ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 718
August 8, 2015
How Do Cats Always Manage To Land On Their Feet?
Photo credit:
Nicole Ciscato/Shutterstock.
While newborn kittens don’t have the ability to right themselves from birth, by the time they reach a few weeks old it seems that they’ve already developed what’s scientifically called the “air-righting reflex.” The ability therefore seems innate. But how, exactly, are cats able to achieve this impressive gymnastic feat? Like many easy questions, the answer is quite complex.
Calcified Fetus Found In Woman After More Than 50 Years
Photo credit:
A calcified fetus (not from Esta Meléndez) removed from a woman after 50 years. Otis Historical Archives of National Museum of Health & Medicine.
Reports in June this year from Chile described a woman who, at 91 years old, found out she had a calcified fetus within her body after going into hospital for an isolated injury.
Esta Meléndez, the abovementioned woman from La Boca, Chile, discovered this strange entity while in hospital for treatment after falling over. Meléndez spoke to CNN after learning of this stone fetus within her.
A Urine Test Could Distinguish Between Bipolar Disorder And Depression
Photo credit:
Distinguishing major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder might be about to get far easier. Koya979/Shutterstock
An easy and reliable method of distinguishing bipolar disorder from major depressive disorder could save tens of thousands of lives, and transform millions more. Now researchers at Chongqing Medical University, China, claim to have found just that in a study based on biomarkers in urine.
Nepal Is At Risk From Another Big Earthquake
Photo credit:
Surprisingly few buildings actually toppled in Kathmandu, and now we think we know why. think4photop/Shutterstock.
When an earthquake hit Nepal on April 25, known as the Gorkha earthquake, entire villages were flattened, large buildings toppled in the capital Kathmandu, and over 9,000 people lost their lives. Geologist Jean-Philippe Avouac has been studying the region for over two decades, looking at how mountains are formed and earthquakes triggered. When he heard that a magnitude 7.8 earthquake had hit the country, he expected the death toll to be in the hundreds of thousands.
August 7, 2015
Fish Slime Inspires New Eco-Sunscreen Ingredient
Anyone who’s gone snorkeling at a coral reef lately may have been discouraged from slathering on too much sunscreen. In some places, the non-biodegradable skin protection is actually banned. That's because researchers reckon that some four to six thousand tons of sunscreen float off the skin of snorkelers every year, enveloping corals in a cloud of chemicals—chemicals that can sicken or even bleach the coral.
But a more eco-friendly way of saving our skin might be to copy nature's tricks. Algae and cyanobacteria produce sunlight-absorbing compounds. So do reef-dwelling fish, in the protective slime on their bodies. Researchers isolated those molecules, called mycosporines, which absorb both UV-A and UV-B rays.
Mycosporines have actually been used before in a few SPF products, but in a form that can both penetrate our skin, and easily wash off.
So the biochemists attached the mycosporines to chitosan, a polymer derived from the shells of shrimp and crabs. This hybrid package, they say, is a more effective sunscreen, with constituents too big to pass into the skin, and it’s more resistant to washing off. It's also hypoallergenic, and did not affect cell development, in in-vitro tests. The findings appear in the journal Applied Materials & Interfaces. [Susana C.M. Fernandes et al, Exploiting Mycosporines as Natural Molecular Sunscreens for the Fabrication of UV-Absorbing Green Materials]
The researchers say that besides providing a superior sunscreen, this material could also lead to more durable paints and plastics—think lawn chairs, and other outdoor items that take a beating from light and heat. And to be clear—this stuff is not being bottled just yet. But it could be soon, they say. Which could help protect the environment, in addition to saving our skin.
—Christopher Intagliata
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.
The Future Of Rail Travel, And Why It Doesn’t Look Like Hyperloop
Photo credit:
Maryland GovPics/flickr, CC BY-SA
As the world’s population becomes increasingly urbanised, it is estimated that the number of journeys measured in passenger-kilometres will triple by 2050. Roads simply can’t absorb this increase.
Researchers Are Looking To A Surprisingly Old Idea For The Next Generation Of Ships: Wind Power
Photo credit:
University of Tokyo
In many ways, it’s an obvious solution. For many centuries, world trade over the oceans was propelled by wind power alone. Now that we’re seeking an alternative to the fossil fuel-burning vehicles that enable our modern standard of living, some people are turning again to renewable solutions such as wind to power our tankers, bulk carriers and container ships. Globalisation and economic growth might mean a direct reversion to the wooden sailing boats of yore makes no sense, but there are several 21st-century ideas that could make wind-powered shipping commonplace again.
How To Embrace Technology Without Dooming Humanity To Destruction
Photo credit:
Official U.S. Air Force/Flickr, CC BY-NC
The world today is facing some serious global challenges: creating sustainable development in the face of climate change, safeguarding rights and justice, and growing ethical markets, for a start. All of these challenges share some connection with science and technology – some more explicitly than others.
Artificial Whiskers Could Inspire Future Instruments To Aid Keyhole Surgery
Photo credit:
JuliaM. Fotografie
The image of a cat’s quivering whiskers has always been suggestive of an animal with a sixth sense. Now scientists are experimenting with robo-whiskers, synthetic versions of the super-sensitive fibres, which may one day allow surgeons to perform extremely delicate procedures via keyhole surgery.
Now Advertising Billboards Can Read Your Emotions … And That’s Just The Start
Photo credit:
It’s a shame the adverts aren’t displaying a real product. Bahio would’ve won over a mesmerised customer. Clear Channel
Advertising giant M&C Saatchi is currently testing advertising billboards with hidden Microsoft Kinect cameras that read viewers’ emotions and react according to whether a person’s facial expression is happy, sad or neutral.
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