The Power of Paramedic Ants

Ants are a communal insect that has their strength in their numbers. After they find food, possibly battle for it, there can be many battle wounds along the way. It has been found in African Matabele ants, which leave their home base in masses to attack termite nests for food. Many ants loose limbs and even their lives during the process. Yet, an interesting discovery has shed some light on how the group manages to recover from the war of food.

 

Paramedic Ants

When Matabele ants feed attack termites, they do it in groups up to 600 ants. The larger ants break through the natural environment while the smaller ants attack their targets and bring the dead termites back to the ant’s nest. Research has found that ants have the ability to not only pick up their fellow comrades after injury and take them back to home base, but they also have antibiotic saliva to help heal any wounds.

Field experiments conducted in the humid savannah woodland at Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast, scientists found that returning ants carried any ant with one or two injured limbs back to the base. Yet, if the injuries were too extensive, they were left to die. The researchers moved six different ant nests into artificial ones and recorded footage of their behaviors.

“We don’t know if they are just removing dirt from the wound or applying an antimicrobial substance to fight off an infection. But we do know that if they don’t receive the treatment, 80% die within 24 hours. If you allow the treatment for an hour, the ants survive,” said Erik Frank, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Wurzburg.

The ants in distress from the injury communicate to the other ants through pheromones. Once the paramedic ants come to the rescue, the injured ants tuck in the legs to allow a smooth transport back to their nest. Frank also attempted to create an artificial rescue by coating an ant in pheromones. The ants came to the rescue but promptly abandoned the mission when the “suffering” and failed to position its legs for proper transport.

This fascinating aspect of ant society is quite complex and sophisticated behavior. Biological advances like this can open many doors in the knowledge of animal behavior and science itself.

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Why Science Blogging is Important

In today’s ever-evolving world, science data advances almost in the blink of an eye. This is why science blogging is so important. Science blogging helps to disperse state-of-the-art scientific data nearly as soon as research is done and validation is complete.

It is difficult to imagine what daily life would be like without science blogging offering a wide range of topics updating scientific research into major health, nature and environmental issues.

Why Science Blogging is Important

In today’s ever-evolving world, science data advances almost in the blink of an eye. This is why science blogging is so important. Science blogging helps to disperse state-of-the-art scientific data nearly as soon as research is done and validation is complete.

It is difficult to imagine what daily life would be like without science blogging offering a wide range of topics updating scientific research into major health, nature and environmental issues.

For example, with the avid interest in ancestral genealogy, science bloggers use links to the most recent scientific research on an 8 million-year-old gene that could help citrus growers or the recent discovery that a praying mantis has 3-D vision. Each of these spins off into blog articles with comments by online readers.

 

Breaking News and Science Blogging

When the U.S. NASA launched a huge Delta 4 heavy rocket known as Space X’s Falcon Heavy rocket, science bloggers were full of the scientific details.

 

Not only is science blogging important in the U.S., but access to science blogs from around the globe provide a different perspective of important scientific studies and research, such as how genes may cause mental health problems or the new tick-borne disease discovered by Swedish scientists.

The United Kingdom’s science news that underwater volcanoes may be the cause of dinosaur extinction has science bloggers posting their views on this issue.

 

Science Blogging Supports the Public

One of the biggest benefits of science blogging is that it supports the public and stakeholders by continually injecting a consortium of public and stakeholder views and opinions on scientific issues.

During the late 1990s, the effects of acid rain kept science bloggers busy providing the public with a variety of opinions and ideas.

Online science blogs are a form of scientific communication shared over the internet platform and social media. Choices of science blogs range from those dedicated to science research, specific branches of science and science blogs that encourage students to take a greater interest in science.

 

The Convenience of Science Blogging

For professionals and neophytes alike, science blogging is readily accessible. It requires only minimal knowledge of using a search engine to find the science blog of choice. For example, one of the most popular nature science blogs is found at https://nature.com.

