Science: What Geeks are Talking about from Reuters News

Here is the latest Science News from Reuters News.

Chinese AI team plans to challenge Google’s AlphaGo: state media
BEIJING (Reuters) – A team from China plans to challenge Google’s AlphaGo, the artificial intelligence (AI) program that beat a world-class player in the ancient board game Go, the state-owned Shanghai Securities News reported on Thursday.

Diminutive ‘Hobbit’ people vanished earlier than previously known
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The extinct human species dubbed the “Hobbit” vanished from its home on the Indonesian island of Flores far earlier than previously thought, according to scientists who suspect our species may have had a hand in these diminutive people’s demise.

Sanofi poaches AstraZeneca scientist as new research head
LONDON (Reuters) – French drugmaker Sanofi has poached one of AstraZeneca’s top scientists to be its new research head in another high-profile departure for the British drugmaker.

U.S. firms target investment in Israeli cannabis R&D
TEL AVIV (Reuters) – Already a pioneer in high-tech and cutting-edge agriculture, Israel is starting to attract American companies looking to bring medical marijuana know-how to a booming market back home.

Giant rats to sniff out tuberculosis in Tanzania, Mozambique prisons
DAR ES SALAAM (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Scientists in East Africa plan to exploit trained rats’ highly developed sense of smell to carry out mass screening for tuberculosis among inmates of crowded prisons in Tanzania and Mozambique.

Stripped-down synthetic organism sheds light on nature of life
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Scientists on Thursday announced the creation of a synthetic organism stripped down to the bare essentials with the fewest genes needed to survive and multiply, a feat at the microscopic level that may provide big insights on the very nature of life.

Oslo trash incinerator in carbon capture trial
The world’s first experiment to capture carbon dioxide from the fumes of burning rubbish is nearing completion in Oslo.

Mood lighting for stress-free chickens
A new energy efficient lighting system for poultry farms uses bulbs with a light spectrum specially adjusted for chicken retinas. The makers say it reduces animal pecking and crowding; making for more relaxed and happy chickens.

Wireless mice leave billions at risk of computer hack: cyber security firm
San Francisco, CA (Reuters) – Marc Newlin and Balint Seeber are checking how far apart they can be while still being able to hack into each other’s computers. It turns out its pretty far – 180 meters – the length of a city block in San Francisco.

3-D printer, ‘Gecko Grippers’ head to space station
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket loaded with supplies and science experiments blasted off from Florida on Tuesday, boosting an Orbital ATK cargo capsule toward the International Space Station.

Beetle’s chemical signal tells mate, ‘Honey, I’m not in the mood’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – When a female “burying beetle” is focused on caring for babies and not making new ones, she releases a chemical signal to her libidinous mate that says in no uncertain terms, “Honey, I’m not in the mood.”

DNA data storage could last thousands of years
Researchers in Switzerland have developed a method for writing vast amounts of information in DNA and storing it inside a synthetic fossil, potentially for thousands of years.

Carbon emissions highest in 66 million years, since dinosaur age
OSLO (Reuters) – The rate of carbon emissions is higher than at any time in fossil records stretching back 66 million years to the age of the dinosaurs, according to a study on Monday that sounds an alarm about risks to nature from man-made global warming.

Five cheetah cubs fight for survival after rare C-section birth
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Five cheetah cubs are fighting for their lives after being delivered prematurely at a Cincinnati zoo by a caesarean section, a procedure seldom performed during the birth of the endangered cats.

Homo sapiens’ sex with extinct species was no one-night stand
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Our species, Homo sapiens, has a more adventurous sexual history than previously realized, and all that bed-hopping long ago has left an indelible mark on the human genome.

U.S., Russian crew poised to launch to space station
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – A NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts were preparing to head for the International Space Station in a Russian Soyuz rocket on Friday as replacements for a crew that ended a year-long flight earlier this month.

Cat stem cell trial could lead to human treatments
Davis, CA (Reuters) – The past five years of Smokey’s life have been unbearable. Her owner recalls when her once playful and curious kitty’s behavior changed.

Frigid Pluto is home to more diverse terrain than expected
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – The most detailed look at Pluto’s surface to date has revealed an unexpected range of mountains, glacial flows, smooth plains and other landscapes, according to studies released on Thursday.

Russia slashes space funding by 30 percent as crisis weighs
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev agreed to slash funding for Russia’s space program by 30 percent on Thursday, an effort to reign in state spending in the face of a deepening economic crisis.

What is a Tully Monster? Scientists finally provide an answer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – For more than half a century, scientists have scratched their heads over the nature of an outlandishly bizarre creature dubbed the Tully Monster that flourished about 307 million years ago in a coastal estuary in what is now northeastern Illinois.

