Galileo celebrated with reliquary at science museum in Italy
By Michael Breckenridge Galileo, the most famous heretic of the Roman Inquisition, is on hand – literally – to be marveled at by tourists at the science museum of Florence, Italy, newly renamed in his honor. Through an odd turn of events rivaling a subplot from a Dan Brown novel, the newly renamed Museo Galileo (Galileo Museum) is playing host to a series of relics of the scientist. Galileo was a believer in the Catholic faith and was … Read entire article »
Filed under: Science
Cave reveals Southwest’s abrupt climate swings during Ice Age
By Mari N. Jensen Ice Age climate records from an Arizona stalagmite link the Southwest’s winter precipitation to temperatures in the North Atlantic, according to new research. The finding is the first to document that the abrupt changes in Ice Age climate known from Greenland also occurred in the southwestern U.S., said co-author Julia E. Cole of the University of Arizona in Tucson. “It’s a new picture of the climate in the Southwest during the last Ice Age,” … Read entire article »
Filed under: Science
Unlocking the mystery of duck-billed platypus venom
By Michael Bernstein Abandon any notion that the duck-billed platypus is a soft and cuddly creature — maybe like Perry the Platypus in the Phineas and Ferb cartoon. This platypus, renowned as one of the few mammals that lay eggs, also is one of only a few venomous mammals. The males can deliver a mega-sting that causes immediate, excruciating pain, like hundreds of hornet stings, leaving victims incapacitated for weeks. Now scientists are reporting an advance … Read entire article »
Filed under: Science
30,000-year-old teeth shed new light on human evolution
By Hannah Johnson The teeth of a 30,000-year-old child are shedding new light on the evolution of modern humans, thanks to research from the University of Bristol. The teeth are part of the remarkably complete remains of a child found in the Abrigo do Lagar Velho, Portugal and excavated in 1998-9 under the leadership of Professor João Zilhão of the University of Bristol. Classified as a modern human with Neanderthal ancestry, the child raises controversial questions about how extensively Neanderthals and modern human groups of African descent interbred when they came into contact in Europe. “Early modern humans”, whose anatomy is basically similar to that of the human race today, emerged over 50,000 years ago and it has long been the common perception that little has changed in human biology since then. When considering … Read entire article »
Filed under: Science
DNA study sheds new light on horse evolution
By Alan Cooper Ancient DNA retrieved from extinct horse species from around the world has challenged one of the textbook examples of evolution – the fossil record of the horse family Equidae over the past 55 million years. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved an international team of researchers and the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD) based at the University of Adelaide. Only the modern horse, zebras, wild asses and … Read entire article »
Filed under: Science
Do dogs detect deception?
By Charles Crosby With those big brown eyes, you might figure your dog knows what you’re thinking. With a dismissive sniff, she’s telling you she knows when your cry of “treats!” is really a hoax to get her back in the house. But does she really? Can dogs understand deception? Mark Petter, a Dalhousie University PhD student in clinical psychology, wanted to find out whether dogs could recognize if humans had the intention of deceiving them. The results showed that dogs didn’t differentiate between the human “cooperators” or “deceivers” to a remarkable degree. “We thought they’d be better at it because dogs seem to be so sensitive to social cues from humans,” said Mr. Petter, a dog lover all his life. Through the interview, his dog Duenna lies at his feet and perks up … Read entire article »
Filed under: Science
Ancient bison genetic treasure trove for farmers
By Alan Cooper Genetic information from an extinct species of bison preserved in permafrost for thousands of years could help improve modern agricultural livestock and breeding programs, according to University of Adelaide researchers. Researchers from the University’s Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD) worked with an international team of genomics researchers to analyze the genetic mutations of an ancient bison, many modern cattle breeds and members of the larger ruminant family tree, including deer, antelopes, and giraffes. Their … Read entire article »
Filed under: Science
Ancient flying pterosaur also sailed seas
By John Davis At first glance, the 115-million-year-old pterosaur looks like a Cretaceous design disaster. With a tail rudder on its head and a spindly, bat-like body, Tapejara wellnhoferi may appear fit for nothing but extinction. However, researchers at Texas Tech University, the University of Kansas and University of Florida have found that the animal’s strange body actually made it a mastery of nature’s drawing boards. Not only could it walk and fly, but also it could sail across the sea. Tapejara, a native coastal dweller of what is now Brazil, was an excellent flyer that also had an innate nautical knowledge of sailing, said Sankar Chatterjee, Horn Professor of Geosciences and curator of paleontology at the Museum of Texas Tech University. Much like a Transformer, it could manipulate its body to match the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Science
Arctic could face warmer and ice-free conditions
By Jessica Robertson There is increased evidence that the Arctic could face seasonally ice-free conditions and much warmer temperatures in the future. Scientists documented evidence that the Arctic Ocean and Nordic Seas were too warm to support summer sea ice during the mid-Pliocene warm period (3.3 to 3 million years ago). This period is characterized by warm temperatures similar to those projected for the end of this century, and is used as an analog to understand future conditions. The U.S. Geological Survey found that summer sea-surface temperatures in the Arctic were between 10 to 18°C (50 to 64°F) during the mid-Pliocene, while current temperatures are around or below 0°C (32°F). Examining past climate conditions allows for a true understanding of how Earth’s climate system really functions. USGS research on the mid-Pliocene is the most … Read entire article »
Filed under: Science
Student sleuths using DNA reveal zoo of 95 species in NYC homes — and new evidence of food fraud
By Joseph Bonner Two New York City high school students exploring their homes using the latest high-tech DNA analysis techniques were astonished to discover a veritable zoo of 95 animal species surrounding them, in everything from fridges to furniture, from sidewalks to shipping boxes, and from feather dusters to floor corners. Guided by DNA “barcoding” experts at The Rockefeller University and the American Museum of Natural History, Grade 12 students Brenda Tan and Matt Cost of Trinity … Read entire article »
Filed under: Science
Translator
International
Since July 5, 2010.
