For decades, paleoartists have told the story of human evolution through sculpture and drawing. Now their tools have evolved, too. Computers allow a level of detail and control that isn’t possible with other media. Their creations can come closer than ever to bringing our ancestors to life.
As CBS News reports, there are actually more than 9 million bicycles in Beijing and they are really a sight to see: “It’s one of the most beautiful sights in China’s capital: flocks of bicycle riders all moving in tandem through the city’s wide boulevards. Metropolitan Beijing is packed with almost 12 million people and 13 million bicycles, making the simple two-wheeler hard to miss.”
Genome Institute of Singapore researchers compiled map based on genome-wide variations of 6,000 samples The first genetic historical map of the Han Chinese, the largest ethnic population in the world, as they migrated from south to north over evolutionary time. was published online today by the American Journal of Human Genetics by scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS). Based on genome-wide DNA variation information in over 6,000 Han Chinese samples from 10 provinces in China, this new map provides information about the population structure and evolutionary history of this group of people that can help scientists to identify subtle differences in the genetic diversity of Asian populations.
News from South Korea is that scientists have succeeded in creating plastic without the use of fossil fuels. The scientists created sustainable polymers used in common plastics that could replace traditional polymers that use chemicals from fossil fuels. The bioengineered polymers may be what is needed to create truly green-friendly plastic products.
In recent years, dozens and then hundreds of gray-and-white Magellanic penguins appeared on Brazil's coasts, coming all the way from Patagonia and the Straits of Magellan. They landed on the beach sands, exhausted and starving, and were immediately surrounded by children and bikini-clad women. Subjects of curiosity and affection, they often died at the hands of those who tried to help by putting them in refrigerators or walking them on leashes. But this troubling story doesn’t end there: some of these penguins have since been shipped or even flown back to colder waters further south. And, as I wonder how they feel about this journey, I keep hoping that their plight will help us understand ours.