Monkeying with science
Tennessee teachers will be allowed to question scientific concepts like evolution and global warming in the classroom, if a new “Monkey Bill” becomes law. As 91av went to press, Republican governor Bill Haslam had not announced whether he would allow to become state law. A was passed in Louisiana in 2008.
Lung growth
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Lung and thyroid tissue has been grown from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). This might aid the treatment of lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis. Researchers analysed how tissue develops in the embryo and used the findings as a road map to induce the same developmental sequence in ESCs (Cell Stem Cell, ).
Giant feathered beast
It is the feathered equivalent of a woolly mammoth. At 9 metres long, Yutyrannus huali is the largest dinosaur yet to sport feathers. Yutyrannus lived during a cold spell in the Cretaceous and may have needed feathers for warmth (Nature, ).
Tera-electric avenue
The Large Hadron Collider awoke from its winter slumber with a bang. On 5 April, the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, based near Geneva, Switzerland, shattered its own world record by smashing protons together with a combined energy of 8 teraelectronvolts.
Mother’s health
Metabolic disorders are more common among mothers of children with developmental disorders such as autism, a study of more than 1000 US children shows. For example, 24 per cent of mothers who had a child with a developmental disorder were obese compared with 14 per cent of those with typically developing children (Pediatrics, ).