May 1st, 2013
Life Gets Older, Better Cancer Radiation, Dog Lives, Dog Beds, Electronic Gene Zippers, Flying Insect Robots, Carnivorous Madagascar Dino, Super-Habitable Earth, And Much More…
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How Old Is Life?
Using the basis of Moore’s law, and observing current genomes, scientists have extrapolated that life is based on 376 million year jumps, instead of the 18 months related to computer processors. This would mean life is 9.7 billion years old. What the what?!
Radiation therapy without side-effects
A Professor from the University of Missouri has successfully found a type of radiation therapy for cancer with no harmful side-effects. It targets the cancer cells and avoids the healthy cells. Go chemo!
Dogs!
… Live longer when neutered…
Not only do dogs live longer when sterilized, but they also succumb to different ailments. Does this apply to people, too? If so, is it worth it??
Share more than just your bed!
In a recent study, scientists found that parents share more icroorganisms with their dogs than with their children! But why? Are they kissing their dogs more than their own offspring? Time to prioritize your life, folks…
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Electronic Zippers on your Genes!
University of Edinburgh has found a new way to zip and unzip your genes using electrochemistry. This could revolutionize medical care with biosensors and microarrays, making diagnoses cheap, easy, and fast!
World Robot Domination – Flying Insects!
Robots learn to fly from real life insects! Scientists studied the hawk moth and have discovered exactly how the insects pull it off – their abdomens work like rudders – helping to steer. They then designed robots with the same technology – watch out for flying mothbots!
Carnivorous dinosaur from Madagascar
Dahalokely tokana, the first new dino species from Madagascar in a decade, has filled a large gap in the fossil record. This dinosaur lived around 90 million years ago and was between 9 and 14 feet long. They belong to a group called abelisauroids, carnivorous animals from the southern continents – but, did they have feathers?!
Super-Habitable-Earth!
We’ve found a goldilocks planet! It’s earth-like and isn’t too hot, nor too cold. It’s just right for sustaining life! That being said, don’t go drawing up welcome banners for our alien brethren just yet…
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April 30th, 2013
Transparent Brains, Lasers And Cocaine, Monkey In The Middle, Interview W/ Mark McCaffrey from the NCSE, And Much More…
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Transparent brains
Stanford researchers have successfully turned a brain transparent. This could allow for amazing real time observations and breakthroughs relating to how the brain and it’s neurons work.
Lasers and Cocaine
Laser light therapy in rats has appeared to cure them of cocaine addiction. Interestingly though, when they treated non-addicted rats, they became addicted. Stay away from lasers, folks, it could turn you into a coke addict!
It’s tough to be in the middle
By testing the stress hormone levels in Barbary Macaque’s waste, it appears that those in the middle of the social structure are the most stressed out. The intermediate females are more in the thick of conflict, as they challenge to climb the social ladder and are challenged by others often. No wonder you have so much stress, you’re an ambitious primate!
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Interview with NCSE‘s Mark McCaffrey!
TALKING POINTS: NGSS
* Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core:
similarities and differences?
Both were developed by a consortium of states. Both are models for
shared state standards.
Common Core covers English and Math, and was ultimately adopted by
45 states. NGSS covers science and was developed by 26 states, with
many more states “closely watching”.
Common Core had backing from the Feds and tie-ins to “Race to the
Top”. NGSS does not. (So far.)
* NGSS isn’t just about evolution or climate change. It covers all
the sciences. The evolution standards (based on our look at the last
NGSS draft) are in line with what’s currently taught in many states.
* The advantages of states adopting NGSS?
Shared standards and shared assessments. NGSS would provide
continuity across states (useful, given our mobile population), and
coverage at all levels (K-12).
Another good reason for states to adopt NGSS: it saves money. States
won’t have to write their own standards or update existing aged
standards.
* The Process
Adopting NGSS won’t magically transform science education overnight.
