Venus Flytraps Store Short-Term “Memories”

Learn about how scientists discovered that Venus flytraps can store short-term “memories,” why you shouldn't use real-time updates when waiting for the bus, and how epigenetics can make your DNA change within your lifetime.

Venus flytraps store short-term ‘memories’ in their hairs by Grant Currin

• Segarra, C. (2020, October 14). How Venus flytraps store short-term ‘memories’ of prey. Science News. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/how-venus-flytraps-store-short-term-memories-prey
• Suda, H., Mano, H., Toyota, M., Fukushima, K., Mimura, T., Tsutsui, I., Hedrich, R., Tamada, Y., & Hasebe, M. (2020). Calcium dynamics during trap closure visualized in transgenic Venus flytrap. Nature Plants, 6(10), 1219–1224. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-020-00773
• Platt, J. R. (2015, January 22). Venus Flytraps Risk Extinction in the Wild at the Hands of Poachers. Scientific American Blog Network. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/venus-flytraps-risk-extinction-in-the-wild-at-the-hands-of-poachers/

Waiting for the bus? Science says you shouldn't use real-time updates by Kelsey Donk

• Want to wait less at the bus stop? Beware real-time updates. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-10/osu-wtw101220.php
• Liu, L., & Miller, H. J. (2020). Does real-time transit information reduce waiting time? An empirical analysis. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 141, 167–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2020.09.014

With Epigenetics, Your DNA Can Change Within Your Lifetime by Ashley Hamer

• Cath Ennis. (2014, April 25). Epigenetics 101: a beginner’s guide to explaining everything | Cath Ennis. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/occams-corner/2014/apr/25/epigenetics-beginners-guide-to-everything
• Rönn, T., Volkov, P., Davegårdh, C., Dayeh, T., Hall, E., Olsson, A. H., Nilsson, E., Tornberg, Å., Dekker Nitert, M., Eriksson, K.-F., Jones, H. A., Groop, L., & Ling, C. (2013). A Six Months Exercise Intervention Influences the Genome-wide DNA Methylation Pattern in Human Adipose Tissue. PLoS Genetics, 9(6), e1003572. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1003572
• Singh, S., & Li, S. S.-L. (2012). Epigenetic Effects of Environmental Chemicals Bisphenol A and Phthalates. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 13(8), 10143–10153. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms130810143
• Suderman, M., Borghol, N., Pappas, J. J., Pinto Pereira, S. M., Pembrey, M., Hertzman, C., Power, C., & Szyf, M. (2014). Childhood abuse is associated with methylation of multiple loci in adult DNA. BMC Medical Genomics, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1755-8794-7-13
• Eriksen, K. G., Radford, E. J., Silver, M. J., Fulford, A. J. C., Wegmüller, R., & Prentice, A. M. (2017). Influence of intergenerational in utero parental energy and nutrient restriction on offspring growth in rural Gambia. The FASEB Journal, 31(11), 4928–4934. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.201700017r
• Kaati, G., Bygren, L., & Edvinsson, S. (2002). Cardiovascular and diabetes mortality determined by nutrition during parents’ and grandparents’ slow growth period. European Journal of Human Genetics, 10(11), 682–688. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejhg.5200859
• Berezow, A. (2014, April 16). End the Hype over Epigenetics & Lamarckian Evolution. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/think-tank/end-the-hype-over-epigenetics-lamarckian-evolution

Subscribe to Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Ashley Hamer and Natalia Reagan (filling in for Cody Gough). You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/venus-flytraps-store-short-term-memories

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.