WEIRD SCIENCE
“A very small amount of stuff has a very big effect.” By Emma Betuel – When a pufferfish is filleted, one wrong slip of the knife can turn the seaborne delicacy deadly. Even in death, the pufferfish’s natural poison, called tetrodotoxin, is more …
The full fury of Mother Nature was captured on camera by the current crew of the ISS. By Scott Snowden – A towering mushroom cloud of ash and smoke rose from a volcano in the Pacific Ocean so high that an astronaut aboard …
As regulation grows, the truth emerges: Kratom could benefit consumers, if used safely. By Peter Hess – If you want to make a claim, you’d better be prepared to back it up. That’s the stance the US Food and Drug Administration took recently …
The more we learn about the microbiome, the more the pieces are fitting together. By Derek Beres – A new study from the University of Central Florida makes the case for the emerging connection of autism and the human microbiome. High levels of …
Future cancer research may come from studying antler growth. By Mike Colagrossi – While sequencing the genomes of some 44 ruminants — among them cows, giraffes, and other mammals that have chambered stomachs for plant digestion — Chinese scientists closely studied those that …
By Michael Irving – A study of 20,000 insects taken from hospitals across the UK has revealed just how many are harboring antibiotic-resistant bacteria. (Credit: radub85/Depositphotos). A new study has revealed the role that regular bugs play in spreading superbugs. A team …
By Rich Haridy – It is estimated around half of people today hold a gene mutation allowing them to better reduce blood sugar levels following meals. (Credit: Khakimullin/Depositphotos). In an interesting look at evolution in action, a research team led by University …
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 …
