Category: Science

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The Melting Permafrost in Siberia Revealed a Mysterious 18,000-Year-Old Puppy

It turns out that maybe humans haven’t changed all that much in the past 20,000 years.

At least, not when it comes to puppy love.

Scientists believe the male animal, found near the Indigirka River in Siberia, was around 2 months old when it died. Despite it being preserved by the freezing temperatures with its fur, whiskers, and teeth intact, researchers are not entire sure what species the little guy belongs to.

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Un cane di 18.000 anni. In Siberia è stato trovato  un cucciolo di animale di circa due mesi perfettamente conservato in uno strato di permafrost: risale a 18 mila anni fa e gli scienziati, che l’hanno mostrato lunedì per la prima volta dopo il ritrovamento avvenuto un anno e mezzo fa, lo stanno analizzando tramite prove sul DNA. Nonostante sia ben conservato, con naso, pelo e denti ancora intatti, la creatura ha spiazzato gli stusiosi. I test, infatti, non sono stati ancora in grado di stabilire la sua specie. Forse un cane dell’era glaciale, forse un lupo. O, ancora, l’anello della transizione evolutiva da lupo a cane Il cucciolo, che era maschio, è stato chiamato Dogor: ha pelliccia, scheletro, denti, testa, naso e baffi ancora intatti. #dogor #siberia #ritrovamenti #scienza #science #animals #life #evolution #anellimancanti #curiosità #scoperte #scopertesorprendenti

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“The Centre has Europe’s largest DNA bank of all canines from around the globe, yet in this case they couldn’t identify it from the first try,” admits Love Dalen, a representative from the Swedish Centre for Palaeogenetics.

 

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They do know it’s around 18,000 years old, though preliminary gene sequences was unable to confidently call it a wolf or a dog – or really anything we currently know about.

Well-preserved remains of an ice age wolf were discovered in the area a few years ago (40,000 years old), and dozens of woolly mammoth bodies have also been recovered from the frozen ground. Some scientists hope they’ll be able to use the partial DNA sequences to bring the species back to life (because clearly they’ve never seen Jurassic Park).

As far as humans, it appears that they settled in the northernmost parts of Russia around 32,500 years ago. Previous research suggests that people began domesticating dogs anywhere between 10,000-40,000 years ago, so this little guy could have been a pet, a protector, a working dog, or a wild wolf species – we just don’t know.

Scientists have called in Dogor, which means “friend” in the local Yakut language.

“This is intriguing, what if it’s a dog? We can’t wait to get results from further tests,” says Sergey Fedorov from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the North.

I’d have to say that’s an understatement, because I don’t think I’ve ever been more curious about an 18,000-year old anything in my entire life.

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Running Once a Week Is Linked to a Decrease in the Risk of Early Death

This is excellent news for all you runners out there. And for those who don’t incorporate running as part of your regular routine, this might make you dig out your jogging shoes and hit the gym or the track pretty soon.

A study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine compiled data from 232,149 people whose habits were tracked for between 5.5 and 35 years. The researchers found that those who ran had a 27% lower risk of death than people who didn’t run.

Tp be clear, the study doesn’t guarantee that being a regular runner will lower your risk of early death, but it shows that there is definitely a link between the two.

Running with Sue

The results of the study also suggest that you don’t need to be an extremely dedicated runner to get some of the health benefits, either. Researchers found that people who run less than 50 minutes per week, only once a week, or at speeds below 6 mph had similar results as intense runners re: early death rates. Non-runners did not.

Željko Pedišić, a co-author of the study, said, “This finding may be motivating for those who cannot invest a lot of time in exercise, but it should definitely not discourage those who already engage in higher amounts of running.”

Jogging 2010

So if you’re not a serious runner, or your schedule of work, family, kids, etc. doesn’t allow for you to run every day, at least consider getting out for one long jog a week or a few shorter jaunts.

Pedišić says that this also might help with your blood pressure, cholesterol, and keeping cancer and cardiovascular disease at bay.

Get out there and start running!

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Donor Blood Was Found to Contain Xanax, Caffeine, and Cough Medicine

A quick note: receiving any of these things through a blood transfusion wouldn’t be problematic for most people, so it shouldn’t put you off receiving or giving blood.

That said, the results of this Oregon State University study does offer some pretty interesting insights into what’s keeping many people in our country on their feet.

Researchers sifted through 18 batches of scanned human blood and, using a mass spectrometer, learned the samples were laced with all kinds of drugs.

In fact, every single one of the samples contained caffeine.

Many of the others contained Xanax, over-the-counter cough medicine, or a medication for type 2 diabetes – and though the sample size is small, the director of the Oregon State study speculates it could be indicative of a widespread trend.

“We can only speculate on how widespread the problem is. Another thing to consider if that we found drugs that we just happened to be looking for in doing the drug interaction assay validation – how many others are in there too that we weren’t looking for?”

Still, they stress that the contamination wouldn’t be an issue for the majority of people in need of donor blood.

