Hey there, welcome to my blog Mufawad. In this monthly writeup, I try to unveil the latest breakthroughs & uncover tomorrow's possibilities in the field of science. Whether you are a student, a professional, or simply a science enthusiast, this article will provide you an engaging and informative insights and current updates in scientific world. Plus, as a compliment, you will get a peep into quirky AI images generated by me related to those very particular topics.
So, Let’s delve into the new scientific research that happened in the past month or so and explore the latest technologies that are being created and breakthroughs that were achieved in this field.
In the current blog, you will read about the following science events of the month:
- Demonstration of ‘Quantum Internet” held in many cities
- USA leading in AI technology followed by China which lags behind by ‘at least’ 2 years
- Researchers find ‘switch’ in a brain that controls the Immune system
- Orangutan seen healing thyself using Medicinal plants
- Climate change leading to more severe turbulences as seen with Singapore Airlines
- New research shows that humans are evolved to run and chase down its prey
- Stunning Auroras seen at much lower altitudes than usual
- ESA to use novel power source which harnesses decay of Americium for its upcoming Mars mission
- China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft enters Lunar orbit
- ‘Wall of Death’ may help Astronauts keep fit for Moon missions
- Egyptologists finally found the branch of Nile that ran by the Pyramids
- New ‘Smart Antibiotics’ kill pathogens without disturbing microbiome
- Detailed study published on the origin of cockroaches
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| Current Science Report: May 2024, Mufawad |
Demonstration of ‘Quantum Internet” held in many cities
Three research groups have demonstrated quantum entanglement, a process where two or more objects are linked so that they contain the same information even if they are far apart, over several kilometers of existing optical fibres in real urban areas.
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This feat is a key step towards a future quantum internet, a network that could allow information to be exchanged while encoded in quantum states. The experiments are "the most advanced demonstrations so far" of the technology needed for a quantum internet, says physicist Tracy Northup at the University of Innsbruck in Austria.
Each of the three research teams — based in the United States, China, and the Netherlands — was able to connect parts of a network using photons in the optical-fibre-friendly infrared part of the spectrum.
A quantum internet could enable any two users to establish almost unbreakable cryptographic keys to protect sensitive information. Full use of entanglement could do much more, such as connecting separate quantum computers into one larger, more powerful machine.
The technology could also enable certain types of scientific experiment, for example by creating networks of optical telescopes that have the resolution of a hypothetical single dish hundreds of kilometers wide.
It is pertinent to mention that the quantum information is fragile and cannot be copied; Moreover, it is often carried by individual photons.
This limits the entangled photons to travelling a few tens of kilometers before losses make the whole thing impractical. They also are affected by temperature changes throughout the day and even by wind, if they're above ground.
The three demonstrations each used different kinds of 'quantum memory' devices to store a qubit, a physical system such as a photon or atom that can be in one of two states — akin to the '1' or '0' of ordinary computer bits — or in a combination, or 'quantum superposition', of the two possibilities.
In one of the studies, led by Pan Jian-Wei at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei, qubits were encoded in the collective states of clouds of rubidium atoms.
In the US experiment, Mikhail Lukin, a physicist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and his collaborators used diamond-based devices, with embedded silicon atoms.
The Chinese team led by Pan Jian- Wei claims that by the end of the decade they should be able to establish entanglement over 1,000 kilometers of optical fibres using ten or so intermediate nodes, with a procedure called entanglement swapping.
Courtesy: Nature
USA leading in AI technology followed by China which lags behind by ‘at least’ 2 years
China is trailing the US in artificial intelligence (AI) development by two years, according to Alibaba Group Holding co-founder and chairman Joe Tsai. Tsai cited the success of ChatGPT creator OpenAI as a reason for this, stating that China's tech companies are "possibly two years behind" the top AI firms in the US.
