ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 532
March 21, 2016
Why Do We Kiss With Our Eyes Closed?
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Shame the study's not actually about kissing... at all. solominviktor/Shutterstock
Why do we kiss with our eyes closed? This, surely, is one of the modern age’s great unanswered questions. Apart from the fact that it might put off your amorous partner if you keep your eyes constantly open as you smooch, a potential answer may reside within a new study on human senses.
Has Eradicating Invasive Species Actually Helped Native Ones?
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Once thought extinct, New Zealand storm petrels were rediscovered breeding on Little Barrier/Hauturu-o-toi following cat and rat eradication. Stephanie Borrelle
While islands occupy 5.5 percent of the terrestrial surface area, they contain more than 15 percent of all terrestrial species. According to new work published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, invasive mammal eradication is an important tool for protecting threatened island-dwellers.
Research Reveals How Fear Is Hardwired Into The Brain
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The neural circuits controlling fear have played a pivotal role in the survival of many species. Sebastian Kaulitzki/Shutterstock
Though being afraid may not be a particularly enjoyable feeling, the ability to experience fear is actually pretty important, ensuring that animals react appropriately to dangerous situations. Understanding how fear responses are hardwired into the brains of different species provides a fascinating insight into how certain neural circuits have played a role in their survival, revealing key information about the importance of fear in the evolution of all complex life forms.
Beating Human Hearts Grown In Laboratory Using Stem Cells
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A partly regrown human heart within a bioreactor, which replicates the biological conditions around a normal human heart. Bernhard Jank, MD, Ott Lab, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital
Right now, there are 4,186 people waiting for a heart transplant in the U.S., but with a huge donor shortage not all of these patients are likely to survive.
Observe The Evidence For Evolution On Your Own Body
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Vox/YouTube
If you want evidence of evolution by natural selection, look no further than your own body.
Whether it's your tailbone, goosebumps, or a weird little tendon on your inner wrist, the human body is covered with parts that don’t serve any purpose to us anymore. Yet they’re still there as a genetic relic from our evolutionary past. The same is true for many other animals – just think of the wings on an ostrich. These are called “vestigial” characteristics.
New Crew Launches To ISS, But Will A New Social Media Star Be Born?
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The Soyuz launch passed without a hitch. NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
The departure of Scott Kelly from the International Space Station (ISS) earlier this month was more than just the end of the pioneering year in space mission. It also saw the end to a social media icon the likes of which we haven’t seen since Chris Hadfield, boosting the profile of the station itself and some of the science performed on board.
Supernova’s Shockwave Detected For The First Time
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Artist's impression of the supernova KSN2011a just as it's about to explode. NASA
For the first time, astronomers have detected the shockwave of a giant star as it becomes a Type-II-P supernova. The observation was made using the Kepler Space Telescope, and has been reported along with a description of an even larger supernova.
When stars exceeding eight times the Sun's mass reach the end of their lives, their cores collapse, triggering a giant explosion. Where a substantial hydrogen envelope survives around the star, these become Type-II-P supernovae.
Paint Drying Might Actually Be “Exciting” After All
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K. Sweet/Shutterstock
Watching paint dry isn’t known for its thrill. However, according to a recent study, the science of paint drying is actually pretty interesting if you look really, really closely.
This Flying Drone Can Launch From Underwater
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Johns Hopkins APL
Researchers from John Hopkins University (JHU) have designed an aerial drone that can lurk underwater for months at a time and then spring into flight.
The 3D-printed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is extremely light and capable of withstanding hundreds of feet of pressure underwater. On top of that, the design includes a sealed dry pressure vessel where the drone’s “most sensitive components” reside, which are sprayed with a protective coating to allow it to survive in harsh saltwater environments.
Patient Develops Kiwi Fruit Allergy After Bone Marrow Transplant
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The patient received a bone marrow transplant from his sister, who already had the kiwi allergy. 5 second Studio/Shutterstock
After undergoing chemotherapy to treat his leukaemia, a 46-year-old man received a bone marrow transplant from his sister, who luckily was found to be a match. But not long after the operation the recipient experienced, for the first time in his life, an allergic reaction to kiwi fruits. It appears that his sister’s allergy to the fruit was transferred to him along with her bone marrow.
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