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- NSF telescope lifted into Antarctic skies by balloon
The National Science Foundation launched a telescope-bearing helium balloon to 22 miles over Earth from its Long Duration Balloon center in Antarctica on Tuesday. This will be the fifth and last journey for the Balloon-borne Large-Aperture Submillimeter Telescope, or BLAST, which will document submillimeter light waves from the Milky Way to help NASA scientists examine the lack of new stars in our galaxy. "BLAST found lots of so-called dark cores in our own Milky Way -- dense clouds of cold dust that are supposed to be stars-in-the-making," said Canadian researcher Barth Netterfield, who is co-leading the balloon's current mission. Space.com
(12/26)
    
| Science in the News
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- After 29 years and 2.5 million photos, Landsat 5 will retire
The U.S. Geological Survey has revealed that the Landsat 5 satellite will be retired after spending 29 years in space and circling Earth more than 150,000 times. The satellite, which is the longest-running satellite to observe Earth, has taken more than 2.5 million photos showing deforestation in Mexico, the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and more. The Landsat program is a collaborative project between USGS and NASA. "We look forward to a long and productive continuation of the Landsat program, but it is unlikely there will ever be another satellite that matches the outstanding longevity of Landsat 5," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. Space.com
(12/26)
- Arctic cyclone depleted sea ice in August
Scientists have confirmed that an unusual Arctic cyclone that raged for 13 days in August further depleted Arctic sea ice, and brought it to its lowest point since September 2007. The storm formed in Siberia on Aug. 2 before traversing the Arctic Ocean and making its way to Canada, and reached a pressure of 966 millibars Aug. 6, the lowest pressure on record for an Arctic storm. "This pressure minimum and cyclone longevity are very atypical of Arctic storms, particularly in August," according to a study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Our Amazing Planet
(12/26)
- Traffic rolls over major archaeological find in Rome
Underneath one of the most heavily traveled roundabouts in Rome rests the remains of 900-seat performing arts arena constructed by emperor Hadrian in 123 A.D. "Hadrian's auditorium is the biggest find in Rome since the Forum was uncovered in the 1920s," said Rossella Rea, the archaeologist running the dig. The excavation, which is open to the public, was discovered when work started on an underground railway system. The Guardian (London)
(12/26)
- NYU professor offers 6 ways to make science more reliable
Rewarding the quality of research instead of the quantity of published papers, encouraging researchers to publish studies that failed and promoting meta-analysis would go a long way toward making science more reliable and reproducible, writes New York University professor Gary Marcus. He also suggests creating and enforcing a code of ethics and reminds researchers, the public and the media that a single study does not prove anything. The New Yorker (free content)/News Desk blog
(12/24)
| Funding Watch
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- Retired NIH chimpanzees face uncertain funding
The National Institutes of Health is beginning to use fewer chimpanzees in its biomedical research and is retiring a group this year, but might not have the money to pay for their support in chimpanzee sanctuaries. The organization said last week that it will transport 113 of its chimpanzees from the New Iberia Research Center to Chimp Haven, a national chimpanzee sanctuary, both in Louisiana. Chimp Haven said it would need $2.3 million to accommodate all the chimps -- a sum the NIH cannot currently contribute, and would put Chimp Haven past its $30 million support cap as stipulated by law. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(12/24)
- Minn. clinic earns funding from gut-function research program
The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said it secured research funding from the Biomarkers of Gut Function and Health, a program run by the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative that aims to confirm biomarkers that can improve gut function. Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist William Faubion will use the funding for his Gut Permeability in Environmental Enteropathy research project. BeckersASC.com
(12/26)
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