Chimp societies drum, to a distinct beat
Karen Lloyd’s Intraterrestrials: a whistle-stop tour of the hardiest microorganisms on Earth
Geomicrobiologist Karen Lloyd’s Intraterrestrials offers readers a whistle-stop tour of the hardiest microorganisms on Earth. The book reports from the front lines of research on bugs in some of Earth’s most extreme environments, from the deep ocean crust to the hearts of volcanoes, and explores how these discoveries may help the search for life on other worlds. “An unusual page-turner, required reading for anyone interested in the history of our home planet and the world around it” said the author in his review.
The encounters include microbes that have never been cultured before, or that can live on extremely limited energy supplies, or that persist in states of suspended animation, their biological functions slowed or paused for thousands of years. The intraterrestrials in the title echo the extraterrestrials that might populate other planets and moons. But there’s no need to search far for alien-like life: surprising microbes thrive here on Earth.
Lloyd and her team went to Costa Rica to take samples of the flora in the crater lake of the Pos Volcano in order to see if it will erupt, but they ended up waiting 54 days until the volcano erupted. It is not wise to go into or touch the water with a needle even if it is at a boot-melting 100 C. The rapid paced adventures of Lloyd set the stage for tackling the challenge of how acid-adapted microbes are able to generate energy with high acidity.
Largely out of sight, intraterrestrials have, over billions of years, diversified into a veritable forest of microbial evolutionary lineages that are gradually being explored and mapped. The principal tool for this is metagenomic analysis: sequencing DNA extracted from entire microbial communities, then sorting gazillions of gene snippets into reconstructed genomes and finally deciphering their enzymes and biochemical pathways to provide the metabolic blueprint of each organism’s capabilities.
How does a child lose a parent? What happens when the DNA changes in a single family of chimpanzees drum to a distinct beat
Children’s genes have not been found in either of their parents. To find out how much DNA changes, and how fast the human genome mutates, researchers compared the genomes from four generations of a single family. They found mutation hotspots and bigger genetic changes than had been seen before.
The effects of trauma cannot be ignored, but most work in the field focuses on individuals with symptoms such as biological markers of stress. Cindy Sangalang is a researcher of social welfare and ethnic studies. A child who has lost a parent can be likened to that child. What would happen if the event happened as a result of persistent local violence or at the hands of state authorities? “An understanding of the child’s trauma is important to help them,” writes Sangalang. A deeper understanding of the history of the neighbourhood can show bigger opportunities to prevent harm in the future.
The drumming cultures of chimpanzees differ between subspecies. The human genome is being edited fast, and the EPA is being hobbled by red tape.
Wild chimpanzees drum on tree roots in specific rhythms to communicate across long distances. The western chimp beats in evenly spacing beats, while their eastern counterpart takes alternating long and short pauses after beats. A study looked at the ways that Western Chimpanzees throw stones against trees. Researchers suggest the behaviours are influenced by the social dynamics of the animals’ groups, and could hint at the evolutionary origins of musicality.
Source: Daily briefing: Chimp societies drum to a distinct beat
Is the EPA really supposed to shut down? The EPA isn’t going to stop science if it wants to stop government from working at all
Google says that an upgraded version of its medical chatbot can use smartphone photos to diagnose rashes and evaluate a host of other medical imagery. The system that gives diagnoses is called Articulate Medical Intelligence Explorer (AMIE) and it reportedly gives more accurate diagnoses than human physicians. Eleni Linos says that AMIE will bring us closer to an AI assistant that mirrors how a clinician actually thinks. However, “there’s a lot of uncertainty about how it would be helpful”, says digital-health specialist Dan Zeltzer, who also notes that the preprint did not reveal the code or prompts.
The main science division of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is being de-facto shut down, say insiders — despite the agency’s public denials. The Office of Research and Development (ORD) carries out research in support of environmental laws and regulations, such as assessing the safety of chemicals in drinking water. The ORD has been closed down by the administration of Donald Trump according to Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, the principal deputy assistant administrator at the ORD.
The situation at the EPA is among the most pronounced examples of an approach, spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk’s DOGE task force, that is hobbling activities across several US federal agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “This makes sense if you assume that the purpose of DOGE is not to make government work better,” says public-policy researcher Donald Moynihan , “but to stop government from working at all.”