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February 19, 2013

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NASA looks for new asteroid-tracking methods
NASA is developing methods to detect smaller asteroids like the one that exploded over central Russia last week. So far, the near-Earth object project has detected nearly 95% of asteroids wider than a kilometer within the planet's vicinity. But smaller asteroids are more difficult to find because of their size. The $5 million Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Alert System is designed to detect small objects in space and give enough warning to evacuate people and protect infrastructure. Google/Agence France-Presse (2/18)

Your back-to-school guide for all things edtech
SmartReport on ISTE 2016 is packed with highlights and insights from the year's biggest K-12 edtech show. We discuss how to rewrite social codes to achieve equity and transform the status quo; learn how BYOD is moving past devices to create individualized workspaces; and discover the myths and truths of edtech funding. Read Now

Science in the News

Study finds evidence that "native" water once existed on the moon
A new analysis of lunar soil samples from NASA's Apollo missions has found evidence that the moon in its early days may have contained "native" water. The findings, which were published in the journal Nature Geoscience, go against prevailing theories that the moon formed from the debris of a large body crashing into the young Earth, which means that any water would have evaporated in space. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (2/17)

Initiative seeks to bring robust medical tech to developing world
An initiative by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne seeks to bring robust medical technology to developing countries. EssentialTech Director Klaus Schönenberger said reliable medical equipment is needed in the world's developing regions. "The need is vast and, apart from the poorest countries where this is obvious, there are entire regions in emerging giants such as Brazil, India or China that will also benefit from the technology," he said. SciDev.net (2/18)

Researcher: Mussels' stickiness could have medical uses
Adhesives secreted by mussels could lead to a bioadhesive allowing prenatal surgeons to fix birth defects with a lower risk of causing premature labor, said biologist Herbert Waite of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Waite said mussels' holdfasts contain high amounts of dihydroxyphenylalanine. This allows proteins to solidify quickly, allowing them to cut through a layer of water and bond with a surface. ScienceMag.org/Science Now blog (2/16)

Startup and MSU look into heat-tolerant bacteria's biofuel potential
Sustainable Bioproducts is partnering with Montana State University to study the biofuel potential of heat-tolerant bacteria from Yellowstone National Park that convert cellulose in algae into oil. "The most important part of our research now is to test the technology further and investigate the feasibility of using this organism to produce biofuels and other products," said company founder Mark Kozubal. The National Science Foundation awarded an initial grant of $150,000 to the venture. Biofuels-News.com (U.K.) (2/18)

Funding Watch

Obama administration to unveil 10-year brain-mapping project
The Obama administration is looking to unveil next month a 10-year project to map the active human brain, called Brain Activity Map. Scientists say the project may pave the way for the development of technologies that will help improve understanding of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The project, which may be worth $3 billion over 10 years, may also allow for the creation of national brain "observatories," akin to astronomical observatories. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (2/17)

Research Policy Regulations

U.N. considers asteroid early-warning network
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs is expected to propose a global asteroid-warning network that observers say could be expanded to issue alerts about smaller objects like the meteor that exploded Friday above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. Bloomberg (2/15) , Space.com (2/17)

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