How Sperm Get Hyperactive

 Posted on June 4, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  538 words  |  Trudie Dory

Sperm are a lively bunch to begin with, but they become even more excited when they zero in on an egg. They swim faster and their tail movements become more forceful and erratic. Now scientists have linked this behavior, called "hyperactivity," to selective protein channels in the sperm's tail. The results are detailed in the Feb. 9 issue of the journal Nature. Breaking through Sperm hyperactivity is necessary for breaking through two physical barriers that protect the egg from fertilization. [Read More]

How US Military's CAAT 'Walks' on Water

 Posted on June 4, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  488 words  |  Fernande Dalal

When U.S. Marines assaulted Pacific island strongholds during the last years of World War II, they relied on amphibious tractors capable of swimming with their tank treads. Today, the U.S. military has begun testing inflatable tank treads to carry supplies from ship to shore during disaster relief operations. The inflatable tanklike treads of the Captive Air Amphibious Transporter (CAAT) can separate into flat panels to push on the water like a paddleboat. [Read More]

In Photos: 'Little Foot' Human Ancestor Walked With Lucy

 Posted on June 4, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  615 words  |  Patria Henriques

A human relative with diminutive bones dubbed Little Foot lived at the same time as "Lucy," another human relative, Australopithecus afarensis, researchers have found. Both individuals belonged to the genus Australopithecus. The discovery suggests significant diversity of humanity's ancestors across of Africa. Here's a look at Little Foot and its relatives. [Read the full story on Little Foot] Little Foot Here, the skull of Australopithecus prometheus (Little Foot), a species that Darryl Granger of Purdue University in Indiana and colleagues has now dated to about 3. [Read More]

Making Babies After Death: It's Possible, But Is It Ethical?

 Posted on June 4, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  846 words  |  Trudie Dory

Is it ethical to use a dead man's sperm to father a child? Experts are calling for a consensus on policies surrounding this question, which currently vary widely across the country. It has been possible for a few decades to obtain a man’s sperm after his death and use it to fertilize an egg. Today, requests for postmortem sperm retrieval (PMSR) are growing, yet the United States has no guidelines governing the retrieval of sperm from deceased men, said Dr. [Read More]

Moderate Drinking Has No Health Benefits, Large Review of Studies Concludes

 Posted on June 4, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  819 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

A glass of wine with dinner has long been touted as heart healthy, but the scientific evidence for this claim doesn't pass muster, according to a new analysis of past research. Researchers reviewed 87 studies that found a link between moderate drinking and longevity, and they found major problems with way the studies were designed. Their analysis calls into question the idea that alcohol may be linked with a longer life. [Read More]

NASA to Announce Discovery of New Alien Planets Today

 Posted on June 4, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  316 words  |  Patria Henriques

NASA will unveil its latest discoveries in the search for planets beyond our solar system today (Dec. 20). The new alien planet announcement is based on findings made by NASA's Kepler planet-hunting spacecraft, an observatory that has been orbiting Earth since its launch in March 2009. The Kepler mission has already found 2,326 potential planets during its first 16 months of operation, with 28 of those confirmed as definite planets. [Read More]

Ocean Invaders: Exotic Species Spreading Through World's Seas

 Posted on June 4, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  718 words  |  Patria Henriques

Exotic species have invaded more than 80 percent of the oceans and coasts on Earth, causing problems that can ultimately cost billions of dollars to handle and these species may spread even further as climate changes worldwide, scientists find. Invasive species are infamous for wreaking havoc on land kudzu vines have covered large swaths of the U.S. Southeast; zebra mussels have invaded U.S. waterways; and rabbits and cane toads have bred to huge numbers in Australia. [Read More]

Pfizer vaccine is 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children ages 12 to 15

 Posted on June 4, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  417 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 among children ages 12 to 15 in a phase 3 trial, the companies announced on Wednesday (March 31). The companies plan to submit the data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) "as soon as possible" to expand emergency authorization to this age group, according to a statement posted online.  The hope is that vaccination of this age group can begin before the start of the next school year, Albert Bourla, Pfizer's chairman and chief executive officer said in the statement. [Read More]

The Price of Anarchy: How Contagion Spreads

 Posted on June 4, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  623 words  |  Trudie Dory

During infectious disease outbreaks, personal freedom comes at a price: the welfare of the public as a whole, a new study finds. In the research, scientists investigated whether, in the event of an outbreak, people should be allowed to move about freely or if authorities should enforce travel restrictions to halt the disease's spread. "What we were trying to understand better is how actions, in terms of routing humans, could affect the spread of disease," [Read More]

Walking, Even a Little, May Help Older Adults Live Longer

 Posted on June 4, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  446 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Regular walking may help older adults live longer, even if they don't walk enough to meet exercise guidelines, a new study finds. According to U.S. exercise guidelines, adults ages 18 to 64 should get at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate physical activity per week. But only about half of all U.S. adults, and 42 percent of adults ages 65 to 74, meet this recommendation, the researchers said. In the new study, researchers analyzed information from nearly 140,000 U. [Read More]