Other interests and hobbies

[uk 75]

In the dull days between Christmas and New Year I thought it might be fun/interesting/warped to share our other interests or hobbies in this thread.

Some friends of mine photoed and wrote this story about me and one of mine.

Up close and personal with the Aalborg bears

 

[publiusr]

I have an interest in the humanities…btw a recent finding makes the old TV visual of married couples in separate beds more believable:

Sleep may be compromised with a bed partner

If you're having trouble sleeping, perhaps contact with a bedmate is causing the problem, say University of Michigan researchers.

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Nothing like an elbow to the eye from your girlfriend stretching while yawning…or her little chihuahua nipping at you because she insists on taking it to bed.

New from Peterbuilt…the insta-hell

https://www.reddit.com/?rdt=47257

Dino

New dinosaur species may be closest known relative of Tyrannosaurus rex

A new species of tyrannosaur from southern North America that may the closest known relative of Tyrannosaurus rex is described in a study published in Scientific Reports.

phys.org

Giganto

The extinction of the giant ape: A long-standing mystery solved

Giants once roamed the karst plains of southern China, three-meter tall apes weighing in at 250 kilograms. These very distant primate relatives—Gigantopithcus blacki—went extinct before humans arrived in the region, with few clues to why, and so far leaving around 2,000 fossilized teeth and four...

phys.org

Sign language

Tracing the evolution of sign languages using computer modeling

An international team of linguistics experts has traced the origins of the most common modern sign languages using a computer model to compare them against one another. The research is published in the journal Science.

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'Mom talk:' Study finds immigrant bilingual Latina mothers have dual-language personalities

Children who hear a language other than English at home currently make up more than 25% of the school-aged population in the United States. A large majority of those children hear Spanish because that is the native language of their parents. When their parents came to the U.S., they brought not...

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Study discovers neurons in the human brain that can predict what we are going to say before we say it

By using advanced brain recording techniques, a new study led by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) demonstrates how neurons in the human brain work together to allow people to think about what words they want to say and then produce them aloud through speech.

medicalxpress.com

Stand out

Understanding differences within nonconformity

Stand-out individuals often capture our attention, especially in the United States. According to a recent University of Georgia study, not all nonconformists are the same. Although on the surface, several "stand-out" individuals may look the same, they are likely different from one another in...

phys.org

F is for fake

Video: Can science beat counterfeit detector pens?

Counterfeit detector pens use a starch-iodine reaction to identify fake bills.

phys.org

Sphere packing

Researchers use simulations to tackle finite sphere-packing problem and 'sausage catastrophe'

Have you ever wondered about the best way to pack a finite number of identical spheres into a shape-shifting flexible container, like a convex hull?

phys.org

Med

Soldering wounds with light and nano thermometers

Not every wound can be closed with needle and thread. Empa researchers have now developed a soldering process with nanoparticles that gently fuses tissue. The soldering technique is expected to prevent wound healing disorders and life-threatening complications from leaking sutures.

phys.org

'Smart glove' can boost hand mobility of stroke patients

This month, a group of stroke survivors in B.C. will test a new technology designed to aid their recovery, and ultimately restore use of their limbs and hands.

medicalxpress.com

3D bioprinting sheds light on why blood vessel curvature may foster brain cancer metastasis

Recent research suggests that the winding paths of blood vessels might trigger the development of metastatic cancers, a topic gaining considerable attention in academia. A collaborative team utilized 3D bioprinting technology to reproduce intricate brain blood vessel structures in the laboratory.

medicalxpress.com

A new targeted treatment calms the cytokine storm

Cytokines are chemical messengers that help the body get rid of invading bacteria and viruses, and control inflammation. The body carefully balances cytokines because they help keep the immune system healthy. However, this balance is upset if the immune system overreacts. A serious infection or...

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Research team observes the processes of memory and cognition in real time

The human brain contains approximately 86 billion neurons and 600 trillion synapses that exchange signals between the neurons to help us control the various functions of the brain, including cognition, emotion, and memory. Interestingly, the number of synapses decreases with age or as a result...

medicalxpress.com

Molecular 'super-glue' shows promise of cancer drug discovery platform

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have published their work on SJ3149, a compound with broad activity against many cancer types, particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML). SJ3149 sticks to the cancer-related protein casein kinase 1 alpha (CK1α), leading to its destruction.

phys.org

Amnesia caused by head injury reversed in early mouse study

A mouse study designed to shed light on memory loss in people who experience repeated head impacts, such as athletes, suggests the condition could potentially be reversed. The research in mice finds that amnesia and poor memory following head injury are due to inadequate reactivation of neurons...

