ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 607
December 22, 2015
Watch This Canadian Lake Falling Off A Cliff
Photo credit:
Twelve Olympic-sized swimming pools' worth drained within two hours. NGTS
A nameless lake in the Northwest Territories in Canada has, as predicted by geologists, partly fallen off a cliff, as reported by the National Post.
December 21, 2015
Why Most Horses Lack The Dark Markings Of Their Ancestors
Photo credit:
Three Dun stallions. From left to right: Bay Dun, Blue Dun, and Red Dun. Freyja Imsland
Horses with what’s called Dun coloration sport a mostly pale coat with a few dark-colored markings, like a stripe down the back or a series of streaks on the legs. Most horses these days are non-dun, though Dun is thought to be the ancestral coloration. Researchers have now identified the genetic mechanism behind these so-called “primitive markings,” and their findings, published in Nature Genetics this week, suggest that Dun was important for camouflage in wild horses.
Killing Forest-Dwelling Creatures Could Worsen Climate Change
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Woolly spider monkeys such as this one roam widely, dispersing the seeds of the fruits they eat, at least until they are killed. Pedro Jordano,
Large fruit-eating mammals and birds play a role in fighting climate change, and if we drive them to extinction, we will make a hotter world in the process, new research suggests.
It might sound like the end of "Avatar," but fruit-eating animals are guerrilla warriors (or maybe gorilla warriors?) against global warming. Their size enables them to consume and disperse large seeds, particularly those that come surrounded by juicy fruit.
Eyewitnesses Are More Accurate When They’re Confident
Photo credit:
BostonBill (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
People who witness crimes are often asked to identify suspects in a lineup. Traditionally, police would present them with six people simultaneously, five of whom are fillers who are innocent but resemble the suspect. Photo arrays are more common these days than live lineups, and previous studies found that these work better if the pictures are presented in a sequence, rather than all at once. Almost a third of U.S. law enforcement agencies have since adopted this sequential procedure.
Parkinson’s Drug Could Treat Patients With Chronic Pain
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Our brain's reward circuit could be rewired by chronic pain. www.BillionPhotos.com/Shutterstock
A key region of our brain’s reward circuit can be rewired by chronic pain, according to a new study. Although only demonstrated in mouse models of disease so far, encouragingly the study found that a combination of two FDA-approved drugs was able to restore harmony in this region and reduce the animals’ symptoms. The discovery could therefore point us towards a new strategy for treating or perhaps even preventing chronic pain, a condition that affects around 20 percent of the global population.
Skeptic Reacts: PZ Myers’ Blog
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I’m off to enjoy a glass of Whiskey and a Cigar.
“Extinct” Sea Snakes Rediscovered
Photo credit:
The Olive sea snake, which is closely related to the two species rediscovered. Richard Ling/Flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Surveying off the coast of Western Australia, researchers have discovered two species of rare and endangered sea snakes, thought to have become extinct 15 years ago. The venomous reptiles, which are adapted to spending their entire lives at sea in and around coral reefs, were only previously known from one site, and were last spotted there in 2000.
There Are Actually 12 Different Types Of Rainbow
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Rainbows are much more complex and variable than most people think. Captain76/Shutterstock
This may come as a shock, but everything you thought you knew about rainbows is wrong. Not only do they not all contain the seven colors that make up the famous mnemonic Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain (or other, ruder variations), but their strength is also not dependent entirely on the size of the water droplets in the air.
We Are Better At Sleeping Than Our Primate Relatives
Photo credit:
A baboon sleeping on a tree trunk. chbaum/Shutterstock
Spending a third of our lives in a state of sleep may seem like a long time, but according to recent research, humans actually get a quick, quality dose of shut-eye compared to our primate relatives. The study, reported by Duke University’s David R. Samson and Charles Nunn, is published in Evolutionary Anthropology.
Birds Use Nanostructures To Prevent Graying With Age
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Remarkable bird, squire. Beautiful plumage. Jausa/Shutterstock
Going gray is something most people worry about at some point in their lives. Curiously, birds do not share the same problem, as their plumage always remains a vibrant collage of colors until they die. Scientists have now discovered how this is possible, at least in terms of the : It generates its patterns by manipulating the growth of many tiny structures on its feathers, instead of using dyes or pigments that would fade over time.
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