Mapping the cosmic microwave background EU–(ENEWSPF)–21 October 2013. In preparation for its final switch-off on 23 October, mission controllers today fired Planck’s thrusters to empty its fuel tanks. The burn is one of the final steps to ensure that Planck ends its hugely successful mission in a permanently safe configuration.[Read More…]
Science
Countdown to Launch of ESA’s Billion-Star Surveyor
EU–(ENEWSPF)–21 October 2013. ESA’s billion-star surveyor Gaia will be launched from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou on 20 November to begin a five-year mission to map the stars with unprecedented precision. Gaia’s main goal is to create a highly accurate 3D map of our Milky Way Galaxy by repeatedly observing a[Read More…]
Medical Marijuana Advocates Mobilize Stakeholders Across Washington State for Input on I-502 Regulations
“Health Before Happy Hour” campaign seeks state legislation to protect patient rights, preserve and license dispensaries Seattle, WA–(ENEWSPF)–October 21, 2013. Medical marijuana advocates will hold stakeholder meetings across Washington State next week in advance of submitting written public comments on regulations being developed for I-502, the state’s recreational marijuana initiative[Read More…]
Third Trial Begins for San Diego Medical Marijuana Dispensary Operator, After Winning Landmark Right to a Defense
District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis desperately seeks a conviction after People v. Jackson overturned her legal strategy San Diego, CA–(ENEWSPF)–October 21, 2013. The third trial against medical marijuana dispensary operator and Navy veteran Jovan Jackson began today in San Diego Superior Court, before Judge Louis R. Hanoian. San Diego District Attorney[Read More…]
One-two Punch Knocks out Aggressive Tumors
New nanoparticles weaken tumor-cell defenses, then strike with chemotherapy drug. CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(ENEWSPF)–October 21, 2013. An aggressive form of breast cancer known as “triple negative” is very difficult to treat: Chemotherapy can shrink such tumors for a while, but in many patients they grow back and gain resistance to the original[Read More…]
Study Identifies Garden Plants Most Attractive to Insect Pollinators
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–October 21, 2013. A study conducted by Sussex University researchers has identified the garden plants most attractive to pollinating insects. The study’s findings are important as pollinating insects are declining globally and are facing growing habitat losses. The study also gives vital scientific information to individuals and communities on[Read More…]
Energy Department Actions to Deploy Combined Heat and Power, Boost Industrial Efficiency
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–October 21, 2013. Underscoring President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to cut harmful emissions and double energy efficiency, the Energy Department is taking action to develop the next generation of combined heat and power (CHP) technology and help local communities and businesses make cost-effective investments that save money and energy.[Read More…]
Governor Pat Quinn, Shedd Announce Largest Solar Panel Installation at Cultural Institution in Illinois
Illinois Public, Private Leaders Unite to Bring Energy-Efficiency to the Top-Attended Aquarium in the Nation CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–October 20, 2013. Governor Pat Quinn and Shedd Aquarium today kicked-off the first phase of the institution’s clean-energy initiative with the installation of 913 photovoltaic solar panels on top of the aquarium’s world-class marine mammal[Read More…]
Tanning Gene Linked to Increased Risk of Testicular Cancer, According to NIH Scientists
Bethesda, Maryland–(ENEWSPF)–October 18, 2013. A gene important in skin tanning has been linked to higher risk for testicular cancer in white men, according to a study led by scientists from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the University of Oxford in England. Nearly 80 percent of white men carry[Read More…]
Celebrating the Legacy of ESA’s Planck Mission
Data provides a new value for the age of the Universe: 13.8 billion years EU–(ENEWSPF)–18 October 2013. From the tiniest fraction of a second after the Big Bang to the evolution of stars and galaxies over 13.8 billion years, ESA’s Planck space telescope has provided new insight into the history[Read More…]
