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Life on Earth could owe its existence to ‘space sugar’
The RNA World Hypothesis is controversial — but a new study suggests it is not impossible. By Sarah Sloat – In 1969, a 4.6-billion-year-old meteorite fell to Earth. It showered a rural Australian town with chunks of smelly, black rocks and — more consequentially, overjoyed …
Brown Sugar, Raw, Honey: Which Type of Sugar Is Healthiest for You and Why
Sugar, ah honey honey. By Sze-Yen Tan, The Conversation – In nutrition, sugar refers to simple carbohydrates consisting of one or two basic carbohydrate units such as glucose, fructose, and galactose. Consumers often use “sugar” to describe simple carbohydrates that taste sweet, but …
After missing for decades, Acoma Pueblo’s shield returns to New Mexico
Updated: 5:41 PM MST Nov 18, 2019 By Marissa Armas – Reporter ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Native American shield that was stolen decades ago is finally returning to the Pueblo of Acoma, just west of Albuquerque. The centuries-old Acoma Shield was stolen and …
Do you actually own your DNA?
Property rights get messy when DNA is involved. By Sarah Kearns – Scattered around your house or apartment, lightly coating the surface of your coffee table and lurking in the nooks and crannies of each room, are millions of your skin and hair …
At work and at home, women are losing the ‘thermostat war’
Women think they have to fight to be at a comfortable temperature. It may be a losing battle. By Sarah Sloat – Office ‘thermostat wars’ are framed as a battle of the sexes, with men preferring cooler temperatures and women preferring warmer climes. …
Study: Family is more important than friendships in one surprising area
Strained family relationships could literally be making you sick. By Alexandra Pattillo – The family you are raised in may have a more lasting impact on your health than the family you choose, according to a new study. Strained family bonds led to …
Sleep science: Getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep may be aging you prematurely
FitBit data is shining a light on just how much we lose when we don’t get enough shut-eye. By Emma Betuel – Even if you think you get enough sleep each night, your fitness tracker may be telling a very different story. In …
‘Insect apocalypse’ poses risk to all life on Earth, conservationists warn
Report claims 400,000 insect species face extinction amid heavy use of pesticides. Damian Carrington Environment editor @dpcarrington – The study also indicates that insects, including bees, are vanishing due to damage to nature. Photograph: Rodrigo Garrido/Reuters. The “unnoticed insect apocalypse” should set alarm …
México City’s ‘walking fish’
While gaining traction as a symbol of México City, these curious amphibians offer hope for healing the human body, but face near extinction in the wild. By Megan Frye – Frankie was missing half his face. A fungal infection had come over the …
This implant can monitor your recovery after surgery and then disappear
A safe, stretchy semiconductor could help save lives. By Thor Benson – Scientists have been struggling to create a semiconductor that is stretchy, conductive and fully degradable—all at the same time. Researchers have now created a semiconductor that meets all of these requirements, …
Solar panels waste a lot of energy. Scientists have a plan to capture it.
‘Hot electron’ harvesting could unlock big solar energy gains. By Mike Brown – “Hot electrons” could add a new dimension to harvesting energy from solar panels. Scientists from the University of Groningen and Nanyang Technological University have developed a means of harnessing otherwise-wasted …
Who is a non-human person?
An orangutan has settled into a Florida home after a court granted her personhood rights. But what is the basis for personhood? By Molly Hanson – Sandra the orangutan. Photo Credit: TheDman / Getty Images. An orangutan named Sandra was granted non-human personhood …
Heart attacks and canker sores: why we need to take oral health seriously
Your microbiome begins in your mouth. Why don’t we look there more often? By Derek Beres – Photo by Carl D. Walsh/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images. Eighty percent of patients who’ve had heart attacks have gum disease, says Dr. Shahrzad Fattahi. …
‘Tis the season for ‘open enrollment’ scams
November 13, 2019 By Gretchen Abraham, Division of Consumer & Business Education. – Winter is coming, which means open enrollment season is here. With 2020 just around the corner, now’s the time to add or change your health coverage through Medicare or the …
Mouse deer species not seen for nearly 30 years is found alive in Vietnam
Silver-backed chevrotain caught on camera after it was feared lost to science. Ian Sample Science editor @iansample – Play Video 0:32 Mouse deer spotted in Vietnam for first time in 30 years – video A distinctly two-tone mouse deer that was feared lost …
Could Earth Soon Be Swallowed Up by a Black Hole?
