Scientific Station®

Illegal Pet Trade

2012-01-25T19:02:00.003-06:00

The BBC has an important story about the illegal pet trade. Please check it out.
Strange endangered primates you may have never heard of

Why Science Majors Change Their Minds

2011-11-04T15:03:00.001-05:00

Click here to read the New York Times article Why Science Majors Change their Minds.

Does Life Begin At Conception?

2011-11-02T14:41:00.004-05:00

Does human life begin at fertilization of ovum (egg) by sperm? Have your say. Click here

Seeing the world through railroad maps

2011-10-28T13:21:00.006-05:00

Click here to watch a wonderful and short BBC video about how railway maps effect the way we see the world.

Fried Eggs and Cataracts

2011-10-07T16:21:00.001-05:00

Scientific Station® - Fried Eggs and Cataracts by Brendan Craughwell

    As my father's cataracts got worse the letters I received from him dwindled. He would write a short note and include news clippings he knew I would want to read. On visits, I noticed my father strained to read print that before would not have bothered him. I just accepted it, and understood when he backed out of a planned lens replacement surgery.
Every time I fry an egg I think about cataracts. Yes this is ridiculous. Oddly it does not put me off eating eggs. It actually makes them more interesting. Even though fried eggs and cataracts have nothing to do with each other, one can help us understand the other. Reshaping proteins is behind each phenomenon.
    Proteins are molecules so large they fold over themselves. This folding gives each protein a particular structure making it capable of assisting a specific chemical reaction. Function, in regard to protein, is determined by form. For example catalase is the protein that breaks down hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water. When we clean out a wound with hydrogen peroxide, catalase in our tissues bind and then breaks hydrogen peroxide molecules producing oxygen and water. Each catalase protein does this millions of times a second. All this hydrogen peroxide destruction releases enough oxygen that our wound is flushed out with little bubbles. If catalase’s shape changes it stops processing hydrogen peroxide.
   Hydrogen bonds, salt bridges, and hydrophobic interactions stabilize a protein’s architecture. Environmental stresses such as acid concentration, UV exposure and heat disrupt these weak forces causing the protein to lose its useful shape. A protein is denatured when this happens. Albumin, the protein in egg whites, denatures when fried. This causes it to change from a clear fluid to a white solid. Denatured albumin, unlike pristine albumin, does not dissolve in water, is opaque and coagulates producing the familiar egg white of a fried egg.
   Cataracts interrupt normal vision by disrupting light passing into the eye. Crystalline proteins, which are similar to albumin, fill the inside of our eyes’ lenses. Some cataracts form as these proteins denature causing them to no longer dissolve in water and become opaque similar to denatured egg albumin. Age enhances these effects, because time allows denatured proteins to accumulate. Cataract filled lenses are replaced surgically, since it is impossible to un-denature cataract causing proteins.
A while back I had a note from my mother telling me my father was going for a rescheduled cataract surgery. I hope this will renew our correspondence.

Send your questions, comments, and concerns to scientificstation@gmail.com

Copyright © 2011 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.
SCIENTIFIC STATION is a registered trademark of Brendan Cruaghwell.

Lightning Causes

2011-06-01T14:56:00.001-05:00

What causes lightning?

Blue Hole Stalagmite

2011-05-30T17:34:00.001-05:00

What can we learn from a blue hole in the Bahamas?

Left Handed Snails

2011-05-26T14:06:00.002-05:00

Why don't left handed snails mate with right handed snails?

Righty Sea Turtles

2011-05-23T16:59:00.001-05:00

Are Sea Turtles right-handed? Or is that right-flippered?

CONTRAILS

2011-05-17T14:47:00.001-05:00

Does airplane exhaust change the weather?

Name Those Plants

2011-05-15T23:57:00.001-05:00

Decades worth of plant collections are sitting unexamined. While habitats are being destroyed, the last remnants of plant species sit unlooked at in botanical gardens.