Drone meets blimp for crowd-friendly
A new breed of unmanned aerial vehicle that is safe to fly at close proximity to crowds has been developed by a spin-off team from Swiss university ETH Zurich. The helium-filled flying machine, known as Skye, combines the manoeuvrability of a traditional quadcopter with the energy efficiency of a blimp.

Baby seal bred at Japanese aquarium
KAMOGAWA, Japan – A newborn baby seal has won over a legion of fans, wriggling its way to the hearts of visitors at an aquarium in Japan.

U.S. high school winners in Intel Talent Search to be announced
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Three of the United States’ brightest high school scientists will emerge winners on Tuesday in the $1 million Intel Talent Search, among the top U.S. competitions for young innovators.

Squirrels show flexibility and persistence when foraging
University of Exeter researchers have found that grey squirrels foraging for food are happy to take their time if it means getting a more nourishing meal.

John Grisham book turns spotlight on futuristic cancer treatment
(Reuters) – A new book by bestselling author John Grisham is giving new impetus to a handful of companies striving to develop what they say could be a trailblazing treatment for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

From wee rex to T. rex: modest forerunner to huge predator found
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Fossils unearthed in northern Uzbekistan’s remote Kyzylkum Desert of a smaller, older cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex are showing that the modest forerunners of that famous brute had already acquired the sophisticated brain and senses that helped make it such a horrifying predator. Researchers said on Monday the horse-sized Cretaceous Period dinosaur, named Timurlengia euotica, that roamed Central Asia 90 million years ago sheds new light on the lineage called tyrannosaurs

‘Smell of death’ could help sniffer dogs
Forensic toxicologists have pinpointed the specific chemical compounds emitted by decaying human bodies in an effort to improve police sniffer dogs’ ability to find buried bodies, vastly reducing the number of so-called ‘false positive’ results.

European-Russian spacecraft heads out in search for life on Mars
(Reuters) – Europe and Russia launched a spacecraft on Monday in a joint mission to sniff out signs of life on Mars and bring humans a step closer to flying to the red planet themselves.

Google AI program wins third straight match to take Go series
SEOUL (Reuters) – Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) program on Saturday took a 3-0 lead in a five-match series against one of the world’s top players of the complicated board game Go.

Astronaut Scott Kelly retiring after longest U.S. space mission
(Reuters) – The astronaut who holds the American record for most time spent in space, Scott Kelly, will retire from NASA on April 1, the U.S. space agency said on Friday.

Spacecraft to seek life on Mars in European-led mission
BERLIN (Reuters) – A spacecraft is due to set off for Mars next week on a mission that scientists hope will help answer one of the most burning questions of spacefaring times: Is there life on other planets?

‘MyShake’ app, a personal tsunami warning system
Berkeley, CA (Reuters) – When an earthquake strikes literally every second counts. That was the case 5 years ago when a magnitude 9 quake unleashed a massive tsunami that devastated Japan.

Robots welcome visitors to Berlin travel fair
BERLIN (Reuters) – Chihira Kanae is greeting visitors to the world’s biggest travel fair in Berlin this week, answering questions and guiding people in the right direction. But one passer by’s attempt to ask her out for dinner is met with silence.

Mastication adaptation: easier chewing benefited human ancestors
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A study in which people chewed on pieces of raw goat meat and vegetables smacked with a rock is shedding light on how changes long ago in the way our ancestors dined paved the way for physiological advances that helped make us who were are today.

NASA plans to fix Mars spacecraft leak then launch in 2018
(Reuters) – NASA plans to repair a Mars spacecraft that was grounded in December because of a leak in its primary science instrument, putting the mission back on track for another launch attempt in 2018, the U.S. space agency said on Wednesday.

Israeli placental cell therapy could cure radiation sickness
Israeli biotech firm Pluristem Therapeutics said it hopes its anti-radiation therapy will protect Fukushima workers decommissioning nuclear reactors and save lives in the future if ever a similar catastrophe occurs.

Going places: machine beats top Go player in win for artificial intelligence
SEOUL (Reuters) – Google’s AlphaGo computer program on Wednesday won the first of five matches against one of the world’s top players of a complex board game, Go, marking a dramatic advance for the field of artificial intelligence (AI).

Clouds over Indonesia obscure total eclipse of the sun for many
PALEMBANG, Indonesia (Reuters) – A solar eclipse enthralled Indonesia on Wednesday but clouds over some parts of archipelago spoiled the view for many of the skywatchers who had the opportunity to see it in totality.

Mysterious extinction of prehistoric marine reptiles explained
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – One of the enduring mysteries of paleontology, the demise of a highly successful group of dolphin-like marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs that flourished in Earth’s seas for more than 150 million years, may finally have been solved.

Bezos’ space company aims for passenger flights in 2018
KENT, Wash. (Reuters) – Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin expects to begin crewed test flights of its reusable suborbital New Shepard vehicle next year and begin flying paying passengers in 2018, Bezos told reporters on Tuesday.

The World’s Most Innovative Research Institutions
(Reuters) – Silicon Valley’s hoodie-wearing tech entrepreneurs are the poster kids of innovation. But the innovators who are really changing the world are more likely to wear labcoats and hold government-related jobs in Grenoble, Munich or Tokyo. That’s the conclusion of Reuters’ Top 25 Global Innovators – Government, a list that identifies and ranks the publicly funded institutions doing the most to advance science and technology.

Bionic fingertip gives sense of touch to amputee
A bionic fingertip has given an amputee the sensation of rough or smooth textures via electrodes implanted into nerves in his upper arm.

Orbital eyes first customer for in-space satellite servicing
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Orbital ATK Inc on Monday said it hopes to announce within the next six to eight weeks its first contract for a new “in space” service aimed at extending the life and uses of aging commercial satellites in geosynchronous orbit.

Now you’re talking: human-like robot may one day care for dementia patients
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – With her brown hair, soft skin and expressive face, Nadine is a new brand of human-like robot that could one day, scientists hope, be used as a personal assistant or care provider for the elderly.

Australia’s ugly mammals fail to catch the eye of scientists, study shows
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Pushed out of the limelight by cuddly koalas and kangaroos, Australia’s less glamorous native bats and rodents have failed to catch the eyes of scientific researchers, a new study shows.

Fossilized lizard, 99 million years old, is a clue to ‘lost ecosystem’
(Reuters) – A fossilized lizard found in Southeast Asia preserved in amber dates back some 99 million years, Florida scientists have determined, making it the oldest specimen of its kind and a “missing link” for reptile researchers.

‘Ghostlike’ octopus found in Pacific may belong to new species
NEW YORK (Reuters) – An underwater research craft has spotted a “ghostlike” octopus that appears to belong to a previously unknown species on the ocean floor near Hawaii, a discovery that highlights how little is known about the deep sea, a U.S. zoologist said on Saturday.

Scientist George Washington Carver’s fungi found in Wisconsin
MILWAUKEE (Reuters) – U.S. inventor George Washington Carver, known for his creativity with the peanut, has excited modern scientists with an unexpected find: century-old specimens of fungus.

SpaceX rocket blasts off on satellite-delivery mission
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida on Friday and delivered a communications satellite into orbit, as mission controllers waited to learn whether the launch vehicle’s first stage succeeded in making a return landing at sea.

SpaceX rocket destroyed in failed ocean landing attempt
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – A SpaceX Falcon rocket thrust a communications satellite into orbit on Friday before the reusable main-stage booster turned around, soared back toward Earth and was destroyed when it failed to land itself on a platform in the ocean, the company said.

Back on Earth, U.S. astronaut faces science labs without the view
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – The return of NASA astronaut Scott Kelly from the longest U.S. space mission on record will kick off a wave of medical tests and experiments intended to pave the way for extended human missions to Mars.

U.S. loses control of weather satellite, assigns backup: Air Force
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. officials have lost control over one of a series of satellites used to provide weather data to military aircraft, but the use of a backup satellite means there will be no change to service, the Air Force said on Thursday.

Aurora Flight Sciences wins $89 million contract for X-plane
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Aurora Flight Sciences has been awarded a contract for more than $89 million for the vertical take off and landing X-plane, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

Hubble telescope’s latest find pushes back clock on galaxy formation
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – Astronomers said on Thursday they had discovered a galaxy that formed just 400 million years after the Big Bang explosion, the most distant galaxy found to date.

Nanotechnology makes cheap, improved, water filters
BERKELEY, CA (Reuters) – Researchers have developed nano-scaled membranes that could potentially filter contaminants out of water faster and cheaper than current methods.

Robotic arm allows ‘cyborg drumming’
A wearable robotic limb that allows drummers to play their kit with three arms has been invented by U.S.-based researchers.

Wondrous fungus: fossils are oldest of any land-dwelling organism
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – At first glance, they do not look like much: tiny fragments of a primordial fungus shorter than a single hair’s width. But these fungal remnants possess the unique distinction of being the oldest-known fossils of any land-dwelling organism on Earth.

