Weekly Science Picks
FollowIt seems we came to the end of one more impressive and fascinating week. Just to summarise in brief – it was so exciting and amazing. For instance, did you know that Australia got so unique and special wildlife? Something that you cannot see anywhere else in the world. So, that’s the reason more to be proud because you are Australian. Secondly, there are some findings regarding human’s genetics which are very promising as well. And finally, did you know that there are some indications that you can learn while you are in sleep? So great, is not it? Well, let’s begin our today’s review.
Can you learn in your sleep?
The idea of learning as you sleep was once thought very unlikely, but there are several ways – both low- and hi-tech – to try to help you acquire new skills as you doze. While there is no method that will allow you to acquire a skill completely from scratch while you are unconscious, that doesn’t mean that you still can’t use sleep to boost your memory. During the night, our brain busily processes and consolidates our recollections from the day before, and there could be ways to enhance that process.
Less than 10% of human DNA has functional role, claim scientists
More than 90% of human DNA is doing nothing very useful, and large stretches may be no more than biological baggage that has built up over years of evolution, Oxford researchers claim.
How did Australia’s plants and animals get to be so unique?
Australia is known for its weird and wonderful critters and plant life – the kangaroo, platypus, Banksias, wattles, emu… the list could go on and on. But how did these icons come to evolve in the ways that they did? Science can help us piece together the story.
Pesticide linked to three generations of disease: Methoxychlor causes epigenetic changes
Researchers say ancestral exposures to the pesticide methoxychlor may lead to adult onset kidney disease, ovarian disease and obesity in future generations.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this journey as we did. Please stay tuned; new stories are coming very soon.