Tadpoles Grow Eyes On Their Tales
On the 27 of February, 2013, scientists found a way to cure blindness in tadpoles.  They did this by getting the eye tissue from unborn African clawed frogs and implanting it into blind tadpole's tail.  They then waited 24 hours.  During these 24 hours nerves were starting to grow around the tadpoles nervous system.  This is significant because sight is connected to the nervous system, which means that there was growth in the tadpole.  Then the tadpoles were placed in a circular area and tested by  if they were attracted to a red light and a blue light.  About half of the tadpoles were able to see the lights.  

NOS Themes
Role of Motivation and curiosity: Because the scientists were curious to see if they could cure blindness in tadpoles.

Science is Collaborative:  It took lots of past research to find a way to cure the blindness in tadpoles

Person's view and experience can influence data:  If scientists didn't personally care about curing blindness they would not have worked on this experience.

Work Cited
http://www.livescience.com/27517-tadpoles-sport-eyes-on-tails.html

Action video games helping dyslexic children?

To the surprise of many parents with dyslexic children, playing actions video games does in fact boost reading skills by spontaneous and undemanding reading while playing the games. These games enhance visual and focus attention that allows them to see and understand information more quickly. This information supports the thought that visual attetnion deficits are the main proeblem for dyslexia.

A group of scientists tested the reading, phonological, and attention skills of two different groups of dyslexic children. One group played action or non-action video games for nine 80-minute sessions and the other group did not. The group that played video games was able to read more faster and more accuratly and showed signs of other gains in tests of attention, while the other group did not make much improvements.

NOS Themes:

1. Role of motivation and curiosity: People were interested in ways that could help dyslexic kids improve their reading and language skills and tested to see if playing video games would help.

2. science is based on evidence: There was a study done to see if video games would help dyslexic kids and the results showed that they did gain imporovements with their reading and language skills.

3. Science is subject to debate and tentative:Although this study has some good evidence, not everyong is going to believe and accept this method to help dyslexic kids.  

 

Article Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htm

 

Other Information: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htm
                               http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/could-video-games-help-kids-with-dyslexia-1.1175939

 

 

Scientists Discover how Bacteria Change Ions into Gold

Scientists Discover how Bacteria Change Ions into Gold

Bacteria Changes Ions into Gold

Scientist at McMaster University have just described how bacteria has the ability to changes ions into gold. The bacteria Delftia Acidovorans is part of a self-defense mechanism. When the bacteria senses the gold ions dissolved in water, which is toxic, it releases a protein called delftibactin. The protein acts as a sheild for the bacteria and changes the poisonous ions into harmless particles. With this knowledge it could be used to help dissolve gold from water and to help people identify streams and rivers carrying the mineral.

Light Sabers Protect the Otherwise Vulnerable

In the deep water of the Atlantic Ocean, there is a shark with a strange adaption of a light up spine that helps keep predators away. The sharks name is the Velvet Belly Lantern Shark, so named for velvet colored belly that lights up and looks like a lantern. They live mainly at the bottom of the ocean and feed mostly on small sea animals like Krill because they are fairly small themselves. The dark colored stomachs and spines help to disguise the shark from the prey below and the predators above. The spine is lite up by photophores which get the signal for how much light it should produce by a light sensitive spot on its head.

The sharks have the lights on both their stomach and their back. The "lightsaber" back warns the sharks predators that they might possibly be dangerous or poisonous and that they might have trouble getting down the two spines affect that the lights create. Scientists are still working on this theory, and if it were true they would be the first fish to use bioluminescence to ward off predators. The glowing cells on the bottom of the shark help it to blend into the water by mimicking the amount of light the sun is giving into the water. With this affect they don't really cast a shadow that prey could use to sense danger and the predators to sense food.

This shark has amazing adaptions that allow it to disappear from sight and ward off potential predators. This video clip that I found really helps to covey the Velvet Belly Lantern Shark in its best light.

Themes Of Nature Of Science:

• Science is collaborative. This research has been tested by many other sources in the science community.
• Science is based on evidence. This research is based on real fish and the data they found was based off of research the scientist had done.
• Role of motivation and curiosity. This research occurred solely on their interest in these exotic sharks.

Website: http://www.livescience.com/27290-glowing-shark-spines.html


Related Websites:

• http://imaginature.com/velvet-belly-lantern-shark-facts-2/
• http://www.geekosystem.com/sharks-armed-with-lightsabers-now/

By: Julia Schroeck

Gable/ Hour 2

Where Few Trees Have Gone Before

In the article "Where Few Trees Have Gone Before" by Carrie Madren, it talks about the threat of forest growth in subalpine meadows. Some question if this is a bad thing, with us cutting down so many forests. Scientists assure us that this is a bad thing. Meadows are a place with a lot of biodiversity. If trees begin to grow in the meadows, the grass and other species that are close to the ground will be robbed of their sunlight, endangering many uncommon species.
The growth of trees in these areas is mostly due to global warming. When the winters were longer, the trees didn't have enough time to grow before the cold settled in again. Now the winters are shorter and the trees have plenty of time to grow. Researchers believe that there is still hope for places that have deep depressions from glaciers. The snow is always deeper in those areas, so the trees do not have enough time to grow. The scientists think that these places will remain unaffected by the growing temperatures. The scientists now worry if they spent too much time conserving forests that they did not pay attention to the declining of meadows.

