Favourite Foods Determined by Mother's Milk

Scientists have found that children's food preferences depend on the flavours passed to them through their mothers milk.

Dr. Beauchamp of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in philadelphia, found that children who had been fed savoury milk preferred savoury tastes, where as those with sweet milk preferred sweeter tastes.

The critical time in which babies learnt this preference was at the age of two to five months. It is believed that if mothers eat healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables at this critical time, babies can be primed to like it later in life. Mothers are therefore to be advised to increase consumption of healthy products during this time.

This means that babies who are fed formula milk instead of breast milk do not get this priming, and do not get the varied sensory stimuli that they would be exposed to with breast milk.

To find out more:

Paper: Beauchamp, G. et al. (2009) Early milk feeding influences taste acceptance and liking during infancy. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Article: Flavours in mothers milk may determine the foods children like, Telegraph.

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Glass half full genetics

Scientists at the University of Michigan have discovered that people optimistic or pessimistic outlook to life is genetic, and depends on levels of just one molecule: Neuropeptide Y.

They found that if you have lower levels of NPY, you are likely to be more pessimistic than those with higher levels. This in turn means that people with lower NPY are more likely to have depression and react badly to stressful situations.

The scientists made this finding by scanning peoples brains while showing them neutral and emotionally charged photos. Those with high NPY had a stronger emotional response to the photos than those with lower levels. This means that people may be diagnosed earlier with psychiatric conditions such as depression.

To find out more:

Original paper: Mickey et al (2011) Emotion processing, Archives of General Psychiatry.

Articles: Born miserable - some people genetically programmed to be negative, Telegraph

Wear Blue to Prevent Shark Attack

Researchers have found that sharks are colour blind. They can only distinguish between light and dark areas. This has lead researchers to conclude that swimmers who wear blue wetsuits are less likely to be attacked as the sharks could not distinguish between them and the surrounding sea.

Statistics shows that people attacked by sharks usually are wearing black wetsuits, backing up this claim.

This information means that surfing equipment and swim wear will be able to be designed to be essentially invisible to sharks. I could also be used when designing fishing lures, to prevent sharks from being caught.

To find out more:

Articles: Sharks are colourblind new research finds, Daily Telegraph

'Colour blind' sharks are less likely to attack a swimmer wearing a sea blue wetsuit, Daily Mail

Bullet-Proof Custard

A new type of body armour, dubbed "bullet-proof custard" has been developed for the army.

The armour contains a custard like substance embedded between layers of kevlar. The substance is compared to custard as it hardens when it is impacted. It means the armour is more flexible than traditional designs but even more effective at preventing damage from bullets.

The armour is half the weight as traditional designs, allowing soldiers more maneuverability, and to stay cooler under extreme conditions.

To find out more:

Original article: Bullet-proof custard: British soldiers could be wearing revolutionary new liquid body armour within two years, Daily Mail

'Toylet': Gaming While You Go!

Sega have invented a new gaming system that you play while you are in the bathroom, and the controller is your wee!

The device, named the 'Toylet', has sensors that can pick up the speed, location and intensity of urine as it enters the urinal. There are currently a choice of four games that you can play. 

The consoles are going to be installed in four metro stations in Japan. The screens will show adverts as well as the games in order to make money from the consoles.

To find out more:

Article: The Toylet: Sega launches video games controlled by men's urine in Tokyo. Daily Mail.

The Latest in the Fight Against Pirates: Laser Canons!

Laser canons have been developed by engineers to defends ships from pirates. The idea is that it is a non-leathel weapon that dazzles and confuses pirates so they are unable to approach the ship.

The lasers are capable of working up to a mile away, they cause a green glare that is able to hide the ship preventing the pirates from aiming weapons or approaching the ship.

The laser is able to work with radar so they can automatically fire at targets. It also has the capability to fire at a rapid rate to produce flickering which intensifies the effect.

To find out more:

Article: Laser canons to defend ships from pirates, Telegraph

Mutant Gene Causing Giants in Northern Ireland

A gene that mutated 1500 years ago is causing cases of gigantism in people from Northern Ireland. 

The gene causes the body of those who carry it to grow excessively. It was found to be the cause of the man known as the 'Irish Giant', Charles Byrne, to grow to almost 8 feet in the 18th century, giving him fame.

The gene is still causing people to grow taller than average in the same area that the Irish Giant came from. It is believed that the gene comes from one ancestor that lived 66 generations ago, and is now found in 200 - 300 people today.

To find out more:

Original paper: Harvinder et al (2011). AIP mutation in pituitary adenomas in the 18th century and today. The New England Journal of Medicine.

Articles: 1,500-year-old mtant gene causing excessive growth in Northern Ireland, Daily Mail.

Prehistoric Bird Found To Have Club Wings for Fighting

Researchers have found evidence of clubbed wing in a prehistoric flightless bird. Xenicibis has unusual wing bones which are thick and curved which were believed to be used for fighting.

The bird would have lived about 10000 years ago in Jamaica, and was the size of a chicken.

