Larger than it looks
For almost two centuries, the world’s largest flower, known as Rafflesia arnoldi, has baffled researchers trying to uncover the flower’s lineage. Weighing up to 15 lbs., the metre-wide bloom is without leaves, stems and roots, and has confounded modern genetic comparison studies over the last 25 years. Rafflesia does not photosynthesize and does not have genes for photosynthesis, living parasitically off of vines in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. It lets off a stench of decaying flesh and, in some cases, heat, to attract the carrion flies that pollinate it. Scientists examined Rafflesia’s entire genome and found that it is most closely related to the family Euphorbiaceae, which includes poinsettas. Differences between Rafflesia and the Euphorbiaceae family-whose plants mostly produce minute flowers-suggest that the Rafflesia had to evolve at a rate 79 times faster than normal to achieve its 73-fold increase in flower diameter, making it the most dramatic case of size evolution among animals and plants.
Source: Science
-Sandy Huen
Think (better) fast
Your instincts may be more reliable than you think. A research group in the UK recently conducted experiments where subjects were asked to find a single misaligned symbol among many filling a computer screen. When given only half a second to locate the odd symbol, subjects were correct 95 per cent of the time. When the time limit was extended to a full second, the subjects were right only 80 per cent of the time. When given two seconds, the subjects regained their initial scores. Researchers have a theory to explain their results. When an image is first viewed, it is recognized by the primary visual cortex, thought to be involved in subconscious processing. The optical information then travels to other parts of the brain which recognize shapes and make decisions. The researchers think this higher-level processing initially reorients the skewed symbol to make sense of the image, causing a wrong answer during the one-second time limit. Given more time to override this reorientation, the brain can again pick out the misaligned symbol. This research may help understand diseases such as Alzheimer’s where high-order brain function declines.
Source: Current Biology
-Abigale Miller
Sweet skis
Your skis may be gathering dust this year, but wishful skiers should take note of a recent development for their forlorn alpine equipment. A research team from the UK has invented self-waxing skis. The base of alpine skis is normally coated with wax to reduce friction and increase speed. The wax wears off with ordinary use, requiring diligent reapplication. The innovative research team developed a system consisting of a liquid wax reservoir stored between the skier’s boot and their ski. As they descend the hill, the skier’s weight forces wax out of the reservoir and through tubes, continually coating the base of the ski with wax. Tests show the skis to be only two per cent better on mountain runs, but considering that the time difference between first-place and 20th in competitive skiing is usually less than five per cent, it’s worth it. The self-waxing skis are competition-legal under the International Ski Federation, which prohibits external power sources but not mechanical devices such as tubing.
Source: New Scientist
-A.M.
