A common insect that may be feared by the majority of the population is the cockroach. This insect has the ability to breed quickly and population levels can increase drastically if they take root within an area of your home. The exterminating of cockroaches has traditionally been done using chemical sprays that kill them. Especially in cases of large spread infestation.

Unfortunately Purdue University researchers have found out that if a cockroach survives an insecticide treatment, they tend to develop an immunity to it. Not only will that chemical be rendered ineffective against the cockroach, it will also pass on the immunity to it’s offspring. This results in a larger population of cockroaches that are immune to most traditionally used insecticides.

Michael Scharf, professor of entomology (That’s the study of insects) says that within a generation they can register a four to six fold increase in resistance to a spray that the parent has survived. As more chemical immunity builds up in these insects, the professor feel that cockroach populations will continue to boom. Their scientific study recommends exploring non chemical methods of pest control in the future to have any kind of effect against the burgeoning population of roaches.

We have all been on that flight where a co-passenger is found being loud, rude and obnoxious. The incident can affect flight safety, cause delays for the airline and disrupt the passenger’s peace of mind. The International Air Transport Association has recorded one disruptive incident for every 1053 flights in the year 2017. In the year 2016 it was one such incident for every 1424 flights.

Flying is never a stress free activity, and having badly behaved people only adds to the unpleasantness. This is why it would be handy if we knew what made people who were quite decent on the ground, suddenly become rube in the air. To this purpose the Atmosphere Research Group, a travel analysis firm, came up with a study.

The factors that may contribute to disruptive behavior according to the study have been many. A few of which include less number of flight attendants on duty, crowding in the economy class seats, fear of crashing, boarding through the first class section rather than the midsection of the plane, and presence of people from multiple classes of life. The scientific study shows that as the stress level on people increases due to one or a combination of factors, they tend to become more aggressive in the closed space.

For a number of people pressure at the work place has been affecting their lives for years, but there was never any medical condition to ascribe it to. It was simply taken as the stress of living and working. A revision and updation of the International Classification of Diseases or ICD by the World Health Organization has changed that recently. Burnout has been added as a syndrome to the ICD-11 which is what the new updated list is being called.

According to the classification burnout refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life. It is characterized by three dimensions. One, feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion. Two, increased mental distance from one’s job. Three reduced professional efficacy. WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic confirmed in a statement that it was the first time that burnout has been included in the classification.

The ICD-11 will be effective January 2022 on wards. There are a number of new additions that can be expected in this scientific record which reflect the changing times that we live in today. Addictions such as drugs and gambling have already had an entry, but now video gaming addiction will also be seen.

The creation of fossils is easier when there is a definite shape for the rocks to embed. Fossils of large animals with bones that take a long time to disintegrate are much easier to form, and easier to find by archaeologists as well. Fungus on the other hand is not that easy to fossilize. That’s why when micro fossils of a globular spore connected to a T-shaped filament were found in the Arctic region, it was a rare and celebrated find.

The researchers in northwestern Canada found the fungus fossil which sheds light on the origins of one of the important branches of the tree of life on Earth. The multi-cellular fungus in the fossil has been named Ourasphaira giraldae. It is supposed to have lived in an estuary environment over a billion years ago. This makes it the oldest fungus fossil found to date.

The Ourasphaira giraldae is an ancestor for many diverse forms of fungus and mold that exist today. Everything from different forms of mushrooms to yeast used in baking has descended from this multi-cellular fungus. The more scientific studies can determine about the past, the better equipped we become to handle our future.

When we think of Antibiotics we think in positive terms. Life saving drugs that made a huge difference in our fight against many diseases that used to be fatal. Our very survival as a species was helped by the discovery and administration of Antibiotics, so it’s going to be difficult to think of them as a contaminant. A serious problem causing harm to life in waterways around the world.

As humankind gives antibiotic treatments to themselves, they happily share the powerful drugs with their domesticated livestock and cultivated plants. This means the drugs are mixed in the feed and fertilizers on many farms. Not all of it is consumed by the intended targets and often there is a run off of the excess Antibiotics that gets absorbed by rivers in the region.

As global study of rivers around the world has revealed that countries like Bangladesh, Kenya, Ghana, Pakistan and Nigeria have the highest concentration of Antibiotics in their rivers. 14 commonly used antibiotics were found in rivers of as many as 72 countries. The levels are dangerously high as per the scientific study and could cause major damage to the plants and fish living in the rivers. This is a global problem that needs to be addressed before it causes more damage than it already has.