Touchpoint 1
Elephant seals, once nearly extinct, are finding new places to call home
What is it?
Elephant seals were on their way to going extinct, with only 100 left in a small area of Mexico. Experts now think there are 40,000 births per year in protected marine areas of the Pacific. Scientists recently counted 265 of them along the beaches of Northern California.
Potential message for students:
Would you ever like to go to California and see an elephant seal on the beach? Do you think some seals should be moved to other beaches by humans to create new colonies?
Touchpoint 2
Altering the circadian clock adapts barley to short growing seasons
What is it?
Winter days are shorter than summer ones. Barley has figured out a way to know when days are getting longer (more sunlight) and will start to flower. Scientists think this means barley has an “internal clock.”
Potential message for students:
Do you think scientists should genetically modify this clock so barely will flower and generate crops in less ideal parts of the world? How do students feel about genetically tinkering with our food supply to increase it.
Touchpoint 3
Together AI Releases Biological Foundational Model Evo
What is it?
DNA and Genomes are very long and complicated to sequence and understand. An AI company in San Francisco has created an AI that can sequence a genome using a single computer video card and then ask the AI questions about the results.
Potential message to students:
Do you think understanding the basic building blocks of plants, animals and humans can be sped up by artificial intelligence? Do you think humans are moving to fast with their research and may make consequential mistakes if they move this fast?