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No Batteries required: Energy-harvesting yarns generate electricity
An team lead by scientists from the University of Texas at Dallas and Hanyang University in South Korea have found a way to generate electricity when yarns are stretched or twisted. These yarns are constructed of carbon nanotubes, that are hollow cylinders. The way that the yarns are able to conduct electricity is by being in contact with a electrolyte, and this application can be as simple as being in contact with salt and water for example. The amazing part is that the yarns are considered to be "super capacitors", yet the yarn is charged by the electrolyte itself, thus doesn't need voltage. Also, as the yarn is constantly being twisted or stretched, it helps decrease the volume, and therefore it increases in amount of energy. For Example, "Stretching the coiled twistron yarns 30 times a second generated 250 watts per kilogram..."
With the finding of this discovery many different ways of applying this method can be achieved. It is said that the yarn can be able to work as an LED, an efficient way of lighting up your home. Also, twistrons are able to harvest waste thermal energy, one of the leading problems today is we aren't finding ways to recycle our energy and letting it go to waste, this discovery helps us in that aspect. Dr. Li goes on to say that "Twistron technology might be exploited for such applications where changing batteries is impractical." Do you know how much of an hassle it is when your batteries die, and you're forced to get up and go get a new set.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170824141256.html
8/31/17
Why Houston isn't the only U.S. community ripe for disaster
The historic hurricane that hit Houston with imaginable amount of water is only increasing in deaths and dollars. In matter of fact just in the Houston metro area alone it is said to be more than 325 billion dollars of presumed damage. The leading cause to unnatural disasters is growth and development everywhere, we continue to build homes and buildings on unsafe places, from floodplains to fire-prone woodlands. Some meteorological threats that could challenge the are of Houston is that of extreme downpours and heat waves, are sure to worsen the climate. Some scientists are worried over the field in which they refer to as "attribution" science, which shows that if the storm as do with global warning at all, however the climate is not only changing but society itself, which is that we as a society are only producing more toxins for our world. For example, in a 2016 study shows that there is in fact a direct relationship with tornadoes in "violent outbreaks and climate change".
I believe that we as a society aren't doing the necessary and whats required as human beings, in trying to help these desperate people and give them assistance. Not only in our society, but in our government as well. Donald Trump got rid of an executive order from President Barack Obama, which set standards in determining the danger of flood risks, and it's ironic how months after he got rid of this order, the worst flood in United States history happened, and now looks like a complete fool. I also believe that we should help these people, because lets say a earthquake happens in California, and it ruins California, then it will be the responsibility of other US citizens to help those when we're down.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/08/why-houston-isn-t-only-us-community-ripe-disaster
9/7/2017 Just 1 C of Ocean warning can upend marine ecosystems
This recent study preformed by a couple of scientists has showed that a sudden change of 1 C in the seawater temperature can affect the ocean communities. As Mark Urban says that he believes we have entered a new period and he calls this the "heat age". To effectively predict how the rise in heat affects the organisms, the scientists then decided to remove certain organisms to record the abnormalities in a tank first then they decided to take this experiment to the sea. They lowered plastic boxes into the sea, and then heated a layer of water to 1 C "above the ambient temperature". They did this for nine months, and would compare amount of organisms that would settle on the heated boxes to those boxes who weren't. Just after two months the team said that "Overall species diversity plummeted by 50 percent.
This finding can be significant in what happens to those ecosystems that happen to rise over 1 C, imagine how drastic would the natural ecosystems would be and how the whole ecosystem would be in chaos, if one part of the ecosystem is out of order, then the rest are affected. The findings also help to raise more awareness for another reason why we should cut down on all the greenhouse gas emissions being produced and to for people to open their eyes and start paying attention to the harm we do to the planet in every fashion.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/08/just-1-c-ocean-warming-can-upend-marine-ecosystems
9/14/2017
Are countries being honest about their carbon emissions? Satellites could tell
Researchers have been able to track the number of Carbon dioxide emissions, being admitted in the atmosphere, in fact can even track amount of co2 from an individual power plant. In 2014, when NASA's orbiting Carbon Observatory 2, was innovated to be able to tell the movement of co2 in and out of an ecosystem, it's sensors reads the co2 concentrations in the air about "1 part per million in areas covering 3 square kilometers". In reality to the shock of the researchers whom observe this, "17 percent of the actual amounts those facilities reported." It happens to be that the emissions plumes would disperse.
