ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 742

NASA Astronaut Takes Extraordinary Photographs Of The Great Pyramids

Space





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As seen from space, the Great Pyramids of Giza bordered by the heavily urbanized city of Giza. / Terry W. Virts

Astronaut Terry W. Virts made the most of his last day in space.

Before boarding a Soyuz space capsule to return to Earth on Thursday (June 11), Virts snapped these awesome photos of the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Mount Ararat in Turkey and the partially frozen Hala Lake of the Chidamu Basin in China. He shared the images on Twitter.

 

Dogs Will Snub People Who Are Mean To Their Owners

Plants and Animals





Photo credit:

Eric Isselee/shutterstock

Fall out with the owner and you might need to beg forgiveness from their dog. In a recent study, to be published in the journal Animal Behaviour, it was found that dogs will generally turn their noses up at food offers from people who were mean to their masters. So next time, you should probably lead by example and be slightly more paws-itive to a dog’s owner.

Seven New Genes Linked To Anxiety Disorders

Health and Medicine





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Drug-based therapies for anxiety disorders work on roughly half of those affected and treated. shutterstock

Researchers have linked seven new genes to anxiety disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder and social anxiety disorder.

These gene links mean that new drug treatments could be created to target these gene products specifically in the treatment of anxiety disorders. It gives hope to thousands of people who currently have no treatment plan.

Weathermen Of Westeros: Does The Climate In Game Of Thrones Make Sense?

Environment





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Someone knit this young man a nice woolly hat. HBO

The climate has been a persistent theme of Game of Thrones ever since Ned Stark (remember him?) told us “winter is coming” back at the start of season one. The Warden of the North was referring, of course, to the anticipated shift in Westerosi weather from a long summer to a brutal winter that can last for many years.

Things Some Birds Will Do To Avoid A Cuckoo Finch In Their Nest

Plants and Animals





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Female cuckoo finch and female southern red bishop. But which is which? Claire Spottiswoode, Author provided

Humans are notorious for cheating and deceiving. But we also like to see cheaters get punished. Surprisingly, our research has revealed that the same holds true in the animal kingdom – at least among birds.

Could One Million Smart Pool Pumps ‘Store’ Renewable Energy Better Than Giant Batteries?

Environment





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Lots of wind blowing – often at night when there’s little demand for power. ncbob/flickr, CC BY-NC

As more wind and solar energy comes online, the people who run the power grid have a problem: how do they compensate for the variable nature of the sun and wind?

California plans to spend billions of dollars for batteries to even out the flow of power from solar and wind, much the way shock absorbers smooth out bumps on the road. But do they need to? Not at all!

Blame Sugar? We’ve Been Doing That For Over 100 Years

Health and Medicine





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Sugar has always been vilified. Sugar cubes via www.shutterstock.com.

After a successful soda tax was passed last year in Berkeley, California, copycat laws are being proposed across the US, often with the support of nutritionists, medical professionals and a majority of the voting public. On May 28, the Illinois chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed an act that would use a tax on sugary drinks.

Beyond Dinosaurs, What Would We Need To Create A Jurassic World?

Plants and Animals





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You couldn’t just plop dinosaurs anywhere and expect them to survive. Wikimedia Commons

Like many moviegoers this summer, I plan to watch Jurassic World. And because I’m a paleontologist, I’ll cheer for the movie’s protagonists (the dinosaurs) and jeer at the villains (the humans).

But no matter how thrilling this movie may be, one question will plague me throughout: where are the dung beetles?

Dung beetles – which are beetles that eat and breed in dung – would be only one of many ecological necessities for an actual Jurassic World-style theme park.

Modifying Mosquitoes To Stop Transmission Of Dengue Fever

Health and Medicine





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Modifying mosquitoes to stop transmission of dengue fever

Dengue is a virus spread via the Aedes aegypti mosquito that infects as many as 100 million people annually in more than 100 tropical countries worldwide. It causes fevers, extreme headaches, and muscle and joint pains. In a few extreme cases, leakage of blood plasma through the walls of small blood vessels into the body cavity occurs, resulting in bleeding. This is known as dengue hemorrhagic fever.

 

After Seven Months, Philae Has Woken Up!

Space





Photo credit:

ESA/ATG medialab. Still from an animation of Philae's landing

Comebacks don't come much bigger than this one: The European Space Agency (ESA)'s Philae comet lander has woken up, albeit for just eighty-five seconds. The news has been announced via Twitter, and the ESA is optimistic this will be just the first revival of many.