ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Archaeological Discovery: Earliest Evidence Of Our Cave-dwelling Human Ancestors Posted: 21 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST Archaeologists have discovered the earliest evidence of our cave-dwelling human ancestors at the Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa.

Cough Medicine Ingredient Could Effectively Treat Prostate Cancer, Study Shows Posted: 21 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST An ingredient used in a common cough suppressant may be useful in treating advanced prostate cancer. Researchers found that noscapine, which has been used in cough medication for nearly 50 years, reduced tumor growth in mice by 60 percent and limited the spread of tumors by 65 percent without causing harmful side effects.

Saturn's Dynamic Moon Enceladus Shows More Signs Of Activity Posted: 21 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST The closer scientists look at Saturn's small moon Enceladus, the more they find evidence of an active world. The most recent flybys of Enceladus made by NASA's Cassini spacecraft have provided new signs of ongoing changes on and around the moon. The latest high-resolution images of Enceladus show signs that the south polar surface changes over time.

New Vaccine Protects Monkeys From Pneumonic Plague Posted: 21 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST Scientists have developed a vaccine incorporating the protein V10 and found that it protected macaques from lethal pneumonic plague and may have implications for use in humans.

Can Large-scale Pumps Inject Oxygen And Life Into The Lifeless Seabed Of The Baltic? Posted: 21 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST A pilot study will attempt to answer whether it is possible to maintain the Baltic in this oxygen rich state, by continuously adding oxygen rich water to the deep water.

British Scientist Warns We Must Protect The Vulnerable From Robots Posted: 21 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST Top robotics expert professor Noel Sharkey has called for international guidelines to be set for the ethical and safe application of robots before it is too late. Professor Sharkey believes that as the use of robots increases, decisions about their application will be left to the military, industry and busy parents instead of international legislative bodies.

Hubble Catches Jupiter's Largest Moon Going To The 'Dark Side' Posted: 21 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has caught Jupiter's moon Ganymede playing a game of "peek-a-boo." In this crisp Hubble image, Ganymede is shown just before it ducks behind the giant planet.

Modified Gene Targets Cancer Cells One Thousand Times More Often Than Healthy Cells Posted: 21 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST Researchers have designed a gene that produces a thousand times more protein in cancer cells than in healthy cells. The findings may help address the prime challenge in anticancer therapy, improving treatments' ability to specifically and effectively target cancer cells. Using this new approach, scientists should be able to insert "self-destruct" codes into the modified gene, forcing cancer cells to kill themselves while healthy cells remain largely unaffected.

Advance In The Battle Against 'Gray Mold' Posted: 21 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST Scientists are reporting identification of the cluster of genes responsible for the toxins produced by "gray mold," a devastating plant disease that kills almost 200 different food and ornamental plants including tomatoes, strawberries and roses.

Researchers Compile 'Molecular Manual' For Hundreds Of Inherited Diseases Posted: 21 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST An international research team has compiled the first catalog of tissue-specific pathologies underlying hundreds of inherited diseases. These results provide information that may help treat conditions such as breast cancer, Parkinson's disease, heart disease and autism.

Poor-man’s Supercomputing Goes Commercial Posted: 21 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST Grid computing technology has long been the darling of cash-strapped academics in desperate need of raw processing power. Now a new research effort has created an industrial-strength platform already appearing in commercial applications.

How Mirror Neurons Allow Us To Learn And Socialize By Going Through The Motions In The Head Posted: 21 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST The old adage that we can only learn how to do something by trying it ourselves may have to be revised in the light of recent discoveries in neuroscience. It turns out that humans, primates, some birds, and possibly other higher animals have mirror neurons that fire in the same pattern whether performing or just observing a task. These mirror neurons clearly play an important role in learning motor tasks involving hand eye coordination, and possibly also acquisition of language skills, as well as being required for social skills, but the exact processes involved are only just being discovered.

Say It In Song: Researcher Deciphers Meaning Within Bird Communication Posted: 21 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST To many people, bird song can herald the coming of spring, reveal what kind of bird is perched nearby or be merely an unwelcome early morning intrusion. But to Sandra Vehrencamp, Cornell professor of neurobiology and behavior, bird song is a code from which to glean avian behavior insight.

Bacteria Tricked Into Killing Themselves To Survive Posted: 21 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST Like firemen fighting fire with fire, researchers have found a way to fool a bacteria's evolutionary machinery into programming its own death.

The Medium Is The Message: Manipulating Salmonella In Spaceflight Curtails Infectiousness Posted: 21 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST Scientists have explored the novel environment of space to investigate the cellular and molecular machinery of virulence. Some of the latest findings are derived from experiments aboard NASA space shuttle mission STS-123, launched in March, 2008. In addition to confirming the effects of microgravity observed in the STS-115 experiments, the new study homed in on the importance of the microbial growth medium to gene expression and virulence during spaceflight.

New Gene Found To Be Associated With Widely Used Marker Of Blood Glucose Concentration Posted: 21 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST Scientists have found that genetic variation at the hexokinase-1 gene is linked to variation in the blood concentration of glycated hemoglobin, an index of long-term blood glucose concentration widely used in the follow-up of diabetes patients.

Lifecycles Of Tropical Cyclones Predicted In Global Computer Model Posted: 21 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST The initial results of the first computer model that simulates the global atmosphere with a detailed representation of individual clouds have been analyzed. The model captured the timing and location of the formation of the observed cyclones as well as their paths and overall evolution.

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Damages White Matter, The Brain's Connective Network Posted: 21 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause a wide array of problems, including cognitive dysfunction. New findings demonstrate that alcohol can damage the microstructural integrity of fetal cerebral white matter in the frontal and occipital lobes of the brain. These areas of the brain are particularly relevant for executive functions and visual processing.

New Tooth Cavity Protection: Make Surface Too Slippery For Bacteria To Adhere Posted: 19 Dec 2008 09:00 PM PST Scientists have discovered a new method of protecting teeth from cavities by ultrafine polishing with silica nanoparticles.

Alzheimer’s Disease: Women Affected More Often Than Men Posted: 19 Dec 2008 09:00 PM PST Nearly 4.5 million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD) in our country, and more than half of them are women, according to the National Institute on Aging. As the general population continues to age, this number is expected to increase significantly over the next few decades.

Geoscientists Drill For Earth Secrets Under Arctic Lake Posted: 19 Dec 2008 09:00 PM PST In the next few days, a convoy of bulldozers and trucks will set out from a remote airport in Siberia, heading for a frozen lake 62 miles north of the Arctic Circle, but the trip isn't a holiday visit to the North Pole. Instead, the trucks will deliver core-drilling equipment for a study of sediment and meteorite-impact rocks that should provide the longest time-continuous climate record ever collected in the Arctic.

Biofuel Development Shifting From Soil To Sea, Specifically To Marine Algae Posted: 19 Dec 2008 09:00 PM PST Bell-bottoms... Designer jeans... Disco... Big hair... Gas shortages. Some icons of the 1970s are emblazoned in the memories of those old enough to remember. A few styles, to the dismay of many, have come back in vogue--oil-related crises among them. Broad anxiety over fuel manifested again in 2008, illuminating the dark side of the nation's continued oil addiction.

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