Science News and Discoveries of 2021

The video highlights three significant science stories from the past year unrelated to COVID-19. It explores the mystery of the meteorite that caused the dinosaur extinction, suggesting a carboniferous comet from the solar system's edge. It also discusses ancient art discoveries, including symbolic behavior in the Middle East and children's handprints on the Tibetan Plateau. Lastly, it examines mammalian DNA, focusing on transposable elements and their role in embryonic development, with implications for human fertility.

What was the primary focus of science news in 2021, according to the video introduction?

• Artificial intelligence

• Space exploration

• COVID-19 vaccines and variants

• Climate change

What was the main challenge in identifying the origin of the meteorite that caused the dinosaur extinction?

• Its size was too small to trace

• It was hidden under the ocean

• It was made of unknown materials

• Its origin in space was unclear

Which celestial body is suggested to have altered the course of the comet that led to the Chicxulub crater?

• Mars

• Jupiter

• Saturn

• Venus

What type of behavior does the carved wild ox bone from Israel represent?

• Functional behavior

• Artistic behavior

• Symbolic mediated behavior

• Survival behavior

Where were the oldest known hand- and footprints found, according to the video?

• The Sahara Desert

• The Tibetan Plateau

• The Amazon Rainforest

• The Australian Outback

What is the significance of the hand- and footprints found in the Tibetan Plateau?

• They depict ancient animals

• They were made by adults

• They are the oldest known mobile art

• They were made by children

What percentage of the human genome is made up of transposable elements?

• 75%

• 10%

• 25%

• 50%

What gene is regulated by the transposable element studied in mice?

• TP53

• Cdk2ap1

• MYC

• BRCA1

What was the outcome for mice lacking the transposable element regulating Cdk2ap1?

• They had enhanced growth

• They developed normally

• They were infertile

• Half died at birth

What potential human health issue could be linked to transposable elements, as suggested in the video?

• Heart disease

• Cancer

• Miscarriages

• Diabetes