DNA Tic Tac Toe

Think you’re the master at simple logic games like Tic Tac Toe? Think again. MAYA the DNA computer is the undefeated champion of Tic Tac Toe against any human opponent. Designed by Milan Stojanovic and Darko Stefanovic, MAYA operates the game by using enzymes placed in nine wells in a 3 x 3 grid in a plastic dish. Magnesium, the stand-in for “X”, is added to one well, which reacts with the enzymes and generates a glow, indicating MAYA’s first move. Opponents then insert DNA fragments, representing “O”, into one of the remaining spots, prompting MAYA to make its next move, and so on. MAYA’s talent may one day prove useful however. Medical purposes include delivering drugs to precise spots in the body.-Karyn Lau
Source: Nature

Cup o’tea keeps the cellulite away

The humble tea plant has been known for years to have a number of health benefits beyond mere comfort and relaxation, and obesity prevention may soon be added to the list. The leaves contain a number of compounds that have been shown to help prevent bacterial infections in human cells. Now polyphenols, biologically active molecules that have been known for years to help prevent cancer, are suspected of also helping to combat fat production in human cells.-Zoe Cormier

Source: Nature

Fall babies most prone to psychiatric problems

A new study shows that children born later in the school year are more prone to mental illness and behavioural problems than tots born early in the year. The study was done on 15,000 British school children, and those born in the last three months of the school year (March, April, and May) were more commonly afflicted by psychiatric problems and hyperactivity than those born in the first third (September, October, and November). (This would translate into children born in the fall in Canada being more prone to problems than children born in the winter.) Psychologists believe one major factor may be fact that the youngest children in a class may be as many as 12 months younger than the oldest children, yet are expected to perform at the same level of ability. Having elevated expectations forcedupon them may result in frustration and low self-esteem, causing them to lash out. -Z.C.
Source: New Scientist

Bananas going extinct

The banana, one of the world’s largest agricultural products, and an essential ingredient of any quality daiquiri, is going extinct, and may disappear entirely within 10 years. The fruit is being plagued by a number of pests and diseases, namely fungal infections that destroy the leaves, the tree’s energy factory. The reason for the banana’s peril lies in the fact that bananas have three sets of chromosomes instead of the usual two. This makes the fruit is a sterile hybrid, like a mule, and can only be grown asexually from pre-existing plants-that’s why the things have no pesky seeds. As virtually all bananas have the same genes, and are essentially clones, there is no genetic variability in disease resistance. The same disease will equally devastate all banana plantations. The only bananas available within a few years may be genetically modified ones.-Zoe Cormier

Source: Health News

Hippos are also going extinct, elephants to blame

The largest population of hippopotamuses in the world, in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has crashed from a healthy size of 29,000 individuals to a mere 1,300, a decrease of 95 per cent. The main cause has been poaching, which was allowed to run rampant during a decade of civil war that devastated the country. The hippo’s gigantic teeth make a suitable substitute for ivory. Hippo teeth only became valuable however after the worldwide ban on the sale of ivory, which many find horridly ironic since there are currently more than three times as many elephants in the world as hippos.- Z.C.

Source: New Scientist

The Little Mermaid to self-destruct in 48 hours

The Walt Disney Corporation is planning on producing DVDs that self-destruct after a mere two days, as compared to normal DVDs which purportedly should last a lifetime. Once the package is opened, the surface of the disk reacts with oxygen in the air. The disk initially plays normally, but only for 48 hours. Then an irreversible chemical reaction makes the disk unusable, and consumers have no choice but to throw the DVD away. This advancement is sure to delight environmentalists and childreneverywhere. – Z.C.

Source: The Ecologist