This week’s biggest stories
Before you settle down to festive fun and family fights, let’s get the last of this year’s science in your eyes! First up is a rather intriguing discovery that pregnancy appears to trigger long-term changes in brain structure. Scientists suggest that the transformations in the volume of grey matter in certain regions could boost a mother’s ability to care for her newborn baby. Researchers have also identified three genes which could explain why some people are obese and healthy while others develop diabetes and heart disease as a result of their weight. It’s not a reason to overdo the mince pies, but it opens up the possibility of personalised BMIs and targeted treatments in the future. And if all that just sounds too batty well, a group of scientists from Tel Aviv University have gone a bit further into that territory. Their recent study used machine learning algorithms to decode the squeaks that bats make. The scientists found that they could work out who was arguing with whom, what the squabble was about and could even predict the outcome of a disagreement – all from the bats’ calls. And finally, some rather heartwarming news. After scouring the genomes of 27 patients with debilitating movement disorders which had left doctors baffled, doctors have discovered a new genetic disorder. Treatment is now possible for these children - and some have now improved so much they can walk again unaided.
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Straight from the lab – top picks from our experts on the blog network
All hail the Christmas tree, a mighty survivor from Mesozoic times | Lost Worlds Revisited
Palaeontologists have a slightly different take on the world, even at Christmas: Christmas dinner is the ceremonial dissection of an avian dinosaur, and there’s no finer joke than a half a billion year old arthropod named after Santa Claus. And so it is with Christmas trees: most people see them as the slightly pagan focal point of their festive decorations. I see this as the one time of year when people actually pay any attention to these mighty survivors from Mesozoic times.
Good news! You probably won’t be killed by a sex robot | Brain flapping
After spending a fascinating two days at the International Congress on Love and Sex with Robots, where academics discussed everything from robot design to the ethics of programming lovers, I was surprised to learn from Gizmodo that ‘sex robots may literally f**k us to death’.
Breathing modulates brain activity and mental function | Neurophilosophy
The researchers found that slow brain wave oscillations in the piriform cortex, and higher frequency brain waves in the hippocampus and amygdala, were synchronised with the rate of natural, spontaneous breathing. Importantly, though, the brain wave oscillations in all three regions were most highly synchronised immediately after the patients breathed in, but less so while they were breathing out. And when the patients were asked to divert breathing to their mouths, the researchers observed a significant decrease in brain wave coupling.
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Alex Bellos’s Monday puzzle
Are you more sorted than a German elf at Christmas? Find out whether you’ve got your present delivery under control with Alex’s Christmas conundrum.
Visit Alex Bellos’s Adventures in Numberland blog for more marvellous maths
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Science Weekly podcast
And just in case you feel like escaping Christmas altogether and heading to outer space, here’s an audio treat for you. What has Juno revealed since it dropped into Jupiter’s orbit earlier this year? And how is the probe holding up against the solar system’s largest gas giant? Find out with this week’s Science Weekly podcast.
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Eye on science – this week’s top pictures
Feast your eyes on this spectacular selection – it’s the Wildlife Conservation Society’s favourite pictures of 2016.
