How do Birds Survive Harsh Weather?

Birds have very hard lives. There are animals that want to kill them, they have to take care of their young, but they also have to survive the elements. All around the world there are storms that can rip the roof right off a house. So how do these beautiful creatures survive such harsh weather? Scientists that study this say that the first thing is all about location! All from the tree that they live in to the exact stop their nest is in the tree. They need to keep their young safe but if the nest gives away then they have to move and move fast. Their feathers help them to stay warm. Birds have adapted in such a way that their feathers can fly through hard winds and rain.  

http://phys.org/news/2014-05-birds-survive-storms-harsh-weather.html

A Fattening Gene

A Fattening Gene

If you consume too much high-energy and high-fat foods over a long tim period, it will lead to gain weight. Looking into the science of this statement lies the complex regulation of lipid metabolism. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for the Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim have now discovered that the gene Sirt7 plays a major role in energy metabolism. 

The scientists made tests on mice, who lack a sirtuin (a protein with wide-ranging biological functions) known as Sirt7. These mice were fed high-fat pellets for a month, who gained a significant less amount of weight compared to the control mice. They had also maintained close to their normal weight. It was concluded that the animals who lacked Sirt7 were able to digest and process the extra energy from the pellets better and therefore did not build up any extra fat. 

The researchers hope that their study will provide the bases for new therapeutic approaches. The long-term objective is the development of a drug that would reduce the efficiency of lipid metabolism. This would help avoid the possibility of becoming overweight.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/04/30/a_fattening_gene.html

Themes of Nature of Science:

• Science is based on evidence
• Science is subject to debate and tentative
• Role of credibility
• Role of skepticism
• Importance of repeatability
• Role of motivation and curiosity

Did Apple Maps find the Loch Ness Monster?

Link: http://www.livescience.com/45014-loch-ness-monster-apple-maps.html

It is possible that Apple maps have a photo of Nessie taken from space.  Or is it?  A ghostly shape that resembles what Scottish folks say is the Loch Ness Monster appeared in a photo on Apple Maps.  

The photo that might be of Nessie

Then, the websites of www.southernfriedscience.com, DoubtfulNews.com and www.metabunk.org soon discovered, through research, that this image to the left is actually multiple images of boat wakes.  Although Nessie was not found in this photo, it is possible for lake monsters and sea serpents to be caught by a satellite.  Some that have been caught have been 15 meters (50 feet) long.  In 2011, people noticed on Apple maps that there where lines in a Chinese desert that were thought by Apple map viewers to be UFO landing strip lines.  But after research, the lines were discovered to be just lines for the Chinese spy satellite grid.  To sum up, this fake photo of Nessie was only the most recent Loch Ness Monster hoax that we have come know about.

Nature of Science Themes:

• Role of skepticism
• Role of motivation and curiosity
• Conflicts within the scientific community

Turning Teeth Cells into Brain Cells

Researchers at the University of Adelaide have been looking into taking stem cells from teeth and developing them into brain cells. How do they do it? They put the cells in an environment similar to the environment of the brain. The cells then develop into brain cells, not teeth cells. The cell have not fully developed into neurons, but scientist Dr. Kylie Ellis said that with time they will figure it out so that the cells are exactly the same. Dr. Ellis published their findings in the book Stem Cell Research and Therapy.

Stem cells from teeth can be turned into brain cells when they are put in a certain environment

Why is this research relevant? Many people suffer from brain disorders, such as strokes. Treatment for victims of stroke is very limited. The benefits of treatment using stem cells is that it is quick, doctors can use the patients own stem cells so there is no risk of the patient rejecting them, and treatment options will continue to be available for months, even years, after the stroke occurs.

This will be an exciting breakthrough in medicine and will lead to treatment of many people suffering brain disorders.

NOS Themes:

• Importance of repeatability
• Role of skepticism
• Role of motivation and curiosity

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/04/30/stem_cells_from_teeth_can_make_brainlike_cells.html

Growing Cartilage?

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/04/30/columbia_engineers_grow_functional_human_cartilage_in_lab.html

Researchers have announced today that they have successfully grown fully functional human cartilage in vitro from human stem cells derived from bone marrow. Their study, which has shown a better, more efficient way to mimic the complexity of tissues, is published in the April 28^th issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "We've been able—for the first time—to generate fully functional human cartilage from mesenchymal stem cells by mimicking in vitro the developmental process of mesenchymal condensation," says Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, who led the study and is the Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia Engineering and professor of medical sciences. "This could have clinical impact, as this cartilage can be used to repair a cartilage defect, or in combination with bone in a composite graft grown lab for more complex tissue reconstruction."

This is a very important advancement and will change future medicine though stem cell study, offering ways to overcome the body's limitations. "This is a very exciting time for tissue engineers," says Vunjak-Novakovic. “ We bioengineers are now working with stem cell scientists and clinicians to develop technologies that will make this dream possible.”

NOS: Science is collaborative: many researchers worked to develop this tissue

Role of motivation and curiosity: Dr. Vunjak-Novakovic is motivated to I improve this tissue to use as a

Role of credibility: Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia.

Blood of Youth

      Two teams of scientists found that blood from young mice reverses aging in old mice, by rejuvenating their muscles and brains. Clive McCay of Cornell University tested the theory by transferring the blood of young rats into old ones. After this procedure,they noticed blood vessels grew and joined the rats’ circulatory systems. The blood from the young rat was transfered into the old one, and vice versa. Later, McCay performed necropsies and found that the cartilage of the old rats looked more youthful than it would have otherwise. But the scientists couldn't say how the transformations happened. 

       At Stanford, researchers were investigating whether the blood of young mice altered the brains of old mice. Saul Villeda and his colleagues proved it was true. When old mice received young blood, they had a burst of new neurons in the hippocampus, a region of the brain that is important for forming memories.

Link

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/257885891.html

NOS Themes

Science is collaborative: Many different scientist worked together to test the rats.

Science is based of evidence: The scientists proved their theory by testing an experiment and collecting evidence.

Where Were You 1,000 Years Ago?

Summary

Artist's interpretation of human DNA

Recently, progress has been made in the field of tracing one's ancestry. Dr. Eran Elhaid of the University of Sheffield's Department of Animal and Plant Sciences and Dr. Tatiana Tatarinova from the University of Southern California have developed a tool called the Geographic Population Structure, or GPS. This device allows one to trace one's ancestor's residence up to 1,000 years ago. After several trial runs, the GPS yielded an accuracy rate of 98% worldwide and can even narrow down one's ancestor's home to the village or island of origin.

Right now, the GPS tool has two major functions: To serve as an ancestry tracing system (a popular trend in America now) and a preliminary medical test that could screen for genetic diseases one might not know one has if their lineage is unclear. No matter how it is used, the GPS is a transformational addition to humankind's increasingly interconnected society.

Reflection

A chromosome (structure that contains
genetic information)

This GPS device seems really neat to me! It amazes me that Dr. Elhaid and Dr. Tatarinova could have succeeded in producing a gene analysis tool that can fulfill its function with such accuracy! With the growing popularity of tracing one's origins (e.g. ancestry.com is doing quite well), the GPS will definitely find a practical place in our world.

From what we've learned in class, why would knowing the makeup of one's genes be beneficial to an individual? Here is an interactive link to learn more about genes. This site leads to more information about genetic testing.

NOS Themes

Science is collaborative: Through the teamwork of Dr. Eran Elhaid and Dr. Tatiana Tatarinova, these scientists were able to create a device that could benefit every individual who wants to learn more about their genetic history.

Role of motivation and curiosity: Since Dr. Elhaid and Dr. Tatarinova were motivated enough to pursue their research, they were able to develop a revolutionary piece of technology that can trace one's genetic ancestry.

Article

"Ground-breaking technique traces DNA direct to your ancestor's home 1,000 years ago"