.png "USA leading in AI technology followed by China which lags behind by ‘at least’ 2 years") |
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US export restrictions that bar Chinese companies' access to advanced semiconductors, such as the highly sought-after graphics processing units (GPUs) from Nvidia, have "definitely affected" tech firms in China, including Alibaba.
Alibaba cancelled the spin-off of its Cloud Intelligence Group in November due to uncertainties brought about by expanded US export restrictions on advanced chips. The Biden administration updated sweeping export controls in October, making it harder for Chinese to have access to advanced AI processors, semiconductor-manufacturing equipment, and even laptop computers built with those chips.
This assessment reflects concerns of China's broader technology industry on how these tightened export controls are dampening local AI innovation and making the country less competitive in this important field.
Chinese tech firms are continuing to look for ways to mitigate the impact of these restrictions, including sourcing advanced processors from other suppliers and stocking up on available chips in the market.
Baidu, for example, ordered AI chips from Huawei Technologies last year. Tsai predicts that China will develop its own ability to make high-end GPUs over the long term.
Alibaba Cloud, which remains China's leading cloud infrastructure services provider, aims to turn AI into a huge productivity tool, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Courtesy: China Morning Post
Researchers find ‘switch’ in a brain that controls the Immune system
Columbia University researchers have discovered the "dial in the brain" that controls the immune system, a concept known as the "black-swan event." The study found that the brain maintains a balance between molecular immune system signals that induce and increase inflammation and those that temper and reduce it to ensure only a necessary amount of safe inflammation in the body.
This discovery is said to have implications for the treatment of autoimmune disorders, which are caused by an excessive immune response by the body to naturally occurring molecules.
The vagus nerve, a large network of nerve cells connecting the body and the brain, plays a very important role in relaying immune system signals. However, scientists had not yet figured out which specific brain neurons are activated by the immune system.
The vagus nerve, a large network of nerve cells connecting the body and the brain, plays a very important role in relaying immune system signals. However, scientists had not yet figured out which specific brain neurons are activated by the immune system.
The team from Columbia University monitored the activity of brain cells in mice after injecting them with bacteria that triggered infection and inflammation.
The researchers identified two groups of nerve fibers and neurons in the vagus nerve: one was responsive to pro-inflammatory immune response while the other responded to anti-inflammatory molecules. These neurons on the vagus nerve relayed a feedback signal back to the brain, which the brain used to monitor the unfolding immune response event.
The findings hold promise for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis (MS). The research adds a new context to understanding the body-brain network and offers a glimpse of hope for autoimmune disease therapeutics outside of steroids, which dampen the immune system.
The authors of the study state that the data can also help in treating the varying but debilitating Long Covid syndrome, which manifests through various symptoms in people and persists for years after infection.
The researchers identified two groups of nerve fibers and neurons in the vagus nerve: one was responsive to pro-inflammatory immune response while the other responded to anti-inflammatory molecules. These neurons on the vagus nerve relayed a feedback signal back to the brain, which the brain used to monitor the unfolding immune response event.
The findings hold promise for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis (MS). The research adds a new context to understanding the body-brain network and offers a glimpse of hope for autoimmune disease therapeutics outside of steroids, which dampen the immune system.
The authors of the study state that the data can also help in treating the varying but debilitating Long Covid syndrome, which manifests through various symptoms in people and persists for years after infection.
The study shows that there is a "whole layer of biology that we haven't even anticipated," and more work is needed before therapeutics can be invented to treat autoimmune diseases using vagus nerve activation.
Courtesy: The Print
An Orangutan in Sumatra was observed treating an open wound on his cheek with a poultice made from a medicinal plant, marking the first scientific record of a wild animal healing a wound using a plant with known medicinal properties.
The findings were published in Scientific Reports and show that orangutans and humans share knowledge, as they live in the same habitat.
Courtesy: The Print
Orangutan seen healing thyself using Medicinal plants
An Orangutan in Sumatra was observed treating an open wound on his cheek with a poultice made from a medicinal plant, marking the first scientific record of a wild animal healing a wound using a plant with known medicinal properties.
