A new study showed that frozen, space-kept sperm could result in healthy mice babies.

A team of Japanese scientists raised an important question as it looked to determine if humans and animals could one day reproduce in space. To test and better study this fact, the researchers deployed frozen sperm and stored it aboard the ISS. As it returned to Earth, these same samples helped give birth to healthy baby mice.

Frozen Sperm can Help Give Birth to Healthy Mice Babies, but Here on Earth

The researchers pointed out that the ISS (International Space Station) has to deal with an average daily dose of radiation 100 times higher than that here on the planet. In turn, this could lead to damages to the reproductive system of most animals.

So to better establish the effects of living in space on animal offspring, the team freeze-dried mouse sperm. These samples were then launched in space and stored aboard the ISS. They were kept there in between August 2013 to May 2014 or 288 days at -139 degrees Fahrenheit.

At the same time, the researchers preserved an identical set of samples here on Earth, but under the same conditions. As the space-bound frozen sperm returned from its trip, it was analyzed and compared to the terrestrially kept one.

The research team found that the ISS samples showed signs if DNA damage, slightly more than the control ones. This came as quite a surprise, according to Teruhiko Wakayama, the study’s senior author.

Still, the space-bound frozen sperm was also used for the in vitro fertilization of female mice. The team compared the average birth rates resulting from the two samples groups and noted that they were comparable. They also found that the male-to-female ratio was in the normal range.

An analysis of the healthy mice babies and their genomes also revealed only minor differences to the other offspring. As the space fertilized babies grew, they developed into normal, fertile adults, which then had healthy offspring of their own.

The study team published its research results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Their research findings generated mixed opinions, as some underline its being a first step in the area. At the same time, others pointed out the results’ dependency on several factors, such as their Earth return.

But as the study author Wakayama pointed out ” it is too preliminary to say it is a good idea or if it is possible.”

Image Source: Pixabay

Thanks to Selam, an infant’s fossil remains, scientists now know a bit more about the human spine.

A recently released study brought to light new data about the human spine, which seems to have evolved even earlier than initially believed. The source of these new discoveries is a 3.3 million years old infant fossil, called Selam.

Research results became available in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on May 22.

Selam, an Old Infant Revealed New Spinal Data

The human spinal column is quite different from that of apes, one of the closest species to us in the animal kingdom, most likely due to our bipedalism. Human spines have 12 rib-bearing vertebrae while most apes have one less such structure.

Now, this early human ancestor, Selam, shows that this distinction may have evolved farther back than initially believed. Previously, this feature was first noted in early humans aged to be some 60,000 years old or even closer.

Selam is the fossil of a 2 to and half years old child who was part of the Australopithecus afarensis, an early human species. Its fossil was discovered back in 2000, in Dikika, Ethiopia, and has since been cleaned and carefully studied.

These remains present the as yet most complete spinal column found in any human relative as they still have a neck, rib cage, and vertebrae.

“This type of preservation is unprecedented, particularly in a young individual whose vertebrae are not yet fully fused,” stated Zeresenay Alemseged.

He is a study co-author and an organismal biology and anatomy professor at the University of Chicago, as well as Selam’s discoverer.

The new study used high-resolution imaging technology to study the fossil bones. Which showed that this specimen has 12-rib bearing vertebrae and a corresponding 12 pairs of ribs.

As the paper points out, this is a first in such old remains and the as yet most complete example of a modern human spinal structure.

Alemseged considers that Selam and its structure mark an important, if not key event in the human evolution. This development of the back structure eventually led to the appearance of bipedalism and all its ensuing progress.

Image Source: Flickr

The Antarctic Peninsula could look very different as it is becoming increasingly greener.

The latest observations are showing how the Antarctic Peninsula is slowly leaving behind its white, icy aspect and instead, turning into a green, vegetation occupied landscape.

A team of researchers decided to analyze this phenomenon and released its study results earlier this week. These were published in the Current Biology and found global warming to be at the root of the change.

“Temperature increases over roughly the past half century on the Antarctic Peninsula have had a dramatic effect on moss banks growing in the region,” said Matt Amesbury.

The Antarctic Peninsula could Come to Look Very Different than Nowadays

He is one of the study co-authors and part of the University of Exeter. The research team analyzed moss growing on the Antarctic Peninsula as this covers some 640 kilometers. Presently, plant life exists on only some 0.3 percent of the icy continent.

But as the study reported, such areas are expanding faster than believed. The team indicates their sharp increase over the last five decades. They based these claims on their discovery of “changepoints”. These are moments in time in which the local biological activity marked a definite rise.

The change points were detected as the team was analyzing five moss cores. These are column-samples drilled from the planet. Some of these moss cores were taken from three of Antarctica’s Islands: Elephant, Green, and Ardley. These are considered to hold some of the oldest and deepest moss banks.