We know what happens if you get too close… By Janie Hoormann – Can Earth be affected by a black hole in the future? – Rakovi, age 12, Dimapur, India. As we know, black holes are called that because the gravity in their …
Study Reveals an Absurd Stat About Plastic Littering Rates Since World War II
“We really might be known as the Plastic Age.” By Nina Pullano – We’ve found tiny plastic particles in the depths of the ocean and the air we breathe, fragments of car tires and plastic bags among them. Plastic pollution may seem like …
Puppy Stella knows 29 human words and how to use them
What a shock, said no dog lover ever. By Robby Berman – Stella on the Button Board. Hunger4Words A speech language pathologist has taught her puppy Stella to use 29 words. Stella “speaks” by stepping on large buttons programmed with recordings of words. …
Scientists finally figure out why the water bear is nearly indestructible
Freeze it, boil it, or expose it to radiation. The water bear shrugs it off. Now we know why. By Philip Perry – Medically accurate model of a tardigrade or water bear. – The tardigrade, also known as the moss piglet or water …
Men and women speak different languages, shows study
New research finds how power dynamics shape the speech of men and women. By Paul Ratner – A new psychology study finds differences in speech patterns between men and women. Men tend to use more abstract language, while women focus more on the …
Plug-and-play PhoneBook turns any smartphone into a laptop
November 10, 2019 – The PhoneBook is a plug-and-play device that turns any smartphone into a laptop. Anyware Technologies. – Our phones are incredibly powerful little computers, letting us work, play and stay connected no matter where we go. But that portability can …
An old Aztec tradition could help feed the megacities of the future
By James Holloway – Traditional chinampas photographed in 1912. Karl Weule. – By 2050, the UN thinks there will be nearly 10 billion people on planet Earth, with 68 percent living in urban areas. Both numbers pose serious questions as to how we’ll feed …
WAF photo awards bring beautiful buildings into focus
By Adam Williams – Marco de Groot from the Netherlands took this aerial photograph of the Camp Adventure Observation Tower in Gisselfeld Klosters Forest, Denmark, by EFFEK. It was entered into the Sense of Place category. Marco de Groot/APA19/Sto. – The World Architecture Festival …
Eyelash Mites: Millions Of People Have Them And Don’t Know (Symptoms)
by Abbey Ryan – Nothing is quite as gross as learning simple statistics about gross bugs and their affiliation with human beings. – The eyelash mite, for instance, the Demodex folliculitis or Demodex mite, is a parasite that can be found in facial …
How outrage mobs silence academics — and what we can do to stop them
When the protection of academic freedom is compromised, scholarship and greater society suffer the effects. By Big Think – Image via Getty Social media has made it easier than ever to succumb to mob mentality and let our worst instincts and impulses run …
New Adobe tool can detect if a face has been photoshopped
by Napier López – Every year, Adobe lets its engineers have some fun with experimental projects to be demoed at the company’s Max conference. Called ‘Sneaks,’ the experiments often become integrated into Adobe products down the line. Perhaps the most interesting Sneak this …
Not Washing Your Hands After You Poop Is More Dangerous Than Eating Raw Meat—Here’s Why
You should never, ever skip washing your hands after you go. By Samantha Lauriello – If you do anything at all—even just one tiny thing—for your own health and the health of others, please just wash your hands after you poop. – That …
Itchy? These Worms Are Suddenly Breeding in People’s Eyes and Scientists Are Baffled
Two cattle worm infections in human hosts within two years suggests that they might be an “emerging zoonotic disease in the United States,” according to a recent case report. by Maddie Bender – Left: Flickr/Geoffrey Fairchild. Right: Bradbury, Gustafson et. al. – A parasitic worm …
Smartphone app can detect eye diseases in children with 80 percent accuracy
By Rich Haridy – A freely available app can detect early signs of several eye diseases in children as accurately as devices used by professionals. Sheftsoft/Depositphotos. – An app designed to detect early signs of several eye diseases in children has surpassed an …
Renewable energy could save us trillions in health costs
Just as long as no one gets windmill cancer By Thor Benson – If you’re worried about getting “windmill cancer,” we have some good news for you. According to a new study published recently in the journal Environmental Research Letters, installing more renewable …
Loch Ness DNA analysis suggests monster could be a big ol’ eel
By Ben Coxworth – The majority of the environmental DNA found in the study came from eels – although not necessarily giant ones. mikelane45/Depositphotos – Last year, we heard about a scientist who was headed to Loch Ness to search for the monster’s DNA. …
The Truth Behind What Intermittent Fasting Does to Your Body
Three experts review claims of longer life, a healthier brain, and a slimmer body. By Alexandra Pattillo – Ever feel hangry when you miss a meal? Imagine waiting 16 or 18 hours before eating again. Or an entire day without breakfast, lunch, or …
Scientists have learned something new and terrifying about the measles
Not being vaccinated for measles may put people at higher risk than we thought. By Alexandra Pattillo – Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known to man. It spreads like wildfire — if you catch it, it can spread quickly to other …
