In 1735, Carl Linneaus proposed a system for naming organisms in his publication Systema Naturae. This system, called Linnaean taxonomy, has proven robust as it is still used today, nearly 300 years after its original proposal. In this taxonomy, each organism is divided into one of three kingdoms, then further classified into different classes, orders, families, genera and species.
Since the first discoveries of planets beyond Earth and our solar system, the human imagination has been fascinated by the idea of extraterrestrial life. In recent years, astronomers spurred by the possibility of finding planetary environments conducive to life have overlooked the seemingly simple task of identifying and confirming new candidates.
Just when you thought that Apple couldn’t become more ubiquitous, the company has released a new device that will be on the market soon. However, it won’t be available through its regular market; the new Apple product will find its way to mainstream consumers through the Geneva Motor Show this week. Apple is coming out with a new car infotainment system that will be fully integrated with iPhone capabilities.
Cancer is no longer restricted to just our bodies. The disease has invaded headlines, pages of books, scientific studies and the public consciousness. Fortunately, however, this non-physiological growth can certainly spark scientific collaborations to fight the bodily form of cancer.
Agricultural regulatory agencies, the governmental organizations that oversee food production and research, are regulated themselves by the red tape of bureaucracy. A study from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) discovered that, under current circumstances, industrial food animal production (IFAP) regulatory agencies are not able to do their jobs effectively.
Think back to the last time you had trouble sleeping. Remember how you felt lying in bed awake, gazing into a dark room until your clock finally told you to start a new day. Now, imagine having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep every night.
Pregnancy is one of the most strangely beautiful mysteries of life. In slightly less than a year, a tiny new person is fashioned through a laborious, yet gratifying algorithm of biology. But what if pregnancy lasted longer, say several decades, and never even produced a viable offspring?
Like language, the composition of music involves combining separate elements into structured and meaningful sequences. An example is the musical exercise of “trading fours.” This time-honored tradition among jazz musicians describes a pattern in which two solo musicians alternate playing four measures each, usually after each person has played a solo. Beginner musicians, especially drummers who are inexperienced in playing jazz, often find this exercise difficult. It is a skill that is only learned after much practice and determination.
In our increasingly environmentally conscious society, consumers often opt for reusable versions of frequently used items such as shopping bags or water bottles. Unfortunately, reusable varieties are not available for all items. For example, tape, one of the most commonly used supplies, does not come in a reusable strain. At least not yet.
Groundbreaking research on stem cells presented by Haruko Obokata of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology has recently come under serious scientific scrutiny. Concerns about the research data and the reproducibility of the results have prompted Nature and the RIKEN Center to launch investigations into Obokata’s original work.
“If you want this suit, you’re going to have to pry my cold dead body out of it.” Lucky for you, Mr. Tony Stark, it may not have to come to that.
For the past few decades, America has been at war against obesity. Cheap, high fat foods are continuously tempting our front lines and indiscriminately adding inches to our waistlines. To combat this growing problem, schools, businesses and healthcare institutions across the nation have tried to increase awareness of obesity and its causes. Despite the numerous health talks and active lifestyle initiatives, a Hopkins study suggests that the key player in weight loss may be the discussions patients have with their doctors about weight.
What’s a better way to celebrate a hard-played game than by having a few drinks (provided you’re over 21)? According to a study by exercise scientists in Australia, quite a lot, especially if you want to maintain the health-related gains associated with exercise.
As images of melting ice caps and destructive natural phenomena plague our consciences during warm winters, we become more convinced that climate change is here. The global warming presented by Al Gore in his film, An Inconvenient Truth is visible; we see it in the news on a daily basis.
Research and common sense say that pets are good for your health. However, a recent study shows that, unfortunately, this may not always be the case.
While the nature of beauty is a topic often left to philosophers poet, it appears that scientists and mathematicians may understand the beauty of complexity. A study conducted by researchers at University College London found a correlation between mathematical formulae and a neurological response to beauty in the minds of mathematicians.
A fossil of three babies discovered in central China has shed light on the origins of live birth. Against the prevailing option, this fossil suggests that live birth may have evolved on land rather than in the sea. A team lead by Dr. Ryosuke Motani from the University of California, Davis, recently published this finding in a Plos One paper.
Earwax. We get rid of it, like many of the wastes manufactured by our bodies, without a second thought. However, what seems to be simply a smelly secretion actually contains important identifying information about the individual from which it was produced.
Air pollution antagonizes the body. It can lead to asthma and in extreme cases, lung cancer. While we typically associate its detrimental effects with the respiratory system, air pollution may have even more grave consequences. A recent study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, suggests that unclean air may be just as toxic as cigarette smoke for pregnant women.
It’s not very often that a standard medical procedure is called into question. However, due to information recently uncovered by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Blaustein Pain Treatment Center, this rarity just happened. Pain Medicine.