The findings were published in Scientific Reports and show that orangutans and humans share knowledge, as they live in the same habitat.
.png "Orangutan seen healing thyself using Medicinal plants") |
| Image generated by Mufawad using AI |
It was in 2009, that a young male named "Rakus" moved into the Gunung Leuser National Park in South Aceh, Indonesia, where it was supposed to spend the rest of life.
In 2021, Rakus became a mature flanged male, fighting with other flanged males to establish dominance. In June 2022, a field assistant noted an open wound on his face, possibly made by the canines of another male.
Rakus was later observed eating the stems and leaves of the creeper akar kuning (Fibraurea tinctoria), which local people use to treat diabetes, dysentery, and malaria. He was found chewing the leaves without swallowing and used his fingers to smear the juice on his facial wound over several minutes.
Later on, Rakus spread a poultice of leaf-mash on it the next day. It was found that eight days after his injury, his wound was fully closed.
This is the first study to scientifically demonstrate that an animal is using a plant with medicinal properties applicable to wounds, and consistently treating over a period of time.
Rakus was later observed eating the stems and leaves of the creeper akar kuning (Fibraurea tinctoria), which local people use to treat diabetes, dysentery, and malaria. He was found chewing the leaves without swallowing and used his fingers to smear the juice on his facial wound over several minutes.
Later on, Rakus spread a poultice of leaf-mash on it the next day. It was found that eight days after his injury, his wound was fully closed.
This is the first study to scientifically demonstrate that an animal is using a plant with medicinal properties applicable to wounds, and consistently treating over a period of time.
Self-medication has been seen in many species, such as Canadian snow geese, Dusky-footed wood rats, and chimpanzees in Gabon.
Courtesy: Nature
Singapore Airlines experienced a severe turbulence on a flight from London to Singapore, resulting in the death of a 73-year-old man and injuries to over 70 people. The incident raises questions about the cause of such a serious disruption and whether climate change will make the strength and frequency of turbulence on planes worse in coming times.
Most flights experience some level of turbulence, with strong winds around the airport, up- and downwards flows of air in storm clouds, air flows moving upwards over mountain ranges, and clear air turbulence outside of clouds.
Courtesy: Nature
Climate change leading to more severe turbulences as seen with Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines experienced a severe turbulence on a flight from London to Singapore, resulting in the death of a 73-year-old man and injuries to over 70 people. The incident raises questions about the cause of such a serious disruption and whether climate change will make the strength and frequency of turbulence on planes worse in coming times.
Most flights experience some level of turbulence, with strong winds around the airport, up- and downwards flows of air in storm clouds, air flows moving upwards over mountain ranges, and clear air turbulence outside of clouds.
.png "Climate change leading to more severe turbulences as seen with Singapore Airlines") |
| Image generated by Mufawad using AI |
Climate change is making turbulence more frequent and severe, according to atmospheric researcher Jung-Hoon Kim at Seoul National University. A study published last year found large increases in clear-air turbulence between 1979 and 2020, with severe clear-air turbulence becoming 55% more frequent over the North Atlantic. This increase is almost certainly the result of climate change, which is strengthening the jet streams that cause turbulence.
Another study by a group of researchers used a climate model to predict that clear-air turbulence would become more severe and frequent as the climate warms.
They estimated that severe turbulence would increase in frequency more than light or moderate levels of turbulence as the temperatures rise . In line with this, they also found that clear-air turbulence around clouds and mountains would become more frequent with climate change.
Pilots do use turbulence projections to plan flight paths, and researchers at weather centers can predict turbulence based on data collected from ground-based sensors and satellites and communicate predictions to pilots. On the plane, pilots use radar to identify storm clouds to avoid, but radar cannot detect cloudless clear air turbulence.
It is pertinent to mention that LiDAR technology, similar to radar but using a different wavelength of light, could help detect cloudless clear air turbulence. If the whole LiDAR equipment can be miniaturized and the cost comes down, it could soon be used to detect invisible clear air turbulence.