Robot roaches to the rescue
BERKELEY, CA (Reuters) – Nasty. Disgusting. Ugly. These are just some of the words normally associated with cockroaches. But for scientists in the world of bio-inspired robotics – roaches are perfect.

New satellite program aims to cut down illegal logging in real time
TORONTO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Taken from outer space, the satellite images show illegal loggers cutting a road into a protected area in Peru, part of a criminal enterprise attempting to steal millions of dollars worth of ecological resources.

Station crew heading home after record-long U.S. spaceflight
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko began their return to Earth on Tuesday after nearly a year aboard the International Space Station, ending a record-long U.S. spaceflight intended to pave the way for human travel to Mars.

Fifty shades of gray (or more): gene for graying hair identified
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – They may not have settled the enduring debate over whether gray hair makes a person look distinguished or just plain old, but scientists have identified for the first time a gene behind graying hair.

Aerojet on track to finish AR1 rocket engine work by 2019: CEO
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc is on track to complete development of its AR1 rocket engine by 2019 as a replacement for the Russian-built RD-180 engine after receiving a funding “booster shot” from the U.S. Air Force, Chief Executive Officer Eileen Drake told Reuters on Tuesday.

Lockheed unit to help design quieter supersonic passenger jet: NASA
(Reuters) – NASA on Monday announced a contract award to Lockheed Martin Corp’s unit for the preliminary design of a “low boom” flight demonstration aircraft.

Musk’s SpaceX rocket launch canceled at final countdown
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – At the last second, Elon Musk’s SpaceX scrubbed plans to launch a Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday, again delaying an attempt to put an satellite into orbit and then land the vehicle’s first stage intact on a sea platform, a step that may eventually slash costs.

Virtual reality ‘heroin cave’ aimed at helping addicts kick habit
HOUSTON (Reuters) – Addicts in a new study at the University of Houston will strap on virtual reality headsets and navigate a “heroin cave” to help them try and kick their addictions.

China to launch second space lab in third-quarter: state media
BEIJING (Reuters) – China will put a second space laboratory in orbit in the third quarter of this year, state news agency Xinhua said on Sunday, part of the country’s plan to have a permanent manned space station in service around 2022.

Vital to food output, bees and other pollinators at risk
OSLO (Reuters) – Bees and other pollinators face increasing risks to their survival, threatening foods such as apples, blueberries and coffee worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year, the first global assessment of pollinators showed on Friday.

Old red dye shows promise as new cancer foe
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Modern cancer drugs supercharge immune systems, target specific gene mutations and pack modified viruses into vaccines. Amid the increasing sophistication, one investigational treatment stands out for its simplicity.

SpaceX postpones Falcon rocket launch for second straight day
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – SpaceX on Thursday called off its second attempt in as many days to launch a Falcon 9 rocket on a satellite-delivery mission because of a technical difficulty, a launch commentator said.

Astronaut heading home next week after record-long U.S. spaceflight
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who returns next week after nearly a year aboard the International Space Station, said on Thursday the secret to enduring the longest U.S. spaceflight is marking individual milestones, not ticking days off the calendar.

World’s first thermal imaging phone camera
While most exhibitors at this week’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) are focused on products for personal consumers, a British company has launched a rugged handset aimed at tradespeople.

Virtual reality takes center stage at MWC
With virtual reality (VR) on course to become a $1 billion global business, the launch of the eagerly-awaited HTC Vive VR headset has been one of the highlights of this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.

Space projects lured $1.8 billion in venture capital last year: report
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – Venture capital groups invested $1.8 billion in commercial space startups in 2015, more than in the last 15 years combined, a report by aerospace consultants the Tauri Group shows.

Apollo 10 astronauts heard ‘outer space’ music during 1969 moon mission
Apollo 10 astronauts heard what they described as “outer space type music” during their historic mission around the dark side of the moon in 1969, according to a NASA audio tape.

Bird brain? Dodos were not so dumb after all
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The dodo is an extinct flightless bird whose name has become synonymous with stupidity. But it turns out that the dodo was no bird brain, but instead a reasonably brainy bird.

SpaceX set to launch satellite, then try to land rocket on ocean platform
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was being readied for launch from Florida on Wednesday on a mission to thrust a European satellite toward orbit and then attempt a return touchdown on an ocean platform, company officials said.

Telescope used on Armstrong’s moon landing finds new galaxies
SYDNEY (Reuters) – An Australian telescope used to broadcast live vision of man’s first steps on the moon in 1969 has found hundreds of new galaxies hidden behind the Milky Way by using an innovative receiver that measures radio waves.

Satellite operator SES says interested in used SpaceX rocket
PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – Satellite operator SES SA is interested in buying a used Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, for a future launch, the chief technology officer for SES said on Tuesday.

