BBC Focus - 09.2019

DISCOVERIES

Sharks’ fluorescence may

protect them from infection

5EKGPVKUVUJCXGFGEKRJGTGFJQYWQTGUEGPV

UJCTMUNKIJVWR KP VJG QEGCPFGRVJU9JKNG

TGUGCTEJGTUJCXGMPQYPHQT C YJKNGVJCV

KPXGTVGDTCVGUUWEJCU EQTCNUCPF LGNN[UJ ECP

WQTGUEGVJCPMUVQ URGEKCNRTQVGKPUKP VJGKT

DQFKGUVJG[JCXGPoVIWTGFQWV GZCEVN[JQY

UJCTMUECP FQ KV s WPVKNPQY

5EKGPVKUVUHTQO%KV[

7PKXGTUKV[QH 0GY;QTM

CPF ;CNG7PKXGTUKV[

UVWFKGFVYQ URGEKGUQH

UJCTMUs UYGNNUJCTMUCPF

EJCKPECVUJCTMU$QVJQH

thesespeciescanliveat

FGRVJUQH ITGCVGTVJCP

OGVTGUYJGTGVJG[

CTG MPQYPVQ INQYYKVJ

C ITGGPEQNQWT6JGVGCO

VQQMUCORNGUQH EJGOKECNU

HTQOVJG UJCTMUoUMKP

CPF HQWPFVJCVVJG NKIJVGTEQNQWTGFCTGCU

QH UMKPEQPVCKPGFC PGYV[RGQHWQTGUEGPV

OQNGEWNGRTGXKQWUN[WPMPQYPVQ UEKGPEG

#U YGNNCU CNNQYKPIVJG UJCTMUVQ INQYCPF

VJGTGHQTGTGEQIPKUGGCEJQVJGTKP VJG QEGCP

VJGWQTGUEGPVOQNGEWNGOC[GXGPJGNR

M A R I N E B I O L O G Y

“Sharkshold

somany

mysteriesand

superpowers”

In numbers

7
p
Theweeklycostper
householdoftaxingplastic
packagingwithlessthan 30
percentrecycledmaterial,
ascalculatedbya teamat
ImperialCollege.

six

MONTHs

Theageatwhichbabies

beginshowingempathy

forvictimsofbullying,as

discoveredbya study

attheUniversityofthe

Negev,Israel.

110

The percentage that

DWVVGT[PWODGTUCTGWRKP

England, compared to 2017.

VQ RTQVGEVVJG CPKOCNUCICKPUVKPHGEVKQPU

VJCPMUVQ KVU CPVKOKETQDKCNRTQRGTVKGU

p5VWF[KPIDKQWQTGUEGPEGKP VJG QEGCP

KU NKMG C EQPUVCPVN[GXQNXKPIO[UVGT[PQXGN

YKVJPGYENWGUDGKPIRTQXKFGFCU YG OQXG

VJG TGUGCTEJHQTYCTFq UCKFUVWF[EQCWVJQT

2TQH&CXKF)TWDGTp#HVGTYGTUV TGRQTVGF

VJCVUYGNNUJCTMUYGTGDKQWQTGUEGPVO[

EQNNCDQTCVQTUCPF + FGEKFGFVQ FKXGFGGRGT

KPVQVJKU VQRKE9G YCPVGFVQ NGCTPOQTG

CDQWVYJCVVJGKTDKQWQTGUEGPEGOKIJV

OGCPVQ VJGOq

6JGTGJCU DGGPC JWIGUWTIGQH KPVGTGUVKP

UVWF[KPIWQTGUEGPVCPKOCNUCU KH YG ECP

harnesstheirabilitiesthenit couldhelp

WU FGXGNQRPGYKOCIKPIU[UVGOUHQT WUG KP

UEKGPEGCPF OGFKEKPG

p5JCTMUCTG YQPFGTHWNCPKOCNUVJCVJCXG

DGGPCTQWPFHQT QXGTOKNNKQP[GCTU

5JCTMUEQPVKPWCNN[HCUEKPCVGJWOCPU

andtheyholdsomanymysteriesand

UWRGTRQYGTUq )TWDGTUCKFp6JKUUVWF[

JKIJNKIJVU[GV CPQVJGTO[UVGT[QH UJCTMU

andit is myhopethatthisinspiresusto

NGCTPOQTGCDQWVVJGKTUGETGVUCPF YQTMVQ

DGVVGTRTQVGEVVJGOq

Swell sharks

spend a

lot of time

resting on the

bacteria-

laden sea

bed, and

scientists

think that

uorescent

molecules

in their skin

may protect

them from

infection

FAST-FOOD TEMPTATIONS ON

COMMUTE MAKE YOU FATTER

Walking past a smorgasbord of fast

food outlets along your commute could

make you faer, according to research

by Arizona State University. The study

analysed data from 710 female

elementary school employees in New

Orleans. Commuters who passed within

a kilometre of more supermarkets,

grocers and restaurants oering fast

food had higher BMIs than those

passing by restaurants that oered

slower, more formal table service. “The

availability and variety of fast-food

restaurants along our commute create

endless opportunities for a quick,

cheap, and unhealthy meal,” said Prof

Adriana Dornelles, who carried out

the research.