New Universe of Miniproteins Is Upending Cell Biology and Genetics. Mice put human runners to shame. Despite taking puny strides, the rodents can log 10 kilometers or more per night on an exercise wheel. But the mice that muscle biologist Eric Olson of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and colleagues [...]
Thermodynamic Potential for the Abiotic Synthesis of Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, Thymine, Uracil, Ribose, and Deoxyribose in Hydrothermal Systems Abstract The thermodynamic potential for the abiotic synthesis of the five common nucleobases (adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine, and uracil) and two monosaccharides (ribose and deoxyribose) from formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide has been quantified under temperature, pressure, [...]
Protein-mediated Selective Enclosure of Early Replicators Inside of Membranous Vesicles: First Step Towards Cell Membranes Abstract Containment in cell membranes is essential for all contemporary life, and apparently even the earliest life forms had to be somehow contained. It has been postulated that random enclosure of replicating molecules inside of spontaneously assembled vesicles would [...]
Hotel replaces printed Bibles with Kindles By Heather Kelly, CNN Updated 1708 GMT (0108 HKT) July 5, 2012 "Anything to put the Bible in people's hands is a good thing," Gideons spokesman Ken Stephens said. Last year, Gideons International distributed more than 84 million printed copies of the Bible around the world to students, hospitals, members of [...]
A Study in Human Incredulity By Fred C. Kelly [Ed. – This article by Fred Kelly, the Wright brothers' only "authorized" biographer, examines the popular myth that the Wrights were secretive, hiding their early aeronautical experiments from the eyes of the public. Kelly makes a convincing argument that they were not. Instead, he presents [...]
Functional Proteins from a Random-Sequence Library. Abstract Functional primordial proteins presumably originated from random sequences, but it is not known how frequently functional, or even folded, proteins occur in collections of random sequences. Here we have used in vitro selection of messenger RNA displayed proteins, in which each protein is covalently linked through its carboxy terminus [...]
Are Virtual Particles Really Constantly Popping In and Out of Existence? Or Are They Merely a Mathematical Bookkeeping Device for Quantum Mechanics? Gordon Kane, director of the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, provides this answer. Virtual particles are indeed real particles. Quantum theory predicts that [...]
Rene Jorgensen on the Call the Doctor Show NDE expert and researcher Rene Jorgensen appeared on the TV show Call the Doctor along with Dr. Jeffrey Long and David Benneth to discuss the scientific evidence for near-death experiences, research and insights from the experience. Jorgensen also shared his research from his book "The Light Behind [...]
Falsification and its discontents One of the answers to Edge.org’s question “What scientific idea is ready for retirement”? is by physicist Sean Carroll. Carroll takes on an idea from the philosophy of science that’s usually considered a given: falsification. One of the answers to Edge.org's question "What scientific idea is ready for retirement"? is by physicist Sean Carroll. [...]
Concise List of Arabic Manuscripts of the Qur’ān Attributable to the First Century Hijra. UPDATE: We present a massive update of the article "Concise List Of Arabic Manuscripts Of The Qur'ān Attributable To The First Century Hijra". This ninth interim update is the biggest update since the article was initially published on the 17th [...]
