NEW STUDY CONFIRMS WE CAN INDEED LEARN IN OUR SLEEP — BUT THERE’S A CATCH

It’s the dream of any kid too lazy to study: put on a set of earphones when you go to bed and learn while you’re sleeping. The good news? According to a new study, this is absolutely a possibility. The bad news? It’s not quite as simple as that.

The research, published in the journal Nature, shows that new auditory memories can be formed as we sleep, although these are only laid down during particular phases of our slumber. In an experiment, sleeping subjects were exposed to white noise incorporating a recurring tonal pattern. Using electroencephalographic (EEG) and behavioral response analysis, the researchers demonstrated that subjects learned the sound patterns during cycles of REM sleep. This refers to the sleep phases characterized by rapid eye movements, which involve more dreaming, body movement, and faster breathing. Some learning also takes place during the N2 sleep phase, referring to the first unequivocal stage of sleep, during which muscle activity decreases, as does awareness of the outside world.

Interestingly, while learning is possible in these phases, in the deeper slow-wave N3 -read more

Meet Patagotitan mayorum, Biggest Animal Ever to Walk Earth

Life reconstruction of Patagotitan mayorum. Image credit: Jorge Gonzalez.

Patagotitan mayorum roamed the Earth about 101.6 million years ago during the Albian, the uppermost subdivision of the Early Cretaceous epoch.

The fossil remains of at least six individuals were discovered in 2012-13 at a single site in the Province of Chubut, Patagonia, Argentina.

“When first news of the finding came out in 2013, the dig was still active,” said Dr. José Luis Carballido, of the Museo Egidio Feruglio (MEF).

“We had seen many bones on the field that showed certain features that indicated this was a new species and, apparently, the largest one found until then. From that moment, numerous field trips were carried out to unearth the fossils, which were later prepared in MEF labs.”

“It was only then that we could start studying the material to determine exact features that would allow us to identify this new species.”

“We found three different levels with bones in the same excavation, all of them belonging to one same species,” Dr. Carballido said.-read more

Bristol zoo gives rare spiders a leg-up with breeding programme

n what is believed to be a world first, one of the rarest spiders has been bred in captivity at Bristol Zoo Gardens. More than 1,000 Desertas wolf spiderlings, classed as critically endangered, have hatched. Keepers hand-reared some from tiny eggs as they are so precious. At birth, they measure 4mm across, but they will grow to 12cm, with a 4cm body.

The species is found in a single valley on Deserta Grande, one of the Desertas islands near Madeira, Portugal. There are about 4,000 adults left in the wild and it is hoped that some of the spiderlings can be returned to their home.

Mark Bushell, curator of invertebrates at Bristol zoo, travelled to Deserta Grande last year and collected 25 of the spiders to breed. “Because this was the first time this species had ever been taken into captivity to breed, it was a steep learning curve,” he said. “After some of the female spiders were mated, it was an anxious wait to see if they would produce egg sacs. We were thrilled when they did, and to see the tiny spiderlings emerge was fantastic – a real career highlight.”

Close encounters of the furred kind: alien butt spider and friends – in pictures

 

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The spiders are classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species. They are under threat from habitat loss due to invasive grass binding the soil where they burrow and blocking their shelters. Bristol zoo has joined forces with the Instituto das Florestas e Conservação de Natureza and the IUCN to develop a strategy to -read more

UNIVERSITY RECOGNIZES SIGN LANGUAGE.

If you wish to entry university college of London you are required to hold a grade a c grade at g.s.c.e in another language or study one as part of degree and British sign language is among them.

NEANDERTHALS MORE OLDER THAN CURRENT THOUGHT.

A new claim by scientists is suggesting neanderthals  were tens of thousands instead of 1,000 in current thought.In a new way to examine ancient d.n.a they found neanderthals and denisovans  diverged from each other early than believed.

Cannibals engraved bones of the dead

TA series of zig-zag marks on a human bone found in a UK cave is evidence of a cannibalistic ritual that took place some 15,000 years ago.

Scientists have long recognised that cannibals operated at Gough’s Cave in Somerset, but were unsure whether the practice of eating other people had any symbolic significance.

Reporting in the journal Plos One, researchers say the unusual cuts on a forearm bone are deliberate.hey are not simple butchery markings.

Nor are they teeth marks.

What is more, the zig-zags appear to match designs used on other engraved objects from the same time period.

"The engraved motif on the Gough's Cave bone is similar to engravings observed in other Magdalenian European sites," said Silvia Bello from London’s Natural History Museum.

"However, what is exceptional in this case is the choice of raw material (human bone) and the cannibalistic context in which it was produced.

"The sequence of modifications performed on this bone suggests that the engraving was a purposeful component of the cannibalistic practice, rich in symbolic connotations.

"Although in previous analyses we have been able to suggest that cannibalism at Gough's Cave was practiced as a symbolic ritual, this study provides the strongest evidence for this yet."

Gough's Cave is situated in the Cheddar Gorge, a deep limestone canyon on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills.

Palaeo-investigations first started there more than 100 years ago. It is famous for the discovery in 1903 of "Cheddar Man", the complete skeleton of a male individual dating to about 10,000 years ago.

In 2011, Dr Bello and colleagues presented three skull cases that they said could have been used as drinking vessels.

The braincases had been fashioned in such a meticulous way that their use as bowls to hold liquid seemed the only reasonable explanation.

That interpretation looks even more likely now given the latest research.

The forearm comprises two large bones - the radius and the ulna. In this case, it is a radial bone that the scientists have been studying.

It shows signs of being disarticulated, filleted and chewed - but the zig-zags look nothing like the damage you would expect from these action

Acid attack first aid: What you need to do immediately to help victims

If you are the victim of an acid attack or witness one taking place, it’s important to act as quickly as possible to minimise damage to the eyes, skin and surrounding tissues.

Urgent first aid advice has been issued by ambulance officers after a corrosive substance was thrown over five people in 90 minuteslast night in London.

One of the victims suffered “life-changing” facial injuries due to chemical burns caused by the acid, police said.

READ MORE

• Men on mopeds carry out five acid attacks in 90 minutes
• Residents' shock at 'gruesome' moped acid attacks on their doorstep
• May hints at change in law after 'horrific' London acid attacks

The first step to take if someone has been read more