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Underwater world
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Near the town of Tragöß in Styria, Austria you can find this stunning lake known as Grüner See (Green Lake). Named Green Lake for its amazingly clear emerald green water it’s mostly the result of seasonal snowmelt from the surrounding Hochschwab Mountains and forests. During winter months the lake is only 1-2m deep with the rest of the area used as a county park, however as spring arrives the lake grows in size from all the melting snow reaching at its peak around mid-May 12m deep in places. Not surprisingly the waters are a little chilly at 6-7oC, although it remains popular among divers during the peak months who love to pose on the underwater bench and visit the flooded green meadows. ...
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13460 |
bio_man |
11 years ago |
Breast milk - a pool of bacteria
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Breast milk contains more than 700 species of bacteria! Spanish researchers have traced the bacterial microbiota map in breast milk. The study has revealed a larger microbial diversity than originally thought (more than 700 species) and that it changes over the period of lactation, with the weight of the mother & by delivery method of the baby (c-section versus. vaginal). To create this microbiome (the identification of the set of bacteria contained within breast milk) scientists used a technique based on massive DNA sequencing. Thanks to their study, additional pre- and postnatal variables influencing the micriobial richness of milk can now be determined. ...
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10440 |
bio_man |
11 years ago |
The LifeStraw
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The LifeStraw removes nearly 100% of waterborne bacteria and can filter up to 1000 L of water. Throughout the world, an estimated 884 million people still do not have access to clean sources of water. According to the LifeStraw manufacturers, the device contains no chemicals or batteries and makes it possible to drink safely from any river, lake or puddle. ...
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7087 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
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5756 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
What happens to spiders when they are on drugs?
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In 1995 a group of NASA scientists repeated and refined some earlier tests on the effect that various drugs have on the web building abilities of the common garden spider. They tested the the effect of caffeine, benzedrine, marijuana and chloral hydrate and as you can see the results were pretty extreme!
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6001 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Atelopus varius
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This is the Costa Rican variable harlequin toad ( Atelopus varius), also known as the clown frog (in spite of the fact that it is a true toad). They once ranged from Costa Rica to Panama, but are now listed as critically endangered and reduced to a single population in Costa Rica. The variable harlequin toads conspicuous colouring serves as a warning to predators of the toads toxicity.
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5258 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Asteriod impacts
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The third largest asteroid to ever hit earth has been found in South Australia. According to scientists involved, the asteroid, which measured up to 20 km across, hit Earth approximately 360 million years ago. This was around the time of the Late Devonian mass extinction, strengthening the idea that asteroid impacts have been associated with many mass extinctions throughout the history of life on Earth.
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7297 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
The Midas touch
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Mythical King Midas was ultimately doomed because everything he touched turned to gold. Now, the reverse has been found in bacteria that owe their survival to a natural Midas touch. Delftia acidovorans lives in sticky biofilms that form on top of gold deposits, but exposure to dissolved gold ions can kill it. That's because although metallic gold is unreactive, the ions are toxic. To protect itself, the bacterium has evolved a chemical that detoxifies gold ions by turning them into harmless gold nanoparticles. These accumulate safely outside the bacterial cells. ...
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6433 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
The giant squid once faced a population bottleneck
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Genetic testing of giant squid corpses discovered all over the world has found that not only are they all the same species, they have surprisingly low genetic diversity. This suggests that some time in the recent past they were pushed to the brink of extinction, but managed to rebound and are now found throughout the worlds oceans.
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3159 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
A new species of monkey discovered
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Scientists claim they have discovered a species of monkey previously unknown to science in the Democratic Republic of Congo -- only the second new species of monkey to be discovered in 28 years. The monkey has been named Cercopithecus lomamiensis, known locally as the Lesula.
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2898 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
New bat species discovered
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This striped bat is only the fifth of its kind to be collected, and is so unique, it warranted the creation of a new genus.
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2769 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
A human confused as an alien
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This bizarre looking thing is "Ata the humanoid", a mummified corpse found in the Atacama Desert ten years ago. It's strange appearance led to many calling it an "alien", claiming it as proof that extraterrestrials have visited Earth. Well, it's finally been submitted to a battery of tests and the results show it to be fully human. DNA analysis has even managed to pinpoint the location and nationality of its mother. The results do suggest that it was once alive and human, not a hoax, and so asks more questions than they answer. The bone analysis suggests that this is not a fetus, but a child between the ages of 6-8. The specimen has just ten ribs (as opposed to 12), is just six inches long and has severe facial deformities. These symptoms do ...
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1 |
4515 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Dental cavities could be a thing of the past
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Dental cavities aren’t caused by sugar, but by a byproduct from bacteria that feed on that sugar. A new molecule called Keep 32 has been created to eliminate that bacteria in the mouth. If the human trials go well, Keep 32 may begin to appear in toothpastes to help make dental visits less painful and keep smiles healthier and brighter.
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2487 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Geneticists have eliminated schizophrenia-like symptoms in mice
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Schizophrenia has a variety of causes and a spectrum of severity of symptoms. Geneticists were able to cause schizophrenia-like symptoms by over-expressing Neuregulin-1 (NRG1). Scientists discovered that these mice not only had nearly the same symptoms as humans with schizophrenia, but they even develop the symptoms at the same stage in life. Geneticists have been able to modify the expression of NRG1 in adult mice, bringing it down to appropriate levels. This caused schizophrenia-like symptoms in these mice to disappear and behavior returned to normal. ...
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2639 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
World's clearest lake
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These are the first photos ever taken of the clearest lake in the world. In the water of Blue Lake in New Zealand's South Island you can see for around 76 metres - in distilled water you can see 80 metres.
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5687 |
duddy |
10 years ago |