Science 2014 report

The year 2014 provided not only great new scientific discoveries but during the previous year magnificent scientific breakthroughs occurred. But standing far above the others there were a few scientific stories which not only captivated the world but have the ability to revolutionize or improve the everyday world around us. During the last year we managed to land a single probe on an asteroid after is circled it for 10 years, man kind was able to alter the memories of mice and we as a species even managed to get as far as creating bacteria which could increase our genetic alphabet by adding another base pair into our D.N.A. And yet, there are still stories which bafflingly still manage to be more brilliant, intriguing and captivating than those previously mentioned. Those stories which  which shine brighter than the rest are the mutations that we found in the body of a 115 year old woman which could lead to us lengthening our very existence on this planet, the blood of young mice helped rejuvenate the muscles and brain of old mice and that our species which we hope to continue and lengthen to incredible lengths, no matter of how important we believe ourselves to be is the cause of a 6th great extinction which has already begun to take its place on the world around us.

Dr. Henne Holstege led and educated group of researches from the pristine VU University Medical Center located in the heart of the Netherlands examined the body of a woman who had found herself deceased during 2005 and became the oldest person yet to donate her body to science. Dr. Henne Holstege and the team located an approximation of 400 mutation in the woman's body. Suffering of no symptoms linked to hematological illnesses (disorders affecting blood) and according to the researches on the autopsy "did not suffer from vascular or dementia-related pathology." The brain cells rarely experienced any division after the birth but the majority of the mutations happened to be found in regions that happened to be mutation prone. The ratio of white blood cell telomeres (the region of the cell determining how we age) from her body to her brain was 17 times less. The researches believe the secret to her long lasting life was in fact her mutations and those could help us uncover new ways to lengthen even our lives.

IMG 1: Animated image presenting
the switch of blood between the
two rats.

But our fixation of increasing our life span has not to end there for an experiment which blossomed out of a rather strange finding that can be traced to 150 years ago. The experiment taking place one and a half centuries ago the researches sewed together the skin of two mice (a less gruesome image of which presenting only the idea can be seen in IMG 1) however after the findings led to new studies beginning in the year 2000 that research led up to the publication in 2014 led us to an idea that a factor in young blood can indeed reverse certain signs of aging. The young and old mice had their blood circulation linked helped the elders. A factor in the blood named GDF11 was studied by a group of scientist showing to rejuvenate the heart, increase neuron growth within the brain as well as improving the older mouse's muscular strength and endurance and even improving spacial memory. This baffling and yet powerful data has led to a trial of 18 Alzheimer patients receiving donations from younger citizens. 

But through all of our human desires to extend our lives we negative impact we inflict on the surroundings around us is truly horrendous. Over the past 500 years alone humans have been responsible for the decline of over 25% of all species. Over the 6th great extinction the cause of loss of animal life is not going to be due to a meteor or other theories but we will know for sure it was our doing and ours alone. Many Believe that hindrance at this point it unimaginable, we have done far too much to date. Thinking not of global warming, the destruction of animal habitats as well as disruption of the food chain are large causes. The mass of hunting up to points of extinction out of mere human ignorance also contribute as to why we are facing an upcoming man made extinction.

The leaps we have reached in science in history are fascinating, however we live today at the peak of discovery. Never before have we done so much in the scientific community as today during the year of 2014 alone, to have discovered so much that the three mentioned stories are only few of overwhelmingly many that had com out during the previous year. More stories all equally as fantastic those mentioned have already occurred leading to today's monumental daily discoveries. We have entered an age where science has reached such an incredibly point, but above all is the fact that we get to live in the current age.