How old atom bomb tests help scientists carbon date our immune systems
By Michael Irving – Researchers have found a way to carbon date our immune cells – thanks to radioactive isotopes in our cells from past nuclear weapons testing. rfphoto/Depositphotos. – It’s been decades since above-ground atomic bomb testing was banned – but we’re …
Is dairy a risk factor for cancer? Scientists split fact from fiction
Let’s take a closer look at the findings. By Rosemary Stanton – Recent headlines have warned a diet high in dairy foods may increase men’s risk of prostate cancer. The news is based on a recent review published in the Journal of the …
There’s a Very Good Scientific Reason to Embrace Your Stress and Anxiety
“It actually makes us more resilient when new difficulties arise.” By Peter Hess – We are often told that stress and anxiety are feelings that should be minimized. But one psychologist wants to change that. Recently, at the American Psychological Association’s annual conference …
Blood vessels incorporated into 3D-printed living skin
By Ben Coxworth – A microscope image of the vascular system within the bioprinted skin. Yale University. It certainly would be great if instead of having to be harvested from a patient’s own body, permanent skin grafts could be 3D-printed as needed. …
Bitcoin Mining’s Incredible Energy Waste Has Been Captured in New Research
The world’s largest cryptocurrency is hungry for power. By Mike Brown – Image by Grea. – Bitcoin is an energy beast. That’s the conclusion from a University of Cambridge tool released recently, which shows the world’s largest cryptocurrency uses a ton of electricity …
How sunlight on the skin directly affects the gut microbiome
By Rich Haridy – For the first time scientists have shown exposure to ultraviolet light can directly influence gut bacterial diversity. Photocreo/Depositphotos – New research from a team of Canadian scientists has for the first time demonstrated how exposure to Narrow Band Ultraviolet …
Researchers discover your brain has a literal “rinse cycle” when you sleep
Slow wave sleep could be the brain’s very own rinse cycle. By Emma Betuel – The brain has a rinse cycle that’s activated during the (optimal) seven to nine hours you sleep every night — and it could play a key role in …
Life on Earth could owe its existence to ‘space sugar’
The RNA World Hypothesis is controversial — but a new study suggests it is not impossible. By Sarah Sloat – In 1969, a 4.6-billion-year-old meteorite fell to Earth. It showered a rural Australian town with chunks of smelly, black rocks and — more consequentially, overjoyed …
Brown Sugar, Raw, Honey: Which Type of Sugar Is Healthiest for You and Why
Sugar, ah honey honey. By Sze-Yen Tan, The Conversation – In nutrition, sugar refers to simple carbohydrates consisting of one or two basic carbohydrate units such as glucose, fructose, and galactose. Consumers often use “sugar” to describe simple carbohydrates that taste sweet, but …
After missing for decades, Acoma Pueblo’s shield returns to New Mexico
Updated: 5:41 PM MST Nov 18, 2019 By Marissa Armas – Reporter ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Native American shield that was stolen decades ago is finally returning to the Pueblo of Acoma, just west of Albuquerque. The centuries-old Acoma Shield was stolen and …
Do you actually own your DNA?
Property rights get messy when DNA is involved. By Sarah Kearns – Scattered around your house or apartment, lightly coating the surface of your coffee table and lurking in the nooks and crannies of each room, are millions of your skin and hair …
At work and at home, women are losing the ‘thermostat war’
Women think they have to fight to be at a comfortable temperature. It may be a losing battle. By Sarah Sloat – Office ‘thermostat wars’ are framed as a battle of the sexes, with men preferring cooler temperatures and women preferring warmer climes. …
Study: Family is more important than friendships in one surprising area
Strained family relationships could literally be making you sick. By Alexandra Pattillo – The family you are raised in may have a more lasting impact on your health than the family you choose, according to a new study. Strained family bonds led to …
Sleep science: Getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep may be aging you prematurely
FitBit data is shining a light on just how much we lose when we don’t get enough shut-eye. By Emma Betuel – Even if you think you get enough sleep each night, your fitness tracker may be telling a very different story. In …
‘Insect apocalypse’ poses risk to all life on Earth, conservationists warn
Report claims 400,000 insect species face extinction amid heavy use of pesticides. Damian Carrington Environment editor @dpcarrington – The study also indicates that insects, including bees, are vanishing due to damage to nature. Photograph: Rodrigo Garrido/Reuters. The “unnoticed insect apocalypse” should set alarm …
México City’s ‘walking fish’
While gaining traction as a symbol of México City, these curious amphibians offer hope for healing the human body, but face near extinction in the wild. By Megan Frye – Frankie was missing half his face. A fungal infection had come over the …
This implant can monitor your recovery after surgery and then disappear
A safe, stretchy semiconductor could help save lives. By Thor Benson – Scientists have been struggling to create a semiconductor that is stretchy, conductive and fully degradable—all at the same time. Researchers have now created a semiconductor that meets all of these requirements, …