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Apr 12, 2023

Scientists have revived a ‘zombie’ virus that spent 48,500 years in permafrost

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, chemistry, climatology, health

While a pandemic unleashed by a disease from the distant past sounds like the plot of a sci-fi movie, scientists warn that the risks, though low, are underappreciated. Chemical and radioactive waste that dates back to the Cold War, which has the potential to harm wildlife and disrupt ecosystems, may also be released during thaws.

Permafrost covers a fifth of the Northern Hemisphere, having underpinned the Arctic tundra and boreal forests of Alaska, Canada and Russia for millennia. It serves as a kind of time capsule, preserving — in addition to ancient viruses — the mummified remains of a number of extinct animals that scientist have been able to unearth and study in recent years, including two cave lion cubs and a woolly rhino.


Warmer temperatures in the Arctic are thawing the region’s permafrost — a frozen layer of soil beneath the ground — and potentially stirring viruses that, after lying dormant for tens of thousands of years, could endanger animal and human health.

Continue reading “Scientists have revived a ‘zombie’ virus that spent 48,500 years in permafrost” »

Apr 12, 2023

Genomic study of ancient humans sheds light on human evolution on the Tibetan Plateau

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, evolution

The Tibetan Plateau, the highest and largest plateau above sea level, is one of the harshest environments settled by humans. It has a cold and arid environment and its elevation often surpasses 4,000 meters above sea level (masl). The plateau covers a wide expanse of Asia—approximately 2.5 million square kilometers—and is home to over 7 million people, primarily belonging to the Tibetan and Sherpa ethnic groups.

However, our understanding of their origins and history on the plateau is patchy. Despite a rich archaeological context spanning the plateau, sampling of DNA from has been limited to a thin slice of the southwestern plateau in the Himalayas.

Now, a study published in Science Advances led by Prof. Fu Qiaomei from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has filled this gap by sequencing the genomes of 89 ancient humans dating back to 5,100 BP from 29 spanning the Tibetan Plateau.

Apr 12, 2023

SunScout Pro keeps your lawn in top shape with blessings from the Sun

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, solar power, sustainability

The world’s first fully sustainable robot lawn mower which runs solely on solar energy. No more pollution, no more emission.

The modern quest to automate everything leveraging connected technology has seen the likes of robot vacuum cleaners and other smart-home devices flourish. SunScout, a company based in New Zealand, aims to be at the forefront of this race with its autonomous robot lawn mower fully powered by the sun.

Continue reading “SunScout Pro keeps your lawn in top shape with blessings from the Sun” »

Apr 12, 2023

SpaceX shows off Falcon Heavy ahead of massive rocket’s sixth launch

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, satellites

Both SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and Starship could take to the skies next week in an action-packed few days for Elon Musk’s space firm.

SpaceX showed off its Falcon Heavy rocket ahead of its next launch, scheduled for April 18.

SpaceX prepares for the next Falcon Heavy launch.

Continue reading “SpaceX shows off Falcon Heavy ahead of massive rocket’s sixth launch” »

Apr 12, 2023

Ukraine to probe video allegedly showing soldier’s beheading

Posted by in categories: government, military

One thing that is not really making the news is that South Korea is becoming a major military power. For example, France has recently committed to providing 2,000 155 mm shells to Ukraine per month, as reported at https://kyivindependent.com/france-to-double-supply-of-155-m…o-ukraine/. Meanwhile, South Korea has just committed to providing 500,000 155 mm shells to Ukraine in one big batch as reported at https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/south-korea-to-lend-500…r-AA19LIgJ. (They are giving the shells to the U.S. who will then give the same quantity of shells to Ukraine.


By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters)-South Korea has reached an agreement to lend the United States 500,000 rounds of 155mm artillery shells that could give Washington greater flexibility to supply Ukraine with ammunition, a South Korean newspaper reported on Wednesday. The DongA Ilbo newspaper cited unidentified government sources as saying South Korea decided to “lend” the ammunition instead of selling, to minimise the possibility of South Korean shells being used in the Ukraine conflict.

Apr 12, 2023

Why Baby Animals Can Walk So Much Sooner Than Human Infants

Posted by in category: biological

The early, shaky baby steps in many mammals stem from basic survival skills, while baby humans are prioritizing other biological needs.

Apr 12, 2023

Mice With Two Dads Were Born From Eggs Made Out of Male Skin Cells

Posted by in category: futurism

The study pushes the boundaries of the reproductive realm of possibilities, and its tech could help tackle chromosomal disorders in humans.

Apr 12, 2023

A Knee Replacement That Talks to Your Doctor? It’s Just the Beginning

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, electronics

As a ‘smart knee’ that transmits data rolls out, medical specialists and engineers predict sensors will be added to artificial hips, shoulders and spinal implants.

Apr 12, 2023

Evidence found of possible interdomain horizontal gene transfer leading to development of the eye in vertebrates

Posted by in categories: biological, chemistry, evolution, genetics

A group of molecular and chemical biologists at the University of California, San Diego, has found possible evidence of interdomain horizontal gene transfer leading to the development of the eye in vertebrates. In their study, reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Chinmay Kalluraya, Alexander Weitzel, Brian Tsu and Matthew Daugherty used the IQ-TREE software program to trace the evolutionary history of genes associated with vision.

Ever since scientists proved that humans, along with other animals, developed due to , one problem has stood out—how could evolution possibly account for the development of something as complicated as the eyeball? Even Charles Darwin was said to be stumped by the question. In recent times, this seeming conundrum has been used by some groups as a means to discredit altogether. In this new effort, the team in California sought to answer the question once and for all.

Their work began with the idea that vision in vertebrates may have got its start by using light-sensitive genes transferred from microbes. To find out if that might be the case, the team submitted likely human gene candidates to the IQ-TREE program to look for similar genetic sequences in other creatures, most specifically, microbes.

Apr 12, 2023

This is what happened when 25 AI avatars were let loose in a virtual town

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

Researchers observed AI agents interacting in the virtual town Smallville, and found they can plan their days, debate politics, and even plan a party.