West Virginia opens the door to teaching intelligent design
In 2005, then–U.S. District Court Judge John Jones ruled that intelligent design (ID)—the idea that life is too complex to have evolved without nudging from supernatural forces—cannot be taught in public school biology courses because it is not a scientific theory. This month, the West Virginia legislature found a workaround, and passed a bill that doesn’t name ID but will nevertheless allow public school teachers there to discuss it in the classroom. The bill, which the state’s governor is expected to sign before the end of the month, is the latest example of what evolution educator at the University of Au...
Source: ScienceNOW - March 18, 2024 Category: Science Source Type: news

Why Massive Numbers of Farmed Salmon Are Dying
The popularity of farmed Atlantic salmon on dinner tables worldwide has been a disaster for the king of fish. A new study determined that 865 million farmed salmon have died in mass die-offs in the last decade. The scientists blame the deaths on several factors, from ocean warming caused by climate change to the aquaculture industry’s overuse of antibiotics and pesticides and its aggressive attempts to increase production. Beyond the staggering number of dead fish, the findings raise questions about the future of growing salmon in cages on the ocean—and aquaculture in general. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”tr...
Source: TIME: Health - March 16, 2024 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins Tags: Uncategorized freelance Sustainability Source Type: news

‘Lab-leak’ proponents at Rutgers accused of defaming and intimidating COVID-19 origin researchers
Fraudsters. Liars. Perjurers. Felons. Grifters. Stooges. Imbeciles. Murderers. When it comes to describing scientists whose peer-reviewed studies suggest the COVID-19 virus made a natural jump from animals to humans, molecular biologist Richard Ebright and microbiologist Bryce Nickels have used some very harsh language. On X (formerly Twitter), where the two scientists from Rutgers University are a constant presence, they have even compared fellow researchers to Nazi war criminals and the genocidal Cambodian dictator Pol Pot. But now, their targets have had enough. A dozen scientists filed a formal complaint ...
Source: ScienceNOW - March 15, 2024 Category: Science Source Type: news

Canada moves to protect coral reef that scientists say ‘shouldn’t exist’
Discovery was made after First Nations tipped off ecologists about groups of fish gathering in a fjord off British ColumbiaDeep in the hostile waters off Canada ’s west coast, in a narrow channel surrounded by fjords, lies a coral reef that scientists believe “shouldn’t exist”. The reef is the northernmost ever discovered in the Pacific Ocean and offers researchers a new glimpse into the resilience – and unpredictability – of the deep-sea ecosys tems.For generations, members of theKitasoo Xai ’xais and Heiltsuk First Nations, two communities off the Central Coast region of British Columbia, had noticed large ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 15, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Leyland Cecco in Toronto Tags: Coral Canada Indigenous peoples Marine life Environment Oceans Biology Science Americas Source Type: news

Bayer and Aignostics to collaborate on next generation precision oncology
Bayer and Aignostics GmbH announced a strategic collaboration on several artificial intelligence (AI)-powered approaches with applications in precision oncology drug research and development. Aignostics is a spin-off from one of the world's leading hospitals, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and a global leader in using computational pathology to transform complex biomedical data into biology insights. (Source: World Pharma News)
Source: World Pharma News - March 15, 2024 Category: Pharmaceuticals Tags: Featured Bayer Business and Industry Source Type: news

‘We’re hurting.’ Trans scientists call for recognition and support from research community
Twenty-four scientists from around the globe—all of whom either identify as trans or have trans family members—have an urgent message for the scientific community: Sexual and gender minorities in science fields face various systemic barriers, and all members of the research community must strive to address them , the group writes today in Cell . “It will be tempting for people with prejudices—unexamined or not—toward trans people to dismiss this piece as ‘woke,’” says author Fátima Sancheznieto (she/her/ella), a biomedical and social scientist at the University of Wisconsin...
Source: ScienceNOW - March 14, 2024 Category: Science Source Type: news

Protecting Black mothers before, during and after pregnancy
Key takeawaysAccording to the California Department of Public Health, the pregnancy-related mortality rate for Black women in the state has long been  disproportionately high.Black women still experience pregnancy-related deaths at rates three to four times higher than those of their peers from other racial and ethnic groups.To discuss what ’s being done to address this crisis, the UCLA Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education hosted a talk by L.A. County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.The pregnancy-related mortality rate for Black women in California has long been disproportionately high, according to the Ca...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - March 14, 2024 Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news

Why Zero Stress Shouldn ’t Be Your Goal
How many times have you heard that squashing stress is crucial for good health? Stress has become such a wellness buzzword that the quest to get rid of it can feel, well, stressful. But stress isn’t always the enemy. In fact, research suggests some is actually good for you, with potential benefits ranging from enhanced brain function to healthier aging. In recent decades, some people have grown overly fearful of stress, concluding that it’s “the most horrible thing that can happen to you,” says Daniela Kaufer, a professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley. But &ldqu...
Source: TIME: Health - March 14, 2024 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Jamie Ducharme Tags: Uncategorized Evergreen healthscienceclimate Source Type: news

There's a point to this terrifying fox costume
The Richmond Wildlife Center said in a Facebook post that their staff had to don a fox mask so that the orphaned kit doesn't "become imprinted upon or habituated to humans." Richmond Wildlife Center Wildlife center staff in Virginia had to dress up like foxes while taking care of an orphaned kit.…#virginia #richmond #melissastanley #stanley #animaleducation #rescueorganization #biologists #wisconsin (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - March 13, 2024 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Cambridge synthetic biology startup inks $1B collaboration with Merck
The Cambridge-based startup said the collaboration will initially focus on the discovery and development of biologic cancer treatments. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - March 12, 2024 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Hannah Green Source Type: news

Distinguished Investigator Eugene Koonin, PhD, Selected as International Society for Computational Biology Fellow
Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. (Source: News from the National Library of Medicine)
Source: News from the National Library of Medicine - March 12, 2024 Category: Databases & Libraries Source Type: news

Flirting female frogs blink to beckon potential princes
The female concave-eared torrent frog ( Odorrana tormota ) may not have eyelashes, but that doesn’t stop her from batting her lubricous lids at potential mates. These beady-eyed amphibians can be found on the banks of noisy streams throughout China, where the rapids would drown out ordinary croaks and chirps. So, males and females of this species have both evolved to produce and hear high-pitched mating calls that can be heard over the rushing din to signal that they’re seeking a suitor. But how does one jumping Juliet single out a ribbiting Romeo know to let him know she’s interested? In a study published ...
Source: ScienceNOW - March 11, 2024 Category: Science Source Type: news

A Million Days review – low-budget sci-fi thriller asks if we should trust AI with our survival
In the near future humanity is doomed and our options are being determined by AI simulation – unfortunately for us, the AI doesn’t seem particularly bothered if we surviveThis intriguing sci-fi thriller is a throwback to the kind of cerebral teleplays and low-budget movies that flourished in the 1960s: ripe with gloomy lighting and dystopian pessimism, but with barely enough money in the budget to pay for more than two sets. Think On the Beach from 1959, or Seconds from 1966 – but then lower your expectations because it’s not anywhere in their league. But it’s not bad, and the subject is timely.The time is a coup...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 11, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Leslie Felperin Tags: Film Science fiction and fantasy films Artificial intelligence (AI) Space Computing Consciousness Culture Human biology Neuroscience Psychology Technology Source Type: news

Discovered in the deep: tiny ‘sucker-bum squid’ with martial arts moves
The two species of pygmy squid the size of a fingernail live on Japanese coral reefs. Spotting them is a sign of a healthy ecosystem, say scientistsIn Japan, stories have been told of forest-dwelling magical spirits calledkodamasince ancient times. Over the centuries, they ’ve adopted many guises: sometimes they’re invisible, sometimes they look like trees. The Studio Ghibli animated movie Princess Mononoke portrayedkodama asrotund little humanoids with rotating bobble heads. Now, a genus of miniature squid has been named in honour of thekodama and their role as nature ’s guardians.“If you see them, it’s a sign t...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 11, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Helen Scales Tags: Environment Oceans Animals World news Marine life Zoology Biology Science Source Type: news

Do gut microbes control your personality?
Biologist Kathleen McAuliffe dives into new research that suggests certain bacteria in your gut can influence major parts of who you are, from your personality to life-changing neurological disorders. Learn more about how this emerging science could change how we treat disease — and discover the…#kathleenmcauliffe (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - March 10, 2024 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news