Articles by Diane Samson
Giant Sloth Fossil Reveals How Creature Lived 27,000 Years Ago
The tooth of a giant sloth that grew to about 4 meters tall was discovered in Central America. In a study, scientists discovered that the creature lived through a long dry season in its final year.
NASA Shows Off Stunning New Images Of Jupiter's Atmosphere
A citizen scientist enhanced a new photo of Jupiter to highlight swirls of clouds surrounding a circular storm. Spacecraft Juno took the said image during its most recent flyby of the gas giant.
Researchers Working On GMO Wheat That Can Be Safely Consumed By People With Celiac Disease
People with celiac disease might soon be able to eat food containing wheat without experiencing any symptoms. In a study, researchers created a new variety of the grain that has built-in enzymes that break down gluten.
Internet Sensation Cat Lil Bub Has Genome Sequenced
A crowd-funded new study sequenced the whole genome of one of the internet's most famous cats, Lil Bub. Researchers found that the furry celebrity owes its unique traits to two surprising mutations.
Colorectal Cancer Test Kits Could Speed Up Screening Process
At-home cancer screening kits can effectively detect colorectal cancer among patients, according to a recent analysis. Researchers discovered that fecal immunochemical tests have 75 to 80 percent sensitivity compared to 90 percent from colonoscopy.
Researchers Succeed In Turning CO2 Back Into Coal
A team of researchers has proposed a safe and permanent way to store recaptured carbon dioxide and prevent it from escaping back into the atmosphere. In a study, the team successfully turned CO2 back to coal.
Study Pinpoints 'Fast And Easy' Weight Loss Strategy
The secret to losing weight is to monitor food consumption. In an experiment, researchers found that people who logged their daily calorie and fat intake into an app lost at least 10 percent of their body weight.
Scientists Create Artificial Ocean Hydrothermal Vents To Study Primordial Origins Of Life
A team of scientists investigated the conditions of the primordial ocean to understand how life began on Earth. They believe that this could help narrow down the search for extraterrestrial life in the universe.
Drug Manufacturer Points Finger At FDA Label Change Regulation As Cause Of Opioid Problem
A long-time drug manufacturer said that the FDA is partly to blame for the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States. A 2001 label change of Oxycontin, a powerful painkiller, gave more people access to the drug.
Humans Get Used To Extreme Weather In A Matter Of Years, Says Study
A new study looked at how people will react to extreme weather conditions caused by global warming by analyzing tweets. Researchers found that people get used to abnormal temperatures pretty quickly.
Chance Of Getting Red Meat Allergy From Tick Bite Higher Than Previous Estimates
The risk of developing an alpha-gal syndrome from a tick bite is higher than originally thought. Scientists found that alpha-gal is present in the saliva of certain tick species whether they recently fed on mammal blood or not.
NASA Warns Ice Shelf 2 Times The Size Of New York Could Break Off Antarctica
NASA has been monitoring two cracks on the Brunt Ice Shelf that might produce an iceberg twice the size of New York City. The event might endanger the human presence that has been established in the area in 1955.
Spain Ekes Out Win Over Italy As World's Healthiest Nation
Spain was declared the healthiest country in the world, beating Italy, Japan, and Iceland. A recent survey gave a score of 92.8 out of 100 to Spain based on several factors that contribute to a nation's overall health.
30-Million-Page Archive Of Our Civilization On Its Way To The Moon
The Lunar Library was launched onboard the Beresheet lander from SpaceIL. The archive, which contains a backup of the human race, is the first library to be placed on a celestial body.
Unknown Creature That Lived 480 Million Years Ago Finally Identified From Fossilized Guts
A recently unearthed fossil has finally settled the debate about the stylophoran, a mysterious creature that existed before the age of dinosaurs. The specimen discovered in 2014 had perfectly-preserved soft tissues, allowing scientists to probe the creature's insides.
Researchers Create A New Kind Of Tough Stretchable Fiber
A team of researchers has developed a fiber that mixes the stretch of rubber and the strength of the metal. They believe that the material can be used in a variety of ways, including in soft robotics and packaging.
CRISPR-Edited Babies Might Have Improved Brain Functions
Could the babies who were genetically modified to be immune to HIV receive an enhanced brain function because of the procedure? A study revealed that the gene associated with susceptibility to HIV plays a major role in memory and cognition.
Scientists Nickname Most Distant Object In Our Solar System 'FarFarOut'
FarFarOut is 140 times farther away from the sun than Earth, according to scientists. The new object could help scientists finally confirm the existence of the hypothesized ninth planet of the solar system, Planet X.
Google Maps Can Now Help People Find Nearest Drug Disposal Locations
Google Maps will combat the opioid crisis in the United States by showing users the location of the nearest drug disposals. The company partnered with government agencies and pharmacies to collect unused prescription medication and combat opioid abuse.
Scientists Synthesize Artificial DNA With 4 New Nucleobases
Researchers believe that the hachimoji DNA can help NASA's search for life outside of Earth. In a study, they presented an eight-nucleotide synthetic molecular system that can store and transmit genetic information of a potential extraterrestrial organism.
Number Of Push Ups One Can Do May Indicate Heart Health
Men who can do more than 40 push-ups have a higher risk of experiencing heart issues, according to a new study. Researchers believe that the ability to do push-ups can be used to screen for cardiovascular diseases.
Hubble Beams Back Images Of Neptune's Newest Moon Hippocamp
A team of researchers published a paper describing a small moon currently in orbit around Neptune. Hippocamp, named after a Greek mythological creature, is Neptune's 14th and smallest moon.
State Sanctioned Vaccine Exemptions Could Force Federal Hands To Move, Says FDA Chief
The FDA might take action if the states continue to allow parents to not vaccinate children despite the declaration of measles outbreaks in five states. There are currently 17 states that allow vaccine exemptions for philosophical reasons.
Lobster Bellies Could Inspire High-Tech Full Body Armor For Humans
The soft membrane of the lobster could improve human body armor used in law enforcement. The researchers at MIT found that the natural hydrogel that connects the exoskeleton is as tough as industrial rubber but remains flexible to movement.
Man Gets Wrong Rover In Tattoo To Honor Mars Opportunity
A man who wanted to pay tribute to Opportunity mistakenly got an image of Curiosity, the much younger rover, on his shoulder. The tweet went viral days after NASA had announced the official end of Opportunity's mission on Mars.
New Avian Study Could Rewrite What We Know About Bird Evolution
New research argued that ancestry and behavior, not diet, are the primary drivers of the evolutionary changes in avian skulls. In the biggest study of its kind, researchers analyzed a total of 352 bird skulls.
Screen Time Exposure For Very Young Children Has Doubled Since The Late 90s
The screen time among children under the age of 2 is on the rise. New research found that between 1997 and 2014, the amount of time that young children spend in front of a screen more than doubled.
Prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship Awarded To 10 Princeton Faculty Members
Princeton University faculty members are among the 2019 Sloan Reseach Fellows, an honor granted annually by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The 10 promising early-career researchers will receive a two-year $70,000 grant to pursue any scientific inquiry of their choosing.
A Single CRISPR Treatment Can Show Significant Benefits In Mice With DMD
A team of researchers found that a single CRISPR therapy corrected DMD in mice for a year. They hope that their study will pave the way for the development of an effective treatment for humans.
China Wants To Build Giant Solar Farm In Orbit To Harvest Sun's Energy
China has revealed plans to construct a massive power plant in space to beam back solar energy to Earth. The country is hoping to launch small to medium solar power stations to orbit around the planet by 2025.
