A Case of the Mondays

Got the blues? A case of the Mondays?  Turns out you’re not alone!  A new study reveals that flies exhibit symptoms of depression.  In both humans and animals there are physical symptoms that manifest relating to feelings of helplessness or despair.  It turns out that flies exhibit some of the same symptoms, which means that scientists may have a new way to test depression medication. 

These researchers placed the flies in an environment in which the flies were heated up.  The “master” flies cooled themselves by moving around, however the “yoked” flies stopped moving after realizing that they could not control the heat.  The researchers interpreted their more sloth-like behavior as a symptom of depression.  They also noted that female flies seemed to slow down more than males did. 

Do you believe this research proves that flies are capable of being depressed?  And how about the fact that female flies were more likely to be depressed?  Do you think there is any correlation between this finding and humans?

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-04/pass-prozac-fruit-flies-get-depressed?dom=PSC&loc=recent&lnk=5&con=pass-the-prozac-fruit-flies-get-depressed-too

Height Genetics

A recent study done at the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, revealed that DNA can be used to predict taller-than-average adult height. Previous research has linked DNA variants to normal height differences, 180 of these variants were used to test 800 extremely tall adults and over 9,000 normal-height differences. Their findings showed that “over 90 percent of these DNA variants showed a height effect in the tall people, and for over 40 percent this effect was statistically significant.” DNA-based predictions for height could be beneficial for the medical community by allowing for the detection of certain growth diseases in children. The field of Forensics could also benefit from this research by using height genetics to predict a potential suspect of a crime. One issue that should be noted about this method is that the accuracy is less than that of other DNA-based predictions for eyes, hair color, age, ect. What do you think about this research? Do you think there are any biases associated with using DNA to predict physical characteristics of individuals?

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/11/20/predicting_human_body_height_from_dna.html

Video Games

Ladies, listen up!  Want to feel more connected with your man?  Play video games with him! No, seriously.  A new study discovered that playing video games together could bring players’ emotional responses and brain activity into harmony.

This study, conducted by Helsinki Institute for Information Technology, used fEMG (facial electromyography) to measure facial muscle reactions and EEG (electroencephalograph) to measure brainwaves.   According to Sovijärvi-Spapé, “Replicating previous studies, we found linkage in the fEMG: two players showed both similar emotions and similar brainwaves at similar times. We further observed a linkage also in the brainwaves with EEG.”  The study also revealed that the more competitive the gaming gets, the more the players’ positive emotions begin to reflect each other.  The results provide ground for further study, such as: “Feeling others' emotions could be particularly beneficial in competitive settings: the linkage may enable one to better anticipate the actions of opponents.”

So how do you feel about dusting off that old N64 and playing some Mario Kart?  Do you think this could be beneficial to friends, or even couples?  Do you think it would make people feel more connected?

Check out the article here!

GM Fruit Flies

Bzzz. zzz. Ever wish that pesky fly would just drop dead? Well that day just might be around the corner!  The U.K.-based company Oxitec has submitted an application to release genetically modified olive fruit flies under netted olive trees in Spain.  Oxitec has modified the flies to all be male and to carry a deadly trait.  After mating with wild female fruit flies, offspring will either be a) female flies that will die as maggots or b) male flies that will carry the same gene. 

Oxitec is the same company that modified mosquitoes and released in a Brazilian town.  As a result of the modified mosquitoes, the population of the dengue-fever-carrying mosquito population was brought down by 96%! This company has stated that their GM fruit flies will reduce the need for pesticides and that the deadly gene would only affect this particular fly. 

How do you feel about this?  I’ve been known to go ninja on flies, but I’m not sure how I feel about releasing genetically modified insects into nature.  Do you think it is wise to mess with nature in such a way? 

Check out the article here! 

RoboRoach: There's an App for that!

Greg Gage and Tim Marzullo are the cofounders of an educational company (Backyard Brains) that introduced the RoboRoach #12 at last months TEDx conference in Detroit. Ever wanted to control the movement/direction of a roach? Well there’s an app for that! No, this isn’t a joke. For about $99 you can purchase your very own RoboRoach kit that will allow you to control a roach with your iphone (or other IOS devices), the kit includes a reusable backpack and a battery, but you must supply your own insect. In order for this to work, a small “operation” must be done on the roach (under anesthesia) to connect the wires on the backpack to the roachs antennas. Once connected, you can control the roach from your mobile device by causing neurons to fire through the transmission of electrical pulses through the wires. This kind of neurotechnology (microstimulation) is the same type of technology that is being used to treat Parkinson’s Disease as well as Cochlear Implants. What do you think about this new technology? I am deathly afraid of roaches, so it’s safe to say that I would NEVER get close enough to one to try this new ‘backback,’ but for those of you who aren’t do you think it is a good learning tool? Does it actually teach kids anything?

 

http://news.sciencemag.org/brain-behavior/2013/10/cyborg-cockroach-sparks-ethics-debate

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22786371

 

Pink Fairy Armadillo

Chlamyphorus truncates is the scientific name of the pink fairy armadillo that is a native of Argentina. Approximately 3-5 inches in length and 100 grams in weight, this armadillo is the smallest of its family, and I must say the cutest! Mariella Superina, a researcher for CONICET research center, has been studying this species for over 10 years, but is having difficulty discerning if it is endangered because she has never actually seen one in its natural environment. Pink fairy armadillos can be found near dry grasslands and sandy areas where it digs and burrows beneath the surface for protection and food, hence why they are commonly called “sand swimmers”. Their diet mainly consist of ants, however, they will also eat snails, worms, small insects, and plants/plant material. If you look at the picture below you will see that the dorsal shell is distinguishing for this particular species, unlike others in its family it (the shell) almost appears separate, extending from the head to the tail. Many researchers have struggled obtaining information about these ‘fairies’ for a variety of reasons, their diet can vary greatly from individual to individual, they are nocturnal, and prefer to remain hidden underground. Furthermore, researchers have found that not one individual has been able to survive more than four years in captivity. Due to these issues, it has been difficult to obtain more information on these cute little creatures. Have you ever heard of the pink fairy armadillo? Do you have any theories or suggestions as to what might be contributing to the death of this species once in captivity?

Articles/Information:  

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/pink-armadillos-ain%E2%80%99t-your-texas-critters

http://weirdanimalreport.com/article/pink-fairy-armadillos-do-not-grant-wishes

http://armadillo-online.org/chlamyphorus.html