We
all believe that Alexander found the Egyptian city of
Alexandria. But, the truth is that he just re-branded it! This
land has been settled for at least 4500 years, pre-dating
Alexander’s arrival by a good two millennia! It is the
measurement of the variations in lead concentration in a mud
core from Alexandria’s ancient harbor that led to this
groundbreaking discovery by Alain Véron from the Paul Cézanne
University in Aix-en-Provence, France, and his colleagues. It is
between 2686 and 2181 BC and then again from 1000 to 800 BC, the
researchers found clear pulses of lead contamination.
Poly-bang!
The
feeding bottle of a baby may actually alter her brain! Shocked?
But it’s a fact. The plastic used in baby bottles and other such
products release a chemical — bisphenol A, which is toxic enough
to modify female mice’s developing brains and make her behave
more like males! This harmful chemical is also found in humans.
San Francisco’s city supervisors have recently banned the
chemical to be used in various products.
Dated
DNA
The
oldest human-type DNA was recently recovered from a Neanderthal
that lived 100,000 years ago! The DNA was extracted from the
tooth of a 10-12 year-old Neanderthal child in the Scladina cave
in Belgium’s Meuse Basin. Neanderthals died out about 29,000
years ago. This finding, reported in Current Biology, reveals
that people living long ago were genetically more diverse than
ever believed to be! The factors leading to the decline in their
diversity may have been biological, environmental or cultural.
Contrary Cure
A
recent research has revealed that a commonly used sleeping pill,
Zolpidem (brand name Ambien), can be used to temporarily awaken
brain-damaged patients! After being given Zolpidem, the patients
in the study could interact with their environment. The benefits
were maintained as long as the drug stayed in a patient’s
system. Useful side effect!
Prickly
Heat
Global
climate change may soon make our planet an itchier place! A
recent research has revealed that rising levels of carbon
dioxide can stimulate Poison ivy growth and its rash-inducing
vines may become even more potent! Poison ivy growth surged some
150 per cent when researchers used a system of carbon dioxide
-pumping pipes to create atmospheric CO2 levels that were some
200 parts per million higher than the current norm (which can be
a reality by 2050). So, get ready to feel the heat and its itch!
Leggiest Sighting
Illacme
plenipes, the world’s leggiest animal last reported in 1928, has
been spotted again in a ravine in California recently, after 80
years! The females have up to 750 legs, are just about 32
millimeters long and half a millimeter wide. The males are
smaller and have 300 to 400 legs — two of which are modified
into sex organs. Though the species live only in a ravine in San
Benito County, it relates to certain millipedes found in Asia,
southern Africa and Australasia.
We
all believe that Alexander found the Egyptian city of
Alexandria. But, the truth is that he just re-branded it! This
land has been settled for at least 4500 years, pre-dating
Alexander’s arrival by a good two millennia! It is the
measurement of the variations in lead concentration in a mud
core from Alexandria’s ancient harbor that led to this
groundbreaking discovery by Alain Véron from the Paul Cézanne
University in Aix-en-Provence, France, and his colleagues. It is
between 2686 and 2181 BC and then again from 1000 to 800 BC, the
researchers found clear pulses of lead contamination. 
The
oldest human-type DNA was recently recovered from a Neanderthal
that lived 100,000 years ago! The DNA was extracted from the
tooth of a 10-12 year-old Neanderthal child in the Scladina cave
in Belgium’s Meuse Basin. Neanderthals died out about 29,000
years ago. This finding, reported in Current Biology, reveals
that people living long ago were genetically more diverse than
ever believed to be! The factors leading to the decline in their
diversity may have been biological, environmental or cultural.
A
recent research has revealed that a commonly used sleeping pill,
Zolpidem (brand name Ambien), can be used to temporarily awaken
brain-damaged patients! After being given Zolpidem, the patients
in the study could interact with their environment. The benefits
were maintained as long as the drug stayed in a patient’s
system. Useful side effect!
Global
climate change may soon make our planet an itchier place! A
recent research has revealed that rising levels of carbon
dioxide can stimulate Poison ivy growth and its rash-inducing
vines may become even more potent! Poison ivy growth surged some
150 per cent when researchers used a system of carbon dioxide
-pumping pipes to create atmospheric CO2 levels that were some
200 parts per million higher than the current norm (which can be
a reality by 2050). So, get ready to feel the heat and its itch!
Illacme
plenipes, the world’s leggiest animal last reported in 1928, has
been spotted again in a ravine in California recently, after 80
years! The females have up to 750 legs, are just about 32
millimeters long and half a millimeter wide. The males are
smaller and have 300 to 400 legs — two of which are modified
into sex organs. Though the species live only in a ravine in San
Benito County, it relates to certain millipedes found in Asia,
southern Africa and Australasia.