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When to Look up to the Stars in 2018

Stargazing and space exploration enthusiasts have a lot to look forward to in 2018. The exciting events taking place in our solar system begin in January. Unique lunar displays, meteor showers, and international journeys into space make for an exciting new year.
Blue, Blood, Supermoon
The complex names describe a number of events occurring on January 31. First of all, we will witness the second full moon for the month, which is referred to as the Blue Moon. The event happens approximately once every 30 months. The moon will also venture 50,000 kilometers closer than usual. The path makes the “perigee-syzygy” or Supermoon appear 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than usual. The Blood Moon is so named due to the lunar eclipse that occurs when the moon passes into the shadow of the Earth. Although the moon is fully shadowed, light from the sun refracts toward the celestial body creating a blood red color.

March Moon Exploration
During the month or March, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, lander, and rover take a trip to the moon. The Chandrayaan mission is one of the many that countries have scheduled throughout 2018. The craft will be equipped with a variety of instrumentation designed to map and study the moon’s contents, which include minerals and water content. The country is excited as this will be the first lunar landing for India. They plan on making the journey to the planet’s south pole.

Perseids Meteor Shower
From August 11 through August 13, the skies come to life with streaks of meteors sailing through the northern hemisphere. The popular event takes place when our planet collides with the tail of the 109P/Swift-Tuttle comet. The size of debris pieces scattered varies. Larger pieces create the spectacular fireballs that thrill observers. There will be a new moon during the three days, which heightens visibility. The show entails approximately 100 meteors per hour.

Geminids Meteor Shower
From December 13 through December 15, the sky once again puts on a show as the Earth impacts with debris from the tail of the 32 Phaethon asteroid. However, optimal visibility will not occur until after midnight due to there being the first quarter of the moon. At that time, there will be an estimated 120 meteors per hour flashing through the atmosphere.

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How to Make Sure Your Charity Donation is Actually Being Used

For most people, giving to a charity is viewed as a positive act of kindness. By giving to charities, anyone can help people or causes in need, and can hopefully make the world a better place to live for everyone. That being said, there are those in the charity business that would take advantage of the kindness of others for their own gain. Often, this means taking donations given and using them for either themselves or purposes other than what they were intended for. So how can someone make sure that their charity donations are being used in the correct way? Below are some ideas on how to do just that.

 

Do Research

This is perhaps the most important piece of advice that could be given on the subject. Doing deep research on a charity can help ensure that money given to it will not be wasted. According to James Connington’s article in the Telegraph, looking at things like government registers of the charity, if available, can reveal much. Things to look for concerning a charity include how much income they received, where it came from and how much they spent on charitable activities, among other issues. These facts and figures can help give a rough estimation of the charity itself.

 

Be Wary of Charity Spending

This concept also comes from Connington’s article. Sometimes charities can spend huge amounts of money on fundraising efforts for their own charity, or they have other definitions of charitable giving then some. While some of this cost is necessary to running a charity, these types of funds can also be misused. Keeping a wary eye on the spending of charity can help make sure that a fraudulent charity is avoided.

 

Be Aware of Reputation

This also has to do with doing research on a charity. Being aware of the reputation of a charity is important because it can help give an idea of its business practices. If the charity has been investigated multiple times for fraudulent practices or has a bad name in the industry for its practices, it is most likely best to avoid it.

Giving to a charity can be a rewarding way to give back to the community and the world at large. That being said, there are those who would take advantage of the goodwill of others. Hopefully, the list above has provided some ways to ensure that charity donations are being used in the correct way.

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How to Pick the Right Charity

Choosing a charity to donate to can be a difficult process. There are certain organizations the seem charitable but can be a bit misleading with your donations. When donating, it is key to be an intelligent donor. Educate yourself completely on an organization to find out what they are completely about and what they do with your donations. It is also important to give to organizations that you are passionate about or ones that have your support. Here are some tips to analyze a charitable organization before giving your donation.

 

The Search

Many people already have an inclination of what type of charity they are going to give to. Whether it is for natural disaster relief of to animal organizations, know how effective your money can be a cause when giving to an organization. There are many of online platforms that can be a resource in your search for the right charity. Philanthropedia is a wonderful site that has a breakdown of various organizations and what they do. Educate yourself before blindly giving to a philanthropic organization, nonprofit, or charity.

 

The Questions

Sometimes talking to a representative of the organization can help in your decision-making process. Yes, their goal may be to get as many donations as possible but they are fully informed of the in’s and out’s of their organization. They are trained to know the impact of the organization on a local and full scale. Even requesting program data from the charity can give you further insight into how they measure their success to how they are strategizing for the future. Not every charity is perfect for efficiency but it is important to know what they are doing on a larger scale to improve.

In essence, sometimes donating to a charity is more than believing in their cause, it is also believing in their future and their business model. A portion of their proceeds could be going to something else other than what cause they stand for. A blind donation without knowing where your money is going to is not a good practice of giving. Always learn extensively about an organization and their cause before giving. It benefits not only you but the relationship between you and the charity.

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The Best of Science in 2017

This year has been an interesting year for the science community. From the political woes of evidence-based knowledge to the extreme natural disasters across the globe, science and research are more important than ever. Here are some of the highlights of major science news of 2017.

 

Iceberg Breaking

In July, an iceberg that was sized to be the same as Luxembourg broke away from the Antarctic Peninsula. The iceberg broke away over 10 percent of the surface area of Antarctica’s fourth-largest ice shelf. The result of the breakaway is still unsure but if it collapsed completely, Larsen C, the ice shelf, would create glaciers that have enough water to increase the global sea level by one centimeter.

 

CAR-T Cancer Therapy
An approval for a new form of cancer treatment called CAR-T cell therapy has pushed the field of cancer research and treatment forward. This new technique involved genetically modifying and engineering a patient’s immune cells to then attack cancerous tumors. CAR-T sparked some concerns regarding safety yet the US Food and Drug Administration approved the therapy to use in children and young adults who have been diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia.

This gene-editing, in a clinical use setting, has been pushed forward this year. The beginning use of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing was used to repair a diseasing-creating mutation in human embryos. The research conducted showed that the given technique was safe and found no side effects.

 

Artificial Intelligence

AI is booming in various markets and is even beginning to trickle down to American consumers. DeepMind’s AlphaGo Zero game playing bot was one of the biggest strides in pushing AI forward by beating its predecessor 100 percent of the time. AlphaGo Zero also taught itself how to play the game and became the ultimate champion while doing it.  It may seem simple that a robot can win a game but in the larger picture, it shows the intelligence of robotics is increasing at a fast rate.
We are finding various markets such as smartphone technology begin to understand human patterns and cater the user experience. The medical field is even beginning to adapt AI into their industry to improve efficiency and accuracy of healthcare.

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The Fate of the American Passenger Pigeon

The passenger pigeon was once the most abundant bird in the North America, and even the world. The species were often viewed as a nuisance in the public eye because their population had grown so rapidly and had polluted many public areas. People took it upon themselves to take measures to control the population by shooting, trapping, and even poisoning mass groups of the passenger pigeons. This and other biological influences have pushed the population of the passenger pigeon to the brink of extinction.

 

The Situation

The so-called pigeon problem has been ongoing in the United States for over one hundred years. At the turn of the 18th century, we saw their number diminish so quickly that 5 billion birds vanished in two centuries. People’s effort to manage the species’ population has landed their efforts to the tipping point of extinction. New studies have begun to dig deeper into the true reason for the decline of the passenger pigeon. Scientists are turning the bird’s genome to hopefully shed some light on the issue.

One study conducted by Beth Shapiro of the University of California, Santa Cruz along with some of her colleagues have found some new information about the pigeon’s population decline. The study looked at collected pieces of the bird’s skin from about 200 passenger pigeons from taxidermied bodies that are 100 years old. They took these pieces of skin to study their sequenced genomes and compared them to the band-tailed pigeon who is a close relative to the species that still has a managed population in smaller flocks.

Shapiro’s conclusions found that the species’ genome was essentially made to be a superspecies in a natural environment. Her team found that the passenger pigeons biological makeup was at its peak when the species was flourishing in mass flocks. When humans made the push to curb the population, their genome was not made to thrive in smaller flocks thus leading to their decline. Shapiro believes that just because humans push a species to a smaller population, does not guarantee that the species is genetically structured to thrive in that manner.

This may not be the blanket answer for the mass decline but it is a strong step in uncovering the truth of this mystery. Shapiro believes that the pigeons could still be flying today if it was not for the skills of the modern day human hunter. Yet, evolutionary changes also play a factor in the population’s disappearance.

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How to Donate to Hurricane Relief

With all the devastation that the southern part of the United States was hit with, it feels like a natural inherent reflex to give to those in need. Hurricane Irma, Maria, Harvey caused billions of dollars of destruction in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. There are so many different ways to donate and help those in need. Where your donation is monetary or physical such as clothes or food, here is a breakdown of the various ways to help those affected by these 2017 powerhouse storms.

 

Locally

There is always a benefit to supporting local organization’s efforts to hurricane relief. Not only are you supporting local philanthropy, you are also helping those who are experiencing the worst moments of their life. It may be as simple as adding an extra dollar to your total at the checkout of a grocery store. If you are looking to donate locally, but online, GoFundMe has a great way to find local charities online. Also, for example, donating directly to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is a way to directly give to the hurt area. Even the governor of Florida, Rick Scott, created a Florida Disaster Fund, to directly to specific communities hurt the most

 

Online

Donating online is great for those who want to help but are in a time crunch. It is a lot to stop and volunteer or to remember to bring your non-perishable food to your local organization after work. A quick donation online goes a long way and is easy as entering your credit card information. Charity Watchdog is a great resource to help find a charity that works for you.

 

National Charities

If you are more comfortable with giving to a large national charity, such as the American Red Cross, that is completely viable avenue to donate as well. The American Red Cross and natural disaster relief efforts go hand in hand. Many get fearful of donating to individuals or organizations that are fraudulent. This can come in the form of spam-like emails or even on social media. Always make sure your donations are to legitimate causes.

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Pythons Invading Florida: How Science is Fighting Back

Florida is known for their Everglades begin homes to large gators, pesky mosquitos and now 15-feet long pythons. The Burmese Pythons are not native to Florida but have populated enough to negatively influence the natural food cycle of the Everglades and become a threat to humans. These invasive snakes are big, hidden, and reproduce in large amounts. Researchers and scientists are studying not only their influence on the food chain but also how to get rid of this species.

 

The Invasion

The reasons for this quick increase of pythons are quite simple. Not only South Florida the perfect wet, mammal-rich environment for snakes to thrive, these snakes are egg-producing machines. One single female can lay over 50 eggs. The population of pythons has increased so much that the state has created programs that allow for rewards for the successful elimination and capturing of pythons. Many of the pythons being captured through this program are spanning over 10 feet long and are becoming so large that they have the ability to consume a grown adult. These snakes have the ability to grow to over 20 feet long and could consume a human in minutes.

 

The Food Chain

One of the other negative impacts of the increasing presence of pythons is their influence on the availability of food in the Everglades. Pythons eat many sized mammals from small rats to large deer and anything in between. These snakes are now clearing out many of the food sources for other animals and insects, especially mosquitos.

Prior to the arrival of pythons, hispid cotton rats were about 15 percent of the mosquitoes’ diet. Mosquitos also preyed on raccoons, opossums, and deer. Due to pythons taking a bite out of the other animals’ populations, mosquitos are left to only rats. Their diet now is made up of three-quarters rat. The negative to mosquitoes feeding off of rats more means there is an increase of them spreading the Everglades virus, which is common among rats of the Everglades. Nathan Burkett-Cadena, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of entomology has stated, “As far as I am aware, this is the first time that researchers have found that an invasive predator (such as the python) has caused an increase in contact between mosquitoes and hosts of a human pathogen,”.

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