Daily Archives: May 7, 2012

30 Supernovas Per Second

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Deskarati

Supernova 1987A, discovered in 1987, is the closest exploding star to Earth to be detected since 1604 and resides in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy adjacent to our own Milky Way Galaxy. In addition to ejecting massive … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmology | Leave a comment

Scientists discover new type of cell with a key role in treatment-resistant asthma

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Deskarati

For most people with asthma, a couple of puffs from an inhaler filled with steroids makes breathing easy. But if their lungs become resistant to the calming effect of that medicine, they live in fear of severe asthma attacks that … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology | Leave a comment

Did a Copying Mistake Make Humans So Smart?

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Deskarati

A copyediting error appears to be responsible for critical features of the human brain that distinguish us from our closest primate kin, new research finds.When tested out in mice, researchers found this “error” caused the rodents’ brain cells to move … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Evolution | Leave a comment

Gaseous emissions from dinosaurs may have warmed prehistoric earth

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Deskarati

Sauropod dinosaurs could in principle have produced enough of the greenhouse gas methane to warm the climate many millions of years ago, at a time when the Earth was warm and wet. That’s according to calculations reported in the May … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Evolution | Leave a comment