In turn, this helped offer a “much clearer idea of the scale” of the biological changes. Initially, the team detected them only in a single location somewhere in the south of the Antarctic Peninsula. But the drilled portions show that all the peninsula’s moss banks are responding as well.

Researchers consider that global warming causes the expansion of such mossy areas. As greenhouse gasses accumulate in the atmosphere and trap the heat, they affect polar regions more than other portions of Earth.

The report states that, if the current trends continue, the Antarctica Peninsula will be a significantly greener place in the following years. This can happen as glaciers continue retreating and vegetation spreading over the now ice-free portions.

Image Source: Wikimedia

A T-rex’s crushing bite came with a force equal to 3 cars stacked on top of its jaws or 8,000 pounds.

A new study shows that the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex’s teeth were just as strong as the animal was big. The researchers estimated that this species’ crushing bite must have had a force of 8,000 pounds. That’s the equivalent of some 3 small cars stacked on top another and placed on the animal’s jaws.

The Crushing Bite of a Dinosaur Emerged Thanks to Crocodiles

This new information comes from Gregory Erickson of the Florida State University and his colleague part of the Oklahoma State University, Paul Gignac. Initially, the two researchers looked at the bite forces generated by various species of crocodiles.

“Crocodiles are close relatives of dinosaurs. It’s probably our best model for looking at dinosaurs,” stated Erickson.

The first step of the study involved capturing crocodiles and making them bite bathroom scales. Then, the scientists generated detailed 3D computer models. These were based on both these measured forces and information on crocodile jaws and their muscles. Put together, these helped estimate the T-rex’s biting force.

Erickson says that this method returned this very impressive result. This dinosaur’s crushing bite could have had a force of 8,000 pounds. Which means that the T-rex was “eclipsing the highest forces” of a bite from any animal known and living in modern days.

Presently, crocodiles hold the record for the highest measured bite force. The biggest living such specimens can bite with a force of around 3,700 pounds. A human bite comes at about 200 pounds or so, in comparison.

The two researchers also took a look at the dinosaur’s teeth. They estimate that these could exert pressures coming up to 431,000 pounds/square inch. This is because the T-rex was capable of chewing up even large bones. It did so to reach the marrow from within them.

Thanks to its crushing bite and blunt and serrated teeth, this mighty beast was probably able to “slice through” almost anything in its realm, claim the scientists. The two researchers published a paper with this results in the journal Scientific Reports.

Image Source: Pixabay

The latest study once again claims that Proxima B can, in fact, support life.

 

Alpha Centauri is classified as the star closest to our own sun in the galaxy. It is a trinary system, with three stars orbiting each other. The red dwarf, Proxima Centauri, is the closer of the stars to Earth. This is tied gravitationally to the brighter two at the center of the system. In August 2016, an exoplanet was discovered orbiting Proxima Centauri, and the newest information on this “Proxima B” has the scientific world very excited.

Can the Planet Actually Support Life?

Buzz Aldrin considers that retiring the ISS could help humanity reach Mars considerably faster.

Former NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin is well-known for his blustery style, as well as his desire to launch humans to Mars. He is often seen in a T-shirt with the famous Arnold Schwarzenegger quote from the movie, “Total Recall”, which says “Get your ass to Mars.” Well, now he says there is one way to make it happen faster, and that is to retire the ISS.

Buzz Aldrin Proposes New Martian Travel System

The second man on the moon made his comments at a 2017 gathering of space enthusiasts and researchers called “Humans to Mars” in Washington, D.C. ISS or the International Space Station has been in operation for quite a number of years, and NASA does have a limited budget. As such, Aldrin believes that this money could be better spent if it focused on Mars.

“We must retire the ISS as soon as possible,” the American astronaut and visionary said. “We simply cannot afford $3.5 billion a year of that cost.”

Of course, Aldrin is not for giving up on near-Earth and orbital operations entirely. He believes the space agency should allow private corporations to handle most of that, while the government focuses on the bigger picture.

Buzz Aldrin even has a plan for how humanity could reach Mars by 2035. He envisions a cycling spacecraft that could continuously orbit between Earth and Mars. Passengers could shuttle up to the vehicle with every revolution for the passage to or from the Red Planet. This would save huge fuel costs, as there would be no need to accelerate with each trip.

NASA, however, is not in agreement with Aldrin on this one. They have expressly stated that the ISS is a definite part of their planned “Path to Mars”. The moon itself is also a step on that path, rather than the more direct route the former Apollo 11 astronaut is looking for.

Image Source: Flickr

Scientists just announced the final installation of the Linac 4, latest linear accelerator at CERN.

 

In a special ceremony in Geneva, scientists announced the final installation of the latest linear accelerator at CERN. Known as the LINAC 4, it promises to be something special for the world-famous scientific project running under the ground of Switzerland. It could also have huge repercussions in multiple disciplines of the academic world.

