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What lies at the bottom of the oceanWhile what’s considered the deep ocean extends from 3,280 feet to 19,685 feet (1,000 meters to 6,000 meters) beneath the surface, deep-sea trenches can plunge to 36,000 feet (11,000 meters), according to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. Alessandro Mancini/Alamy Stock PhotoWhy mapping the ocean is so challengingFrom a strictly scientific perspective, touristic trips to the ocean floor do little to advance our understanding of the ocean’s mysteries. “We want to go to the highest, the lowest, the longest.”But only a “very small percentage of the deep ocean, and even the middle ocean, has been seen by human eyes — an infinitesimal amount. “However, 150 years of modern oceanography have led to better understanding of many aspects of the ocean such as the life it contains, its chemistry and its role in the Earth system.”Mapping the ocean “helps us to understand how the shape of the seafloor affects ocean currents, and where marine life occurs,” Rogers added. Researchers say the ocean and the life it contains could provide answers to some of medicine’s biggest challenges, such as antibiotic drug resistance.

Persons: ”, Gene Feldman, Jamie Pringle, Pringle, Cornelis Drebbel, Auguste Piccard, Feldman, ” Feldman, Jacques Piccard, Don Walsh, what’s, “, Robert Ballard, Alvin, Ballard, Alessandro Mancini, Alamy, Alex Rogers, ” Rogers Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Oceanographic, NASA, OceanGate Expeditions, England’s Keele University, bathyscaphe, Keystone, Hulton, NOAA, Bluegreen, Sea Ventures, of Ocean Exploration, Research, University of Oxford Locations: Cape Cod , Massachusetts, Washington, Dutch, Trieste, bathyscaphe Trieste, Italy, Massachusetts, Japan, United Kingdom

☆ Daytime naps may be good for our brains, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Taking daytime naps may help maintain brain health as we age, according to a new study. The results show “a small but significant increase in brain volume in people who have a genetic signature associated with taking daytime naps,” she told the Science Media Centre. “Even with those limitations, this study is interesting because it adds to the data indicating that sleep is important for brain health,” she said. MoMo Productions/Digital Vision/Getty ImagesHowever, such a technique can only show an association between nap and brain health, not cause and effect. Grandner directs the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona, and was not involved in the study.

Persons: ”, Victoria Garfield, Tara Spires, Jones, Valentina Paz, they’re, Paz, MoMo, Michael Grandner, Grandner, Raj Dasgupta, “ Organizations: CNN, University College London, UCL, University of, British Neuroscience Association, Centre, Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Science Media, Sleep Health, Alzheimer’s Association, Sleep Medicine, Banner - University Medical Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern Locations: Republic of Uruguay, Tucson , Arizona, University of Southern California

☆ Mothers accused of harming their babies are turning to the same science that freed Kathleen Folbigg
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Confirmation of a likely genetic cause for the children’s deaths has implications far beyond Australia for parents who have been accused of killing or harming their babies. The advances in genetic testing used to free Folbigg are giving other families hope that science may explain why their children have died, but experts say sometimes even that can’t exonerate parents – often mothers – accused of harming them. How the science is helping othersOne of the lead authors of the study, Professor Carola Vinuesa, says that Folbigg’s case has encouraged other families and lawyers to come forward, seeking genetic evidence to clear mothers accused of harming their babies. Some mothers accused of injuring their children are seeking a genetic explanation for their symptoms to counter claims of child abuse, she said. “The majority of these mothers have not harmed their children, but the children have these very rare conditions.