NOS Themes:
-Science is collaborative
-Science is based on evidence
-Science is subject to debate and tentative


http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-scientists-study-effects-pollution-on-climate

Lexi Reed, Gabel Hour 1

Ember the Supercomputer

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/02/18/new_supercomputer_to_aid_genomics_research.html

Scientists are always racing to solve the worlds biggest problems, especially when it comes to genes. Genes are super particular and can take years to learn about them, that's why scientists in that field need fast computers. A supercomputer, named Ember, has been given to the Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Ember will be used for genomics research and decoding DNA. Ember will add a huge amount of progress to the IGB because of its huge amount of shared data, over eight terabytes. This will allow the IGB to run computer more efficiently and organize and connect base pairs to see the "big picture". This overall addition to the facility will speed everything up, increasing the amount that scientists can learn. 

NOS Themes:
Science is collaborative: The two groups (IGB and NCSA) were able to share equipment to pursue science. 
Role of motivation and curiosity: This whole idea began with looking into gene sequences.

Herbivores and Biodiversoty Link

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/22/in-a-warming-world-look-to-the-herbivores/?ref=earth

            It is common to believe that a warming climate is reducing biodiversity of species. A study conducted in northern Greenland by Penn State biologist for the past 10 years is now complete. The study measures biodiversity in warming chambers, controlled areas with increased temperature. These chambers allowed herbivores, particularly ox and caribou to graze normally with an average rise in temperature of 1.5 to 3 degrees Celsius, the expected increase over the next 100 years. In chambers without grazing herbivores, it was found that willow and birch trees thrived with the temperatures, outcompeting smaller shrubs. When the herbivores were present, the diversity remained constant despite the warming temperatures. The idea of using herbivores to control a decrease in biodiversity is believed to be applicable to other areas as well. A major problem is that some herbivore populations are declining, for example, moose in northern Minnesota. A decrease in the moose population is greatly affecting the food web. Many biologists now believe the future of plant biodiversity is in the hands of herbivores. This means protecting herbivores is now even

more important as our climate is rapidly changing.

 

NOS Themes

·         Science is based on evidence – There is evidence pointing to a correlation of plant biodiversity and the herbivore population.

·         Science is collaborative – A team of biologists from Penn State worked on this project.

·         Science is subject to debate and tentative – This idea to stabilize biodiversity is an idea, not accepted by everyone.

·         Importance of repeatability – This experiment has been tested and proved in numerous environments.

-Rachel Nelson, Gabel, Hour 1

How Humans Speak

A team of UC San Francisco researchers have discovered the neurological basis of speech motor control, the activity of brain regions that controls our lips, jaw, tongue, and larynx in order to speak. Their work has created a potential for developing computer-brain interfaces for artificial speech communication and for the treatment of speech disorders.

The activity of the brain while forming words is complex because numerous “articulators” in the vocal tract all need to be coordinated. Edward Chang, MD, and his colleagues recorded electrical activity from the brains of three people undergoing brain surgery. They used this information to determine the organization of the speech sensorimotor cortex; which controls the lips, tongue, jaw, and larynx as we speak. Then, they created a map of which parts of the brain control which parts of the vocal tract.

 Their testing concluded that speaking demands well-timed action of different brain regions within the speech sensorimotor cortex.

Nature of Science Themes:

1. Science is collaborative - Experiments were performed with a group of medical doctorates 
2. Science is based on evidence - There is evidence supporting their conclusions 
3. Science is subject to debate and tentative - There may be more experiments done to contradict the conclusion 
4. Role of credibility - All people performing the experiment were medical doctorates 
5. Importance of repeatability - If the results can not be repeated by more people than the original group of experimenters, the conclusions are not fact. 

 Article: www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/02/20/secrets_of_human_speech_uncovered.html

Lauren Mattison, Hour 2

Cushion Plants Help Other Plants Survive

Scientists in Sweden have recently discovered a new species, cushion plants. These species grow in harsh environments like the arctic, major alpine, and sub-Antarctic regions. The cushion plants allow other plants to live in these extreme conditions. They create protective environments in the extreme conditions for other plants can grow. Cushion plants have increased biodiversity across the world.


NOS themes:

1. Science is collaborative
2. Science is based on evidence
3. Role of credibility
4. Importance of repeatability
5. Role of motivation and curiosity


Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130218092545.htm

Dead Zones Hour 2 Lauren Mattison and Marcus Russell

Deforestation Hour 3 Annika Page and Jessica Rislove

Sleep Strengthens your memory

Sleep Strengthens Your Memory

In a study done by the American Academy of Neurology, forty-eight people in the ages of 18-30 were divided into four groups, every single group was taught the same 20 pairs of words and were tested on how many words they could recall 12 hours after. The four groups were divided into, no-sleep, no-sleep with interference, sleep and sleep with interference (Interference meaning they were taught a second set of 20 pairs of words after having the first pair be the same as before). The no-sleep groups were taught the words at 9 am and tested on them at 9 pm; the sleep groups were taught the words at 9 pm and were tested at 9 am of the following day after a night of sleep. 

The results showed that people without interference who slept after learning the words could remember 12% than the no-sleep group and people with interference who slept could recall 44% more than the people without sleep. This studies show how sleeping strengthens your memory and possibly shows a relationship between sleep disorders and dementia.  

NOS themes:

• Science is based on evidence - Test were done and conclusions were drawn from results
• Role of motivation and curiosity - this is the first test to show the relationship between sleep and memory. 

http://www.biology-online.org/articles/sleep_strengthens_memory.html

What the Inuits can Teach us About Arctic Life

As climate change affects the Arctic more and more quickly, scientists are working closely with native hunters to discover the mysteries of this region before they disappear. Many scientists do not spend sufficient time in the remote Arctic to record many significant biological events, such as narwhal skin molting and other behavior. Inuit hunters have spent their lives around these creatures and are very observant of their habits, lending previously unknown information to the scientists. As environmental conditions change rapidly, it is extremely important that we understand these fragile ecosystems and the effects of increasing industrial development in the Arctic, and this is why scientists and Inuit hunters continue to work together in a cooperative way. 

Link: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=science-and-traditional-knowledge-collaborate-to-understand-arctic-wildlife-slide-show

Other Links: 

http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2010/04/07/traditional-inuit-knowledge-combines-science-shape-arctic-weather-insights

http://news.yahoo.com/being-scientists-enlist-inuit-long-term-observations-arctic-203100862.html

NOS Themes:

Science is collaborative: The scientists and Inuits must work together to discover new information.

Role of motivation and curiosity: Many scientists may not be motivated enough to spend years in the Arctic, but native Inuits have always had a natural curiosity about their homeland. 

Science is based on evidence: While reading this article I wondered if the Inuits were gathering data in the form of numbers or photographs, or if the scientists were relying on the Inuit’s observations alone. If that was the case, the role of credibility could be involved and credibility could be debated. 

By Samantha Schnirring, Hour 1

Possible Cure To HIV

Summary-

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HIV-infected_H9_T_cell.jpg

This article is about discovering a new protein that has the possibility of blocking the HIV virus. Researchers at UCLA intially found that 25HC inhibited HIV in cell structures dramatically. The oxysterol called 25-hydroxycholesterol (25HC) is able to permeate a cell's wall and block a virus from entering. The team administered 25HC to mice that were implanted with human tissues and found that it significantly reduced the HIV amounts within the next seven days. It was also found that the 25HC reversed the T-cell depletion caused by HIV. The oxysterol 25HC is not only found to inhibit HIV from entering a cell, but it is also found to stop the growth of other deadly viruses, such as Ebola, Nipah and the Rift Valley Fever virus. HIV has cause so many deaths in the world that it is hard to imagine a world free of it. So I now ask you, what would the world be like without HIV and these other deadly viruses?

NOS Themes:

• Science is collaborative- A team of UCLA researchers conducted this experiment.
• Science is based on evidence- The researchers collected lots of data during this experiment.
• Science is subject to debate and tenative- This is the beginning of research for this team and "the researchers still need to compare 25HC's antiviral effect against other HIV antivirals."

Link to the Article: Newly Identified Natural Protein Blocks HIV, Other Deadly Viruses

Human Brain is Divided on Fear and Panic (hr. 2)

Human Brain is Divided on Fear and Panic

Discoveries are made when doctors at the University of Iowa tell a woman in her 40s diagnosed with Urbach-Wiethe to inhale carbon dioxide. What would have normally struck panic into a person had no affect on her, until seconds later. Urbach-Wiethe disease is a condition that has caused extensive damage to the amygdala, which is an almond-shaped area in the brain known for causing fear. John Wemmie, the associate professor of psychiatry at the UI and senior author on the journal Nature Neuroscience elucidates the importance of this when he says, “This could be a fundamental part of explaining why people have panic attacks.” Wemmie also looked at how mice responded to fear, noting that the amygdala can directly detect carbon dioxide to produce fear. Hopefully this new encounter may open doors to treating panic attacks, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and other anxiety-related conditions.

NOS Themes Found:

-Experimentation and study

-Study is tentative and subject to change 

-Science is based of evidence

Link: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/02/04/human_brain_is_divided_on_fear_and_panic.html

hour 2 biodiversity loss

Human Exponential Growth (Mackenzie and Emily, Hour 2)

Hour 2 Deforestation Jeff and Thomas

Hour 2 oil spills maci sellers

Overfishing -- Gabel Hour 1

-Sebastian Wolf, Julia Robinson, & Josh Liberko

Acid Rain - Beth Corpuz and Nafisa Ibrahim: Hour 2

A Tool to Help Stop the Extinction of Coral Reefs

A Tool to Help Stop the Extinction of Coral Reefs

An international team of scientists has recently formulated a new predictive method to determine the factors that put coral reefs at risk, and that also measures the level of danger to the reefs. This new method of "rating" coral reefs, created after several exhaustive studies on hundreds of types of coral reefs, and species that live within coral reefs, allow scientists to pinpoint the environmental and local changes that are killing coral reefs worldwide. The studies the team performed revealed that over one third of all coral reefs are in danger of being killed; 56 of the 134 species of coral fish studied were in danger of going extinct. As Dr Nick Graham of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University said, when one species of coral or coral fish goes extinct, the impact on the entire ecosystem is profound. While before this study scientist's ability to predict which species of coral fish are at risk, the new method coined by this group created a worldwide standard to compare data. By understanding which species and groups of fish are  at risk, scientists can better manage coral reefs and fish populations.

NOS Themes:

-Experimentation and Study

-Peer Review and Information Sharing

Link:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110215102939.htm

Roots of Language in Human and Bird Biology

                                     

      

      This article explains how song birds have a specific trait that allows them to communicate the way that they do. This ability is because songbirds have a connection between the front part of their brain and nerves in the brain-stem that control movement in muscles that make songs in bird. These songs can be used to communicate and to call for mates. Mice also have a similar ultrasonic mating call as song birds. This topic is important because humans also have this motor learning pathway for speech. From this research, developed the motor theory for the origin of vocal learning. This theory describes how ancient brain systems, used to control movement and motor learning evolved into brain systems for learning and producing song and also verbal language.


NOS Themes:

1. Science is collaborative: This article shows this because similar results were shown in other studies done by other scientists .
2. Science is based on evidence: This article shows this because it explains how song birds have the same motor pathway in speech as humans and other animals.
3. 
   

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130214111604.htm

What do Birdsongs Have to Say About Human Brain Function?

New research by scientists at the University of California used birdsongs to develop a mathematical explanation on why some things are harder to learn than others. 

Using Bengalese finches as a model, the team headed by biologist Samuel Sober researched how the brain learns to correct vocal mistakes. Birds learn to vocalize when they are very young, listening and imitating the sounds of the adults. At first, their attempts sound garbled. With a little practice, however, the baby birds are able to listen to themselves and fix mistakes until they can sing just like the adult birds.

In order to find out more about the learning functions of human brains, scientists put this principle to the test. After outfitting the adult finches with miniature headphones and a microphone, researchers used sound-processing equipment to convince the birds that they were making vocal mistakes. They would then observe how well the birds would be able to correct their “errors”. The birds, as it turns out, learned very quickly when the errors were small. Curiously, as the scientists began to increase each shift of pitch, the birds’ learning trend declined until they ultimately stopped learning.

But what does that say about human learning? In order to explain the theory, one must examine the period when both birds and human beings learn best: their youth. After birds or humans are hatched or born, they immediately begin to learn more about the world. They are bound to make mistakes and are even hardwired to accept and learn from them. However, as individuals in each species gets older, mistakes become less frequent. 

The theory that was supported by this experiment was that adult brains tend to screen out large mistakes but pay specific attention to smaller ones. This explains both why the young are able to learn faster and why adults are more opposed to change. In the context of the bird songs, their brains relied on their senses to communicate the information. Still, brains know that senses can be tricked and don't entirely trust them. If a mistake is too big to believe, the brains will distrust the senses and ignore the error completely. 

The data in this experiment helped develop a statistical model on the learning rate of songbirds. The researchers hope that this could help aid the development of human behavioral therapies and add to society’s growing knowledge of the human brain.

Photo Credit: George Gentry/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

NOS Themes:

1. Science is collaborative: This article specifically mentioned two scientists - a physiologist and a biologist - by name, and also implied the presence of other researchers.
2. Science is based on evidence: This article explained how the experiment was conducted and gave the evidence before providing a conclusion that was derived from the original data.
3. Science is subject to debate and tentative: The scientists involved expressed their hopes that they would be able to develop more tests so that they may refine their data and results.

Link to article:  How Songbirds Learn to Sing: Mathematical Model Explains How Birds Correct Mistakes to Stay On Key

Further Reading:

Noisy Environments Make Young Songbirds Shuffle Their Tunes: Baby Songbirds Shape Their Species' Playlist

Tweeting Teenage Songbirds Reveal Impact of Social Cues On Learning

Songbirds Learn Their Songs During Sleep

Transgenic Songbirds Provide New Tool To Understand The Brain

3D Printed Embryonic Stem Cells

The process of 3D printing has been around for a while, but 3D printing human tissues and organs is a very new practice. Embryonic stem cells have also been used for a while, but it is only recently that the two have been united. The printing of human tissues for use in regenerative therapy and organs suitable for transplant has long been a dream of biotechnologists, but until now, they haven't been able to print the initial mass of stem cells required for these operations. This new technology will help make it possible to print an organ from your own cells, eliminating the need for immune surpressants or possible organ rejection. It would also make drug testing much easier and more humane.

NOS themes:

• Science is collaborative- it took many different people in many different laboratories communicating with each other to develop this technology
• Science is experimental- people ran countless experiments to develop this technology

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130204220838.htm 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110701121629.htm 

Climate change hints from algae? (3rd period)

An article on biologynews.net (link at bottom) explains how clues About climate chane may be found from things even as small as algae and plankton. Coccolithophores, a type of plankton, are in large numbers around the modern oceans we see today, but have also been deemed prolific life.  Their shells have been preserved on the seafloor after their death.

These creatures are greatly affected by increases in the acidity of the ocean. This is caused by the dissolved CO2 in the water and their calcite shells. Scientists from Natural Geoscience say that the many forms of coccolithophores reacted differently to a fast climate change that occurred around 65 million years ago. The Toweius pertusus continued to grow consistantly throughout. Whereas, other species such as Coccolithophore Pelgicus slowed down their growth during the increase heat. Observing this scientists are able to observe how other animals could act in such a climate change.

Why is it that some species are able to survive the harsh[er] climates that's others? I understand that some microorganisms operate better at different conditions, but what is there to prove that these Coccolithophores didn't die of another cause? 

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/02/04/climate_change_clues_from_tiny_marine_algae_ancient_and_modern.html

Cultural Revolution: Changing Birdsong

Cultural Revolution: Changing Birdsong

In a recent study done by the University of Guelph, the songs of male sparrows were found to change over time.  Over a 30 year period, the songs that male sparrows sing have changed noticeably.  Scientists noted that is similar to changes in human speech i.e. we don't talk the same we did 30 years ago.  Certain words have fallen out of disuse while certain words and slang are popular today.  In male sparrows, scientists found that the last part of a male sparrow's song has changed from a long, high frequency trill to a short, low frequency trill.  This may be associated with fertility; males who sang short, low frequency trills were more fertile and more likely to pass on their genes.  This is important evidence of the cultural evolution of a species, and it is especially significant because we can use the birds to study our own evolution.

Link: http://www.macroevolution.net/cultural-evolution.html#.UR256qWtySo

NOS Themes:
*Scientific theories are based on evidence.  In a relatively short amount of time (30 years), scientists have found evidence to support the theory of evolution and natural selection.
*Science is collaborative.  Over 30 years many scientists studied the sparrows in this study.  Evolution is also a common topic of study in science.
* Motive and curiosity: the scientists in this study were curious about how an animal species's "culture" evolves over time, similar to our own.  They wanted to make a connection between the sparrows' evolution and that of humans.

Coral Reefs; did they really come "out of the blue"?

Coral Reefs have been known to contain the most diverse forms of life on Earth. Scientists have observed how new species of wildlife can thrive on dry land through reproductive isolation, but with recent research underwater shows coral reefs growing in a more interesting way. Since Darwin's discoveries on the Galapagos Islands, natural selection has played an important role in the formation of  numerous coral colonies in areas such as the Caribbean. Michael E. Hellberg, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at LSU, has noted that when coral is at its larval stage, this unique animal can cover large distances of water and adapt to numerous environments. With coral being so diverse, the animals and plants that tag along essentially claim the coral colonies for their own home.

The survival of coral reef populations depend on the creatures that take care of them. Recent studies by the National Science Foundation have shown underwater footage of certain kinds of fish feeding off of harmful seaweed that attached to the coral reefs. One of the fish that the scientists who experimented with the video recordings was a unicornfish, which took off harmful brown algae from the coral. With this and three other crucial species of fish, scientists are worried that over fishing may affect the environment of the coral reefs that depend on herbivores to cleanse them of toxins.

NOS themes:

• Role of chance- Coral reefs depend on the right amount of organisms and environmental factors to influence their rate of growth.

• Science is based on evidence- There is evidence based off of the research conducted by the Department of Biological Sciences, that coral travel across oceans by drifting and flowing with local currents.

Link to article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130206162325.htm

For more info:http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/giot-vss021313.php







Zebrafish May Hold the Answer to Returning Eyesight to People

Zebrafish May Hold the Answer to Repairing Damaged Retinas and Returning Eyesight to People

Researchers at the University of Albany have discovered that the Zebrafish has stem cells that can repair and replace damaged cones in the retina. This is important because in humans, the cones are responsible for daytime and color vision, while rods are for night vision. In the past, only rods have been successfully regenerated in animal studies. Humans do not have stem cells that replace the rods and cones, so vision damage is not repairable in most cases. This new research gives hope to successful stem cell therapy on human rods/cones in the future. The scientists next step is to locate the specific gene responsible for the repairing of the damaged cells.

Nature of Science Themes

• Science is based on evidence
• Science is experimental 
• Science is collaborative

Article found Here

Annika Page

Hour 3

Dogs Recognize other Dog Species?

In this article, a test is conducted to find whether or not dogs could discriminate between their species or another, like humans. They found that the dogs tested on could, in fact, identify and group different dogs into their own category and any other species into another. What is surprising is that the dogs could recognize all the species of dog that were shown. There are over 400 pure-bred registered species of dog. The dogs were shown 144 pairs of pictures, including images of non-dog species. The dogs recognized and grouped every pure-bred and cross-bred dog they were shown.

NOS Themes

• This test is based on observation
• The power of curiosity
• Science is tentative

Article Link:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130214103703

Picture Link:

http://pethooligans.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/clever_dog.jpg

Discover Dark Matter with DNA

Dark matter is a substance that makes up 25 per cent of our universe, yet still puzzles physicists  to this day. That may change with a surprising new approach using the concepts of molecular biology. 
 Theoretical physicist from University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Katherine Freese, thinks that a detector using DNA could revolutionize the quest to explain the mystery of dark matter. Also, it is hypothesized that said detector could possible predict incoming particles' paths. These DNA based detectors would be sifting through WIMPs (weakly interacting massive particles) for changes in frequency and other evidence. 

WIMPs would filter between single strands of DNA supported by thin gold sheets. As the particles pass through the detector, they would slice the DNA at specific locations. Later the DNA would be reassembled to see how the particles interacted with the molecular structure of the DNA. DNA is the ideal choice for a detector in this case because of the specific order of the nucleotide  can be cataloged and saved to be compared to the order after the WIMPs pass through. Also, because of the way that the strands are formed,  

Photo credit: A. Drukier et al./arXiv.org 2012

the space between the molecules is very small, resulting in more accuracy.

This type of detector  would be much less expensive then the ones presently used. This proposed project is also a fascinating link in between Biology and Physics. Jocelyn Monroe, a dark matter physicist at MIT and the University of London says,"It’s a very smart way to apply technology developed from biology to a fundamental particle physics problem,” 

This news discusses themes in science because:
~It seeks to explain a phenomenon ( in this case, dark matter) by looking at previous studies (in this case, what is known about how DNA interacts with incoming molecules)
~ It seeks to create collaborations between Biology and Physics, and collaboration is a main part of science.


Article link:
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346113/description/Hunting_dark_matter_with_DNA

Cases of Dementia Could be Attributed to Hearing Loss

Dr. Frank Lin, a scientist at Johns Hopkins University, and some other colleagues of his, have found a strong correlation between hearing loss and the contraction of dementia at an old age. 639 subjects, part of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, have been routinely observed for the last 18 years. The study showed that the individuals who developed a hearing problem, or had one from birth, were much more likely to contract dementia as they aged.

The study categorized the hearing losses according to severity, with categories of none, mild, moderate, and severe. The data showed that individuals with mild hearing loss are twice as likely to contract dementia as somebody with no hearing problem, individuals with moderate loss are three times as likely, and those with severe loss are up to five times as likely to contract dementia.

Dr. Lin says the correlation is due to "cognitive load". Simply put, when someone has a hearing issue, the fewer words they are able to make out can cause the brain to be so busy translating those sounds into words that it has trouble having time to come up with a response. Social isolation due to the hearing loss may also be a reason for the contractions of dementia.

NOS Themes:

• science is collaborative
• role of curiosity and motivation
• science is based on evidence
• study is subject to debate and tentative

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/11/straining-to-hear-and-fend-off-dementia/?ref=science

Governments Urged to Act Now to Save Polar Bears

Twelve polar bear researchers, including Professor Andrew Derocher of the University of Alberta, are contacting governments around the world about the fact that one unexpected jump in Arctic warming could bring about a large decline of the world's polar bear population. "Earlier studies by Derocher and his colleagues show that one very bad ice year could leave hundreds of Hudson Bay polar bears stranded on land for an extended period. Derocher noted 'Such an event could erase half of a population in a single year.'" This quote highlights the extreme danger that polar bears are in. 



NOS Themes
Science is based on evidence: In the article it states, "The effects of climate change on polar bears are clear from both observational and modeling studies in many parts of the distribution." This quote illustrates that there have been many observational and modeling studies to collect evidence.

Role of motivation and curiosity: This writer is not only writing; they are trying to convey the importance and urgency of polar bear safety. They are motivated, and are trying to motivate others to become involved in the conservation of polar bears.

Work Cited
http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/02/04/polar_bear_researchers_urge_governments_to_act_now_and_save_the_species.html

Amphibian study shows how biodiversity can protect against disease

During the 1990's frogs, salamanders, and toads with deformities skyrocketed. Scientist figured out that parasites that grew in snails were the cause of these deformities which usually caused extra limbs to grow from the amphibians. Researchers at the University of Colorado have collected evidence from over 345 wetlands and created 40 artificial ponds to come up with the hypothesis that amphibians in an ecosystem with greater biodiversity have a much lower risk of getting the parasite. The researchers found a pattern in their data. less diverse communities usually contain amphibians that are more susceptible to disease, while diverse communities usually contain species of amphibians that are resilient to disease. The researchers came up with the conclusion that amphibians in less diverse communities traded the ability to develop disease resistance for the trait to reproduce quickly.

NOS:
Science is based on evidence- the researchers collected samples from many wetland as well as created 40 artificial enviorments to check their data.
Hypothesis can be changed and developed- The scientists changed and developed their hypothesis as they gained new evidence.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130213132319.htm

Hour 1

Human brain is divided on fear and panic

This article talks about a lady that suffers from an extremely rare condition called Urbach-Wiethe disease, where it causes extensive damage to the amygdala, a little almond shaped part in the brain. She was tested against fear, the doctors tried horror movies, snakes, spiders and other threats. But, she never seemed to be afraid. The one thing the doctors had not tested was internal fear. So they put her and two other female patients to try a gas that was mixed with 35% carbon dioxide. They reacted in a way where they thought they were suffocating and ripped off the masks in order to save themselves. 

Themes:

Science is collaborative: More than one scientist worked together to conduct this experiment.

Science is based on evidence: The scientists needed evidence to prove their points right or wrong, and they did so.

Bessma Dabaan Hour 1

Device Offers Partial Vision to the Blind

     The new Argus II artificial retna divice was just accepted to be passed by the FDA. The divice can actually allow people with certain kinds of blindness to "see" outlines and contrasts in color. It uses electrodes to send signals from a video processer to the brain. The divice is the first of its kind, so distribution has been limited. It costs $150,000 not including operation and theropy. Only about 50,000 people in the US would be able to use this with benifits from it, but the very fact that we are gaining progress in treating blindness is an incredible thing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/15/health/fda-approves-technology-to-give-limited-vision-to-blind-people.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&ref=science

Nick Saal

Anxiety drug found in rivers changes fish behavior

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/feb/14/anxiety-drug-rivers-changes-fish-behaviour

Scientists at Umeå University in Sweden tested small quantities of the drug oxazepam, which is used to treat anxiety, in European perch, after observing that fish that swam through areas with the drug in the water became bolder. They say that "what the drug does is remove some of the fear that the very small fish experience. [They] become less interested in staying close with others – staying close to others is a well-known defense system to avoid predators. They become less afraid of exploring new areas, so they just go out to search for food and become more effective in finding and consuming food." They also mention the effects these fish could have on the evolution of the species, as fish that venture into new areas will eventually change the natural diversity.

Cassidy Lee, Hour 1

Caribbean's Coral Reefs Approach Tipping Point -- Sarah Miner Hr 1

Caribbean's Coral Reefs Approach Tipping Point -- Sarah Miner Hr 1

It's no secret that coral reefs are in trouble. But a new study over 16 months and on 19 different reefs made the showed just how severe the problem of shrinkage really is. According to a recent study, which was published in Nature Communications, many Caribbean reefs are approaching a "tipping point". A tipping point is when less that 10 % of the coral is actually alive, and the rate of coral death is beginning to exceed the rate at which new coral is being created. Rates of growth are at only 30-40% of their historical averages, and it's becoming a cause for worry among many in the marine biology community.

One possible cause that the article sites is a deficiency of calcium carbonate, a key chemical in expanding the reefs. Many are also lacking the acropora species, which help with the structure of the new life. Getting the reefs back on track has proven to be a very difficult task, which won't be helped by increasing ocean acidity, warmer waters, and unusual concentration of seaweed. One can only hope that people will take notice of this impending ecological crisis before it's too late.

Also, I don't know what's wrong with my computer, but I have been trying for literally hours to get pictures on and I can't do it. I have found pictures, and I promise I would put them on if I could, but I can't. I attached them to a word document, along with my summary, link, and Themes of Nature of Science, which I'm bringing to school on Friday the 15th. I also don't really want this to be counted as late, so I'm going to post it without pictures just to be on the safe side. I have also included the links.

Themes in Science
-- Science is collaborative: Many scientists worked on the study in order to minimize the effect of human error and biases on the results
-- Science is based on evidence: Over the 16 months that those involved were taking data, substantial amounts of evidence was collected, and that was obviously what they based their conclusions on

Picture Links

http://denglerimages.photoshelter.com/image/I0000BhvloIGf3O0

http://www.ourbreathingplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Coral-Reef.jpg

Article Link

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/347913/description/Caribbeans_coral_reefs_approach_tipping_point

Stereo Smelling Mole

Mammals, such as humans, can see in stereo and can hear in stereo, but there is a long standing scientific controversy that mammals can smell in stereo. The common mole (Scalopus aquaticus) uses it's stereo smelling to track and sniff out their prey. Stereo sniffing guides a mammal to an order source, and leads them to their food. The research first started when Kenneth Catania thought that the moles nostrils were way to close to each other to detect odors. The research continued and the came to a pleasant surprise that moles use stereo odor clues to track them toward their food, which they rely a lot on. From this research there is skeptical ideas that both dogs and pigs could have stereo smelling.

