Abstracts: March for Science, ISS, and More
• High hopes abound for the March for Science this weekend. Though aimed at politicians hostile to scientific findings, psychologists are optimistic that the march might also serve as a recruiting tool by breaking down stubborn stereotypes and showing students, in person, what scientists look like. (Washington Post)
• This month, two drugs to treat Hepatitis C were approved for use in children. Researchers estimate that as many as 46,000 children nationally have Hep C, which is frequently undetected and often given to them in utero by their mothers. These approvals will likely speed treatment and increase coverage for children under Medicaid. (Kaiser Health News)
• A new, earth-like planet spotted by scientists at the MEarth Observatory might be the best candidate for supporting extraterrestrial life to date. The rocky “super-earth” has about six times the mass of Earth and orbits a cool star about 40 lightyears away. (BuzzFeed)
• Does a sociable environment affect susceptibility to ethanol? A study in getting friendly crayfish drunk overwhelmingly suggests “yes”. The Experimental Biology paper published this week also includes video clips of what drunk crayfish actually look like. (Economist)
• For some herpers, the draw of trading in illegal snakes is irresistible. The same corn snakes that are abundant in Florida, for example, gain value if caught in New Jersey, where capturing these snakes is not allowed. (The New Yorker)
• Why are some people more monogamous? A study published in Nature this week discovered 12 sites in the famously committed oldfield mouse genome that predict monogamy and attentive parenting. Interestingly, some of these were unique to each sex. Scientists speculate that males and females followed different evolutionary paths to monogamy. (New York Times)
• Australia returned to space on Wednesday with the successful launch of three “cubesat” satellites, each weighing about 3 pounds, bound for the International Space Station. Part of a European collaboration to study the thermosphere, the satellites will be shot out of the ISS next month to collect information on space weather at the upper edge of the atmosphere. (Sydney Morning Herald)
• Opioid addiction experts increasingly point to epigenetics — modifications in gene expression — as the reason for relapse. (STAT)
• And finally, President Trump scheduled a conference call with astronauts orbiting the International Space Station. (TIME)