"In this episode: 1:58 Evidence of ancient brine on an asteroid Samples taken from the asteroid Bennu by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft suggest the parent body it originated from is likely to have contained salty, subsurface water. This finding provides insights into the chemistry of the early Solar System, and suggests that brines might have been an important place where pre-biotic molecules were formed."
"08:01 How gene expression doesn't always reflect a cell's function Cells are often grouped into categories according to the RNA molecules they produce. However a study of zebrafish ( Danio rerio) brains revealed that cells can be functionally diverse even if they appear molecularly similar. This finding adds more nuance to how a cell's 'type' is ultimately defined."
"12:01 The disproportionate mortality risks of extreme rainfall An assessment of death rates in India's coastal megacity of Mumbai revealed that the impact of extreme rainfall events will be highest for women, young children and residents of informal settlements. This situation is likely to become more pronounced as a result of climate change."
"14:46 An AI-designed underwater glue Inspired by animals like barnacles and aided by machine learning, researchers have developed a super-sticky compound that works as an underwater adhesive. To demonstrate its properties, researchers applied it to a rubber duck, which stuck firmly to a rock on a beach despite being battered by the sea."
Samples returned from asteroid Bennu by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission indicate the parent body likely contained salty, subsurface water. These brines inform early Solar System chemistry and could have been sites for pre-biotic molecule formation. Single-cell RNA profiling in zebrafish brains shows that cells with similar transcriptomes can exhibit diverse functions, implying molecular classification alone may not define cell type. An assessment of mortality in Mumbai finds extreme rainfall disproportionately raises death risk for women, young children and residents of informal settlements, a gap likely to worsen with climate change. Machine learning inspired an underwater adhesive that bonds strongly to wet surfaces, demonstrated by a rubber duck stuck to a rock despite waves.
#asteroid-brines #prebiotic-chemistry #single-cell-transcriptomics #urban-climate-vulnerability #bioinspired-adhesives
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