LINAC 4, First Step of More To Come

“With our portable technology, they could be made inside the hospital already,” claimed Linac 4 project leader, Maurizio Vretenar.

NASA’s Cassini discovered a Big Empty space between Saturn and its rings and named it as such.

As NASA’s Cassini spacecraft embarked on its Grand Finale, scientists have discovered a “big empty” space between Saturn and its rings. In the first leg of its Grand Finale, the spacecraft has just been exploring the rings of Saturn.

In addition to taking stunning photographs, Cassini will make detailed maps of the magnetic and gravitational fields of the rings. It will also take samples of them. Finally, the probe will be examining how much material is in these rings. On April 26, Cassini’s first dive revealed something surprising about the Saturn’s ring plane: “the big empty.”

The Music of Space and The Big Empty

As Cassini plunged through the gap between Saturn and its rings, engineers used the spacecraft’s antennas to protect it from dust particles. One element of the antennas is the Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument. This can detect even the tiniest of particles hitting the spacecraft.
On December 18, 2016, the probe passed through the plane of Saturn’s rings, just outside the main ring. In doing so, RPWS picked up hundreds of particle hits per minute. However, when the spacecraft passed through the gap between the planet and its inner rings, RPWS barely detected any particles at all.
Data from RPWS can be converted to an audio format, so the particles hitting Cassini sound like tiny pops and cracks. NASA scientists expected to hear many such sounds in the audio from April 26th. But instead, they heard space music full of eerie whistles and squeaks. These were produced by waves in the charged particle environment.
The mission team was surprised by this new development.

“It was a bit disorienting – we weren’t hearing what we expected to hear,” said William Kurth, RPWS team leader at the University of Iowa, Iowa City.

This news, however, looks good for the future of Saturn’s exploration. The spacecraft should encounter fewer threats in the gap, the big empty. Plus, the gap is offering a new mystery for scientists to explore.

Image Source: Wikimedia

A new study revealed that female dragonflies literally “play dead” to avoid non-consensual mating

A new study revealed that female dragonflies literally “play dead” to avoid non-consensual mating. This phenomenon was noted among the females of the species as they were trying to lay eggs. Although not the first preventive measure, this seemed to be one of the most effective.

Research was carried out by Rassim Khelifa, a Ph.D. student at the University of Zurich, part of the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies. A paper with the study results was published in the journal Ecology.

Female Dragonflies Feign Death To Fend Off Stalkers

Back in 2015, Khelifa traveled to the Swiss Alps to collect and study moorland hawker dragonfly eggs. He had set out to establish the possible effects of climate change on this species. During his observations. Khelifa also noted an unusual behavior.

Moorland hawker dragonflies mate in the summer and use vegetation both as a support and cover. As a first protection strategy, female dragonflies choose a plant-concealed place to lay their eggs. However, they have to fly to and from the site, which is when other males can start stalking them.

As such, the females then turn to their second method. More exactly, if followed by one or more aggressive males, the female dragonfly crashes into shrubs or to ground. As they feign their demise, they continue playing dead until the hovering males decide to leave. Then, the “fallen” specimen gets up and about with her work.

Khelifa observed a total of 35 female dragonflies for his study. 27 out of them tried to feign their death, and 21 succeeded. Most of the specimens to employ the technique seemed to prefer a dense population to the open ground.

Males rely on color and movement to detect the females. As such, the thicker shrubbery offers an even better cover. Khelifa offered a possible explanation for this decisive behavior. He said that:

“When a male copulates with a female, it first extracts the sperm of the previous male. This can damage the reproductive tract of the female. So, multiple mating is not advantageous for the female.”

Image Source: Wikimedia

A group of orcas went on a killing spree in Monterey Bay

Orcas, also known as killer whales, are vicious predators which feed on many species of marine animals, including even other whales. However, a group of orcas living around Monterey Bay went on a rabid killing spree and surprised the scientists.

Whale watchers witnessed the killing

Since last Thursday, the group of orcas made their fourth kill. Their last prey was the calf of a gray whale which they had separated from its mother and then mercilessly fed on it. Gray whales are one of orcas’ favorite preys, and Monterey Bay is a popular place where these two species confront.

What is even more amazing than the unusually high number of killings is the fact that this last hunt was witnessed by scientists. A group of whale watchers was out to spy on the orcas when they got the chance to watch a live killing.

Nancy Black, marine biologist, was one of the people who were offered this frightening view. She declared that this was the first time when she witnessed such an event, as this was one of the extremely rare occasions when people get to see a hunt taking place just in front of them.

“Just to witness that out in nature when you usually see that kind of thing on television is really spectacular.”

