experiment •

DNA Sequencer Traveled To Space

July 19, 2016 By Jennifer Licata

A DNA sequencer has traveled to space, sent by NASA.

A DNA sequencer has traveled to space, sent by NASA. It could tell us whether there is alien life out there, or not. The device was sent to the International Space Station in a Space X cargo ship. The sequencer was sent by NASA to help the crew to monitor their health.

This new type of sequencer, called „The biomolecule sequencer” was crafted in the UK by Oxford Nanopore Technologies. It’s purpose is to establish whether DNA sequencing can be done in microgravity. Furthermore, the device could find microbes and causes of illnesses.

The sequencer may help to detect life elsewhere than on Earth. NASA pointed ou that every commercial flight to the ISS is a great event. These flights are essential to supporting the overall mission.

The equipment will allow for new experiments to be tried out in space. An international docking adapter will also be tested on this occasion.

The sequencer is called miniON. It’s almost 10 cm long and weighs 120 grams. Most sequencers are the size of a microwave oven. The device will work as an experiment interface, for samples from space.

In the past, there were visible fungi growing on the station, and astronauts would like to know what kind of fungi it is. Whether it’s benign, or something of concern, microbiologists will be able to recommend how to treat the issue.

The gadget reveals the order of chemical building along a DNA strand. The strand has information that is normally passed on by heredity, from one generation to another.

The sequencer is used by more than 1,000 scientists and could help astronauts find life on other planets in real time. However, researchers say that future development is necessary for that kind of app to be a reality. The DNA sequencer will stay on board for future use. Until now, astronauts were supposed to send DNA samples on Earth for sequencing. The whole process used to take a couple of months and could alter the state of the sample.

Earlier this week, NASA created controversy when it cut out the transmission, while an unidentified object was heading towards the camera on ISS. Are you interested in the latest NASA developments? What’s your opinion on space exploration? Please leave a comment below!

Image Source – Wikipedia

Fear of Divine Retribution might Have Eased Human Expansion

February 13, 2016 By Helen Bradford

People believing in a moralistic and vengeful God are less likely to be self-absorbed and more eager to win the trust of others.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and “love thy neighbor” are some of the golden rules bestowed upon us by religion. But it would seem that the most effective method of keeping us in check was and is fear. And according to a recent study, fear of divine retribution might have eased human expansion, thus creating the first markets and trades.

While not the most pleasant way to catch someone’s attention in order to teach him a good lesson, it would seem that fear itself was a most effective ways of educating individuals. A new study has uncovered that individuals belonging to certain beliefs are less inclined to be self-centered if they know that there’s an eye in the sky which sees everything.

In fact, according to the study’s abstract, it was fear of divine retribution that prompted man into expanding, thus forming the first large-scale cooperative associations. We could even say that the first markets and trades came to life, all because of a handful of individuals who were constantly worrying about God and divine retribution. Working towards earning that bounty that awaits him in Heaven, man did everything he could in order to appease his all-knowing and vengeful God.

The study in question was conducted by a team of scientists from the Center for Human Evolution, Cognition and Culture, which is part of the University of Columbia. Benjamin Purzycki, a postdoc student and the leading author of the study, said that he and his colleagues managed to find a direct link between divine retribution and human expansion.

Purzycki and his team of scientists argued that the so-called magnanimous behavior played a key role in the development of trust, which basically represents the foundation of human expansion.

In order to understand how religion is capable of establishing trust between the individual, the head researcher, along with his team of scientists studied 8 religious communities from Fiji, Brazil, Tanzania, Vanuatu, Siberia, and Mauritius. All in all, approximately 600 individuals participated in this study, which managed to bring together various religions, including Christianism, Buddhism, Hinduism and animism.

And to see if there is indeed a connection between the economic expansion and fear of divine retribution, the scientists enticed the participants with a little game. Two cups were laid before the participants, 30 coins, and a dice painted in two colors. The game had two versions: one featuring yourself and a distant co-religionist while the other one mirror the relation between a local co-religionist and a distant co-religionist.

And the beginning of the game, each participant was asked to memorize a cup. After this, the participants were asked to roll the dice and, depending on the color to put the coins in the cup they had in mind or in the other. Moreover, the individuals were notified that at the end of the game, all the money will go to one of the categories.

Also, the participants were allowed to cheat. The scientists have observed that when playing the first version of the game, the participants were more likely to cheat in their favor and less likely to cheat in favor of a distant co-religionist.

Moreover, they have observed that if an individual believed in a punitive and moralistic God, the odds of favoring co-religionists increased by 5 times than those who did not believe in a moralistic and punitive God.

The results prove that fear of retribution might have eased human expansion, although the lead author said that they should not be taken for granted because one cannot account for all the variables when it comes to human drive.

Photo credits:www.wikipedia.org

A New Hope of Growing Life on Mars

January 30, 2016 By Troy G. Bennett

Two species of Antarctic fungi survived after they were exposed to Mars-like conditions.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – According to a new report, coming in directly from the International Space Station, the astronauts were successful in cultivating plants in Mars-like condition. There is a new hope of growing life on Mars thanks to nasty-looking fungus found in the most desolate places on Earth.

