What We're Talkin' About
A species of crayfish has been found in German aqariums that might pose a serious threat to varieties in the wild. Known as
Marmokrebs, the female crayfish reproduce asexually - that is to say that they don't require the presence of males to reproduce. This method of reproduction is called parthenogenesis, and has never before been seen in lobster or crayfish species. In addition to the ease with which
Marmokrebs can reproduce, it seems that the species might also harbor an infectious fungus that has already led to the endangerment of native European crayfish. Read more
here.
If you've ever wondered why some people handle stressful situations better than others, scientists might be on the way to giving you an answer. Research at the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has shown that high levels of a neurotransmitter called Neuropeptide Y (NPY for short) might be behind some peoples' ability to bounce back from stress. The research looked at the NPY levels of military troops undergoing survival training before, during, and after the training sessions. They found that those people whose NPY levels rose the most during the training performed the best, and that those people who experienced suffering after the training had depressed NPY levels. In addition, the individuals who performed the best during training and had the highest NPY levels were none other than Green Berets. Read more about NPY and stress
here and
here.
Taste aversion is an important evolutionary trait for many species of animals. Tastes can signify whether or not a food is poisonous, and remembering whether or not a food can make you sick can mean life or death. Humans have evolved to respond to several tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. However, with our world of processed foods it is not necessarily important to include bitter tastes in our diet. Food manufacturers go to great lengths to remove bitterness from the foods they produce; usually this is achieved by the addition of large quantities of salt, sugar, and fats. Researchers at a biotech firm in New York have discovered several nucleotides that block the sensation of bitter taste. Nucleotides are naturally occurring molecules, some of which make up our DNA and RNA. Since they are natural, the FDA won't have to approve their addition to products for human consumption. Food manufacturers and drug companies could very easily use the bitterness-blockers in place of the unhealthy salt, sugar, and fat that might currently be a part of the world's obesity epidemic. Read more
here.
In other tasty news, it seems that vampire bats don't acquire aversion to bad tastes. Researchers in Canada who investigated this unique trait think that it might have to do with their diet of choice, blood. The bats only drink blood, so never encounter new tastes and the blood they encounter most likely will not kill them. The researchers believe that the bats never evolved under the pressure to develop taste aversion. Check out this
link for the abstract and full-text of their paper.
Baby King penguins are lucky to have their fathers around. When mom is out hunting for food dad cares for the kids. In fact, in order to make sure that the food stays fresh until mom can get back with more, dad stores the food undigested in his stomach. It is thought that the dads might actively release antibacterial agents in their guts to keep bugs from growing in the food. It is also thought that the dads can turn on the antibacterial power at will depending on whether they are eating for themselves or saving food for baby. Read more here
.
James Watson, one of the discoverers of the structure of DNA has stated that low intelligence is an inherited disorder that should be treated by molecular biologists. Read more
here. In other intelligence news, researchers in Russia have found that children who bite their nails are at greater risk of lead poisoning, and therefore stand a greater chance of damaging their IQs. Lead occurs naturally in soil and dust, and can be found on fruits and vegetables that haven't been washed properly or in the paint on older homes. Read more
here.
China has released information about it's plans to travel tot he moon. These plans include three stages: an orbiter, followed by a lander, and then by a ship capable of collecting samples and returning to earth. The ulrimate goal of the moon exploration plan is to mine the resources available on the moon. Read more
here. The recent Challenger accident might have the US down, but we are definitely not out of the space race. The US recently inaugurated the Institute for Cell Mimetic Space Exploration, the function of which will be to research and develop devices based on biological systems that could be involved in various aspects of space travel in the future. The facility is funded by a $30 million grant from NASA. Read more
here.
Headline Links: Check these out for topics that weren't covered on this week's show!
Robot sub to map uncharted waters (
Nature Science Update)
Don't eat yellow worms (
Nature Science Update)
UV blinds barnacles (
Nature Science Update)
Flash pads lure female fish (
Nature Science Update)
Ants Practice Nepotism, Study Finds (
National Geographic)
Lake methane could power entire nation (
New Scientist)
current science news posted by Kirsten at 3/04/2003 01:09:00 PM
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& Engineers for America
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