“From a ‘contamination’ standpoint, caffeine is not a big worry for patients, though it may be a commentary on current society,” explains Luying Chen, a PhD student who was part of the group. “But the other drugs being in there could be an issue for patients, as well as posing a problem for those of us doing this type of research because it’s hard to get clean blood samples.”

So coffee drinkers: you should continue to give blood when and where you can – even if you’ve just chugged a venti coffee on your way there.

It’s a good deed, and no one wants you to fall asleep at the wheel on the way there.

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This Fun Illustrated Periodic Table Shows How We Interact with the Elements

Most of us had to memorize the periodic table in school (or at least I did). But did our ability to recite the elements really help us understand how each functions in our day-to-day lives?

No, not really. I mean, who knows what boron is used for?

Well, now there’s a chart for that.

This very cool and colorful graphic gives you a picture reference for each element that demonstrates how you might see it in your day-to-day surroundings. The atomic numbers of the elements and their material states are also noted.

Boeing software engineer Keith Enevoldsen is the genius behind The Periodic Table of Elements, in Pictures and Words. It’s meant to help students visualize the elements, which can assist with the tedious task of memorizing the chart.

But adults are sure to find this information fascinating too.

So boron is in sports equipment. Who knew?

Imagine being able to tell people at the bar that they’re being exposed to tantalum as they are checking their Snapchats on their cell phones. Most of us know what arsenic is, represented by a jar of poison. But what about finding gallium in LEDs? Or, krypton in flashlights?

Who knows that besides science people?

If you like it, the chart is available to buy as a poster, so you can grab one for yourself. And if you know a student or have an element-loving person in your life, a poster or the corresponding flashcards would make a great gift.

Or, at least a helpful gift.

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Girls Won the Five Top Prizes in National STEM Contest for Middle Schoolers

As people say, “The future is female.” And that trend was certainly on display recently at the 2019 Broadcom MASTERS competition. The competition, “Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars,” highlights very bright middle-schoolers and is run by the Society for Science & the Public.

This year, girls won all of the top five prizes awarded at the competition in Washington, D.C. What makes it even more extraordinary is that the five winners were out of a total pool of 2,348 applicants from 47 states. A total of 18 boys and 12 girls were then brought to D.C. to take part in the competition.

While in D.C., the middle-schoolers were given STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) projects to work on in teams. The youngsters were judged on leadership, teamwork, problem solving, and communication. The last 20% of their score was based on the science projects that the kids had applied to the competition with. The panel of judges included engineers, scientists, and educators.

The five winners were:

The Samueli Foundation Prize: $25,000
Alaina Gassler, Improving Automobile Safety by Removing Blindspots

Lemelson Award for Invention: $10,000
Rachel Bergey, Spotted Lanternflies: Stick’em or Trick’em

Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation: $10,000
Sidor Clare, Bound and Bricked

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement: $10,000
Alexis MacAvoy, Designing Efficient, Low-Cost, Eco-Friendly Activated Carbon for Removal of Heavy Metals from Water

STEM Talent Award, sponsored by DoD STEM: $10,000
Lauren Ejiaga, Ozone Depletion: How it Affects Us

Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of the Society for Science & the Public, said,”We are just so thrilled that the top five winners were girls this year. This is the first time in our history that it was a sweep for girls. It’s also the first time in our history that we had more girl finalists than boy finalists.”

Way to go ladies! Keep your eye on these kids, because they’re going places.

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Your Cat Makes Facial Expressions, You Just Probably Can’t Read Them

If you pay very close attention, you may finally be able to tell WTF your cat is thinking.

A study in the journal Animal Welfare found that cats show their moods on their faces, but that only a small subset of people can actually pick up on what they’re feeling.

Researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada conducted the study by asking 6329 participants to watch videos of cats reacting to certain events. The participants had to name whether the cat was exhibiting a positive or negative reaction by relying only on their faces—not their tails or any other body language.

Most of the respondents were cat owners. Nonetheless, their average score was just 59 percent correct, which is not very impressive.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

But 13 percent of participants scored very well on the test. They correctly guessed 15 out of 20 questions. These participants weren’t just cat owners, but people who had very extensive experience with cats, such as veterinarians.

Thus, the researchers concluded that a minority of people can tell what cats are feeling based on their facial expressions alone.

It’s not clear whether this talent is innate or learned, though.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

“They could be naturally brilliant, and that’s why they become veterinarians,” the study’s senior author, Georgia Mason, told The Washington Post. “But they also have a lot of opportunity to learn, and they’ve got a motivation to learn, because they’re constantly deciding: Is this cat better? Do we need to change the treatment? Does this cat need to go home? Is this cat about to take a chunk out of my throat?”

Who knows? Maybe you, too, can learn this skill one day.

If you want to test yourself, a shorter version of the video test that participants used is available online.

