Lab notes: So long and thanks for all the fish?

Orcas talk! Well, one has, anyway: a study involving a killer whale called Wikie has revealed thatorcas can imitate human speech. Researchers have shown that killer whales able to copy words such as “hello”, “one, two” and ‘bye bye’ as well as sounds from other orcas. A great leap for our species, however, is the news that doctors in Newcastle have selected thefirst patients to undergo treatment which will result in ‘three-person babies’. Both women chosen for the radical therapy carry mutations that cause rare and devastating genetic disease. Another promising advance is the creation of anasal spray filled soluble nanoparticles of natural painkiller, which could replace addictive opioids. After a successful lab trial, the team are now fundraising for human clinical trials. And finally, two pieces of archaeological excellence. Firstly, a beautiful1,300-year-old Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet cross– found, intriguingly, on the body of a teenager buried in her own bed – has been given to a Cambridge museum. Secondly (and, indeed, finally) archaeologists believe they may have found acampsite that was home to the architects of Stonehenge.Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - February 2, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Tash Reith-Banks Tags: Science Source Type: news