Scientists analyzed almost a quarter million DNA samples in the UK Biobank and found 538 new genes that appear to have a role in intellectual capabilities.
Polygenic traits like brain function have previously been determined to have a significant heritable component, although it's still unclear exactly how much. The study also found that people with more of the polygenic intelligence genes also had parents who tended to live longer:
We find a novel genetic correlation between intelligence and parental longevity... This indicates that the polygenic load for greater intelligence is associated with greater longevity, using parental longevity as a proxy phenotype.
There's some unfortunate dumbed-down coverage of this that overstates the findings, but it is a remarkable breakthrough nonetheless.
• A combined analysis of genetically correlated traits identifies 187 loci and a role for neurogenesis and myelination in intelligence (Nature via Newsweek)
Image: Silver Blue
Leon Hong writes, "I made this science-y animation for my wife Elaine Hsiao's research — with the hopes that people will learn something new about how all the microbes that live in and on us affect our brains and behavior."
NASA’s Voyager 2 space probe has officially left our solar system and entered interstellar space. Now more than 11 billion miles (18 billion kilometers) from Earth, the spacecraft has crossed the boundary of the bubble-like heliosphere around the planets and is no longer touched by the plasma wind from our sun. Voyager 2’s twin Voyager […]
Hawaiian monk seals are endangered and closely monitored by NOAA scientists who are alarmed that the seals keep getting eels stuck really deep in their nostrils.
Businesses of any size continue to use PDFs despite – and perhaps because of – their stubborn resistance to simple editing. But for those who need a little flexibility on their documentation, the search is over for alternative software. PDF Expert for Mac is the catch-all solution for wrangling those PDFs, and it’s available at […]
When it comes to tech, smaller is better, and these items fit the bill both in terms of size and price. We’ve rounded up our favorite stocking-ready gadgets, most of which are already on sale – and you can take an additional 15% off any of them with the special code MERRY15. iPM 3-in-1 Fast […]
So you’ve got a good eye for pictures? We’ve got a good eye for deals. And this holiday, there are some solid deals out there for photographers. Check out some of our favorite recent discounts on gear, software, and e-learning for photogs of any experience. Gadgets RevolCam: The Multi-Lens Photo Revolution for Smartphones This […]
