Bracing for Carp in Great Lakes, but Debating Their Presence

According to the Army Corps of Engineers, remnants of environmental DNA of the Asian carp have been discovered to have arrived in the Great Lakes. Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is genetic material that is not directly from the fish, but from shedding of scales, gills, or waste products found from birds who have consumed this fish. This invasive species was first introduced from China to clean up algae-ridden fishponds in the Arkansas River in 1976. Since then, the carp has moved up the Mississippi River towards the Great Lakes. If these fish make it to the lakes, it can cause large problems. The carp reproduces very quickly and can eat as much as 10 percent of its own weight in a day. Thus, these fish can lead to the possibility of wiping out entire ecosystems. Therefore, environmentalists must act quickly before this non-native species eliminates the entire region.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/05/us/bracing-for-carp-in-great-lakes-but-debating-their-presence.html?ref=science&_r=0

What Happens in the Brain After a Concussion

New scientific studies have shown what specifically happens to the brain when it is impacted by a concussion. For a long time, scientists have had great difficulty with observing the brain because of the thickness of the skull. Similarily, if one were to open the skull, the readings would no longer be accurate. But the scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke have been able to uncover better observations of the brain simply by shaving the skull so that it is thin enough for microscopic lenses to be able to look through it. These new discoveries have found that brain damage occurs when the membranes surrounding the brain are destroyed, and specialized immune cells are released to the brain. However, these cells take a long time to reach the brain, and many brain cells die off by the time the cells reach the brain. Through this study, scientists may be able to understand concussions better, and be better prepared to aid someone who has one.
Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/what-happens-in-the-brain-after-a-concussion/?ref=science&_r=0

BILLIONS AND BILLIONS

We have no exact prediction about the future of our population growth. People have made guesses, but have never been correct. Thomas Malthus in the 1800s, for example, believed the human population will be always kept in check by war, pestilence, or “inevitable famine,” when the population was at one billion. Then in 1968, Paul Ehrlich published “The Population Bomb,” believing that the population will reduce significantly due to starvation. The population stood at 3.5 million at this time. However, he was wrong again. The population continued to skyrocket, and today we have over 7 billion people living on this planet. The UN believes that the estimate of humans in this world will level off at around 9 billion in 2050. Yet, we are still unsure if this is accurate enough. While we see signs in some developed countries slowing down rates of growth, some developing countries are still rising in numbers, contributing to more people on the planet.

source: http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2011/10/24/111024taco_talk_kolbert

DDT exposure linked to obesity in later generations

As the title suggests, there is a direct link between the DDT insecticide and susceptibility to obesity. Michael Skinner of Washington State University has done research of DDT on rats, and has discovered significant increases in obese rats at the third generation of exposure to DDT in comparison to the first and second generations.  This discovery thus leads to a possible conclusion to our current problems in obesity, as well as other diseases, such as kidney disease, testes abnormalities, and polycystic ovarian disease.  According to Skinner, DDT exposure triggered epigenetic changes in rats, and altered DNA expression. This mutation was then passed on to the next generations. It is very important, however, to recognize that DDT has been able to control malaria in Africa, and the eradication of this insecticide could potentially kill millions of lives. Therefore, we must make a vital decision about the future use of this substance banned in the United States.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/10/23/ddt-exposure-linked-to-obesity-in-later-generations/

Some 'Healthy' Vegetable Oils May Actually Increase Risk of Heart Disease

After 4 years of Health Canada’s Food Directorate claiming that polyunsaturated vegetable oils can help prevent heart disease, scientists in Toronto have now discovered that, unlike omega-3 linolenic acids, the omega-6 linolenic acids dominant in vegetable oils do not promote beneficial health effects. In addition, tests have indicated that there is an increase in the risk of death due to this acid. Scientists have thus concluded that people should reduce their intake of vegetable oil, and try to increase the amount of omega-3 linolenic acid in their diet.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131111122105.htm

A Jolt to Complacency on Food Supply

There is nothing more threatening to the world’s supply of food than climate change. A leaked report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a UN committee, stressed a concern of warnings about the risk of food supply due to an increase in temperatures and in carbon dioxide. At first, many of these studies have indicated the rise in carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that is a main component of climate change, would be offset by the crops that intake the gas. However, new studies have shown that the plant intake of carbon dioxide is not enough to offset the high concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Further, studies in Stanford and Columbia have shown that the rising heat is slowing down production, questioning the future of crop growth. A dearth of vital food could put the world at risk of a dangerous famine, and lead to uncontrollable riots.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/12/science/earth/warning-on-global-food-supply.html?ref=science

Do dams bring more harm or more good?

In efforts to generate cleaner and more environmentally friendly energy, China has been constructing multiple dams on its rivers. While China believes this will limit pollution, control floods, and minimize climate change, scientists beg to differ. These environmentalists argue that the dams are blocking the free flow of rivers, and destroying the ecology. However, China continues to build an excessive amount of dams despite protests from environmentalists, and these dams could lead to higher risks of earthquakes due to the dam’s flow through the geologically unstable region off the Tibetan Plateau.

Source: http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/46634