Category Archives: Science

Magazines, Podcasts, Previews, Research, Reviews, Science

Research Preview: Science Magazine – Oct 13, 2023

October 12, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Science Magazine – October 13, 2023: The new issue features the genetic organization of the human brain; Diversity of primate brain cells unraveled; A single-cell genomic atlas for maturation of the human cerebellum during early childhood, and more…

https://open.spotify.com/episode/55YawOntqVyBLcH1B9eJ6q

A family portrait of human brain cells

A cell census provides information on the source of human brain specialization

The brain is composed of multiple regions associated with distinct functions, which have become further specialized in the human lineage. To define how this specialization is implemented, how it arises during development, and how it has emerged over the course of human evolution, a detailed understanding of the cells that make up the human brain is required.

The ecology of whales in a changing climate

Some whale populations are exhibiting unexpected cycles of boom and bust

Magazines, Podcasts, Previews, Research, Reviews, Science

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Oct 12, 2023

October 11, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

nature Magazine – October 12, 2023: The latest issue features the results of a comprehensive re-evaluation of the conservation status of amphibians since 2004.

AI’s potential to accelerate drug discovery needs a reality check

Companies say the technology will contribute to faster drug development. Independent verification and clinical trials will determine whether this claim holds up.

Summer storms launch water high into the stratosphere

Thunderstorms can increase the levels of water vapour in the atmosphere, at altitudes as high as 19 km.

How ChatGPT and other AI tools could disrupt scientific publishing

A world of AI-assisted writing and reviewing might transform the nature of the scientific paper.

Magazines, Reviews, Science, Technology

Science And Technology: Issues Magazine (Fall ’23)

October 10, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

ISSUES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE (FALL 2023): The latest issue of @ISSUESinST features Lessons from Ukraine, Quantum Workforce, The Energy Transition, Why Space Debris Flies Through Regulatory Gaps and more…

Blue Dreams

REBECCA RUTSTEIN

Blue Dreams is an immersive video experience inspired by microbial networks in the deep sea and beyond. Using stunning undersea video footage, abstract imagery, and computer modeling, the work offers a glimpse into the complicated relationships among the planet’s tiniest—yet most vital—living systems.

Why Space Debris Flies Through Regulatory Gaps

MARILYN HARBERT, ASHA BALAKRISHNAN

Orbital debris has been a looming issue for decades, and it’s only getting worse as activities in space increase. With technical expertise and authority over space activities widely distributed across the US government, officials need to determine the appropriate regulations and policies to address how space is changing.

Magazines, Podcasts, Previews, Research, Reviews, Science

Research Preview: Science Magazine – October 6, 2023

October 5, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Science Magazine – October 6, 2023: The new issue features Ancient DNA; The risks of radioactive waste water release; Dating the arrival of humans in the Americas; and more…

The risks of radioactive waste water release

The wastewater releas e from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is expected to have negligible effects on people and the ocean

In 2011, the east coast of Japan suffered an earthquake and tsunami that resulted in the meltdown of three of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. This led to an uncontrolled release of large amounts of radioactive material to the surrounding land and to the Pacific Ocean.

Dating the arrival of humans in the Americas

A debate about the age of ancient footprints continues

Dating the oldest evidence for the presence of Homo sapiens in the Americas is a matter of ongoing debate. One view is that the earliest such evidence is from 16,000 to 14,000 years ago, after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), when people would have crossed the Beringian strait from Siberia over a dry land bridge.

Ageing, Health, Magazines, Previews, Research, Reviews, Science

Research: New Scientist Magazine – October 7, 2023

October 5, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

New Scientist Magazine (October 7, 2023): This issue features ‘You And Your Microbiome’; How the microbiome changes our idea of what it means to be human; The best way to care for your microbiome to keep it healthy as you age; and more…

How we get high: Unlocking the secrets of the endocannabinoid system

Why the next solar eclipses are a unique chance to understand the sun

How the microbiome changes our idea of what it means to be human

The best way to care for your microbiome to keep it healthy as you age

Can probiotics and supplements really improve your gut microbiome?

