Jörg Dietrich explains: Dark Matter
"Most of the matter in the Universe is made of stuff that is very
different from the normal matter that everything in our daily lives
is made of, you, me, tables, chairs, etc. It is different because it only
interacts via its gravity. Dark matter doesn't give off light, it
doesn't absorp or reflect light either. If you had an object made of
dark matter not only could you not see it, you also could not touch
it because it does not interact with you in the way normal matter
does. Your hand would go right through it. Astrophysicists know
that dark matter exists because of its gravity. It holds objects together
that would otherwise fly apart because there is not enough normal
matter to have the required gravity to hold them together."
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Beauty and Strength Makes The Perfect Weapon
A new study shows how a humble crab can accomplish the difficult trick of merging beauty with strength.
Male fiddler crabs face two major challenges in their life: attracting females and fending off competing males. The crabs rely on an extra-large claw to achieve both of these goals. However, scientists have assumed that as the male crab evolved, it was forced to make a trade off between an attractive, long claw, or a shorter one that's more effective in combat, until now.
Now, new research shows that function and beauty may reside in the same fiddler crab claw after all. The new study, led...
Gut Bacteria: A 100 Trillion Guests?
New research shows that our body chooses which microorganism can live in our gut.
The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract is home to about 100 trillion symbiotic bacteria, which, seen from their DNA content, amount to more than 150 times the number of genes in the human genome. But, don't worry, many of these GI tract bacteria have beneficial functions. Beneficial gut bacteria ally with your intestinal cells to break down indigestible plant fibers, they also help your immune system protect itself against viruses, and increase intestinal absorption of dietary fats and carbohydrates.
Now, new...
Now, new...
Unlocking the Secret of Regeneration
Newts and salamanders are known for their ability to grow new limbs after injury, yet little is known about the inner workings of this ability. Now, a new study led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute in Germany and the University of Dayton, in Ohio, USA, makes a significant step towards understanding this amazing ability. Their findings, published online on February 20 in the journal Genome Biology, may one day lead the way for new approaches to regenerate limbs or organs in non-amphibian species (like us).
The research team, led by Dr. Thomas Braun, identified the RNAs (Ribonucleic...
Scientists find new clues on how bacteria resist antibiotics
New research shows how some bacteria manage to evade a widely used antibiotic by removing it from their protein factories.
The widespread use of antibiotics over the past decades has led to the emergence of resistant bacteria. Since their discovery in the 1930s, antibiotics have been overused in human medicine and in industrial farms as food supplements to promote animal growth. A shocking 80% of antibiotics produced in the USA are used in farms, despite warnings from the World Health Organization of the danger this poses to public health. Antibiotic resistant bacteria can spread from animals...
The widespread use of antibiotics over the past decades has led to the emergence of resistant bacteria. Since their discovery in the 1930s, antibiotics have been overused in human medicine and in industrial farms as food supplements to promote animal growth. A shocking 80% of antibiotics produced in the USA are used in farms, despite warnings from the World Health Organization of the danger this poses to public health. Antibiotic resistant bacteria can spread from animals...
Cancer research: fruit flies take it down a notch
You wouldn't think that those pesky flies hovering around your fruit bowl could help scientists understand cancer. Flies don't have cancer, and a fly is, well, just a fly. However, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been one of scientists' favourite animal models for over a century, and is nowadays used to study many human diseases. New research using fruit flies has now uncovered molecular details in tissue overgrowth that explain some long-standing questions in cancer research.
Why Drosophila? When compared to other lab animals like mice, for instance, flies have many advantages. They...
Why Drosophila? When compared to other lab animals like mice, for instance, flies have many advantages. They...
Good Genes, Bad Genes, Who Knows...
Genetic testing aims to find altered genes that could lead to a disease, and give doctors a head start in finding the best treatment. However, new research now suggest that finding these potentially ill-fated genes may not be such a big deal.
Researchers from Cambridge and Cardiff universities found that a normal person typically has about 400 DNA mutations in potentially important sites in the genome. But the researchers also found that people carrying these disease-causing mutations usually, and who represent about 10% of all the people carrying these mutations, have a very mild version of...