A positive from being able to tell the amount of co2 being admitted into the atmosphere, helps society as a whole to more fully understand of in reality the amount of co2 that is being produced because of us. This only helps people understand the danger we as a community, that community being Earth itself, is getting deeper and deeper plunged into a hole, that I not so sure that we're going to be able to dig ourselves out of that hole.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/09/are-countries-being-honest-about-their-carbon-emissions-satellites-could-tell
9/20/17 Why Flu Vaccines so often fail
The flu vaccine season is back in full swing. However, today the effectiveness of the most common vaccines appear to be ineffective. In fact, the reality is that the most common vaccines only protect "60 % of people". In a more serious cases, it is said that the effectiveness of vaccines has even plunged to 10 percent, which directs leads to the death of many people. People are questioned what has caused this depletion of effectiveness, some say it's the fault of manufactures not being able to correctly which strains will spread this year. Others say it's the way which it is being produced or quirks of individual immune. Osterhorn, says that "I know less about influenza today than I did 10 years ago".
In fact, the supposed success rate of vaccines in protecting from the flu has decreased since the 1970's. In fact, in the 1940's it is said the success rate was at about 90 percent. As technology has advanced it has exposed the deficiencies of the vaccine. Hensley, a advocated in finding methods to ensure that flu shots are fully effective. He and his group have composed that someone's immune system is affected by the first exposure to flu, which this exposure leaves someone's immune system to act a certain way depending on their first reaction to the flu. People should become more weary on this issue of vaccines being unless, and make sure that they are, and if that means going to extra steps, than getting free shots, then go the extra step to ensure your safety.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/09/why-flu-vaccines-so-often-fail
9/28/2017
Are antibiotics turning livestock into superbug factories?
Did you know that 80 percent of the antibiotics aren't used by humans? Rather these antibiotics are all be used by cows, pigs, and chickens, and the reason why the animals take so much antibiotics is because it's an easy alternative to keeping these animals healthy. According, to this article this rapid usage of antibiotics could leave to the developed of the superbugs, which can't be treated for. In this study it says by 2030, more than 200,000 tons of antibiotics will be used. The laws in the United States do appear to be blurry, when it comes to the usage of antibiotics, and the amount of antibiotics that can be used. Yet today in America is only more and more demand for meat products, which means the increase of antibiotics.
Giorgia Guglielmi composed a study, and came to three strategies that may pose a possible solution to reduce the usage of antibiotics with livestock. She proposes that we cut down on our consumption of meat, she says that "people eat on average 260 grams of meat per day." She proposed for we to developed a surveillance system to look over the products being released to the public to consume. Her third strategy is taxing the antibiotics, when they come straight of of the factory line. She says it might help people like farmers and veterinarians only use the antibiotics when necessary. One may ask why should I care? The reality is that tell me do you want to eat something that is fully engulfed with antibiotics, and then maybe die, because you contracted the bacteria, and be left helpless.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/09/are-antibiotics-turning-livestock-superbug-factories
10/4/2017 Searching for survivors of the Mexico earthquake- with snake robots
The completion of the deadly earthquake has occurred. In three of these days, two robotic snakes were put to use to search for people in need. These snakes are made out of metal, and spread through areas that are tight, thus go to places that humans or other machinery aren't able to access. It proved to be effective yet there are changes needed to be done in order to have perfection. One of the imperfections is that the robot snake is challenged in the sunlight, it isn't as effective in the sun, it slows down. The people who designed the robot acknowledge that there product needs to be more diverse when it comes to the turf their on, and needs to have more well sounded.
This new design of using a robot and making it appear and move like a snake seems pretty ingenious. The size of the snake and the ability it to slither around obstacles seems a perfect combination to help save peoples lives. Imagine if the designers are able to construct a model that's ability to design the robot to perform better in certain conditions, and adapt the robot to different situation could help save peoples live in many different fashions.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/10/searching-survivors-mexico-earthquake-snake-robots
10/11/17 Ultrasonic probe could detect stroke, brain damage in young babies
There is now a portable device the size of a domino could be used to detect seizures or other abnormal activities in the babies brain. It can also according to this article could be used for growing babies to monitor if they contract cerebral palsy. They have been able to use the brains of perished babies brain for research, and have how found that the first couple of weeks of a newborns life is the most essential weeks. They were able to developed a device that is small and safe and effective. Using ultra soft allows the use of high- frequency sound waves to capture images in the brain and inside the body.
This new technique is very important to not only the overall bettering of babies early life and being able to gasp more ways to help babies in need. It's also very important to the field of neuroscientists who could use this to advance their studies in the development of the brain and find out diseases origins such as that of Autism. A neuroscientist tells how the acquiring of more information over brain development could help predict the future problems in someone.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/10/ultrasonic-probe-could-detect-stroke-brain-damage-young-babies
10/19/2017 Why haven't we had alien contact? Blame icy ocean worlds
Alan Stern of the southwest research institute in Boulder, Colorado has concluded the delaying of our contact with extraterritorial creatures, due to the subsurface oceans crusted over in frozen water ice in their home planets. This hypothesis could provide a reason for the lack of interaction between other civilizations. This theory cant be backed up to how common oceans are in the solar system. These worlds have water ice on their crusts, which creates mountains and canyons.
