Category Archives: Science

Study Links Eye Colour to Alcoholism

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People often say their partner’s eyes are the part of them that they’re most attracted to. Well make sure you get a proper look at them, because a new study has suggested that eyes are more than the gateway to someone’s soul.

According to scientists at the University of Vermont, there is a clear correlation between someone’s eye colour and their propensity to become an alcoholic. And to summarise the three years of hard genetic research they’ve completed, what the boffins found is that people with blue eyes are more likely to enjoy a tipple or two… or three… or 10.D

awei Li, the university’s assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics led the study along with Arvis Sulovari, a doctoral student in cellular, molecular and biological sciences.

The research began back in 2012, when Li attempted to create a data base of 10,000 Americans of mixed descent who had all been diagnosed with at least one psychiatric illness or an addiction like alcohol dependency. As the study progressed Li whittled the sample size down to the 1,263 people who had struggled with alcohol addiction.

It was at this stage that Li made the discovery that there was a link between eye colour and an addiction to booze. However, Li states that his team still don’t know why people with blue eyes are more likely to be alcoholics, with him and the team now preparing to do further research into why this might be the case.

Meanwhile, for those with blue eyes, it’s probably best to keep a lid on that drinking habit… ah screw it, being drunk is fun!

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Scientists Discover Animal that Changes Sex When it Gets Warm

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First there was Caitlyn Jenner and now the Australian Central Bearded Dragon: sex changers have been all over the news in recent weeks.

In the case of the latter, scientists have just discovered that the cold-blooded reptile has chromosomes that can change depending on the weather. This means, to put it in simple terms, the temperature at which the bearded dragon’s eggs are incubated at will dictate whether you have a boy or a girl.

All Australian Central Bearded Dragon begin life with two Z chromosomes – making them genetically male – but at warm temperatures this genetic make-up changes and they are born female. It had been seen in the lab before, but for the first time ever it has taken place in the wild.

Exciting, head-scratchingly interesting news, yes. But scientists also say that the discovery raises some concerns. Namely, with global warming pushing temperatures higher and higher, it is foreseeable that more of the lizards could make the transition to become female.

However, while this has been making the news, gendering altering animals are nothing new; there have been various extraordinary discoveries of species that are able to switch between being male and female to adapt to their surroundings.

Hawkfish, Parrotfish and Clown anemonefish all have the ability to choose their gender depending on the balance of males and females in the area. Sluts.

But none of these can compete with our favourite sex-changing animals. No, no. That prize goes to the cleaner fish.

Back in 2011 a team from the Institute of Zoology at the Zoological Society London published a groundbreaking study which found that female cleaner fish, if they eat too much can actually turn into men. What better motivation than to not eat that last tub of ice cream than the risk of a penis popping out?!

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You’ve Been Pooing Wrong Your Whole Life, Says Science

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One of the first things that we, humans, learn to do as a child is defecate… ok, so we don’t ‘learn’ how to do it per se – there is not an instruction manual, parents are not performing a demonstration for their young child to follow – but it is fair to say that we get to grips with pooing pretty much from day one.

Well, prepare to see the very foundations of your worldly beliefs crumble right before your eyes as we tell you that you don’t actual know how to poo. That’s right, you’ve actually been doing it wrong your whole life.

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Don’t take our word for it – it’s science; Giulia Enders, who is currently studying for her doctorate in microbiology in Frankfurt, has written her debut book entitled Darm mit Charme, which translates as Charming Bowels, obviously.

In the book, which has sold a not-to-be-scoffed-at 200,000 copies in her native Germany, Ms Enders provides the reader with detailed descriptions of how you should really be releasing your digested food matter. And yes, fear not, there are plenty of pictures. Plenty.

Step one: don’t sit down. The act of sitting, rather than going for a leisurely squat, prolongs the whole faeces-passing process. And while the invention of smartphones means that many people are in no rush to relieve themselves, taking a long time to go number two can actually lead to haemorrhoids and bowel diseases like diverticulitis.

Indeed, bathroom squatting is standard practice across Asia, and the facts suggest that it is a far healthier (and many would say cleaner) way to go poop.

And it’s not just how you should pass waste – Ms Enders also focuses on when you should deposit the leftovers and what should be in it. That’s right, from what constitutes a healthy, poo-friendly diet through to understanding your daily bowel movement cycle, this German’s fascination with the brown stuff knows no bounds… the things people do in the name of science!

