Did an ice age boost human brain size?

From New Scientist: Did an ice age boost human brain size?

From Denny: We all wonder just how did the human brain evolve and become larger. Who knows? We may still be evolving and developing larger brains? As always, it's best to study our past to learn what might trend for our future.

It was 2.5 million years ago that our ancestors' brains expanded in size. BTW, it also coincided with an ice age. Hmmm...? Scientists wonder if there was a connection.

Did you know the modern human brain is a real energy glutton? C'mon, you feel hungry after spending a lot of time on the computer, don't you? I sure do; I know my brain is actually the hungry guy. Turns out that the brain accounts for almost half of our resting metabolic rate! Whew!

A decade old hypothesis by biologists David Schwartzman and George Middendorf of Howard University in Washington, D.C. suggests that our modern brain could not have evolved until that 2.5 million years ago ice age. Why? Their idea is that "such a large brain would have generated heat faster than it could dissipate it in the warmer climate of earlier times." Problem is that they couldn't prove it back then.

Apparently, a Climate researcher, Axel Kleidon of the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, Germany has been doing some research that could help prove the ice age-larger brain connection.

It does make you wonder if the ice age brought a bigger brain does this warmer climate change bring a smaller brain? Hmmm... back to stupid is as stupid does? :)

To find out and read the rest of their article, go here.

Interesting Science News Links

From Denny: Social sites are great! You find the most interesting, and, OK, sometimes just plain odd and weird, headlines. Here are a few I culled for today's enjoyment:

From ScienceDaily.com - Bizarre Walking Bat Has Ancient Heritage - A bizarre New Zealand bat that is as much at home walking four-legged on the ground as winging through the air had an Australian ancestor 20 million years ago with the same rare ability, a new study has found.

From their educational site - University of Hawaii Astronomer Takes Sharpest Picture of Pluto System - this article is from 2007 yet still compelling. "Almost 30 years after the discovery of Pluto's large moon, Charon, a University of Hawaii astronomer has used a ground-based telescope to take an image of the Pluto system that exceeds the sharpness possible with the Hubble Space Telescope." At least that's what they claimed before newer photos have come in. :) There are images of Pluto's THREE moons which makes it interesting for me.

From Space.com way back in 2003 - New Theory: Universe Was Born in a Black Hole - "If black holes and the Big Bang befuddle you, try wrapping your brain around this one: The entire universe may have been created in an explosion inside a black hole." And here I've been wasting my time watching YouTube videos when these guys are a regular laugh riot in how they present their view of science information!

The Independent Science - Why We Swing Our Arms When We Walk - "Although it may seem obvious why people swing each of their arms in opposition to their legs, scientists have puzzled over the practice for many decades because it seemed to serve no mechanical function given that the arms do not touch the ground.

One extreme theory even proposed that arm swinging while walking was hard-wired into the human nervous system and served no modern purpose because it was a vestigial relic left over from when our animal ancestors walked on all fours."

OK, this last one really had me laughing because when does common sense enter into the world of scientific research? Almost never seems to be the answer. Sign me up for grant money; I'll make billions and the world will be a better place!



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Video: Too weird to be believed - a new planet in the solar system?

Image by Lexinatrix via Flickr

From Denny: While most of us already know about this "maybe planet" what you will find interesting is its relationship to the solar system at a 45 degree angle on the illustration that certainly caught my eye. It reminds me of a lost ball in high weeds. :) BBC always does an entertaining presentation.

"Astronomers have a massive breakthrough as they discover a weird and very bright extraordinary object in the far reaches of our solar system. Is it a planet? Is it a block of ice? Whatever it is, it's bigger than Pluto. Fascinating science video from BBC Horizon show 'Bye Bye Planet Pluto.'"

Video: What is Quantum Tunneling?

From Denny: This is a short little video. This sure takes me back to philosophy class where nothing is certain and the best you can do is kind of figure out where it might post up! :) From The Tabletop Explainer...

"This video is an adaptation of an earlier piece of mine--Perspective on quantum mechanical tunneling. That film, however, was designed for a unique audience, and I felt its overall length was limiting its appeal here. So I've repackaged it as one of my weekly postings. I Hope you enjoy.

People have been asking for the math. So here it is. The Sun's core temp is ~13.6 MK. For hydrogen nuclei the Coulomb barrier is roughly 0.1 MeV. This corresponds to a temperature in excess of 1 GK! Luckily, tunneling and the distribution of speeds among nuclei lower the actual temperature required. So without tunneling even the Sun's core isn't hot enough for fusion. To see most of this worked through, check out this link:

http://burro.cwru.edu/Academics/Astr2...
for a less mathematical explanation, try:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_...

Transcript: http://www.davidcolarusso.com/edblog/...

The Tabletop Explainer is an intermittent educational vlog presenting answers to viewer questions, brief science lessons, and ideas for teachers and students. It is a feature of my blog "Tilts at Windmils" which can be found at http://www.davidcolarusso.com/blog/"

Category: How-to & Style




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Video: Who Lives in the 11th Dimension? Parallel Universes

From Denny: OK, this was a cool little video of scientists discussing what kind of life we might find in the 11th dimension. Parallel universes are back in fashion again to dream about and wonder. Listen in on their speculations...

"Scientists discuss what sort of life could be found in the eleventh dimension. With talk of world of lightning bolts, electricity, unstable atoms and more, this video from BBC show 'Parallel Universe' is full of mind-bending theories to set your imagination racing."



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Video: Imagining the Tenth Dimension part 2 of 2

From Denny: Part 2 of our entertaining scientists' dimensional equivalent of an acid trip... this stuff really does bend your mind to consider the weirdest imaginations. Can't wait until they find ways to move through these dimensions as easily as they talk about their existence.



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Video: Imagining the Tenth Dimension part 1 of 2

From Denny: Boy, I sure enjoy these video and science versions of an acid trip. Who needs drugs when you have scientists to entertain you all day long! :)



"This is the first part of the animation illustrating the concepts found in chapter one of the book "Imagining the Tenth Dimension - a new way of thinking about time and space" by Rob Bryanton, from tenthdimension.com

full version
http://one.revver.com/watch/99898"

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