Welcome to A Week in Science, I'm Paul Willis and RIOs brings you the news in
science all week, every week.
In troubling news this week the Australian Institute of Marine Science
investigated the state of the Great Barrier Reef. They found that the reef's
coral cover has reduced by nearly half over the past 27 years as a result of
bleaching, storm damage and pests. They suggest that further damage can be
limited by stabilizing climatic conditions and reducing the population of
the crown of thorns starfish.
European researchers have investigated how long humans have had an influence on
greenhouse gas emissions. Using ice cores from Greenland they've observed that
even 2,000 years ago civilizations including the Roman Empire and Han
dynasty played an important role in the amount of methane present in the
atmosphere through land use, agriculture and the burning of plants. The
fluctuations in greenhouse gas concentrations also correlated with
events such as the medieval climate anomaly and the Little Ice Age.
Other science headlines this week include a compound found in the venom
from the black mamba snake relieves pain as effectively as morphine. Gouldian
finches use only their right eye and the left side of their brain when
selecting potential mates. Evidence gathered in Tanzania shows that meat
was regularly consumed by human ancestors one and a half million years
ago and in good news for our producer Ben a genetically modified cow has been
developed which produces milk without a protein which causes an allergic
reaction.
German researchers have successfully been able to generate new human
neurons from another type of brain cell. They found that parasites a type of
cell in the brain which participates in wound healing were able to convert
into functioning neurons and reach towards other neurons. This research is
still in the early stages and more understanding is needed but may one day
lead to a treatment for degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's or
Parkinson's.
And finally Japanese researchers have reported using stem cells to treat
infertility. Mouse stem cells were used to create cells which
transformed into fully grown eggs when transplanted back into mice. They found
that these eggs were fully functional and when they used an IVF
procedure they produced fertile mice.
Check out the RIO's website for events coming up in October
including next week's discussion on xenotransplantation.
It'll take place here in Adelaide but we'll live stream it to the world.
Those are the highlights of a week in science and for more information on
these stories and other science news check out the RIO's website
rios.org.au. You can also follow a week in Psy
on the RIO's Twitter feed using the hashtag
a week in Psy. I'm Paul Willison on behalf of the RIO's team.
I'll see you next week.