Where does your gut microbiome really come from – and does it matter?

What is the role of the microbiome in diseases like chronic fatigue?

How your microbiome is shaped by your friends, family, lovers and pets

Magazines, Podcasts, Previews, Research, Reviews, Science

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – October 5, 2023

October 4, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

nature Magazine – October 5, 2023: The latest issue features a composite near-infrared image of Herbig-Haro 211, a striking interstellar jet emanating from a young star in the Perseus Molecular Cloud, captured by Tom Ray and his colleagues using the James Webb Space Telescope.

The ozone layer’s comeback brings a chill to Antarctica’s ocean

Ozone recovery is predicted to shift westerly winds, which will reduce the amount of warm water flowing into the Southern Ocean.

Why rings of RNA could be the next blockbuster drug

The commercial success of RNA vaccines for COVID-19 has revved up interest in circular RNAs as the next generation of therapies.

Magazines, Podcasts, Previews, Research, Reviews, Science

Research Preview: Science Magazine – Sept 29, 2023

September 28, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Science Magazine – September 29, 2023: This special issue examines the threats to human health and how they can be mitigated.

AN UNHEALTHY CLIMATE

Introducing a special issue of Science

Earth scientists often call climate change a “great global experiment,” which humanity is heedlessly performing as we pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The dire consequences are already becoming clear—not just for the workings of the planet, but for our own health. Over the next few days, the stories in this special package will explore the threats, and how we can minimize them.

Will flu outbreaks ease in a warming world?

From cold viruses to influenza to respiratory syncytial virus, viruses that spread through the air cause billions of infections each year. That makes it important to understand how they will respond to climate change. But little is known so far, except that different viruses will react differently. Measles, for instance, spreads efficiently in all climates, suggesting global warming will make little difference to its transmission.

Magazines, Podcasts, Previews, Research, Reviews, Science

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Sept 28, 2023

September 27, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

nature Magazine – September 28, 2023: The latest issue features takes a deep dive into how AI is helping to reshape the scientific enterprise. In this week’s issue, we look at why researchers are so excited about the burgeoning technology — and we also probe the risks posed by AI-generated disinformation.

Super-precise CRISPR tool enters US clinical trials for the first time

Base editing, which makes specific changes to a cell’s genome, is put to the test in CAR-T-cell treatments for leukaemia.

How to stop AI deepfakes from sinking society — and science

Deceptive videos and images created using generative AI could sway elections, crash stock markets and ruin reputations. Researchers are developing methods to limit their harm.

Biomedicine, Magazines, Medicine, Reviews, Science, Technology

Technology Quarterly – The Economist (Oct 2023)

September 27, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

TECHNOLOGY QUARTERLY (SEPTEMBER 27, 2023) – The new issue features ‘In search of forever’ – Slowing, let alone reversing, the process of ageing was once alchemical fantasy. Now it is a subject of serious research and investment, Geoffrey Carr reports.

Slowing human ageing is now the subject of serious research

A horizontal sand timer with an elderly woman and a girl on each side looking at each other

And some of it is making progress, writes Geoffrey Carr

“All my possessions for a moment of time.” Those, supposedly, were the last words of Elizabeth I, who as queen of England had enough possessions to be one of the richest women of her era. Given her patronage of alchemists—who searched, among other things, for an elixir of life—she may have meant it literally. But to no avail. She had her last moment of time in March 1603, a few months short of the three score years and ten asserted by the Bible to be “the days of our years”.

Eating fewer calories can ward off ageing

A hand holding a fork with tiny vegetables on it

And various existing medicines may offer similar benefits

In 1991 eight volunteers sealed themselves into a huge greenhouse in the desert near Tucson, Arizona. They were part of an experiment seeking to discover whether a carefully curated selection of plants and animals could develop into a self-sustaining ecosystem: a “Biosphere 2” independent of “Biosphere 1”, aka the outside world.