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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for August 16, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Robotic arm simulates driving a Ferrari (w/ Video)- Sony Ericsson to Introduce PSP/Smartphone Android 3.0 Gaming Platform
- Could thermodynamic fluctuations have led to the origins of life?
- Virology Journal retracts paper on Jesus curing possible case of influenza
- RNA snippets control protein production by disabling mRNAs
- IBEX mission yields intriguing studies about solar system, lively debate among researchers
- Spacewalking astronauts plug in new cooling pump
- Scientists map epigenetic changes during blood cell differentiation
- A river flipped: Humans trump nature on Texas river
- Today's superheroes send wrong image to boys, say researchers
- Study suggests boys and girls not as different as previously thought
- Electric vehicles aim for 'longest and greenest' world tour
- Input-output trade-offs found in human information processing
- Researchers develop MRSA-killing paint
- Innovation, reinvented
Space & Earth news
Arsenic in field runoff linked to poultry litter
Fields amended with poultry litter can accumulate significant levels of arsenic, according to studies by USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and associates. These findings provide key information about the agricultural pollutants that can build up in agricultural soils over time - and possibly migrate into nearby streams and rivers.
Measuring salt shine to improve climate understanding
From 14 - 25 August 2010, scientists from around the world will gather in Southern Turkey to measure the spectral reflectance of a few square kilometres of salt. These measurements will have a major impact on the future of satellite based Earth observation, and will ultimately improve our understanding of the Earth's climate.
Health impact of Gulf Coast oil spill hazardous but improving
The oil spill along the United States Gulf Coast poses health risks to volunteers, fishermen, clean-up workers and members of coastal communities, according to a new commentary by UCSF researchers who spent time in the region and are among the first to look into health problems caused by the oil spill. The good news, the authors say, is that one of the risk factors, coastal air quality, is improving now that the oil leak has been stopped.
California landmark global-warming law under fire
A November ballot measure that would suspend California's landmark global-warming law could also end up rolling back some of the state's other sweeping environmental standards _ including rules that require utilities to generate a third of their electricity from renewable sources and programs requiring oil refineries to make cleaner-burning fuels.
NASA satellites investigate: Tropical Depression 5 may rise again
Tropical Depression Five's remnants made a loop into southeastern Louisiana and coastal Mississippi this weekend and have again emerged in the Gulf of Mexico. Being back in the warm Gulf waters has given TD 5 a good chance for rebirth and NASA satellites are watching the storm's thunderstorms build.
Thousands flock to see asteroid pod in Japan
Thousands of people flocked to an exhibition in Japan on Sunday to see a capsule from the Hyabusa space probe which was hoped to have brought asteroid dust to Earth.
Telescope promises new look at universe - if NASA can get it into space
When it works, and if it works, the James Webb Space Telescope could revolutionize astronomy by peering so deep into space that scientists soon could study the dawn of time.
Too hot to handle: Impacts of climate change on mussels
Climate change is causing higher air and water temperatures along the east coast of the United States. These changes have shrunk the geographic region where blue mussels are able to survive, according to findings by University of South Carolina researchers published in the Journal of Biogeography.
IBEX mission yields intriguing studies about solar system, lively debate among researchers
Since its October 2008 launch, NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft has mapped the invisible interactions occurring at the edge of the solar system, surpassing its mission objectives with images that reveal the interactions between our home in the galaxy and interstellar space to be surprisingly structured and intense.
Spacewalking astronauts plug in new cooling pump
(AP) -- Spacewalking astronauts installed a new ammonia pump to the International Space Station on Monday, accomplishing the urgent cooling-system repairs after more than two weeks of impaired operations in orbit.
Resolving the paradox of the Antarctic sea ice
While Arctic sea ice has been diminishing in recent decades, the Antarctic sea ice extent has been increasing slightly. Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology provide an explanation for the seeming paradox of increasing Antarctic sea ice in a warming climate. The paper appears in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science the week of August 16, 2010.
Technology news
WTO rules against EU on hi-tech duties
The World Trade Organization has backed the United States, Japan and Taiwan in their complaint against EU duties on high-technology products, according to a ruling published Monday.
