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BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Mammoth-killing comet questioned
BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Mammoth-killing comet questioned
The theory that a comet wiped out the megafauna and Clovis people of North America has taken a hit thanks to a thorough analysis of charcoal layers beneath lakes and peat bogs from across North America. The discovered two things: there is no evidence of a continent-wide fire, and that the number of wildfires during the 5,000-year period around the time of the supposed strike increased dramatically. In fact, they discovered that the incidence rate of wildfire increased during periods of rapid climate change such as the one the Earth is currently undergoing.
A study published in the journal Science links nanodiamond crystals found at six sites around North America to a comet swarm that may have struck the earth 12,900 years ago, resulting in a continent-wide wildfire that brought the North-American megafauna and the Clovis people to extinction, as well as triggering an ice age. The proposal is not completely accepted by scientists who suggest that further study is required.
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a method for repairing, at least partially, a spinal cord that has been severed. Until now, such injuries lead only to paralyzation, but a recent experiment on a pair of mice demonstrated that they could restore at least partial function, and do so without surgery. The key is to use nanostructures that contain chemicals which trigger axonal, rather than glial cell, growth. This works because, when the spinal cord is injured, glial cells form scar tissue which prevents axonal growth through the injured area. As a result, a nerve connection between the severed portions is never achieved and the person remains paralyzed. The new treatment method, if applied immediately, circumvents that process and prevents scar tissue from being built while encouraging neurons to cross the injury site.
When I gave exams, I banned cell phones, knowing that they could be used to store or text-message answers. It now appears that iPods and other digital media players are being added to the list. Students have been found storing notes in song titles and recording them as music. It appears the only way to be sure of no cheating is to require all exams to be written in the nude. Of course, that presents other problems, but at least it could provide some entertainment for those spending hours monitoring exams.
A London medical team have just performed the first gene therapy to treat an eye disorder. The patient had a faulty RPE65 gene which prevents the cells at the back of the retina from detecting light. The procedure appears to have worked on animals, so 12 individuals are being given the treatment to see if their sight can be at least partially restored.
The Ontario government has agreed to allow OptiSolar Farms to build what could be North America's largest solar farm in Sarnia. As expected, critics are up in arms for various reasons but none of the complaints seem to hold much weight. The project should be completed by 2010 and will generate more than 40 megawatts of power.
An analysis of preserved collagen from T.Rex bones reveals that the proteins in the bones are similar to those found in chickens, strengthening the theory that modern birds evolved from dinosaurs.
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New simulations have led scientists to the conclusion that global warming may reduce, rather than increase, the strength of hurricanes. The key is that a rise in ocean temperature will also increase wind shear which inhibits hurricane formation. What they have yet to discover his how wind shear and hurricane formation interact to generate the storms we observe. Without this knowledge, it is impossible to accurately predict the rate of hurricane formation as the Earth's temperature rises.
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Scientists have discovered a protein (NpHR) that, when exposed to light, switches off nerve firing. Specifically, the protien pumps chloride ions into the nerve cell when exposed to yellow light, effectively silencing the nerve until the ionic equilibrium has been re-established. Meanwhile, a protien ChR2 performs the opposite function when exposed to blue light, effectively activating the cell. NpHR is considered important to understanding nerve function because it allows researchers to silence individual nerve cells to determine how important they are to a particular activity. ChR2 had already earned its spurs by allowing researchers to replace large, clumsy electrodes with lasers that could activate individual nerve cells rather then activating clusters of them. It is hoped that this technique will eventually replace electrode stimulation in patients such as those being treated for sever depression. One researcher hopes that this technique may allow them to stimulate retinal cells directly, bypassing rods and cones that may have been damaged by injury or disease.
Scientists believe they have found the gene that makes small dogs, well, small. The gene is located near IGF-1 which helps animals grow from birth to adolescence. Small dogs have an increase in mutations around this gene, resulting in it being suppressed. They are now searching for other genes that may interact with it to control body size.
It appears that the charred remains of Joan of Arc may be far older than once thought... going all the way back to ancient Egypt. It appears that the relics thought to be the bones of Joan of Arc are actually the bones of an Egyptian mummy from sometime between the 3rd and 6th century BC. The relic had been officially recognized by the Vatican as authentic in the late 1800s. The bones were apparently charred by someone attempting to lend authenticity to the relic. The possibility of the relics being a fake arose when the bones were examined using an unusual technique: odour analysis by a trained panel. They detected the hints of plaster (legend had it she was burned on a plaster stake), but the hints of vanilla confused the panellists. The vanilla aroma would not arise from cremation, but would be produced by mummification. Chemical analysis bore this out. It only goes to show that the nose knows, and that some people can literally smell a forgery.
Another story noticed by 
Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons, may have all the components necessary to create some form of life say astronomers. The planet's core is believed to have been hot during it's early development, possibly hot enough to create the material components of life, particularly nitrogen. Combine this with water and a core still hot enough to create geysers of steam and the moon features the bet chance of being a place to find extraterrestrial life, albeit albeit fairly primitive.
A prominent scholar at the University of the Holy Land in Jerusalem believes that remains claimed in James Cameron's documentary to be of Mary Magdalene are actually the remains of two women. He says that the script was written by two different hands, one part stating that the occupant was a woman named Mary while the second, possibly later, inscription names the occupant as a woman named Martha. He believes that the remain of Martha were added later so that the ossuary, at one point, contained the remains of both women.
Micromanagers beware, nagging may make it less likely that what you want done will be accomplished. Psychologists have published a study indicating that nagging will encourage the other person to do the opposite of what the nagger wants. The impetus of the research was Psychologist Tanya Chartrand's frustration that her husband had a tendency to do the opposite of what she wanted. He, being a psychologist as well, joined with her into researching the problem. They claim that their study shows that attempts by another person to exert control over an individual results in the one being controlled rebelling against that control. They admit, however, that the results are not conclusive. Her personal response to the research was that, given what they have learned, her husband should be in a better position to "suppress his reactant tendencies" and do what he is told. He sees it as an automatic response to a controlling spouse so it not convinced that it is possible to suppress those tendencies. It appears that they still have issues to work through.
A film crew claims to have identified the location of Jesus's ossuary, and has completed DNA analysis of it and its companion. The other ossuaries apparently contained the remains of Mariamne (Mary Magdelene), Matthew, and Yose (Jesus' brother). DNA testing showed that Yeshua (Jesus) and Mariamne were not related, indicating that they may, instead, have been married. The original bones were, apparently buried in unmarked graves long ago in accordance with Jewish custom. The ossuaries have been proven by archaeologists to be authentic and from the same time period, but there is no way to confirm that this is the same Yeshua on which the Christian Bible is based. Odds of it NOT being the same have been estimated at between 1 in 600 to 1 in 42 million. The documentary will air on the Discovery channel on March 4.