Thursday, June 19, 2014

Current Events in Science - June 20th

Current Events in Science


Life Science:
Fish Fossils Shed Light on Origin of Jaws
Several fossil specimens of a Cambrian fish called Metaspriggina walcotti recently discovered in Canada shed new light on the development of the earliest vertebrates, including the origin of jaws.  The details in the fossils are stunning; even the eyes are beautifully preserved and clearly evident.  The fossils, which date from 505 million years ago, also show pairs of exceptionally well-preserved arches near the front of the fish’s body.  These arches have long been known to have played a key role in the evolution of vertebrates, including the origin of jaws.  Until now, however, a lack of quality fossils has meant that the arrangement of these arches in the first vertebrates had been hypothetical.  So here we have another example where a prediction is actually verified by observation — a hallmark of science.)  The first of the pairs or arches, closest to the head, eventually led to the evolution of jaws in vertebrates.  Also, the arrangement of the muscles shows that Metaspriggina walcotti were active swimmers, not unlike a trout, and the animals saw the world through a pair of large eyes and sensed their surrounding environment with nasal structures.
http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/science-fish-fossils-metaspriggina-walcotti-origin-jaws-01986.html
Earth Science:
Canadian Scientists Discover Northernmost Perennial Spring
A team of researchers has announced the discovery of the earth’s highest latitude perennial spring, located in the polar desert of the Canadian High Arctic.  The Ice River Spring demonstrates that deep groundwater circulation through the cryosphere occurs, and can form gullies in a region of extreme low temperatures and with morphology remarkably similar to those on Mars.  Recordings show that this spring flows year-round, even during 24 hours of darkness in the winter months, when air temperatures are as low as –50°C (–58°F). 
Climate Change:
Earth Has Its Warmest May on Record
Two of the leading centers that track global surface temperatures have reported their data for May, and they both found it to be the warmest such month on record for the planet.  NASA found that May had an average global temperature that was 1.38 degrees Fahrenheit above average, which would make it the warmest such month, coming out far ahead of May 2012.  The Japanese Meteorological Agency's separate analysis also found both May and the meteorological spring months of March through May to be the warmest on record.  Later this week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will release their global numbers, which typically closely match the other centers’.
http://mashable.com/2014/06/17/earth-warmest-may-spring/
Physical Science and Technology:
Silicon Could Be Replaced By Carbon Nanotubes in Many Circuits
When it comes to electronics, silicon will now have to share the spotlight.  Researchers have developed a flexible, energy-efficient circuit using carbon nanotubes.  Carbon nanotubes consist of carbon atoms arranged into microscopic tubes.  These could take the place of silicon as the traditional material used in electronic chips, since carbon nanotubes are more transparent, flexible, and lower cost.  The potential applications for this kind of integrated circuitry are numerous, including light-emitting diodes, digital circuits, radio frequency identification tags, sensors, and wearable electronics. Even heads-up displays on vehicle dashboards could soon be a reality.  The new technology also has medical applications.  To obtain medical information from a patient such as heart rate or brainwave data, stiff electrode objects are placed on several fixed locations on the patient's body. With this new flexible circuit, electrodes could be placed all over the patient's body with just a single large but flexible object.

Astronomy:
Galaxy Images Extended to Ultraviolet
Astronomers previously captured long-exposure photos of galaxies in the direction of the constellation Fornax in visible and infrared light.  Galaxies were revealed that are so far away that the light we see today left those galaxies over 10 billion years ago.  Now new photos have been acquired in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum, which reveal the formation process of galaxies, particularly at their younger stages.  The previous lack of information from ultraviolet light made studying the galaxies like trying to understand the history of families without knowing about the grade-school children. The addition of the ultraviolet fills in this missing range.
Science & Society
Thirst for water moves and shakes California
In California’s Central Valley, removing groundwater to irrigate crops may trigger small earthquakes and uplift nearby mountains.  California’s thirst for water is creating unrest. During the dry season, tiny earthquakes rattle the state.  And GPS measurements show that its mountains have begun creeping higher, bit by bit.  Scientists have linked the two phenomena to the heavy pumping of water from natural reserves below California’s Central Valley.  The groundwater provides drinking water and irrigates some of the country’s most productive farms.  All that water has a lot of mass. The ground acts similar to a mattress after you get out of bed.  So removing all that water weight from beneath the Central Valley has allowed the ground nearby to rise back up.  In California, that upward movement has taken the surrounding mountains with it.
https://student.societyforscience.org/article/thirst-water-moves-and-shakes-california 

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