Particle physics used to mitigate natural disasters
Talk of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's single biggest scientific instrument, has mostly focused on the search for the mysterious Higgs Boson, the as yet undetected particle that scientists hope will reveal the secrets of the physical make-up of the universe.
Engineering and Music: A Powerful Duet for Art and Science
An engineer with a love of music, and a musician who likes technology, Mark Bocko and Dave Headlam are both professors at the University of Rochester. For more than ten years their collaboration has been moving both fields forward.
Dell to buy storage provider 3Par for $1.13B
(AP) -- Dell Inc. said Monday it is buying 3Par Inc., a maker of enterprise data storage equipment, for about $1.13 billion in cash.
N.Korea uses Twitter for propaganda offensive
North Korea's propaganda campaign has surged into the 21st century with a new Twitter account, hot on the heals of its foray into video with clips posted on YouTube.
Website represents new frontier in cyberbullying, experts say
It's new, it's exciting, it's quickly growing in popularity - it's also usually anonymous and potentially dangerous.
Car lighting makeover impacts feel of safety and style
Gone are the days of basic, glaring lights inside cars to help us find our seatbelts or scramble for a map. Taking cues from research in buildings and offices, today's car designers have started to incorporate gentle ambient interior lighting, potentially enhancing night driving safety as well is increasing the feel good factor about vehicle interiors, according to research appearing today in the journal Lighting Research and Technology published by SAGE.
Branding in a new light
Illuminated and neon signs outside businesses have contributed to brand identity for some years. But researchers are now evaluating how selecting a universal lighting design for stores can also send out branding signals to consumers. The concept of using lighting design as a form of corporate communication is illuminated further in an article in the current issue of Lighting Research and Technology, published by SAGE.
Threats of int'l BlackBerry bans echo US debate
(AP) -- Threats by the governments of India, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to shut down BlackBerry's corporate e-mail services reflect unease about a technology that the U.S. government also took a while to accept.
Electric vehicles aim for 'longest and greenest' world tour
Electric vehicles from Australia, Germany and Switzerland set off Monday on the "longest and greenest" round-the-world drive to promote emissions free transport and November's world climate conference.
Innovation, reinvented
A carmaker reports that design time on a new model dropped from six months to just one, thanks to new tools for innovation and collaboration developed by European researchers. The way companies get and develop good ideas has undergone its own profound reinvention.
How do we talk about our town?
University of Melbourne researchers have developed a mobile phone game that will help ensure computers better understand the way we talk about our towns.
Robotic arm simulates driving a Ferrari (w/ Video)
Engineers have turned a robotic arm into a "Ferrari simulator," enabling users to feel what it's like to experience high-speed driving while controlling the car in a video game. As shown in the video below, players sit in the robotic arm positioned about two meters off the ground, and the arm twists and turns to simulate the car's motion.
Medicine & Health news
Teen sex not always bad for school performance
(AP) -- There's good news for parents who worry that their teenagers' sex lives are affecting their school performance: A provocative new study has found that teens in committed relationships do no better or worse in school than those who don't have sex.
Hormone treatment to prevent ambiguous genitalia in baby girls spurs debate
Each year in the United States, perhaps a few dozen pregnant women learn they are carrying a fetus at risk for a rare disorder known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The condition causes an accumulation of male hormones and can, in females, lead to genitals so masculinized that it can be difficult at birth to determine the baby's gender.
Global health leaders advocate for expanding cancer care in developing countries
Once thought to be a problem primarily in the developed world, cancer is now a leading cause of death and disability in poorer countries. Almost two-thirds of the 7.6 million cancer deaths in the world occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Scientists develop new drug treatment for malaria
As part of the £1.5 million project, researchers are now testing the drug to determine how the treatment could progress to clinical trials. The drug is made from simple organic molecules and will be cheaper to mass produce compared to existing therapies.
