This week, the frogs of Chernobyl no longer need to adapt to survive high radiation levels, a physicist thinks he’s found the equation for how cats move, and a new study concludes it is safe to get your COVID-19 and flu shots together. Finally, we explore the story of a DNA scientist who picked up the research that would eventually solve her own murder.
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Pompeii Victims Weren’t Who We Thought They Were, DNA Analysis Reveals
The surprising identities of some of the doomed inhabitants of ancient Pompeii have been revealed by a new analysis of their DNA, re-writing the life histories of these unfortunate souls. Based on their findings, the study authors suggest that certain long-standing narratives regarding some of the Roman city’s residents are wide of the mark, and are probably based on erroneous modern assumptions about how people lived in the past. Read the full story here
Frogs Of Chernobyl Adapted To Survive High Radiation. Now, They Don’t Need To
In 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster led to the largest release of radioactive material into the environment in human history. It was a disaster for all forms of life, but how that accident is affecting wildlife in Ukraine today wasn’t entirely clear. Now, new research has shown that for the Eastern tree frog (Hyla orientalis), the levels seem just fine, as chronic exposure to the environment hasn’t altered their lifespan, stress, or aging. Read the full story here
A Physicist Thinks He’s Found The Equation For How Cats Move
Physicist Dr Anxo Biasi of the Instituto Galego de Física de Altas Enerxías believes he has found something almost as elusive to his discipline as grand unified field theory: the equation of cat motion. Like a kitten faced with an insufficient restraining wall, Biasi has even leaped over the most basic case of feline behavior in isolation to tackle the two-body problem of how cats behave in the presence of a human. Read the full story here
Changes To Ocean Circulation Are Causing The North Atlantic To Get Even Saltier
Colossal changes to ocean circulation have caused the waters of the North Atlantic to become significantly saltier in the past 50 years compared to the world’s other great ocean, the Pacific. The Atlantic Ocean is saltier than the Pacific Ocean and, in a new study, scientists have found that changes to the world’s climate and weather system are starting to amplify this effect, increasing the difference in salinity between the two. Read the full story here
It’s Safe To Get Your COVID-19 And Flu Shots Together, Concludes New Study
Tis the season to get vaccinated! We in the Northern Hemisphere are rapidly approaching the shortest day of the year, and that means it’s time to think about protecting yourself against the flu and COVID-19. It would be convenient to get both shots at the same time, but is it safe? Yes, is the resounding conclusion from a new study. Read the full story here
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Feature of the week:
In 1985, A DNA Scientist Picked Up The Research That Would Solve Her Murder
In 1985, a biochemistry scientist was murdered at her home in southern California. It was a horrific crime that would go without prosecution for 14 years. That is, until the very research she had brought to her employer just before her death pinpointed the murderer. Read the full story here
More content:
Have you seen our e-magazine, CURIOUS? Issue 28 November 2024 is available now. This month we asked, “Will We All Be Eating Insects In The Future?” – check it out for exclusive interviews, book excerpts, long reads, and more.
PLUS, the We Have Questions podcast – an audio version of our coveted CURIOUS e-magazine column – has begun. In episode 2, we ask “What’s It Like Working In A Human Tissue Bank?”
Season 4 of IFLScience’s The Big Questions podcast has concluded. This season we’ve asked:
