Did the human speech evolve from monkeys pulling faces?
X-ray survey finds that primates use complex ‘language’ of lip smacking expressions
Gist:
Lip smacking gestures work at same speed as human speech
Vowels and consonants work in same way as smacking lips
The noises made by monkeys [...]
Indian scientists in team that sequenced tomato genome
In what is considered a major step forward in biotechnology research, a group of 300 scientists from across the world, including India, have sequenced the genome of tomato.
The achievement is expected to lower the costs and speed up efforts [...]
Discovered: The 128million-year-old grandfather of the modern squid and octopus
Scientists have managed to re-create the appearance of a previously unknown fossil – a spiky creature thought to be the ultimate ancestor of the modern-day squid and octopus.
The Austria National History Museum team used 3D scanning technology [...]
Good cholesterol may not be what keeps the heart healthy
By themselves, higher levels of HDL don’t explain lower cardiovascular risk
Some shine may have worn off “good” cholesterol’s halo. A new genetics study shows that merely raising levels of high-density lipoprotein — also known as [...]
NGSS, take one
The first public draft of the Next Generation Science Standards is available on-line — and your feedback is invited. The Next Generation Science Standards are intended to be “rich in content and practice, arranged in a coherent manner [...]
Women’s role in science technology jobs takes centre stage at Indian event
The role of women in science has been the focus of attention at an event in India as the government and industry work to provide more opportunities for female scientists.
At the 99th Indian Science Congress in Calcutta the theme was about inclusive [...]
Small Fixes: Poisoned Nectar Is a Double-Edged Delicacy for Mosquitoes
On what food do mosquitoes live? Orgiastic gouts of human blood that distend their abdomens and render them almost unable to move — right?
Well, actually, no.
A new CNN/ORC poll on evolution
A new CNN/ORC poll included a question about evolution, with few surprises in the results. Asked “Do you believe that the theory of evolution is definitely true, probably true, probably false, or definitely false,” 21% of respondents [...]
What’s on your genes?
These two mice are genetically identical and exactly the same age. Each mouse’s mother received a different, specialized diet, which switched on or off chemical clusters called methyl groups that reside near genes. Flipping these genetic [...]
A new poll on evolution and climate change
A new poll asked respondents about their views on evolution and climate change, what they regard the scientific consensus on those topics to be, and whether it matters to them whether candidates for president share their views. The poll (PDF) [...]
