ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 642

Villagers Attack Mother And Child Orangutan Fleeing From Wildfires

Plants and Animals





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This photograph shows the International Animal Rescue team desperately trying to save the life of a mother orangutan and her tiny baby. Credit: Facebook/International Animal Rescue

As the fires of the Indonesian island of Borneo burn on, the fleeing wildlife is getting increasingly desperate, taking any refuge possible from the flames. One particular family of orangutans encountered a group of frightened villagers, who proceeded to attack out of fear.

Cheap Vaccine Has Almost Wiped Meningitis A From Africa

Health and Medicine





Photo credit:

Valeriya Anufriyeva/Shutterstock

Another vaccine triumph: Just five years after a cheap jab for meningitis A was developed, the devastating disease is almost gone from the parts of Africa it has ravaged for the past century. While its success should be heralded, this is by no means time for complacency. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that this progress threatens to be undone if affected countries don’t routinely immunize children against this disease.

Pluto’s Moons Behave Like Spinning Tops

Space





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Still image from an animation of Pluto's moons. NASA

We know that Pluto is unlike anything we ever imagined, and its family of moons is no exception. Before arriving at the Pluto system, scientists made some predictions about Pluto’s small moons based on data collected by the Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories. Some were pretty spot on, and others were way off. Let’s take a look at what we’ve learned so far about this incredibly interesting and dynamic system.

How Venom Rapidly Evolves To Kill New Prey

Plants and Animals





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Like other snakes, Anderson's Pitviper (shown) may have rapidly evolving venom, but longer established venomous creatures are just refining their inheritance. Dr Kartik Sunagar

A study of venoms has drawn attention to an understudied aspect of natural selection, revealing how predators adapt to keep up with the species they're trying to kill.

Dispersant May Have Actually Hindered Oil-Degrading Microbes During BP Spill Clean-Up

Environment





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Dispersants used to clean up the BP oil spill may have had a negative impact on oil-degrading microbes. Deepwater Horizon Offshore Drilling Platform on Fire by Ideum - ideas + media via Flickr. CC BY-SA 2.0

A dispersant used to speed up the biodegradation of crude oil following the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 may have actually had the opposite effect, according to a new study.

Climate Change On Saturn’s Moon Titan Hinted By Images Of Wind-Eroded Features

Space





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This recent Cassini image shows dunes on Titan. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute.

Somewhat surprising findings have suggested that Titan’s climate has significantly shifted at some point in the past. Whereas today this moon of Saturn only has bodies of liquid at its poles, evidence points to equatorial regions once being abundant in lakes and seas.

Pluto’s Surface Might Be Resting On An Ammonia-Water Slurry

Space





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Icy, broken terrain on the northwestern edge of the region informally called Sputnik Planum. NASA/New Horizons.

Researchers have proposed a mechanism that could explain the surprisingly active surface of Pluto that was observed by New Horizons during its flyby in July. They think that Pluto’s crust rests on a mantle of water ice and ammonia whose convection movements are responsible for rejuvenating the dwarf planet’s exterior.

Scientists Are Trying To Figure Out What The “Spirit Molecule” Does

The Brain





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Scientists in Hungary believe DMT may enable brain cells to survive when oxygen is cut off. Zerbor/Shutterstock

White lights and mystical experiences are often reported by patients who die and are brought back to life. Though scientists have never fully been able to explain this phenomenon, it has regularly been suggested that it may be caused by the release of an intensely hallucinogenic molecule called N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) during death.

This Crowdfunding Project Lets You Edit DNA From In Own Home

Technology





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DIY CRISPR Genome Engineering Kits. The ODIN/Indiegogo

If you’ve been keeping up with science news, you’ve probably heard of CRISPR, the not-so-new gene editing technique on the block. It’s not as scary as it might sound: we actually stole it from bacteria, which use it as a defense mechanism against viruses. And the places it could take us are tantalizing. Imagine a day when scientists can just snip out disease-causing mutations and rid us of genetic diseases? If that sounds exciting to you, then you’ll be delighted to hear this fancy experiment could soon be coming to your home.

How to not get shocked exiting a car

As the weather gets colder and dryer, you are more likely to get shocked when getting out of a car, touching a door knob, or doing laundry. Is there a way to prevent getting shocked on the car door?

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Thanks to Brad at UCSD for letting me use the Van de Graaff generator!