SMILE!
The New York Times 10 minute challenge was to look at this tree for 10 full minutes. What was the name of the tree?
The Angel Oak, John's Island, SC
Recently, geneticists at Oxford University collected protists in a freshwater pond that are unique because...
The organisms use two genetic signals that normally mark the end of a gene to encode two entirely different amino acids instead.
What invasive organism is on the rise on the West coast of U.S.?
European Green Crabs
How many neurons in a fruit fly's brain?
166,000
What did Mrs. Draeger imagine while looking at the tree in the NYT 10-minute challenge?
Climbing it and/or building a kick-@$$ Swiss Family Robinson treehouse.
How many neurons do humans have in their brains, as a comparison to fruit flies?
86 Billion as in BBBBB
Otters (YAY for otters!)
According to Science Daily, the Oxford scientists discovered this evolutionary feature in the pond protists...
The organism uses two genetic signals that normally mark the end of a gene to encode two entirely different amino acids instead. These signals were previously thought to evolve together
macaroni and cheese
According to the article published by the University of Utah, negative impacts of social media include:
An inability to tolerate distress OR content can be filtered, altered, or edited OR makes answering your questions too easy OR makes it too easy to post impulsive ideas that reach a lot of people OR it can affect teen body image standards
the best way to distinguish between the Tilcayo cat and other small South American cats is
DNA analysis
Models of a fruit fly brain have been trained to solve what popular puzzle?
a Rubik's cube. This is for you, Griffyn, Ethan, Jacob, and Angel.
what are the evolutionarily primitive plants that grow on the tree featured in the NYT 10 minute challenge?
ferns and/or moss
According to Dana Thomas of the NYT, fashion's most disgusting product?
Wasted, unsold clothing
According to the article published by the CDC, adults need how much activity?
150 minutes a week of moderate intensity OR 75 minutes of high intensity activity.
According to Science Daily, the Oxford scientists who found the new gene combination were testing what kind of device?
test a DNA sequencing method capable of analyzing extremely small quantities of genetic material
What else (other than a popular puzzle) can a fruit fly's brain do?
parallel park a car OR use blinkers OR dance to YMCA or use car blinkers
The NYT reporter Rebecca D. wrote about an invasive species that has impacted the West coast. Define invasive species.
any living organism—including plants, animals, fungi, or microbes—that is non-native (alien) to an ecosystem and whose introduction causes, or is likely to cause, harm to the environment, the economy, or human, animal, or plant health
How many cats live at Draeger's house?
5. ugh.
Name one example of moderate activity suggested by the CDC for health.
Dancing OR walking the dog OR take active breaks OR add activity to routines (like parking farther away from the doors at the grocery store)
In the Science Daily article, Oxford scientists discovered what specific difference in the DNA of two protist species?
they use two genetic signals that normally mark the end of a gene to encode two entirely different amino acids instead
What is the name of the newly discovered Bolivian cat?
Tilcayo
According to Kate G of the NYT, the Tilcayo cat diverged from its nearest evolutionary relative how long ago?
1.4 million years
According to Dana Thomas of the NYT, what happens to the 20 billion items of clothing that don't sell?
They are burned OR they are sold on flash on-line sales/outlets OR dumped in remote places OR burned, making toxic smoke