Until then, it is recommended that passengers fasten their seat belts when traveling.
Courtesy: Nature
A new study published in Nature Human Behaviour reveals that traditional human societies around the globe relied on endurance pursuits, a technique in which prey are chased to exhaustion.
Researchers documented nearly 400 cases of endurance pursuits by Indigenous peoples around the globe between the 16th and 21st centuries. The findings bolster the idea that humans evolved to be hunting harriers, says Daniel Lieberman, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard University.
Pilots do use turbulence projections to plan flight paths, and researchers at weather centers can predict turbulence based on data collected from ground-based sensors and satellites and communicate predictions to pilots. On the plane, pilots use radar to identify storm clouds to avoid, but radar cannot detect cloudless clear air turbulence.
It is pertinent to mention that LiDAR technology, similar to radar but using a different wavelength of light, could help detect cloudless clear air turbulence. If the whole LiDAR equipment can be miniaturized and the cost comes down, it could soon be used to detect invisible clear air turbulence.
Until then, it is recommended that passengers fasten their seat belts when traveling.
Courtesy: Nature
New research shows that humans are evolved to run and chase down its prey
A new study published in Nature Human Behaviour reveals that traditional human societies around the globe relied on endurance pursuits, a technique in which prey are chased to exhaustion.
Researchers documented nearly 400 cases of endurance pursuits by Indigenous peoples around the globe between the 16th and 21st centuries. The findings bolster the idea that humans evolved to be hunting harriers, says Daniel Lieberman, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard University.
.png "New research shows that humans are evolved to run and chase down its prey") |
| Image generated by Mufawad using AI |
For decades, some anthropologists have argued that endurance running was among the first hunting techniques employed by early hominins in Africa. Advocates suggest that in the subsequent millennia, chasing down prey shaped many unique human features, including our springy arched feet, slow-twitch muscle fibers optimized for efficiency, heat-shedding bare skin, and prodigious ability to sweat.
However, a pack of skeptics have dogged the theory. Critics cited the higher energetic costs of running over walking and noted that accounts of persistence hunting among modern foragers are rare.
Eugene Morin, an archaeologist at Trent University and co-author of the new paper, spent more than 5 years exploring the ethnographic literature and other sources, surveying more than 8000 texts spanning about 500 years. He found 391 historical reports of 'endurance pursuits' around the world—an order of magnitude more than what was previously known.
Sometimes running was more efficient than quietly stalking prey, his study suggests. Running costs more energy than walking, but when it’s successful, it allows for a quicker kill—and a better return on time invested.
In a hypothetical hunt of a Gemsbok, a large antelope from southern Africa. At a walk, a hunter might pursue the animal for 2 hours and cover 8 kilometers before killing it. However, by speeding up the chase to 10 kilometers per hour—a trot within the ability of many recreational joggers—the hunter might drive the creature to exhaustion in only 24 minutes, resulting in a fivefold greater payoff in calories gained per time invested.
Hunters also employed slow running if faster prey could be disadvantaged by snow, rocky terrain, soft sand, or soggy ground.
Sudanese hunters slogged through daylong pursuits of giraffes when the animals were slowed by rain-softened ground.
Ojibwe hunters in North America wore snowshoes to chase down elk that became exhausted by sinking into deep drifts.
Courtesy: Science.org
The auroras created by a raging solar storm have been a significant event in space-weather science, with the auroras being expected in the higher altitudes. However this year, the Auroras were seen at much lower altitudes, partly because the Sun is about to complete its eleven year solar cycle.
Satellite operators, electrical-grid managers, and others who maintain crucial technological infrastructure are still assessing the impacts of this historic event, which scientists called the severest geomagnetic storm since 2003.
It is being said that the most major systems seem to have weathered the blast, which is encouraging because more storms are likely: the most powerful geomagnetic storms of a solar cycle can occur after the 'solar maximum', which is expected later this year.
