Lifeboat Foundation

A “rule of trees” developed by Leonardo da Vinci to describe how to draw trees has been largely adopted by science when modeling trees and how they function.

Now, scientists at Bangor University in the U.K. and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) have discovered that this rule contradicts those that regulate the internal structures of trees.

Da Vinci’s interest in drawing led him to look at size ratios of different objects, including trees, so that he could create more accurate representations of them. To correctly represent trees, he perceived a so-called “rule of trees” which states that “all the branches of a tree at every stage of its height are equal in thickness to the trunk when put together.”

Many of the bacteria that ravage crops and threaten our food supply employ a shared tactic to induce disease: they inject a cocktail of harmful proteins directly into the plant’s cells.

For 25 years, biologist Sheng-Yang He and his senior research associate Kinya Nomura have been investigating this set of molecules that plant pathogens use to cause diseases in hundreds of crops globally, from rice to apple orchards.

Now, thanks to a team effort between three collaborating research groups, they may finally have an answer to how these molecules make plants sick — and a way to disarm them.

Summary: New research delves into the distinctive human trait of sequential memory, setting us apart from bonobos. A recent study has also highlighted the joy in chasing passions over accomplishments. Groundbreaking discoveries show the human brain’s computational prowess, mirroring high-powered computers.

Additionally, the footprint of Big Tobacco is evident in the modern American diet through the promotion of hyperpalatable foods. Lastly, understanding the range of mind’s visualization abilities, from hyperphantasia to aphantasia, opens avenues for innovative treatments.

Research led by the Department of Anthropology and School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Ohio, has investigated neuropeptide Y innervation in an area of the brain called the nucleus accumbens of various primate species, including humans. The research was focused on understanding its role in brain evolution and any implications for human health, particularly regarding addiction and eating disorders.

In a paper, “Hedonic eating, obesity, and addiction result from increased neuropeptide Y in the nucleus accumbens during human brain evolution,” published in PNAS, the researchers suggest that the combination of increased neuropeptide Y (NPY) and dopamine (DA) within the human nucleus accumbens (NAc) may have allowed for enhanced brain development. This same configuration may have also made humans exceptionally vulnerable to eating disorders and substance abuse, hinting at addictive traits having a deep evolutionary origin.

NPY plays a role in the reward system, emotional behavior and is associated with increased alcohol use, drug addiction and fat intake. The NAc brain region is central to motivation and action, exhibiting one of the highest densities of NPY in the brain and is of great interest to researchers investigating brain-related promoters of addiction.

Vertical farming saves water, land, and energy — and it could be how we grow food on Mars.

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As salt encroaches on productive agricultural land, a handful of startups are finding ways to make crops grow in seawater with genetic modification and transforming solar saltwork.

Artificial intelligence experiments with artificial sweeteners.

Revo Foods.

This is according to a press release acquired by Interesting Engineering on Tuesday.

Digesting a crunchy critter starts with the audible grinding of its rigid protective covering — the exoskeleton. Unpalatable as it may sound, the hard cover might be good for the metabolism, according to a new study, in mice, from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The researchers, led by Steven Van Dyken, PhD, an assistant professor of pathology & immunology, found in mice that digesting chitin, an abundant dietary fiber in insect exoskeletons and also mushrooms and crustacean shells, engages the immune system. An active immune response was linked to less weight gain, reduced body fat and a resistance to obesity. “Obesity is an epidemic,” Van Dyken said. “What we put into our bodies has a profound effect on our physiology and on how we metabolize food. We’re investigating ways to counteract obesity based on what we learn about how the immune system is engaged by diet.”

Findings, in mice, suggest engaging immune system with such fiber to counteract obesity.