35 articles from SATURDAY 19.10.2019

Researchers quantify Cas9-caused off-target mutagenesis in mice

Scientists are finding new ways to improve the use of the CRISPR enzyme Cas9 and reduce the chances of off-target mutations in laboratory mice, according to new results. The findings will help scientists contextualize a common concern related to gene editing and identify new strategies to improve its precision.

Limiting mealtimes may increase your motivation for exercise

Limiting access to food in mice increases levels of the hormone, ghrelin, which may also increase motivation to exercise, according to a new study. The study suggests that a surge in levels of appetite-promoting hormone, ghrelin, after a period of fasting prompted mice to initiate voluntary exercise.

How Guilty Should You Feel About Flying?

The Swedes call it "flygskam," or "flying shame," the movement that encourages people to stop taking flights to lower their carbon footprints.But should most Americans really be ashamed of getting on a plane to see grandma this holiday season?The short answer: Probably not. If your flights are purely a luxury, though, that's another matter.A small group of frequent flyers,...

Egypt unveils trove of ancient coffins excavated in Luxor

Egypt revealed Saturday a rare trove of 30 ancient wooden coffins that have been well-preserved over millennia in the archaeologically rich Valley of the Kings in Luxor. The antiquities ministry officially unveiled the discovery made at Asasif, a necropolis on the west bank of the Nile River, at a press conference against the backdrop of the Hatshepsut Temple. "This is the first discovery in...

Dr Sarah E Hill: ‘We have a blind spot about how the pill influences women’s brains’

The social psychologist’s new book tackles the tricky subject of how oral contraceptives may affect women’s mindsAt a time when women’s reproductive freedoms are under attack, any suggestion that the birth control pill could be problematic feels explosive. But Sarah E Hill, a professor of social psychology at the Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas argues we need to talk about...

Doubting death: how our brains shield us from mortal truth

Brain seems to categorise death as something that only befalls other peopleWarning: this story is about death. You might want to click away now.That’s because, researchers say, our brains do their best to keep us from dwelling on our inevitable demise. A study found that the brain shields us from existential fear by categorising death as an unfortunate event that only befalls other people....

Mars 2020 unwrapped and ready for testing

In this time-lapse video, taken on Oct. 4, 2019, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, bunny-suited engineers remove the inner layer of protective antistatic foil on the Mars 2020 rover after the vehicle was relocated from JPL's Spacecraft Assembly Facility to the Simulator Building for testing.

Nasa astronauts complete first ever all-female spacewalk

Christina Koch and Jessica Meir, tasked with replacing faulty device at International Space Station, embarked on ‘historic’ effortTwo Nasa astronauts have embarked on the first all-female space walk in a historic first.Christina Koch and Jessica Meir floated feet-first out of the International Space Station’s (ISS) Quest airlock on Friday lunchtime UK time, tasked with replacing a failed...