In the News
Closing A Loophole In The RNA World Hypothesis
New scientific research may close a major loophole in the RNA world hypothesis, the idea that ribonucleic acid -- not the fabled DNA that makes up genes in people and other animals -- was the key to life's emergence on Earth 4.6 billion years ago. Mussels Inspire New Surgical Glue Possibilities
In a few years'time, instead of fiddling with needle and thread, surgeons may simply use glue to connect implants to living tissue. They took their idea from mussels, which can stick to any surface, be it porous rock or the smooth hull of a ship. It sounds like a venturous plan: Implants such as artificial heart valves and vessels are to be welded to the body's own tissue using a special glue, completely obviating the need for bothersome sutures. The bond will be rapidly hardened by UV light, so that only 30 seconds later, the foreign object is firmly implanted in the patient's body. Missing Link In The Evolution Of Magnetic Cataclysmic Stars?
Astronomers might have discovered the missing link in the evolution of the so-called magnetic cataclysmic variable stars. They determined the spin and orbital periods of the binary star Paloma. They found that the Paloma system has a weird way of rotating that fills the gap between two classes of magnetic cataclysmic stars. Breakup Of Glaciers Raising Sea Level Concern
The rapid structural breakdown of some important parts of the ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica is possible, has happened in the distant past, and some "startling changes"on the margin of these ice masses has been observed in recent years -- raising disturbing concerns about sea level rise. Patterns On Tropical Marine Mollusk Shell Mirror Gene Expression Patte
Scientists have identified a group of genes that control the formation of shapes and color patterns on the shell of the tropical marine mollusk referred to as "abalone."A study published in the open access journal BMC Biology reveals that the shape and color patterns on the shell of the mollusc mirror the localised expression of specific genes in the mantle, a layer of skin situated just below the shell. Fenton Crimean War Photographs
"Roger Fenton's Crimean War photographs represent one of the earliest systematic attempts to document a war through the medium of photography. ... While these photographs present a substantial documentary record of the participants and the landscape of the war, there are no actual combat scenes, nor are there any scenes of the devastating effects of war."Approximately 250 images; searchable and browsable. Includes a bibliography and related links. From the Library of Congress. [Ironic] An Italian pensioner committed suicide after his wife fell in
Recalling the end of Romeo and Juliet, the 70-year-old man, Ettore, who had sat by his wife's bedside for four months after she slipped into a coma following a heart attack, finally gave up hope and gassed himself in the garage of his family home.Less than a day later, his wife, Rossana, woke up in her hospital bed in Padua and immediately asked for him. Oil Spills And Climate Change Double The Mortality Rate Of British Sea
New research from the University of Sheffield shows for the first time that major oil spills double the mortality rate of British sea birds, even though the pollution occurs hundred of miles from the birds' breeding grounds. The research, which is to be published in the November issue of Ecology Letters also shows a direct link between a warmer climate in the North Atlantic and a higher mortality rate among British guillemots. High Altitude Soccer Teams Have Significant Advantage Over Lowland Tea
Soccer teams from high altitude countries have a significant advantage when playing at both low and high altitudes, finds a new study. In contrast, lowland teams are unable to acclimatise to high altitude, reducing physiological performance. Physicists Refute Analysis Of Jackson Pollock's Paintings
Can mathematics explain the art of Jackson Pollock? Can it be used to authenticate paintings of uncertain provenance? Case Western Reserve University physicists address these questions in the current issue of Nature.
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