Study: 'Mighty mice' stayed strong in space with gene treatment

Targeting a signaling pathway in mice helped them retain muscle and bone mass aboard the International Space Station, according to a new study.

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  • Losing bone and muscle mass in space is a major health concern for astronauts.
  • In a recent study, scientists genetically altered mice and sent them to the International Space Station.
  • The genetically altered mice retained — or even gained — muscle and bone mass, while a control group suffered significant losses.
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Is poop-filled drinking water what killed ancient giant sloths?

Researchers think they know how a group of ancient sloths, who died thousands of years ago in Ecuador, met their untimely end.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
  • Evidence collected from an ancient boneyard in Ecuador suggests that a group of 22 ancient giant sloths died in a wallow of their own feces.
  • Other mammals, such as a deer, a horse, an elephant-like creature called a gomphothere, and another species of ground sloth were identified at the site.
  • The fate of the sloths parallels that of modern hippos who can become lethally poisoned in times of drought when the feces to water ratio shifts in their watering holes.
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Atomic bomb tests help scientists finally date sharks

Nuclear weapons, whale sharks, and how to use both to make eco-tourism more sustainable.

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  • Scientists have finally determined the age of whale sharks using radioactive elements from bomb tests.
  • Using the new data, the age range of the animals' bones has now been determined.
  • The findings will help conservationists better maintain whale shark populations.
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How strong was a T. rex's bite, anyway? Science has an answer.

Your bones would "explode."

She wouldn't last a second.

Who can forget the nail-biting scene in Jurassic Park when an escaped T-Rex, in the middle of a thunderstorm, proceeds to turn over and tear apart a Range Rover with two children trapped inside? Movie magic and real science don't often intersect. So, is this what would really happen, or is Hollywood just ramping up the drama? And how strong was a T. rex's bite anyway? Scientists now know. And the truth is, this terrifying predator retains its reputation. The jaw strength of a T-Rex contained nearly 8,000lbs (3,629kg) of force.

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