Persons: Australia CNN — Kathleen Folbigg, Folbigg, seeped, don’t languish, ” Folbigg, –, Kathleen Folbigg, Caleb, Patrick, Sarah, Laura, Folbigg’s, Craig, Emma Cunliffe, ”, Cunliffe, Roy Meadow, ” Cunliffe, Sharmila Betts, Betts, there’s, Reginald Blanch, she’d, – Caleb, Patrick –, Tom Bathurst, Carola Vinuesa, I’ve, we’ve, Meadow, Francis Crick, Carola Vinuesa's, Michael Bowles, Helen Hayward, Brown, “ It’s, Hayward, they’ve, aren’t, George W Bush, Tracy Chapman, she’s, Chapman, “ I’ve, We’ve, “, ” Chapman, Stringer, Rhanee Rego, Andrew Dyer, Dyer, Michael Daley, Mr Bathurst, Mark Dreyfus, I’ll Organizations: Australia CNN, New South, CNN, ” Police, University of British Columbia’s Allard School of Law, “, NSW, BSN, ABC, Child, Francis Crick Institute, Concorde, MySpace, Reuters, Australian Academy of Science, Law Council, Sydney Institute of Criminology, Australian Lawyers Alliance Locations: Brisbane, Australia, New South Wales, British, United Kingdom, Canada, London, United States, Iraq, Coffs Harbour , New South Wales, Reuters Bathurst, Scotland, Norway, New Zealand

☆ Night owls may die younger, but more than sleep is to blame
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A 2022 study found night owls were more sedentary, had lower aerobic fitness levels, and burned less fat at rest and while active than early birds. Night owls were also more likely to be insulin-resistant, meaning their muscles required more insulin to be able to get the energy they need, the study showed. Studies have revealed night owls may take more risks and are more likely to skip breakfast and eat more later in the day. Night owls also have higher levels of visceral body fat in the abdominal region, a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. “The strongest reset for the circadian system is bright light,” Zee said.

Persons: ”, Christer Hublin, Bhanu Prakash Kolla, ” Kolla, Phyllis Zee, Zee, ” Zee Organizations: CNN —, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Center for Sleep Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, CNN, Northwestern Locations: Helsinki, Rochester , Minnesota, Chicago

☆ I'm a 95-year-old lighthouse keeper. Here are my keys to a long, happy life: 'There's always something worthwhile'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

For over a decade, Buddy Grover, 95, has served as a volunteer lighthouse keeper at the third tallest masonry lighthouse in the United States. Buddy Grover is a 95-year-old lighthouse keeper at Absecon Lighthouse in New Jersey. Mickey Todiwala. A 95-year-old lighthouse keeper's key to a long, happy lifeWhen it comes to longevity, "I accredit my good health to several things," Grover says. Mickey Todiwala.

Persons: Buddy Grover, Grover, Mickey Todiwala, that's, I've, There's, he's, I'm, Aurora Organizations: CNBC Locations: United States, Absecon, Atlantic City, N.J, New Jersey, Spain, South America, Thailand, Singapore, U.S

☆ Obesity changes the brain, with ‘no sign of reversibility,’ researchers find
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“This study captures why obesity is a disease — there are actual changes to the brain,” said Apovian, who was not involved in the study. They wanted to know if that would be different in people with obesity compared to those of normal weight. At the same time, levels of dopamine rose in those at normal weight, signaling that the reward centers of the brain were also activated. Losing weight did not reset the brain in people with obesity, Serlie said. Until science answers these questions, the study emphasizes, once again, that weight stigma has no place in the fight against obesity, Serlie said.

Persons: ’ ”, Caroline Apovian, ”, Apovian, Sadaf, they’ve, “, Mireille Serlie, ” Faroof, ” Serlie, Farooqi, Serlie, it’s, ” Farooqi, ‘ Organizations: CNN, Harvard Medical School, Center, Weight Management, Wellness, Brigham, Women’s Hospital, BMI, University of Cambridge, Yale School of Medicine Locations: Boston, New Haven , Connecticut

☆ Scientists discover the first virgin birth in a crocodile
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Scientists say they have documented the first virgin birth in a crocodile. Many of the offspring produced this way are very ill or weak, according to Booth. Any offspring produced in this manner shares most of its DNA with the mother. And Coquita’s parthenogenically produced offspring — which was female — likely formed that way solely because of the temperature at which the egg was incubated. “They are all using the exact same cellular mechanism for parthenogenesis,” Booth said.

Persons: Coquita, Warren Booth, Booth —, Booth, Parthenogenesis, it’s, ”, “, ” Booth, parthenogenesis, parthenogenically Organizations: CNN —, Reptilandia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, State University, Research Locations: Costa Rican, Costa Rica, parthenogenesis

☆ Allen Institute teams up with AWS to build first-ever map of the brain
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

AWS on Wednesday announced its technology will support the Allen Institute as it builds a map of the human brain, called the Brain Knowledge Platform. To build the new platform, the Allen Institute is using single cell genomics technologies. The Allen Institute is a nonprofit research institute based in Seattle. As such, the Allen Institute is leveraging AWS' cloud computing and machine learning to standardize and consolidate complex brain data into one place. The Allen Institute will work to build the Brain Knowledge Platform over the next five years.

Persons: Dr, Ed Lein, It's, Lein, Rowland Illing Organizations: Genome Project, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Amazon Web Services, Wednesday, Allen Institute, Allen Locations: Washington ,, Seattle

☆ A crocodile makes history with the first-ever virgin birth of its species, researchers say. But none of the 14 eggs hatched much to scientists' disappointment.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Kelly Mclaughlin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Researchers said the 18-year-old crocodile who lived alone laid 14 eggs. DNA from the fetus and the 18-year-old crocodile matched, researchers said, adding that the fetus lacked paternal genes. In other words, this solidifies the researcher's virgin birth hypothesis. Warren Booth, an entomologist at Virginia Tech University, told The BBC that virgin births are common in animals that descend from dinosaurs. He told The BBC that there likely hadn't been a recorded virgin birth among crocodiles before this because most people weren't specifically looking for it.

Persons: —, Warren Booth, Warren Organizations: Service, Parque Reptilandia, Virginia Tech University, BBC Locations: Costa Rica

☆ Scientists Discover a Virgin Birth in a Crocodile
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Veronique Greenwood | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In January 2018, a female crocodile in a Costa Rican zoo laid a clutch of eggs. While crocodiles can lay sterile eggs that don’t develop, some of this clutch looked quite normal. In this case, life did not, uh, find a way, as the egg eventually yielded a perfectly formed but stillborn baby crocodile. In a paper out Wednesday in the journal Biology Letters, a team of researchers report that the baby crocodile was a parthenogen — the product of a virgin birth, containing only genetic material from its mother. Here’s how a virgin birth happens: As an egg cell matures in its mother’s body, it divides repeatedly to generate a final product with exactly half the genes needed for an individual.

Persons: ” —, parthenogenesis Organizations: cobras, California condors Locations: Costa Rican, sawfish

☆ Apple's Vision Pro has a familiar fatal flaw: They are nerd goggles that will make most people look uncool
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This is the reality for Apple's Vision Pro mixed-reality headset: It's another pair of nerd goggles that will make most people look decidedly uncool. For now, the Vision Pro has failed to do pull this off. Its hard to imagine Apple Vision Pro ever becoming cool. Would she be impressed by a guy wearing a $3,499 Apple Pro Vision headset? The ultimate goal is probably to pack all the prowess of the Vision Pro into a cool slim pair of glasses.

Persons: Scott Galloway doesn't, it's, Max, Apple, —, Scott Galloway, Mark Gurman Organizations: Apple, Apple's, NYU, Apple Watch Locations: New York City, New York

☆ A giant seaweed mass heading for Florida's beaches is full of potentially dangerous bacteria that threatens a 'pathogen storm,' a study found
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A giant stretch of Sargassum seaweed is headed toward the beaches of Florida and Mexico. The interplay between plastic marine debris and bacteria could cause a "pathogen storm," a study found. The potentially dangerous Vibrio can stick to the plastic debris that gets caught in the mass of seaweed, the study found in seawater samples from the Caribbean and Sargasso seas. While there are some fears about the bacteria's "flesh-eating" qualities, experts told LiveScience this possibility was relatively uncommon. "What is important is that individuals should take caution," Jae Williams, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health, told LiveScience.

Persons: —, Linda Amaral, Andrew, Kofi Jones, Vibrio, Tracy Mincer, Mincer, LiveScience, sargassum, Jae Williams Organizations: Service, NASA, Research, Florida Atlantic University, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Florida Department of Health Locations: Florida, Mexico, Sargassum, Caribbean, Lakes, sargassum, St, Barbados

☆ People probably have to be on Ozempic forever. But no one is ready for the bill.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But she knows — from experience — that probably won't be possible if she has to stop taking the drug once her manufacturer-issued coupons expire. But the injections don't work once people stop taking them. Li Ran/Xinhua via Getty ImagesMany health insurers and employers have long declined to pay for weight-loss drugs. He has resumed taking weight-loss medication but said he hoped to go down to a lower dose. Want to tell us about your experience with health insurance and weight-loss drugs?

Persons: Tara Rothenhoefer, Rothenhoefer, Eli Lilly's, Insider's Gabby Landsverk, —, Wegovy, Rothenhoefer Novo, we're, Dr, Martin Lange, Novo, Eli Lilly, Li Ran, Sean Duffy, Omada, Duffy, hungrier, Nisha Patel, it's, " Lange, Bill, Gabby Landsverk, Shelby Livingston, Hilary Brueck Organizations: Rothenhoefer Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk, Getty, National Library of Medicine Locations: San Francisco, Novo, Xinhua, slivingston

☆ Plague: Oldest known cases in Britain uncovered in mass burial
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A team of researchers excavating mass burial sites in England have detected the DNA of the bacteria that caused the plague in human skeletal remains — and they are the oldest known cases of the disease in Great Britain. The bacterial DNA is thousands of years more ancient than the oldest strain uncovered prior to this latest finding. When it comes to the disease, there is a lot that scientists still don’t know — including how it spread, Swali said. And science may never truly know the severity of the plague 4,000 years ago when it came to humans, Roberts said. And while there are historical records of plague outbreaks, ancient DNA could potentially give us a look even further back, Swali said.

Persons: CNN —, Pooja Swali, Francis Crick, Swali, ”, Benjamin Roberts, ” Swali, Lee Mordechai, pestis, Roberts, ” Roberts, paleogeneticists, Mordechai, ” Mordechai Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, Francis, Francis Crick Institute, Durham University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Locations: England, Great Britain, Cambridgeshire, London, Somerset, Cumbria, Scotland, United Kingdom, Britain, Europe

☆ Human metapneumovirus: Doctors say this is the most important virus you’ve never heard of
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Cases of human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, spiked this spring, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s respiratory virus surveillance systems. An underestimated threatStudies show that HMPV causes as much misery in the US each year as the flu and a closely related virus, RSV. Like those infections, HMPV can lead to intensive care and fatal cases of pneumonia in older adults. Leigh Davidson caught human metapneumovirus during a family celebration in early April. The new virus was dubbed human metapneumovirus.

☆ Opinion | If You’re Reading This, You’re Probably ‘WEIRD’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +83 min

You’re probably very weird, and not just for all the obvious reasons you’re thinking of. Because, obviously, there’s going to be some overlap in the curve here. How you’re going to behave with your professor is quite different than how you’re going to behave with your friends. But it’s really kind of faceless, and you’re not really helping anybody you know. I think things are dynamic, and directions are changing, and that sort of thing.

☆ Lower cholesterol with a plant-based diet, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In study particpants, LDL levels dropped 10% and total cholesterol declined 7% for people following a plant-based diet when compared with those who eat both meat and plants, the study found. A plant-based diet can help reduce LDL cholesterol, a new study said. Statin treatment is superior to plant-based diets in reducing fats and cholesterol levels, Frikke-Schmidt said in a statement. In addition, people who transition to a plant-based diet should still be mindful about the kinds of foods they’re consuming. “Not all plant-based diets are equal,” said Aedin Cassidy, professor and director for interdisciplinary research at the Institute for Global Food Security in Queen’s University Belfast, in a statement.

☆ Scientists may have discovered the first antidote to the deadliest mushroom known to humans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Rupendra Brahambhatt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Death cap mushrooms kill up to 100 people per year and sicken thousands more but have no antidote. Scientists used CRISPR to help identify a chemical that could become the first death cap antidote. A recent study in Nature Communications finally found a possible death cap mushroom antidote. A death cap mushroom antidote is long-awaitedMushroom foragers can easily mistake death cap mushrooms for other edible fungi. When the researchers tested ICG in mice poisoned with the death cap mushroom toxin, the results were eye-opening.

☆ Rice. Half of Humanity Eats It. And Climate Change Is Wrecking It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Somini Sengupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Sometimes there’s not enough rain when seedlings need water, or too much when the plants need to keep their heads above water. Rice farmers are shifting their planting calendars. On top of that, there’s climate change: It has upended the rhythm of sunshine and rain that rice depends on. That’s a fraction of the emissions from coal, oil and gas, which together account for 35 percent of methane emissions. His experiment, carried out over seven years, concluded that by not flooding the fields continuously, farmers can reduce rice methane emissions by more than 60 percent.

☆ A man destined for Alzheimer's defied that fate. Now scientists want to know how
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

He seems to have been protected by a rare gene change that enhanced the function of a protein that helps nerve cells communicate. Scientists say that understanding how this gene change defended his brain may help prevent Alzheimer’s in other people. “Another big insight from this case is, it seems like maybe you don’t need this everywhere in the brain,” Arboleda-Velasquez said. This is the pathway that is important for extreme protection against Alzheimer’s,’ ” Arboleda-Velasquez said. The sister of the man in the new study also shared the rare protective gene change, and it helped her, but not as much.

☆ Scientists updated the human genome to make it more inclusive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Scientists have pieced together a new draft of the human genome that better captures humanity’s genetic diversity. The scientists involved say it will improve our ability to diagnose disease, discover new drugs and understand the genetic variants that lead to ill health or a particular physical trait. The pangenome, a digital amalgamation of sequences that can be used to compare, construct and study other human genome sequences, is still a draft. The first draft of the human genome was released in 2001 and was only fully completed in 2022. The new pangenome reference is an amalgamation of different genomes from 47 people with ancestry from around the world.

☆ China approves safety of first gene-edited crop
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, May 4 (Reuters) - China has approved the safety of a gene-edited soybean, its first approval of the technology in a crop, as the country increasingly looks to science to boost food production. Shunfeng claims to be the first company in China seeking to commercialise gene-edited crops. Several additional steps are needed before China's farmers can plant the novel soybean, including approvals of seed varieties with the tweaked genes. Getting gene-edited crops onto the market is expected to be faster however, given fewer steps in the regulatory process. Aside from the United States, Japan has also approved gene-edited foods, including healthier tomatoes and faster-growing fish.

☆ Link Between Long Telomeres and Long Life Is a Tall Tale, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Gina Kolata | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Cells have a molecular clock that determines how long they live. The clocks come in the form of caps on the end of chromosomes — the long twisted strings of DNA carrying the cells’ genes. Every time a cell divides, its telomeres get a little shorter, until finally they get so short that the cell dies. While short telomeres do lead to health problems, long telomeres lead to health problems of their own. Far from extending life, long telomeres appear to cause cancer and a blood disorder known as CHIP, a condition that increases the risk of blood cancers and heart disease.

☆ Ambitious genome project shows how humans fit with other mammals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The findings in the ambitious Zoonomia Project identified parts of the genome functionally important in people and other mammals and showed how certain mutations can cause disease. The project revealed the genetics of uncommon mammalian traits like hibernation and showed how the sense of smell varies widely. The researchers said the findings on hibernation genetics could inform human therapeutics, critical care and long-distance space flight. The most primitive species was the venomous burrowing insect-eater Hispaniola solenodon, closely related to mammals alive during the dinosaur age. In terms of human differences from other mammals, the study pointed to regions associated with developmental and neurological genes.

☆ Balto: A good dog with great genes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Cleveland Museum of Natural History/Handout via REUTERS. Balto was feted as a hero, the subject of books and movies, and the dog's taxidermy mount still stands on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Balto, belonging to a population of working sled dogs in Alaska, also was found to have possessed greater genetic diversity and genetic health than modern canine breeds. Balto was found to share ancestry with modern Siberian huskies and Alaskan sled dogs as well as Greenland sled dogs, Vietnamese village dogs and Tibetan mastiffs, with no discernible wolf ancestry. Balto had a body built for strength and not speed, disappointing the breeder, who had the dog neutered.

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