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SCIENTISTS AGREE ON TENTATIVE
GUIDELINES FOR HUMAN GENE-EDITING
A US scientific committee has sanctioned germline
editing of DNA in human embryos, with changes being
inheritable by following generations. But gene editing
comes with the risk of creating new heritable mutations
or encouraging the development of ‘designer babies’.
To counter that, a stipulation has been placed on the
sanction — heritable editing should only be undertaken
“to prevent serious diseases or disability” and not for
the ‘enhancement’ of human traits.WE FINALLY KNOW WHY THE WORLD
SMELLS NICE AFTER IT RAINS
The chemical geosmin — a byproduct of bacteria and
fungi which gives beetroot its distinctive earthy flavour
— is responsible for that fresh smell after the rains.
When raindrops hit the ground at a particular speed,
tiny air bubbles get trapped under them. These bubbles
rise, then burst, spreading the bacteria and geosmin
into the air. The bacterial spray is mostly harmless,
but connections have been made to the spread of
melioidosis in parts of Asia and Australia.STUDY FIND EARLY RISERS
ARE HEALTHIER EATERSData collected from nearly 2,000 randomly chosen
people has revealed that early birds are healthier than
night owls. The study discovered that morning people
usually eat balanced foods earlier in the day, while night
owls tend to eat less protein, and more sugar and fats.
Weekend food choices were also markedly different
between the two groups, with the evening people eating
irregularly, sleeping worse and indulging in less physical
activity, increasing their chances of obesity.Here’s why dogs eat poop
WASH YO’ MOUTH.Dog cognition researcher Dr Alexandra Horowitz explains that it’s to do with our pooches’
sense of smell — their primary sense, like sight is ours. Dogs possess an olfactory organ called
the ‘vomeronasal organ’ — that we humans lack — which detects the chemical composition
of whatever they’re smelling, but requires some molecules to be absorbed. So sniffing turds
isn’t always enough, they need to ingest some to gain knowledge on species identity,
pheromones, diet and so on.Glitchy phone?
It could be cosmic rays
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?The next time your computer or smartphone
crashes, don’t curse the manufacturer.
Subatomic particles raining down on us from
space could be the culprit. These particles,
like neutrons, muons, pions and alpha
particles form when cosmic rays hit the Earth’s
atmosphere and split into secondary products.
Some of these particles carry enough energy
to alter data in electronic systems in a process
called a ‘bit flip’, which can wreak havoc
on aircrafts, telecommunications and
medical equipment.HOTSPOT
POP SCIENCE[ I F&%$#@* LOVE SCIENCE! ]Pop science
THE LATEST DISCOVERIES, INVENTIONS AND SCIENCE NEWS
THAT’S HELPING SHAPE THE WORLD OF TOMORROW.
[ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]