(Credit: Odua Images/Shutterstock)
A human’s genes are laid down at
conception. A fetus’ heart, brain and other organs start to form five weeks later.
At six months, an unborn child has most of its body parts. But there is one
essential component missing: the helpful bacteria, often referred to as the microbiome,
that will inhabit its gut, skin and other organs.
Our first interactions with microbes set the stage for health throughout our lives. Babies’ microbiomes have b ...read more
The image shows the first image acquired by the DLR-developed MASCAM camera system during Hayabusa2's descent, shortly after separation from the landing module at a height of 41 meters. (Credit: Jaumann et al., Science (2019))
The solar system is a crowded place. Earth may be the only planet with humans on it, but many worlds are home to robots — rovers and landers and orbiters, gathering data for astronomers. Asteroid (162173) Ryugu joined them last summer, and has been playing host to ...read more
These color-coded maps of the brain show the semantic similarities during listening (top) and reading (bottom). (Credit: Fatma Deniz)
If you don’t have time to sit and read a physical book, is listening to the audio version considered cheating? To some hardcore book nerds, it could be. But new evidence suggests that, to our brains, reading and hearing a story might not be so different.
In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers from the Gallant Lab at UC Berkele ...read more
The new crater lake at Kīlauea's summit, spotted on August 15, 2019. M. Patrick, USGS-HVO
Over the last few weeks, we've had two newsworthy events that involve volcanoes and water. This is a common combination on our planet and can have dramatically different results. One is a very small feature that's new to one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. The other is now a large feature spreading across the Pacific that came from a previously unknown volcano under the sea.
First, the sma ...read more
Does alcohol cause cancer? Here's what recent research tells us. (Credit: Mateone/Shutterstock)
Humans and the bottle go a long way back. Archaeologists have found our love of alcohol began some 9,000 years ago (and maybe even 10 million years ago, according to some reports).
Evidence of people boozin’ it up has been found in nearly every society throughout history. And today, alcohol is still ingrained in cultures around the world, especially in places like the Midwest – dubbe ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine