Dry Ice Rivers On Mars

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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.