From a new investigation against Chennai’s Saveetha Dental College to finding molecular fossils of the primordial forerunners of all the organisms on Earth, here are this week’s important science-related news and discoveries.
Scientists document how space travel messes with the human brain
A new NASA-funded study provides a deeper understanding of space affects the human brain. Researchers said that astronauts who travelled on the International Space Station (ISS) or NASA space shuttles on missions lasting at least six months experienced significant expansion of the cerebral ventricles - spaces in the middle of the brain containing cerebrospinal fluid. This colourless and watery fluid flows in and around the brain and spinal cord. It cushions the brain to help protect against sudden impact and removes waste products. Based on brain scans of 30 astronauts, the researchers found that it took three years for the ventricles to fully recover after such journeys.
