Science
New Cancer Therapies: Magic Bullets Aimed at the Guardian of the Genome
No single chemical capable of curing all types of cancer has been discovered. But drugs targeted specifically at mutated forms of a protein known as p53—what some scientists have dubbed "the guardian of the genome"—are being tested in patients. And scientists recently identified a new drug target on this molecule, along with a compound that could serve as a lead for the development of a new "magic p53 bullet." Read the rest of this entry »
Catching “Honey Pounding” on Camera
Last February, a producer and two cameramen from the Natural History unit of the British Broadcasting Corporation arrived at the Goualougo basecamp [in the Republic of Congo] ready to shoot one of the last sequences of the six-part epic series Africa. Initial inquiries about filming in Goualougo had started long before, in late 2010, and now the time had finally come to get down to work and show the world why Goualougo chimpanzees and their forest home are so special.
Read the rest of this entry »
Read the rest of this entry »
Evolutionary Conflict: HIV-Like Viruses and the Primate Immune System
Tracking down the evolutionary origin of HIV is an important part of AIDS research, particularly because of its potential to shed light on how the virus so effectively weakens the human immune system. That ability, it turns out, is the product of at least five million years of evolutionary conflict between HIV-related viruses and the primate genome. Read the rest of this entry »
The New Bacterial Enterprise: Nuclear Reprogramming
Scientists recently reported that the bacterium that causes leprosy naturally possesses the ability to reprogram human cells into a stem cell-like state. On one level, the notion that bacteria can so easily accomplish something that scientists have devoted their careers to carrying out in the laboratory is a bit irksome. But, then again, the discovery is truly remarkable. Read the rest of this entry »
The President’s DNA: Could Obama’s Genetic Code be Used Against Him?
What does it take, genetically speaking, to be the president of the United States? At least in Obama's case, we might not know any time soon. His DNA currently appears to be on lockdown in an effort to prevent the development of bioweapons against him. Read the rest of this entry »
Tracking El Niño
When El Niño winds blow in from the South Pacific, the winter weather in North America tends to be wet. Scientists have increasingly better ways to track the odds of whether the weather is going to be damp or dry, but we won't really know until the rain and snow start falling—or don't. Which will it be in 2013? Read the rest of this entry »
Woese’s Third Domain: Archaea and the Evolution of Life on Earth
American microbiologist Carl R. Woese passed away on December 30, 2012, bringing renewed attention to his groundbreaking discovery of the third domain of life, the Archaea, primitive single-celled organisms that may hold the secret to the evolution of life on Earth. Read the rest of this entry »
Almost Apocalypse: Five Questions for Writer and Explorer Craig Childs
Writer, explorer, and desert rat Craig Childs has written several books about his adventures in the deserts of the American West. With his newest book, Apocalyptic Planet, he steps outside the region to explore the edges of the world, where danger—and a view, perhaps, of our future—await. Read the rest of this entry »
2012 in Review: The Semantic Web
Since 1938 Britannica’s annual Book of the Year has offered in-depth coverage of the events of the previous year. While the book won’t appear in print for several months, some of its outstanding content is already available online. Here, we feature an article on the semantic web written by James Hendler, the Tetherless World Professor of Computer and Cognitive Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Read the rest of this entry »
The Gollum Diet: Cave Creatures from Around the World
Peruse our menu of cave-dwelling delicacies, prepared specially for the original raw-foodist: Gollum. Read the rest of this entry »
Britannica Blog Categories
- 5 Questions
- Ask an Editor
- Britannica Top 10s
- Picture of the Day
- Special Features
- 2010 Year in Review
- 2012 Year in Review
- American Civil War Sesquicentennial
- Book Excerpts
- Brave New Classroom 2.0
- California's Prop 19
- Diana & the Cult of Celebrity
- Environment Week 2011
- Facts That Matter
- Founders & Faith
- How Now, Great Books?
- Learning & Literacy
- Multitasking
- Newspapers & the Net
- Reagan 100th Birthday Forum
- Reforming Uncle Sam
- September 11 attacks 10th anniversary
- Target Iran?
- The Obama Presidency
- Web 2.0
- Women's History Month 2011
- World at 7 Billion
- Your Brain Online
- 2010 Year in Review