Science

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When it comes to Neanderthals there is a lot that we don't know, but we are finding out more as time goes on. Scientists are looking for that elusive evidence that would show that we have some Neanderthal DNA, but so far no dice. One recent discovery is very interesting, It turns out that some Neanderthals had red hair. While this does not mean much in the studying of their habits, or show if we are related to them, it does show that they might have had as much variety in their race as we do. We have also found that at least some had pale skin. Could it be that they had as many race variations as we do? Why not, especially if race is based on climate? They were around for a half million years, which gave them plenty of time to diversify. Another discovery that is closely associated with this one is the fact that some wooly mammoths may have been blond.

Just when you thought that there was nothing more that could be done with human teeth, a new discovery has been made. A scientist has discovered a way to polish teeth using nano particles that make teeth so slippery that most harmful bacteria can not stick to them. Any bacteria of any type that happens to stick to a nano polished tooth can be easily removed, perhaps with a simple rinse. I guess my question would have to be, are the nano particles harmful in any amount? It would be terrible to find out that the nano particles are more harmful than the bacteria they replace.

From the beginning of time people have searched for ways to extend their lives. They never found the fountain of youth, but lately science has taken over the quest and guess what? Scientists claim that they have discovered a drug that can extend the life of old mice by 38%. The drug was discovered in the 1970s in of all places, the mysterious Easter Island. Easter Island is the island in the Pacific Ocean that contains the strange giant statues of heads. The drug is called Rapamycin. Please do NOT get too excited over this discovery, as like most things it has its dark side. No it won't turn you into a reptile or anything like that, but it just might kill you. One researcher said, "I never thought we would find an anti-ageing pill for people in my lifetime; however, rapamycin shows a great deal of promise to do just that." It turns out that the drug suppresses immunity. Scientists are working on that side of the drug.

Since we are talking about new drugs, I would be remiss if I didn't mention another new drug. The drug is RGS-14 and it allows mice to remember things that they have seen, not for the normal hour or so, but even two months later. It is believed that this drug is the ultimate visual memory enhancer. Scientists are now thinking about what this drug will be able to do for humans. So far we have long lived mice with great memories, but no human tests yet. Some scientists believe that this may give every human a photographic memory. I am sure the military would love to get their hands on this. Think what spies in organizations like the CIA would be able to do. Most of all, think of what it would do for students, no more struggling with tests. They would only have to read something once and they might remember it forever. It would improve all professions tremendously.

Here we are spending billions of dollars every year on this planet to figure out how to get rid of all that old refuse. Some of the greatest minds of our time are working on the problem. They have taken their Harvard and Yale backgrounds and applied them to the problem and yet we still don't have an answer, or do we? It turns out that we may and that answer comes from a 16 year old boy. Someone should have told him that he was too young and not educated enough to solve this problem, before he did. So what did he do? He has discovered microorganisms that can rapidly degrade plastic. We all know that plastic is one of the biggest parts of all waste. He actually used a simple method. He put ground plastic into a yeast solution which encouraged microbial growth. He then separated the most productive microbes. He kept repeating this with the microbes he separated, taking the best of the batch over and over, until he got a super microbe that could degrade the plastic rapidly. Why couldn't the world's scientists think of this?

A new machine has been invented by a US company. It is a sort of giant microwave that can turn plastic back to oil. That is not all however, some gas is produced and a few other products. It is almost like reversing the process that made the plastic in the first place, to get all the individual ingredients back. The machine is made by GRC and called the Hawk-10. The machine itself can produce up to 1200 different frequencies within the microwave range. "Anything that has a hydrocarbon base will be affected by our process," says Jerry Meddick, director of business development at GRC

Some astronomers have noticed something very strange about our universe. When you look at a simulation of how the universe evolved and grew, it looks almost exactly like the cells, neurons and connections of our brain.

It is turning out that the Hadron Collider is going to be off line for about three to four weeks longer than expected. The Collider is the biggest machine in the world. It smashes particles together to see what types of resulting particles are formed. Scientists use machines like this to try and discover what the universe is made of. Anyway, a faulty wiring connection knocked the machine out right after it was run for the initial time. It is now hundreds of millions of dollars later and the machine is still not up and running. One of the reasons for this is that new safety measures are being built into it. Some are afraid that this machine might produce tiny black holes that could be dangerous, but scientists reply that the energy being used is only a tiny fraction of the force that strikes the earth naturally.

It is being said that MIT has invented the best battery ever. Supposedly the battery is made entirely of liquid. Three different liquids are involved and if you need a bigger more powerful battery, you can pour yourself one. Professors at MIT are saying that the new battery can handle much greater currents than any other battery and is much easier to make and lasts longer and only costs about 1/3rd as much. This battery is a green powered battery and may be just the thing that industries, like the automotive industry needs. It could make the fully electric car viable. Finally it is being said that this system can store electricity for long periods of time without any loss.