Catania conducted an experiment with the moles by placing food 180 degrees around them in chambers. The chambers were temporarily sealed until they switched one at a time open. The moles ended up going to the food on a direct path in less than five seconds by noticing the change in air pressure. Continuing the experiment, Catania placed a plastic tube in their right nostril, and it showed that the moles took a path that veered drastically to the left but they still found the food, it just took them more time. This also applied to the left nostril, but they veered to the right instead. These studies showed that the moles have a unique sense of smell that allows them to sniff out their food and guide them too it.

NOS Themes

• Science is based on evidence
• Science is collaborative
• Role of motivation and curiosity
• Science is subject to debate and tentative

Common Mole

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/02/05/evidence_that_at_least_1_mammal_can_smell_in_stereo.html

The Rat That Laughed Hour 3

 THE RAT THAT LAUGHED!

We as humans reflect various kinds of emotions every day. Sometimes we laugh and sometimes we cry. When such emotion is present in humans, scientists wondered if other animals could show similar characteristics. During their research they discovered that rats, like humans, can laugh! Author, Jesse Bering, decides to test this himself and experiments by tickling young rats. To his surprise he learns that rats do truly laugh, but unlike humans, they express their emotion in chirps. Although rats 'chirp,' he realized that a human infant's behavior is extremely similar to a rat's. After receiving positive results, Bering continues his research in depth. He wonders if rats can laugh, does this mean that the have a 'sense of humor?'  Is their a a relationship between rat laughter and human laughter?

 Bering's questions are soon answered by  a neuropsychologist, Dr. Martin Meyer, at the Behavioral Brain Research. Dr. Meyer explains that although rats are able to laugh, human laughter is more complex. We have a "higher order" structure which not only triggers laughter but many other emotions as well. Rats are proven to laugh when tickled but what differentiates humans from rats are that humans have the ability to laugh in different situations rather than just being physically forced to laugh. Using this information, scientists did another research. They studied whether humans can detect different types of laughs just by listening to the laughter. 

They hired actors to laugh in four situations, joyful laughter (when you see your friend after a really long time), taunting laughter (laughing at someone after beating them somehow), schadenfreude laughter (laughing at someone when something bad happens to them) , and tickling laughter (when someone is forced to laugh because they are tickled.) After a long testing process, they learned that majority of the people were able to identify what type of laughter is what. When questioned about the laughter that stood out the most, the taunting laughter stood out the most for many. It was one of the only super negative laughs. This article proves that there are animals out there are cable of expressing emotion.Yes indeed they have a sense of humor much like humans, but humans are an incredible and much more complex phenomenon.

Link: http://web.ebscohost.com/scirc/detail?vid=5&sid=83f0f4dd-a4d7-4ee2-bb6b-161b083c83e2%40sessionmgr12&hid=125&bdata=JnNpdGU9c2NpcmMtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=sch&AN=77340852

More Information: 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=rats-laugh-but-not-like-human

http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/what-happens-when-you-tickle-a-rat-see-for-yourself/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/rats-study-animals-laugh-tickled-video_n_1627632.html

NOS Themes:

• Science is a learning process. Over the years scientists have continued to learn more about different animals and rats in this case. Now they have learned how to make rats laugh.
• Science is a constant discovery. Science is truly a mystery, which is why scientists continue to discover. Based on what they learned, scientists were able to discover that rats can show emotion like humans!
•  Science is testable and ongoing. Although scientists discovered a rat has emotions, they continue to test humans to figure out differences in the way we laugh and in the way rats laugh.

The Party in your Brain

This article explains how certain regions in the brain can be used to predict which political party a person prefers. A new study suggests that Liberals and Conservatives tend to use their brains differently when it comes to taking risks and making decisions. A team of political scientists and neuroscientists research and explore the differences in the way the brain functions for a Democrat vs. Republican. To put this hypothesis to the test, they measured brain activity by playing a simple gambling game and found astonishing results. Democrats showed more activity in a region of the brain associated with social and self-awareness. Republicans showed significantly greater activity in a region involved in the body's fight-or-flight system. And now from analyzing these results a person can accurately predict whether a person is Democrat or Republican 82.9% of the time.


NOS:

•  Science is collaborative because many researchers have partaken in this experiment. It is involved in the University of Exeter, has been working in collaboration with colleagues at the University of California, San Diego.  

• This is also a role of motivation and curiosity because it was published around the time the election and some researchers were simply curious about the matter. 

Link to article: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/uoe-tpi021113.php 


For more information about the study:


http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/political-views-tied-brain-structure/story?id=13317961


http://www.findcounseling.com/help/news/2007/09/republican_vs_democrat_a_matter_of_brain_chemistry.html



By Nora Hashw
Hour 3