I cant definitely say if other life is existing in other places in our universe, however I do believe that anything can be proven true with evidence. The prevalence of any icy barrier on planet could be reason why no communication has been made, yet I always tell myself that many of the "known " happenings that have happened to be said for a reason yet none of us really know.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/10/why-haven-t-we-had-alien-contact-blame-icy-ocean-worlds
' 10/26/2017 More gray Whales are risking their lives for shrimp cocktail
Gray whales are curmudgeons. They are often reclusive and go their on paths looking for a meal of invertebrates. Of recent a group of whales on the coast of Washington state have started to become more social, and they are adventuring further than ever before to eat ghost shrimp, and this party of whales is only increasing yearly as they migrate. But, the real surprise is how the whales are spending a lot of more time together in packs. To find out of the reason for adventuring further a team outfitted 11 whales with sanction cup to find out the reason for this exploration. They found that in the mudflats there could large concentrated amounts of shrimp in one location.
This could be used to show how us humans are destroying the ecosystem of these whales. These whales are going further than they would for reason of destruction of habitats, and over fishing. It continues to show that the real predators of the animal kingdom is humankind itself, in how it keeps destroying biodiversity in planet earth. From over hunting animals to point or brink of extinction, to destruction of homes, to polluting this planet more and more.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/10/more-gray-whales-are-risking-their-lives-shrimp-cocktail
11/2/2017 Five new asteroids surprise astronomers in Hubble images
Five new discovers asteroids have been captured in telescope images in our solar system. The astronomers captured these images during doing a project of frontier project, which was doing studies of galaxies billions of light- years away. Just when different exposures where taken during different times were the asteroids be able to be seen. The asteroids appeared to trails of the exposure they were exposed to. The asteroids right now are in the belt between Jupiter and mars.
It's of importance to us to keep a close watch on these asteroids and see if any of these asteroids decide to visit earth, and if they do we need to be informed to prepare for impact and know what areas these asteroids are going to strike down on to evacuate the area. It also its just importsnt to be informed when its comes to the solar system since something can be spurred up quick without our knowledge.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/11/five-new-asteroids-surprise-astronomers-hubble-images
Gray whales are curmudgeons. They are often reclusive and go their on paths looking for a meal of invertebrates. Of recent a group of whales on the coast of Washington state have started to become more social, and they are adventuring further than ever before to eat ghost shrimp, and this party of whales is only increasing yearly as they migrate. But, the real surprise is how the whales are spending a lot of more time together in packs. To find out of the reason for adventuring further a team outfitted 11 whales with sanction cup to find out the reason for this exploration. They found that in the mudflats there could large concentrated amounts of shrimp in one location.
This could be used to show how us humans are destroying the ecosystem of these whales. These whales are going further than they would for reason of destruction of habitats, and over fishing. It continues to show that the real predators of the animal kingdom is humankind itself, in how it keeps destroying biodiversity in planet earth. From over hunting animals to point or brink of extinction, to destruction of homes, to polluting this planet more and more.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/10/more-gray-whales-are-risking-their-lives-shrimp-cocktail
11/2/2017 Five new asteroids surprise astronomers in Hubble images
Five new discovers asteroids have been captured in telescope images in our solar system. The astronomers captured these images during doing a project of frontier project, which was doing studies of galaxies billions of light- years away. Just when different exposures where taken during different times were the asteroids be able to be seen. The asteroids appeared to trails of the exposure they were exposed to. The asteroids right now are in the belt between Jupiter and mars.
It's of importance to us to keep a close watch on these asteroids and see if any of these asteroids decide to visit earth, and if they do we need to be informed to prepare for impact and know what areas these asteroids are going to strike down on to evacuate the area. It also its just importsnt to be informed when its comes to the solar system since something can be spurred up quick without our knowledge.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/11/five-new-asteroids-surprise-astronomers-hubble-images
11/9/2017 No proof that shooting predators saves livestock
Washington department of fish and wildlife took it to themselves to shoot and kill four wolves who were preying on the livestock. Which lead to an outrage by local conservationists to call for a change. Yet, the farmers argue killing animals like wolves, and bears that prey on their livestock is their right to protect what's theirs. However, people at the university of Wisconsin took an interest in the manner and conducted a study. They concluded that lethal control methods need to be held to the same standards of science as everything else.
