This week in science: bright blue dogs spotted in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone; the pros of going gray; a kind of computer memory made of mushrooms; and much more!
Powerful New Antibiotic Was 'Hiding in Plain Sight' For Decades
A powerful new antibiotic compound has been discovered in plain sight, in a commonly studied bacterium called Streptomyces coelicolor.
What's particularly promising is that Enterococcus bacteria exposed to the compound for 28 days straight didn't become resistant to it, suggesting the antibiotic could remain effective over the long term.
Read the full story here.
One Type of Activity Is Particularly Effective at Keeping Your Brain Young
Creative activities like art, dancing, music, and even gaming have been found to reduce people's biological 'brain age'.
"Tango dancers showed brains that appeared more than seven years younger than their chronological age. Musicians and visual artists had brains about five to six years younger. Gamers, about four years younger," the researchers write.
Read the full story here.
Dogs Reportedly Seen Turning Bright Blue in The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Bright blue dogs have been spotted in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – not from radiation, but probably just from rolling in chemical dyes.
"We do not know the reason and we are attempting to catch them so we can find out what is happening," Clean Futures Fund wrote on Instagram. "Most likely they're getting into some sort of chemical."
Read the full story here.
Gray Hair Might Be The Body's Way of Avoiding a Deadly Cancer
Researchers in Japan have found that gray hair might result from the body protecting itself from cancer, by removing risky, damaged cells.
"These findings reveal that the same stem cell population can follow antagonistic fates – exhaustion or expansion – depending on the type of stress and microenvironmental signals," says lead author Emi Nishimura, a biologist at the University of Tokyo.
"It reframes hair graying and melanoma not as unrelated events, but as divergent outcomes of stem cell stress responses."
Read the full story here.
Scientists Built a Working Computer Memory Out of Shiitake Mushrooms
A kind of computer memory has been made out of shiitake mushrooms, with performance comparable to a classic silicon-based chip.
The researchers achieved a performance of 5,850 Hertz, with an accuracy of 90 percent from their 'mushristor' – that is, it switches signals at a speed of about 5,850 times per second, or one switch every 170 microseconds or so.
Read the full story here.
One Factor in Walking May Improve Your Heart Health More Than Your Step Count
A UK study suggests that taking longer walks improves your heart health more than multiple short walks, even with the same total step count.
"There is a perception that health professionals have recommended walking 10,000 steps a day is the goal, but this isn't necessary," says co-lead author Matthew Ahmadi, a public health researcher at the University of Sydney.
"Simply adding one or two longer walks per day, each lasting at least 10-15 minutes at a comfortable but steady pace, may have significant benefits – especially for people who don't walk much."
Read the full story here.