Finding the Origins of Chinook Salmons Through the ‘Otolith’ of the Inner Ear

Medicine & Technology May 17, 2015

Over the course of many years researchers have sought out to find exactly where Alaska’s Chinook salmon are hatched. The process is known, the migratory patterns are mapped, yet for any given fish caught in the wide open ocean, the story of its origins are often shrouded in mystery—but now that has changed. With a simple chemical marker, accumulating in the inner ear bone of the salmon known as an “otolith”, researchers now believe that they can trace the origins of any Chinook salmon back to the exact waters from which they came before they emerged in Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

Seismic Changes on Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Prompt Warnings And New Research

May 17, 2015

After a stunning increase in seismic activity an an apparent drop in the lava lake at the summit of Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano within the national park, researchers and seismologists in Hawaii are concerned that pressure in the volcano is continuing to change—and are sounding what appears to be an indefinite alarm until more can be determined. In the last two days alone, researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have identified small earthquakes at the highest rate to date, setting a new record at one earthquake every couple of minutes. And with the seismic changes, researchers with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory are hoping that a few changes can help save lives in the event that an eruption could occur.

Flexing Some Muscle—How Onions May Be The Next Endeavor in Biomedical Engineering

May 05, 2015

While it may sound silly, it turns out onion tweezers may turn out to be the next endeavor in the study of biomedical engineering. And while this root vegetable is known to pack a pungent smell, it turns out that its epidermal cells pack quite a punch too—enough to even inspire artificial muscle formation. Okay, so this one needs a bit more explaining.

A Fond Farewell to NASA’s MESSENGER

May 03, 2015

More than 10 years ago NASA launched it’s MESSENGER spacecraft with a one-year long orbit mission in mind. But over the course of its 4.9 billion-mile-journey NASA came to find that the decade-long mission would exceed expectations far past their mark.

A Final Scene from Mercury—MESSENGER’s Last View

May 03, 2015

Before its crash-landing into the surface of its long-studied host planet, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft sent back its final view of the surface of Mercury. And now NASA is sharing it with you. Exceeding all expectations and lasting more than 4 times its original mission timeline, the spacecraft has been instrumental to NASA’s vast studies of the other planets within our solar system, so with this image and a fiery display to end its mission with flair, the space agency is paying homage to MESSENGER and its long life in orbit.

Signed Up to Go to Mars? Better Think Again, While You Have the Chance

May 03, 2015

We understand the drive and the passion to explore the new and unknown frontiers of space, but when it comes to the loss of cognitive function or serious IQ points, we know where to draw the line. While humans as a species, and space agencies now, have been speaking about traveling to other planets for as long as anyone can remembers, now knowing what awaits us in space may change a few of your minds—literally.

Cosmic Radiation Reveals Devastating Affects on the Brain—What Plans Will This Change for NASA?

May 02, 2015

When it comes to life on Earth, we’re one of the most fragile species there is. But thanks to the rather perfect confluence of circumstances and cosmic events, we’re mostly shielded from the dangers of space. Strong ultraviolet rays are kept out, our vital oxygen and water are kept in, and life continues blissfully. But what happens when we leave our own little planet in search of others? What protection do we have then?

Changing the Solar Power Industry—Tesla’s New Powerwall Packs a Powerful Punch

May 02, 2015

Elon Musk’s visions haven’t just changed the tech industry, they’ve changed the world and even space exploration. But a new venture and interest in batteries will mean that Tesla is expanding into the solar energy game, and Musk is offering home owners the opportunity to capitalize on the power of the Sun.

Evading Your Age—Can You Beat Microsoft’s Programmers?

May 01, 2015

When it comes to the age of the internet, often the way we speak and interact on the interweb can cause us to become associated with those of an older or younger age group, based on linguistics, posting behavior and even what our friends say about us on our public page. But when it comes to the hard fact, and the face behind the screen it’s often difficult to conceal our true ages, even when we’d like to shave a few off.

Strict Pollution Regulations Around Beijing Olympics Produced Bigger Babies

Apr 29, 2015

Thanks to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China may find another generation of star athletes on its hand. No, it’s not thanks to the facilities or the experience of bringing together the world’s best athletes in its large port-city—rather it has everything to do with the pollution around the event. Researchers are aware of the fact that high levels of air pollution can significantly impact fetal growth and development, and when it comes to air pollution few nations are quite as bad as China. But with the arrival of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and mandates reducing pollution levels courtesy of the Chinese government, researchers were given the perfect setup for a case study. And what they happened to find is that children born from mothers pregnant during the games had higher birth weights than those born before or after the games.

New ‘Chemoimmunotherapy’ Proves Potent Against Prostate Cancers

Apr 29, 2015

In spite of aggressive chemotherapy treatments, advanced prostate cancers have proven to be quite difficult to treat. As a heterogeneous mass of different cancerous mutations, prostate tumors often evade cellular death, and have even been known to accumulate cells capable of suppressing a body’s immunological defenses. But in a new study published this week in the journal Nature, researchers have found that chemotherapy, when paired with immunotherapy, is a potent duo that has already proven successful in achieving prostate cancer remission in mouse models—now they think that the strategy may be ready to treat humans.

Can Dinosaur Skulls Tell Us Just What They Ate and How?

Apr 29, 2015

With recent archaeological findings proving that researchers may not know as much about prehistoric life as they once thought, researchers with the American Museum of Natural History are taking another look at interpreting the diets of long-extinct animals, and what they’re finding points to finding the source of a prehistoric diet. Though teeth shape has been used for decades as a primary indicator as to the dietary habits of a fossilized subject, in a new study published today in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers are now saying that skull shape and ancestral lineages, both before and after extinction events, may serve as a proxy for what these animals truly once ate.

Bigger Is Better—Apple iPhone 6 Plus Sales Skyrocket After Chinese New Year

Apr 29, 2015

When it comes to China’s tech industry, the bigger truly is better. So when Apple released the larger-screen version of their iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus, earlier this year economists saw a huge spike in sales courtesy of the ever-growing Chinese market. And with booming electronic sales well into the Chinese New Year, as they new Plus-sized iPhones remained at the top of everyone’s wish list, people started referring to China as the “golden goose” for Apple, who has made quite a mint on its new and improved product.

Reduced to Bits—Blendtec Pulverizes New Apple Watch

Apr 29, 2015

With the first weekend out on the streets many Apple users are testing the metal of the new Apple Watch. They’re exploring the apps, testing the user-friendly interface and even keeping an eye out to see just how calibrated and accurate the watch function is. But at more than $350 a pop for even the cheapest of sport models, you know one thing that we didn’t expect to see? Anyone blending an Apple Watch, that’s for sure.

Could Excess Carbon Dioxide Be Coming From The Trees? New Forest Models Predict CO2

Apr 28, 2015

For several years now researchers have come to find a perplexing missing amount of carbon dioxide in their data. Models have repeatedly missed the mark, and though researchers don’t exactly know where all of the carbon emissions are coming from and where they are going, many assumed that the answer had to lie in the ‘sink’ of the world’s oceans. But now researchers at the Imperial College London are finding that perhaps the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide has something to do with forests—or rather, what humans leave behind.