From adoption to classroom could easily take a year or more. The
likely steps:
State adopts NGSS
Develop/update textbooks
Develop curriculum
Train teachers how to teach climate change
Classroom instruction
* Where will climate change likely get covered?
The basic science will likely be taught in middle school earth
sciences classes. The impacts of climate change will likely be
explore in high school life sciences classes.
Headline from Justin
Ionic wind!
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April 29th, 2013
Speed O’Light, My Brain Hurts, Human Cave Man, Healthier Fruit Flies, Fish For Fuel, NASA Sequester!, Men vs. Women, Bacterial Diet Plan, Bacterial Fun Ride, Snakebot, Jellybot, Jurassic Science?, And Much More…
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The speed of light – perhaps not so constant
It turns out the speed of light varies in a vacuum, though can you ever really have a perfect vacuum?
How Learning Breaks Your Brain –
Researchers have found that learning tears DNA in your brain. The good news is, it fixes itself, making it better in the long run, much like how exercise rips muscle tissue only to be rebuilt stronger.
Human-Neanderthal love child found!
No, it’s not a headline from a tabloid, scientists found skeletal remains from a neanderthal-human hybrid in Italy. BY looking at mitochondrial DNA, it is clear that this individual came from a Neanderthal female and a human male.
Foodee Fruit Flies
Drosophila melanogaster showed improved health on an organic diet, both in longevity and fertility, pretty much the two most important things for a fly. Next time, maybe that organic banana is worth the extra 30 cents… Or is it??
Fuel your gadgets and automobiles with marine life
New Norwegian research identified a species of tunicate, ascidiacea as an alternative energy source and fish food. They claim the animal is not a part of the food chain, but is harvesting a wild animal for energy ever harmless?
Write your Congress!
Due to the sequester, NASA has cut their education efforts. This will not stand!
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Don’t let the power go to your head, sir!
Men tend to let power boost their ego out of control in the workplace more than women do. It’s official then, women make better bosses!
Losing Weight The Bacterial Way –
In gastric bypass surgery, the bacteria in the gut change drastically. Is it the bypass or the different bacteria that cause the wait loss?
Bacteria hitch a ride to your gut on fruits and vegetables
Diverse groups of bacteria are found on the surface of the fruit and veg you buy at the market. Don’t worry – they aren’t harmful, in fact, they’re beneficial!
SnakeBot
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Biorobotics lab have engineered a robot that can coil itself around poles and trees – finally, that’s what my robot was missing!
RoboJelly
The Navy is funding developments for the robojelly in hopes to use them for patrols.
Should Hollywood Update Stories To Match Science? –
The new Jurassic Park film is due for release soon. Will they change their dinos to match the current knowledge about these dinos, or keep to the standard? What should they do?
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April 24th, 2013
Olive Oil Health, Algal Thieves, Dangerous Young Men, Cock-A-Doodle-Do!, King Of The Brain, Sports Science, Old Man Universe, Water Voles, And Much More…
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Olive Oil – News Flash – It’s good for you!
Scientists may have found out how Olive oil reduces the effect of Alzheimer’s disease. So go ahead, pour it on everything!
Look out! That algae is a gene thief!
The red algae Galdieria is capable of withstanding extreme, varied environments, and it appears as though it has adapted to its crazy lifestyle by stealing genes from bacteria and archaebacteria. Isn’t that cheating?
Blair’s Animal Corner
Inexperienced men are dangerous!
Sexually naive mice showed aggression, sometimes to the point of murder, when introduced to mouse pups. However, male mice that had some experience and had fathered mice before fell right back into paternal habits. Scientists found that the vomeronasal organ in reaction with pheromones from the pups were to blame. Of course, it all coms back to hormones…
Get Up-a-doodle-do!
A new study out of Japan shows that roosters crowing is the result of circadian rhythms and not at all related to seeing the sun rise, but much research is needed to see why they crow at other times of the day.
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Who’s really in charge of your brain?