The immediate cause of this event is a cluster of sunspots, known as active region 3664, that appeared below the Sun's equator on the side currently facing Earth. The cluster is around 17 times as wide as Earth and is probably the largest and most complex sunspot region observed during the current solar cycle, which began in 2019.
Starting around 8 May, active region 3664 sent at least seven blasts of magnetized plasma, or coronal mass ejections, racing in Earth's direction at speeds of up to 1,800 kilometres per second. Along with other waves of charged plasma and solar debris, the coronal mass ejections swamped space-weather detectors.
The solar storm has been considered as huge by a number of measures, being 'extreme' on the five-tiered scale that describes geomagnetic storms and a 'superstorm' according to an index of changes in Earth's magnetic field.
The auroras were created when the material from coronal mass ejections slams into the magnetic field, dumping energy into Earth's upper atmosphere, causing chemical elements there to become ionized and glow in various colors, creating auroras.
The lights are usually seen near Earth's poles, but on 10 May, because of the intensity of the solar storm, auroras were seen at remarkably low latitudes, including in Mexico.
In anticipation of the extreme solar activity, electrical-grid operators had taken protective measures, as geomagnetic storms can induce extra electrical currents in the grid, causing power cuts.
Ojibwe hunters in North America wore snowshoes to chase down elk that became exhausted by sinking into deep drifts.
Courtesy: Science.org
Stunning Auroras seen at much lower altitudes than usual
The auroras created by a raging solar storm have been a significant event in space-weather science, with the auroras being expected in the higher altitudes. However this year, the Auroras were seen at much lower altitudes, partly because the Sun is about to complete its eleven year solar cycle.
Satellite operators, electrical-grid managers, and others who maintain crucial technological infrastructure are still assessing the impacts of this historic event, which scientists called the severest geomagnetic storm since 2003.
It is being said that the most major systems seem to have weathered the blast, which is encouraging because more storms are likely: the most powerful geomagnetic storms of a solar cycle can occur after the 'solar maximum', which is expected later this year.
The immediate cause of this event is a cluster of sunspots, known as active region 3664, that appeared below the Sun's equator on the side currently facing Earth. The cluster is around 17 times as wide as Earth and is probably the largest and most complex sunspot region observed during the current solar cycle, which began in 2019.
Starting around 8 May, active region 3664 sent at least seven blasts of magnetized plasma, or coronal mass ejections, racing in Earth's direction at speeds of up to 1,800 kilometres per second. Along with other waves of charged plasma and solar debris, the coronal mass ejections swamped space-weather detectors.
The solar storm has been considered as huge by a number of measures, being 'extreme' on the five-tiered scale that describes geomagnetic storms and a 'superstorm' according to an index of changes in Earth's magnetic field.
The auroras were created when the material from coronal mass ejections slams into the magnetic field, dumping energy into Earth's upper atmosphere, causing chemical elements there to become ionized and glow in various colors, creating auroras.
The lights are usually seen near Earth's poles, but on 10 May, because of the intensity of the solar storm, auroras were seen at remarkably low latitudes, including in Mexico.
In anticipation of the extreme solar activity, electrical-grid operators had taken protective measures, as geomagnetic storms can induce extra electrical currents in the grid, causing power cuts.
New Zealand's electrical-transmission service temporarily turned off some circuits around the country to prevent equipment damage.
NASA said on 10 May that it foresaw no threat to the four US and three Russian astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Three people are aboard China's Tiangong space station as well, but there have been no reports of precautionary actions taken there, either.
Some satellites did stop making scientific observations, such as NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and NASA's ice-measuring ICESat-2 satellite, which experienced unexpected rotation due to increased atmospheric drag.
NASA said on 10 May that it foresaw no threat to the four US and three Russian astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Three people are aboard China's Tiangong space station as well, but there have been no reports of precautionary actions taken there, either.
