In the first part of this series, I give you bite-sized summaries of some of the most provokative, ground-breaking, or downright odd scientific findings of the recent month.
The smell of mustiness emitted from flipping through an old book has been identified as a product of paper degradation. The compounds lignin and rosin have been associated with this decay process, especially during the period of 1850-1990 when paper production was particularly acidic (Science, Nov. 27 2010).
Human's ability for Gaydar has now been scientifically proven. Tufts University has conducted a study showing that people are better able to detect whether someone is gay or straight just based on facial features (and just the eyes may be sufficient). People scored correct answers 64% of the time (versus 53% if you just flipped a coin), when looking at photos culled from dating websites (Science, Nov. 27, 2010).
Some old adages are true - and an upcoming report in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism confirms that slower eating aides in weight loss by improving signals of satiety (fullness). Speedy eaters had lower levels of circulating PYY and GLP-1, two anorexigenic (appetite-reducing) hormones. (Endocrine News, Dec. 2009)
You've heard of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, well now its been discovered that weeds can also develop resistance to herbicides (current issue of PNAS).
We all loved hearing the news - science telling us that imbibing red wine is good for our health, all thanks to a litle thing called resveratrol which may delay aging processes in our cells. These data are under increased scrutiny, with many researchers skeptical about the original findings now that they are unable to be replicated under different laboratory conditions. So perhaps red wine is not the magic bullet we had hoped it was. (Nature, Jan 19, 2010)
Another reversal of a recent finding that has been nearly written into textbooks as fact, is the ability of antioxidants to protect our cells from harmful reactive oxygen species formed by the mitochondria during normal cell metabolism. However, newer data points to a potential benefit of increased mitochondrial activity, and reactive oxygen species may not be the villain they've been painted to be. (PNAS 106)
Does that violent video game lead your child to be violent? A recent analysis suggests No. Plotting youth violent crimes against video game sales, an inverse trend is seen. Although, as every scientist knows, we must not confuse correlation with causation. (Science Dec 4, 2009)
Another reason Nemo is right - and coral reefs need to be saved: a recent study has shown that coral reefs act like a sunscreen for the earth, absorbing UV light and limiting its harmful effects on the inhabitants of the reef (Science Dec 4, 2009)
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
Michael Steinberg
doctorwascher
Paul Hinrichs
Mary Elizabeth Williams
Cary Tennis
Dave Cullen
Salon.com
Comments