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Study Finds That Poorly Wrapped Gifts Make People Happier Than Perfect Ones

Are you stressed out about getting your gifts perfectly wrapped for the holidays? A new study says: don’t be.

Researchers at the University of Nevada found that poorly wrapped presents make people happier than perfectly wrapped ones. This is because, in part, perfect-looking presents look so great on the outside that whatever’s inside may not live up to expectations. If a gift looks sloppy, though, the recipient is likely to be pleasantly surprised by the actual gift. They also appreciate the effort that was made. The gratitude and surprise leaves them feeling happy and joyful.

Photo Credit: iStock

One of the study’s co-authors, Jessica Rixom, Ph.D., got her idea for the study from her time working at a chocolate shop. She explained,

“They offered a wrapping service, so I learned how to wrap very neatly with crisp edges, just the right amount of paper, etc. I started wrapping my own gifts that way and many years later, when wrapping presents with a friend, I noticed that all of the gifts in my pile were neat while all of theirs were messy, even though they were trying. This made us wonder whether the way the gift was wrapped would have any influence on how the gifts themselves were perceived and that’s how it started.”

The study tested what Rixom and the other researchers call “expectation disconfirmation theory.”

Photo Credit: iStock

“Based on participants’ answers to various questions, it suggested that the reason why this happens is because the neat wrapping sets higher expectations for the gift inside, which makes it harder for the gifts to live up to those expectations. When the gifts are unwrapped, the recipient is a bit disappointed whereas when it’s wrapped sloppily, expectations are lower so the gift is more of a pleasant surprise.”

So, don’t worry at all if your gifts look like they were wrapped by a five-year-old. It doesn’t take away from the power of the gift—it might even make it stronger.

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People Born in December Have Advantages over Others, Studies Show

We all like to to give a shout-out to the month we were born (February, what up!). But is there really any advantage to being born in one month as opposed to any of the others?

Surprisingly, studies point to YES. And I’m talking about multiple studies that suggest December is the best month in which to be born.

Let’s look at the evidence.

First, one study showed that babies born in December fall asleep faster and earlier than babies born during the summer months. Furthermore, another study suggested that December babies are more likely to be “morning people” than people born in any other month, and we all know that is a MAJOR life advantage.

Bebe durmiendo.

Second, research shows that people born in December have a better chance to live to the age of 100. The study also showed that an impressive number of December-born folks actually lived to be 105 or older.

Studies also show that those born in the twelfth month of the year have lower rates of cardiovascular disease than those born in the other eleven months of the year.

Elderly couple

What about the brains of December babies? Well, because they are usually the youngest in their classes, they often benefit academically. It can be hard being the smallest kid in the class when you’re younger, but think about how ahead of the curve you’ll be when you apply to colleges.

One more thing: if you’re worried about what kind of career your kiddo might have, consider this: people in December are the most likely to work as dentists, for some reason, which is definitely a good thing.

dentist

Now I’m kind of bummed I was born in February…thanks for nothing, Mom and Dad!

What month were you born? Share with us in the comments!

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This Electric Eel Generates Enough Electricity to Light a Christmas Tree

‘Tis the season for eels to power your Christmas lights.

Isn’t that the way the saying goes? No?

Well it might be now, after the Tennessee Aquarium live-tweeted their resident social media eel, Miguel Wattson, using his bio-electric discharges to light up a Christmas tree.

Their “Shocking around the Christmas Tree” exhibit uses a special system to connect Miguel’s tank to the light strands on a nearby tree, and it’s honestly more magical than you might expect.

The aquarium issued a statement on their newest sensation:

“Whenever Miguel discharges electricity, sensors in the water deliver the charge to a set of speakers. The speakers convert the discharge into the sound you hear and the festively flashing lights.”

Despite being dubbed “electric eels,” they aren’t eels at all, but freshwater knifefish. They’re closely related to carp and catfish, but because of their appearance, get lumped in with eels instead.

They can generate up to 860 volts of electricity – which means they could power a refrigerator, too, if only for a short while.

“The rapid, dim blinking of the lights is caused by the constant, low-voltage blips of electricity he releases when he’s trying to find food. The bigger flashes are caused by the higher voltage shocks he emits when he’s eating or excited.”

Typical male, if you ask me.

Electrophorus electricus can also use the low pulsating electric discharges to communicate with one another in the slow-moving, murky rivers where they live in South America. The fish also use their shocking ability to hunt, and as defense mechanisms in the event another animal tries to bite them.

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These Great Facts Might Make Your Day a Little Bit More Interesting

I need some good brain food to get through the day sometimes.

Know what I’m saying?

Well, I have just what you need! A great set of facts for you!

Let’s begin!

1. The world’s smallest park.

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2. Wow, that’s fascinating.

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3. The name game.

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4. Roly poly.

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5. I’m not even gonna try.

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6. Nazi hunters.

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7. But…why?

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8. Interesting…

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9. The demon cat.

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10. They’re everywhere.

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Have a great day, a great week, and a great month!

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