Moon Air

2011-05-11T20:45:00.000-05:00

Why doesn't the Moon have air?

Lose Fat

2011-05-10T20:00:00.001-05:00

Where does fat go when we lose it? Answer first in the comment section before watching.

Why No Clones

2011-05-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

Why aren't there more clones in the world?

Light Meat

2011-05-08T20:43:00.002-05:00

Scientists are investigating using optics to determine meat quality. What do you think about this?

Helium Voice

2010-11-20T17:32:00.006-06:00

Why does your voice change when you inhale helium? Watch the video and give your thoughts on the explanation.

I Don't Believe In Evolution

2010-06-19T17:41:00.008-05:00

I don't believe in evolution. It is not a matter of faith. One should or should not believe in it. Working with evolution demands understanding how it explains the development of new species.

Do you have a strong belief one way or another about evolution? If so, do you understand what evolution is? Please post comments telling what your belief is if you have one and what evolution is as you understand it.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a registered trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Dating The Andes

2010-06-07T18:31:00.001-05:00

So how old is a mountain? How would you go about finding out? The age of the Andes in South America is interesting to scientists in lots of ways. Biologists could use the date to figure out speciation events, and geologists want to know about the seismic activity in the region.

Scientists have looked at isotopes in soil to determine the age of the mountain chain. However recent research casts doubt on that estimate.

Click here to read original research.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a registered trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Forecasting Monsoons

2010-06-06T17:38:00.000-05:00

The monsoons are famous for blowing across the Indian Ocean changing direction every six months. Their impact has affected human civilization from the beginning. Indian culture flourished under the monsoon's influence. Frankincense trees grow in the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula watered by mist from the monsoons that condenses in the mountains of Dhofar.

The intensity of the the monsoons directly affects nearly one third of the world's population. Predicting variation from year to year is difficult. It has been hard to establish patterns in the monsoon, because it is such a complex weather phenomena. Using tree ring and historical data researchers have established some factors that may aid in future monsoon studies.

Click here to read original research.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Learning To Read

2010-05-31T17:51:00.001-05:00

Learning to read seems very complicated, yet most people are able to acquire the basics by a very early age. Although we have formal instruction in school, young children are primed for literacy by imitating those around them. For example infants raised in families with people who read will pick up books and move their eyes from left to right.

Click here to read original research.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Learning Factors

2010-05-29T19:38:00.001-05:00

Grammar, structure, and argumentation are identified as the three main aspects of a scientific article. Are these three all inclusive? What other factors are necessary? How about style?

Click here to read original research.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Simplifying Lignin

2010-05-28T22:37:00.000-05:00

Biology is not all about altering genes. Gene tinkering to make a new product is engineering. It uses research to achieve its goal. Many people think of this as being science. Biology is the study of life. Its focus is to understand what is going on. Manipulating life is not the purpose. Biology as all science "when it comes down to it . . . is just trying to quantify the complications of the puzzle" to quote Wit.

The research covered in this episode compares the lignin synthesis pathway in Arabidopsis to that in Lycophyta. Arabidopsis is the main plant used in genetic research. It is a flowering plant. Lycophyta and the flowering plants diverged before plants started making seeds. They have very different reproductive strategies.

Most genetic research is conducted on plants perceived to be economically important. A lot of times scientists have to solicit funding based on what financial advantage will be gained and not on the pure knowledge that will be learned. This study of the genetics of the Lycophyta lignin pathway was indicated as being helpful in learning how to make flowering plant by-products easier to deal with in industry.

Click here to read original research.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Ancient Roman Booty

2010-05-27T17:55:00.000-05:00

Found things are great! Imagine coming across sunken treasure. Mostly we would want it to contain gold. It would be disappointing to discover it held a cargo of lead.

The lead found in an ancient Roman ship actually has an unexpected value. It is less radioactive than lead found on the surface today. This allows it to be used in quantum research.

Those Roman sailors could not have known their cargo would be more valuable because of the shipwreck.

