Tag Archives: Science
CDC Says 14,000 People at Meningitis Risk Amid Call for Criminal Probe
Health authorities said on Thursday that more people than previously thought received possibly tainted steroid injections and that some 14,000 patients could be at risk of contracting meningitis in an unprecedented outbreak of the disease. The number of infections rose by 33 since Wednesday, the CDC said. Florida reported a second death from meningitis and Indiana reported its first death … [ Read more ]
Japan Earthquake Caused Long-Lasting Stress in Dogs
Family dogs caught up in the Japan earthquake of 2011 and subsequent nuclear disaster at Fukushima showed signs of stress not inconsistent with PTSD long after the events, a new study finds. The research compared abandoned dogs rescued from Fukushima with non-disaster affected dogs abandoned in 2009 and 2010, before the earthquake. The dogs that lived through the disaster had … [ Read more ]
High Voltage Solar Cell Recharger Developed For Phones
A solar technology breakthrough by UK scientists means portable electronic devices such as phones, cameras, and e-book readers could soon have credit card-sized solar cells built-in, allowing them to be recharged on the move. The researchers, from the University of Warwick, say they have created an organic solar cell that generates a sufficiently high voltage to recharge a lithium-ion battery … [ Read more ]
Julius Caesar Stabbing Site Pinpointed In Rome
Archeologists from the Spanish National Research Council believe they have found the precise spot where Julius Caesar was stabbed in Rome–and what they think happened is pretty dramatic. The scientists said in a written statement that they found a concrete structure, about three meters wide, inside the Pompey’s Theater in Rome’s historic Torre Argentina square. This new research notes where … [ Read more ]
Cuban Solenodon: Venomous Mammal, Presumed Extinct, Rediscovered
The shrewlike Cuban solenodon (Solenodon cubanus)—a “living fossil” that has not changed much in millions of years—was all but wiped out in the 19th century by deforestation and introduced species. A team of Cuban and Japanese researchers has been searching for the animals, known by locals as almiquí, ever since. The Cuban solenodon is one of only two remaining species … [ Read more ]
Skin Hair Skims Heat Off Elephants
Scientists studied the effects of skin hair densities in Asian and African elephants on thermoregulation in these animals, and concluded that elephant skin hair significantly enhances their capacity to keep cool under different scenarios like higher daytime temperatures or less windy days. Their research suggests that the dense body hair of furry animals helps with insulation, but as skin hair … [ Read more ]
Redhead Genetics Linked To Evolution, But Extinction?
Happy Roodharigendag (that’s Redhead Day in Dutch). It’s a summer festival that takes place the first weekend in September in the Netherlands. This year, nearly 5,000 people gathered to celebrate all things fiery red, especially this unique phenotype. But what exactly is the genetic story behind red hair? How do redheads get that auburn tone? And does their rumored extinction … [ Read more ]
Evolution Explains Why Women React Differently To Bad News Than Men
Women are more affected by bad news and can also remember the details better than their male counterparts, according to new research. The study, which is one of the first to look at the body’s response to negative media, included 60 men and women who were shown news articles of accidents and murders. Researchers found that women react to bad news … [ Read more ]
STD Superbug Threat Growing
Gonorrhea is the newest superbug. It’s a bit of an oversimplification, but bacteria and other infectious agents earn superbug status once they’ve developed resistance to a number of medications originally designed to wipe them out (like antibiotics). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(commonly called MRSA) falls into that category. And perhaps the newest member of the superbug family? Gonorrhea. Yes, gonorrhea has earned … [ Read more ]
New ‘Barcode’ Blood Test Developed For Aggressive Prostate Cancer
Scientists have designed a blood test that reads genetic changes like a barcode – and can pick out aggressive prostate cancers by their particular pattern of gene activity. A team found reading the pattern of genes switched on and off in blood cells could accurately detect which advanced prostate cancers had the worst survival. And the researchers believe the blood … [ Read more ]
