The loss of Arctic sea-ice may be responsible for the weakened polar vortex and cold Northern Hemisphere winters observed in recent years, a new study shows. The researchers conducted observational analyses and model experiments to reveal a link between Arctic sea-ice loss and polar atmospheric circulation. Researchers showed that decreased sea-ice cover during November and December […]
Phytoplankton produces its own vitamins
A type of phytoplankton found all over the world appears to be able to survive without external supplies of vitamin B1, leading to a re-thinking of how the vitamin controls growth and carbon uptake in the global oceans. The availability of nutrients and vitamins in the ocean is a key limiting factor controlling blooms of phytoplankton, […]
Experimental drug reverses Ebola in monkeys
A new study reports that treatment with the experimental antibody “cocktail” known as ZMapp resulted in recovery in 100% of the 18 rhesus macaques treated with the drug, even when initiated up to five days after infection. This experimental therapy still requires safety testing in humans, but these results indicate that it could be a […]
Science Culture: Where Canada Stands | SMCC Webinar
Science Culture: Where Canada Stands | SMCC Webinar | 12:00 PM ET, Wednesday, August 27, 2014 How do Canadians use, think about, and interact with science? How do we compare with our peers in other developed nations? Are we ready to embrace science for the future of our country? These are just some of the […]
Genetic studies trace shifting populations in Canada’s Arctic
A new genetic study has clarified the relationships between the ancient and modern cultures in Canada’s Arctic. The results confirm that a single group – known as Paleo-Eskimo – arrived around 3000 BCE and disappeared around 1300 CE when a new group arrived from northern Alaska, the ancestors of today’s Inuit. Genetic information shows that […]
Stone-tipped spears cause more damage
It’s long been assumed that stone-tipped spears – the earliest examples of which appeared about 500,000 years ago – were a technological advance, but a new paper actually puts this theory to the test. Researchers used a cross-bow to fire wooden-tipped and stone-tipped spears into blocks of ballistics-grade gelatin. While both penetrated to a similar […]
A fish out of water . . . can get used to it
A new study shows just how much a fish can change when raised in a land environment, and sheds light on the role such changes could have played in the evolution of land animals. Bichir (Polypterus senegalus) have both gills and lungs and, although they prefer water, can walk across land to reach new habitat […]
A healthy mind with a healthy heart
A new study confirms that exercise and healthy lifestyle maintains the elasticity of the arteries and is linked to preserved cognitive abilities later in life. Researchers performed MRI scans and physical tests on 31 young people (aged 18-30) and 54 older participants (aged 55-75) and while they found that age-related decline of cognitive functions and […]
Humans and pigeons gamble in similar ways
A new study shows that when it comes to gambling and taking risks, humans and pigeons have more in common than you might think. The study had pigeons and humans choose between different coloured options to receive a reward. Through experience they learned that some colours gave guaranteed rewards, while others gave risky (probabilistic) rewards, i.e. […]
Antidepressants during pregnancy may be linked to ADHD in kids
A new study finds that exposure to antidepressants in the womb may be linked to an increased risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the researchers caution that the risks of depressed mothers-to-be stopping their medication may be greater for the unborn child than the increased risk of developing ADHD associated with continuing […]
Newfoundland fossil may be world’s oldest muscle
A 560 million-year-old fossil from Newoundland’s Bonavista Peninsula may record the oldest evidence of muscle tissue, according to a new paper. The fossil comes from a time known as the Ediacaran period, renowned for its preservation of the first large and complex organisms known. Most Ediacaran organisms were flat, sheet-like, or frond-like creatures whose […]
RNA research could lead to tailored prostate cancer treatment
New genetic research could help doctors predict which treatments will work best for a given prostate cancer patient. Researchers sequenced the RNA – molecules that tell them which genes are being expressed – from tumours in 25 prostate cancer patients. They then cross-referenced the RNA data detailed follow-up information, including reactions to different therapies. They […]
Marijuana legalization linked to lower overdose rates
U.S. states that implemented medical marijuana laws appear to have lower overdose death rates from prescription painkillers and drugs such as heroin, a new study shows. The authors examined ten states (Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Vermont) which enacted medical cannabis laws between 1999 and 2010 and compared […]
Hearths hazardous to heart health
Black carbon pollutants from wood-burning stoves and vehicle emissions are associated with elevated blood pressure in Chinese women, a new study shows. Black carbon is an air pollutant that comes from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels or wood; while it’s only one component of airborne dust, this is the first study to single it out […]
Toronto air pollution slowly getting better
Efforts to curb air pollution in Canada’s largest city are having an effect, although there’s still room for improvement, according to a new study. Researchers analysed data from provincial and federal monitoring programs and found that between 2004 and 2012, levels of both nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) decreased by about half. However, […]
Le premier vol, ou pourquoi les jeunes oiseaux migrent plus lentement
Une nouvelle étude montre que les jeunes oiseaux qui migrent pour la première fois sont plus lents que les adultes afin d’éviter la compétition avec ceux-ci. Des chercheurs ont utilisé des données de géolocalisation sur des grives des bois migrants du Bélize et du Costa Rica jusqu’au Canada. Ils ont trouvé que les jeunes oiseaux […]