Married Couples Needed for Trip to Mars
Married Couples Needed for Trip to Mars (via NewsLook)Planning on honeymooning in space? A billionaire is financing a trip to Mars set to take off in 2018. He's teaming up with NASA and they're looking for married couples to take the 501 day journey.
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Large Hadron Collider Is Being Shut Down
The Large Hadron Collider or LHC, best known for identifying a particle that could be the Higgs boson. If the particle is it, this would confirm the existence of the Higgs field to explain why some fundamental particles have mass although other theories say they shouldn't. Although it is still not certain whether the particle is the Higgs boson, the discovery of the particle has been a hot topic of conversation. Unfortunately, the LHC is being shut down.
Try not to worry too much! This shut down of the machine will last two years and is necessary to get it working...
Bacteria Producing Nitric Oxide Could Prolong Human Life
Scientists have recently conducted research using nitric oxide on roundworms in the lab. They fed the organism bacteria that could manufacture nitric oxide and found that the round worm lived for a significantly longer period of time. This news has scientists wondering about the impact of the molecule on humans and how the multitude of microbial cells within our bodies all help to contribute to our overall health.
According to Dr. Evgeny Nudler, a professor of biochemistry at NYU Langone Medical Center, humans see a decrease in their own nitric oxide levels as they age. He goes so far as to...
Solar Storms Vs. Snow Storms - Space Has Us Beat
No longer are humans condemned to worry about snowstorms or floods in their area. For NASA, this year's newest hot topic is space weather, which can present even more of a hassle than regional weather problems would. Consider that in comparison to snow and wind, we are talking about solar wind and flares, coronal mass ejections, and even radiation storms. Thinking about the weather of the cosmos in relation to Earth's own weather almost makes you hate snowstorms less. Almost.
The problem is that this weather doesn't only affect distant planets or orbiting comets. A strong enough solar storm has the...
Is the Heat Making You Do Stupid Things? Researchers Have an Idea Why
Have you ever found it unbelievably hard to concentrate in warm weather? Well, researchers believe that warm weather impairs this ability. The warmer the climate, the harder it is for us to make complex decisions. Conversely, cooler weather seems not to have much of an affect on decision-making skills. An individual will have a harder time choosing what to do in Florida's heat than in Alaska's cold.
One of the reasons for this is based on the fact that our bodies require glucose to function. Glucose is an energy source that powers physical and mental processes. Our bodies work to regulate...
Discovery of Gene Potentially Involved in Depression Therapy
According to a study published in the February 7 edition of Cell Stem Cell, scientists at Johns Hopkins University have identified a common mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of antidepressants and electroconvulsive (also known as “electroshock”) therapy (ECT). Professor Hongjun Song, Ph.D., and his team of researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's Institute for Cell Engineering identified reductions in the activity of a specific gene as the underlying factor in the efficacy of both sets of treatments.
The sFRP3 (“secreted frizzled-related protein 3”) gene is responsible for producing a protein that inhibits a chemical reaction that results in...
Study Claims UV-B Radiation Can Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis
New research that suggests a link between arthritis and lack of sunlight has come out. U.S. researchers published their study in "Annals of the Rheumatic Disease" recently. In the study, over 200,000 women were followed. These women were split into two different groups. The first group's monitoring began in 1976, while the second's began in 1989. Harvard Medical School headed this research, which compared levels of UV-B radiation of the groups based on where they lived, i.e. participants living in sunnier areas vs. those living in climates with less sun exposure.
The results of the first group were that those living...
Colliding Asteroids to Learn About the Moon
Have you ever wanted to design your own while learning about it in the process? There currently exists such a game. It's called "Selene: A Lunar Construction GaME." This game allows users to learn about our own moon's formation while constructing their own moons. As humans living on this planet, the moon is one of our few glimpses at a celestial body using only the naked eye.
Many people who look at the moon are still at a loss, however, to understand what the darker spots or grooves on it are. When playing this game, the user is able to see...
The Increasing Scarcity of Water
Based on demands for fresh water right now, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that this strain will double by the year 2035. According to the agency, much of this strain is the result of water being used in the production of power using coal. By 2035, they believe that more than half of the world's water usage will be from coal-fired power plants. The IEA also maintains that biofuel production will come second, using up 30% of the supply.
The agency's projections center on the fact that coal plants powered by steam require massive amounts of water. This, along with...
DNA: The Gift that Keeps on Giving
Scientists have found that not only does DNA store genetic information, but that it can store other types of information as well. This is not the first time that this feat has been attempted, but the scientists have devised a new technique.
Researchers at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) were able to use synthetic DNA molecules to store digital information. These researchers were then able to recreate the information from the DNA without any problems. The files that they used consisted of 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets, along with a color digital photo, scientific paper, and an excerpt from a Martin...
A Look Into the Sun's Corona
NASA recently spent $5 million to send its Hi-C telescope into space for 300 seconds. While most people might think this sounds ridiculous, NASA scientists consider this to be quite the bargain for a mission that has relayed so much information. The data received within this 300 seconds might not seem like a lot, but the truth is that for a telescope to capture so much about an active region of the sun, it is a feat.
The Hi-C telescope, which stands for High-Resolution Coronal Imager, successfully completed its job. This job was to capture data about the hottest part of...
The Continued Search for Life on Mars
For years, we have all been subject to rumors about the possibility of life on Mars. Through the use of advanced technology, we have been able to gain amazing amounts of data that support this assertion. One of the reasons scientists support this idea is that ice (from water) was found on the polar caps of Mars.
This was one of the original evidences supporting the concept of life on Mars being plausible. More recently, we've seen evidence on the surface of the planet that liquid water existed in the planet's past. As time goes on, we learn more and...
Future Antibiotics from Cockroaches and Wasps
Cockroaches are known across the world as disgusting, horrible pests that need to be exterminated. However, these dreaded creatures may be able to help in future developments of new antibiotics.
The Emerald WaspThe emerald wasp is a parasitic wasp that deposits its larvae inside of the cockroaches. The larvae then feeds on the insect, eating it from the inside out.
The cockroach, however, carries many germs that could make the wasp sick, and could potentially kill it. So, how does the wasp survive these conditions?
The wasp has evolved to produce a chemical that sanitizes the insides of the bacteria-filled roach, making...
Mars 500 Project Sleep Study Results
Sleep study results for the 520-day simulated Mars voyage were released today. The results show that those who desire to travel to Mars in the near future need to be prepared for long periods of sleepiness.
This Mars 500 project is a cooperative project completed by the Russian Institute for Biomedical Problems and the European Space Agency. Six men were sent on a round-trip to Mars that was simulated within small isolation chambers. These men were performed jobs and duties that are similar to what would be required on an actual mission to Mars. They had to remain inside of...
This is how life emerged on Earth!
How all life, emerged on Earth has always been a source of mystery for researchers and people alike. Finally, we have a breakthrough in the mystery as a new research has revealed how metabolism and all life emerged on our planet.
Thanks to these researchers we now know that life emerged from Earth’s abiotics and the early geochemical mechanisms were gradually replaced and strengthened by biological ones.
Research conducted by Eric Smith, a Santa Fe Institute External Professor and Santa Fe Institute Omidyar Fellow Rogier Braakman have synthesized information gathered from branches such as geochemistry, biochemistry, evolution, and ecology to describe...
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