Science News Review 2015

Mai Ness
Mr. Patrick Youell
9B Science
January 21th, 2016

Science News Review 2015

The year of 2015 has brought with it many exciting scientific discoveries in all different fields of science. Thrilling discoveries in the fields of astronomical atmospheres, biological age and even a new theory of evolution were integrated in the variety of this past year's revelations.

A fascinating series of discoveries were revealed this year about the Red Planet and its environment. Directly from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, an article written had announced that its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft has found hydrated salt minerals (fig.1) on the the Planet, and confirmed that liquid water does in fact flow on Mars. These salty marks appear in the same hillside paths that shrink and expand with the changing of the Martian seasons. These narrow streaks become more prominent and flow down steep slopes during the warmer seasons (about -23°C) while the flowing fades during the colder seasons.

Fig. 1: Hydrated salts on the Red Planet

NASA believes that the recurring paths on Mars were caused by the deliquescence of the salts on Mars. This occurs when the Martian atmosphere is humid enough, the perchlorate salts on Mars absorb the moisture in the atmosphere until they are dissolved in it and result in the formation of a liquid solution (fig. 2). This possibility verifies the long suspected theory that liquid water flows on Mars as quoted "... it appears to confirm that water - albeit briny - is flowing today on the surface of Mars," stated by John Grunsfeld, astronaut and associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. This discovery is very significant to NASA's search for other life in the universe due to the validation of oxygen being present on the Red Planet of Mars.

Fig. 2: The process of deliquescence on Mars, demonstrating the
absorption of the atmospheric moisture by the perchlorate salts

A second significant discovery made in the past year is the biological age of an individual, and that each individual can affect their biological maturing. According to ScienceNews, individuals have a chronological age (how many years they have been alive) and their biological age, based on health indicators. This biological age discovery can be used to explain "why some people can live to 120 with no disease, and others are already in bad shape at age 70," as said by biologist Martin Hetzer.

A study was carried out on nearly one thousand 38 year-olds, and proved that some of the subjects had a biological age of about 45 whereas some subjects had a biological age of 28, which is a tremendous gap. The difference lied within the brain proteins of the subjects, which seem to become damaged over time. The DNA of  young and healthy people is tightly packed into bundles called heterochromatin. In older people or people with a premature aging disorder (Werner syndrome), DNA is loosely packed inside the cell nucleus (fig.3).

Fig. 3: Normal cell with tightly packed DNA and an aged cell with looser DNA density.

Following the discoveries that aging could be result of mitochondria damage, or damage to chromosome caps, it is still in investigation which cellular changes are motives of aging or merely effects. As well as that, evidence has proven that an individual's lifestyle can affect aging both positively or negatively. In the future, there is a likely possibility that anti-aging drugs and medication will be developed following these life-changing revelations about biological age.

The third significant scientific theory revealed in 2015 is the new "Ring of Life" from ScienceNews. This new theory describes how eukaryotes, bacteria and archaea are related in a ring form, and presents a different perspective to the familiar Tree of Life (see fig. 4). This significant theory provides a completely contrasting outlook on Darwinian evolution and also to a creationist view. What makes this innovative perspective so relevant is its diversity from any existing theories of evolution, and provides a possibility of how all species are related.

Fig. 4: The theory of a Ring of Life, implying that bacteria and archaea merged to create eukaryotes.

This theory presents the idea that a single celled organism swallowed a bacterium approximately 1.8 billion years ago, leading to the formation of eukaryotic cell structure, consisting of membrane wrapped organelles. This was discovered through analysis of arctic microbes and the locating of mingled cells of archaea and bacteria, leading to this conclusion of a Ring of Life.

This new theory was supported by genetic studies done during the 1980's that present the multi-celled kingdoms as side branches on a much larger branch consisting of mostly single celled organisms. This new idea divides organisms into the following categories: SAR, Amoebozoa, Archaeplastida, Excavata and Opisthokonta (to which the human species belongs).

2015 was a significant year for all fields of science, as discoveries were made in a variety of scientific topics, including astronomy and outer space, our cell structure and biological age, and also a new perspective on evolution. These fascinating discoveries provide new opportunities to explore the presented fields and acquire shocking knowledge about bodies, our past, and our universe. Following the topics discussed above, the human species can possibly find a new Earth to live in, a way to anti-age ourselves, and even some shocking ancestors.