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A single dose of urea-powered nanorobots reduces bladder tumors by 90% in mouse study

Bladder cancer has one of the highest incidence rates in the world and ranks as the fourth most common tumor in men. Despite its relatively low mortality rate, nearly half of bladder tumors resurface within 5 years, requiring ongoing patient monitoring. Frequent hospital visits and the need for...

phys.org

Accelerating how new drugs are made with machine learning

Researchers have developed a platform that combines automated experiments with AI to predict how chemicals will react with one another, which could accelerate the design process for new drugs.

phys.org

Ensheathed nerve fibers in human skin help communicate external stimuli

Researchers have used new imaging techniques to explore the function and structures of the neuro-cutaneous unit, which is the connection between the nervous system and the skin.

phys.org

Researchers propose a navigation system to tackle medication supply bottlenecks

Supply bottlenecks for medications present major challenges to health care systems the world over. In Switzerland, for instance, just under 1,000 drugs that are covered by statutory health insurance are currently unobtainable.

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My problem

The science of color: How color blindness creates unseen barriers in science

Dr. Mark Lindsay was 5 years old when he first learned that tree trunks were brown.

phys.org

Biology

Cannabis found to activate specific hunger neurons in brain

While it is well known that cannabis can cause the munchies, researchers have now revealed a mechanism in the brain that promotes appetite in a set of animal studies at Washington State University.

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Scientists clone first rhesus monkey using new method

Scientists in China on Tuesday announced that they have cloned the first healthy rhesus monkey, a two-year-old named Retro, by tweaking the process that created Dolly the sheep.

phys.org

Researchers unravel complex 3D structure of thick filaments in human heart

It's been estimated that over one lifetime, a heart will beat 2.5 to 3 billion times without stopping. Yet the mechanics of how the heart physically carries out this function flawlessly, without fail, minute after minute, remains poorly understood on a molecular level.

phys.org

New technique visualizes mechanical structure of the cell nucleus for the first time

The cell nucleus is considered to be the control center of vital cellular processes, but its material properties continue to puzzle scientists. An international research team led by MedUni Vienna has now developed a new technique that provides a previously unattainable view of the mechanical...

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Cryo-microscopy reveals nano-sized copy machine implicated in origin of life

How the intricate molecular machinery of life arose from simple beginnings has been a long-standing question. Several lines of evidence point towards a primordial "RNA world," where an "RNA copy machine" (a so-called replicase) started making copies of itself and other RNA molecules to...

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Chilled-out tadpoles defy climate odds

University of Queensland researchers have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that allows tadpoles in cold environments to mitigate the detrimental effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

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Largest-ever study of ocean DNA creates comprehensive catalog of marine microbes

The ocean is the world's largest habitat, yet much of its biodiversity is still unknown. A study published in Frontiers in Science marks a significant breakthrough, reporting the largest and most comprehensive database of marine microbes to date—matched with biological function, location, and...

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Research reveals new hope for obesity-induced heart disease

Obesity-induced heart disease, which affects up to 10% of the population in certain age ranges, is considered an untreatable condition and 75% of people don't survive more than five years beyond diagnosis.

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Engineers uncover new mechanism for gene transfer

If you still remember that "Dear King Phillip Came Over For Good Spaghetti," you'll likely also recall the corresponding taxonomic ranks of biology: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. The domains include prokaryotes, single-celled organisms such as bacteria and...

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Why dancers are better workers, according to research

Breakdancing in the break room might not seem like the best way to get ahead at work, but research shows recreational dance can actually improve productivity performance in the workplace.

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Vines strangle forests in warm temperatures, threaten planet's cooling 'carbon sink'

As Earth records its hottest year ever, a global research collaboration has found warmer temperatures are a key driver in woody vines taking over the world's forests—threatening their vital role in helping cool the atmosphere by storing carbon.

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Male power over females is not the default social dynamic in primates, says study

Male dominance has long been assumed to be nearly universal in primates, with female power viewed as a rare exception to the rule. However, according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, female-biased power structures or social equality between the sexes can be found within every...

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