Rosa de la Torre Noetzel is an astrobiologist working for Spain’s National Institute of Aerospace Technology. Recently, the scientists published a paper about a species of fungus which was capable of withstanding the life in outer space.

In her long study, the Spanish scientist noted that approximately 18 months ago, the Space Shuttle Atlantis brought on board the space stations several samples harvested from two different species of fungi: the Cryomyces minteri and the Cryomyces antarcticus.

These species of fungi belong to a larger family of fungi called the cryptoendolithic fungi. What makes these plants so special? According to the scientific literature, this family of fungi only grows in one place on Earth, more specifically the McMurdo Dry Valleys, which are located in the Antarctica Victoria Land. Moreover, it seems that these seemingly fragile plants can withstand quite a beating.

In fact, the cryptoendolithic fungi are the only species of plants that can withstand low temperatures and are usually found inside rocks, lodged in nooks and crannies.

In order to test out if these types of plants can withstand the harsh Martian conditions, NASA decided to bring some samples on board for further testing.

According to De Torres, there is a new hope of growing life on Mars. Her statement was based on the result supplied by the ISS experiment. For a period of 18 months, the fungi were exposed to various stressors in order to test their resilience. According to the same astrobiologists, approximately 60 percent of the cells belonging to the fungi remained intact when the experiment was over.

How was the experiment performed? The fungi were locked into cells and then placed on a platform. This platform containing the fungi samples was placed outside the command module by one of the astronauts aboard the ISS.

For a total period of 18 months, the cryptoendolithic fungi were exposed to Mars-like conditions, such as an atmosphere consisting of 95 percent carbon dioxide, 2.7 percent nitrogen and 0.15 percent oxygen. Moreover, the astronauts applied a pressure of 1000 pascals.

To top it all up, the scientists even exposed the plants to UV radiation, galactic radiation and to temperatures between -21.5 degrees Celsius and 59.6 degrees Celsius.

After the experiment was over, the scientists discovered that the fungal cells were not only safe and sound, but the plant also doubled its metabolism. Other samples of fungi were brought for the experiment, but it seems that only the two sample brought from McMurdo survived the encounter with the Martian conditions.

Photo credits:www.wikipedia.org

Prairie Voles Can Console their Buds in Distress

January 24, 2016 By Angelina Stapp

Scientists have confirmed that prairie voles, along with chimps, dogs and crows are capable of exhibiting human-like compassion towards someone in pain.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Empathy can no longer be construed purely as a human trait. It would seem that many animals are capable of displaying different degrees of empathy towards their kin in need. A team of scientists has recently discovered that prairie voles can console their buds in distress, much like humans do when someone is stressed.

Recent research in animal psychology has uncovered many interesting aspects about the animal’s social behavior. Up until now, scientists have only discovered traces of this behavior in larger primates and in dogs. But it seems that there are more creatures out there who are capable of sharing their sympathy towards someone in need.

It may not hold such complexity as in humans, but the mechanism is still there, and the scientists seem to have discovered a part of a behavioral trigger that could help them better understand why humans suffering from mental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder are incapable of feeling empathy.

The team of researchers which made this astounding discovery hails from the Yerkes University. Doctor Larry Young, the study’s co-author and one of the scientists working for the Yerkes University Center for Primate research, declared that this is the first time they were able to identify the finer details of such a mechanism outside primates or canines.

Experimenting with prairie voles, a species of rodents, the doctor and his team of researchers has identified the outline of a behavioral mechanism which allows one rodent to feel sympathetic towards another rodent which is in distress or in peril. According to the team’s observation, this kind of behavior doesn’t only encompass the members of a family.

Lab observations have determined that a prairie vole can exhibit the same consoling manner for a total stranger if they are locked in the same cage.

Prairie voles can console their buds in distress just like humans do. Moreover, it would seem that this is the first time that scientists were able to demonstrate such behavior outside larger primates, dogs, and crows.

The experiment itself holds a crucial importance in the area of behavioral sciences. After they’ve managed to induce this state of mind in a lab rodent, the team took a closer look at the vole’s brain. Using an MRI scanner, Young, and his team have discovered that when a rodent exhibits signs of empathy, the anterior cingulate cortex begins to light up.

According to their observation, this mechanism is similar to what happens inside of the human brain when he see someone in pain. Moreover, oxytocin, a peptide-like hormone found inside the brain of mammals seems to play a key role in the vole’s ability to show empathy. By blocking the actions of this hormone, the prairie vole no longer feels the need to console another in distress.

This discovery holds great importance because it seems that not all voles share this knack for empathy. For instance, the researchers have determined that the prairie vole’s closest relative, the meadow vole, is not capable of consoling someone in need.

The fact that prairie voles can console someone in distress may seem like a rather mundane fact, but researchers could use the notes on the little rodents in order to devise more targeted therapies against certain neurological disorders such as autism or even schizophrenia.

Larry Young also said that it might be possible to reverse such a state in someone suffering from autism, by using a combination of oxytocin enhancers and behavioral therapy.

Photo credits:www.wikipedia.org

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