Maddening Misophonia
Maddening Misophonia Crunching, slurping, chewing, coughing, chomping, gulping and even breathing loudly are just some of a plethora of onomatopoeia that can trigger a feeling of anger and intense annoyance at the source of the maddening sound. These sounds can be enough to make your blood boil, but you can take comfort in the fact that you are far from alone in these sentiments. However, what it does mean though is that you are one of many people who suffer from a disorder and “genuine brain abnormality” termed misophonia; but, what does this mean? Misophonia is a disorder that results in a hatred of sounds such as repetitive clicking, coughing and breathing, and was first acknowledged as such in 2001. Since then, there [...]
The many moons of Jupiter
The many moons of Jupiter Jupiter is one of the most renowned planets in our solar system, often attributed to the fact that it is also the largest one in the solar system. It is the fifth planet from the sun, and although it is only one-thousandth the size of the sun, it is almost two and a half times bigger than all the other planets in the solar system combined and is therefore classified as a giant planet. To put things into perspective size-wise, it would take eleven Earths to fit across Jupiter’s equator (NASA). In 1979, it was discovered that Jupiter has a faint ring system around it, which means that all four giant planets in our solar system all have [...]
The future of fertility: Three parents, IVG & the CRISPR/Cas9
The future of fertility: Three parents, IVG & the CRISPR/Cas9 It is a generally acknowledged fact that in order for humans to successfully procreate, two different genetic contributors are required to ensure the inheritability of certain genomic traits. These necessary genetic contributions from two ‘parents’ or contributors can occur in multiple; ways both natural or through ‘assisted reproductive technology’ (ART) which includes In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). IVF is the process whereby the female’s egg is extracted, along with a sperm sample from the male contributor. The harvesting of the eggs – a minor surgical procedure, occurs post hormone treatments in which the female’s egg production is stimulated to encourage the production of as many eggs as possible for harvesting to increase the chances [...]
Groundbreaking disruptive technology collaboration to save the Rhino
Groundbreaking disruptive technology collaboration to save the Rhino People the world over as well as conservationists are fast becoming desperate and emotions are running high as the Rhino population is nearing extinction resulting from inhumane poaching. Whilst the innocence of animals in the wildlife are battling the survival of the fittest, other factors on the rise are that humans are becoming avengers, inflicting harm on the unsuspected creatures of the wild for their own gains. Continents have come together to find solutions to this crisis, whilst in the southernmost tip of Gauteng, South Africa, a group of industrious, diligent and hard-working team of additive manufacturing specialist are collaborating with the Stellenbosch University in an effort to manufacture components that will assist the rhino [...]
Monkeying around with cloning
Monkeying around with cloning When it comes to successful cloning, the first and therefore most infamous example to come to mind is Dolly the sheep, who made headlines in 1997. Dolly was born on the 5th of July at the Roslin Institute in Scotland. She was a genetic copy or clone, of a six-year old Finn Dorset ewe. Dolly’s existence was kept a secret for almost a year until February 1997 due to the restrictions put in place because of the patent application process behind her cloning. The cloning process that resulted in Dolly sparked a mass ethical debate across all sectors due to its inherent implications and intimations towards the possibility of human cloning. The Vatican in particular called for a worldwide ban on [...]
Got Milk?
Got Milk? With an ever growing demand for dairy-free milk alternatives and substitutes, scientists have widened their net of sources for such a substance. These include the popular nut, legume and plant based alternatives such as soy and almond milk as well as rice, flax, oatmeal, peanut, pea, quinoa, cashew and coconut milk to name a few. As of 2017, almond milk has gained the title of “America’s favourite plant based milk” (Huffington Post, 2017). It is estimated to be a $738 million business, with it far superseding the previously popular soy milk alternative. Although vegan and vegetarian consumers make up a small percentage of the overall consumer market, more and more people are seeking out non-dairy alternatives. These people often define themselves as “lessitarian” [...]
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