Researches Relevant to Theosophy
Biology
Date: June, 2018
Source: Quanta Magazine
A genome study (Genome-Wide-Association-Study) run for more than fifteen years and involving millions of individuals came to the conclusion that the entire genome may be involved in the design of specific human traits.
Biology
Date: March, 2018
Source: Quanta Magazine
Biology
Health and Medicine
Date: April, 2018
Source: New Scientist
Biology
Health and Medicine
Date: June, 2016
Source: Science Alert; Science
A team of researchers from the University of Washington found that genes continue to be active in mice and zebra fish even days after their death. This research was triggered by a previous finding that genes in human cadavers were still active more than 12 hours after death. What they noted was that the gene activity after death was not sputtering but rather they became more active after death. In the case of zebra fish, “548 genes retained their function for four whole days after the animals had died before showing any signs of winding down.” This finding raises the question on when really is the time of death. It also has implications on the state of the organs after death when they are being considered for transplant.
What surprised researchers was the fact that the genes which were activated after death were those which were active during the formation of the embryo and which become inactive during one’s lifetime.
Sources:
Biology
Health and Medicine
Date: April, 2018
Source: New Scientist
Biology
Date: March, 2006
Source: Science Daily
Researchers at the Laboratoire d’Écologie at the University Pierre and Marie Curie (Ecole Normale Supérieure/CNRS) and the Royal Holloway College (London, United Kingdom) have just explained the evolution of altruistic behavior in animals.
In nature animals have been observed cooperating, and the detection of a genetic predisposition to this type of behavior contradicts Darwin’s theory of evolution which predicts a better survival rate for the most selfish animals. The use of mathematic modeling has provided a new explanation for the surprising persistence of this type of behavior which appears, at first sight, to be detrimental to the animal adopting it.
This work is published in Nature on 30 March 2006.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060404201741.htm
Psychology
Biology
Humanities
Education
Date: March 2018
Source: New Scientist
If you need to produce your best creative work, try boosting your alpha brainwaves.
Joel Lopata at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and his colleagues have found that people with more synchronised alpha waves are more creative and produce work of higher quality.
Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2162646-very-creative-people-have-a-special-kind-of-brain-activity/