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Writer Fuel: Why You Should Build a “Frog Sauna”

frog sauna

All over the world, frogs are being wiped out by the chytrid fungus. At least 500 species have declined, including as many as 90 species now presumed extinct. This catastrophic and ongoing biodiversity loss surpasses the devastation wrought by other notorious invasive species such as cats, rats and even cane toads. Short of removing species … Read more

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Writer Fuel: “Mirror Life Forms” Could be Deadly to Existing Life

Mirror Bacteria - Deposit Photos

When you look in a mirror, the reflection is fundamentally you, but with a perfect reversal of all your features. This illustrates a phenomenon we also see in the tiny world of molecules. Some molecules exist as mirror images of themselves, known as “enantiomers”, that can’t be superimposed on one another. This concept is known … Read more

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Writer Fuel: Killer Squirrels in California Have Developed a Taste for Flesh

Squirrel - Deposit Photos

Ground squirrels usually eat seeds and nuts, but in a park in California, these cute, furry creatures have turned into carnivorous killers, mercilessly hunting down voles to peel the flesh from their bones. The unusual new behavior, which researchers caught on camera in Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County, could be driven by an … Read more

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Writer Fuel: What is Fatal Familial Insomnia?

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Disease name: Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) Affected populations: The disease affects an estimated 1 to 2 people per million every year, according to the National Organization of Rare Disorders. FFI is passed from parent to child, and between 50 and 70 families worldwide are believed to carry the genetic mutation that causes FFI. Males and … Read more

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Writer Fuel: Could Our Body heat Be Used to Power Our Devices?

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If you’ve ever seen yourself through a thermal imaging camera, you’ll know that your body produces lots of heat. This is in fact a waste product of our metabolism. Every square foot of the human body gives off heat equivalent to about 19 matches per hour. Unfortunately, much of this heat simply escapes into the … Read more

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Writer Fuel: Designer Cells Reboot the Immune System

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In an early-stage clinical trial, scientists used designer immune cells to “reboot” the immune systems of patients with various autoimmune diseases. The trial used a form of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, which has become a mainstay treatment for blood cancers, like leukemia. Only a few patients were included in this initial trial, … Read more

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Writer Fuel: How the Small But Mighty Water Bear Defies Lethal Radiation

Tardigrade / Water Bear - Deposit Photos

Tardigrades, the ubiquitous microscopic animals that resemble gummy bears with eight legs, are renowned for their ability to survive some of the harshest environmental conditions for decades without food and water. These hardy animals can easily endure levels of radiation that would be lethal to most other forms of life, extreme temperatures and even survive … Read more

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Writer Fuel: Does Forgetting Have an Evolutionary Benefit?

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Forgetting is part of our daily lives. You may walk into a room only to forget why you went in there — or perhaps someone says hi on the street and you can’t remember their name. But why do we forget things? Is it simply a sign of memory impairment, or are there benefits? One … Read more

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Writer Fuel: Livers in Space!

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Miniature livers will fly aboard the International Space Station in an upcoming study on whether microgravity can encourage the growth of healthy tissue with an ample blood supply. It’s an effort that could potentially lead to personalized, space-grown tissues and organs for use in transplant surgeries, scientists say. In two upcoming experiments, researchers plan to … Read more

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Writer Fuel: How Do You See Pictures In Your Mind?

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Imagine you are in a soccer match, and it’s tied. Each team will begin taking penalty kicks. The crowd is roaring, and whether or not your team wins the game depends on your ability to hit the shot. As you imagine this scene, are you able to picture the scenario with colors and details? Scientists … Read more