Propellant is one of the most important things that any spacecraft needs to carry – without it, a spacecraft will be unable to move or change course. This is why spacecraft tend to carry a lot of it on board. Carrying propellant, however, brings its own set of problems. Not only is the chemical highly flammable, … Continue reading Scientists use nanoparticles as an alternative propulsion method for small spacecraft
Plants can sense, think and communicate, says Italian scientist
Talking to plants is neither an uncommon habit among gardeners and plant enthusiasts, nor is it a modern notion. Strange as it might sound or appear to an onlooker, people talk to their plants for a host of reasons. Some do it as a form of social interaction. Others might talk to their ailing plants … Continue reading Plants can sense, think and communicate, says Italian scientist
Chemicals in organophosphate pesticides cause brain damage: Study
Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides, a kind of pesticide considered toxic to humans, has been linked to impaired cognition and significant changes in the brain. In a major breakthrough, scientists from the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) and Stanford University found that teenagers exposed in utero to organophosphate pesticides demonstrated altered brain activities during tasks that required executive control. Sagiv and her … Continue reading Chemicals in organophosphate pesticides cause brain damage: Study
Uncovering the truth about pesticides in food
Every year, six billion pounds of pesticides are used around the world. The effects of all this pesticide use are felt in every aspect of our lives because these chemicals are incredibly pervasive. Even if you eat organic – and you definitely should – it is still hard to avoid pesticide exposure entirely. That’s unfortunate … Continue reading Uncovering the truth about pesticides in food
Research: Strange behavior of Earth’s magnetic field in the South Atlantic believed to be symptoms of an event that repeats every few million years
The Earth is protected from solar wind — a stream of charged particles from the sun — by its geomagnetic field. But this protective barrier is weak in certain areas, particularly south of the Atlantic Ocean. Called the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), this area makes it easier for solar wind and other cosmic rays to enter the … Continue reading Research: Strange behavior of Earth’s magnetic field in the South Atlantic believed to be symptoms of an event that repeats every few million years
The coronavirus may actually be a vascular – and not a respiratory – disease
The symptoms of COVID-19 may very well be eldritch horrors. In most cases, it can appear as cough, fever, chills and headache. But in severe cases, it can cause acute kidney failure and multiple organ damage – strange symptoms for what’s known as mainly a respiratory infection. How COVID-19 causes the latter, in particular, was the focus … Continue reading The coronavirus may actually be a vascular – and not a respiratory – disease
Where does Parkinson’s begin? Study claims it starts in the gut
A study published in the journal Acta Neurologica found that the gut may be the starting point of Parkinson’s disease. According to researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark, disease-causing proteins called alpha-synuclein travel up to the brain from the gut. Eventually, they make their way to the heart, as well. The findings of the study represent a significant step toward detecting and managing … Continue reading Where does Parkinson’s begin? Study claims it starts in the gut
Hope for arthritis sufferers: Researchers identify a chemical that can stop inflammatory cell death
A chemical called necrosulfonamide may help inhibit “cellular suicide” linked to arthritis, a recent animal study showed. Published in Science Immunology, the study revealed that necrosulfonamide can prevent pyroptosis, a highly inflammatory form of programmed cell death that contributes to conditions like arthritis, live disease and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). (Related: Cannabis found to reduce the symptoms of IBD.) The undesirable effects of pyroptosis Cell death … Continue reading Hope for arthritis sufferers: Researchers identify a chemical that can stop inflammatory cell death
Mutated form of SARS-CoV-2 now predominates global infections
A new study published in the journal Cell reports the effects of a genetic mutation in SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. Conducted by researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory, Duke University and the University of Sheffield in the U.K., it suggests that a variation in SARS-CoV-2’s genome improved the virus’s ability to infect human cells and helped it become the dominant strain circulating globally. The coronavirus variant – named D614G … Continue reading Mutated form of SARS-CoV-2 now predominates global infections
Covid-19 and the HIV connection revealed
Coronaviruses are pervasive throughout the human population and their symptoms typically manifest as the common cold. The four most popular coronaviruses identified include 229E (alpha coronavirus), NL63 (alpha coronavirus), OC43 (beta coronavirus), and HKU1 (beta coronavirus). More potent coronaviruses have emerged in recent years. MERS-CoV I is a beta coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or … Continue reading Covid-19 and the HIV connection revealed
Dr. Eddy Bettermann MD 