Author Archives: César Tomé
MI weekly selection #341
Frog brain study looks for parenting clues
Some poison dart frogs take an active role in parenting their young rather than disregarding eggs once they are laid, and researchers found brain regions in males and females that could offer clues […]
MI weekly selection #340
Pumping ocean water onto Antarctic ice sheet may save it
Researchers say pumping massive amounts of ocean water onto the collapsing ice sheet in West Antarctica over a 10-year period may stabilize it and possibly prevent extreme sea level rise, […]
MI weekly selection #339
Supermassive black holes heading for collision found
A pair of supermassive black holes about 2.5 billion light-years away appear to be on a collision course with each other in a few more billion years, but astronomers say they can learn […]
MI weekly selection #338
Near-death experiences may be linked to REM sleep disorders
Many people who report having had near-death experiences also report having had REM sleep disorder symptoms. REM is the sleep phase that features vivid dreaming, and researchers say a combination of […]
MI weekly selection #337
Fungus induces nonstop mating in cicadas
Substances made by a fungus infecting cicadas, Massospora, are causing the insects to mate incessantly. The study discovered several firsts, including the first psilocybin to be produced by a fungus that was not a […]
MI weekly selection #336
New crater spotted on Mars ranks among largest seen to date
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has observed a fresh crater on the Red Planet, NASA officials say. The space agency released an image that shows a hole gouged on the […]
MI weekly selection #335
Robotics, seals used to figure out reason for Antarctic sea ice holes
Researchers used robotic floats and tagged elephant seals to learn why huge holes called polynyas are opening up in Antarctic ice. Strong storms and a higher salt content […]
MI weekly selection #334
Dragonfish teeth owe translucence to nanoscale structures
Nanoscale structures make the teeth of deep-sea dragonfish translucent so they’re invisible to prey. The sharp, thin teeth are obscured in the dragonfish’s mouths due to the way the nanostructures minimize the scattering […]
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 […]
MI weekly selection #332
New tool helps scientists visualize stem cell division
A tool developed by the Allen Institute for Cell Science can help scientists see what a human stem cell looks like when it’s dividing. The Integrated Mitotic Stem Cell is a colorful […]