Following are some recent science news topics.
Milky Way Eats Star Cluster
The Milky Way is the name of the galaxy in which Earth is located and at its center are two giant formations: the galaxy’s largest black hole and a massive cluster of tens of millions of stars that surrounds it. This star cluster is more massive and denser than any other star cluster visible in the galaxy and is located within 20 light years of the galactic center. New observations suggest that this massive cluster owes at least part of its size to another large group of stars (or even a small galaxy) that it consumed according to a report in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Scientists Still Unsure of COVID-19 Immunity
Reports that people who have been infected with COVID-19 once are getting the disease a second time means that it is unclear whether immunity can help protect people against the virus. This has thrown into question whether ‘herd immunity’ can help stop the spread of the pathogen. Until a vaccine has been created and tested, the idea of herd immunity (where between 40% and 60% of a population would need to be infected and recover) is considered the only other way to stop the spread of the virus. However scientists have shown that the antibodies the body produces to fight COVID-19 may fade after a period of time and after more than 6 months may not be effective against a new infection.
Octopuses use Touch to ‘Taste’ Objects
Science news, the flexible arms of an octopus can be used to catch prey such as crabs from narrow crevasses and holes without any direction or intervention from its brain. How an octopus knows that what it is grabbing is edible has long puzzled scientists. Researchers have recently identified specialized cells in an octopus’s arms that may provide an answer to this riddle. Embedded in the suckers that are located on an octopus’s arms, these cells enable the animal to ‘taste’ whatever they are touching by detecting chemicals that are produced by many edible aquatic creatures thus distinguishing them from rocks, other inedible items and even prey that is poisonous. The findings provide further evidence on the unusual evolutionary direction the animal has taken to achieve intelligence. Instead of being located entirely in the brain, two thirds of the cells dedicated to intelligence are located in the animal’s arms allowing them to operate to some extent independently of its brain.
