Research News Round-Up
This week we have rounded up some research news we think are worthy of a quick read:
Astronomers Detect Biggest Explosion in the History of the Universe
Scientists studying a distant galaxy cluster have discovered a tremendous explosion seen in the Universe since the Big Bang. The blast came from a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy hundreds of millions of light-years away. It released five times more energy than the previous record holder. Check out the full article to learn more about this massive explosion.
Negative Emotions Today Predict Procrastination Tomorrow
Shira Pollack and Joanna Herres of The College of New Jersey conducted a study that explored the relations between feelings and procrastination. Statistically, they modeled the relations between affect and procrastination to understand, which predicts the other. The authors also suggest therapeutic approaches that might be most effective including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Affect Regulation Training, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and mindfulness-based treatments. Read the full article, and you may be able to overcome this troubling habit.
Geologists Determine Early Earth Was A Water World' by Studying Exposed Ocean Crust
Geologists have found 3.2-billion-year-old ocean crust in Australia and used that rock data to build a quantitative, inverse model of ancient seawater. The model suggests that long ago, Earth could have been a 'water world' with submerged continents. Learn more and see the model in the article.
Scientists Use Revolutionary Gene-Editing Tool To Edit Inside A Patient
Scientists injected a microscopic gene-editing tool into the eye of a patient blinded by a rare genetic disorder. They hope to restore the patient’s sight. Within a few weeks, they will know if the approach was successful. The CRISPR gene-editing technique has made scientists hope they will be able to cure a variety of genetic diseases. The story dives into more details about CRISPR and the procedure.
This article features a really interesting interview with Wenfei Tong, the author of Bird Love: The Family Life of Birds. The book is a visually striking and wryly funny book about the evolution and diversity of bird family life. Tong share a lot of behind the scenes information about writing the book that made me add it to my reading list!
Researchers Were Not Right About Left Brains, Study Suggests
Brain imprints on cranial bones from great apes and humans have disproven the long-held idea that the human pattern of brain asymmetry is unique. The same asymmetry pattern was found in chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. However, humans were the most variable in this pattern, suggesting that uniquely human cognitive abilities evolved by adapting a presumably ancestral asymmetry pattern.
How Resident Microbes Restructure Body Chemistry
A comparison of standard and germ-free mice revealed that as much as 70 percent of a mouse's gut chemistry is determined by its gut microbiome. Even in distant organs, such as the uterus or the brain, approximately 20 percent of molecules were different in the mice with gut microbes. Read the full article to learn more about the implications of this study.
We hope these articles provide you with something interesting to read today. Do you have a favorite research related article you recently read? Let us know on Twitter, @conserisapp. Happy reading!
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