protections when the government uses drones to collect information:
	Spain SwissLeaks site Confidencial beats press crisis With plunging sales and advertising, Spain's press is in crisis, but one outlet is thriving: news website El Confidencial, which joined in this week's SwissLeaks tax fraud revelations.
	India's Modi says energy pledge not based on foreign pressure Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday his commitment to ramping up India's renewable energy supplies is not aimed at "impressing the world" following international pressure to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Chemistry news

The future of electronics—now in 2-D The future of electronics could lie in a material from its past, as researchers from The Ohio State University work to turn germanium—the material of 1940s transistors—into a potential replacement for silicon.

Biology news

	100 pilot whales dead after New Zealand stranding More than 100 pilot whales that stranded on a New Zealand beach have died, conservation officials said on Saturday, voicing grave fears for more than 90 others from the pod.
Apples modified to resist browning receive federal approval Don't expect to see them too soon, but they could be coming to your local grocery store—two types of apples genetically modified to resist turning brown after they're bruised or sliced.
Engineer, physicist to turn the inner workings of living cells into 'molecular movies' What happens when a chemical engineer and a physicist walk into a bar? They forge a collaboration that could change biological imaging.

Medicine & Health news

	Human neural stem cells restore cognitive functions impaired by chemotherapy Human neural stem cell treatments are showing promise for reversing learning and memory deficits after chemotherapy, according to UC Irvine researchers.
Bionic eyes offering better sight to blind A brighter ray of hope is on the horizon for the blind, as scientists improve electronic hardware that creates sight - making it possible, they predict, to read printed text, recognize faces and lead normal, independent lives.
	An Italian cemetery may provide clues on cholera's evolution A team of archaeologists and other researchers hope that an ancient graveyard in Italy can yield clues about the deadly bacterium that causes cholera.
Mapping the gut microbiome to better understand its role in obesity Several recent science studies have claimed that the gut microbiome—the diverse array of bacteria that live in the stomach and intestines—may be to blame for obesity. But Katherine Pollard, PhD, a senior investigator at the Gladstone Institutes, says it is not that simple.
	Vaccine opposition has ebbed and flowed over centuries They're considered one of mankind's greatest medical achievements, yet people have balked at vaccines almost since the time of the first vaccination—in 1796, when an English country doctor named Edward Jenner inoculated an 8-year-old boy against smallpox.
	Twitter the right prescription for sharing health research, study says Using Twitter can help physicians be better prepared to answer questions from their patients, according to researchers from the University of British Columbia.
Experts fear e-cigarettes fuel teen addiction E-cigarettes can be an effective tool for smokers aiming to kick their tobacco habit, but officials fear the devices are also creating nicotine addiction among adolescents.
Pitt expert talks about teenage brain development at AAAS Annual Meeting Teenage exploration and risk taking could be explained by dramatic changes in the brain that allow elaborate planning and are driven by the need for immediate reward, according to a University of Pittsburgh neuroscientist who will be talking about her research in a panel discussion and press briefing at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting, Feb. 13 to 16, in San Jose, Calif.
Cannabis: World-renowned researchers discuss a new frontier in therapeutics While debate about recreational marijuana use continues, researchers are investigating the effectiveness of cannabis for treating pain, spasticity, and a host of other medical problems. In a symposium organized by the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) as part of the 2015 American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting held this week in San Jose, California, world-renowned experts from North America and the U.K. share their perspectives on the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis and explore the emerging science behind it.
	Tracking parasites with satellites Scientists are teaming up to use satellite data to target deadly parasites to help predict patterns of parasitic diseases such as malaria, worms and hydatids.
	Ground-breaking lung cancer breath test in clinical trial University of Leicester and Leicester's Hospitals to evaluate revolutionary device which detects lung cancer in early stages
	Limited evidence on management of dyslipidemia in HIV (HealthDay)—A detailed guide has been presented for clinicians who manage dyslipidemia in HIV-infected patients. The guide, based on and extrapolated from guidelines for the general population, has been published online Feb. 4 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
	Electronic beats paper record in peds trauma resuscitations (HealthDay)—Electronic documentation produces more complete records of pediatric trauma resuscitations than paper documentation, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of Emergency Nursing.
	Picky eating usually transient among preschool children (HealthDay)—Picky eating is usually a transient behavior in early childhood, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
Condoms vs chocolates in the Philippines on Valentines Day A condom maker in the Philippines capital Saturday found their Valentine's Day giveaway challenged by a church group who tried to persuade people to swap the contraceptives for chastity and chocolates.
	Ebola cases prompt mini-quarantine in Sierra Leone capital Sierra Leone imposed a quarantine in a fishing district of the capital city, Freetown, after at least five new Ebola cases were confirmed there, an official said Saturday.
Questions on plaintiffs unlikely to derail health lawsuit Despite questions about four challengers' legal right to bring their lawsuit, the Supreme Court probably will not be deterred from deciding whether millions of people covered by the health care overhaul are eligible for the subsidies that make their insurance affordable.
	Health law sign-ups hit snag on big weekend The Obama administration says some people trying to sign up for health insurance ahead of a looming deadline are getting snagged by technical difficulties.
Ebola-hit nations pledge to eradicate virus in 60 days The leaders of the countries devastated by the west African Ebola outbreak vowed at a summit in Guinea on Sunday to eradicate the virus by mid-April.

Other Sciences news

	A formula for predicting innovation By the time she was six years old, Nadya Bliss had already figured out her professional calling. She knew that one day she would be a mathematician.
	Most scientists think they should be active in public debates The vast majority of scientists—87 percent—think they should play an active role in debates on public policy, according to a poll of US scientists released Sunday.
	Greek archaeologists find couple locked in millennia-old hug Death did not part them.

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