Science Makes DNA
Breakthrough in the Tooth of a Mastodon
by Will Iredale, Times Online
A fossilised tooth found in a swamp
has allowed scientists to work out the DNA of a primitive North
American elephant
SCIENTISTS have worked out part of the
genetic structure of the mastodon, a giant primitive elephant, after
finding DNA preserved in the fossilised tooth of a beast that died
up to 130,000 years ago.
The creature is thought to have roamed
the forests and plains of North America before dying and sinking
into a swamp that preserved its tissues.
Researchers were hoping its teeth
might have preserved enough of the DNA for them to recover lengthy
chunks of it, and this week they will publish research detailing how
their hunch has paid off. The find has allowed them to reconstruct
the entire sequence of the DNA found in the creature’s mitochondria,
the parts of cells concerned with energy production. It is thought
to be the oldest DNA ever to have been recovered and decoded in this
way...
Click
here for the rest of the story
New
Top Secret Construction at Area 51
by George Knapp, Las Vegas Now
Something big is in the works at Nevada's
legendary Area 51 military base. A massive new building is under
construction at the top secret location. Aviation experts say
there's a good chance that a new, highly classified aircraft might
soon be zipping around the Nevada skies.
What kind of aircraft? One possibility is a
successor to the SR-71 spy plane, the SR-72.
The
SR-71 Blackbird is widely regarded
as the greatest airplane ever built. It sliced through the sky at
Mach 3 and still reigns, officially anyway, as the fastest plane in
history. Groom Lake, also known as Area 51, was home for the
Blackbird during its early days. The question is -- will Area 51
also be the location of choice for the development of a successor,
and maybe more than one?
A photo of a new building under construction at
Area 51 has raised tantalizing possibilities for the civilian
researchers who dabble in such topics. No one can say for certain
what the building will be used for, but aviation historian Peter
Merlin says the one thing we can say is that it's one big hangar.
"It probably measures 275 feet by 600 feet.
It's no larger than hangars at other bases, but it certainly is the
largest at Area 51," Peter Merlin said...
Click
here for the rest of the story.
'Space Arrow' to Map
Earth's Tug
by Jonathan Amos, BBC News
A satellite that can measure tiny variations in
the Earth's gravity field will be one of Europe's most challenging
space missions to date.
Goce, due for launch next year, looks like a spyplane
from a movie.
Its arrow shape, fins, and electric engine help keep
the satellite stable as it flies through the wisps of air still
present at an altitude of 260km.
Goce data will have many uses, probing hazardous
volcanic regions and bringing new insight into ocean behaviour.
The latter, in particular, is a major driver for the
mission...
Click
here for the rest of the story.
Alien Life May Be
"Weirder" Than Scientists Think, Report Says
by John Roach, National Geographic News
Think life on Earth is weird? It might
be even weirder on distant planets and moons, according to a new
report.
Instead of thriving on water,
extraterrestrial organisms might live in a sea of liquid methane. Or
instead of getting energy from the sun, they might thrive on
hydrochloric acid.
These possibilities could
revolutionize future space missions in search of life elsewhere in
the solar system, says the report, issued today by the National
Academy of Sciences (NAS).
The report concludes that scientists
need to consider an expanded list of characteristics that define
life, including so-called "weird" life-forms that may thrive where
Earth organisms couldn't.
Click
here for the rest of the story. |
