Category: Science

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A New Study Confirms That No Single ‘Gay Gene’ Controls Sexual Preference

A groundbreaking study recently published confirms that genetics can’t confirm if a person will engage in same-sex sexual behavior. The research showed that there is no single gene that controls sexual preference – instead, some genes play a tiny role in contributing to sexual behavior, with social and environmental factors determining the rest of the outcome. In other words, genes play small a role in sexuality, but there is no “gay gene.”

Researchers studied almost 500,000 people to come up with their results. Study author Ben Neale said, “This is is the largest and most thorough investigation into the genetics of same-sex sexual behavior to date.”

The study analyzed associations between the genes of people and same-sex behavior that the people reported. It’s important to note that these behaviors do not absolutely equate sexual identity. People who reported that they had same-sex encounters could be bisexual, gay, pansexual, etc.

The authors revealed that between 8% and 25% of same-sex sexual behavior in the study could be explained by genetics. The rest could be chalked up to environmental and social factors. Ben Neale said, “I think it underscores that there is an element of biology and it underscores that there’s an element of the environment. And it underscores that this is a natural part of our species.”

The authors of the study worked with LGBTQ advocacy groups to talk about the best way to reveal their work to the public, and they were mindful about what kind of message the results might send. There is still concern about potential backlash, however. Darren Whitfield, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies LGBTQ health, said, “These things do have the potential to reinforce homophobia. It can reinforce the idea of any abnormality [connected] to same-sex attraction.”

Whitfield added that it’s important to consider what comes out of these studies and what’s next regarding this type of research. He said, “At the end of the day, we’re still looking for a genetic component for sexual behavior. The question I would have is—why? What is the purpose?”

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10 Facts so Good You Might Just Jump Around

Let’s cut the chit chat and the small talk RIGHT NOW. I’m here with 10 facts that you absolutely NEED in your life right now.

They’re so good, in fact, that I have a feeling you’re going to jump for joy. So go ahead and do it! …After you enjoy these facts.

1. Been there, done that

Photo Credit: did you know?

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2. Ouch…

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3. Freaky!

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4. That’s interesting

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5. It works!

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6. Give it a shot

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7. Here come the waterworks

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8. I’ll take two!

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9. Harry Potter critters

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10. Hey, Gramps!

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Might as well JUMP!

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Bananas Are Being Decimated by a Deadly Fungus, and There Are No Good Solutions to Fix It

For roughly 15 years, scientists have been warning the interested banana-eating public about a future without their favorite fruit.

That future is almost now.

The inside of a banana plant with Panama disease
Photo Credit: Public Domain

The fish and wildlife conservation office of Colombia, known as ICA, recently confirmed the banana-killing fungus was detected in the northeastern area of the country. Called Tropical Race 4, or TR4, the deadly blight causes bananas to contract Panama disease, which causes wilting and splitting in banana plants before finally resulting in a total collapse of the plant. Since the fungus has finally hit South America (it has been in Asia for years), it won’t be long before it spreads throughout the rest of the continent.

The only way to counteract the devastation is to just come up with a new banana. Major banana players, Chiquita and Dole, have been working with scientists on a new TR4 resistant strain of bananas.

But is it too late?

Normal, healthy Cavendish bananas
Photo Credit: Augustus Binu

One of the collaborators of the new banana project is Massimo Iorizzo, an assistant professor at the Plants for Human Health Institute and Department of Horticultural Sciences at North Carolina State University. He has been working with Dole on genetic editing with the goal of understanding how genes play a part in disease resistance and then creating a plan to transfer that resistance. An Australian group has already had significant success in this area.

But Iorizzo believes the research got off to a late start. Since the time the pathogen was discovered, no one was interested in finding a disease resistant banana because so many healthy plants existed.

Also, replicating pathogens and conditions and finally getting plants mature enough to study takes years. So while Iorizzo and other researchers are slowly getting closer to their goals, the final genotype of disease resistant banana plant is still a long way off.

Photo Credit: Pixnio

If you’re a banana aficionado, you might know that this has all happened before. Back in the 1960s, Panama disease utterly destroyed the beloved Gros Michel banana, so growers replaced them with the less flavorful Cavendish banana (the one we have in grocery stores now). Now, the Cavendish banana is on the TR4 chopping block. It is likely that the fungus will soon take out other types of bananas, too.

In 2005, botanist Juan Fernando Aguilar with the Honduran Foundation for Agricultural Investigation (FHIA) said they were developing alternative bananas as they waited for Panama Disease to take root.

Yet, neither they, nor any other group of researchers, have presented us with their top banana.

And so the public waits, and the bananas keep dying.

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Studies Show That Children Who Grow up Around Their Grandparents Are Happier and Less Likely to Be Depressed

I’ve always been jealous of people who grew up close to their grandparents and so were able to enjoy that bond. My family moved around so much when I was growing up that my grandparents lived far away, and I was only able to meet them a few times while they were still alive.