The researchers at Yale University said they believed the wings were used for fighting as the breastbone was larger than expected and the wings longer, structures that would give greater strength for this use. They believe the birds flailed their wings to cause damage to rivals.

More evidence comes from bones found with damage matching injuries expected from combat.

To find out more:

Original paper: Longrich & Olson (2011). The bizarre wing of the Jamaican flightless ibis xenicibis xymoithecus, Proceedings of the Royal Society.

Articles: Xenicibis: The flightless 'jousting' prehistoric bird from Jamaica discovered, Daily Mail

Extinct bird swung wings like a club, Discovery News

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The Death Stare

RAF pilots will soon have the ability to shoot down enemy planes by looking at them. A helmet, costing £250000, has been developed that can track where pilots are looking and use this information to lock on to targets.

The 'Striker' Integrated Display Helmet makes use of the aircrafts radar that can pick up enemy targets. The helmet then locks on to specific targets that the pilot is looking at. The use of voice commands can prioritise targets and be used to fire the weapons.

The helmet contains optical sensors which can track the pilots eye movements, allowing the computer to lock on to the targets he or she is looking at.

To find out more:

Original article: The ultimate death stare: new RAF helmet allows pilots to shoot down enemy jets by looking at them, Daily Mail

Human Brains Shrinking

After millions of years of evolution, the human brain has started to shrink. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin have described how over the last 20000 years the human brain has lost 150 cubic centimeters.

This change is happening to all races and both sexes. Humans are getting smaller brains. However the scientists say that this doesn't necessarily mean our species is getting stupider, but could mean that our brains are becoming more efficient. Other theories claim it could be due to changes in environment, we have built a world around us that does not put as much evolutionary pressure on use, so the need for large heads is no longer there.

To find out more:

Original article: Human brain has been 'shrinking for the last 20,000 years', Daily Mail

Poo Transplant?!

Would you have a poo transplant to save your life? Many people have, but not many of us know about this unusual procedure, as the thought of poo is such a taboo subject. 

Faecal transplants are happening around the world, and are giving high success to curing intestinal infection. Most cases show that people recover within 48 hours of receiving the transplant. 

The transplants have been particularly good at curing infections of C. difficile, the superbug, which often takes hold after patients are given large doses of antibiotics that kill off their gut microbes, the good bacteria we are used to hearing about.

By transplanting poo, the gut bacteria can be restored and fight off the C. difficile infection. 

Donors are best if they are related to the patient. The faeces are mixed with a saline solution and large particles are removed. There are then a number of ways in which the solution is delivered into the patients colon.

The procedure has been carried out thousands of times with a high success rate. But the idea of poo is just too much for some, so this transplant may be taboo for some time.

To find out more:

Original article: Taboo transplant: How new poo defeats superbugs, New Scientist

Sea Urchins Inspire Self Sharpening Knives

Self sharpening knives may be seen in the future thanks to scientists who have discovered how sea urchins keep their teeth sharp.

Sea urchins use their teeth to carve through tough material such as stone. Scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that their teeth remained sharp due to their layered structure of calcite crystals and cement. As each layer becomes blunt it breaks off revealing a fresh sharp layer underneath.

By using the same layering idea, knives could be made to break along weak spots removing the blunt edges.

To find out more:

Articles: Ever-sharp urchin teeth may yield tools that never need honing, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Rock-chewing sea urchins have self-sharpening teeth, National Geographic

Sea urchin could lead to knives that never need sharpening, Telegraph

Can Scientists Make the Best Strawberries and Chocolate?

Scientists from Penn State University, the University of Florida and CIRAD in France have published in Nature Genetics that they have mapped the genetic codes for strawberries and chocolate. They believe that this means that new varieties can be made that could not only be tastier but also healthier.

The chocolate, from the Theobroma cacoa, is one of the finest types of chocolate in the world. by modifying the genetics, there is a potential for greater productivity allowing farmers to earn more and make the production more sustainable.

The woodland strawberry, has the potential to be made more tasty and more hardy allowing it to be farmed a lot more easily.

So would you buy the most delicious strawberries dipped in chocolate in the world?

To find out more:

Original papers: Argout et al (2010), The genome of Theobroma cacao. Nature Genetics.

Shulaev et al (2010),  The genome of woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca). Nature Genetics.

Articles: Scientists crack genetic code of strawberries dipped in chocolate, Telegraph

Mystery melts as chocolate DNA decoded, Guardian

Christmas Hangover? Honey is Your Friend!

Eating honey has been found to help alleviate the effects of a hangover due to the fructose in it breaking down the alcohol into harmless by products. 

Dr John Emsley of the Royal Society has described how hangovers are caused by the alcohol in our bodies being broken down into acetaldehyde, a toxic substance. The fructose in honey has the ability to break this down into acetic acid which the body uses in normal metabolism, eventually turning it into carbon dioxide.

The acetaldehyde is responsible for the headaches, nausea and vomiting we may experience after a night of drinking. The body naturally breaks down the acetaldehyde over time but fructose speeds up the reactions.

Dr Emsley also advised that in order to prevent a hangover it is a good idea to drink mink before consuming alcohol to slow down absorption, sticking to clear alcohol, and drinking water before going to bed to prevent dehydration.

To find out more:

Articles: Secret to a smooth hangover - honey on toast, Telegraph

Self-destruction Mite Save Bees

Scientists at the University of Aberdeen have found a way to make a parasite of the honey bee to self destruct, preventing more of a decline in the bee's population.

The varroa mite targets honey bees, attaching on to their backs and making a hole in them from which they feed. They inject viruses into the bees in order to keep their immune system down to keep the hole open. This eventually kills the bees.

Dr Alan Bowman's team has developed a way of switching off certain genes in the mites by introducing RNA, which is very similar to DNA, into the mites, which attached to their DNA causing genes to stop functioning. This tricks the mite's immune system into attacking itself so it eventually dies.

The RNA is completely selective to the mites and would not harm the bees or any other insects that come into contact with it. This means the treatment can be used inside the hives, making it very direct and effective.

It is hoped that this treatment could put a stop to the decline in the population of honey bees.

To find out more:

Paper:  Campbell, Budge and Bowman. Gene knockdown in the honey bee mite Varroa destructor by a non-invasive approach (2010) Parasites and Vectors.

Articles: Science launch fightback against mite that is wiping out our bees... by making it self destruct, Daily Mail

Bee scientists force killer mites to self destruct, University of Aberdeen

Mutated Mice "Sing Like Birds"

Scientists at the University of Osaka have repeatedly bred strains of genetically modified mice to find the effects of the mutations over generations.  One strain has been found to have the ability to sing like a bird.

They have bred 100 of these mice so far and hope to use them to study the development of language. Using mice to study this is ideal as they are mammals and more closely related to humans than birds, the usual subject for study, so are more likely to produce reliable results.

Male mice have previously (see guardian article) been believed to have the ability to produce complex songs, and sing them over a period of a few minutes when they were exposed to sex pheromones. The songs were very high pitched and are outside human hearing, but had been recorded and analysed that way. But this new discovery means that the songs are audible to humans.

To find out more:

Articles: Scientists Create Mice That Sing Like Birds, Telegraph

Japan Bio-Scientists Produce 'Singing Mouse', AFP

Why Male Mice Feel Urge to Break into song, Guardian

Food for Thought

Can thinking about food make you thinner? Scientists from Carnegie Mellon University on Pittsburgh believe so. They conducted a series of experiments in which subjects were asked to imagine eating food. Afterwards they were offered real food. Those who had spent longer thinking about eating were found to eat a lot less than those who had not thought about food.

The experiment, which was published in Science magazine, involved people imagining themselves eating M&Ms or pieces of cheese or another repetitive activity such as inserting coins into washing machines. After imagining around 30 repetitions they were offered a bowl of sweets. Those who imagined eating sweets were found to eat half as many sweets than those in other groups.

This showed that the effect is food specific. If the subjects were told to imagine eating cheese, they would still eat the normal amount of sweets. If they were offered cheese cubes, they would eat less of them.

To find out more:

Original paper: Thought for Food: Imagined Consumption Reduces Actual Consumption (2010) Science.

Articles: Think Yourself Thinner with the Fantasy Diet, Daily Telegraph

  Can Food Thoughts Make You Thin? NHS

Bacteria Choose Fruit Flies Mates

A type of bacteria found in fruit flies has been found to influence mate choice by changing the pheromones produced by the fly.

Researchers found that changing the flies diets, changed the types of bacteria found in the body of the flies, which in turn changed their mating preference.

To test that the preferences were due to bacteria rather than the flies themselves, the researchers fed the flies antibiotics to kill off the bacteria. When the bacteria was absent the flies were seen to mate randomly, confirming the role of the bacteria in the mating preferences.

The researchers are now extending their study to see whether the bacteria affect choice by changing pheromones, or by some other method.

To find out more:

Original Paper: Sharon et al (2010), Commensal bacteria play a role in mating preference of Drosophila melanogaster. PNAS

Articles: ScienceMag - Bacteria help flies select mates

Not Just an Invisibility Cloak!

Scientists from Imperial College London have claimed it's possible to make an invisibility cloak that hides events, rather than objects. 

Named the 'spacetime cloak', the cloak uses electromagnetism to hide events from observers. This works by changing the speed of light so the light rays carry information around and past the event, essentially concealing it in a pocket of reality.

But this sci-fi concept is far from becoming an everyday phenomenon. The scientists  could only realistically accomplish this inside fibre optics, and the calculations mean that it could only work in a vacuum. Not only that, but they would have to make the light rays travel FASTER than the speed of light, a difficulty in itself! And finally the cloak would only work in one direction, which would only work if the observer was stationary, or it was used to fool a camera.

So will Harry Potter wannabes be rushing out to buy spacetime cloaks this year? Well, no, unfortunately not. The science is far from practical at the moment. But we are a step closer.

To find out more:

Original paper: McCall et al (2010) A spacetime cloak, or a history editor. Journal of Optics (13).

Articles:  Nature - Space-time cloak could hide events.

PopSci - Metamaterial 'space time cloak' conceals not just objects, but entire events