We Know Why Cats Love Tuna And Mole Rats Might Keep Us Young
Here’s a couple of scientific stories to chew on today: 1. A study figured out why cats love tuna. They go nuts for the umami flavors. It’s loaded with two chemicals…
SACRAMENTO, CA – FEBRUARY 1: Lola, a domestic shorthaired cat, reaches under her enclosure at the Sacramento SPCA February 1, 2008 in Sacramento, California. Lola is one of many dogs and cats who were either abandoned or surrendered to many SPCA and county shelters nationwide by their owners because they have gone through home foreclosures and had to move. In December 2007 the amount of pets being dropped off whose owners listed moving as a reason more than doubled from that of a year ago, according the Sacramento SPCA records. (Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images)
David Paul Morris/Getty ImagesHere's a couple of scientific stories to chew on today:
1. A study figured out why cats love tuna. They go nuts for the umami flavors. It's loaded with two chemicals that enhance those flavors and bind to their taste buds. Our taste buds are slightly different, so it doesn't taste quite as good to us.
2. In dinosaur news: We may have found a missing link between dinosaurs and birds. And people on social media were shocked to learn the asteroid itself didn't kill off all the dinosaurs on impact. The most widely accepted theory is it kicked up so much dust that plants died, and the food chain collapsed.
3. In health news: Depression might cause type 2 diabetes . . . we grew humanized kidneys in pigs for the first time . . . and researchers in Israel created an artificial human embryo without using a womb, eggs, or any baby batter.
4. In anti-aging news: A study found we might be able to take a longevity gene from mole rats, and use it to increase our lifespan by three to four years.
5. And in Earth news: It's official. This has been the hottest summer ever. July was the hottest month on record. August is now second on that list.
