Sailing the Seas of Alien Worlds: The fate of oceans on rocky planets
Presented by Laura Schaefer Searching for life in our galaxy means first finding liquid water. Water is found throughout our Solar System in many different forms, but the Earth, because of its balmy temperatures and unique geology, is the only known planet with sailable seas. Astronomers are searching far and wide for other planets that might host liquid water. In their search, they have found … Continue reading Sailing the Seas of Alien Worlds: The fate of oceans on rocky planets
Dragon Age Returns: Recent research suggests that current conditions are optimal for the resurgence of dragons
Steven Brust’s advice on dragons – “always speak politely to an enraged dragon” – may find it’s way out of fantasy novels and into the real world if a group of Australian and British researchers is to be believed. The group recently published a paper in Nature arguing that global warming coupled with the unearthing of ancient hoards of buried treasure and the re-introduction of … Continue reading Dragon Age Returns: Recent research suggests that current conditions are optimal for the resurgence of dragons
The misnomer of Ebola mutations rates
Reports this week have touted headlines such as “Ebola is not mutating as fast as scientists feared” and “Ebola virus in latest outbreak does not show unusual mutations.” These headlines are based on a report published in the journal Science last week that is at odds with a previous article published in the same journal. However, these headlines are missing the mark based on a … Continue reading The misnomer of Ebola mutations rates
As good as it gets? Peer review and its discontents
In February, the journal Nature and its sister publications announced a new policy for their peer review process (the evaluation of submitted articles by experts in the field). The journal normally operates on the basis of single-blind peer review–anonymous reviewers see the authors’ names and affiliations. The new policy will allow authors the option to remain anonymous to the experts reviewing their work. Will this … Continue reading As good as it gets? Peer review and its discontents
To bee or not to bee: social dynamics impact productivity and stress response in honey bees
Watch out, honey fans – populations of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, may be in decline, and we don’t really know why. Honey bees play a vital role in natural ecosystems as pollinators; it is estimated that a single bee can visit 2000 flowers in a day [1]. Agriculturally, bees are important for much more than honey, being required for the pollination of many other … Continue reading To bee or not to bee: social dynamics impact productivity and stress response in honey bees
Kaleidoskeleton
The black fibers seen in this image are tubulin, a protein that makes up a large part of the cytoskeleton of all cells. The cytoskeleton provides structural support for the cell, and tubulin also performs specific functions such as the mitotic spindle. When a cell is ready to divide, tubulin fibers attach to each copy of the duplicated, condensed chromosomes. In this way, the tubulin … Continue reading Kaleidoskeleton
A step towards the primordial soup
How did life originate? This puzzle has been studied by scientists for hundreds of years. Authors of a new paper in Nature have made significant progress towards solving this enigma by using cyanide as a starting material. While cyanide may be poisonous to us, mixing it with a specific chemical solution and heat seems to give rise to many of the molecules of life. A … Continue reading A step towards the primordial soup
The Cell’s DNA Construction Crew: Repairing and rebuilding the genome
Presented by Thomas Graham The DNA inside one of your cells, if stretched end to end, would be about two yards long and less than 1/50,000 the width of a human hair. Your cells have been following the instructions in your DNA since you began life as a single-celled embryo, and they will continue doing so as long as you live. Unfortunately, your DNA is … Continue reading The Cell’s DNA Construction Crew: Repairing and rebuilding the genome
DNA editing in humans: Biologists preach prudence
Recent advances in genetics have afforded the ability to precisely manipulate every letter of our genetic code. Several world-renowned biologists, however, have called for a moratorium on using this technology to modify human DNA that can be inherited by future generations. Adapted from bacterial immune systems, the CRISPR-Cas9 system has been used extensively to modify the DNA of human cancer cells in test tubes, but it … Continue reading DNA editing in humans: Biologists preach prudence
Dark Matter Detected, or False Alarm?
Although dark matter makes up 80% of all matter in the universe, physicists are still struggling to understand exactly what it is. This perplexity is largely due to the fact that dark matter is invisible and difficult to study directly, but a dwarf galaxy named Reticulum 2 may have just changed the game. Many experts believe that when dark matter particles collide, high-energy light is … Continue reading Dark Matter Detected, or False Alarm?