I however believe that killing these animals to protect their livestock and their lives isn't right. Their regulations that protect these wolves, what they could do to protect the farmers and the wildlife is to maybe relocated the wildlife into areas more secluded for them to live in an area that is not only able to provided shelter but plenty of food to not make them curious and go and attack the livestock again.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/09/no-proof-shooting-predators-saves-livestock
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11/15/2017 City trees grow more quickly than their rural cousins. Here's why
This study of determining why trees in the cities grow faster than in rural counterparts was analyzed in cities in all over the world. Like in Paris, Houston, Santiago, and Sapporo. To determine the reasons they took core samples and estimated the age of the trees using the tree rings to tell. They were able of coming up with a trend that spanned 150 years. It is reported that the rural trees grew at a percentage of 17 compared to the urban trees which in fact grew at a percentage of 25. The scientists hypothesis is the reason for this is called urban heat island affect which causes temperature is rise 10 Celsius compared to surrounding areas and since photosynthesis is stimulated faster in warmer temperatures.
This study could be prove to be very significant in the fact of the pollution that is created in a city and the abundance of pollution in the air and with the trees growing at faster rates that in rural prove to provide more oxygen to the citizens and thus help to decrease the pollution and thus add to more clean air to be inhaled by the citizens inhabiting the city.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/11/city-trees-grow-more-quickly-their-rural-cousins-here-s-why
This study of determining why trees in the cities grow faster than in rural counterparts was analyzed in cities in all over the world. Like in Paris, Houston, Santiago, and Sapporo. To determine the reasons they took core samples and estimated the age of the trees using the tree rings to tell. They were able of coming up with a trend that spanned 150 years. It is reported that the rural trees grew at a percentage of 17 compared to the urban trees which in fact grew at a percentage of 25. The scientists hypothesis is the reason for this is called urban heat island affect which causes temperature is rise 10 Celsius compared to surrounding areas and since photosynthesis is stimulated faster in warmer temperatures.
This study could be prove to be very significant in the fact of the pollution that is created in a city and the abundance of pollution in the air and with the trees growing at faster rates that in rural prove to provide more oxygen to the citizens and thus help to decrease the pollution and thus add to more clean air to be inhaled by the citizens inhabiting the city.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/11/city-trees-grow-more-quickly-their-rural-cousins-here-s-why
11/30/17 Here's yet more evidence that the mythical yeti was probably a bear
Supposedly eight samples of remains like fur, bones, and teeth from mountain-dwelling yetis have said to come from three different types of bears that live in the Himalayas. Previously, analyzing of smaller fragments of the yeti DNA have lead to many people question the truthfulness of the comparison. However, they have conducted a new study in which use a bigger sample of DNA comparing the mitochondrial genomes of a bears, like polar bears, and Tibetan brown bears to that of the alleged mitochondrial genomes of the yeti. The studies didn't show any really groundbreaking.
The studies just showed the relationships between the bears that call Tibetan Plateau home and how about 666,000 years during a glaciation the Himalayan bears were one of the first to branch off from the distinct brown bears. The Tibetan brown bear however have a more common ancestor with those in North America and in Eurasia. They were probably kept apart due to the rugged mountain terrain. The argument of yetis existing is becoming more and more unrealistic with failures to show similarities and existence.
https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/science-ticker/yeti-himalayan-brown-bear
12/7/2017 Melting sea ice is stressing out narwhals
Narwhals are among the most introverted of all marine mammals. They typically live in polar regions where the life is typically quiet and calm. However, as climate change is causing for the sea ice to start shrink, and this opening of the oceans will allow for more human interference and make for more species more into the ecosystem thus provide threats to the narwhals. There is an average of 175,00 narwhals in the world mostly they are located in northern waters and the human interference has increased 300 percent in these areas inhabited by the sea unicorns.
A recent study found something quite puzzling. Typically, the narwhal's heart slows down when diving under and speeds up when the narwhal needs more oxygen. The reason for the questioning is that if having such a low heart beat under water with a common fright could lead to a cardiac arrest for the narwhals. This could mean that the narwhals are more specialized that previously thought which then be less resistant to rapid environmental changes.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/12/melting-sea-ice-stressing-out-narwhals
12/14/2017 Breaking the deadlock on ivory
The ivory trade has leave a drastic change in the number of African elephants. This crisis has left to a global debate on the next action could be to offer the best possible solution. The debate has come up with two possibilities that being banning all ivory trade or enabling regulated trade to incentivize and fund elephant conservation. The reason to not ban ivory trade in whole is that in countries that have poor governance, can't what so ever be capable of regulating the ivory trade.
