What are goosebumps?

This is something I always asked about! And looking for some news on the BBC I found this funny video. It's about goose bumps, and I didn't know what they were until I watched this video. 
What are goose bumps? As this man says, we all know we come from monkeys, but we lost most of our body hair so we're like naked apes*. When we get goose bumps it is because we're either cold or because we're afraid of something, and when we feel a sense of fear, the piloerector muscle shoots the hair out. 

I recommend that you watch this video, because I'm sure you don't know about the relationship between fear and goose bumps, it's really interesting, and you'll see it is totally logical.

Naked apes*: micos nus

Amphotericin B: Anti-fungal drug makes flu worse

• Summary:

A drug that is used to beat fungal infections can make flu worse. This drug is Amphotericin B, usually used by people who need chemotherapy or have had a bone marrow transplant. Scientists have studied this with mice, and they've found that this drug interferes with the way the body defends itself dealing with the flu, because this antifungal drug destroys the protein IFITM3, the one that makes it more difficult for the flu virus to infect the body, and for this reason the mice are more susceptible to get the flu. Professor Peter Openshaw, director of the centre for respiratory infections at Imperial College London, said that this was really worrying but before alarming users, more clinical information is needed.

• Opinion:

As you can see, I really like topics related to medicine, and I'm very interested in them. So, when I read about some new findings, for example this one about a drug that isn't well diagnosed, it makes me feel more and more interested, and I want to know more about it, but as scientists are still investigating... it would take a lot of time before I can find an answer! 

I can only say that the current research on medicine is incredible.

• Words I have learnt:

Chemotherapy: quimioteràpia

Bone marrow transplant: transplant de medul·la òssia

Protein IFITM3


Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25034524

Why men contribute so little

• Summary:

Scientists have obliterated the Y chromosome, the symbol of maleness in DNA, because they may be able to do everything without it. They discovered that mice with an modified Y chromosome, which consisted of just two genes, could still father babies. These mice were infertile, and they were able to have live offspring by using assisted reproduction, that it consisted of injecting genetic information from the sperm into an egg. It was shown that the mice and the offspring were totally healthy. It showed that it was still possible to reproduce with a modified Y chromosome, and this fact gives hope to men with these problems. Finally, they say that this finding could, one day, help infertile men.

• Opinion:

In this piece of news we can see that technology is developing very fast, and this fascinates me. Every time we get more solutions to our problems, and I am very happy that genetic problems could be solved in the future. I know a man who believe to be infertile, and I would be so proud and happy if this finding becomes a real solution.

• Words I have learnt:

Obliterated: esborrat
Maleness: masclisme
Albeit: encara
Offspring: descendència

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24991843

Google to remove image of dead teenager from Maps

• Summary:

In 2009, Kevin Barrera was shot, and his body was found near a railway line in Richmond, California. His father, Jose Barrera, asked Google to remove the image it took that showed a police car and officers surrounding his son's body without any respect to him. He says this image is really shocking for him, and every time he looks at it is like reliving that fateful day when it happened.
Google said they had never done something like that, but finally they made an exception because of the circumstances.

• Opinion:

In my opinion I think it's really amazing that Google has done something like this, removing an image someone has told them to share all around the world, and knowing that there are a lot of people who die like this guy. Moreover, I think if everybody starts doing this and asking them to post photos like that one, the world would be more difficult than it is now... Anyway, we can see images like that on TV.

• Words I have learnt:


Railway line: línia de ferrocarril (catalan)

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25000747