This week, science is weird. We go from GMOs to comets to bacteria cheese. Humans are a strange species, but at least we are learning in our own fun way.
Research showing a link between GM maize and tumors in rats has been retracted.
Just going with my gut on this subject, I’m not all that scared of genetically modified organisms. In 2012 a paper was published linking the GM maize to a large amount of diseases including malignant tumors. This week though, the publishers retracted the paper stating that the small amount of species tested was not enough evidence to support the claims. For more information on this dying subject, just follow the handy link. http://www.nature.com/news/study-linking-gm-maize-to-rat-tumours-is-retracted-1.14268
Stem cells have been used to successfully create skin to treat burn victims.
So we have all heard of skin grafts to treat humans with varying skin related ailments, but now that stem cell research is legal again, the medical community is making great strides in treatments. Researchers have perfected the process of using stem cells called Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells, found in the umbilical cord, to literally grow skin faster than the traditional grafts. After the process, the skin can be stored to use at a later date. This eliminates the long process of a patient growing the skin on another area of their body which actually prolongs the healing process. Here’s a nifty article on the entire process. http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/stem-cells-can-create-skin-burn-victims
Alien Life is Purple Bacteria… Wait…. What?
Yes you read that correctly. While we have always known that alien life could very likely be anything but humanoid, scientists are now saying that our first encounter with alien life forms could come as purple bacteria. In a paper published earlier this month, researchers described a baby Earth (billions of years ago) that was covered in this bacteria. This spurred curiosity about life on exoplanets, as well it should. We have been searching for life in space for as long as we could comprehend the idea, but we have been looking for life that is Earth like. It’s about time we started looking at other ideas. Maybe we have already discovered life but it jut isn’t what we are able to detect yet. Maybe there is a ball of gas on a planet somewhere that has a consciousness but we overlooked it. How about that weird tar/oil alien in the episode of Star Trek? I actually considered that a very real possibility. Here’s some more on the actual science behind this. http://www.iflscience.com/space/search-alien-life-little-green-men-are-out-and-purple-bacteria-are
Part of Comet ISON may have survived the encounter with our sun.
ISON was hoped to be visible through December, but when the predicted orbit was taking it closer to the sun, hope diminished. The comet travelling at more than 200 miles per second, Ison passed 730,000 miles above the sun’s 6,000C surface on Thursday evening. This would have heated the comet to almost 3,000°C, enough to vaporize rock as well as ice. So is that a part of the comet that appeared on the other side of the sun following the same trajectory as Ison? Scientists say it is, stating that they believe the nucleus of the comet survived. http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/nov/29/comet-ison-survive-encounter-sun-earth
Cheese made form Belly Button bacteria?
This is probably the most popular story going around this week. The Science Gallery in Dublin had an event showcasing this new cheese this week. Now people didn’t actually eat this stuff but they definitely drank the wine. The cheese is grown from bacteria from some very well known celebrities. Researchers received sterile swabs from several peoples bodies, including feet, armpits and belly buttons. The cheese was then developed in a lab and sent off for a showcase. People in attendance were given the opportunity to smell the cheese that oddly carries the body odor of the bacterias host body. Perhaps the most amusing thing about this story are the people looking at it in horror. Don’t you all know what cheese is? Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go fry up some mozzarella and blue cheese. http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2013/11/people-are-making-human-cheese-using-belly-button-bacteria/7659/