Click here to read more.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Salmonella and HIV

2010-05-25T18:32:00.000-05:00

Our immune systems are amazing. They keep us from being attacked by outside invaders and our own cells that have gone rouge. Those with HIV have special concerns, because the virus makes their immune systems we are still trying to understand.

This research into those infected with HIV and Salmonella gives insight into unusual immune inhibitions that can make people really sick.

Click here to read original research.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Transcendence

2010-05-24T18:01:00.000-05:00

Transcendence is a state of mind. Could it also be a "state of brain"? Researchers detect part of the cortex explains our transcendent feelings.

Click here to read more.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Stuttering Gene

2010-05-23T14:47:00.003-05:00

A metabolic cause of stuttering may have been identified. Those who stutter seem to share mutations in 3 genes that control part of their metabolism. This research strengthens the case that stuttering is a biological and not a behavioral condition.

Click here to read more.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Sharing Food

2010-05-22T11:38:00.002-05:00

Sharing is a simple idea we teach children, but how many of us actually practice it ourselves? False killer whales have been observed sharing food with other whales and on occasion humans after hunting.

Considering that the whales' habitat is threatened by human activity, we should consider learning a lesson in sharing with these creatures.

Click here to read articles by the researcher.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Fatigue

2010-05-21T17:57:00.001-05:00

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a silent disease. Those who have it suffer, but no cause is known and there are no visible symptoms. It is hard for a lot of people who don't have it to understand what it's like to have CFS.

Recently it was proposed that a mouse virus was the cause. This attracted attention, because it having a target gave hope for a treatment and there would be something tangible to understand about the illness. Research now shows that XMRV (the mouse virus) is not likely the cause of CFS. The search for what this illness is continues.

Click here to read article.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Elephant Walk

2010-05-20T18:00:00.000-05:00

Elephants don't do jumping jacks or skip, but they can run fast and walk across a continent. Elephant legs are designed to help them migrate long distances and carry up to 5 tons. Watching an elephant walk one can imagine they are gliding. They distribute weight differently from us with each step. Research recently confirmed that they step more lightly than us (relatively speaking in terms of percent of body weight). To do the research the elephants had to be video taped using motion capture, and each step had to be measured using a very large scale. The attached article should have a photograph of the set-up.

Click here to read original article.

Brain Research

2010-05-19T18:51:00.000-05:00

A lot of people are afraid of going to the doctor. Fear of doctors and medical research is impairing scientists' ability to conduct brain studies in China. Some have sought to relax the rigor demanded of scientific articles before they can be published. Others are trying to piggy-back brain research on patients seeking treatment for other conditions.

What information should doctors be allowed to share about their patients for medical research?

Click here to read article.

Antibiotics

2010-05-18T20:32:00.001-05:00

Finish your antibiotics!

Not taking the complete course gives bacteria the chance to become resistant to treatment. Scientists finally know how this happens.

When bacteria are exposed to non-lethal doses of antibiotics they release reactive oxygen into their cells. This causes mutations in the DNA. Some of these mutations provide the bacteria protection against the drugs.

Doctors prescibe doses of antibiotics that will kill the infecting bacteria. When we don't take all the medicine as prescribed our bodies contain just enough of the drugs to cause the mutations but not enough to clear ourselves of the infection.

Do yourself and the rest of humanity a favor and take your doctor's advice. These resistant bacteria can spread to other people and endanger their lives.

Click here to read more.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Whales and Diatoms

2010-05-17T16:58:00.001-05:00

Whales are the worlds largest animals and diatoms are single celled organisms. Despite their small size, diatoms have had a big impact on whales. Filter feeding whales siphon diatoms out of sea water and eat them. In their feeding quest, whales follow diatom blooms. Population habits of diatoms make whales adjust to get the best meals. Overtime whales have evolved to best exploit diatom patterns.