Researchers from Cambridge and Cardiff universities found that a normal person typically has about 400 DNA mutations in potentially important sites in the genome. But the researchers also found that people carrying these disease-causing mutations usually, and who represent about 10% of all the people carrying these mutations, have a very mild version of...
Crows Know When You're Looking at Them
Crows can tell if you are looking at them, and respond accordingly. The finding is the first of its kind in a wild animal.
Crows are pretty smart creatures. They can use tools to get food, recognize people (and even the cars they drive), and have shown signs of extensive social behavior. But it is pretty unusual for a wild animal to respond to human facial expressions or eye contact. While any dog owner (and possibly cat owner) can tell you that these pets can read our emotions and faces, this behavior has never been observed in wild animals. Now, a new report led by Dr. Barbara Clucas, from...
Crows are pretty smart creatures. They can use tools to get food, recognize people (and even the cars they drive), and have shown signs of extensive social behavior. But it is pretty unusual for a wild animal to respond to human facial expressions or eye contact. While any dog owner (and possibly cat owner) can tell you that these pets can read our emotions and faces, this behavior has never been observed in wild animals. Now, a new report led by Dr. Barbara Clucas, from...
Bigfoot Genome Sequenced, Perhaps
"Bigfoot is real, according to genetic analysis." This bold statement appears on the website of a new journal, where its only paper so far claims to have obtained genome sequence of the (still-mythical) creature Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot.
The research team, led by Dr. Melba Ketchum, announced the analysis of 111 blood, tissue and hair samples of the famous creature. The team also claims to have sequenced portions of mitochondrial DNA (which traces a lineage from the mother side), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (which can map out variations between individuals and species), as...
The research team, led by Dr. Melba Ketchum, announced the analysis of 111 blood, tissue and hair samples of the famous creature. The team also claims to have sequenced portions of mitochondrial DNA (which traces a lineage from the mother side), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (which can map out variations between individuals and species), as...
How the Whale lost its Hair
Scientists identify the genes responsible for the evolution of hairless skin in whales, which evolved from land (and hairy) mammals eons ago.
Hair is important, specially if you're a land mammal as it keeps you warm. But for a whale, hair just gets in the way. What matters most in a marine environment is streamlining, improving your ability to catch a prey. Now, a research group from Nanjing, Normal University in China, has pinpointed the genes responsible for whale's hairless lifestyle.
The research, led by Dr. Guang Yang, found that natural selection acting on two genes responsible for...
The research, led by Dr. Guang Yang, found that natural selection acting on two genes responsible for...
Why Dinosaurs got so big?
A new study defies previous theories of why dinosaurs got so big. The real reason may not be so clear cut.
Just before the dinosaurs died out, giant plant-eating dinosaurs covered in feathers roamed the earth, walking on two legs, with hands carrying huge scythe-like claws. They were called the Therizinosaurs, and they were the terror the Earth's trees. Relatives of meat eating dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus or Velociraptor, they grew to enormous sizes several times in history, and some scientists have argued that the need to have large guts to digest plants drove these dinosaurs to their...
For These Apes Social Networking is Worth More Than Food
Bonobos will share some bread with strangers rather than with old friends, new research shows. The finding, led by Dr. Brian Hare, from Duke University, USA, was published online in the January 2 edition of PLoS ONE. Such behaviour has never been observed in non-human primates before and may help guide our understanding of how certain altruistic and social behaviors evolved in human ancestors.
Bonobos are very social creatures, and researchers think this behaviour may help. "...they're trying to extend their social network," Dr. Hare said. It seems that for these species such social networks...
How plants helped us evolve
A lesser known hypothesis suggesting that our relationship with fruit may have helped us evolve into humans, gains new support. According to the theory, known as the angiosperm coevolution hypothesis, long ago, our primate ancestors evolved key adaptations like forward-facing eyes, excellent colour vision, rounded, blunt teeth and fingers without claws, all for the purpose of eating and living from fruits.
The most widely accepted hypothesis proposed to explain how primates evolved from other mammals is the so-called "visual predation" hypothesis, originally proposed by Dr. Matt Cartmill in...
The most widely accepted hypothesis proposed to explain how primates evolved from other mammals is the so-called "visual predation" hypothesis, originally proposed by Dr. Matt Cartmill in...
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