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Science proving that Alpha males still capture their mates — glad to see how science has gone backwards.

Males who evolve in male-dominated populations become far better at securing females than those who grow up in monogamous populations, according to new research into the behaviour of fruit flies at the University of Sheffield.

The study, led by Dr Allan Debelle and Dr Rhonda Snook in the University’s Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, looked at the mating patterns of fruit flies after they evolved for 100 generations in either polyandrous populations (where several have to compete for a single female) and monogamous populations (where each male has access to only one female).

The scientists discovered that males who evolved in polyandrous populations, where was fierce, are much more likely to outcompete the other males and successfully mate, regardless of the population the female comes from.

Continue reading “‘Super males’ emerge from male-dominated populations, study finds” | >

Interesting approach.

If you’re at all interested in your health, it’s likely you’ve joined the 20 percent of Americans who’ve incorporated fitness trackers into their daily ensemble. From monitoring steps and daily activity to sleep, an ever-growing number of devices are tracking and analyzing our body’s data in an effort to make us better.

But how good is this tracking? Despite noble intentions, the scientific reality is that much of the data these trackers provide is insufficient and inaccurate — and in turn, are not as effective as they promise.

This is especially true when it comes to sleep. Sleep scientists have looked at sleep wearables, like Fitbit and Jawbone, with skepticism — and for good reason. While the devices claim to monitor and help you sleep, scientific precision isn’t guaranteed.

Continue reading “Use Your Brain. Ditch Your Fitness Tracker” | >

Left hemisphere of J. Piłsudski’s brain, lateral view.

A new study has found that a faster metabolism is the main reason that humans were able to evolve bigger brains than other closely related apes. Humans burned 635 more calories per day than gorillas, and a whopping 820 more calories per day than the orangutans in the study.

Although the study findings seem promising, more research on the issue is required since the research was performed only on adults.

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New cure for SMA?!

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a disease that causes progressive degeneration in the nerve cells that control muscles, thereby causing muscle weakness and eventually death. SMA affects approximately 200,000 people in the U.S., often children. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri are studying a subtype of SMA, spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 (SMARD1), and have developed a gene replacement therapy that can be used to treat and control the disease in the future.

SMARD1 is a rare genetic condition with high mortality rate that develops primarily between the ages of six weeks and six months. The condition targets the spinal cord and leads to atrophy of body muscles and paralysis of the diaphragm, which is responsible for breathing. As the disease progresses, children with a SMARD1 diagnosis become paralyzed and require continuous artificial ventilation. The average life expectancy of a child diagnosed with SMARD1 is 13 months. Currently, there is no cure or effective treatment for this disease.

“Monogenic diseases like SMARD1, a disease that is caused by one gene, are ideal for gene therapy since the goal of the therapy is to replace the missing or defective gene,” said Chris Lorson, an investigator in the Bond Life Sciences Center and a professor of veterinary pathobiology. “Our goals for this study were to develop a vector that would improve the outcomes of the disease and for the vector to be effective in a single dose.”

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New tech from Carnegie Mellon makes it much easier to play ‘Angry Birds’ on your wrist.

Smartwatches walk a fine line between functionality and fashion, but new SkinTrack technology from Carnegie Mellon University’s Future Interfaces Group makes the size of the screen a moot point. The SkinTrack system consists of a ring that emits a continuous high-frequency AC signal and a sensing wristband that goes under the watch. The wristband tracks the finger wearing the ring and senses whether the digit is hovering or actually making contact with your arm or hand, turning your skin into an extension of the touchscreen.

The tech is so precise that you’re able to use the back of your hand to dial a phone number, draw letters for navigation shortcuts, scroll through apps, play Angry Birds or select an item from a list. Researchers at the Future Interfaces Group say the tech is 99 percent accurate when it comes to touch.

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“Black holes could be interdimentional portals to other universes” — Stephen Hawking.

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Links:
1) VIDEO LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enJEbzZi2Fs

2) Thumbnail image — Stephen Hawking, Wikimedia commons images.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: Stephen_hawking_2008_nasa.jpg

3) Music — Youtube Audio Library.

Continue reading ““Black Holes could be Portals to Other Universes” — Stephen Hawking” | >

If aliens sent you an encrypted binary message, could you answer? René Heller, an astrophysicist at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, wants to hear from you.

Last month, Heller posed a hypothetical question as part of the #SETIDecryptChallenge: “Suppose a telescope on Earth receives a series of pulses from a fixed, unresolved source beyond the solar system,” he wrote. “It turns out the pulses carry a message.”

The encrypted message is a vast sea of 0’s and 1’s. You can see it here, but here’s a GIF for your convenience.

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