What will humans look like in 100,000 years’ time?

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It is estimated that Homo sapiens began to evolve into what we would recognise as ‘early man’ around 300,000 years ago. In the intervening period – a mere blink in the Earth’s history – humankind has changed in numerous and substantial ways.

We have got taller, we stand more upright, we have less pronounced brows and generally sport a little less body hair. But such is the transformation our species has undergone in this time, that we are bound to ask the question of what we will look like in the distant future.

Well, Washington University has used computational genomics to predict just that. The results, which you can see below, are somewhat bizarre.

While there is going to be little change over the next 20,000 years, by the time we reach the year 102014 there are going to be some odd alterations. Most prominently our eyes are going to be far larger, almost resembling something out of a Japanese Manga comic. This is supposed to accommodate are growing use of technology, particularly wearable teams like Google Glasses.

Nickolay Lamm, who led the study, also predicted that our skin is going to become far darker to help protect us from harmful UV rays. Furthermore, denser hair is predicted to insulate our larger heads while nostrils will also increase in size to make breathing in potentially less suitable environments easier.

In reality, this can only ever be speculation, one possible outcome should human life continue down a particular path. Nevertheless, it is intriguing to imagine the subtle ways in which we will continue to adapt to the modern world we have created for ourselves; assuming we don’t all blow each other to pieces long before then.

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How we will look in 20,000 years

Human evolution – today, 20,000 years’ time, 60,000 years’ time and 100,000 year’s time

 

Have scientists found the key to eternal youth?

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The vampire theory - proving that children really are our future

The vampire theory – proving that children really are our future

It was hard to ever see anything positive coming out of a sparkly-skinned Robert Pattinson prancing around after a moody teenage girl (for three whole films!). But it seems that the world’s subsequent obsession with all things vampire over recent years might finally have yielded something worthwhile.

The so-called ‘vampire theory’ states that young blood could reverse the effects of ageing and scientists in the US have put it to the test. Remarkably, three independent studies published this week have all indicated that there is truth behind it.

The Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Stamford University and the University of California each found that by putting young blood in the body of an older creature, you can rejuvenate brain and muscle tissues.

By testing on mice – naturally – the lab boffins founds that a protein named GDF11, which is also present in humans, was the key to tissue restoration. By having more of it in your blood, as young people do, humans could theoretically reverse age-related declines in memory and learning, brain function, muscle strength and stamina.

The publication of these significant scientific findings are being met with a word of caution not to try this at home. So, in the constant fight against wrinkles, if people have a gruesomely ageing portrait of themselves covered in the attic perhaps don’t throw it away just yet.

But for those worried that their salad days are well and truly behind them, it is advisable to keep in the good books of any grandchildren with a better birthday present offering than a pair of socks – they could prove an invaluable resource in the future. Alternatively, maybe think about investing in a large collection of pet mice.

Singapore-sized iceberg breaks off Antarctic glacier

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Glacier

NASA researchers have confirmed that a gigantic iceberg, roughly the size of Singapore, is now drifting into the Southern Ocean, after it broke off an Antarctic glacier earlier this year.

The iceberg – which measures 21 by 12 miles – broke off Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier in July of this year, two years after NASA scientists first noticed a crack in the glacier.

The giant piece of ice has since begun moving away from the coast, after it was initially held close to the glacier by sea ice.

Although icebergs do traditionally move at a slow pace, especially when they are as large as this one, the large mass could eventually end up causing problems if it gets in the way of international shipping lanes.

One of the researchers monitoring the iceberg, Robert Marsh, said in a press release that the iceberg would be capable of surviving in open ocean for a year

Mr Marsh also went on to say that the freshwater produced once the iceberg melts could well have an impact on ocean currents. “If these events become more common, there will be a build-up of freshwater, which could have lasting effects,” he said.

World’s first glow-in-the-dark ice cream invented

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Charlie Francis and his glowing creation

A glow-in-the-dark ice cream has been invented, marking a world first in the world of desserts.

The frozen pudding, which was created by Bristol inventor Charlie Francis, was developed following research into the protein that makes jellyfish luminous.

Mr Francis developed the concept after coming across research relating to the glowing sea creatures, and asked Chinese developers to help him produce the protein he needed to create the ice cream.

