The Industrial Revolution 150 years ago transformed human life in many ways, including granting us unlimited access to sugar. But combined with other technological advances, much of the Western population now leads a more sedentary lifestyle. The result is a society grappling with obesity and related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. While metformin is one of the most widely prescribed antidiabetic drugs worldwide, its precise interaction with sugar has not been fully understood — until now ...read more
A company that intends to bring back the woolly mammoth has taken a small, but significant step toward its massive de-extinction goal: it has created a woolly mouse. The company, Colossal Laboratories & Biosciences, used a variety of gene-editing techniques to create a number of tiny rodents with the massive, extinct species’ bushy hair. They reported their results in bioRxiv.org.Making the Woolly MouseTheir gene editing efforts focused on two general traits — both of which are associate ...read more
Animals are increasingly becoming as well-traveled as humans, with the rate of pet travel increasing by 19 percent in the last decade, according to a 2023 study. Meanwhile, in the U.S., two million domestic animals board commercial flights every year.But how safe is air travel for our pets? Veterinarians say that while there’s not one aspect of flight that is necessarily more dangerous or harmful than another, it depends on how prepared pet owners are — and the animal itself. Are Airplanes S ...read more
The future of space exploration looks to grow even brighter as the launch of NASA’s highly anticipated SPHEREx mission lies right on the horizon. The mission, set to launch the evening of March 4, 2025 will survey the vast expanse of space for the next two years to construct an unprecedented map of the sky.NASA is ready to tackle the universe’s most pressing questions with Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx). Launching on a Sp ...read more
The national parks within the U.S. are wonders to behold. They haven’t been named “America’s Best Idea” for nothing. And while they may simply seem like places to vacation, they are much, much more than that. Beyond their pristine beauty, where you can find peace and adventure, they are home to some extraordinary species, including some animals on the endangered species list. The National Park Service (NPS) staff, including rangers and researchers, work tirelessly to ensure these animal ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine