Category Archives: Science in the news

From Dormant to Dangerous: Volcanic Eruptions

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Julia | 2 comments

Mount Hood, an active volcano in Oregon, USA. Image source: wikimedia commons

How long does it take a volcano to convert its stored magma (molten rock) into moving, liquified magma which causes an eruption? According to new research done cooperatively by scientists at the Universities of Oregon and California, and published in the journal Nature, this time-span can possibly be as short as a few months!

This finding came from scientists who analyzed magma stored in Mount Hood, in Oregon, USA. Magma deep inside the earth is extremely hot and mobile. However magma stored about 4 to 5 km deep approximates a solid. In the case of Mount Hood, scientists examined the magma at the surface which had cooled to form crystals. Using radioactive dating they were able to determine the age of the crystals and thus the amount of time spent in “cold storage” when the deep magma was not heating the cooler magma to result in an eruption.

They determined that the upper magma had spent, for at least 88% of its time in this “cold storage” where an eruption is highly unlikely. By using technology to detect the initial liquefaction of the upper magma, scientists may now be able to more accurately predict future eruptions.

Here is a short video which explains volcanic eruptions in more detail:

Video Source: Twig World on Youtube

It is very important to be able to predict volcanic eruptions because as mentioned in the above video, volcanoes have the potential to do great harm. A few of main dangers associated with volcanic eruptions are: eruption clouds and gases, lava, pyroclastic flows, and lahars.

Image Source: U.S. Geological Survey on Flickr

Eruption Clouds and Gases
When eruptions occur, large pieces of rock (called bombs) are propelled into the air in combination with small rocks, minerals and glass (ash). Ash can harm airplane engines, collapse buildings and even destroy crops. This is then coupled with a large release of gases, mainly water (90%) , as well as others such as sulphur dioxide which leads to acid rain and fluorine which is toxic and can contaminate water supply.

Lava, Pyroclastic Flow and Lahars
When magma reaches the earth’s surface, it is called lava. Slow moving lava tends to form mounds (lava domes) which can collapse and travel away from the volcano carrying a mass of rock, ash and gases known as a pyroclastic flow. These are highly dangerous with temperatures up to 815 C, as they simply destroy everything in their path. When such a flow mixes with water, often from melted ice or snow, a mudflow forms, called a lahar, similar in consistency to wet concrete which can uproot homes and trees.

Image Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Thus given all these dangers, since this research helps to determine when a volcano will erupt, it could have lifesaving consequences. For more information on volcano monitoring in the USA see the U.S. Geological Survey.

Julia Brown

2 Comments

Posted in Science in the news

Tagged Disaster Prevention, Geology, Nature Magazine, University of California, University of Oregon, Volcanoes

Energy Drinks: Drink Fast, Die Young

Posted on March 9, 2014 by richellee | 3 comments

With over 20 billion dollars in sales last year in the United States sales alone, it is safe to say that energy drink consumption is not slowing down. The “dangerous” and “bad-boy” names, such as Monster, Rockstar, and Cocaine, are clearly meant to target a younger market. In fact, Cocaine energy drink’s packaging even reads: “Warning- this beverage should be consumed by responsible adults. Failure to adhere to this warning may result in excess excitement, stamina, fun and possible feeling of euphoria.”

A few of the numerous brands of energy drinks
Image Source: Flickr Commons

Ignoring the high levels of sugar, the main culprit in energy drinks remains the caffeine content. As they are considered “nutritional supplements”, energy drink companies can ignore the caffeine limits set by the USA Food and Drug Administration. On a cup-to-cup basis, it appears that energy drinks do not contain much more caffeine than coffee, though brands vary.

Caffeine content per cup (8 oz.): Energy Drinks 40-150 mg Generic Black Coffee 35-100 mg Black Tea 14-61mg Coca-Cola 20-23mg

However, energy drinks such as Monster are generally sold in large 16 oz. cans, doubling the caffeine intake to 80-300 mg. For the average healthy adult, whose daily caffeine limit is approximately 400 mg, one or two cups of coffee and an energy drink later in the day may not be an issue. The problem arises, however, with overconsumption in teenagers, who continue to be the main consumers of the product. The daily recommended caffeine limit for teens is much lower, at approximately 100 mg. A single energy drink can exceed this limit and doesn’t account for any other sources of caffeine throughout the day.

