Recursive language and modern imagination were acquired simultaneously 70,000 years ago. A genetic mutation that slowed down the development of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in two or more children may have triggered a cascade of events leading to acquisition of recursive language and modern imagination 70,000 years ago.
This new hypothesis, called Romulus and Remus and coined by Dr. Vyshedskiy, a neuroscientist from Boston University, might be able to solve the long-standing mystery of language evolution. It is published in the open-science journal Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO). How Sleep Clears the Brain. A mouse study suggests that sleep helps restore the brain by flushing out toxins that build up during waking hours. The results point to a potential new role for sleep in health and disease.
Scientists and philosophers have long wondered why people sleep and how it affects the brain. Density Anomalies of Water. Most solids expand and become less dense when heated. all become denser at low temperatures.
However, all expand slightly with cooling at all temperatures below about 70 K [a] with a minimum thermal expansivity at about 33 K (expansion coefficient (α) ~ -0.000003 K). This appears to be due to alteration in the net bending motion of three tetrahedral b]. This is a similar but unrelated phenomenon to the that occurs in liquid water. Interestingly, the density maximum for hexagonal ice is at about 72 K at ambient pressure and this is the maximum temperature for its catalyzed phase transition to . Humans show no sign of a maximum age limit, says new study. Global life expectancy rates continue to rise, which poses the question: will the trend ever stop?
Humans show no sign of a maximum age limit, says new study. A giant neuron has been found wrapped around the entire circumference of the brain. For the first time, scientists have detected a giant neuron wrapped around the entire circumference of a mouse's brain, and it's so densely connected across both hemispheres, it could finally explain the origins of consciousness.
Using a new imaging technique, the team detected the giant neuron emanating from one of the best-connected regions in the brain, and say it could be coordinating signals from different areas to create conscious thought. Scientists have discovered a worm that eats plastic bags and leave behind antifreeze — Quartz. Octopus and squid evolution is officially weirder than we could have ever imagined. Just when we thought octopuses couldn't be any weirder, it turns out that they and their cephalopod brethren evolve differently from nearly every other organism on the planet.
In a surprising twist, scientists have discovered that octopuses, along with some squid and cuttlefish species, routinely edit their RNA (ribonucleic acid) sequences to adapt to their environment. This is weird because that's really not how adaptations usually happen in multicellular animals. When an organism changes in some fundamental way, it typically starts with a genetic mutation - a change to the DNA.
Those genetic changes are then translated into action by DNA's molecular sidekick, RNA. You can think of DNA instructions as a recipe, while RNA is the chef that orchestrates the cooking in the kitchen of each cell, producing necessary proteins that keep the whole organism going. We May Be Completely Wrong About How Our Brains Form Memories. In Brief A mouse study has brought into question researchers' previous beliefs about how memories are formed, stored, and retrieved.
One Experience, Two Memories Scientists have long believed the human brain stores memories following a two-step process. Memories are first stored in the brain’s “short-term” memory, and are later moved to the “long-term” memory. An unexpected new lung function has been found - they make blood. Researchers have discovered that the lungs play a far more complex role in mammalian bodies than we thought, with new evidence revealing that they don't just facilitate respiration - they also play a key role in blood production.
In experiments involving mice, the team found that they produce more than 10 million platelets (tiny blood cells) per hour, equating to the majority of platelets in the animals' circulation. This goes against the decades-long assumption that bone marrow produces all of our blood components. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco also discovered a previously unknown pool of blood stem cells that makes this happen inside the lung tissue - cells that were incorrectly assumed to mainly reside in bone marrow. Humans have a magnetic sensor in our eyes, but can we detect magnetic fields? - Not Exactly Rocket Science. New Research Points to a Genetic Switch That Can Let Our Bodies Talk to Electronics. Microelectronics has transformed our lives.
Cellphones, earbuds, pacemakers, defibrillators – all these and more rely on microelectronics’ very small electronic designs and components. Microelectronics has changed the way we collect, process and transmit information. Such devices, however, rarely provide access to our biological world; there are technical gaps. We can’t simply connect our cellphones to our skin and expect to gain health information. Molecular Biologist Explains How THC Completely Kills Cancer Cells.
Below is a video of Dr.
Christina Sanchez, a molecular biologist at Compultense University in Madrid, Spain, clearly explaining how THC (the main psychoactive constitute of the cannabis plant) completely kills cancer cells. Not long ago, we published an article examining a case study recently published where doctors used cannabis to treat Leukemia, you can read more about that here. To read more articles and view studies about how cannabis is an effective treatment and cure for cancer, click here. Cannabinoids refer to any group of related compounds that include cannabinol and the active constituents of cannabis. They activate cannabinoid receptors in the body. Cannabinoids have been proven to reduce cancer cells as they have a great impact on the rebuilding of the immune system. WATCH: A jellyfish stinging in slow motion. Primitive artificial cell turned into complex biological materials. Imagine starting from scratch with simple artificial microscopic building blocks and ending up with something much more complex: living systems, novel computers or every-day materials.
For decades scientists have pursued the dream of creating artificial building blocks that can self-assemble in large numbers and reassemble to take on new tasks or to remedy defects. Now researchers have taken a step forward to make this dream into a reality. "The potential of such new human-made systems is almost limitless, and many expect these novel materials to become the foundation of future technologies," says Dr.
Genome scientist Craig Venter in deal to make humanized pig organs. Lee Cronin: Making matter come alive – Moonshots – Solve for X. Life-like cells are made of metal - life - 14 September 2011.