They were able to composed a five component aimed at overcoming the impasses on ivory. First, would be reconfirmation by range states, as a apart of conservation, secondly would be eliciting and sharing consideration of other threats to elephants, third would be evaluation and synthesis of evidence to asses the consequences of different policies can be carried out using a structured approach. Fourth component is discussion among stakeholders about the trade-offs involved in achieving shared conservation objections that they could agree on for their benefit and elephants. Finally, other component is to an agreement among range states on how exact this process will contribute to decision making at different levels. http://science.sciencemag.org/content/358/6369/1378.full
12/20/2017 African swine fever outbreak alarms wildlife biologists and veterinarians
Lithuania began to fortified its border in July 2013 with soldiers and tanks however the threat wasn't a invasion of a country, it was the invasion the African swine fever. The guards started spraying trucks with disinfect, while biologists experimented with animal repellents and fencing. The fever had engulfed two Baltic countries and even stretched to Poland. The thing is that the fever is heavily effective on pigs and boars. There is a debate going on how do we know if the meat is not contaminated, which could lead to significant economic stress on companies involved with this business as countries have banned the transported of pork across it's borders.
ASF is harmless to humans yet it does kill 90 percent of pigs the fever comes in contact with. The impact has been pigs being slaughtered to not pass on the fever, and have lead to the collapsed of several pigs farmers in the affected countries. In the case of ASF in boars is more of a complicated situation. The surest way to rid of ASF in boar would be a vaccine packaged in bait. However, imprecation are trying to be met with ASF being detected in boars in Czech Republic, and is also a great threat in Germany and in Denmark reminding the farmers to keep bio security tight as possible.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/12/african-swine-fever-outbreak-alarms-wildlife-biologists-and-veterinarians
The ivory trade has leave a drastic change in the number of African elephants. This crisis has left to a global debate on the next action could be to offer the best possible solution. The debate has come up with two possibilities that being banning all ivory trade or enabling regulated trade to incentivize and fund elephant conservation. The reason to not ban ivory trade in whole is that in countries that have poor governance, can't what so ever be capable of regulating the ivory trade.
They were able to composed a five component aimed at overcoming the impasses on ivory. First, would be reconfirmation by range states, as a apart of conservation, secondly would be eliciting and sharing consideration of other threats to elephants, third would be evaluation and synthesis of evidence to asses the consequences of different policies can be carried out using a structured approach. Fourth component is discussion among stakeholders about the trade-offs involved in achieving shared conservation objections that they could agree on for their benefit and elephants. Finally, other component is to an agreement among range states on how exact this process will contribute to decision making at different levels. http://science.sciencemag.org/content/358/6369/1378.full
12/20/2017 African swine fever outbreak alarms wildlife biologists and veterinarians
Lithuania began to fortified its border in July 2013 with soldiers and tanks however the threat wasn't a invasion of a country, it was the invasion the African swine fever. The guards started spraying trucks with disinfect, while biologists experimented with animal repellents and fencing. The fever had engulfed two Baltic countries and even stretched to Poland. The thing is that the fever is heavily effective on pigs and boars. There is a debate going on how do we know if the meat is not contaminated, which could lead to significant economic stress on companies involved with this business as countries have banned the transported of pork across it's borders.
ASF is harmless to humans yet it does kill 90 percent of pigs the fever comes in contact with. The impact has been pigs being slaughtered to not pass on the fever, and have lead to the collapsed of several pigs farmers in the affected countries. In the case of ASF in boars is more of a complicated situation. The surest way to rid of ASF in boar would be a vaccine packaged in bait. However, imprecation are trying to be met with ASF being detected in boars in Czech Republic, and is also a great threat in Germany and in Denmark reminding the farmers to keep bio security tight as possible.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/12/african-swine-fever-outbreak-alarms-wildlife-biologists-and-veterinarians
1/11/2018 Ice cliffs spotted on Mars
The fact finding ice is on Mars is not the first time this has happened. The ice however
1/17/2018 One of history's worst epidemics may have been caused by a common food poisoning microbe
The symptoms were unlike anything ever seen before. The infected would turn yellow from jaundice, and blood was running from their ears and noses. They would experience hallucinations and agonizing convulsions, resulting in the death of them in a matter of days. The Aztecs referred to the epidermic as cocolizlli. No one knows what exactly was responsible for the epidermic that broke out in the 16th century. It killed about 45 percent of population. The epidermic was some sort of hemorrhagic fever but studies may suggest salmonella may have been the culprit.
