Questões de Inglês

Text II

The Possible Parallel Universe of Dark Energy

By Corey S. Powell

Are you a baryonic matter chauvinist? Probably,

yes, but if not so sure, here is the definition of baryonic

matter. Baryonic matter is that with which we are all

familiar and that interacts with visible light: Protons,

neutrons and electrons; atoms and molecules; your

body, your car, stars, galaxies. Almost all of us are

chauvinist in relation to baryonic matter. We tend to

think of ourselves and the world immediately around

us as something special. Then, by extension we

regard our kind of matter as the most important kind

of matter in the universe. We act as if the only kinds of

matter that mattered were the ones we can see.

Sorry to disappoint you, but science tells a starkly

different story. Last spring, the European Space

Agency’s Planck Spacecraft completed an ultraprecise

15-month census of the composition of the universe.

Baryonic matter, also named light matter, makes up

only 4.9% of the total composition of the universe.

Planck Spacecraft also found evidence that

another fundamentally invisible, cool and mysterious

type of matter, named dark matter, vastly outweighs

baryonic matter, accounting for 26.8% of the universe.

Dark matter is undetectable by its emitted radiation,

but its presence can be inferred from gravitational

effects on visible matter.

The remaining 68.3 % is dark energy, an even

more baffling component that consists of formless

forces. According to Einstein, dark energy is an

intrinsic property of space. As more space comes

into existence, more of this energy-of-space appears.

A hypothesis is that, as a result, this form of energy

might cause the Universe to expand faster and faster.

While this theory is still not well understood or proven,

it is certain that more than two-thirds of the universe

has no substance at all!

While we usually focus on matter made of visible

atoms, researchers learn more about dark matter’s

and dark energy’s complexities. In view of the

discomfiting Planck result, we must let go of all our

feelings of supremacy. After all, it seems possible that

our galaxy lives on top of shadow galaxies without us

even knowing it.

Available at: . Retrieved on: July 2013. Adapted.

Text I

Most Mutations in the Human Genome are Recent

and Probably Harmful to Individuals

By Kat McGowan

We really are a mutant race. Our genomes are

scattered with millions of rare gene variations, the

result of the very fast, very recent population growth

of the human species. From an estimated 5 million

individuals just 10,000 years ago, we ballooned to

more than 7 billion. On average, every duplication of

the human genome includes 100 new errors, so all

that reproducing gave our DNA many opportunities

to accumulate mutations. But evolution hasn’t had

enough time to weed out the dangerous ones: gene

variants that might make us prone to illness, or simply

less likely to survive.

Joshua Akey of the University of Washington

recently explored the average age of our species’s

gene variants, and unveiled that most are very young.

About three-quarters of single nucleotide variants — a

mutation that substitutes just one nucleotide (an A, C,

T or G) in the long string of DNA — occurred within the

past 5,000 years. This is surprising considering that

our species may be 200,000 years old. Using several

techniques to gauge the effects of these mutations,

which are the most common type of variant in the

human genome, Akey estimated that more than 80

percent are probably harmful to us.

All of these mutations — roughly 100 billion for

each generation in the entire population — potentially

accelerate the pace of evolution by giving it more raw

materials with which to work. A small percentage of

such mutations may be beneficial and may indeed help

the lives of the few individuals who carry them. For

instance, not developing wisdom teeth, producing the

right enzyme to digest milk in adulthood, being taller

than the previous generations, having lungs adapted

to living at high altitudes and being born resistant to

diseases such as HIV are some of the few recent

acquisitions of mutations in the human genome. Given

how many mutations are now circulating among living

humans, we may be evolving new capabilities already.

Akey says that determining the age and

frequency of our mutations is made possible only

by the stupendous increase in gene sequencing

speed and power. Just a few years ago, this kind of

experiment was inconceivable. Thus, only now could

we understand that the fast population growth has

littered our genomes with five times as many rare gene

variants as would be expected and such mutations

are certainly the cause of most deadly diseases we

fight against.

Available at:<http://discovermagazine.com/2013/julyaug/ 07-most-mutations-in-the-human-genome-are-recent-and- -probably-harmful>. Retrieved on: July 2013. Adapted.