A new study out of Berlin has found that the unconscious part of our brains may make a decision up to four seconds before our conscious “makes” it. So, do we have a choice at all, or are we all slaves to our reptilian counterparts?
Time to fix the NCAA!
The Georgia Tech’s LMRC has chosen Florida to win out this year, so if you trust a computer, place your bets now!
The Universe: even older than we previously thought
The most detailed picture yet of the cosmic wave background came from the Planck this week. It turns out the universe is older than we previously though, at around 13.81 billion years. Happy belated birthday, universe!
British water voles need a hand – or rather, a ladder…
Water Voles in the UK have declined in number by 90% since 1970 due to habitat loss and genetic bottlenecking. Now, british scientists are building the voles ladders to reach new waterways and potentially meet up with other populations in order to diversify the gene pool and increase habitat space. Here’s hoping they figure out how to use them!
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April 16th, 2013
Mars Alive, Corona Danger, Bear Lineage, No More Animals!, Economical Cockatoos, Monkey Brains, South Pole View, Higgs Party!, HR8799c, Hole In The Ocean, Olive Oil Goodness, No Cancer E, 4-Winged Dino, And Much More…
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Used to be maybe life on Mars
It appears as though at one point in time there was flowing water on Mars. What’s more, all of the building blocks for life were present. Was there once life on Mars?!
New corona virus?
A new corona virus has been detected. There have been 15 cases, 9 of which have been fatal, and most have come out of the Middle East. Be on the look out!
Which came first, brown bear or polar bear?
Scientists have found brown bears with polar bear DNA and visa versa. But why? And who mated with who? And how?!
Blair’s Animal Corner
EU bans animal testing in cosmetics
Banning cosmetic testing on animals sounds like a great idea, but what about detecting possible carcinogens? And what about the future of medical testing? This may be the start of a slippery slope to a BIG problem…
Cockatoos are Economists!
Cockatoos in Vienna were able to hold a food reward in their mouths for up to 80 seconds and exchange it for a greater one, while ignoring the allure of instant gratification. If only these birds were running Wall Street…
Monkey Brains
Researchers from Madison, Wisconsin successfully took skin cells from rhesus monkeys, regressed them to a stem cell state, convinced them to turn into brain cells, and transplanted them into the monkeys’ brains. SCIENCE!
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News from the South Pole Telescope
It turns out that what was previously thought to be interference on the telescope was actually the birth of 1000 suns a year starting from when the universe was a mere 1 billion years old. That many stars would definitely cause some interference…
Higgs Particle…
Confirmed! Let the parties commence!
HR8799c
The huge exoplanet with this catchy name appears to have water vapor and carbon monoxide. It is described as “Jupiter-like,” but does not have any methane, and with surface temperatures over 1000 C most likely cannot support life.
There’s a hole in the bottom of the sea
Rocks and seawater interacted without sunlight in chemical reactions giving birth to a whole realm we know nothing about under the ocean floor!
Olive Oil – Good for you – Surprise!
Olive oil helps you to feel full, so don’t cut it out of your diet, even though it may be high in fat.
Vitamin E may prevent cancer
Holy dino bird with 4 wings, Batman!
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March 27th, 2013
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Return Of The Hobbit, Citizen Science, Vostok Is Alive!, Gateway To The Nucleus, Anti-bacterial Wings, Picky Moms, TWITEOTW, Caffeine Boosting Bees, Pinky And The Brain, Wireless Brain Implants, TWIWRD, And Much More…
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March 19th, 2013
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Is ENCODE All That?, Spinning Supermassive Black Hole!, Bacula Get Smaller, Colonic Antibiotics?, Rat Mind-Meld, Chemotherapy – Better Than Ever, Retire On Mars, And Much More…
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March 7th, 2013
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Not So Random, Doomsday Higgs, Size Matters, Anxious Fish, Interview w/ Dr. Brian Hare About Dognition, And Much More…
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