Some satellites did stop making scientific observations, such as NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and NASA's ice-measuring ICESat-2 satellite, which experienced unexpected rotation due to increased atmospheric drag.
Researchers expect a coronal mass ejection to slam into Mars in the next few days, which could be observed by NASA's MAVEN spacecraft.
Courtesy: Nature
Europe's upcoming Mars mission will use a nuclear-powered device that harnesses the radioactive decay of americium to keep its components warm, marking a first for spacecraft.
The European Space Agency (ESA) announced the plans on 16 May, along with release of details of an agreement with NASA about the delivery of Europe’s first Mars rover, called Rosalind Franklin.
Courtesy: Nature
ESA to use novel power source which harnesses decay of Americium for its upcoming Mars mission
Europe's upcoming Mars mission will use a nuclear-powered device that harnesses the radioactive decay of americium to keep its components warm, marking a first for spacecraft.
The European Space Agency (ESA) announced the plans on 16 May, along with release of details of an agreement with NASA about the delivery of Europe’s first Mars rover, called Rosalind Franklin.
ESA had previously worked with the Russian space agency Roscosmos on the mission, but cancelled the partnership in 2022 due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Radioisotope heater units (RHUs) harness the heat produced by the decay of radioactive elements to keep spacecraft warm enough to operate when it is not possible to use electricity generated by solar panels. Since 2009, ESA has been working on its own programme to create RHUs and batteries that provide electricity.
The European RHUs will heat components of the mission’s landing platform, which deploys the rover onto the Martian surface. The lander powers the rover before it exits the platform and opens its solar panels. Heating the lander will extend its life, so it can provide backup in case there are issues when the rover is deployed.
ESA’s heater units will be not only be the first for Europe but also the first anywhere to use americium-241, a by-product of plutonium decay that packs less power per gram than does its precursor.
Radioisotope heater units (RHUs) harness the heat produced by the decay of radioactive elements to keep spacecraft warm enough to operate when it is not possible to use electricity generated by solar panels. Since 2009, ESA has been working on its own programme to create RHUs and batteries that provide electricity.
The European RHUs will heat components of the mission’s landing platform, which deploys the rover onto the Martian surface. The lander powers the rover before it exits the platform and opens its solar panels. Heating the lander will extend its life, so it can provide backup in case there are issues when the rover is deployed.
ESA’s heater units will be not only be the first for Europe but also the first anywhere to use americium-241, a by-product of plutonium decay that packs less power per gram than does its precursor.
However, americium-241 is more abundant and cheaper, meaning that even if the RHUs require more of the isotope, they might be less expensive overall.
The americium RHUs are being created as part of the ‘European Devices Using Radioisotope Energy” (ENDURE) project, which aims to have developed americium batteries capable of providing electricity, rather than just heat, to a spacecraft.
ESA also plans several moon missions by 2030’s.
Courtesy: Nature
China's Chang'e 6 mission, launched on May 3, is set to land on the moon's far side to collect and return samples to Earth.
Launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in southern China's Hainan province, the Long March 5 rocket will be used to orbit the moon. The Chang'e 6 will perform an engine burn to slow its momentum enough to be captured by the moon's gravity. If successful, Chang'e 6 will only be the second probe to land on the far side of the moon and the first mission to return samples from there.
The americium RHUs are being created as part of the ‘European Devices Using Radioisotope Energy” (ENDURE) project, which aims to have developed americium batteries capable of providing electricity, rather than just heat, to a spacecraft.
ESA also plans several moon missions by 2030’s.
Courtesy: Nature
China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft enters Lunar orbit
China's Chang'e 6 mission, launched on May 3, is set to land on the moon's far side to collect and return samples to Earth.
Launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in southern China's Hainan province, the Long March 5 rocket will be used to orbit the moon. The Chang'e 6 will perform an engine burn to slow its momentum enough to be captured by the moon's gravity. If successful, Chang'e 6 will only be the second probe to land on the far side of the moon and the first mission to return samples from there.