Involuntary childlessness more detrimental than originally thought
Test-tube fertilisation is the reason why more couples than previously now have the chance to become biological parents. However, the path to achieving this can be laborious and, for some, the treatment is unsuccessful. A thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, indicates that people are more negatively affected than previously reported in studies of involuntary childlessness.
Gene that causes barnacles to avoid ship hulls identified
The substance medetomidine has proved effective in preventing fouling of ship bottoms. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now identified the gene that causes the barnacle to react to the substance, opening up the possibility of an antifouling paint that is gentle both on barnacles and on the environment.
New insights could mean better fish feeds
A better understanding of what happens in a fish's body when it eats could lead to the production of better fish feeds. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, are hoping to contribute to more energy-efficient aquaculture. In the long term, this could increase the supply of farmed fish and so provide more food for the Earth's burgeoning population.
Diabetes risk in children increases risk for weak bones
Children at risk for diabetes before they reach puberty also appear to be at risk for weak bones, Medical College of Georgia researchers report.
Detecting depression in caretakers of mentally ill adults
A diagnostic test of eight short questions designed by Jaclene Zauszniewski from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University can be used to detect depressive thinking patterns that lead to clinical depression in women who care for an adult family member with a serious mental illness.
Rhetoric, framing efforts have little influence in same-sex marriage debate
A study by Indiana University researchers found that terminology and efforts to frame an issue -- often effective in influencing public opinion -- have no effect on public opinion concerning the ongoing debate in the U.S. over legalizing same-sex marriage.
Better treatment of atrial fibrillation and its risks
The earlier that patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation obtain the correct treatment, the lower is the risk of serious secondary effects such as stroke. A thesis presented at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that a well-established measurement score can easily assess the risks for this patient group.
Mount Sinai pioneers new cardiac imaging device
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have for the first time developed a way to visualize coronary artery plaques vulnerable to rupture using multi-color computed tomography (CT), an innovation that will lead to better and earlier diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. The data are published in the September issue of Radiology.
Amphetamine use increases risk of aortic tears in young adults
Young adults who abuse amphetamines may be at greater risk of suffering a tear in the main artery leading from the heart, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.
Donor Risk Index does not impact outcomes on a small scale
The Donor Risk Index, which assesses donor characteristics impacting liver transplantation outcomes, does not bear the same impact on outcomes on a small scale as is suggested from large-scale, national data.
Disadvantaged adolescents prone to adult crime and substance abuse problems
A new article published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry concludes that early intervention among young adolescents with delinquency problems may help prevent the development of long-term crime, alcohol use disorders (AUDs), and risky sex behaviors, especially among disadvantaged youth.
Presidential election outcomes directly influence suicide rates
Change and hope were central themes to the November 2008 U.S. presidential election. A new longitudinal study published in the September issue of Social Science Quarterly analyzes suicide rates at a state level from 1981-2005 and determines that presidential election outcomes directly influence suicide rates among voters.
Adding to the strain for Indian women: Abuse by in-laws during pregnancy
Physical abuse and maltreatment by in-laws is not uncommon among pregnant and postpartum women in India, and may be compromising maternal and child health, according to a new study led by a Boston University School of Public Health researcher.
Wisconsin football getting wise to concussions
The stunning revelation by doctors in the wake of the death of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry offered a cautionary tale for all football players.
SPF on your plate
We all want that summer glow that comes from a day at the beach, but taking in the rays can have long-term implications for our health. Now Dr. Niva Shapira of Tel Aviv University's School of Health Professions suggests a way to make fun in the sun safer ― and it's all in our food.
New understanding of the 'flight-or-fight' response
New research in the Journal of General Physiology helps explain how the body's "flight-or-fight" response is mediated. The study, which may provide new answers to the question of how the heart pacemaker—the sinoatrial (SA) node—is regulated, appears online on August 16.
Research concludes vitamin D may treat or prevent allergy to common mold
Research conducted by Dr. Jay Kolls, Professor and Chair of Genetics at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, and colleagues, has found that vitamin D may be an effective therapeutic agent to treat or prevent allergy to a common mold that can complicate asthma and frequently affects patients with Cystic Fibrosis. The work is scheduled to be published online August 16, 2010, ahead of the print edition of the September 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Reminding health-care staff to remove catheters reduces infections by half
Urinary catheters are often left in place longer than needed, and new research shows that reminder systems that encourage hospital staff to remove catheters promptly can reduce the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections by 52 percent.