Text I

Most Mutations in the Human Genome are Recent

and Probably Harmful to Individuals

By Kat McGowan

We really are a mutant race. Our genomes are

scattered with millions of rare gene variations, the

result of the very fast, very recent population growth

of the human species. From an estimated 5 million

individuals just 10,000 years ago, we ballooned to

more than 7 billion. On average, every duplication of

the human genome includes 100 new errors, so all

that reproducing gave our DNA many opportunities

to accumulate mutations. But evolution hasn’t had

enough time to weed out the dangerous ones: gene

variants that might make us prone to illness, or simply

less likely to survive.

Joshua Akey of the University of Washington

recently explored the average age of our species’s

gene variants, and unveiled that most are very young.

About three-quarters of single nucleotide variants — a

mutation that substitutes just one nucleotide (an A, C,

T or G) in the long string of DNA — occurred within the

past 5,000 years. This is surprising considering that

our species may be 200,000 years old. Using several

techniques to gauge the effects of these mutations,

which are the most common type of variant in the

human genome, Akey estimated that more than 80

percent are probably harmful to us.

All of these mutations — roughly 100 billion for

each generation in the entire population — potentially

accelerate the pace of evolution by giving it more raw

materials with which to work. A small percentage of

such mutations may be beneficial and may indeed help

the lives of the few individuals who carry them. For

instance, not developing wisdom teeth, producing the

right enzyme to digest milk in adulthood, being taller

than the previous generations, having lungs adapted

to living at high altitudes and being born resistant to

diseases such as HIV are some of the few recent

acquisitions of mutations in the human genome. Given

how many mutations are now circulating among living

humans, we may be evolving new capabilities already.

Akey says that determining the age and

frequency of our mutations is made possible only

by the stupendous increase in gene sequencing

speed and power. Just a few years ago, this kind of

experiment was inconceivable. Thus, only now could

we understand that the fast population growth has

littered our genomes with five times as many rare gene

variants as would be expected and such mutations

are certainly the cause of most deadly diseases we

fight against.

Available at:<http://discovermagazine.com/2013/julyaug/ 07-most-mutations-in-the-human-genome-are-recent-and- -probably-harmful>. Retrieved on: July 2013. Adapted.

Text I

Most Mutations in the Human Genome are Recent

and Probably Harmful to Individuals

By Kat McGowan

We really are a mutant race. Our genomes are

scattered with millions of rare gene variations, the

result of the very fast, very recent population growth

of the human species. From an estimated 5 million

individuals just 10,000 years ago, we ballooned to

more than 7 billion. On average, every duplication of

the human genome includes 100 new errors, so all

that reproducing gave our DNA many opportunities

to accumulate mutations. But evolution hasn’t had

enough time to weed out the dangerous ones: gene

variants that might make us prone to illness, or simply

less likely to survive.

Joshua Akey of the University of Washington

recently explored the average age of our species’s

gene variants, and unveiled that most are very young.

About three-quarters of single nucleotide variants — a

mutation that substitutes just one nucleotide (an A, C,

T or G) in the long string of DNA — occurred within the

past 5,000 years. This is surprising considering that

our species may be 200,000 years old. Using several

techniques to gauge the effects of these mutations,

which are the most common type of variant in the

human genome, Akey estimated that more than 80

percent are probably harmful to us.

All of these mutations — roughly 100 billion for

each generation in the entire population — potentially

accelerate the pace of evolution by giving it more raw

materials with which to work. A small percentage of

such mutations may be beneficial and may indeed help

the lives of the few individuals who carry them. For

instance, not developing wisdom teeth, producing the

right enzyme to digest milk in adulthood, being taller

than the previous generations, having lungs adapted

to living at high altitudes and being born resistant to

diseases such as HIV are some of the few recent

acquisitions of mutations in the human genome. Given

how many mutations are now circulating among living

humans, we may be evolving new capabilities already.

Akey says that determining the age and

frequency of our mutations is made possible only

by the stupendous increase in gene sequencing

speed and power. Just a few years ago, this kind of

experiment was inconceivable. Thus, only now could

we understand that the fast population growth has

littered our genomes with five times as many rare gene

variants as would be expected and such mutations

are certainly the cause of most deadly diseases we

fight against.

Available at:<http://discovermagazine.com/2013/julyaug/ 07-most-mutations-in-the-human-genome-are-recent-and- -probably-harmful>. Retrieved on: July 2013. Adapted.