This reasoning was based on the teeth of 29 skeletons unearthed from the ruins of an ancient city in the region of Oaxaca in Mexico. Twenty-five of the skeletons were said to be from the first cocolizlli outbreak in 1545, and the four were 100 years older. Then they drilled into the skeletons teeth and extracted DNA from the inner chamber, and once sequenced all the DNA, started to compare strands against a large database of modern bacterial pathogens. It matched with salmonella enterica.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/01/one-history-s-worst-epidemics-may-have-been-caused-common-food-poisoning-microbe
1/25/2018 Is plastic trash making coral reefs sick?
Plastic tend to be bad news for marine life. It is said that seabirds and turtles will starve if they eat too many rags or those six ringed packs. Between the years of 2011 and 2014, a team of researchers surveyed 159 reefs near Myanmar, and in Thailand. Corals without any plastic still had a 4% chance of being infected, and those that had plastic in it's presence had a 89% chance of being infected. They examined the health of 124,000 corals on these reefs and if they had pieces of plastic that was larger than 0.5 centimeters.
The true is that out of six of most common diseases for corals, three of them in fact were deathly. They have yet to say if plastic causes any of these diseases, but believe it as some sort of contribution to it. Plastic carries pathogens and debris which would cause infection for corals, and if debris block sun light then could lead to low-oxygen conditions. It then in fact promotes the growth of disease- causing bacteria.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/01/plastic-trash-making-coral-reefs-sick
2/1/2018 Canada's new environmental review plan gets a lukewarm reception
Scientists, industry officials, and even environmentalists are giving the new plan a reception of mixed emotions. The plan after 14 months of designing was released, it is based on the election promise made by Canada's prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He promised to restore confidence in reviews and that decisions on major projects will be based on the sole basis of science, facts and evidence. They unveiled Impact Assessment Act that would establish a new government agency to oversee environmental reviews of projects and set timetables and rules in order to complete the assessments.
His administration argued that under these new provisions project reviews would be more rigorous and more efficient, with reduced legislated timelines and the requirements would be more clear to follow. A professor at University of Victoria in Canada argues that these "renovations that just don't makes sense ". A follow conservation scientist Aerin Jacob, says she is disappointed in amount of high-quality and transparent research seems to be barely used. Industry official like it from the stance of shorter timelines means happier investors, yet worried if it will be able to hold the time.
www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/02/canada-s-new-environmental-review-plan-gets-lukewarm-reception
2/22/2018 U-Th dating of carbonate crusts reveals Neanderthal origin of Iberian cave art
The origin of human symbolism is a central part of modern paleoanthropology. For the regions of Middle Paleolithic and African Middle Stone Ages, symbolic behavior been inferred as from use a way for body adornment, of mineral pigments, shell beads, eagle talons and feathers. Ambiguities of indirect dating and uncertainty in distinguishing between natural and intentional modification leave these unsolved on dating.
Often suggested that Neanderthals, as well as modern humans have painted the walls of many caves showing their existence through the years. Scientists were capable of using Uranium-thorium dating of carbonates crusts to show that cave paintings from three different sites have been able to show the paintings are 64,000 years in Spain. Most importantly, these paintings show the modern arrival of modern humans by atleast 20,000 years in Europe which signify they must be Neanderthal origin.
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6378/912.full
The origin of human symbolism is a central part of modern paleoanthropology. For the regions of Middle Paleolithic and African Middle Stone Ages, symbolic behavior been inferred as from use a way for body adornment, of mineral pigments, shell beads, eagle talons and feathers. Ambiguities of indirect dating and uncertainty in distinguishing between natural and intentional modification leave these unsolved on dating.
Often suggested that Neanderthals, as well as modern humans have painted the walls of many caves showing their existence through the years. Scientists were capable of using Uranium-thorium dating of carbonates crusts to show that cave paintings from three different sites have been able to show the paintings are 64,000 years in Spain. Most importantly, these paintings show the modern arrival of modern humans by atleast 20,000 years in Europe which signify they must be Neanderthal origin.
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6378/912.full
3/1/2018 Fake news spreads faster than true news on Twitter-thanks to people, not bots
During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the internet was on fire with the discussions that arose when reports surfaced that Floyd May weather wore a to Donald Trump, wanting him to fight. From Russian bots to charges of fake news, headlines washed in stories about dubious information making it go viral. According to, Shawn Dorius, says Bots are no new that we don't have a clear sense of what they're doing and how big of an impact they're making. In a 12 year study of twitter, where 126,000 news items that were shared 4.5 million times by 3 million people proved to be false.