Click here to read the first research abstract and here to read the second research abstract.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Wireless Regulation

2010-05-16T20:21:00.003-05:00

What does asking who owns the wireless networks have to do with science? The way the government regulates who can own them determines the return on investment those owners get. This affects quality of service, because a more competitive market should make the most successful be those providing the best service. Economic researchers looked at market data before and after regulation changes in the secondary market (resale of network rights.) The findings are consistent with theory.

Click here for research abstract.

Copyright 2010 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Human Routes

2010-05-15T12:40:00.000-05:00

Privacy is defined anew by each generation. We become comfortable with revealing personal information depending on the demands of social norms. Whether it is idyll gossip or shopping habits being tracked at the grocery store, other people try to predict what we will do by studying what we appear to have done.

If we look closely at what it is people can learn about us, we see that we actually share lots of details about our activity. This study shows that knowing simple facts about the members of a population's current location can be used to predict future actions. This work can be applied to understanding daily movements and spread of infectious diseases.

Click here to read research abstract.

Copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Wait Stop Go

2010-04-18T19:27:00.010-05:00

How do you think DNA makes us who we are? And how does it make organisms different from each other?

Recent research suggests that DNA controlling when our genes turn on and off have greater effect in speciation than mutations.

Click here for original article.

Y No Chromosome?

2010-04-18T19:05:00.007-05:00

How functional is the Y chromosome? It is regarded as fractured X chromosome by many.

Research suggest that mutations in the Y chromosome have had dramatic effects on human evolution.

P.S. My apologies to chimpanzees for suggesting they are disgusting.

Click here to read research abstract.

Crazy Dogs

2010-04-18T18:59:00.009-05:00

Some dogs exhibit a behavior called Canine Compulsive Disorder (CCD). It is similar to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in humans. The dogs suffering from CCD may harm themselves and annoy their owners.

A recent study looked for the underlying genetic markers that are associated with CCD. Knowing this allows for future genetic research into CCD that may give insight to OCD in humans.

So what do you think? Can a dog be crazy?

Click here to read original article.

ß-Thalassemia Gene Therapy

2010-04-18T18:21:00.008-05:00

Gene therapy has gotten one step closer to being used regularly in main stream medicine. A teenager has received a gene that produces a protein to correct the effects of thalassemia. Two years on he is still benefiting from the transfusion. There is an indication of increased growth signals. These may create problems in the future.

Manipulating genes for medicine has good intentions. What are your thoughts on the use and development of this technology?

Click here for summary.

Exoplanets

2010-03-30T20:18:00.004-05:00

Extra-solar planets or exoplanets are planets that orbit stars other than our Sun. Even though science fiction has explored their existence for decades, the first one was only identified in the 1990's. The first one's discovered are large gas planets like Jupiter.

Exoplanets are difficult to detect, so astronomers have to get information in indirect ways. A common technique for looking for them now is to observe what kind of wobble the planets cause their star to have. Just as the Sun's gravity keeps Earth in orbit, the Earth's gravity is pulling not quite as hard on the Sun.

This study found (for the first time) planets within the region of other stars that would allow for temperatures at which water could exist. The densities of the exoplanets was also determined.

Click here to read research abstract.

Abiotic Sugar

2010-03-30T20:10:00.006-05:00

Sugar powers life. Our cells use sugar to create ATP. ATP is what we use as energy.

This study describes possible mechanisms for sugars to form in an abiotic (or pre-life) Earth.

How do we know something is alive? As humans we have an understanding of what it means to be alive and we recognize it when we see it. However we are unable to describe or define it in precise terms. What is your understanding of life? How do you know something is alive?

Click here to read research abstract.

Alligator Lungs

2010-03-29T17:31:00.003-05:00

A new understanding of how alligators breathe informs what we think about dinosaur physiology. It has been know for some time now that birds have a unique unidirectional method of breathing. They inhale through their mouths or nostrils like us, but what happens next is different. Our lungs expand and contract with a single opening the way a balloon inflates or deflates. Birds lungs once they take in air move it through unidirectional tubes. There is no reversing of air flow.

