GoKawiilProteins that ‘buffer’ the effects of mutations could help to treat diseases such as cancers. Plus, goats can follow human voices and the battle over a key ocean observatory project in the United States.
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During cyclone Ditwah, Sri Lanka received 10% of its yearly rainfall in a single day. (Majority World/Getty)
Sea levels and ocean temperatures reached alarming highs in Asia last year, while Japan, China and Korea all recorded their hottest summer on record. Deadly floods hit Pakistan, extreme rain fell in Sri Lanka and 14 tropical cyclones impacted the Macao region. “The report clearly shows that the Asian region is one of the most vulnerable to climate change,” says oceanographer Matthew England. Early warning and coordinated action will be essential to save lives, says the report.
Nature | 6 min read
Reference: State of the Climate in Asia report
Should nicotine be regulated like drugs?
A call by the Pacific island nation of Palau for nicotine to be regulated like narcotics by the United Nations will trigger an assessment and a vote by member states. If nicotine were to be added to the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, it would effectively make it illegal to sell nicotine products that aren’t considered medicinal, says nicotine-treatment specialist Renee Bittoun. But tobacco-company lobbying makes it unlikely that nicotine will be added to the list, says Bittoun.
Nature | 4 min read
Domestic goats (Capra hircus) can follow the voice of a person to find a reward. A group of goats were each presented with two buckets, one empty and one containing food. When a hidden researcher spoke enthusiastically in the direction of the full bucket, the goats moved toward it 60% of the time — more often than would be expected by chance. Voice-following abilities have previously been found in dogs, but not chimpanzees, which could suggest that the skills arose through domestication.
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