In our science news update this week we focus on a series of battles versus fat cells, biofilms, and jellyfish. Plus a look a how a recently discovered set of fossils in the republic of Georgia may change how we think about human evolution.
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Chili Peppers and Cold Weather versus Brown Fat
Fall is here, and so are cold temperatures and time for chili. But did you know that both cold temperatures and capsaicin, the compound that makes chills hot, help burn brown fat?
Link: http://goo.gl/2fouOx
Want to learn more about capsaicins and brown fat? – then visit our articles below:
Evolutionary Wars and Chili Peppers: Explores how capsaicin is used as an antifungal agent by chili peppers.
Adipose – The Misunderstood Tissue: Examines how heat and exercise influence the metabolism of different types of fat in the body.
Robots May be Used to Control Jellyfish Populations
By Cliff from Arlington, Wikimedia Commons
How do you combat jellyfish swarms that are clogging nuclear power plants and closing beaches? Simple, use a robotic jellyfish shredder!
Link: http://goo.gl/XvxTzI
E. coli to be Used as a Defense Against Biofilms
Unless you are a microbiologist, E coli is normally associated with contaminated water supplies. But this little bacteria plays an important role in our bodies, from maintaining the health of our digestive system, to providing us with some vitamins.
Soon, E. coli may also be used to defend our bodies against pathogenic bacteria in biofilms. Biofilms are colonies of bacteria that form on devices such as medical instruments, and often are antibiotic resistant. Researchers have been able to use E coli to attack these bacteria in the lab.
Link: http://goo.gl/uwZHiO
Editors’ Choices
To Understand the Evolution of Ants – Look at Bees and Wasps
Ants are some of the most successful organisms on the planet, but their evolutionary history has eluded scientists. New DNA studies suggest that ants, bees and wasps all share a close ancestor.
Link: http://goo.gl/SMXWxk
How Does a Cat View the World?
How does a cat view the world? For a comparison of human and cat vision, check out the images at the link below. As you will see, when a cat looks at you, they are getting a very different image than what you may think!
Link: http://goo.gl/I08fJH
Updating the Textbooks
New Fossil Evidence Upsets Idea that Early Homos were Different Species.
A discovery of a set of skulls in the republic of Georgia suggests that around 1.8 million years ago there may have been just a single species of Homo. By studying a set of well-preserved skulls, researchers believe that the variation that was once attributed to separate species is in fact just minor variations between individuals of the same species.
Link: http://goo.gl/NP7Q2E
Watch for our coverage of this news later this week on RicochetScience!