It has been assumed that birds developed this trait in response to the aerobic demands of flying. The recent study of alligator lungs indicates that the trait probably appeared in an earlier ancestor from which both birds and alligators evolved. That indicates that dinosaurs likely had unidirectional lungs, since it is thought they also developed from the same predecessor as birds and alligators. Lungs are soft tissue, so they are not well preserved in the fossil record. Scientists would not previously had evidence about unidirectional lungs for dinosaurs.

Click here to read original abstract about alligator lungs.

Dry Ice Rivers On Mars

2010-03-27T20:09:00.004-05:00

Erosion and shifting large boulders have been observed occurring on Mars. The patterns indicate there are seasonal rivers in the areas where this is happening, but there is no direct observation of flowing water. By watching these areas over time and using data about temperature scientists think there are crusts of dry ice forming. These crusts grow so large and heavy as to shift the soil beneath it. This causes the patterns that look like river beds.

Click here to read a summary of the article.

Exporting Crazy

2010-03-22T17:42:00.005-05:00

Ethan Watters in his book Crazy Like Us asserts that the United States is exporting ideas about mental health, and in the process is redefining people in other cultures as ill.
Basically he's saying the US is forcing its culture on other countries and is motivated by drug companies that make a big profit off of new markets. Watters says that physicians are treating patients with an American paradigm when it doesn't fit. A lot of mental illness apparently is defined by social norms, so a doctor needs to be culturally aware of the patient's background.
What do you think? Have you read the book?
Click here to find Crazy Like Us on Amazon.

Parasitic Wasps Decoded

2010-03-16T20:09:00.004-05:00

We are all familiar with wasps and fear their painful sting. Bugs have more to fear from the sting of a wasp than we do. Parasitic wasps lay their eggs in other insects bodies. The eggs hatch, and the larva feed on the host insect eating it from the inside out. Often the unfortunate bug that has the babies wasps inside die. After feeding the young wasps mature to adulthood, break through the exoskeleton of the host, fly off, mate and continue the cycle.

Agriculturalists have found parasitic wasps useful in getting certain pests out of their fields. Wasps that lay their eggs in other insects generally target certain species, so it is important to understand the relationship to best utilize wasps as pest control.

Scientists with the Nasonia Genome Working Group have decoded the DNA of three species of parasitic wasps in the genus Nasonia. These species are closely related. That means the DNA can be used to understand evolutionary differences between the wasps and how the differences came about. This information will be useful to Agronomists trying to make better use of parasitic wasps as well as geneticists trying to understand the mechanisms that factor into evolution.

Click here to read the research abstract.

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Peopling Asia

2010-01-27T20:29:00.004-06:00

Current understanding of human evolution is that people originated in north Africa and migrated all around the globe. This is opposed to the belief that people originated in several different locations. What ancient routes were taken can be teased out by looking at several factors. As people spread out languages developed. Their structure can be analyzed for relationships that might hint at their origin. Cultures and traditions that developed can also show similarities.

DNA is being used to look at genetic relationships between and within populations. By looking at variation in highly conserved regions of our genome, the HUGO Pan Asian SNP Consortium determined that Asia was people by a distinct migration out of the Middle East through India.

This study laid a foundation to answer more intricate questions: what is the origin of the native Australians and when did these migrations take place.

Click here to read research article.

Darwin's Lumpers Vs Splitters

2010-01-24T17:45:00.003-06:00

The tree of life has many branches on it. The argument about how many branches it should have is between the lumpers and the splitters. Lumpers want fewer branches, and Splitters want more. Delineating the divisions is not clear cut. Morphology, anatomy, genetics, and other characteristics are difficult to tease apart.

Currently there is disagreement on where archea should be placed. The archea are generally described as a third division of life with the other two divisions being bacteria and eukaryotes. archea are prokaryotic like bacteria (meaning they do not have membrane bound nuclei) but have other characteristics similar to eukaryotes.