Text I

Most Mutations in the Human Genome are Recent

and Probably Harmful to Individuals

By Kat McGowan

We really are a mutant race. Our genomes are

scattered with millions of rare gene variations, the

result of the very fast, very recent population growth

of the human species. From an estimated 5 million

individuals just 10,000 years ago, we ballooned to

more than 7 billion. On average, every duplication of

the human genome includes 100 new errors, so all

that reproducing gave our DNA many opportunities

to accumulate mutations. But evolution hasn’t had

enough time to weed out the dangerous ones: gene

variants that might make us prone to illness, or simply

less likely to survive.

Joshua Akey of the University of Washington

recently explored the average age of our species’s

gene variants, and unveiled that most are very young.

About three-quarters of single nucleotide variants — a

mutation that substitutes just one nucleotide (an A, C,

T or G) in the long string of DNA — occurred within the

past 5,000 years. This is surprising considering that

our species may be 200,000 years old. Using several

techniques to gauge the effects of these mutations,

which are the most common type of variant in the

human genome, Akey estimated that more than 80

percent are probably harmful to us.

All of these mutations — roughly 100 billion for

each generation in the entire population — potentially

accelerate the pace of evolution by giving it more raw

materials with which to work. A small percentage of

such mutations may be beneficial and may indeed help

the lives of the few individuals who carry them. For

instance, not developing wisdom teeth, producing the

right enzyme to digest milk in adulthood, being taller

than the previous generations, having lungs adapted

to living at high altitudes and being born resistant to

diseases such as HIV are some of the few recent

acquisitions of mutations in the human genome. Given

how many mutations are now circulating among living

humans, we may be evolving new capabilities already.

Akey says that determining the age and

frequency of our mutations is made possible only

by the stupendous increase in gene sequencing

speed and power. Just a few years ago, this kind of

experiment was inconceivable. Thus, only now could

we understand that the fast population growth has

littered our genomes with five times as many rare gene

variants as would be expected and such mutations

are certainly the cause of most deadly diseases we

fight against.

Available at:<http://discovermagazine.com/2013/julyaug/ 07-most-mutations-in-the-human-genome-are-recent-and- -probably-harmful>. Retrieved on: July 2013. Adapted.

Text I

Most Mutations in the Human Genome are Recent

and Probably Harmful to Individuals

By Kat McGowan

We really are a mutant race. Our genomes are

scattered with millions of rare gene variations, the

result of the very fast, very recent population growth

of the human species. From an estimated 5 million

individuals just 10,000 years ago, we ballooned to

more than 7 billion. On average, every duplication of

the human genome includes 100 new errors, so all

that reproducing gave our DNA many opportunities

to accumulate mutations. But evolution hasn’t had

enough time to weed out the dangerous ones: gene

variants that might make us prone to illness, or simply

less likely to survive.

Joshua Akey of the University of Washington

recently explored the average age of our species’s

gene variants, and unveiled that most are very young.

About three-quarters of single nucleotide variants — a

mutation that substitutes just one nucleotide (an A, C,

T or G) in the long string of DNA — occurred within the

past 5,000 years. This is surprising considering that

our species may be 200,000 years old. Using several

techniques to gauge the effects of these mutations,

which are the most common type of variant in the

human genome, Akey estimated that more than 80

percent are probably harmful to us.

All of these mutations — roughly 100 billion for

each generation in the entire population — potentially

accelerate the pace of evolution by giving it more raw

materials with which to work. A small percentage of

such mutations may be beneficial and may indeed help

the lives of the few individuals who carry them. For

instance, not developing wisdom teeth, producing the

right enzyme to digest milk in adulthood, being taller

than the previous generations, having lungs adapted

to living at high altitudes and being born resistant to

diseases such as HIV are some of the few recent

acquisitions of mutations in the human genome. Given

how many mutations are now circulating among living

humans, we may be evolving new capabilities already.

Akey says that determining the age and

frequency of our mutations is made possible only

by the stupendous increase in gene sequencing

speed and power. Just a few years ago, this kind of

experiment was inconceivable. Thus, only now could

we understand that the fast population growth has

littered our genomes with five times as many rare gene

variants as would be expected and such mutations

are certainly the cause of most deadly diseases we

fight against.

Available at:<http://discovermagazine.com/2013/julyaug/ 07-most-mutations-in-the-human-genome-are-recent-and- -probably-harmful>. Retrieved on: July 2013. Adapted.