Science - Chattanooga Times Free Press

What made Beethoven sick? DNA from his hair offers clues

Nearly 200 years after Ludwig van Beethoven's death, researchers pulled DNA from strands of his hair, searching for clues about the health problems and hearing loss that plagued him.

By MADDIE BURAKOFF / Associated Press March 23, 2023

This photo provided by researchers in March 2023, shows the Stumpff Lock, from composer Ludwig van Beethoven, in a laboratory at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany. Hundreds of years after Beethoven's death, researchers have pulled DNA from strands of his hair — and found clues about what killed him, according to a study published Wednesday March 22, 2023. (Anthi Tiliakou via AP)

NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

By The Associated Press February 11, 2023

Rescue dog Tryon, muddied from the day's work, stands with his handler near the west side of the mudslide on Highway 530 near mile marker 37 in Arlington, Wash., on Sunday, March 30, 2014. On Friday, Feb. 10, 2023 The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming a photo that shows a white-haired dog covered in dirt who helped rescue at least 10 people in Turkey after an earthquake struck the country on Monday.(AP Photo/Rick Wilking, Pool)

Jupiter’s moon count jumps to 92, most in solar system

Astronomers have discovered 12 new moons around Jupiter, putting the total count at a record-breaking 92.

By Marcia Dunn February 4, 2023

This photo made available by NASA shows the planet Jupiter, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, on June 27, 2019. On Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, scientists said they have discovered 12 new moons around the gas giant, putting the total count at a record-breaking 92. That's more than any other planet in our solar system. (NASA, ESA, A. Simon/Goddard Space Flight Center, M.H. Wong/University of California, Berkeley via AP)

Cheaters beware: ChatGPT maker releases AI detection tool

The maker of ChatGPT is trying to curb its reputation as a freewheeling cheating machine with a new tool that can help teachers detect if a student or artificial intelligence wrote that homework.

By MATT O'BRIEN and JOCELYN GECKER / Associated Press February 1, 2023

Bring back dodo? Ambitious plan draws investors, critics

The dodo bird isn't coming back anytime soon. Nor is the woolly mammoth.

By CHRISTINA LARSON / Associated Press January 31, 2023

FILE - A rare fragment of a Dodo femur bone is displayed for photographs next to an image of a member of the extinct bird species at Christie's auction house's premises in London, March 27, 2013. Colossal Biosciences has raised an additional $150 million from investors to develop genetic technologies that the company claims will help to bring back some extinct species, including the dodo and the woolly mammoth. Other scientists are skeptical that such feats are really possible, or even advisable for conservation. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

FDA declines to regulate CBD; calls on Congress for fix

The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday there are too many unknowns about CBD products to regulate them as foods or supplements under the agency’s current structure and called on Congress to create new rules for the massive and growing market.

By JONEL ALECCIA / AP Health Writer January 26, 2023

FILE - CBD wax is displayed at a shop in Sunset Hills, Mo., on June 27, 2019. The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday, jan. 26, 2023, there are too many unknowns about CBD products to regulate them as foods or supplements under the agency's current structure and Congress needs to create new rules for the massive and growing market. (Brian Munoz/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP, File)

Promising gene therapy delivers treatment directly to brain

When Rylae-Ann Poulin was a year old, she didn't crawl or babble like other kids her age. A rare genetic disorder kept her from even lifting her head. Her parents took turns holding her upright at night just so she could breathe comfortably and sleep.

By LAURA UNGAR / AP Science Writer January 24, 2023

Rylae-Ann Poulin smiles as she learns to ride a horse in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. Rylae-Ann was among the first to benefit from a new way of delivering gene therapy _ directly into the brain _ that experts believe holds great promise for treating a host of brain disorders. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Museum to receive record-setting dinosaur skeleton

The Glazer Children's Museum in Tampa is chomping at the bit to show off the real dinosaur skeleton it is getting — not one of those plaster or robotic ones. It's nicknamed "Big John" after the South Dakota rancher whose land was the final resting place for the ancient bones, which set a Guinness record for the largest triceratops skeleton ever uncovered.

By SHARON KENNEDY WYNNE / Tampa Bay Times via The Associated Press January 22, 2023

An image of Big John, the largest triceratops ever uncovered, is shown on a Glazer Children's Museum window on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. The dinosaur will be unveiled in an exhibition over Memorial Day weekend. (Angelica Edwards/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Loss of tiny organisms hurts ocean, fishing, scientists say

The warming of the waters off the East Coast has come at an invisible, but very steep cost — the loss of microscopic organisms that make up the base of the ocean's food chain.

By PATRICK WHITTLE / Associated Press January 22, 2023

FILE-A school of baitfish swims off the coast of Biddeford, Maine, in this Sept. 3, 2018 file photo. Research shows that growth rates of phytoplankton, the primary food source of small fish and crustaceans, is slowing down in the Gulf of Maine, posing challenges for the rest of the ecosystem. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, files)

Say cheese! Galactic photo shoot captures 3 billion stars

A galactic photo shoot has captured more than 3 billion stars and galaxies in one of the biggest sky surveys ever.

By Marcia Dunn January 20, 2023

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