Novel role: EZH2 boosts creation of ovarian cancer blood vessels
A protein associated with cancer progression when abundant inside of tumors also unexpectedly regulates the creation of new blood vessels that feed the tumor outside, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in the August edition of Cancer Cell.
Repairing spinal cord injury with manipulated neural stem cells
One of the most common causes of disability in young adults is spinal cord injury. Currently, there is no proven reparative treatment. Hope that neural stem cells (NSCs) might be of benefit to individuals with severe spinal cord injury has now been provided by the work of a team of researchers, led by Kinichi Nakashima, at Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Japan, in a mouse model of this devastating condition.
Homecare after hip surgery in seniors increases survival rate
Seniors who received home care after discharge from hospital for partial hip surgery (hemiarthroplasty) were 43% less likely to die in the three months following the procedure, found a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). However, less than 16% of elderly patients discharged home after partial hip surgery in the study group received home care.
Researchers identify potential new target for ovarian cancer
For the first time, Salt Inducible Kinase 2 (SIK2) has been found to play a critical role in cell division and to regulate the response of some ovarian cancers to chemotherapy.
People who cannot escape a system are likely to defend the status quo
The freedom of emigration at will is internationally recognized as a human right. But, in practice, emigration is often restricted, whether by policy or by poverty. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that people who are told that their right to emigrate will be restricted have what could be considered a strange reaction: they respond by defending their country's system.
One in Five American Families Is
Twenty-one percent of American households with children are "food insecure" - a situation that adversely affects children most - causing poor cognitive development, socio-emotional and health outcomes - according to a new report by the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), a think tank at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
Alcohol and tobacco advertising bans don't work
(PhysOrg.com) -- Bans on alcohol and tobacco marketing are among the least effective tactics for combating underage drinking and smoking, according to a Penn State economist, who has studied the effects of advertising since 1985.
FDA poised to recall unproven blood pressure drug
(AP) -- Federal health regulators are pushing to withdraw a blood pressure drug that has been on the market for 14 years in spite of the manufacturer's failure to submit evidence that it actually helps patients.
FTC sues Arizona company over acai pill free trials
(AP) -- The Federal Trade Commission says an Arizona company defrauded consumers who signed up for free trials of acai (ah-sah-EE') berry weight-loss pills and colon cleansing supplements.
Growing up without sibs doesn't hurt social skills
Growing up without siblings doesn't seem to be a disadvantage for teenagers when it comes to social skills, new research suggests.
Obesity rates decline for many adolescents but disparities worsen
Obesity rates have started to decline and level off for many adolescents, but continue to increase for certain racial and ethnic minorities, according to a new UCSF-led study.
Genes associated with aggressive breast cancer
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have for the first time identified 12 genes that could be associated with aggressive breast tumours. The discovery could result in more reliable prognoses and better treatment strategies for patients.
Internet access at home increases the likelihood that adults will be in relationships
Adults who have Internet access at home are much more likely to be in romantic relationships than adults without Internet access, according to research to be presented at the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.
Stress in middle age could contribute to late-life dementia
Psychological stress in middle age could lead to the development of dementia later in life, especially Alzheimer's disease, reveals research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Based on data from a study which followed women for 35 years, this is the first research in Sweden to indicate a link between stress and dementia.
Language as a window into sociability
People with Williams syndrome-known for their indiscriminate friendliness and ease with strangers-process spoken language differently from people with autism spectrum disorders-characterized by social withdrawal and isolation-found researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
Obesity and diabetes: Immune cells in fat tissue explain the link
Inflammation-causing cells in fat tissue may explain the link between obesity and diabetes, a team of Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers in Melbourne, Australia, has shown.
Researchers find function of proteins that can enhance the progression of viruses and cancer cells
In a discovery that has implications for developing treatments against cancer and potentially deadly viruses, researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center have discovered the function of proteins that can enhance the progression of certain viruses and cancer cells. Their findings were published in the journal Genes and Development.
Scientists reveal new targets for anti-angiogenesis drugs
A new study describes how a carbohydrate-binding protein, galectin-3, promotes angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Targeting the protein, scientists identified two approaches that significantly reduced angiogenesis in mice. These discoveries, published online August 16 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, may lead to novel treatments for diseases caused by excessive angiogenesis, including age-related macular degeneration, cancer, and diabetes.
Studies pinpoint key targets for MRSA vaccine
Two recent studies provide evidence for a new approach to vaccines to prevent infections caused by drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- better known as MRSA - the leading cause of skin and soft tissue, bloodstream and lung infections in the United States. One demonstrates a way to counteract the bacteria's knack for evading the immune system. The other shows how to disrupt the germ's tissue-damaging mechanism.
Gallbladder cancer may be linked to estrogens
A very aggressive disease with a poor prognosis, gallbladder cancer may be connected to higher exposure to estrogens, according to a group of researchers at the University of Houston (UH).
Study sheds light on cancer-causing gene regulation
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have uncovered the genes that regulate MDM2, an oncogene that, in turn, regulates the tumor suppressor protein p53. But instead of an on-off switch for MDM2, the team found what looks like a dimmer switch, suggesting a more complicated signaling pathway that is sensitive to a changing environment.
How badly does it hurt? Research examines the biomedical diagnosis of pain
Is the science of diagnosing pain causing a number of pain sufferers to defend their honor? Research out of the University of Cincinnati is examining the diagnosis of pain that evades scientific testing, and the additional emotional suffering that can result for the patient.
Blood stem cell, leukemia link illuminated in UCSF-led study
A UCSF-led team has discovered at least one key reason why blood stem cells are susceptible to developing the genetic mutations that can lead to adult leukemia. Their finding also may explain, they say, why some other age-related hematological disorders develop.
Scientists successfully use human induced pluripotent stem cells to treat Parkinson's in rodents
Researchers at the Buck Institute for Age Research have successfully used human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to treat rodents afflicted with Parkinson's Disease (PD). The research, which validates a scalable protocol that the same group had previously developed, can be used to manufacture the type of neurons needed to treat the disease and paves the way for the use of iPSC's in various biomedical applications. Results of the research, from the laboratory of Buck faculty Xianmin Zeng, Ph.D., are published August 16, 2010 in the on-line edition of the journal Stem Cells.
Study shows ozone and nicotine a bad combination for asthma
Another reason for including asthma on the list of potential health risks posed by secondhand tobacco smoke, especially for non-smokers, has been uncovered. Furthermore, the practice of using ozone to remove the smell of tobacco smoke from indoor environments, including hotel rooms and the interiors of vehicles, is probably a bad idea.
If you build it, will they walk to school?
An individual's decision to walk to school is actually quite complex. It is influenced-perhaps-by distance and an attractive walkable environment, but also by intertwined social, psychological and environmental perceptions that sometimes differ between parent and child.
Today's superheroes send wrong image to boys, say researchers
Watching superheroes beat up villains may not be the best image for boys to see if society wants to promote kinder, less stereotypical male behaviors, according to psychologists who spoke Sunday at the 118th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.
Men more likely to cheat if they are economically dependent on their female partners
The more economically dependent a man is on his female partner, the more likely he is to cheat on her, according to research to be presented at the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.
Disturbances in certain genes play a role in autism
Together with colleagues from an international research group, autism researcher Christopher Gillberg of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has found in a new study that autism can be partially explained by abnormalities in certain genes. The group's results could, in the long run, pave the way for more appropriate treatments for autism.
Newly identified RNA sequence is key in microRNA processing
Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center have identified an RNA sequence that promotes increased numbers of specific microRNAs (miRNAs), molecules that regulate cell growth, development, and stress response. The discovery helps researchers understand the links between miRNA expression and disease, including heart disease and cancer. The findings are published in the August 13 issue of Molecular Cell.
Breakthrough gene therapy prevents retinal degeneration
In one of only two studies of its kind, a study from researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts demonstrates that non-viral gene therapy can delay the onset of some forms of eye disease and preserve vision. The team developed nanoparticles to deliver therapeutic genes to the retina and found that treated mice temporarily retained more eyesight than controls. The study, published online in advance of print in Molecular Therapy, brings researchers closer to a non-viral gene therapy treatment for degenerative eye disorders.
RNA snippets control protein production by disabling mRNAs
Short pieces of RNA, called microRNAs, control protein production by causing the proteins' RNA templates (known as messenger RNA or mRNA) to be disabled by the cell, according to Whitehead Institute scientists.
Scientists map epigenetic changes during blood cell differentiation
Having charted the occurrence of a common chemical change that takes place while stem cells decide their fates and progress from precursor to progeny, a Johns Hopkins-led team of scientists has produced the first-ever epigenetic landscape map for tissue differentiation.
Input-output trade-offs found in human information processing
The most beautiful thing about humans, says Indiana University researcher S. Lee Hong, is that they are both ever-changing and sometimes prone to error. Yet humans are still extremely flexible and adaptable, managing the transition from one context to another almost seamlessly. His new study demonstrates how this adaptability boils down to a zero-sum game.
Biology news
When life gives you weeds, make a salad
August was known by early Anglo-Saxons as "weed month," for this is the month broadleaf weed growth accelerates, even on this continent. These weeds are emulating the grasses that took off so abundantly last winter.
US judge bars growing of genetically modified beets
A US judge has ordered a ban on growing genetically modified beets in the United States until the Department of Agriculture fully investigates their environmental impact.
Taiwan zoo fined after birth of 'ligers'
A private zoo in Taiwan has become the first on the island to see the birth of "ligers", hybrids of lions and tigresses, with the owner facing a fine for violating wildlife rules, officials said Monday.
Scientists closer to finding what causes the birth of a fat cell
Just what causes the birth of a human fat cell is a mystery, but scientists using mathematics to tackle the question have come up with a few predictions about the proteins that influence this process.
Scared snails opt for single parenthood rather than wait for a mate
Solitary snails in search of a mate put off parenthood as long as possible in the hopes that a partner will appear. But when Physa acuta snails smell predators, they don't wait as long for a mate. Scared snails settle for single parenthood much sooner than their calm counterparts, says a new study by biologist Josh Auld of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in Durham, NC.
Experiments decipher key piece of the 'histone code' in cell division
Reproduce or perish. That's the bottom line for genes. Because nothing lives forever, reproduction is how life sustains itself, and it happens most fundamentally in the division and replication of the cell, known as mitosis. Now new research at Rockefeller University has detailed a key role in mitosis for a chemical modification to histone proteins that package lengthy strings of DNA into compact chromosomes.
Dogs' family status depends on family's locale
Man's best friend might just be treated like any other animal depending on where the owners live. A study by David Blouin, assistant professor of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Indiana University South Bend, found that people who think of animals as children tend to have a city background.
Bacteria breakthrough is heaven scent
Bacteria are well-known to be the cause of some of the most repugnant smells on earth, but now scientists have revealed this lowest of life forms actually has a sense of smell of its own.
Climate change affects geographical range of plants
Researches at the University of Gothenburg have shown how climate change many million years ago has influenced the geographical range of plants by modelling climate preferences for extinct species. The method can also be used to predict what effects climate change of today and tomorrow will have on future distributions of plants and animals.
Could thermodynamic fluctuations have led to the origins of life?
In the field of abiogenesis, scientists are currently investigating several ways in which life could have arisen from non-living matter. Generally, any theory of abiogenesis should account for two important aspects of life: replication (the ability to transmit mutations to offspring) and metabolism (the chemical reactions required for vital activities such as breaking down food). Although these two characteristics help to provide a working definition of life, more recently scientists have emphasized the importance of another key feature required for Darwinian evolution: selection, or the replication of mutations that provide an evolutionary advantage.
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