This is an article by Carl Zimmer on research by Sarah Tischkoff published in Science. This recent work is the first large-scale study of the genetics of skin color in Africans. There were eight genetic variants in four narrow regions of the human genome that influence skin pigmentation, producing either darker or lighter skin coloration. According to Tischkoff, this research "dispels the biological concept of race."African populations vary a lot in skin color. Melanosomes are pouches in the skin packed with pigment molecules; the more pigment, the darker the skin. Even before homo sapiens, our distant ancestors had a mix of genes for dark and light skin. They could have been dark or light (depending on their genes) or perhaps even the same color due to the blending of genetic variants.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/10/upshot/doubtful-science-behind-arguments-to-restrict-birth-control-access.html From the NYT column "The Upshot", exposing the falacious science behind the efforts to restrict the rights to birth control of millions of women, rolling back the gains of the past almost 6 decades. The 163-page document produced by the Health and Human Services Department quotes studies by the 2011 Institute of Medicine Report that they claim show uncertainty in whether access to contraceptive access and contraceptive use have reduced unintended pregnancy. The HHS document also cherry picks their facts in reporting the negative health consequences in contraceptive use, including oral contraceptives, ignoring the fact that all medical treatments have some negative side effects. The document also brings in the possibility of encouraging risky behaviors.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/22/climate/arctic-sea-ice-shrinking-trend-watch.html?_r=0 This is a visual record of the amount of arctic sea ice every day since 1979, revealing a steep decline. NASA says that the extent of ice covering Arctic waters has fallen by 13% per decade. This is believed to be a result of climate change, with the year's minimum (sea ice minimum) being recorded on September 13 of this year; also the eighth lowest year's minimum on record. Not good news for polar bears which depend on sea ice for capturing prey; with receding ice there is less prey to be found. The ice loss is also beginning very early.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/19/nyregion/little-terror-of-the-flyway.html This is a nyt article about birds migrating south along the Atlantic Flyway. Hawks and falcons, the writer mentioned the sharp-shinned hawk or sharpie, prey on fellow travelers, hunting "on the wing". Sharpies are accipiters, raptors evolved to hunt in the woodland canopy. Sharpies and other migrants can be viewed in their season, concentrated along the coast as they wend their way south, Brooklyn, Bronx, Southern Queens.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/22/climate/epa-scientists.html This is a nyt article about the cancellation by the EPA of a speaking appearance by three agency scientists who were scheduled to discuss climate change at a Rhode Island conference on the state of Narragansett Bay and Watershed Program in Providence. Scientists prevented from speaking had contributed the bulk of the report to be delivered at the conference. This is an example of scientific censorship by the government. Under Scott Pruitt's leadership the EPA has removed most mentions of the words "climate change" from its website.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/21/us/trump-epa-chemicals-regulations.html More on the EPA:
An article from the NYT about a scientist working for the EPA who is a former chemical industry insider. Nacy Beck joined the EPA in May. Formerly an executive at the American Chemistry Counsel, Dr. Beck's tenure at the EPA may, according to the NYT, result in an underestimation of potential risks to human health and the environment, from an Office of Water's top official in a confidential memo. Beck believes that the government imposes burdensome rules at what she has called "phantom risks".
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/20/us/new-mexico-science-standards.html?_r=0 Article from NYT about the attempt to water down the language describing evolution and climate change in the guidelines for science education in New Mexico which met strong opposition at a public hearing in Santa Fe this week. The uproar began last month when there was an attempt o update the K-12 dstandards for science education borrowing from the Next Generation Science Standards but deviating significantly in the changing of NGSS phrases like "rise in temperature" to "fluctuation in temperature in the New Mexico version. The Public Education Department didn't respond to questions about what prompted the attempt to change the language.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171025090454.htm From Science Daily an article about the accumulation of triclosan in toothbrushes. Triclosan can disrupt hormones in humans and animals and contribute to antibiotic resistance and has been banned in antiseptic washes by the FDA since September, 2017. Since it wasn't banned in toothpaste it can accumulate in toothbrush heads causing prolonged exposure. If this is not bad enough, the disposal of used toothbrushes could result in the chemical leaching into the environment.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/science/cacao-fungus-chocolate.html?_r=0 An article from the NYT about the attempt to protect the cacao crops from diseases and environmental challenges. The International Cacao Collection in Costa Rica grows a wide variety of cacao trees but few cacao varieties are widely cultivated. There was a fungal blight in the 1970s which caused a 96% decline in the cacao crop of Costa Rica. In an attempt to increase the genetic diversity of cacao since the 1980s researchers have identified the most tolerant and productive cacao trees then hybridized the candidates to create novel varieties in hopes of averting a chocolate crisis.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/well/vision-and-hearing-loss-are-tied-to-cognitive-decline.html
From the Well column in the NYT an article about the effects of compromised sensory function like poor vision and hearing on a decline in cognitive abilities. The number of Americans with poor vision, often undetected among older adults, is expected to double by 2050; hearing loss affects nearly 2/3 of adults over the age of 70. A study published in JAMA Ophthalmology in August found using two different data sets of older Americans, that poor vision is associated with deficient cognition. There is also evidence that hearing loss can speed cognitive decline. A linkage was also noted between poor hearing and dementia because if one cannot hear well, the brain receives garbled signals, forcing it to work harder.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/13/climate/syria-seed-bank.html An article in the NYT about workers in the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) who are hunting for the genes contained in seeds we plant today and their wild relatives from long ago. They maintain a seed bank at ICARDA headquarters in Aleppo, Syria and a back-up copy at Svalbard above the Arctic Circle. In a time of climate change such as this, seed banks are critical for identifying and preserving crops that can adapt to the rapid onset of climate change.
https://www.nature.com/news/genomic-studies-track-early-hints-of-cancer-1.22911 From Nature News an article about the genomes of precancerous growth. In a 3 year pilot program funded by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) scientists will investigate the genomes of precancerous growths by sequencing their DNA and also RNA from individual tumor cells and identifying the immune cells within lesions in order to create a pre-cancer genome atlas. Another project in the "Moonshot" will be funded by the American Lung Association and sequence DNA from precancerous growths in the lung. The ideas behind these studies is to intervene earlier in the development of the disease, when it may prove possible to have an effect.
