Pictures of the Plant Pompeii
The recently discovered “Permian vegetational Pompeii” – a 298-million-year-old forest preserved by volcanic ash under a coal mine in China - is an extraordinary find that has allowed researchers to reconstruct and map these forests. Check out the link below to view photos of this prehistoric time capsule.
Gizmodo
World of Warcraft May Improve Cognitive Functioning
A recent study by psychologists at North Carolina State University’s “Gains Through Gaming” laboratory concludes the online game World of Warcraft can boost cognitive functioning in older adults. According to the study’s co-author, Dr. Jason Allaire, spatial ability and focus improved in those who “needed it most – those who performed the worst on the initial testing”.
eScienceNews
The Y Chromosome is Here to Stay
New research counters predictions that the Y chromosome every human male shares is doomed. A recent study on human and rhesus monkey Y chromosomes showed the chromosome has only lost one gene in the 25 million years since humans and rhesus macaques shared a common ancestor.
ScientificAmerican
Slower-than-Light Neutrinos
The faster-than-light neutrino study, which caught the world’s attention last year due to its violation of Einstein’s theory of relatively, may be flawed, according to a statement by the OPERA collaboration. According to the statement, the GPS signals used to synchronize the atomic clocks at the end of each neutrino beam may not have been interpolated correctly, and there may also have been a faulty connection between the GPS signal and the OPERA master clock.
Nature
Top image: The field cage in the ALICE Time-Projection Chamber. Image credit: Michael H., CERN