Gorilla born by rare caesarean section delivery at British zoo
LONDON (Reuters) – A baby gorilla has been delivered by a rare caesarean section at a British zoo in an operation performed by a hospital gynaecologist, the zoo said on Tuesday.

Thought-controlled prosthetic limbs possibly within reach, scientists say
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Thought-controlled prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs and computers may be available within a decade, say Australian scientists who are planning to conduct human trials next year on a high-tech implant that can pick up and transmit signals from the brain.

Ancient armored mammal from Argentina was a huge armadillo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – DNA coaxed out of a 12,000-year-old fossil from Argentina is providing unique insight into one of the strangest Ice Age giants: a tank-like mammal the size of a small car with a bulbous bony shell and a spiky, club-shaped tail.

Scientists find how ‘superbugs’ build their defences
LONDON (Reuters) – Scientists in Britain have found how drug-resistant bacteria build and maintain a defensive wall — a discovery that paves the way for the development of new drugs to break through the barrier and kill the often deadly “superbugs”.

Latest in smart textiles – a musical tablecloth
A Swedish company has developed a tablecloth with both a drum kit and piano keys printed on the fabric – turning dinner into a musical recital.

Shift in U.S. sanctions could ground Russian rocket engines: general
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Air Force would ground the Russian-built RD-180 engines that power its Atlas 5 rockets if a U.S. government review determines that several sanctioned Russian individuals have too close a relationship with the engine maker, a top U.S. general said on Friday.

Branson’s Virgin Galactic unveils new passenger spaceship
MOJAVE, Calif. (Reuters) – Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic venture unveiled a new passenger spacecraft on Friday, nearly 16 months after a fatal accident destroyed its sister ship during a test flight over California’s Mojave Desert.

U.S. could still cancel Raytheon GPS ground system: general
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Pentagon and the U.S. Air Force could still cancel the ground control system Raytheon Co is developing to operate new GPS satellites, if the company does not improve its performance on the troubled system, a top U.S. general said.

Branson’s Virgin Galactic moves to return to space race
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Reuters) – Richard Branson said on Thursday his Virgin Galactic venture is eager to rejoin the race among rival billionaire entrepreneurs to send passengers and satellites into space, following a deadly accident 16 months ago.

China looks to reward academic innovation to drive economic growth
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China will give greater financial rewards to innovative academics and small research bodies in a drive to convert interesting scientific ideas into commercial realities and rev up its high-tech industries as wider economic growth stalls.

Out of Africa, and into the arms of a Neanderthal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Research showing that our species interbred with Neanderthals some 100,000 years ago is providing intriguing evidence that Homo sapiens ventured out of Africa much earlier than previously thought, although the foray appears to have fizzled.

Europe launches satellite to help track global warming
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Europe launched a satellite on Tuesday that will help predict weather phenomena such as El Nino and track the progress of global warming as part of the multibillion-euro Copernicus Earth observation project.

Dogs can read human emotions
Many dog owners believe their pets are able to pick up on their moods, but scientists have demonstrated once and for all that man’s best friend can actually recognize emotions in humans.

Solar tower poised to energize market
In a vast expanse of open desert in southern Israel a 787-foot tower (240 meters) is taking shape that its builders hope will help make solar energy much more cost effective.

Deadly beauty: Amber-entombed flower may have been toxic
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Do not let its beauty fool you. A newly identified and exquisitely preserved flower found entombed in amber – fossilized tree sap – may have packed quite a punch.

Cheaper, greener, route to bioplastic
Polylactic acid (PLA) plastic is an increasingly common, environmentally friendly, alternative to conventional petrochemical-based mass plastics. But it’s a costly process.

Scientists bid comet lander Philae farewell after radio silence
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – European scientists have given up hope of restoring contact with space probe Philae, which successfully landed on a comet in a pinpoint operation only to lose power because its solar-driven batteries were in the shade.

Einstein’s gravitational waves detected in scientific milestone
WASHINGTON/CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Reuters) – Scientists have for the first time detected gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesized by Albert Einstein a century ago, in a landmark discovery announced on Thursday that opens a new window for studying the cosmos.

NASA delays space station cargo run due to mold on packing bags
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – NASA’s next cargo run to the International Space Station will be delayed for at least two weeks after black mold was found in two fabric bags used for packing clothing, food and other supplies, the U.S. space agency said on Wednesday.

World’s top scientists pledge to share all findings to fight Zika
LONDON (Reuters) – Thirty of the world’s leading scientific research institutions, journals and funders have pledged to share for free all data and expertise on Zika to speed up the fight against an outbreak of the viral disease spreading across the Americas.