.png "China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft enters Lunar orbit") |
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The moon is tidally locked to Earth, meaning it has equivalent orbital and rotational periods, causing line-of-sight communication with spacecraft on the far side of the moon to be impossible without additional relays.
The mission will coordinate with China's recently-launched Queqiao 2 relay satellite to perform orbital correction manoeuvres before releasing the combined lander and ascent stage for their upcoming landing attempt.
If successful, Chang'e 6 will collect at least 2 kilograms of lunar samples from the surface and material drilled from up to 2 meters underground. The samples will be stowed in the Chang'e 6 lander's ascent module, which will then launch and meet its probe counterpart in lunar orbit.
The samples will then be relocated to a reentry module on the Chang'e 6 orbiter, designed to protect the lunar material during reentry through Earth's atmosphere.
Chang'e 6's 53-day mission will end with the probe touching down back on Earth with samples from the moon's far side, marking a major milestone in China's lunar exploration efforts.
Courtesy: Space.com
‘Wall of Death’ may help Astronauts keep fit for Moon missions
Researchers have proposed a radical approach to keeping astronauts fit as they prepare to return to the moon after more than half a century.
They suggest that astronauts run several times a day around a "lunar Wall of Death" to prevent weakening in the low gravity environment. The researchers used a rented Wall of Death, a giant wooden cylinder used by motorcycle stunt performers, a 36m-high telescopic crane, and some bungee cords to show it was possible for a human to run fast enough in lunar gravity not only to remain on the wall but to generate sufficient lateral force to combat bone and muscle wasting.
The hostile lunar environment presents several challenges, including ensuring astronauts have air, food, and water, and being well protected against space radiation.
Without normal gravity, astronauts lose bone and muscle mass, along with the fine nervous system control needed for coordinated movements, making measures to combat "deconditioning" a priority.
Calculations by Alberto Minetti and his colleagues show that humans would find it extremely difficult to run around a Wall of Death on Earth without falling down. However, in lunar gravity, which is one sixth that on Earth, the feat would be much easier.
Courtesy: Guardian
The ancient branch of the Nile River, known as the "Ahramat" Branch, may have played a significant role in the construction of ancient Egyptian pyramids. The highest concentration of pyramids in Egypt can be found in a stretch of desert between Giza and Lisht, which are now several kilometers away from the Nile River.
Egyptologists finally found the branch of Nile that ran by the Pyramids
The ancient branch of the Nile River, known as the "Ahramat" Branch, may have played a significant role in the construction of ancient Egyptian pyramids. The highest concentration of pyramids in Egypt can be found in a stretch of desert between Giza and Lisht, which are now several kilometers away from the Nile River.
.png "Egyptologists finally found the branch of Nile that ran by the Pyramids") |
| Image generated by Mufawad using AI |
However, Egyptologists have long suspected that the Nile might have been closer to that stretch than it is today. Satellite images and geological data confirm that a tributary of the Nile used to run near many of the major sites in the region several thousand years ago. This discovery could help explain why ancient Egyptians chose this area to build the pyramids.
The Nile and its flood-plain have provided food, agriculture, and water to Egypt's inhabitants for thousands of years. However, the river is prone to migrating, and populations have had to relocate to keep up.
Over the past few hundred years, the Nile has moved several kilometers to the east, possibly owing to shifting plate tectonics. Some of Egypt's important archaeological sites do not have the same relationship to the river as they would have had at the time they were built.
A team led by Eman Ghoneim spotted a dried-up river channel several kilometers west of the Nile, which ran for around 60 kilometers through agricultural areas and had a similar depth and width to the modern Nile. They collected core samples of sediment from the channel and combined them with satellite imagery to map the branch's location.
They found that it would have flowed past more than 30 Old- and Middle-Kingdom pyramids dating from between 2686 to 1649 BC, thus the decision to call it the 'Ahramat' branch which means Pyramids in Arabic. The waterway running right past the pyramids could have been an important factor, as it would have provided a convenient way for builders to transport materials to the sites.