However some biologists think archea should be placed in a group that includes eukaryotes. Evidence about similarities in lipid (fat) synthesis support this placement. The terminology biologists use to describe this is "archea should be placed basally in a clade with all eukaryote organisms." This means that in the tree of life archea would be a twig sprouting near the base of the eukaryote branch. While compelling, this view has yet to be embraced by mainstream biology.

Click here to read an article about Darwin and Lumpers & Splitters.

Mushroom Virsuses! Who Knew?

2010-01-11T18:26:00.004-06:00

DNA changes in several ways. Most often we will think of mutation (if we think about DNA change at all. However there are some other ways DNA can change. Some viruses can insert their own genes, and scientists can genetically alter DNA or bio-engineer the genome.

Scientists at SUNY Buffalo have found evidence of another mechanism used to change DNA. Some viruses "borrow" the machinery from other viruses. What is surprising about this is that the infected cells then used the new DNA to make useful proteins.

If you have a strong opinion about genetic engineering, does knowing this occurs in nature influence what you think? These viruses are using these techniques to their own advantage.

Chickenpox and Herpes viruses insert their genes into human cells. If you have been infected by either one do you consider yourself genetically altered?

Click here to read the original research article.

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Prosperity Vs Wealth

2010-01-11T18:05:00.010-06:00

Click here to read research abstract

Wealth and prosperity are valued differently by cultures and individuals. This study looks at some of the factors that influence how those living in rural communities view their economic status.

How do you see your own situation? Do you live the life you desire?

Click here to see how the IRS breaks down the top wealth holders for selected years. They estimate the wealth of the living population using the Estate Multiplier technique.

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Upset Stomach? Blame Your Childhood

2009-12-30T10:54:00.002-06:00

Hygiene in childhood may actually affect adult digestive health.
Researchers at the University of Aberdeen raised genetically similar pigs in one of 3 different environments: outside, indoor, or in experimental isolators. The experimental isolators are environments that allow researchers to control what bacteria get in.
The pigs raised outside had Lactobacillus as the predominant bacteria in the tissue lining their digestive tracts. The pigs raised indoor had reduced Lactobacillus and increased numbers of potentially pathogenic bacteria in their digestive tract. This skewed ratio of gut flora was exaggerated in the pigs raised in the experimental isolators.
These differences that were observed in early life influenced the digestive health of the adult pigs. The bacteria introduced by the early outdoor environment seem to have improved the ability of the adult pigs to maintain proper immune responses in the digestive tract and limited excessive inflammation of the gut.
This work has implications for humans. The authors write in BMC Biology that recent population studies reveal that childhood hygiene is a significant risk factor for development of inflammatory bowel disease.
Its still too early though to blame adult digestive disease on early childhood exposures. The effect on adult microbial diversity and immune responses needs to be studied.

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Click here to read research article

Martian Water? Sorry.

2009-12-28T12:25:00.006-06:00

Summer on Mars is probably less habitable that previously thought. Evidence of abundant water in Martian magma or lava, may actually be caused by chlorine.

Even though we send probes to Mars pretty regularly, a lot of what we know of the planet actually comes from indirect observation. We don’t see large bodies of water on the planet, but from different observations we try to determine the amount of H2O in the atmosphere, on the surface, within rocks, and possible underground. To do this we need to look at the effect we expect water to have on these structures.

One way to measure the amount of water in the atmosphere is to determine how much infrared light is absorbed. Water vapor absorbs more than other gases. Those measurements need to be corrected for weather patterns, because those values can change frequently.

When looking at rocks, it is possible to see the effect water has had on them. In particular, water will create specific crystal patterns in the rock that can still be observed even after all the water has evaporated.

It was previously thought that Martian lava contained as much as 2% water. This was determined by looking at crystal patterns of meteors that come from Mars. 2% would provide a hefty source of H2O for the Martian water cycle.

New data published in the journal Geology suggests that these crystals were actually formed in a Chlorine rich environment on Mars. It seems as though Mars may be 2.5 times richer in Chlorine than Earth.

Click here to read the research abstract

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Your Christmas Tree has got a lot more going on than just its decorations

2009-12-22T20:37:00.004-06:00

Pine trees come in many different species. Depending on its location, how many leaves it makes and the pattern of the bark, a pine tree can be relatively easy to identify.
The closer one looks at groups of similar pine trees, it becomes harder to answer questions about how closely or distantly related they are.
Botanists have many techniques for
working out these problems, but more help is always welcome.
Researchers at Oregon State University published findings in BMC Biology that describe looking at DNA found in the chloroplast of pine trees to help differentiate populations of very similar trees.
Chloroplasts are the parts of plant cells that make the leaves green. They have their own DNA, and each tree only gets its chloroplast
from the plant that makes the seed (its mother.)
Since this DNA gives a somewhat stable reference point for analysis, because it doesn’t mix like most of the DNA found in a cell.
In their paper, Matthew Parks, Richard Cronn and Aaron Liston describe how best botanists can use this chloroplast DNA to tease out otherwise unrecognizable differences or similarities in plants.

Click here to read the original article.

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Look Alikes Aren't Always CopyCats

2009-11-28T15:16:00.006-06:00

Dolphins and sharks look alike and live in the ocean, but most people regard them as different types of animals: dolphins are mammals with hair and mammary glands so they are more like us than sharks which have gills and are more like other fish.

Scientists call this phenomenon convergent evolution, and there are examples of it in all forms of life. Bats and birds fly and have wings, cacti and euphorbias have spines and grow in deserts, and koalas and humans have finger prints. These organisms are considered by science to have acquired these traits independently of each other - sometimes in response to similar environments.

For the scientist it can be exciting to identify examples of convergent evolution. However a recent study of giant plants suggests that the designation may be given erroneously if not enough lines of inquiry are pursued.

The giant Lobelia is found globally. Its range includes eastern Africa, the Hawaiian Islands, South America, French Polynesia and southeast Asia. Lobelias are most often found as small, herbaceous plants commonly used as ornamentals. So when the various populations of giant Lobelias were discovered spread across the world, it was assumed that this was an example of convergent evolution: that the herbaceous Lobelia will evolve the giant form in response to particular environments.

Alexandre Antonelli published in BMC Biology that all the giant Lobelias are actually related to each other. Scientists call this a monophyletic group meaning they come from a common ancestor and more importantly the giant form of the plant evolved once and all the giant Lobelias today come from that originating population. Antonelli used molecular analysis to establish this close relationship. He found that the giant Lobelias probably came from eastern Africa between 25 and 33 million years ago.

He concludes his paper stressing that there be careful analysis before making assumptions about morphological development and convergent evolution in all organisms.

Click here to read the original article

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Obese? Not Me! Tell the Fat Guy.

2009-11-24T19:12:00.006-06:00

Overweight, Normal, or Underweight most of us mis-perceive our actual body size.

Tiffany Powell reported at the American Heart Association Science Sessions that obese people who mis-perceive their ideal body size have double trouble: they already have increased risks associated with obesity and they think they are smaller than they should be.

5893 people who participate in the Dallas Heart Study were asked to self-identify their body size as below normal, normal, or above normal. The difference in perceived body size was compared with the subject's actual body size.

Those with below normal or normal body sizes generally self-identified as being larger than their ideal. Those with above normal body sizes saw themselves as being below their ideal.

The people who underestimated their larger than ideal body size were more likely to be female, African American, had a higher body mass index, higher systolic blood pressure, and higher insulin resistance.

Powell concluded that addressing this mis-percerption may be important in preventing and treating obesity.

Click here it read the research abstract

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Last Chance for a World Without HIV and AIDS - Scientific Station™ - 20 November 2009

2009-11-20T21:00:00.009-06:00

Read the research article

Last Chance for a World Without HIV and AIDS by Brendan Craughwell

Robert Smith and fellow researchers in Canada propose in the journal BioMedical Central that we may now have our last, best chance at eradicating HIV and AIDS.

