Tag Archives: Migration
Science: Birds Navigating With Quantum Mechanics
Some birds can sense Earth’s magnetic field, using it to navigate. But precisely how they do this has long remained a mystery. Now, researchers have confirmed that a protein found in bird eyes displays a quantum mechanical phenomenon which makes it sensitive to magnetic fields. The researchers suggest this mechanism could be behind birds’ magnetoreception abilities.
Read the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s4158…
TOP JOURNALS: RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM SCIENCE MAGAZINE (May 7, 2021)
Politics Monday: Amy Walter And ERrin Haines On Covid Stimulus (Video)
NPR’s Amy Walter and Errin Haines of The 19th join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including the rollout of the new COVID stimulus bill, how it benefits women and marginalized communities, and the Biden administration’s response to the influx of immigrants at the southern border.
Morning News Podcast: AstraZeneca Study, Miami Beach Curfew, Migration
The results of a new efficacy study on the AstraZeneca vaccine could pave the way for a Food and Drug Administration decision on whether the vaccine can be used in the United States.
The city of Miami Beach is under a curfew to try to mitigate crowds of rowdy spring breakers. And, the Biden administration is struggling to address the developing migration crisis at the country’s southern border.
Morning News Podcast: Atlanta Killings, Crisis in Migration, Liver Disease
Two police departments in Georgia are investigating the killings of eight people, six of them Asian women, by a 21 year-old white man.
President Biden hopes to address the migration crisis at its roots in Central America. And, serious liver diseases are increasing, especially in young women.
Science & Wildlife: ‘The Bird Genoscape Project’
Billions of birds migrate annually across the Western Hemisphere… but if we don’t know where they go when they leave their breeding grounds, how can we protect them? By extracting DNA from individual feathers (and borrowing cutting-edge technology from the Human Genome Project) scientists can map bird migration with greater precision than ever before. The result is the Bird Genoscape Project, and it’s revolutionizing bird conservation by connecting migratory birds – and the people who care about them – across the Americas. This work was funded by the National Geographic Society. Learn more at http://www.natgeo.org.
Analysis: ‘Why Big Tech Companies Are Leaving California’ (CNBC Video)
As Oracle, Palantir and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise move their headquarters out of California and Elon Musk moves to Texas, California is considering raising taxes on the wealthy to unprecedented levels. Experts say California needs to find more ways to reverse the trend.
Top Science Podcasts: 120,000 Year-Old Human Footprints, Neanderthal DNA ‘Y Chromosomes’
Contributing Correspondent Ann Gibbons talks with host Sarah Crespi about a series of 120,000-year-old human footprints found alongside prints from animals like asses, elephants, and camels in a dried-up lake on the Arabian Peninsula. These are the earliest human footprints found so far in Arabia and may help researchers better understand the history of early hominin migrations out of Africa.
Continuing on the history of humanity theme, Sarah talks with Janet Kelso of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, about her team’s efforts to fish the elusive Y chromosome out of Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA. It turns out Y chromosomes tell a different story about our past interbreeding with Neanderthals than previous tales told by the rest of the genome.
Top Science Podcasts: The Vikings Migration Mapped, Covid-19 Trial Is Halted, Tiniest Ultrasound Device
Nature podcast discusses: Mapping the migration of the Vikings, a leading Covid-19 vaccine trial was abruptly halted and the world’s smallest ultrasound device.
In this episode:
00:45 Following the Viking footprint across Europe
To better understand who the Vikings were, and where they went, researchers have mapped genomes from hundreds of archaeological artifacts. Research Article: Margaryan et al.
08:00 Coronapod
Phase III trials of a leading coronavirus vaccine were abruptly paused last week – we discuss how news of the event leaked out, and the arguments for transparency in clinical trials. News: A leading coronavirus vaccine trial is on hold: scientists react; News: Scientists relieved as coronavirus vaccine trial restarts — but question lack of transparency; If you are involved in a clinical trial for a coronavirus vaccine or treatment, please fill in our survey.
21:05 Research Highlights
A burnt grain silo gives insight into ancient tax collection, and how hummingbirds survive the cold Andean nights. Research Highlight: Ancient tax collectors amassed a fortune — until it went up in smoke; Research Highlight: Why some of the world’s zippiest birds go stiff and cold every night
23:40 Ultra-tiny ultrasound
Scientists have developed an ultrasound detector which is smaller than the wavelength of sound it detects, providing highly detailed imaging at a cellular level; Research Article: ; Research Article: Shnaiderman et al.
29:53 Briefing Chat
We discuss some of the latest stories highlighted in the Nature Briefing. This week we talk about why California has an orange hue, and the strangeness at the edge of the Solar System. Forbes: The Science Behind Mysterious Orange Skies In California; BBC Future: The weird space that lies outside our Solar System
Boomers Daily 