I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.

Science and Technology. Zzzzzz

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Science and technology never fail to impress me. I just did my routine check on this geek website called "New Scientist", and discovered 3 interesting things. It's just bewildering to know that there are such things being done in labs, in nature and in our very minds.

The first interesting fact, or hypothesis, was that colour could affect judgement. This basically means that what colour we wear for a particular competition, or exam, could affect our performance. Okay, maybe not our performance per se, but how we are assessed. Researchers from Harvard found that in a series taekwondo matches where the competitors are of similar athletic capabilities, experienced referees have a 13% chance of awarding the competitor in red a higher score. But here's the twist. The researchers swapped the colours between the two competitors now and again, and it is always the one in red having higher scores. So, now comes the question: Can we do well in exams just by wearing red? I think not. It is a mutually exclusive case.

The second finding was about how rat brain cells can control robots, and that researchers are going to use human brain cells to do the same. They claim that such a move would potentially bring new benefit into the realm of treatment of epilepsy and other diseases associated with the brain function. Not that interesting, but it shows us how far research could go. I wonder why there are no ethical issues arising from such proceedings thoough.

Finally, my favourite. It's about the evolution of the deer mouse in Nebraska. They are, apparently, undergoing evolution right beneath our very noses(literally). These deer mice are exhibiting a light coloured fur coat; in contrast to the dark coat seen in their ancestors. Now you might thing that there's nothing to be amazed about. But let me tell you that these mice do not have the genes for light coloured fur, not even in their ancestors. So, where did the supposed "light coloured gene" come from? It was due to a deletion mutation in the Agouti gene, which codes for the fur coat colour in these mice. It consists of the deletion of 3 consecutive nucleotide bases, leading to the deletion of an amino acid in the resulting polypeptide chain of the enzyme which is involved in the biosynthesis of the original black pigment. The mutation caused the formation of a different protein, which results in the lighter pigment. Now how amazing is that. Evolution in our very own backyard (well if I lived in Nebraska that is...).

Too much geek stuff for you?
Sorry!

- Prelims begin tomorrow. Then its the As. All has come down to this. 12 years of knowledge better be put to good use. For the future. TO the future!

Truly,
Hunni.