Gene editing helps spot evolutionary link between fins and hands

Gene editing technology isn’t just useful for curing the world’s ills, it seems. University of Chicago scientists have used the CRISPR technique to discover a key evolutionary connection between fins and hands. Researchers edited fin-related zebrafish genes to make the appropriate cells glow as they develop, and discovered that there’s a similar glow in a mouse’s digits. In other words, there’s a strong similarity in the genes governing fins and digits — they’re both telling embryonic cells to show up at the end of an appendage.

The finding suggests that the biggest difference between a fin and a hand may be the tissue involved, such as the dermal bone in fish or the endochondral (cartilage-based) bone in humans. That, in turn, helps explain intermediary species where fins grew increasingly limb-like. And it’s safe to say that the CRISPR work raises hope of using gene editing to spot other evolutionary patterns. Aspects of biological development that have remained mysterious for decades might become a little bit clearer.

Via: New York Times

Source: Nature

Astronomers witnessed a white dwarf going nova

When a star explodes, astronomers usually scramble to point their telescopes in its direction, hoping to catch a glimpse of the aftermath. While this is a fine way for learning about the results of a nova or supernova, much less is known about the events leading up to a star’s death. But, according to a new study published in Nature, when the white dwarf in the binary star system V1213 Cen exploded in 2009, it gave astronomers the first opportunity to view a classical nova from start to finish.

A classical nova happens in a binary system, where the gravity around a dense white dwarf steals the hydrogen off of a nearby companion star until it eventually explodes in a thermonuclear flash of white light. In the case of V1213 Cen (aka Nova Centauri 2009), astronomers had been observing the system for six years, watching as it would occasionally flash with smaller bursts of hydrogen. As lead author Przemek Mroz told The Verge, the flashes showed hydrogen was being pulled off of the companion start at a slow, erratic rate in the lead up to the 2009 explosion. Unlike a much more powerful supernova, both stars survive in a classical nova, but the wave of radiation given off by the blast leaves the companion star much brighter and slightly larger — as was the case in V1213 Cen.

With the balance adjusted in the binary system, the white dwarf also started to draw hydrogen off its companion at a consistently higher rate, leading astronomers to theorize it will eventually explode again in an ongoing cycle of hibernations and classical novae. Don’t bother waiting around for the next one though, scientists estimate it won’t occur for at least another million years.

Via: The Verge, Space.com

Source: Nature

Pinterest is betting big on video ads for brands

While showcase site Pinterest is still releasing features in line with its image-focused brand, it’s finally expanding its advertising options beyond still photos. Today it’s introducing promoted video ads, letting users expand its cinematic pins into full auto-playing vids.

As Ad Age points out, Pinterest has had video on its platform for five years, but it’s never been core to their content curation. Facebook encouraged its users to upload their own for awhile before introducing video advertising. Instead, this will be the first move in a larger push for more moving visual content across the board on the image curation site, a senior global sales executive for Pinterest told Ad Age.

While video is trendy, that means it’s where users are looking at and connecting with content. It’s another ecommerce tool for Pinterest to offer brands in its quest to shorten the gap from browsing individual to interesting product. The video ads are currently only available to larger advertisers in the US or UK working directly with the site’s sales team. So far, these include Kate Spade, BareMinerals and Behr Paint. Agency executives told Ad Age that the site is offering ad units for a minimum of $500,000, with or cost per thousand impressions ranging from $15 to $20.

Source: Ad Age

Hulu cozies up to Marvel, starts working on a ‘Runaways’ series

Netflix has been milking its relationship with Marvel with great success, churning out critically acclaimed — and badass — series like Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Now Hulu’s getting in on the action, too. As first reported by Deadline, the streaming service inked a deal to turn Marvel’s Runaways into a series co-written by (gulp) the folks who adapted Gossip Girl for television.

In case it’s been a while since you wandered into a comic book store, Runaways tells the tale of teenagers who fled home after learning their parents are secretly supervillains. Well, that’s how it starts, anyway. Presumably, the show will focus on the comic’s original cast of six characters, but it’s not unheard of for television series based on comics to go beyond the boundaries of the original work. Preacher, anyone?

Anyway. The superpowered setting gives showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage plenty of room to get weird — one of the six travels with a genetically modified Deinonychus, after all — but we’re expecting plenty of angst and millennial drama as the characters come to grips with their new lives on the lam. Frankly, though, it’s about time Runaways got a proper adaptation. For a while there, it seemed as though a movie would be the first to bring Brian K. Vaughan’s and Adrian Alphona’s world to life, but talks on that front have long since fizzled.

Source: Deadline

Live-action ‘Pokemon’ film snags ‘Gravity Falls’ and Marvel writers

There’s a live-action Pokemon film on the horizon, and Variety reports Legendary has two great writers in its sights to help pen the feature: Alex Hirsch of Gravity Falls fame and Nicole Perlman, who helped pen Guardians of the Galaxy.

Both writers are currently in negotiations to write the script for the Pokemon flick, which is said to be based on the Detective Pikachu game for 3DS. Curiously, it has yet to receive an English release.

With a quirky and accessible series like Gravity Falls under Hirsch’s belt and the massive success of Guardians of the Galaxy for Perlman, it seems as though this Pikachu-focused movie is actually in great hands, though it’s hard to say what about Detective Pikachu could actually constitute a movie. Why not a full-length Pokemon-only movie to keep options open?

Universal Pictures is going to tackle the film’s distribution outside of Japan, and The Pokemon Company’s collaborator Toho will handle distribution inside of Japan. There’s no set release date for the film just yet, but you can bet there’ll be plenty of news leaking out with the popularity of Pokemon Go and Pokemon Sun and Moon releasing later this year.

Source: Variety

Driverless buses to hit Finnish city’s streets

Finland has been testing autonomous EasyMile buses on public roads for a little while now, but away from the hustle and bustle of its big cities. Now the Scandinavian country is ready to try out the adorable, driverless people-movers on the mean streets of Helsinki.

Finland is one of the first countries to try out the minibuses on city roads thanks to its laws allowing cars to roam without a driver. Dubai had signed a deal with the company back in April to test the EasyMile vehicles, while a Japanese mall began using them to shuttle shoppers around this month. But neither of those will likely rival the live-traffic demands of the Helsini experiment.

The buses won’t be doing extensive hauls: the EZ10 model is built for short-range travel, say for ferrying folks between a metro station and bus stop, at a max speed of a little over six miles per hour. If all goes well, the vehicles will supplement but not replace existing mass transit networks. The test will run until mid-September.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: YLE

Apple Pay Launching at Chick-fil-A on August 19

Starting on August 19, Apple Pay will be available in Chick-fil-A restaurants across the United States, allowing fast food buyers to make their purchases both in-store and at the drive thru using Apple’s payment service.

The news was shared by the Chick-fil-A Twitter account following an inquiry by AppleInsider writer Roger Fingas, who had heard a tip that support was already rolling out at some Chick-fil-A locations.

Chick-fil-A was first announced as an Apple Pay partner in February of 2016, and support was supposed to roll out shortly after, but it has taken several months for the restaurant to implement Apple Pay. Chick-fil-A will also be accepting Android Pay starting on August 19.

@loneswords Yes, as of August 19th, Apple Pay and Android Pay are available for payment both in-restaurant and in the Drive Thru.

— Chick-fil-A, Inc. (@ChickfilA) August 17, 2016

Chick-fil-a rival KFC, which also specializes in fried chicken, began accepting Apple Pay at the beginning of June.

Apple Pay is now officially accepted by more than 100 retailers in the United States, along with all locations that allow contactless payments.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
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