Wednesday, March 20, 2019

science news 20.3.2019

Today's selection of science news. Links are normally to press releases on EurekAlert (at the bottom end I may also add a couple of newspaper stories). I include quotes from the summary (using quotation marks) in cases where the title alone doesn't reveal what the story is about. My own thoughts appear without quotation marks, if I have any.


astrobiology

SwRI-led team identifies water-bearing minerals on asteroid Bennu



This mosaic image of the asteroid Bennu is composed of 12 PolyCam images collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft from 15 miles away. An SwRI-led team is looking at the spectral data from the surface to better understand the composition of the asteroid.
Credit: Courtesy of NASA/GSFC/University of Arizona


nanoworld

Starving bacteria can eject their flagella to save energy and stay alive
Not sure I believe that energy saving is the reason for the loss of flagella - it will be horrendously expensive for the bacteria to replace the flagella later. Also, survival of the individual isn't necessarily a big issue in bacteria.

... and speaking of flagella:

Mathematicians reveal secret to human sperm's swimming prowess


ecology

Across North America and the Atlantic, an enormous migration journey for a tiny songbird
"Blackpoll warblers that breed in western North America may migrate up to 12,400 miles roundtrip each year, some crossing the entire North American continent before making a nonstop trans-ocean flight of up to four days to South America. Now a new study led by first author Bill DeLuca at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and project lead Ryan Norris at the University of Guelph, Ontario offers details of the feat."


conservation

When development and conservation clash in the Serengeti


food and drink


New report discusses role of polyphenols, found in coffee, in reducing CVD risk

Many pet owners keen to have vegan pets, University of Guelph study finds
I think 'vegan pet' is a bit of an oxymoron, as it is against the vegan spirit for a human to keep an animal for their own emotional needs, am I wrong?


humans

First Anatolian farmers were local hunter-gatherers that adopted agriculture

Deep brain stimulation provides sustained relief for severe depression





No comments: