Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Japanese scientists find a simple method for cultivating an edible, highly nutritious microalgae
Using tomato juice fortified with essential vitamins (B1 and B12) as a medium to grow the edible microalgae E. gracilis is six times less expensive than using the traditional “KH” medium. This innovative approach could boost the production of E. gracilis as food products and supplements. Credit: Kyohei Yamashita from Tokyo University of Science Euglena…
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Researchers help reduce lead levels in Madagascar drinking water
A. Scatterplot of Pre-BLL vs. Post-BLL (n=55). B. Scatterplot of Pre-Aqueous Pb vs. PostAqueous Pb (n = 36). Credit: Environmental Science & Technology (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03774 A team of engineers and public health experts from the University of South Florida is helping Toamasina, Madagascar, residents reduce their exposure to lead—a major global environmental pollutant that…
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Protecting native fauna from housecats
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Fans of the musical “Cats” will know that the naming of cats is a difficult matter, and that cats have three different names. The same is true of cats in New Zealand—there are three types: companion or pet cats that live with people and rely on them for their welfare, stray…
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Leading a school with poor indoor air quality puts an extra strain on principals
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Research into the experiences of principals working in schools with poor indoor air quality remains scarce. Published in Environmental Hazards, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland now sheds light on the challenges faced by principals in schools with poor indoor air quality. The researchers interviewed 20 principals working…
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Seconded employees provide more novel and innovative ideas, finds research
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Seconded employees—employees temporarily assigned to a different role, organization, or department—choose more innovative ideas and influence permanent staff to do the same, finds new research from ESMT Berlin. Despite the motivation to select new ideas, individuals and organizations often still reject or overlook them. These ideas can be difficult to… Continue…
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Modeling shows how wolves recolonized Germany and where they could live in the future
Modeling framework highlighting the main analyses and modeling steps. Panel (1) shows step 1 of the modeling approaches related to first finding the best data structure and modeling algorithm. Panel (2) shows the final global model. Red ellipses in panel (3) delineate the area of data origin for the regional models that correspond with step…
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Researchers identify brain center responsible for responses to rapid temperature change
We’ve all heard it: Put a frog in boiling water, and it will jump out. But put the same frog in lukewarm water and heat it gradually, and you’ll cook the frog. Often used as a metaphor for the unhurried and stubborn response many have to a slowly rising threat, the mechanisms underlying the urban…
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Genomic tug of war could boost cancer therapy
Some patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, like acute myeloid leukemia, benefit from a chemotherapy drug called decitabine that stunts cancer growth. But many others are resistant to decatibine’s effects or become resistant over time. Wilmot Cancer Institute researchers have uncovered a “genomic tug of war” in animal studies that could influence how well certain patients —…
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How cell identity is preserved when cells divide
Every cell in the human body contains the same genetic instructions, encoded in its DNA. However, out of about 30,000 genes, each cell expresses only those genes that it needs to become a nerve cell, immune cell, or any of the other hundreds of cell types in the body. Each cell’s fate is largely determined…
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Massive ‘devil comet’ explodes for the second time in two weeks
Weird But True By Ben Cost Published Nov. 16, 2023, 3:08 p.m. ET Pass the space Maalox. A giant horned “devil” comet has exploded en route to Earth — the second time the interstellar snowball’s blown its stack in two weeks. Named 12P/Pons-Brooks, the falling star’s latest display was caught on camera by Arizona-based astronomy…
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