Naked mole rats are tough creatures they can withstand cancer, pain, and even survive 18 minute stretches without any oxygen. And now, scientists have a better idea of how the super rodents can survive that long without suffocating. The findings, published today in the journal Science, could one day help researchers figure out how to keep humans healthy when oxygen gets cut off by strokes or heart failure. Naked mole rats are wrinkly, hairless, poop-eating, delightful creatures that live in large colonies of up to 280 animals. They spend their lives crawling through tunnel networks beneath the deserts of Africa where the air can get a little stuffy, and very low on oxygen. On the surface, carbon dioxide makes up less than one percent of the gases we breathe. But in these tunnels, carbon dioxide can account for 7 to 10 percent of the warm, close air. For most creatures, these conditions would be unlivable. We need oxygen to survive, because oxygen is key for generating the energy our bodies rely on to function. Cut off the oxygen, and we humans start hyperventilating, panicking, and having acid build up in our tissues. In the long run, we can experience serious … Continue reading →

Forbes Google Offshoot Starts A 10000-Person Study To Plumb Human Biology Forbes It's a realistic blueprint for how tech could change medicine. But it's also an emblem of how long that transformation will take. Verily, formerly known as Google Life Sciences, plans to begin a long-awaited 10,000-person study to explore the biology ... Verily Blog: Introducing Verily Study WatchVerily Blog Personalized Parkinson's Project - Verily Life SciencesVerily Baseline study - VerilyVerily MIT Technology Review all 117 news articles » Read the original post: Google Offshoot Starts A 10000-Person Study To Plumb Human Biology - Forbes … Continue reading →

The Texas State Board of Education tentatively voted to removelanguage in high school biology standards that would have required students to challenge evolutionary science. Currently, the curriculum requires students to evaluate scientific explanations for the origins of DNA and the complexity of certain cells, which some have argued could open the door to teaching creationism. Wednesday's vote, which had been preceded by a lengthy and contentious debate in recent months, would change how science teachers approach such topics in the classroom. The word "evaluate" could require another two weeks of lesson time for teachers who are already on tight schedules to cover material for the state's standardized tests, said Ron Wetherington, a Southern Methodist University professor on the 10-member committee of teachers and scientists that the board appointed in July to help streamline science standards. The committee wrote a letter last week requestingnarrower language to replace the word "evaluate," arguing it would save valuable instruction time without creating significant instructional problems. The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one. On Wednesday, board member Keven Ellis proposed two amendments that reflected this feedback and eliminated the word "evaluate" from biology standards replacing it with language requiring students to "examine scientific explanations … Continue reading →

Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (press release) Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (press release) The public is invited to help name five of the 10 cheetah cubs born in late March at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia. There are fewer than 10,000 cheetahs in the wild, and researchers at the Smithsonian's ... Vote to name the Smithsonian's cheetah cubsCBS News Name the cheetah cubs vote nowWTOP Saving the Panamanian Golden FrogSmithsonian Science News all 7 news articles » Read more: Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute - Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (press release) … Continue reading →