Heavens

NASA sees Tropical Depression 10W form near Guam

NASA's Terra satellite captured an infrared image of the developing Tropical Storm 10W in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean near Guam.

Pacific sea level predicts global temperature changes

The amount of sea level rise in the Pacific Ocean can be used to estimate future global surface temperatures, according to a new report led by University of Arizona geoscientists.

Based on the Pacific Ocean's sea level in 2015, the team estimates by the end of 2016 the world's average surface temperature will increase up to 0.5 F (0.28 C) more than in 2014.

In 2015 alone, the average global surface temperature increased by 0.32 F (0.18 C).

Bartending and family life might not mix, study says

SEATTLE -- If you want to mix drinks for a living, don't expect to have a typical family life.

That was the conclusion of a study by Tulane University sociologists Emily Starr and Alicia McCraw, who interviewed 40 New Orleans area bartenders for their study, "Barkeeps and Barmaids on the White Picket Fence: Bartenders, Gender, and Performative Adulthood," which they will present at the 111th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA).

Astronomy shown to be set in standing stone

University of Adelaide research has for the first time statistically proven that the earliest standing stone monuments of Britain, the great circles, were constructed specifically in line with the movements of the Sun and Moon, 5000 years ago.

The research, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, details the use of innovative 2D and 3D technology to construct quantitative tests of the patterns of alignment of the standing stones.

NASA sees Tropical Storm Chanthu moving over northern Japan

Tropical Storm Chanthu was bringing heavy rainfall and gusty winds to the big island of Japan when NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite analyzed Chanthu in infrared light on Aug. 16 at 12:47 p.m. EDT (1647 UTC) gathering temperature data of the system's clouds.

Thin tropical clouds cool the climate

Thin clouds at about 5 km altitude are more ubiquitous in the tropics than previously thought and they have a substantial cooling effect on climate. This is shown in a recent study by researchers from Stockholm University and the University of Miami published in Nature Communications. The cooling effect of mid-level clouds is currently missing in global climate models.

Slower snowmelt affects downstream water availability in western mountains

RENO, Nev. - Western communities are facing effects of a warming climate with slower and earlier snowmelt reducing streamflows and possibly the amount of water reaching reservoirs used for drinking water and agriculture, according to a study published in July.

Harms reporting in trials of orlistat

The reporting of trials of orlistat in the 1990s appears to have understated harms, both in the summarized results submitted to the European Medicines Agency for drug approval, and in the published papers, according to a document analysis conducted by Jeppe Schroll and colleagues of the Nordic Cochrane Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark, and published in PLOS Medicine.

An ancient Mayan Copernicus

For more than 120 years the Venus Table of the Dresden Codex -- an ancient Mayan book containing astronomical data -- has been of great interest to scholars around the world. The accuracy of its observations, especially the calculation of a kind of 'leap year' in the Mayan Calendar, was deemed an impressive curiosity used primarily for astrology.

Study shows wood windows are cooler than glass

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Engineers at the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland (UMD) demonstrate in a new study that windows made of transparent wood could provide more even and consistent natural lighting and better energy efficiency than glass.

NASA sees wind shear affecting Tropical Storm Chanthu

Visible imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite showed wind shear was affecting Tropical Storm Chanthu as it moved parallel to the big island of Japan early on Aug. 16. Chanthu is expected to make landfall and move north over the island of Hokkaido.

On Aug. 15 at 11:25 p.m. EDT (Aug. 16 at 0325 UTC) visible imagery from the MODIS or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite showed clouds and showers in Chanthu were being pushed to the north and east from moderate southwesterly vertical wind shear.

Washington's foster children experience 'justice by geography,' report finds

A new report from The Access to Counsel Project at the UW School of Law sheds light on how inconsistent practices and policies in Washington state dependency (child abuse and neglect) courts leave many children without an advocate in decisions that shape every aspect of their lives. Decisions made in these court hearings include where a child will live, whether they can see their family, and what services and supports they can receive.

Elbows of extinct marsupial lion suggest unique hunting style

Scientists from the Universities of Bristol and Málaga have proposed that the long extinct marsupial lion hunted in a very unique way - by using its teeth to hold prey before dispatching them with its huge claws.

The marsupial lion, or Thylacoleo carnifex, was a predator in the Pleistocene era of Australia and was about the same size as a large jaguar.

It was known to have existed from around two-and-a-half-million years ago until as recently as a few tens of thousands of years ago.

Cosmology: Lore of lonely regions

A research group led by Ludwig-Maximilians-Unversitaet (LMU) in Munich physicist Nico Hamaus is calculating the dynamics of cosmic voids and deriving new insights into our entire universe.

Flu nasal spray provides similar protection against influenza as flu shot: Study

Hamilton, ON August 11, 2016 - A study led by McMaster University researchers has found that, contrary to recent reports, flu nasal sprays provide similar protection against influenza as standard flu shots.