August 2018

Mouse brain cells

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An article published in the journal “Nature Communications” describes a new technology developed to obtain highly detailed images at very small scales of what happens inside living cells. A team of researchers combined the use of heavy water as a tracer with the technique known as stimulated Raman scattering to be able to obtain images of metabolic activities. The idea is to use it for medical purposes, completing other exams, and biological research.

Radiate by C.A. Higgins (Italian edition)

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The novel “Radiate” by C.A. Higgins was published for the first time in 2017. It’s the third book of the Lightless trilogy and follows “Supernova”.

Ananke has only Althea Bastet, the woman she considers her mother, to keep her company but she wants to find Matthew, the man whose actions turned Ananke into an artificial sentient being. Althea tried to control her and Ananke’s reaction was to connect the woman’s biological brain to the spaceship’s systems.

Leontis “Ivan” Ivanov and Matthew “Mattie” Gale travel in the solar system in search of Constance but have to deal with a revolution that quickly fragmented after overthrowing the System. Various leaders have their sights on a single planet or a single moon and are ready to eliminate those who remain faithful to the original revolutionary ideals of the Mallt-y-Nos.

The island of Flores today and in the past

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An article published in the journal “Science” describes a genetic analysis of members of the pygmy population living on the Indonesian island of Flores. A team of researchers tried to understand the origins of their short stature and the possible relationship with Homo floresiensis, the hominins nicknamed Hobbits who lived on the island in the past, concluding that there are no traces of genetic links between the two populations, in which short stature is independent, a typical case of adaptation to life on an island.

The Steampunk Trilogy by Paul Di Filippo (Italian Edition)

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The novella “Victoria” by Paul Di Filippo was published for the first time in 1991. It was also published in the “The Steampunk Trilogy” anthology.

Cosmo Cowperthwait conducted various experiments on newts ending up obtaining a human-looking one that has a curious resemblance to Queen Victoria. That’s why British Prime Minister William Lamb asks for his help: the queen has disappeared, nobody can find her and the newt is the only double available. The scientist agrees to help his country but the fake queen has an insatiable sexual appetite and that’s a huge problem.