Overconsumption of caffeine has been associated with numerous negative health effects from tremors, cardiovascular problems, to mental health issues. A study from the University of Waterloo found a positive relationship between teen energy drink overconsumption, depression, and substance addiction. “The trends we are seeing are more than cause for concern,” said Azagba, the main researcher on the project.

Initial effects of caffeine overdoses
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

As teen energy drink overdoses continue, there has been a call to limit their availability for those under 18. Attempts to pass this bill in Maryland, USA, are met with controversy. The short clip below, courtesy of WBAL-TV 11 News Baltimore, reports on the situation:

Should we actually ban the sale of energy drinks to minors, or fine them for “possession” as the video suggests? Probably not. Restricting materials to minors, such as alcohol, is often fraught with complications. Additionally, many other energizing caffeine products would still be widely available. Ultimately, public education on the subject is key. Individuals have to be aware of their own limitations when it comes to consuming products; everything is harmful at a certain dose. Know your limit and stay within it.

-Richelle Eger

References:

“Dieticians of Canada.” Food Sources of Caffeine. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2014. <http://www.dietitians.ca/Nutrition-Resources-A-Z/Factsheets/Caffeine/Food-Sources-of-Caffeine.aspx>.

“Energy Drinks Linked to Teen Health Risks.” ScienceDaily. N.p., 06 Mar. 2014. Web. 07 Mar. 2014 <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140306- 095358.htm>.

3 Comments

Posted in Science in the news

Tagged caffeine, energy drinks, health, illegal, marketing, minor, youth

Baby Babble

Posted on March 8, 2014 by jastejsidhu | 2 comments

I love babies; this is a fact. I also bet that most of you reading this love babies. Their toothless smiles, drooling, and babble pull at the strings our hearts. Have you ever been curious as to how babies learn how to speak? What is that catalyst that allows them to say their first word?

Source Flickr Commons
http://flic.kr/p/gRkMFk

Babies have an amazing method of learning how to speak; unfortunately it is not a method that researchers have been able to pinpoint as of yet. A recent study has made a little step forward in trying to uncover this question that everyone has. Researchers from Texas A&M University, namely neuroscientist Dr. Thierry Lints, looked at the singing behaviour of baby finches. It is said that finches have the same way of learning how to sing their song as babies do with speaking—through imitative memory. After isolating baby finches from their fathers (who teach them how to sing), the researchers played the adult’s song to the babies for a few hours. They wanted to not only see how quickly the finches picked up the song, but also how quickly they made advances in their vocal changes. The researchers concluded that the baby finches that made the most progress each day typically learned the song the quickest. The finches that were exposed to the song at the youngest age also learned the song the quickest.

This says something about how human babies can also learn to speak in proper language. Another amazing factor of being able to predict and understand the learning of language is that we can try and detect developmental disabilities such as schizophrenia and autism. The video below talks about how early detection in autism is becoming a possibility.

It is amazing how just being able to understand how babies learn to speak can uncover so many different things. Hopefully the study with the finches will allow us to make more discoveries about the learning of language. It will enable humans to predict developmental disabilities as well as enhance how quickly babies begin to speak.

By Jastej Sidhu

2 Comments

Posted in Issues in science, Public engagement, Science in the news

Tagged autism, baby, bird, language, prevention, speech

Is Obesity Caused By Pollutants Around Us?

Posted on March 3, 2014 by madeleinet | 2 comments

If you are trying earnestly to maintain your weight, you may have the phrase “watch what you eat” in mind. Junk food and sweets are out, but the question you forgot to ask is: should you be wary of other foods on your plate as well? The answer is yes.

Studies have revealed that Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) play an indirect role in adding fat mass to the body. People are affected by the environment because all our needs ultimately come from the surroundings and these very pollutants are able to enter your diet to alter the endocrine system, organ function, tissues, as well as fat cells.

Where Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Come From

Predominantly used as pesticides, Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are now under restricted usage. These chemicals were created for industrial processes and were also released as by-products.

Smog filled with pollutants created from factories easily reach neighbouring crop fields.
Source: Gustavo Madico, Flickr

Once exposed to the environment, POPs travel far and wide, made possible by its resistance to most chemical and biological processes in normal degradation. Naturally, animals consume available POPs, leading to its bioaccumulation in tissues. The problem is then amplified with biomagnification in food webs, and humans are, of course, at the top of the food chain.

This video by Sustainable Consumption and Production Regional Activity Centre summarizes the impact of POPs:

The Link to Obesity

Since POPs accumulate in fatty tissues of animals, we consume them when our meal includes fatty fish, meat, and dairy products.

Fatty fish are victims of POP bioaccumulation.
Source: Ivan Walsh, Flickr

An increasing number of studies are finding a strong link between POPs and body weight. POPs have been shown to affect key endocrine pathways in the human fatty tissue and there is a strong correlation between the expression of obesity marker genes (determinants of obesity) and POP concentrations. In another study, a group of mice tested with a high-fat diet containing high POP levels gained more visceral body fat then the group of mice with a low-fat diet. This indicated that metabolic processes were altered, leading to obesity and insulin resistance, which can progress to Type 2 Diabetes. In fact, diabetes poses a possibly even more harmful health problem than obesity itself!

Possible Solutions

Despite the fact that POPs are highly regulated to limit its toxic effects, they can still be found in many environments because of the movement within food chains. Does this mean you should lose all faith in the foods you eat? Hopefully not! As further research gives more evidence to support the causal role of POPs, awareness will increase and perhaps POPs will no longer be put in use.

It may be helpful to eat food grown with fewer pesticides, but a normal, balanced diet without excessive amounts of fatty fish and meat should be fine.

Post by Madeleine Tsoi

2 Comments

Posted in Biological sciences, Issues in science, Science communication, Science in the news

Tagged Diet, Environment, Food, health, Metabolism, Obesity, Persistent Organic Pollutants

Are your B-flat notes and Wednesdays green, as mine are?

Posted on March 3, 2014 by shamimhr | 2 comments

Until two years ago, I thought that Wednesdays are green and the number five and letter “S” are red for everyone. I presumed that for everyone, September is silvery and is located right in front of everyones’ left shoulder and it could be pointed at. I thought everyone would see the drift of shapes and colours when listening to Beethoven’s Pathétique sonata! However two summers ago, in the last minutes of a poem analysis session of an English literature course, I got introduced to this world that I have been living in for the last twenty years. The fantasy word to describe this characteristic would be Synesthesia (thanks to my English professor who mentioned it). In the world of neuroscience, it is a condition in which, stimulation of one sense will lead to involuntary stimulation of another sense. This is a genetically inherited trait and would be found in 2 to 5 percent of a general population.

There are two theories introduced so far in order to explain the physiological mechanism behind synesthesia. The first theory states that, communication between regions of the cerebral cortex in the brain that are not otherwise connected in non-synesthetes is responsible for the creation of such mixed senses. Based on this theory, the existing excess neural connections are typically removed during the brain development however in synesthetes, this cross-wirings remain intact and thus synesthetic neural pathways persist.

The other theory states that, in a normal brain there is a certain balance between inhibition and stimulation of neural pathways. However in syntesthetes’ brains, due to reduced inhibition of these normal existing neural pathways, excess communication between certain regions of brain causes the phenomenon synesthesia. This excess stimulation (or reduced inhibition) of neural pathways is believed to be due to the excess amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin S2A.

In the following video, Drs. Cytowic and Frakowiak will talk briefly about synethtesia and its different types among syntesthetes.

Grapheme->colour synesthesia. photo from the user whimperingpenguin: http://flic.kr/p/6yPN1a

Today, synesthesia is an active area of research focusing on finding any correlation between this genetic condition and other neuropsychological conditions such as Attention Deficiency Disorder (ADD), Autism and Schizophrenia due to its neurophysiological similarity to these conditions.

As the final word I would like to add Dr. Veronica Gross’s statement about people with synesthesia which explains that, synesthesia is a “condition” not a “disease” and it has its own benefits to those who have this condition:

“…Synesthesia is not a disease. In fact, several researchers have shown that synesthetes can perform better on certain tests of memory and intelligence… “

Synesthesia is a phenomenon that is largely a gift to those who experience it, since many synesthetes have an aptitude for the arts, a strong sense of creativity, and increased memory skills.

Here is a video summarizing the highlights of this characteristic:

-Shamim

2 Comments

Posted in Biological sciences, Issues in science, Public engagement, Science communication, Science in the news

Tagged academics, brain, Neurology

The Black-Tailed Antechinus: The Definition of Fatal Attraction

Posted on March 3, 2014 by monicaleslie | Leave a comment

You may think a teenage boy is sex crazed, but this marsupial takes it to a whole other level. Scientists have recently discovered a new species, whose sexual preferences rival those of even the horniest of teenagers.

Agile Antechinus. Courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons (user: Richard001)

Map of Australia. Courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons (User: Martyman)

Meet the Black-Tailed Antechinus, a carnivorous marsupial found in the humid and forested region of southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales, Australia. Although it is an extremely rare and exciting event to discover a new species of mammal, this particular creature piqued the interest of researchers further due the male’s “sex marathons” that ultimately result in their death.

The species, Antechinus arktos, commonly called the Black-Tailed Antechinus, was first discovered in May 2013 by a team of scientists out of Queensland University of Technology. The team, led by mammologist Andrew Baker, published their discovery in the journal Zootaxa.

The Black-Tailed Antechinus is slightly larger than a mouse and looks very similar to the Agile Antechinus (Antechinus agilis), being distinguishable by its larger skull, as well as its black feet and tail. Male Black-Tailed Antechinuses are semelparous, meaning they reproduce only once in their lives.

Agile Antechinus. Courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons (User: Richard001)

In August, at only 9 months of age the males reach sexual maturity. Once sexual maturity is achieved, sex becomes all these creatures think about. Does this sound familiar? Well, unlike teenage boys, the sexually mature, male, Black-Tailed Antechinuses cease to participate in anything unrelated to finding sexual partners. When a female is found, they engage in unrelenting sex lasting up to 14 hours. The males then move on to find mate after mate for approximately 2 weeks. Andrew Baker describes it as,

“frenetic, there’s no courtship; the males will just grab the females and both will mate promiscuously,”

Unfortunately, during this 2 week orgy the males rid themselves of vital proteins and suppress their immune system. In addition, an overload of stress hormones further damage the body, ultimately resulting in infection and likely death.

“Their fur falls off. The look very sick and stagger around and sometimes they get gangrene infections because their immune system stops working.”

This is how Dr. Diana Fisher of the University of Queensland describes the males unpleasant end.

Female Agile Antechinus with Joeys. Courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons (User: Richard001)

It is not much better for the females unfortunately, who have to carry up to 14 joeys in their pouch. The female Black-Tailed Antechinuses store the sperm of every male they mate with and only ovulate at the end of the breeding season. This results in a large litter of joeys being born, who are likely from a wide variety of Fathers. Very few females survive raising even one litter.

Although one may be able to say that they died doing what they loved, the phrase “Fatal Attraction” has never had a more literal meaning.

Monica Leslie

Lifestraw: An Innovative Way to Drink Water

Posted on March 2, 2014 by tonycaputo | 3 comments

Access to clean water is considered to be a universal human right, “a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of the right to life” as stated by the United Nations.

However, we often take drinking water for granted. 780 million people still lack access to clean water, more than 2.5 times the population of the United States. While the demand for clean water only grows as our population increases, one of the leading international companies in global health has developed a product to provide clean water in almost any situation. The Lifestraw, created by Vestergaard.

Lifestraw tested by Bear Grylls
Image courtesy: Mikeshouts

The Lifestraw, winner of the best invention of 2005, and 2008 winner of ‘World Changing Ideas’ is a simple straw that filters water from any source. Whether it is drinking out of a puddle on the side of the road, or a parasite invested river in Africa, The Lifestraw filters water right as you drink it.

By using a microfiltration system, Lifestraw technology uses small hollow fibres with 0.2 micron pores to filter water. As you suck in water, any parasites, bacteria, and dirt get trapped inside the fibres, removing 99.99999% bacteria, and 99.9% of protozoan cysts. The Lifestraw filters 1000 liters in its lifetime, without the use of any batteries, with a filter that is five times stronger than EPA standards. Once the Lifestraw has surpassed its lifetime, water cannot filter through the straw, rendering it useless.

Lifestraw used in contaminated water
Image Courtesy: American chillers

For the cost of only 20 dollars, Lifestraw can provide 2.7 liters of water for a year. Whether you are thirsty on a hike and need a quick source of water, or are in need of water in emergency situations, Lifestraw provides a cheap way to obtain clean drinking water.

Even if you found yourself trapped in a bathroom stall, you could drink out of the toilet like the guy in this video:

-Tony Caputo

3 Comments

Posted in Issues in science, Public engagement, Science in the news, Uncategorized

Tagged Bear Grylls, Lifestraw, Portable Water Filter, Vandergaard, Water Crisis

Artificial Organs?

Posted on February 24, 2014 by justinsidhu | 5 comments

Imagine if you or someone you know desperately needed an organ transplant and had to wait months to years for a chance to receive one. This is currently happening to people all over the world and according to the Globe and Mail the average wait transplant wait time in British Columbia is 2,145 days, which is far greater than the national average of 1,258 days. Such a long wait could be disastrous for patients and could even prove fatal if they don’t get a transplant in time. But what if there was a solution to this problem? This brings in the concept of human created artificial organs. As the name suggests artificial organs are created in synthetically using newly discovered scientific methods.

From Wikipedia Commons

The first case of a synthetic organ transplant happened in July 2011, when Swedish surgeons implanted the first synthetic trachea in a 36 year old cancer patient. The trachea was created to be nearly identical to the patient’s original organ by using a 3D laser scan and then using that they were able to craft a nearly identical organ. They also immersed the synthetic wind pipe in a stem cell solution which was created from the patient’s bone marrow. A major benefit from this new method is that antirejection drugs are no longer required since the immune system would recognize the organ and would not attack it.

Also other body parts could be replaced, for example the jaw bone for an 83 year old woman was replaced in 2012. The artificial jaw bone was created using a 3D printer based on a scan of her original bone that was damaged due to a bone infection. This scan was then used in a 3D printer and the new jaw was created out of titanium.

Although we are currently unable to replace vital organs such as kidneys, we may be able to do it in the future as science is always advancing and new discoveries are made everyday.

By: Justin

5 Comments

Posted in Biological sciences, Science in the news

Tagged 3-d printing, health, medicine, organ, printer, stem cells, technology, transplants

Real-life Barbie: Looks Clearly Aren’t Everything

Posted on February 24, 2014 by akoh | 3 comments

Growing up as a child we all had a favourite go-to-toy to play with. Many girls loved to play with Barbie dolls – the dressing up, fake play dates with other Barbie dolls and role-playing with Barbie’s beau, Ken… who can forget those times? However, as we grew up so did our pastimes with Barbie. But what if some girls actually took the role of a Barbie doll seriously?

As mentioned in the news coverage, Ukrainian model, Valeria Lukyanova has the ability to transform into a real-life Barbie. Although it may seem fascinating, Valeria brings about negative feedback and risks to the younger generations.

First, Valeria has emphasized that achieving her doll-like appearance is from the magic of makeup. As we all know, makeup is a necessity for many women. Even with minimal amount, makeup used on a daily basis puts a risk on skin health and increases the risk of cancer. Articles have shown negative impacts chemicals within cosmetics are doing to the skin and the long-term effects from using them. These small risks may eventually add up as we grow older but as of now, I guess one could say that beauty is pain – there will always be a sacrifice to achieve the perfect image.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk; Credited to: InsideEdition

Secondly, although plastic surgery was minimal for Valeria, she did say that she underwent breast augmentation. Her counterpart beau Ken, on the other hand seemed to heavily depend on this. Justin Jedlica has stated in an interview that for him, it was all about plastic surgery. In either case, the risks of undergoing any type of cosmetic surgery come with consequences as the added chemicals and silicone will eventually take a toll. The worst thing however, is that patients can get addicted and insatiable. This will lead to higher chances for the individual to encounter the consequences.

Lastly, dieting is a major factor contributing to body appearance. Valeria’s liquid diet and vigorous exercise may have resulted in Barbie doll measurements, but it is far from being healthy-looking. Girls and boys alike are under the pressure to fit into society’s skinny category. From this, many eating disorders arise such as anorexia and bulimia. In addition, the balance between dieting and exercise is abused in adolescents. The growing bodies of young individuals should consist of a proper diet with enough nutrients and essential vitamins. One should not follow a diet plan of another just because of the result showcased from it.

(left) Source: Google images; Credited to: epSos.de
(right) Source: Google images; Credited to: Mark Sebastian

Overall, setting Barbie as a role model is quite far-fetched. Despite the constant influence by others and the media, young individuals shouldn’t sway under such provocation. Valeria may have shown her mimicking abilities and found satisfaction for becoming a Barbie; however, girls should just take what they have for granted. It may be smart to start living healthy and tone up the body just for the sake of being healthy; there’s no need to go to extremes by molding oneself into an inanimate object in hopes of bringing it to life.

Posted by: Alice Koh

3 Comments

Posted in Public engagement, Science in the news

Tagged Appearance, Barbie, Controversy, Cosmetic surgery, Diet, Doll, fake, health, Makeup

A Grip on Reality: The Future of Prosthetics

Posted on February 24, 2014 by vishavg | 1 comment

The human body has five basic senses: sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. Now take a minute and imagine your life without one of them. It’s easy to realize that we as humans rely on our senses for almost everything we do. Yet there are many people in the world, such as amputees, that do not have one or multiple senses.

Dennis Aabo Sørensen, a man from Denmark, became an amputee almost nine years ago when he lost his left hand in an accident. Although he was using a prosthetic hand, he had permanently lost the ability to feel anything from his hand. That is until recently when he became the first human to try the new bionic hand that allows you to feel what you touch with a prosthetic.

Image from Google Images
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5468/8760623250_a7d842b198_z.jpg

The scientists at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa (SSSA) designed the bionic hand prototype that will allow people like Dennis to feel objects in real-time using sensory feedback technology. The bionic hand works by measuring the force it takes for the tendons in the artificial hand to grasp an object. Once the measurement of force is identified, the tendons send electrical impulses through wires to the electrodes that have been surgically connected to the nerves of the actual arm. Although it seems like the impulse is not instantly sent to the brain, it actually happens in a matter of seconds to give the feeling of real-time. In the following video Silvestro Micera provides a more in-depth preview of the bionic hand and Dennis Aabo Sørensen describes his initial thoughts on this new technology.

Although this technology is still years away from being commercially available, it is still a great achievement in the medical world. I believe the next steps in this project would be to figure out how to make this technology available in portable prosthetics and how much it would cost for the general public. Having said that, this technology holds great promises for people like Dennis who have been unable to experience their life fully due to their lost sense. Many individuals can now look forward to a brighter future in the world of prosthetics.

Vishav Gill

1 Comment

Posted in Biological sciences, Issues in science, Science communication, Science in the news

Tagged amputee, health, prosthetics, senses, technology

Category Archives: Science in the news

From Dormant to Dangerous: Volcanic Eruptions

Energy Drinks: Drink Fast, Die Young

Baby Babble

Is Obesity Caused By Pollutants Around Us?

Are your B-flat notes and Wednesdays green, as mine are?

The Black-Tailed Antechinus: The Definition of Fatal Attraction

Lifestraw: An Innovative Way to Drink Water

Artificial Organs?

Real-life Barbie: Looks Clearly Aren’t Everything

A Grip on Reality: The Future of Prosthetics

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