Orcas wait for gray whales to come back home

Monterey Bay is one of the main hunting places for orcas, since here they can encounter the gray whales on their way back from the waters of California. Many whales migrate to warmer waters, but this species is the last to return. They spend more time around Mexico and the Californian peninsula to allow their calves to grow and get ready for the journey.

When they swim north, gray whales usually stick closer to the shore to avoid predators. However, this becomes impossible when they reach Monterey Bay, as the geography does not allow any big animals to swim close to the coast.

This is where orcas lie waiting for their prey to approach. They usually wait for the calves to come near and attack them when they are most vulnerable. However, this year’s massacre was given by the gray whales’ late return.

The waters around Mexico were too cold, so they had to migrate to a more southern point. Thus, until they came back, the orcas grew hungry and slaughtered everything that passed in front of them. Although they must be full by now, they do not seem to cease the killings.
Image Source: Wikipedia

Humpback whale calves whisper to their mothers to avoid being heard by predators

Humpback whales are well-known for the loud noises they produce, but it seems like not all whale sounds are so powerful. Their usual calls can be heard even 20 miles away, but some new recordings have just discovered that whale calves whisper to their mothers. These calls can be heard only when you approach them.

Scientists started debating on the role of these whispers, and they discovered that the whales might be communicating like that to avoid predators. If they cannot hear them, and thus not detect their presence, killer whales are less likely to hunt and prey on them.

Looking at the lifestyle of humpback whales and their calves

A team of scientists from Aarhus University in Denmark, led by Dr. Simone Videsen, developed a study in which they analyzed a group of whales. Thus, they followed two mothers and eight calves and looked at their lifestyle. They wanted to learn what happened during the first months in the life of a humpback whale.

They attached suction cups to the whales’ bodies, which contained special devices. These recorded the movements performed by the whales and the sounds they produced. Thus, they were able to closely analyze the way in which the calves and their mothers communicate.

By looking at this interaction, they discovered that they often use weak sounds to talk to each other. At first, scientists were amazed, since humpback whales are known to be really noisy. This is the first study which uses such recorders to capture the communication patterns use by mother and calf.

Whales whisper between each other to hide from predators

Thus, they explain that the whales use this whispering technique to stay away from predators or from male humpbacks which are looking for a mate. Thus, calves succeed in staying close to their mothers before setting off on the journey to the Antarctic.

It is vital to remain close to their mothers while they are still young. This period is important, as it helps them prepare for the journey ahead by storing fat and feeding on sustainable food. Also, whale mothers and their calves are more likely to gather where ship noises are more powerful, as they can mask their whispering.

This discovery is important, as it helps with the conservation of humpback whales. There are only two main humpback populations, one in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern hemisphere. Scientists want to protect these populations, as these whales reproduce slowly and stay with their calves until they turn one.
Image Source: Flickr

Researchers produced clean air and energy using artificial photosynthesis

Researchers came up with an amazing project which implies producing energy and protecting the environment at the same time. They discovered a way in which they could start a process of artificial photosynthesis. This process would convert greenhouse gases into breathable air and, at the same time, create energy.

Creating solar fuels through artificial photosynthesis

The one who came up with this idea is scientist Fernando Uribe-Romo, from Florida, and a team of students. They took metal-organic frameworks (MOF), a synthetic material, and put it through some chemical reactions which ended up breaking down the carbon dioxide in the material into organic particles.

Thus, they triggered artificial photosynthesis. What happened in this material resembled the process during which plants turn carbon dioxide and light into food. However, artificial photosynthesis did not produce organic food, but two different substances.

These resulting substances actually represent solar fuels called formate and formamides. While creating them, the scientists also used some other substances, including titanium and other organic materials, which use light to harvest more. These other organic substances used are known as N-alkyl-2-aminoterephthalates.

The process absorbs light and produces more energy

These materials, when introduced in the MOF, can absorb light. Then, they can start multiplying it, thus creating energy. The entire artificial photosynthesis process was possible using the light from a photoreactor, which looked like a cylinder using blue LED lights.

Initially, the team used this photoreactor to see if artificial photosynthesis is possible. They introduced small concentrations of carbon dioxide into the mechanism to see if the expected chemical reaction occurred, and in which conditions it occurred.

The lamps which produced blue LED light were spread throughout the entire surface of the cylinder. Their purpose was to act as sunlight. More precisely, they were supposed to provide a replacement for the blue wavelength in the sunlight.

In the end, the scientists discovered that the artificial photosynthesis process was possible. In other words, they were able to produce the two aforementioned solar fuels. Besides the energy, it could also provide clean breathable air. The scientists are excited about their new discovery. Now, they can continue producing energy and clean air in an environmentally friendly method. Uribe-Romo declared:

“The goal is to continue to fine-tune the approach so we can create greater amounts of reduced carbon so it is more efficient.”

Image Source: Pexels