Menu

Blog

Page 1006

Dec 9, 2023

How do we get our eye color? A genetics expert reveals the fascinating truth

Posted by in category: genetics

Exactly how is a person’s eye color determined? It depends on the amount, type and distribution of melanin, or pigment, in the iris of the eye, a genetics expert reveals — and more.

Dec 9, 2023

Meteor Lake laptop chip performs like Ryzen 7 desktop PC chip in leaked benchmark — next-gen 16-core Ultra 9 185H flaunts 5.1 GHz at 45W

Posted by in categories: computing, mobile phones

A small taste of the Core Ultra 9 185H’s flagship performance.

Dec 9, 2023

Light Can Travel Backward in Time (Sort Of)

Posted by in category: space travel

I’m going to read this later but the idea of light kinda/sorta traveling back in time a bit is intriguing.


Light can be reflected not only in space but also in time—and researchers exploring such “time reflections” are finding a wealth of delightfully odd and useful effects.

By Anna Demming

Dec 9, 2023

When Does Free Speech Cross the Line?

Posted by in category: futurism

FIRE president Greg Lukianoff joins Bill Maher to discuss the standard for free expression on college campuses.

Dec 9, 2023

FDA approves gene therapies for sickle cell disease, a ‘functional cure’ for many

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

The FDA has approved two new gene therapies for sickle cell disease, a ‘functional cure’ for many patients.

Dec 9, 2023

Rolls Royce plans ‘120-inch-long’ mini nuclear reactor for Moon outpost

Posted by in categories: nuclear energy, space

Rolls-Royce displayed a conceptual model design of a nuclear Space Micro-Reactor at the UK Space Conference that may one day power Moon settlers.

Dec 9, 2023

Evaluating functional brain organization in individuals and identifying contributions to network overlap

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience


Abstract. Individual differences in the spatial organization of resting-state networks have received increased attention in recent years. Measures of individual-specific spatial organization of brain networks and overlapping network organization have been linked to important behavioral and clinical traits and are therefore potential biomarker targets for personalized psychiatry approaches. To better understand individual-specific spatial brain organization, this paper addressed three key goals. First, we determined whether it is possible to reliably estimate weighted (non-binarized) resting-state network maps using data from only a single individual, while also maintaining maximum spatial correspondence across individuals. Second, we determined the degree of spatial overlap between distinct networks, using test-retest and twin data.

Dec 9, 2023

2022 Tesla Model S Plaid First Test: 0–60 MPH in 1.98 Seconds*!

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Perfect for the holiday season.


*Under very specific conditions dictated by Tesla, that is.

Dec 9, 2023

Researchers discover new lipid nanoparticle that shows muscle-specific mRNA delivery, reduces off-target effects

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, nanotechnology

A team of researchers based at the University of Toronto’s (U of T) Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy has discovered a novel ionizable lipid nanoparticle that enables muscle-focused mRNA delivery while minimizing off-target delivery to other tissues. The team also showed that mRNA delivered by the lipid nanoparticles investigated in their study triggered potent cellular-level immune responses as a proof-of-concept melanoma cancer vaccine.

The study, led by Bowen Li, assistant professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, U of T, was published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Called iso-A11B5C1, the new nanoparticle demonstrates exceptional mRNA delivery efficiency in muscle tissues while also minimizing unintended mRNA translation in organs such as the liver and spleen.

Dec 9, 2023

Genetic mutations that promote reproduction tend to shorten human lifespan, study shows

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics, life extension

A University of Michigan-led study based on a review of genetic and health information from more than 276,000 people finds strong support for a decades-old evolutionary theory that sought to explain aging and senescence.

In 1957, evolutionary biologist George Williams proposed that genetic mutations that contribute to aging could be favored by natural selection if they are advantageous early in life in promoting earlier reproduction or the production of more offspring. Williams was an assistant professor at Michigan State University at the time.

Williams’ idea, now known as the antagonistic pleiotropy theory of aging, remains the prevailing evolutionary explanation of senescence, the process of becoming old or aging. While the theory is supported by individual case studies, it has lacked unambiguous genome-wide evidence.