And the way to get rid of it. . .money.

$60 billion dollars has been raised to spend on treating HIV and AIDS for the next 20 years. This money will be held in reserve and released incrementally.

The researchers developed a mathematical model demonstrating that with population growth and global migration HIV will perpetuate itself in humans despite this 20 year plan.

However, the model predicts that if the plan is modified and funded at $63 billion over 5 years, eradication may be possible.

This linear differential equation model divides the world by regions and directs the spending in each region to achieve a 2/5 reduction in the HIV infection rate by focusing on education and condom distribution.

Eradication must occur on a global scale to be effective.

Should these interventions not be made, the model predicts that in twenty years HIV eradication will no longer be possible due to the high cost of dealing with a larger world population.

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

I'll have a TofuPup, but does it taste like fish now? - Scientific Station™ - 17 November 2009

2009-11-17T20:35:00.005-06:00

Soybeans are used for a variety of foods: tofu, soy milk and edema-me. Lines of genetically engineered soybeans have been developed to manufacture a precursor of one of the Omega-3 fatty acids used to promote heart health.

Stearidonic acid also called SDA is converted into this Omega-3 in our bodies.

We usually get this particular Omega-3 from fish. William Harris of the Stanford Medical School tested whether or not SDA from these soybeans worked as well as fish oil at raising our blood Omega-3 levels. His finding is that SDA derived from modified soybeans produces statistically significant increases in blood Omega-3 levels.

This means soybeans may become a major source of Omega-3 in our diets in the future.
Regulatory testing is still underway for the soybeans, so it will be a few years before it hits the shelves.

This study did not address the taste of the oil.

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Look Me In The Eye! - Scientific Station™ - 14 November 2009

2009-11-15T23:25:00.005-06:00

Look me in the eye

Attention seeking at first glance seems to be a purely human quality. However our reliance on vision is rooted in primate evolution. Seeing has helped us find better food, safer housing, and more attractive mates.

Vision has become so important to us that we first seek out others' eyes in new situations. It worries us when others do not return our glance.

Jeffrey Klein, Stephen Shepherd and Michael Platt published a review in Current Biology examining the neural circuits that mediate visual information and influence our social attention.

Not only who looks at us, but who we are looking at and how "betrays much about our own identity" the authors write "who we are, where we come from, our gender, age and social status" are all on display in our gaze.

Click here to visit the original article

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Womb Acoustics - Scientific Station™ - 5 November 2009

2009-11-05T21:30:00.004-06:00

When do we learn to talk? Just published research suggests human fetuses in their third trimester are acquiring language they hear from their families.

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Hungry, Hungry Lions - Scientific Station™ - 3 November 2009

2009-11-03T18:43:00.006-06:00

How many people did the lions who hunted the Uganda Railroad construction in 1898 eat?

Using carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from the killer lion carcasses, an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences estimates the lions at 35 people in 1898.

Vaccines

2009-10-07T23:27:00.003-05:00

Would you want to live in a world without vaccines? I don't. In fact I probably wouldn't be alive in a world without vaccines. None of us would be.

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Global Warming

2009-10-06T18:32:00.003-05:00

There's definitely a lot of heat around discussion of global warming. You have taken your stance, but do you understand what it is you either support or reject?

Let's see how you handle this question.

If global warming is caused by the aggregate accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere how does cutting emissions fight global warming if we continue to release CO2?

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.

Evolution

2009-10-05T17:43:00.002-05:00

Do you believe in evolution? Frankly I don't care. I want to know if you know what you are talking about. Answer these questions, and let's see if we have a shared understanding of what we're arguing about.

What evolution is?

How does predetermination fit into a description of evolution?

copyright 2009 Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved. SCIENTIFIC STATION is a trademark of Brendan Craughwell. All rights reserved.