Tag Archives: Nature
Bird Flu Research To Resume
After a “voluntary pause” in the international scientific research on the deadly H5N1 avian flu virus, a group of 40 scientists have urged an end to the moratorium and to allow work on the virus to continue in those countries with established safety guidelines, of which the United States is not one, despite being the world’s largest funder of virus … [ Read more ]
Greenland Ice Less Vulnerable Than Feared?
Some rare good news about melting ice in Greenland? A report published in Nature by approximately 300 climate experts from 14 countries has determined that Greenland is less vulnerable than previously feared to a runaway melt that would drastically increase global sea levels. During a warm period over 100,000 years ago, they discovered, only a quarter of the ice sheet … [ Read more ]
Shakespeare Sonnets Stored On Fake DNA
Data storage has always been a problem when the instruments for reading and the storage medium itself become obsolete. Enter synthetic DNA. Compact, lightweight, and relatively indestructible over thousands of years, if stored in a dark, cool environment, synthetic DNA is also getting cheaper to make. Now, a research team from the European Bioinformatics Institute in England, publishing online January … [ Read more ]
Exciting Results In Mouse DNA Study
A new report in the current issue of Nature on the construction of deer mice burrows has identified four areas of DNA that determine very complex behaviors such as deciding the length of a tunnel and whether to include escape tunnels. The exacting and complex experiments drew on ecology as well as evolutionary biology and genetics, and other scientists are … [ Read more ]
Seed Stashing Behavior By Rodents Keeps Forests Alive
A recent study provides insight into seed stashing and dispersal by rodents in tropical forests. Scientists have long known that seeds were ingested by rodents and then excreted whole which accounts for their wide dispersal. But, researchers have now learned that these rodents also steal, stash or bury various seeds in different places. They actually continue to move the seeds … [ Read more ]
Consecutive La Niña Storms Cooled Earth in 2011
Consecutive La Niña storms are being blamed for the extreme weather events in 2011. According to the State of the Climate report published last week, warm temperatures continue, even though 2011 was the coolest year reported since 2008. Other trends exacerbated by La Niña include a decrease in Arctic ice and ozone levels, a rise in greenhouse gases and ocean … [ Read more ]
Giant Dinosaurs Eating Habits Revealed With New Technology
A 3D technology usually reserved for designing airplanes and cars is helping scientists determine the eating habits of a giant dinosaur known as a Diplodocus. This technology used biomechanical modeling to create a three dimensional model that determined if this huge herbivore ate trees, bark and plants. The research team discovered that this dinosaur did eat plants and leaves, but … [ Read more ]
Exposure To BPA Leads To Inter-Species Breeding
A new study examined the affect of BPA on fish behavior during selection and mating. The study found that fish exposed to BPA altered the appearance and behavior of Blacktail Shiner and Red Shiner fishes, thus confusing the fish and leading to inter-species breeding. The chemical, BPA or Bisphenol A, is used in the manufacture of certain plastics and can … [ Read more ]
