14 DAY TRIAL // This if the first in a series of articles that I want to publish every Saturday, meant to highlight the most important achievements, discoveries and premiers that occurred over the past week. This Week in Science will feature only the most important news, with commentaries, predictions and explanations of their implications from the editor.
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Space | Nature | Health | Humans
This week was marked by the glitch that occurred in Loop A on the International Space Station's cooling system, and NASA's subsequent efforts to address it. Three spacewalks have been scheduled for December 21, 22, and 25 to fix this issue. The launch of Orbital Sciences' Cygnus spacecraft has been delayed to allow Expedition 38 crew members time for repair.
Highlights:
This week was very busy for astronomers and astrophysicists, but also for the Chinese National Space Administration, which successfully landed the Asian nation's first spacecraft on the Moon last Sunday. The Chang'e-3 lander carrying the Yutu rover touched down in Mare Imbrium, or the Sea of Rains, after launching from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in Sichuan, on December 14.
Gaia telescope launches to produce 3D map of the galaxy
After several years of keeping tabs on the European Space Agency's (ESA) Gaia mission, I can honestly say that it felt as if I had a baby when the billion-star surveyor launched to space on December 19. The purpose of this mission is to produce an accurate, 3D map of the Milky Way, by analyzing the positions and motions of more than 1 billion stars over the next 5 years.
Milky Way has four arms (again)
The never-ending debate on the total number of spiral arms in the Milky Way was reignited this week, when researchers at the University of Leeds published the conclusions of a 12-year study. They argue that our galaxy has a total of four spiral arms, as opposed to two. The scientific consensus on this issue has bounced back and forth several times over the past few decades.
Germans use Dawn data to color Vesta
After the Dawn spacecraft left orbit around Vesta – the largest asteroid in the solar system – German scientists with the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research took data collected by the probe's framing cameras, and color-coded them at several wavelengths. The result is an amazing series of images that reveals a lot about the protoplanet's rich and intricate history.
NASA revives a inactive infrared space telescope
This week also marked the first time since February 2011 that the NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) telescope snapped a new photo. The infrared observatory was put in hibernation mode when its coolant ran out, at the end of its original mission. Now, it is being resurrected to act as a detection and early warning system for near-Earth objects (NEO).
Europeans are determined to capture images of a black hole
Now this is one research that is bound to be interesting. A couple of days ago, the European Research Council awarded astrophysicists in Europe a €14 million ($19.3 million) grant for capturing the first-ever image of a black hole. The group plans to use Very Long Baseline Interferometry to tie together numerous radio telescopes around the world for this job.
This week was very important for climate research and Earth observations. Numerous studies were released on carbon dioxide and methane emissions, as well as on the roles of croplands, oceans and forests in absorbing greenhouse gases.
Highlights:
You can now keep track of Earth's winds with an online visualization tool
The Earth Wind Map was released to the public this week, allowing anyone with Internet access the ability to get lost in a beautiful visualization of our planet's wind patterns. The tools allows you to select wind altitudes, different types of projections, as well as zoom in and out of particular areas to see small-scale circulations. I have spent a great deal of time at home enjoying this, so check it out.
What to do with abandoned Soviet croplands
Authorities in Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine still cannot seem to be able to figure out what to do with the vast swaths of land abandoned as the Soviet Union disintegrated, in 1991. Areas the size of Poland were left in disarray, and the question now becomes if we should allow them to act as carbon sinks to stop global warming, or use them for crop-intensive agriculture.
World's First Dwarf Elephant Caught on Camera
Biologists in Sri Lanka achieved a world first this week, when they published an article containing images of an unusual creature – a dwarf elephant. Dwarfism is very rare in nature, because animals who are smaller than they should be usually end up as prey. Interestingly, this little guy was imaged as he was exhibiting aggressive behavior towards a normal-size, younger elephant.
Cats have been hanging around humans for 5,300 years
Researchers were able to determine that cats first started being domesticated around 3,300 BC, in ancient Chinese farming villages. New evidences show that the felines started living at these locations due to an abundance of rodents and other pests that were attacking the crops. I imagined this is also the reason why the farmers did not shoo them away immediately.
It is always refreshing and heartening to see the vast amount of data that medical researchers and biologists can produce in a single week. Everything from diets to cancer and autoimmune diseases was covered, including a wealth of research on cancer, its causes, and potential therapies.
Single molecule ties together obesity, liver cancer and hepatitis
Cancer research also moved nicely this week, with scientists discovering an intricate molecular link between obesity, hepatitis and alcoholism, on the one hand, and liver cancer on the other. This intricate pathway could soon become the target for new therapies or early-detection tests. Between you and me, anecdotal evidences of this were available in abundance even before this research.
Safeguard your heart by eating more fibers
Another interesting research was published in the British Medical Journal, suggesting that risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) can be reduced by eating more dietary fibers, such as those obtained from cereals and vegetables. As little as one extra serving of fibers per week was found to have beneficial effects on the heart.
New insights into brain inflammation and epilepsy
Scientists conducted a first-of-its-kind study that looked at how medication for treating epilepsy was influencing neural inflammation. Interestingly, this very inflammation may be one of the root causes of epilepsy, so the fact that some of the drugs used to treat the condition can promote this immune response should make some patients want to switch to new therapies.
3D printed skulls can be used for practice by neurosurgeons
In weirder news, neurosurgery residents in Malaysia can use 3D printed skulls and tissues to hone their brain surgery skills before they start operating on real patients. I think this is one of the coolest inventions since sliced bread, considering the huge complexity and intricacy of even the most common types of brain surgery.
Cats may be responsible for your depression
A new cat-centered study has demonstrated that a pathogen they carry, called Toxoplasma gondii, can boost risks of depression in exposed owners. The effects of this microorganisms on the human brain have been known for some time, but this was the first study to suggest that up to 47 percent of women and 24.2 percent of men bit by cats develop at least some of the symptoms associated with depression.
On the other hand, dogs should be kept indoors as well
Finally, a new study on dogs demonstrated that these pets produce a type of dust in the house that makes it more difficult for asthma and allergies to develop in small children. Scientists knew that the presence of a dog led to reduced incidences for these conditions, but this paper shows how and why that happens in great detail. I believe that more dogs are needed as pets (and fewer cats, also).
Research centered on behavior and humans was a bit stagnant this week, yet scientists were still able to peel away just a little bit of the mystery surrounding how our noggins work. Truth be told, with all our scientific advancements, we are only just beginning to scratch the surface in understanding our brains.
Want more self-control? Use electricity!
American researchers demonstrated in a new paper that brain circuitry involved in self-control and neural braking can be improved at critical moments through the application of non-harmful, non-painful electric stimuli. The study was carried out on just a handful of people, since test subjects are usually not fond of having their skulls pierced, and electrodes implanted in their brains. I am.
Girls mature faster then boys, and here is why
Tangential to a new study, scientists were able to understand a mechanism that makes girls mature faster than boys. Apparently, this has something to do with a neural pruning mechanism that the brain uses to make connections between neurons leaner and more energy-efficient. This process appears to occur earlier in girls, which accounts for the earlier onset of mental maturity.
Promiscuity everywhere 50 millennia ago
On a lighter note, archaeologists and anthropologists found evidences in a Russian cave that our ancestors, Neanderthals and a third group called Denisovans intermingled freely more than 50,000 years ago. Genetic evidences suggest that everyone slept (and probably partied) with everyone else back when our species was still relatively young.
In other news:
Ancient Peruvian healers conduct trepanations – drilling holes in skulls – more than 1,000 years ago.
Study seeks to determine what in the world is happening with the ozone layer above Antarctica.
NASA celebrates the 50th anniversary of its long-lived Deep Space Network installations.
The neurotransmitter dopamine could play a role in helping alcoholics kick their habits.
The ESA Swarm mission finally begins its long-term analysis of Earth's magnetic field.
These are the most important news that were published between December 16-22. Let me know in the comments section whether or not you like the layout for these weekly round-up articles. I am also considering trying a more spartan approach for next week, so any feedback is much appreciated.