Beyond the love, care, and guidance that grandparents give to their grandkids, research shows that this special relationship is even more beneficial than we thought.

Photo Credit: Pexels

A 2016 study shows that children who have close emotional ties with their grandparents have a reduced risk of becoming depressed. The study was conducted by researchers from Boston College who analyzed data collected over a 19-year period.

More good news came out of the study as well. Grandparents also benefit from a close relationship with their grandkids, and the older folks are less likely to show depressive symptoms as well.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Another study, out of the University of Oxford, found that kids who had close relationships with their grandparents coped better with difficult and traumatic life events, such as bullying or going through a divorce. This research also showed that kids with a higher level of involvement from grandparents in their lives had fewer behavioral and emotional problems and that they dealt with life changes in a healthy way.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Kimberly Agresta, of the Agresta Psychotherapy Group, said:

“If parents regularly involve grandparents in their child’s life early on, a child can develop real emotional closeness to the grandparents and begin to see the grandparent as a source of strong social support. So a child will feel that they have other adults, aside from their parents, who love and care about them in the same way, and this adds to their sense of stability and security.”

If you grew up around your grandparents, consider yourself a lucky person.

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A Woman Caught a Fish with Two Mouths in Upstate New York

This woman’s fishing trip took a strange turn when she reeled in a fish with two mouths.

Debbie Geddes was fishing on Lake Champlain in upstate New York when she caught the unusual animal. She told Fox News that when the fish initially bit her line, she felt like it was a quite large one. But she had no idea what she was about to reel onto the boat.

“When we got it in the boat I couldn’t believe what I was seeing!” Debbie said. “Two mouths! And yet this fish was healthy and thriving! Pretty amazing.”

Debbie and her husband took photos of the unique fish, then released it back into the water. Debbie’s co-worker, Adam Facteau, knew that people had to see this, so he uploaded a photo to Facebook.

“She wasn’t convinced anyone would care about the catch,” Adam said. “I knew it would be popular.”

He was right. The photo went viral, and people have been debating over the cause of the two mouths ever since. Debbie personally thinks that the Lake Trout’s second “mouth” was created by a previous injury. Many commenters also blamed pollution.

“Well, I think everyone has an opinion, which makes it interesting for discussion,” Adam said.

He’s personally not so sure of the cause. He says an injury is “possible.”

Posted by Debbie Geddes on Saturday, August 18, 2018

“However, Lake Champlain is also known for being a sewage dumping ground from Canada and (Vermont). Plus, many of these fish are stocked.”

Regardless of the reason behind these apparent two mouths, this is certainly a catch that Debbie will remember forever.

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The Farmer’s Almanac Has Released Its 2020 Winter Predictions, and It’s Looking Pretty Brutal

Ready for a “polar coaster” this winter? Yeah, I don’t think I am, either. But we all better get prepared because that’s what the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting for the winter of 2020, along with a lot of snow and “frigid” and “freezing” temperatures. Great…

The editor of the Farmer’s Almanac, Peter Geiger, said, “Our extended forecast is calling for yet another freezing, frigid, and frosty winter for two-thirds of the country.” Last year’s prediction from the Almanac called for a long winter with a lot of snow and that turned out to be right on the money.

This year, the forecast says that people who live east of the Rocky Mountains all the way to the Appalachians will endure a particularly brutal winter with below-average temperatures and above-normal precipitation. The East Coast is also likely to see a mix of rain, sleet, and snow.

Folks who live in the western-third of the United States can expect a normal, mild winter with average temperatures and precipitation. The coldest temperatures of the year are predicted to occur in late January, affecting millions of Americans across the Northern Plains all the way to the Great Lakes. In other words, it’s going to be a long, cold winter.

Of course, we all know that weather predictions are never 100% accurate and there might be some wiggle room here, but it seems like this will be a pretty good indication of what the winter of 2020 will look like.

It might be time to move to California…

The post The Farmer’s Almanac Has Released Its 2020 Winter Predictions, and It’s Looking Pretty Brutal appeared first on UberFacts.

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Lightning Caused a Freak Toilet Explosion, so Choose Wisely When You Go to the Bathroom

I’m glad no one was injured (or killed) during this incident because this would be a really terrible way to go.

And of course this happened in Florida. Was there ever any doubt?!?!

The scene was Port Charlotte, Florida. During a lightning storm, the homeowners heard a huge crash-bang. When they investigated their home, they found that a toilet in their bathroom has EXPLODED from lightning. Windows in the house had shattered as well.

Let’s chalk it up to good luck that no one was doing their business at the time…

Posted by A-1 Affordable Plumbing inc. on Sunday, August 4, 2019

Jordan Hagadorn, the owner of A-1 Affordable Plumbing, said, “This is probably the first time in history something like this has happened” and that the lightning strike resulted in “perfect ignition inside the sewer.”

