Science News

Why a few drops of water make whisky taste better

By AFP

Paris - Ignore the snobs, because most experts agree: a few drops of water enhance the taste of whiskies, from well-rounded blends to peat bombs redolent of smoke, tobacco and leather. The only real question is, why is this true?

Australian researchers in peanut allergy breakthrough

By AFP

Sydney - Australian researchers have reported a major breakthrough in the relief of deadly peanut allergy with the discovery of a long-lasting treatment they say offers hope that a cure will soon be possible.

'Missing link' bolsters bold theory on dino evolution

By AFP

Paris - An oddball, vegetarian dinosaur with the silhouette of a flesh-ripping velociraptor, whose fossilised remains were unearthed in southern Chile 13 years ago, is a missing link in dino evolution, researchers said Wednesday.

Naturalist David Attenborough earns his wings

By AFP

Paris - David Attenborough finally earned his wings Wednesday after scientists named a 100-million-year-old damselfly after the veteran British broadcaster and naturalist.

NASA: let's say something to Voyager 1 on 40th anniversary of launch

By AFP

Washington - NASA is seeking suggestions from the public for a message to beam far, far out into space to the probe Voyager 1 in time for the 40th anniversary of its launch.

Op-Ed: Women continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields

By Tim Sandle

Despite government campaigns women remain underrepresented in science and technology. Despite what an infamous ex-Google employee wrote, this is nothing innate. The low levels reflect institutional and societal biases.

S. Korea stem cell scandal official resigns

By AFP

Seoul - A top South Korean technology official accused of covering up a notorious stem cell research fraud resigned Friday, a blow to new President Moon Jae-In.

Global warming alters timing of floods in Europe: study

By AFP

Washington - Global warming is altering the timing of floods in Europe, making some rivers swell early and others later than usual, a phenomenon that impacts farming and daily life across the region, researchers said Thursday.

Moon to spoil meteor show: astronomers

By AFP

Paris - A bright Moon will outshine the annual Perseids meteor shower, which will peak Saturday with only a fifth the usual number of shooting stars visible to Earthlings, astronomers say.

Ancient skull hints at African roots for ape-human ancestor: study

By AFP

Paris - The skull of an infant ape buried by a volcano 13 million years ago has preserved intriguing clues about the ancestor humans shared with apes -- including a likely African origin, scientists said Wednesday.

New gene study rewrites Neanderthal history

By AFP

Miami - A new way to use DNA to peer into the history of humanity is rewriting what experts know about our long-extinct cousins, the Neanderthals, US researchers said Monday.

Atheists thought immoral, even by fellow atheists: study

By AFP

Paris - A unusual social study has revealed that atheists are more easily suspected of vile deeds than Christians, Muslims, Hindus or Buddhists -- strikingly, even by fellow atheists, researchers said Monday.

Surviving baby panda in 'perfect health' says French zoo

By AFP

Saint-aignan-sur-cher - The first baby panda born in France is in good health and feeding from its mother, staff at Beauval Zoo said Saturday, as they came to terms with losing its twin.

Egyptologists go high tech to unlock ancient mysteries

By AFP

Cairo - From the Giza pyramids to the pharaonic tombs of Luxor, Egypt's ancient monuments are holding onto mysteries which researchers now aim to unravel with cutting edge technology.

Scientists set sail to unlock secrets of 'lost continent' Zealandia

By AFP

Sydney - Scientists are attempting to unlock the secrets of the "lost continent" of Zealandia, setting sail Friday to investigate the huge underwater landmass east of Australia that has never been properly studied.

Sugar not so sweet for mental health

By AFP

Paris - Sugar may be bad not only for your teeth and your waistline, but also your mental health, claimed a study Thursday that was met with scepticism by other experts.

Scientists divulge latest in HIV prevention

By AFP

Paris - A far cry from the 1990s "ABC" campaign promoting abstinence and monogamy as HIV protection, scientists reported on new approaches Tuesday allowing people to have all the safe sex they want.

Insecticide responsible for deaths of 13 children in Bangladesh: study

By AFP

Washington - Controversial insecticide endosulfan, which has been banned by more than 80 countries, was responsible for the deaths of 13 children in Bangladesh in 2012, a study found Monday.

Moon could be wetter than thought, say scientists

By AFP

Paris - The Moon, long thought to be a dry, inhospitable orb, hosts surprisingly large sub-surface water reserves, which one day may quench the thirst of lunar explorers from Earth, scientists said Monday.

Swaziland turns around world's highest HIV infection rate: report

By AFP

Paris - Swaziland, which bears the world's heaviest HIV burden, has halved the rate of new infections in five years by boosting access to virus-suppressing drugs, researchers said Monday.

Injectable AIDS drug may work 'as well' as pills: study

By AFP

Paris - A two-drug cocktail injected every month or two may be just as effective as a daily pill at keeping the AIDS virus under control, said a study Monday that promised relief for millions.

South African girl, 9, is third child with HIV remission: study

By AFP

Paris - A South African girl has become only the third child to beat the AIDS virus into long-term remission -- almost nine years and counting -- after receiving a drug cocktail in infancy, researchers announced Monday.

The impacts of slashing science funding can be far-reaching

By Karen Graham

There has never been an American president as hostile toward federal support of the sciences than Donald Trump. In the six months since he took office, he has drastically undercut science and research efforts by the federal government.

'Draconian' US funding cuts would cost lives: AIDS meeting

By AFP

Paris - Leaders in the fight against HIV on Sunday urged the US government, the largest donor to global AIDS research and treatment, to reject "draconian" funding cuts proposed by President Donald Trump.

Headway on AIDS threatened by funding slowdown

By AFP

Paris - Progress in beating back the AIDS epidemic risks being eroded by a funding shortfall set to grow under Donald Trump's proposed cuts to global health projects, experts and campaigners warned ahead of a major HIV conference.

Peru reconstructs face of pre-Columbian ruler

By AFP

- Peruvian authorities have revealed the reconstructed face of the Lord of Sipan, a pre-Columbian ruler whose remains were discovered in 1987 and hailed as one of the country's most stunning archaeological finds.

Aborigines in Australia longer than previously thought: study

By AFP

Sydney - Aboriginal people have been in Australia for at least 65,000 years, longer than previously thought, roaming the area alongside giant megafauna, scientists said in a finding that sheds fresh light on when modern humans left Africa.

Study throws dog domestication theories to the wolves

By AFP

Paris - From the tiny chihuahua to the massive Saint Bernard, domestic dogs today trace their roots to a single group of wolves that crossed the path of humans as long as 40,000 years ago, researchers said Tuesday.

Iran front pages mourn trailblazing female mathematician

By AFP

Tehran - Iranian media have hailed trailblazing Iran-born mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani following her death from cancer, with her image blazoned across newspaper front pages on Sunday.

Maths 'genius' Maryam Mirzakhani dies, aged 40

By AFP

Washington - Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian-born mathematician who was the first woman to win the coveted Fields Medal, died Saturday in a US hospital after a battle with cancer. She was 40.