The Genetics of Staying in School
Why do some people sail through college while others drop out during high school? There are many obvious reasons, ranging from intelligence to motivation, social privilege to caring parents, great teachers to disruptive classmates. But one neglected factor—our genes—plays a small but significant role.We know that because identical twins, who share all their DNA, peak at closer levels of education than non-identical twins, who share just half their genes. And now, in a study of almost 294,000 pe..>> view originalWatch kids' toys explain why killing wolves might be a bad idea
The authors of a new study used Playmobil figurines to illustrate their conclusion that when the government killed wolves in Wisconsin and Michigan, illegal hunting of the animals increased. (Guillaume Chapron, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station) Hunters in Finland took to the forests this year to kill nearly 20 percent of that country’s 250 or so wolves. The hunt took place as part of a controversial, government-approved “cull” that officials said was intended to prevent illegal poaching of..>> view originalAncient Space Dust Hints at a Mysterious Period in Earth's Early History
Geologists tell a pretty broad-brush narrative of Earth’s 4.5 billion-year history. For its first half-billion years, the newly formed planet was a seething ball of lava constantly pelted by giant space rocks, including a Mars-sized object that sheared off a chunk that became the moon. Things calmed down when the Late Heavy Bombardment tapered off some 3.8 billion years ago, but volcanoes ensured Earth’s atmosphere remained a toxic stew of gases with almost no oxygen to speak of. It stayed that ..>> view originalDNA Pinpoints Where Camel Breeding Began
The dromedary, or Arabian camel, has transported people and materials in the Middle East and North Africa for thousands of years. But, until now, no one had been able to determine where the distinctive, one-humped creatures were first domesticated. In a new study, researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna say they have figured it out. Odd Hippo Ancestry Includes Whales, Camels: Photos After comparing DNA of wild and early-domesticated dromedaries as much as 7,000 years ol..>> view originalAustralian researchers say they've found the world's oldest hatchet
The 11-millimeter-long basalt chip that scientists say is the oldest fragment of an axe with a handle. (Australian Archaeology) Some 44,000 to 49,000 years ago, a prehistoric Australian chipped off a piece of her or his stone axe while honing its edge. The flake of basalt rock, not much larger than a shirt button, fell to the ground. For nearly 50 millennia a piece of the world’s earliest hatchet lay buried, only for an archaeologist to collect it in the early 1990s. Now, the Australian arc..>> view originalEarly Earth's atmosphere was quite thin. Why does it matter?
It may be time to rewrite the textbooks. Some 2.7 billion years ago, the Earth's air weighed less than half what it does today, according to new research published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience. This finding, if confirmed, would prompt a shift from the dominant viewpoint that that ancient atmosphere was twice as thick as today's, which in turn could change the solution to a longstanding scientific conundrum known as the "faint young sun paradox."At the time, our sun was about 20 perce..>> view originalFirst Alien Earth Still Elusive Despite Huge Exoplanet Haul
The first "alien Earth" continues to evade detection. On Monday (May 10), astronomers announced the discovery of 1,284 exoplanets by NASA's Kepler space telescope, bringing the prolific observatory's total haul to 2,325 confirmed alien worlds. But none of these appears to be a true Earth twin, mission scientists said. "We don't necessarily have an exact dead ringer for a planet like Earth, in terms of its orbit and size," Kepler mission scientist Natalie Batalha, of NASA's Ames Research Ce..>> view originalClimate Change This Week; Suffocating Seas, Climate Votes, and More!
Today, the Earth got a little hotter, and a little more crowded. BBB: Beautiful Brazilian Biodiversity - as shown by these red-eyed tree frogs, is another important reason to save its vital carbon-storing forests. Source michaelturco.com Forests: the cheapest way to store carbon From Forest To Tofu - Brazilian forests are falling to soy plantations. Credit Rhett Butler at Mongabay.com OO Booming Soy Industry Could Threaten Brazil's Climate Commitments, researchers warn. When we harm forests..>> view originalCoral Bleaching And Death Prevents Fish In Coral Reef Ecosystems From Learning To Avoid Predators
Coral Bleaching And Death Prevents Fish In Coral Reef Ecosystems From Learning To Avoid Predators A new study reveals the effects of coral bleaching and death on the behavior of ambon damselfish, which were unable to learn to avoid predators in their coral reef ecosystem. By Tyler MacDonald | May 11, 2016 02:03 PM EDT A new study reveals the effects of coral bleaching and death on the behavior of ambon damselfish, which were unable to learn to avoid predators in their coral reef ecosystem. (P..>> view originalBreaking down the mythical 'Mayan city' discovery
Experts say the "city" found by Canadian teen William Gadoury could be something much simpler: Abandoned fields. This whole archaeological kerfuffle started as a tantalizing possibility: Gadoury, 15, says he used Mayan constellation patterns to pinpoint ruins of a heretofore unknown ancient Mayan city. The Canadian Space Agency helped him out and provided satellite imagery of the site, which was cross-referenced with images from Google Maps. The results seemed to show squarish areas and clusters..>> view original
Thursday, May 12, 2016
The Genetics of Staying in School and other top stories.
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