New Clue to Constant Sexual Arousal in Women
Posted on September 14, 2022
| 3 minutes
| 618 words
| Patria Henriques
That pleasurable, tingling ache of sexual arousal can quickly turn torturous when it never ends. An unknown number of women suffer from the constant sensations of persistent genital arousal disorder, which has no cure, and no known cause.
But now researchers at Rutgers University say they've uncovered a clue: a small study showed a disproportionate number of women with persistent genital arousal disorder (or PGAD) have tiny growths called Tarlov cysts along their lower spines.
[Read More]Oldest Human DNA Reveals Mysterious Branch of Humanity
Posted on September 14, 2022
| 5 minutes
| 889 words
| Trudie Dory
The oldest known human DNA found yet reveals human evolution was even more confusing than thought, researchers say.
The DNA, which dates back some 400,000 years, may belong to an unknown human ancestor, say scientists. These new findings could shed light on a mysterious extinct branch of humanity known as Denisovans, who were close relatives of Neanderthals, scientists added.
Although modern humans are the only surviving human lineage, others once strode the Earth.
[Read More]Oldest Surface on Earth Discovered
Posted on September 14, 2022
| 2 minutes
| 365 words
| Patria Henriques
Earth's surface is mostly fresh in geologic terms.
Weathering — wind and water, freezing and thawing — takes its toll, and longer-term changes caused by volcanic activity and sliding crustal plates, known as tectonic activity, fold today's ground into tomorrow's interior.
The constant makeover of the planet is typically fastest in the mountains, slower in the tectonically inactive deserts.
A new study of ancient "desert pavement" in Israel's Negev Desert finds a vast region that's been sitting there exposed, pretty much as-is, for about 1.
[Read More]Robotics' Uncanny Valley Gets New Translation
Posted on September 14, 2022
| 3 minutes
| 583 words
| Patria Henriques
Today's roboticists swear by Masahiro Mori's "uncanny valley" essay about creepy human imperfections that was published in an obscure Japanese journal called Energy more than 40 years ago. But the first English translation was done between the early morning hours of 1 and 2 a.m. in a Japanese robotics lab in 2005 — a rush job that has finally received a painstaking revision in 2012.
The biggest language challenge for understanding the uncanny valley comes from the Japanese word "
[Read More]Rock City: Sandstone Concretions in Kansas
Posted on September 14, 2022
| 3 minutes
| 589 words
| Fernande Dalal
Rock City is a park in north-central Kansas that features more than 200 spherical rock formations, some with diameters that are up to 27 feet (8 meters). The site, which covers an area that's about the size of two football fields, has three clusters of these examples of sandstone concretions.
The spheres, known as "cannonball concretions," formed about 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, when areas of Kansas were covered by an inland sea, according to the Kansas Geological Survey.
[Read More]This 2,300-Year-Old Egyptian Fortress Had an Unusual Task: Guarding a Port That Sent Elephants to War
Posted on September 14, 2022
| 3 minutes
| 614 words
| Trudie Dory
A 2,300-year-old fortress that protected an ancient port called "Berenike" has been discovered in Egypt on the coast of the Red Sea by a Polish-American archaeological team.
Constructed at a time when Egypt was ruled by the Ptolemies, a dynasty of pharaohs descended from one of Alexander the Great's generals, the fortifications are sizable.
"A double line of walls protected the western part of the fortress, while a single line sufficed farther to the east and north.
[Read More]Why Sandy Hook Massacre Spawned Conspiracy Theories
Posted on September 14, 2022
| 5 minutes
| 963 words
| Arica Deslauriers
One month after the Sandy Hook school shootings, the list of victims continues to grow. One man, Gene Rosen — who found six children and a bus driver in his driveway, brought them into his home, fed them and called parents to assure them that their children were safe — has been harassed by telephone, email and online by those who think he is lying about his actions, and is part of a conspiracy.
[Read More]Can Birds Evolve to Avoid Being Road Kill?
Posted on September 13, 2022
| 3 minutes
| 529 words
| Patria Henriques
To avoid becoming road kill, birds may be evolving to have new traits such as shorter wingspans that allow better maneuverability, new research suggests.
The researchers, who detailed their results today (March 18) in the journal Current Biology, found that the number of cliff swallows hit by cars has declined dramatically over the last 30 years.
Those swallows that do get hit tend to have longer wingspans, suggesting evolution is selecting for birds with shorter wingspans, which can turn away from passing cars more quickly.
[Read More]Designing Life: Should Babies Be Genetically Engineered?
Posted on September 13, 2022
| 5 minutes
| 911 words
| Patria Henriques
NEW YORK — The increasing power and accessibility of genetic technology may one day give parents the option of modifying their unborn children, in order to spare offspring from disease or, conceivably, make them tall, well muscled, intelligent or otherwise blessed with desirable traits.
Would this change mean empowering parents to give their children the best start possible? Or would it mean designer babies who could face unforeseen genetic problems? Experts debated on Wednesday evening (Feb.
[Read More]How Bad Is Bacon for You, Really?
Posted on September 13, 2022
| 4 minutes
| 850 words
| Trudie Dory
It's a debate that plays out in everyone's head during a weekend brunch: Should I be eating this much bacon? Researchers have been diving into the question, too, specifically as it relates to cancer.
The question once again jumped to the forefront of people's minds with the recent release of a meta-analysis that concluded that bacon and several other types of meat are tied to an increased risk of breast cancer.
[Read More]