(editor's note: Wow and double-wow! We are moving so fast now into the Golden Age. Science is announcing "new discoveries" at an exponential rate. Today's first story is about a recent development in an archeological mural found in an ancient Mayan city. Get this... not only does that calendar extend beyond 2012 (well duh!), but there are paintings of men in black uniforms!
And lastly, in an ever-expanding science of light, researches are using light-activated molecules to turn certain genes on and off. The hope is that they will soon be able to target the off switch of diseases like cancer.
I'm so excited as each month passes to see the tremendous advances in our world. Soon, all of this information will be public knowledge, no more secrets, no more hiding and I will be moving on to yet another project :)
~All my Love, Boo)
Mural Found On Walls a First for a Maya Dwelling; Painted Numbers Reflect Calendar Reaching Well Beyond 2012
Excavating for the first time in the sprawling complex of Xultún in Guatemala's Petén region, archaeologists have uncovered a structure that contains what appears to be a work space for the town's scribe, its walls adorned with unique paintings -- one depicting a lineup of men in black uniforms -- and hundreds of scrawled numbers. Many are calculations relating to the Maya calendar.
Some appear to represent the various calendrical cycles charted by the Maya -- the 260-day ceremonial calendar, the 365-day solar calendar, the 584-day cycle of the planet Venus and the 780-day cycle of Mars, reports archaeologist William Saturno of Boston University, who led the exploration and excavation.
Light Used to Switch On Gene Expression
Imagine being able to control genetic expression by flipping a light switch. Researchers at North Carolina State University are using light-activated molecules to turn gene expression on and off. Their method enables greater precision when studying gene function, and could lead to targeted therapies for diseases like cancer.
"We've created a tool that allows for the light-activation of genetic transcription," Deiters says. "By giving researchers greater temporal and spatial control over gene expression, we've expanded their ability to study the behavior of particular genes in whichever environment they choose" says NC State chemist Dr. Alex Deiters.
