List of All Articles with Tag 'and'

Scientists have created a model human embryo to study the first weeks of life, complete with a heartbeat and traces of blood. The synthetic embryo was created with human stem cells and did not require sperm, eggs or fertilisation. It mimics the structure that occurs during the first month of pregnancy. Yet, scientists ensured it was designed to not form a foetus. Researchers involved in the extraordinary project discovered that the model had early stages of developing a brain and beating heart cells, which generally develop after 23 days in a human embryo. It was achieved through embryonic stem cells, which are 'blank' cells from a human embryo. Scientists grew the model in a lab before transferring it to a rotating bottle to act as an artificial uterus, The Guardian reported. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Scientists hope the findings will help them understand more about the impact of genetic disorders and miscarriage. Dr Jitesh Neupane, of the University of Cambridge’s Gurdon Institute, told the publication: "I randomly took my plate under the microscope and when I saw the [heartbeat] for the first time I was scared, honestly. I had to look down and look back again. "It was overwhelming for me. People get emotional when you see the heartbeat." He went on to emphasise that the model is "neither embryos nor are [they] trying to make embryos actually." "They are just models that could be used to look into specific aspects of human development," he continued. The findings are yet to be published in either a preprint or a journal paper. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A spate of recent orca attacks has fuelled concern among scientists in recent weeks for animal safety, and even led to speculation that the ocean mammal could be trying to rise up against humans. But are they? In a new trend – dubbed "orca wars" by some on social media – a population of orcas has recently been smashing into boats off the coast of Portugal and near the Strait of Gibraltar at a rate of nearly one per day. That's according to researcher Rui Alves, who collects data on the attacks. In June alone there have been 12 orca attacks on boats and 12 other encounters. In May, there were 21 attacks, says his website, orca.pt. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Of course, social media reacted just how you might expect: by picking a team. One person tweeted: “If you an orca whale reading this, i am on your side. I have always been on your side.” Researchers don’t know exactly why this is happening, but there are two main hypotheses. The first is that killer whales – highly intelligent and social creatures – have invented a new fad, something that younger members of orca pods have been known to do. The other, more concerning possibility, is that it is a response to trauma involving a boat, Dr Alfredo López Fernandez, of Grupo Trabajo Orca Atlántica (GTOA, or Atlantic Orca Working Group), told the Guardian. “[It could be a] response to an adverse situation; one or several individuals have had a bad experience and are trying to stop the boat so as not to repeat it. This behaviour coincides with the profile of adults,” he said. If it is the latter, there is even one key suspect in starting the trend: a white orca called Gladis Blanca (or White Gladis), who is thought to have had a bad collision with a vessel at some stage. Other adult orcas in the region also have injuries consistent with boat collisions or entanglement, López added. “All this has to make us reflect on the fact that human activities, even in an indirect way, are at the origin of this behaviour,” he said. In fact, the attacks are not such a new thing. Back in 2020, a group of orcas were seen pursuing sailboats in the region, in an act of aggression that was previously thought to be extremely rare. Since then, it has grown more and more common. The orcas have tended to ram into the hulls of boats, but they have also been seen scraping them with their teeth. The attacks sometimes snap the boats’ rudders, leaving sailors unable to navigate. In three cases, the animals damaged a boat so badly that it sank. However, for all the concern that the orcas might be getting, erm, orca-nised, scientists remain concerned that the attacks could come back to bite the ocean mammals eventually. The Iberian orca subpopulation is considered critically endangered, according to GTOA, with only 39 animals the last time a full census was carried out in 2011. López and his colleagues fear boaters may lash out, or that the orcas might hurt themselves in the process of ramming the vessels. Either way, it doesn’t look like the attacks will stop any time soon. So who knows: maybe the ocean world really is rising up… Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A growing number of states are considering or have passed measures this legislative term to ban "foreign adversaries" and foreign entities -- specifically China -- from buying farmland.

SYDNEY New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Monday he would visit China from June 25 to

It comes as tensions between Beijing and the West are in focus as the US secretary of state visits China.

NBA rumors: Deandre Ayton doesn't have a lot of trade value right nowAfter trading for Bradley Beal, the Suns are really short on depth going forward. This will result in them attempting to move Deandre Ayton for depth.According to Adrian Wojnarowski, this may be hard to do due to the fac...

San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb did not mince words when talking about the disrespectful behavior of Los Angeles Dodgers fans after the game on Sunday.The San Francisco Giants cruised to victory, 7-3, over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday afternoon. That marks the completion of a series...

NBA Draft Rumors: Hornets bring in Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller for second workoutWhile we know that Victor Wembanyama will be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, selected by the San Antonio Spurs, what the Charlotte Hornets plan to do with the second pick is still up in the air. And while a ...

A new law will require less dependence on imported oil and gas and more use of renewable sources.

NFL Rumors: Tony Pollard, Cowboys mutually motivated on new contractThe Dallas Cowboys have already made Tony Pollard their running back of the future. Now they just have to pay him like one.Pollard signed his franchise tag earlier this offseason and is entering his fifth year in the NFL. The ...

Indians are the second-largest migrant group in Australia, and their numbers are continuing to rise.

Electricity problems have led to water shortages and those with money are digging their own boreholes.