New research shows that drinking a cup of cow’s milk every day helps children grow taller. According to the study, for each daily cup of cow’s milk they drank, children were 0.2 centimetres taller than average for their age. Conversely, for every cup of non-cow’s milk, kids were 0.4 centimetres shorter than average. The study […]
Better membrane model can help deliver drugs through the blood-brain barrier 
Selective membrane that protects the central nervous system from circulating blood, commonly known as the blood-brain barrier, has been notoriously hard to penetrate — for a good reason, as it protects cells of the central nervous system from contamination. But breaching this barrier is also essential for delivering medicine to treat illnesses affecting the CNS […]
Reducing ambiguity in the Paris Agreement can help better estimate its benefits
Estimates in greenhouse gas reductions on the terms of the Paris Agreement can be improved by 10%, if participating countries make a commitment to submit their climate plans every five years. Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to below two degrees Celsius by 2030. However, the current result estimates vary by as much as […]
Scientists solved the mystery of the mass Allosaurus grave
The Cleveland-Lloyd dinosaur bone bed has been a puzzle for paleontologists for many years. It’s home to the densest collection of Jurassic era dinosaur fossils, which includes numerous Allosaurus fossils. Since the bone bed’s discovery in the 1920s, numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain its origin—including theories of a mass poisoning event, drought, or even dinosaurs […]
Irregular mealtimes reset one of our biological body clocks
One of the major biological cycles of the human body is influenced by mealtimes, a new study suggests. The human body runs on a roughly 24-hour cycle, controlled by a “master” clock in the brain and peripheral clocks in other parts of the body, which are synchronized with external cues, including light and food intake. […]
The brain chemistry of voles’ everlasting love
Voles are famous examples of social monogamy, a rare phenomenon in the animal kingdom. A recent study set to find out if there’s anything unique about these loving rodents’ brain connections that helps them form such strong bonds with their mate. Researchers specifically focused on the corticostriatal circuit in the brain, which is known to control the animals’ […]
Duck, duck, goose: How evolution shaped waterfowl beaks
A new study provides the most comprehensive look at the evolution of beaks in waterfowl to date. Following Charles Darwin’s famous finch study, present research suggests that diet shaped the beaks of geese and ducks. Study author studied 3D form of the beaks of 136 specimens of waterfowl, covering 51 species and 46 genera, including […]
Hawaiian corals at risk of extinction due to climate change, despite protection
Researchers have documented a third global coral bleaching event, which ended just in 2016, at the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (HBNP) on the island of O’ahu, Hawai’i. They found that 47% of reef flat corals at HBNP bleached overall and 9.8% of corals died at Hanauma Bay during this time. This means that, despite their […]
Older mothers more likely to experience complications during childbirth
Risk of life-threatening complications during childbirth — such as as renal failure, obstetric shock, and amniotic fluid embolism — increases with mother’s age, according to a new study. Researchers examined data from single-infant births to women of various ages over the period of 10 years. After adjusting for confounding factors, such as parity, body mass […]
Hominin evolution linked to groundwater distribution
Video courtesy of Bournemouth University Dispersal patterns of early human ancestors in East Africa relied heavily on the distribution of groundwater, new research suggests. Previously, the hominin movements were thought to have relied solely on climate shifts; however, it was unknown what sustained their survival in extremely dry weather when fresh water was scarce. Researchers […]
Climate Change, Extreme Heat and Health | SMCC Backgrounder
There is no denying it and no doubt about it: our planet is warming and climate change is well underway, around the world and right here in Canada. And extreme heat events are one of the consequences. Periods of extreme heat are uncomfortable, but they can also exacerbate existing health conditions, such as asthma, and […]
Zika virus circulated undetected for months before the outbreak, genome studies show
An international team of scientists have charted the emergence and spread of the Zika virus in the Americas with the help of virus genomes. While the Zika outbreak attracted a lot of attention both inside and outside the scientific community, little is known about the evolution of the virus. Clinical samples of the virus contain […]
A Hermit Thrush’s song offers a note on its origin
Sing me a song and I’ll tell you where you come from—at least, that seems to be the case with Hermit Thrushes, according to a recent study. Researchers analyzed spectograms of Hermit Thrush songs, which revealed significant differences in song structures of three major populations—Northern, Western Mountain and Western Lowland thrushes. And it sounds like […]
Zebra finches’ courtship serenade preferences shaped by developmental exposure
During courtship, male zebra finches perform a longer and faster version of their usual songs in order to attract females—who, in turn, prefer the modified song during their search for a mate. Researchers investigated whether that preference in female zebra finches relied on being exposed to male birds’ songs early in life. It turns out that […]
Fitness trackers are good at measuring heart rate, but not calories burned
Fitness tracker users can rely on their gadgets for heart rate information, but not so much on the number of calories burned. According to a new study, data on calorie expenditure on major fitness tracker brands is extremely unreliable, with up to 27% deviation in the most accurate reading, and up 93% deviation in the […]
Generosity pays off: friendly vampire bats don’t go hungry with loss of relatives
Female vampire bats form close ties between mothers and daughters, where the pair grooms and shares food with one another. But when those ties are broken, unrelated vampire bats help take over some of these duties, a new study suggests. Feeding isn’t an easy task for vampire bats, so every drop of blood shared with […]
