Upcoming Topics:

Jan 23 
As astrobiologists have come to understand the chemical evolution of life, it's become evident that many of the precursor molecules were formed in space and delivered to Earth during the planet-forming process. Hundred of amino acids have been found in meteorites, but the pyridine nucleobases found in genetic material have remained elusive until now.

Identifying the wide diversity of extraterrestrial purine and pyrimidine nucleobases in carbonaceous meteorites

Feb 6
Are starfish all legs or all head? New techniques in studying echinoderm development have helped answer that question and to learn more about the evolution of these fascinating body plans 

Molecular evidence of anteroposterior patterning in adult echinoderms

Feb 20
Does exposure to outdoor lighting at night increase your risk of macular degeneration?

Nighttime Outdoor Artificial Light and Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

March 5
A paper came out in 2014 suggesting that a diabetic drug, metformin, may be "anti-aging" for the general public. Many non-diabetics have started taking this drug for this sole purpose, but there may be problems with that initial study. The paper we will discuss below reassesses metformin and its survival advantage 

Reassessing the evidence of a survival advantage in Type 2 diabetes treated with metformin compared with controls without diabetes: a retrospective cohort study

March 19
What happens underground to trigger a volcanic eruption? The recent eruptions in Iceland are helping us decipher that

Deep Magma Mobilization Years Before the 2021 CE Fagradalsfjall Eruprion Iceland

April 2
Candida auris is an emerging global pathogen with outbreaks here in our home of southern Nevada. This paper uses bioinformatic techniques that can help provide needed information for epidemiologic investigations

The use of whole-genome sequencing and development of bioinformatics to monitor overlapping outbreaks of Candida auris in southern Nevada

April 16
There are several styles of tectonics. Earth's current style is plate tectonics, but we now know that it wasn't the first style of tectonics on Earth. We'll talk about the other styles, about what style Earth had earlier, and we'll explore a paper that illustrates how the earlier style evolved into the current plate style. Also, we'll talk about why most people, including many geologists, have an incorrect view of what drives plate tectonics

Correlating mantle cooling with tectonic transitions on early Earth

April 30
This paper explores the evolution of same-sex sexual behaviour in mammals. The authors explore which clades may have more prevalence for same-sex behavior, if it has appeared more than once in evolutionary history and possible adaptive roles this behaviour may have in evolution 

The evolution of same-sex sexual behaviour in mammals