At first thought bots were responsible, so they used sophisticated bot-detection technology to remove social media shares generated by bots. But, false news still spread at roughly the same rate and to the same number of people. Then scientists got to thinking about the people involved. It occurred to them that Twitter users who spread false news might have more followers this proved to be a myth.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/03/fake-news-spreads-faster-true-news-twitter-thanks-people-not-bots
During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the internet was on fire with the discussions that arose when reports surfaced that Floyd May weather wore a to Donald Trump, wanting him to fight. From Russian bots to charges of fake news, headlines washed in stories about dubious information making it go viral. According to, Shawn Dorius, says Bots are no new that we don't have a clear sense of what they're doing and how big of an impact they're making. In a 12 year study of twitter, where 126,000 news items that were shared 4.5 million times by 3 million people proved to be false.
At first thought bots were responsible, so they used sophisticated bot-detection technology to remove social media shares generated by bots. But, false news still spread at roughly the same rate and to the same number of people. Then scientists got to thinking about the people involved. It occurred to them that Twitter users who spread false news might have more followers this proved to be a myth.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/03/fake-news-spreads-faster-true-news-twitter-thanks-people-not-bots
3/14/2018 There's a new aurora in subpolar skies. Its name is Steve
The northern and southern lights have dazzled sky watchers for millennia with their eerie, greenish glows. Now, a new purplish aurora is joining the show, stretching from east to west at lower latitudes. Discovered by citizen scientists, and by professional scientists using photographs and satellite data, the new type of aurora is similar to a previously measured yet these new lights are one of a kind, and these lights go by the name of Steve.
Even though the aurora Steve has been around for decades for some reason it was never found until now. They saw the cameras were to sensitive to pick up Steve. It is said that Steve's charged particles temperature was 6000 Celsius, and it's properties were consistent with atmospheric event called subauroral ion drift, a rapid flow of charged particles through Earth’s atmosphere. The scientists also say that mapping Steve should allow for them to gain more acknowledge on the structure and dynamics of Earth's magnetic field.
The northern and southern lights have dazzled sky watchers for millennia with their eerie, greenish glows. Now, a new purplish aurora is joining the show, stretching from east to west at lower latitudes. Discovered by citizen scientists, and by professional scientists using photographs and satellite data, the new type of aurora is similar to a previously measured yet these new lights are one of a kind, and these lights go by the name of Steve.
Even though the aurora Steve has been around for decades for some reason it was never found until now. They saw the cameras were to sensitive to pick up Steve. It is said that Steve's charged particles temperature was 6000 Celsius, and it's properties were consistent with atmospheric event called subauroral ion drift, a rapid flow of charged particles through Earth’s atmosphere. The scientists also say that mapping Steve should allow for them to gain more acknowledge on the structure and dynamics of Earth's magnetic field.
3/28/2018 Evidence for sticky dark matter comes unglued
The nature of dark matter,mysterious stuff whose gravity which presumably binds a galaxy together, and then it sinks back into the shadows. About three years ago, a team of astronomers were able to figure out that dark matter might actually interact with itself through other forces than gravity itself. However, new observations rule out such interactions.
Previously, researchers using NASA's orbiting Hubble space telescope studied a cluster of galaxies 1.3 billion light-years from Earth called Abell 3827, whose gravity distorts and multiples the image of a more distant galaxy. Were able to deduce the distribution of dark matter in the cluster. One of the four galaxies in the center was thought to have separated from the clump or halo of dark matter that ought to envelop it, and thought the dark matter had to do with the separation.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/04/evidence-sticky-dark-matter-comes-unglued
The nature of dark matter,mysterious stuff whose gravity which presumably binds a galaxy together, and then it sinks back into the shadows. About three years ago, a team of astronomers were able to figure out that dark matter might actually interact with itself through other forces than gravity itself. However, new observations rule out such interactions.
Previously, researchers using NASA's orbiting Hubble space telescope studied a cluster of galaxies 1.3 billion light-years from Earth called Abell 3827, whose gravity distorts and multiples the image of a more distant galaxy. Were able to deduce the distribution of dark matter in the cluster. One of the four galaxies in the center was thought to have separated from the clump or halo of dark matter that ought to envelop it, and thought the dark matter had to do with the separation.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/04/evidence-sticky-dark-matter-comes-unglued
4/12/2018 Scientists uncover the secret behind shimmering seaweed
At low tide, the brown seaweed filling tide pools along the coasts of Cornwall and Devon counties in the United Kingdom does not look like much. But when the tidewaters rise to cover it, this “rainbow wrack” shimmer in dazzling blues and greens Now, scientists have discovered how the seaweed receives its shimmer. By examining frozen samples under an electron microscope, scientists were able to see the nanostructures in the alga’s cells which in fact are 1000 times smaller than a human hair is thick.
