MI weekly selection #333
CO2 used as water alternative in fracking experiment
Researchers in China have used carbon dioxide instead of water in a fracking process that could potentially be more environmentally friendly. CO2 was used in five wells drilled in a Chinese oilfield, producing as much as 20 times more oil than the water method, researchers said.
Spider-toxin gene makes fungus even more deadly to mosquitoes
A fungus already deadly to mosquitoes was made even more deadly to the malaria-bearing insects by the introduction of a gene that creates a spider-bite toxin. The fungus was used in an experiment in Burkina Faso, wiping out mosquitoes in just two generations.
A new theory about the Neanderthal extinction
A small drop in fertility rates in the population’s youngest women may have contributed to the demise of Neanderthals. Study senior author Silvana Condemi says reduced availability of calories for pregnant women may have been a factor.
Smell restored to mice with spray based on stem cells
Stem cells spritzed into the nostrils of smelling-impaired mice grafted themselves inside the nose, became nerve cells and restored the sense of smell. “We were a bit surprised to find that cells could engraft fairly robustly with a simple nose drop delivery,” said senior author Bradley Goldstein.
Black hole equivalent tests Hawking theory
Researchers tested Stephen Hawking’s theory that black holes emit small amounts of radiation by using a Bose-Einstein condensate to create the sonic analogue to a black hole.