Around the turn of the century, microbiologists at Danisco USA Inc. had a problem: The bacteria they used to make yogurt and cheese were getting infected with viruses. Investigating more deeply, the scientists found that some bacteria possessed a defense system to fight off such viral invaders.
These virus-resistant bacteria carried weird, repetitive collections of DNA letters in their chromosomes — bits of DNA from their encounters with past viruses that the microbes had “saved” in their ...read more
What defines humanity? Is it the fact that we can walk upright on two legs? That we have brains big enough to use tools? That we can organize our societies well enough to find wonderful ways of exploiting the resources of the planet — and each other?While the answer may seem clear enough to anyone who doesn’t think too closely about it, anthropologists — the scientists who actually study humans — aren’t necessarily so certain.“We’re using this term and it’s not quite colloquial a ...read more
On July 2, 1937, pilot Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan hopped into their Lockheed 10-E Electra and headed for Howland Island, a 0.6-square-mile coral atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Following takeoff, the pilot, the navigator, and the plane were never seen again.The two disappeared during their attempt to fly their way around the world, with the location of their disappearance having eluded experts for decades. But this week, experts from the ocean exploration firm Deep Sea V ...read more
If you can sense changes in the weather based on aches and pains in your body, you aren’t alone. Many people, especially older individuals with arthritis, claim that they can feel the weather based on the pain in their joints. While research hasn’t nailed down these weather-related pain claims, anecdotal evidence persists. How the Weather Impacts Your JointsIt’s probably why so many people want to retire where it’s warm, says Aly Cohen, a rheumatologist in Princeton, New Jersey. Cold we ...read more
What makes us human? Many answers would suffice, but in particular, our names offer an overlooked perspective on our humanity. Perhaps this is because names fall on somewhat of a nebulous side of our identity. Names aren’t etched onto our DNA, and technically, they can be abandoned or customized at the whim of their owners. But for most, a name clings until the end of life and exists beyond death. To understand how we distinguish one another with names, you would need to sift through unfathoma ...read more
Time outside with your dog in the spring, summer and fall can be lovely. Visiting your favorite downtown café on a cool spring morning, going to a favorite dog park on a clear summer evening or going on walks along a river when the leaves are changing color are all wonderful when the weather is favorable. But in much of the country, when winter rolls around, previously hospitable conditions can quickly turn chilly and dangerous for people and pups alike.Winter brings some unique challenges fo ...read more
