WEIRD SCIENCE
By Michael Irving – Geneticists have discovered some of the most ancient pieces of human DNA hiding in the centromere, the middle section of the chromosome. (Credit: Sasha and Charles Langley). Genes get shuffled and re-dealt with every new generation, meaning many are …
By Ben Coxworth – Dr. Blake Spady observes one of the squid, which is doing surprisingly well in acidic water. (Credit: Blake Spady). Climate change already appears to be responsible for an overabundance of jellyfish in the world’s oceans, but new research …
By Rich Haridy – A new study is the first to investigate associations between gut microbiome composition and the development of certain behavioral characteristics. (Credit: muro/Depositphotos). A new study from the University of Turku has uncovered interesting associations between an infant’s gut microbiome …
By Rich Haridy – The new EXPLORER full-body scanner promises faster and more detailed medical imaging. (Credit: UC Davis). After over a decade of development, the world’s first full-body medical scanner has produced its first images. The groundbreaking imaging device is almost …
Thousands of potentially harmful chemicals are in products ranging from electronics to medical equipment and carpets in the US Of the more than 40,000 chemicals used in consumer products in the US, according to the EPA, less than 1% have been rigorously tested …
A surprise on the far side of the Moon. By Robby Berman – Scientists detect a gigantic, underground, metallic anomaly down a crater on the Moon. “Whatever it is, wherever it came from,” it looks to be billions of years old. It’s probably …
By Nick Lavars – The Z-pinch confinement system at the University of Washington. Nuclear fusion holds untold potential as a source of power, but to recreate the colliding atomic nuclei taking place inside the Sun and generate inexhaustible amounts of clean energy scientists …
By Rich Haridy – Uncovering the mechanism by which calcium deposits accumulate on the walls of arteries could help develop new treatments for everything from heart disease to dementia. (Credit: Melinda Duer). A landmark study, led by a team of scientists from …
By Michael Irving – A gene known as mcr-3.1 that grants bacteria like Salmonella resistance to “last resort” antibiotics has been detected in a patient in the US. (Credit: katerynakon/Depositphotos). Antibiotics were one of the most important scientific developments of the 20th century, helping …
By Ben Coxworth – The disposable patch gathers genetic material containing both plant DNA, and the DNA of disease-causing organisms. (Credit: NC State University). When farmers find sickly plants in their crops, it’s important that they find out which malady is responsible, as quickly as possible. …