To explicate slightly – the lightening ignited whatever was in the sewer (poop gases like methane and such).

Hagadorn also said that 30 percent of the pipes in the house need to be replaced due to damage.

While this story sounds like a one-in-a-million incident, it does happen from time to time. John Jensenius, a lightning expert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), says, “There have been documented incidents of people injured on toilets. It [lightning] went through the pipes and through the water. If lightning strikes your home, it often finds its way into the plumbing.”

We’re just entering hurricane season, so please be careful and take note of impending storms.

A word to the wise: don’t do your business anymore if there’s a lightning storm outside…no one wants to have to explain that in a loved one’s obituary. Got it? Good!

The post Lightning Caused a Freak Toilet Explosion, so Choose Wisely When You Go to the Bathroom appeared first on UberFacts.

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Lightning Caused a Freak Toilet Explosion, so Choose Wisely When You Go to the Bathroom

I’m glad no one was injured (or killed) during this incident because this would be a really terrible way to go.

And of course this happened in Florida. Was there ever any doubt?!?!

The scene was Port Charlotte, Florida. During a lightning storm, the homeowners heard a huge crash-bang. When they investigated their home, they found that a toilet in their bathroom has EXPLODED from lightning. Windows in the house had shattered as well.

Let’s chalk it up to good luck that no one was doing their business at the time…

Posted by A-1 Affordable Plumbing inc. on Sunday, August 4, 2019

Jordan Hagadorn, the owner of A-1 Affordable Plumbing, said, “This is probably the first time in history something like this has happened” and that the lightning strike resulted in “perfect ignition inside the sewer.”

To explicate slightly – the lightening ignited whatever was in the sewer (poop gases like methane and such).

Hagadorn also said that 30 percent of the pipes in the house need to be replaced due to damage.

While this story sounds like a one-in-a-million incident, it does happen from time to time. John Jensenius, a lightning expert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), says, “There have been documented incidents of people injured on toilets. It [lightning] went through the pipes and through the water. If lightning strikes your home, it often finds its way into the plumbing.”

We’re just entering hurricane season, so please be careful and take note of impending storms.

A word to the wise: don’t do your business anymore if there’s a lightning storm outside…no one wants to have to explain that in a loved one’s obituary. Got it? Good!

The post Lightning Caused a Freak Toilet Explosion, so Choose Wisely When You Go to the Bathroom appeared first on UberFacts.

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There Could Be a Cure for Peanut Allergies as Soon as 2020

Allergies to peanuts are very common among children, so much so that many schools have simply banned peanuts altogether. Peanut allergies are life-threatening for many sufferers. Simply being in the same room as peanut dust can trigger a deadly reaction, which is an incredibly scary way to live life for young kids and their parents. There is no cure for peanut allergies…

Yet. Scientists are currently working on a treatment that would make it possible for allergic children to eat peanuts.

Today reports that there are at least 17 new therapies currently under study for treating peanut allergies, and some are mere months away from FDA approval. Dr. Kari Nadeau, director of Stanford University’s Sean Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, says that these therapies could potentially serve as a cure for some patients.

Photo Credit: iStock

“There’s going to be some groups that might need to have therapy every day for the rest of their lives,” Dr. Nadeau told Today. “But there might people that can stop therapy and do fine.”

One treatment is a “peanut pill,” a pill filled with a precise dose of pharmaceutical-grade peanut powder. The dose would gradually increase over time, building patients’ tolerance until they can tolerate eating whole peanuts. The pill was successful in up to 80 percent of patients in a clinical trial.

There’s also a “peanut patch,” which is a similar concept, but the dose is administered through the skin instead of orally. Additionally, there’s a vaccine that could treat patients without introducing them to the allergen at all.

Photo Credit: iStock

One young patient, Violet, successfully went through a trial for the peanut pill. Two years later, she can be in the same room as peanuts and eat cross-contaminated foods without a reaction. The treatment has allowed her to go places and do things she never could before, and she only has to eat a couple of peanut M&Ms each night to maintain her tolerance — not a bad prescription!

The peanut pill is for children ages 4 to 17 and could be available as soon as early 2020.

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This Twitter Account Hilariously Mocks the Absurdity of Modern Technology

I’m all for modern technology, but sometimes it feels like it’s kind of out of hand.

We all think we’re so enlightened and our lives are so advanced, but maybe we’re getting dumber? And maybe we don’t really need all of this stuff after all?

Check out some hilarious (and accurate) examples from the “Internet of Sh*t” Twitter account.

1. Oops

2. Patronizing

3. Close the door!

4. Thanks a lot, Roomba

5. In distress

6. What a time to be alive

7. WRONG

8. It’s in your best interest

9. Hacked

10. Love it!

11. Very helpful

12. Time to start yelling

13. No way

14. What year is it, again?

15. That’s enough

Can we go back to the Stone Age yet?

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