Gist Coven

As upsetting as it may sound, cockroach milk might just be the flavour of the future as soon as it can be transformed into an edible food supplement. According to a report by the BBC, research by scientists has revealed that a certain species, the Pacific Beetle Cockroach, feeds its bug babies a formula which is remarkably rich in protein, fat and sugar. The species, also known as Diploptera punctata, nourishes its growing embryos with a nutrient-rich liquid secreted in its uterus-like brood sac. Unlike most cockroaches that lay eggs, the Pacific beetle gives birth to live offspring by the dozen and produces food for them with the liquid formula. According to the research published in July in the journal, International Union of Crystallography, as soon as the embryo ingests the liquid, protein crystals develop within its midgut. Leonard Chavas, one of the scientists behind the research, explained that the crystals have a whopping three times the energy of an equivalent mass o...

A study published in the journal Nature by a group of astronomers has announced the discovery of a star that exploded multiple times over a period of more than fifty years. Their observations, which include data from W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaii, are challenging existing theories on these cosmic catastrophes. “The spectra we obtained at Keck Observatory showed that this supernova looked like nothing we had ever seen before. This, after discovering nearly 5,000 supernovae in the last two decades,” said Peter Nugent, Senior Scientist and Division Deputy for Science Engagement in the Computational Research Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who co-authored the study. “While the spectra bear a resemblance to normal hydrogen-rich core-collapse supernova explosions, they grew brighter and dimmer at least five times more slowly, stretching an event which normally lasts 100 days to over two years.” Researchers used the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer...