Friday’s Elk: End of 2017 Edition!

Posted on by Matt Kristoffersen

At the close of 2017, I just wanted to thank all of you for reading “Friday’s Elk” through the year. One of the joys of this job is learning more about the world. Another one is sharing that joy.

To round out the year, here’s a feature I published this past week in the New York Times about the mysteries of proteins.

The genesis of the story goes back seven years ago, to a podcast I recorded with a biologist named David Baker. He explained to me just how hard it was for scientists to figure out the rules by which proteins fold into their final shapes. Protein scientists simply call this challenge “the folding problem.” Continue reading “Friday’s Elk: End of 2017 Edition!” →

Fiber Is Good for You. Now Scientists May Know Why.

Posted on by Zimmer

The New York Times, January 1, 2018

Link

A diet of fiber-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, reduces the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. Indeed, the evidence for fiber’s benefits extends beyond any particular ailment: Eating more fiber seems to lower people’s mortality rate, whatever the cause.

That’s why experts are always saying how good dietary fiber is for us. But while the benefits are clear, it’s not so clear why fiber is so great. “It’s an easy question to ask and a hard one to really answer,” said Fredrik Bäckhed, a biologist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

Continue reading “Fiber Is Good for You. Now Scientists May Know Why.” →

Scientists Are Designing Artisanal Proteins for Your Body

Posted on by Lori Jia

The New York Times, December 26, 2017

Link

Our bodies make roughly 20,000 different kinds of proteins, from the collagen in our skin to the hemoglobin in our blood. Some take the shape of molecular sheets. Others are sculpted into fibers, boxes, tunnels, even scissors.

A protein’s particular shape enables it to do a particular job, whether ferrying oxygen through the body or helping to digest food.

Scientists have studied proteins for nearly two centuries, and over that time they’ve worked out how cells create them from simple building blocks. They have long dreamed of assembling those elements into new proteins not found in nature.

Continue reading “Scientists Are Designing Artisanal Proteins for Your Body” →

Friday’s Elk, December 13, 2017

Posted on by Matt Kristoffersen
Autographed Books!

I have a couple shelves of my books I need to clear out. You have to buy holiday gifts. We need to talk!

If you’d like to get an autographed copy of one of my books, please check out the Amazon links below. They’re all in good or like-new condition.

Amazon’s gotten a little buggy when it comes to presenting used books, but these links should take you to a collectible offer marked “Carl Zimmer–Author.” First come, first serve! Continue reading “Friday’s Elk, December 13, 2017” →

Ancient Penguins Were Giant Waddling Predators

Posted on by Lori Jia

The New York Times, December 12, 2017

Link

The 57-million-year-old fossil is both fearsome and comical: a long-beaked penguin that stood 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed about 220 pounds.

“It was as tall as a medium-sized man,” said Gerald Mayr, a paleontologist at the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, and lead author of a report in Nature Communications on Tuesday announcing the discovery.

By comparison, the tallest living species, the emperor penguin, reaches about four feet in height. Kumimanu biceae, as the fossil was named, would have towered above the emperor, and above just about all other known ancient penguins.

Continue reading “Ancient Penguins Were Giant Waddling Predators” →