I have been an educator for more than 20 years, and I have been an individual with Asperger syndrome for my entire life. I wasn't always aware of my autism, and more specifically, I wasn't self-aware as an autistic person. This is because I was diagnosed only six years ago, at the age of 40. Deciding to go through with the evaluation and then finding myself labeled with Asperger syndrome was a life-altering event.
Three new species of anaerobic multicellular organisms have been discovered deep under the Mediterranean Sea. The small animals, new members of the group Loricifera, live their entire lives without oxygen and surrounded by 'poisonous' sulphides.
Researchers writing in BMC Biology report the existence of multicellular organisms, showing that they are alive, metabolically active, and apparently reproducing in spite of a complete absence of oxygen. Sediment samples from a deep hypersaline anoxic basin (DHABs) of the Mediterranean Sea revealed evidence for the new organisms' existence.
Between hooking up and traditional dating, more women than men prefer dating whereas more men rate hooking up above dating, according to a new survey of college students at a midsized southeastern university.
Both genders, however, perceive similar benefits and risks to dating and hooking up. Women fear, both in dating and hooking up, that they will become emotionally attached to a partner who is not interested in them. Men more than women seem to value independence. They fear that even in hooking up relationships, which are supposed to be free of commitments, a woman might seek to establish a relationship.
Using the CRIRES instrument on ESOs Very Large Telescope, a team of astronomers have confirmed that summer is in full swing in the southern hemisphere of Neptune's largest moon Triton.
"We have found real evidence that the Sun still makes its presence felt on Triton, even from so far away. This icy moon actually has seasons just as we do on Earth, but they change far more slowly," says Emmanuel Lellouch, the lead author of the paper reporting these results in Astronomy&Astrophysics.
There is ongoing concern about the potential toxicity of nanoparticles of various materials, and a new study in Chemical Research in Toxicology reports that certain sunscreens that contain zinc oxide nanoparticles may be toxic if ingested.
The research found that particle size affects the toxicity of zinc oxide. Particles smaller than 100 nanometers were slightly more toxic to colon cells than conventional zinc oxide and solid zinc oxide was more toxic than equivalent amounts of soluble zinc. Direct particle to cell contact was required to cause cell death, according to the study.
Astronomers have directly observed the mysterious dark companion in the Epsilon Aurigae star system that has puzzled skywatchers since the 19th century.
Scientists captured close-up pictures of Epsilon Aurigae during its eclipse, which happens every 27 years. "Close up" in this case is a relative term, but the images zoom in enough to show the shape of the dark object's shadow. A new paper in Nature describes the images in detail.