But the function of these opallike photonic crystals is still not clear. One clue is that intense light allows the ordered structure goes into a disordered state and the colors quickly fade. But when dark conditions return, so do the colors. That might help the plant deal with low-light conditions, say the scientists. In high tide, when less light reaches the alga, the crystals receives some of the sunlight and then transits it to the surrounding chloroplasts for photosynthesis.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/04/scientists-uncover-secret-behind-shimmering-seaweed
At low tide, the brown seaweed filling tide pools along the coasts of Cornwall and Devon counties in the United Kingdom does not look like much. But when the tidewaters rise to cover it, this “rainbow wrack” shimmer in dazzling blues and greens Now, scientists have discovered how the seaweed receives its shimmer. By examining frozen samples under an electron microscope, scientists were able to see the nanostructures in the alga’s cells which in fact are 1000 times smaller than a human hair is thick.
But the function of these opallike photonic crystals is still not clear. One clue is that intense light allows the ordered structure goes into a disordered state and the colors quickly fade. But when dark conditions return, so do the colors. That might help the plant deal with low-light conditions, say the scientists. In high tide, when less light reaches the alga, the crystals receives some of the sunlight and then transits it to the surrounding chloroplasts for photosynthesis.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/04/scientists-uncover-secret-behind-shimmering-seaweed
4/26/2018 European Union expands ban of three neonicotinoid pesticides
The European Union today tried to expose a controversial ban of neonicotinoid pesticides, based on the threat they pose to pollinators. The decision pleased environmental groups and was greeted with trepidation by farming associations, which fear economic harm. In 2013 placed a ban on three types of neonicotinoid pesticides for the harm on crops and bees.
The European Commission last year proposed extending the ban of three neonicotinoids—clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam to all field crops, because of growing evidence that the pesticides can harm domesticated honey bees and also wild pollinators, which could cause a significant decrease of profit for these farms with domesticated bees . A scientific review by the European Food Safety Authority, released this February.
5/2/18 These stunning 3D models are transforming scientists raw data
Scientists regularly check through 3D data, from medical images to maps of the moon, yet they are often stuck using flat computer screens that can’t fully represent what truly the 3D data sets. Now, researchers have developed a method of 3D printing that lets scientists produce, high-definition 3D copies of their data, which is called Conventional 3D-printing converts data into a computer model made up of tiny, connected triangles.
The new process is far more direc, and a lot more easier. Instead of transforming into a computer model, the data set is sliced up into thousands of horizontal images, each consisting of hundreds of thousands of voxels, or 3D pixels.. Different colors can be combined to create entirely new ones, and transparent resin is used to represent empty space that is found. Each layer is printed, one on top of another, to gradually build up a 3D structure.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/06/these-stunning-3d-models-are-transforming-scientists-raw-data
Scientists regularly check through 3D data, from medical images to maps of the moon, yet they are often stuck using flat computer screens that can’t fully represent what truly the 3D data sets. Now, researchers have developed a method of 3D printing that lets scientists produce, high-definition 3D copies of their data, which is called Conventional 3D-printing converts data into a computer model made up of tiny, connected triangles.
The new process is far more direc, and a lot more easier. Instead of transforming into a computer model, the data set is sliced up into thousands of horizontal images, each consisting of hundreds of thousands of voxels, or 3D pixels.. Different colors can be combined to create entirely new ones, and transparent resin is used to represent empty space that is found. Each layer is printed, one on top of another, to gradually build up a 3D structure.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/06/these-stunning-3d-models-are-transforming-scientists-raw-data
5/16/18 New artificial nerves could transform prosthetics
Prosthetics may soon take on a whole new leel. That’s because researchers have created a new type of artificial nerve that can sense touch, process information, and communicate with other nerves much like those in our own bodies do. Future versions could add sensors to track changes in texture, position, and different types of pressure which ultimately leading to potentially dramatic improvements in how people with artificial limbs and robots maybe come to flourished.
Such a system could provide far more sensory information to future prosthetics wearer thus helping them better control their new appendages. It could also give future robots a greater ability to interact with their changing environments something vital for performing complex tasks, such as caring for the elderly, and thus allowing to act more like human beings.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/05/new-artificial-nerves-could-transform-prosthetics
Prosthetics may soon take on a whole new leel. That’s because researchers have created a new type of artificial nerve that can sense touch, process information, and communicate with other nerves much like those in our own bodies do. Future versions could add sensors to track changes in texture, position, and different types of pressure which ultimately leading to potentially dramatic improvements in how people with artificial limbs and robots maybe come to flourished.
Such a system could provide far more sensory information to future prosthetics wearer thus helping them better control their new appendages. It could also give future robots a greater ability to interact with their changing environments something vital for performing complex tasks, such as caring for the elderly, and thus allowing to act more like human beings.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/05/new-artificial-nerves-could-transform-prosthetics