The dessert’s green sheen comes from a synthesised version of the protein that makes jellyfish glow in the dark, and it doesn’t come cheap – a single scoop will set the sweet toothed among us back £140.

“It is incredible stuff but still at very early days in terms of production,” Mr Francis told Metro. “The protein we are using in the ice cream reacts with your tongue at neutral pH. So as your mouth warms up the protein it will raise the pH level and the ice cream will glow,” he added.

Mr Francis debuted his glowing ice cream over Halloween, as he believed that it was the perfect dessert for the spooky event.

Unidentified object ‘falls from sky’ in US

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An illustration of the first flight by Professor Jacques Charles, December 1, 1783. His choice of travel must have looked quite mysterious to onlookers.

An illustration of the first flight by Professor Jacques Charles, December 1, 1783. His choice of travel must have looked quite mysterious to onlookers.

A “mystery object” fell from the sky in Norfolk, Virginia, last week, sparking much excitement among residents, the vast majority of whom do not believe police claims that the item was nothing more than a “weather balloon”.

The mystery object fell into a residential neighbourhood in the suburb last Tuesday night, after which time the immediate area was cordoned off and residents were evacuated from their homes.

Reportedly, military personnel, police officers and government operatives arrived in the area to carry out investigations into the object, and eyewitnesses were said to be reporting that it resembled a balloon or had a “structure similar to styrofoam”.

Initial contact with the object was carried out via robot, and following that, there was consultation with NASA experts, The Register reported. The object was then loaded onto a government vehicle and removed from the neighbourhood, and residents were allowed to return to their homes.

Official spokesman, Battalion Chief Julian Williamson, said at a press conference: “Investigators made contact with the package and determined it to be…a weather balloon.”

Mr Williamson also offered guidance on what to do if another such object fell to earth: “Do not investigate on your own. Just call the authorities,” he said.

 

Thought-powered helicopter becomes reality

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The thought-guided helicopter navigates a course of balloons. Source: BBC

The thought-guided helicopter navigates a course of balloons. Source: BBC

A thought-powered helicopter has become a reality thanks to the efforts of a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Engineering and Medicine.

The helicopter is part of research published in the Journal of Neural Engineering. A demonstration of the findings showed that an electronic system can be ‘trained’ to recognise patterns in a map of electrical activity, known as an electroencephalograph.

For the helicopter demonstration, volunteers were connected to a system that correlated their thoughts – such as the motion of making a fist with one hand – with the motions of the helicopter.

At the moment, the technique is notoriously tricky; deciphering the vast number of electrical signals and reading them is no easy task. But this research is some of the first to create replicable results.

There are some exciting science fiction-like possibilities with the research but its first practical use is likely to be in improving the lives of disabled people.

Bin He, the director of the institute and senior author on the research, said that the “non-invasive” technique could prove particularly helpful. “The ultimate application really is to benefit disabled patients who cannot move or patients that suffer with movement disorders,” he told the BBC.

He added: “We want to control a wheelchair, and turn on the TV, and most importantly – this is my personal dream – to develop a technology to use the subject’s intention to control an artificial limb in that way, and make it as natural as possible.”

Scientists create direct brain-to-brain interface between rats

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Pinky and the Brain

Pinky and the Brain

In a story reminiscent of the cartoon Pinky and The Brain, scientists have created a brain-to-brain interface system that essentially allows lab rats to communicate across thousands of miles.

Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the research conducted at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina saw two rats given wired brain implants. The implants allowed sensory and motor signals to be sent from one animal to another, and the study found that the other animal was able to correctly interpret the signals it received.

Speaking to the BBC’s Science in Action programme, Professor Miguel Nicolelis said: “Until recently we used to record this brain activity and send it to a computer … and the [computer] tells us what the animal is going to do.

“So we reasoned, if we can do that with a computer, could another brain do that?”

The practice still needs some fine tuning but the trials that were conducted saw the decoder rat achieve a maximum success rate of 70 per cent, clearly enough to demonstrate that the developments enable the animals to communicate in this way.

Professor Nicolelis suggested that the idea could eventually be developed into something that allows people to communicate without the need for physical phones or keyboards. “We will have a way to exchange information across millions of people without using keyboards or voice recognition devices or the type of interfaces that we normally use today,” he explained. “I truly believe that in a few decades … we will know what it is to communicate in this way.”