2017

A possible scenario in the Kayenta formation (Image courtesy Mark Witton)

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An article published in the journal “Nature Ecology & Evolution” describes a research on the evolution of mammals from nocturnal animals to diurnal ones. A team of researchers co-ordinated by Tel Aviv University (TAU) and University College London (UCL) analyzed information about 2,415 extant mammalian species using computer algorithms to reconstruct their ancestors’ activity patterns, concluding that they started switching to daytime activity after the extinction of dinosaurs.

The Rhesus Chart by Charles Stross

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The novel “The Rhesus Chart” by Charles Stross was published for the first time in 2014. It’s part of the Laundry series and follows “The Apocalypse Codex”.

Among the projects Bob Howard is developing at the Laundry there’s one to analyze the causes of death in the territory. This would be useful, for example, to find out if someone died because of the necromantic version of mad cow disease. The first test gives disturbing results with the need to investigate.

While his wife Mo is engaged in a difficult mission abroad, Bob Howard finds himself involved in a task more complex than he expected. In his investigation he has to deal, among other things, with some financial activities related to the use of blood but it’s well known that vampires do not exist.

Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) and Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) in Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum (Image courtesy CBS / Netflix)

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“Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum” is the 8th episode of the TV show “Star Trek: Discovery” and follows “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad”.

Note. This article contains several spoilers about “Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum”.

Saru (Doug Jones), Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif) got sent to the planet Pahvo to find the way to use its unique properties to create a sort of sonar to locate the cloaked Klingon starships. The war is going bad and the Federation needs new progress to change its course. Meanwhile, L’Rell (Mary Chieffo) has the task of interrogating Admiral Katrina Cornwell (Jayne Brook).

Artist's rendering of Chicxulub impact (Immagine Donald E. Davis/NASA/JPL)

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An article published in the magazine “Geophysical Research Letters” describes a research that offers a new estimate of the climate changes caused by the meteorite that about 66 million years ago led to the extinction of dinosaurs and a lot of other species of the time. According to a team of researchers the amount of sulfur released in the atmosphere was greater than the previous estimates with worse consequences. Part of the authors also participated in drills into the crater caused by the meteorite, which results are described in an article published in the magazine “GSA Today”.

Some environments in which microbes were sampled

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An article published in the journal “Nature” presents a meta-analysis of microbial samples collected by hundreds of researchers from the Earth Microbiome Project (EMP), which pursues a systematic globally attempt to classify microbes. The researchers established protocols and new analytical methods to manage the results of genetic sequencing of bacteria and archaea in multiple studies. Our knowledge of these microorganisms remains limited but this project will allow to expand them and better understand their impact on the ecosystems they’re part of.