A White-breasted Nuthatch spends a leisurely amount of time at the Hand of Snacks while a Tufted Titmouse is a wee bit quicker. pic.twitter.com/wkd0vvTqwv
— Jocelyn Anderson Photography (@JocAPhotography) March 17, 2022
Daily Archives: March 17, 2022
Cover Preview: Nature Magazine – March 17, 2022
Volume 603 Issue 7901, 17 March 2022
For more than 50 years, scientists have been trying to understand the relationship between DNA sequence, gene-expression phenotype and fitness to decipher principles of gene regulatory evolution. In this week’s issue, Eeshit Dhaval Vaishnav, Carl de Boer, Aviv Regev and their colleagues present a framework for understanding and engineering regulatory DNA sequences that takes a step towards this goal. The researchers built this framework around an ‘oracle’ they developed using a deep neural network model that predicts gene expression given a promoter DNA sequence. The neural network was trained using the expression measurements for tens of millions of promoter sequences. The result was an AI oracle that predicts expression from sequence well enough to study the evolutionary history and future evolvability of regulatory DNA sequences, as well as to design regulatory DNA sequences for synthetic biology applications. The cover offers a visual representation of the evolutionary properties of sequences at the extremes of the evolvability spectrum.
BBC Earth: The Movement To Protect Pangolins
In China, Maria joins forces with Angelababy, one of the country’s biggest megastars. She is taking a bold approach to addressing the demand for pangolin products.
Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota. The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: Manis, Phataginus, and Smutsia. Manis comprises the four species found in Asia, while Phataginus and Smutsia include two species each, all found in sub-Saharan Africa.
Previews: The Economist Magazine – March 19, 2022
Walking Tour: Margate In Southeast England (4K)
Margate is a town on England’s southeast coast. It’s known for its sandy beach. Near the Harbour Arm stone pier, the modern Turner Contemporary art gallery has rotating exhibitions. Dreamland Margate is an amusement park with vintage rides. Millions of seashells decorate the Shell Grotto’s underground passages. In a former police station in the old town, the Margate Museum has local history displays.
Ecosystems: Plastic Nets On The Ganges River, India
Follow a local fisherman as he navigates his community’s dependency of plastic nets and the effects this has on the river. The National Geographic Society, committed to illuminating and protecting the wonder of our world, funded the Sea to Source: Ganges expedition.
Front Cover Preview: Time Magazine – March 28, 2022
Travel & Culture: In The West Bank Of Palestine
Palestine means a lot of different things to many people, and may not be the most obvious travel destination. It is often associated with conflict and political unrest, overlooking the fact that it’s also a beautiful and fascinating region, with a vibrant culture, incredible historic landmarks, spectacular natural scenery, inspiring religious sites, tasty food, and friendly, welcoming people.
On this journey, I’m traveling through the Holy Land, a region important to the three main monotheistic religions, and known today as Israel and Palestine. In this first episode, I’m exploring the West Bank, the largest and most accessible part of Palestine. From stunning natural scenery to intriguing historic sites. From the busy streets of Ramallah to the narrow alleyways of Nablus’ old city.
From religious landmarks in Hebron and Bethlehem to the ancient ruins of Jericho. Along the way, I meet some of the people that call this land home, and sample the local cuisine. I’ll do so from a traveler’s perspective, focusing on the positive stories and things to do. But here and there I also mention the conflict between Israel and Palestine, since it has impacted the lives of many people in the region. For those interested in the politics and modern history of the region, however, I recommend to read, watch, and listen to as many different sources as you can.
Travel Guides: Culture, Food & Beer In Brussels
Brussels! We’re back with the Attaché “Classic” format for this one. Brussels, an unappreciated city on so many levels, this Belgian capital has so much to offer.
Great food like frites, Belgian waffles, and of course Belgian beer, but also Brussels is home to amazing architecture, a solid public transport system, and layers and layers of fascination. We take a deep dive in Belgium’s political centre and put some of those long-standing Brussels stereotypes to bed.
The City of Brussels is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of Belgium. It is also the administrative centre of the European Union, and is thus often dubbed, along with the region, the EU’s capital city.
Morning News: Weapons Sent To Ukraine, Germany Funds Military, Teachers
A U.S. pledge for more military support for Ukraine offers insights into the current state of the war, Germany’s plan to fund the planet’s third biggest military take many by surprise.
And teachers and other school employees prepare to tell Congress about physical and verbal attacks on the job.
Boomers Daily 