Eventually, the movement of the Nile and sand blowing in from the Sahara Desert would have caused the Ahramat Branch to dry up and become unnavigable. Knowing the ancient river's location provides a blueprint for archaeologists to uncover more ancient Egyptian settlements.
Courtesy: Nature
Scientists have developed an antibiotic that kills pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria, even those resistant to many other drugs, without impairing the gut microbiome.
The compound has been studied only in mice, but if it works in humans, it could help us dramatically. Gram-negative bacteria include public-health villains such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The gram negative bacteria cause diseases ranging from salmonella to cholera and can trigger sepsis, a potentially lethal immune-system response to infection.
There are very few antibiotics specifically targeting Gram-negative bacteria, and these few drugs do also wreak havoc with the gut microbiome.
To find a way around the bacteria's defenses, the study's authors started with compounds that don't only kill the bacteria but are known to inhibit the 'Lol system', a group of proteins exclusive to Gram-negative bacteria.
Tinkering with those compounds produced something that the researchers called lolamicin, which selectively kills pathogenic bacteria over non-pathogenic bacteria based on differences in Lol proteins between these bacteria.
Lolamicin is said to have anti-microbial effects against more than 130 multidrug-resistant strains of bacteria growing in laboratory dishes.
Courtesy: Nature
New ‘Smart Antibiotics’ kill pathogens without disturbing microbiome
Scientists have developed an antibiotic that kills pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria, even those resistant to many other drugs, without impairing the gut microbiome.
The compound has been studied only in mice, but if it works in humans, it could help us dramatically. Gram-negative bacteria include public-health villains such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The gram negative bacteria cause diseases ranging from salmonella to cholera and can trigger sepsis, a potentially lethal immune-system response to infection.
There are very few antibiotics specifically targeting Gram-negative bacteria, and these few drugs do also wreak havoc with the gut microbiome.
To find a way around the bacteria's defenses, the study's authors started with compounds that don't only kill the bacteria but are known to inhibit the 'Lol system', a group of proteins exclusive to Gram-negative bacteria.
Tinkering with those compounds produced something that the researchers called lolamicin, which selectively kills pathogenic bacteria over non-pathogenic bacteria based on differences in Lol proteins between these bacteria.
Lolamicin is said to have anti-microbial effects against more than 130 multidrug-resistant strains of bacteria growing in laboratory dishes.
Mice that developed blood stream infections after exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria all survived after being given lolamicin, whereas 87% of those that didn't receive the compound died within three days.
However, there is still a long road from showing efficacy in mice to developing a drug for human use. The time from an antibiotic's discovery to its approval for clinical use can extend even up to two decades, and there is not much money to be made with a novel antibiotic.
Courtesy: Nature
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that the German cockroach, a ubiquitous household pest, originated in South Asia and spread globally due to its affinity for human habitats.
However, there is still a long road from showing efficacy in mice to developing a drug for human use. The time from an antibiotic's discovery to its approval for clinical use can extend even up to two decades, and there is not much money to be made with a novel antibiotic.
Courtesy: Nature
Detailed study published on the origin of cockroaches
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that the German cockroach, a ubiquitous household pest, originated in South Asia and spread globally due to its affinity for human habitats.
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| Image generated by Mufawad using AI |
The first scientist to describe the cockroach, Carolus Linnaeus, named it Blattella germanica in 1776 in Europe. The current study co-author Qian Tang, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard University, found that the closest living relative of the German cockroach is probably the Asian cockroach Blattella asahinai, which is still found in South Asia.
B. germanica split off from it just around 2,100 years ago, and around 1,200 years ago, it hitchhiked from west into the Middle East with the commercial and military traffic of the Islamic Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates.
It began to spread east to South Asia around 390 years ago, with the rise of European colonialism and the emergence of international trading companies such as the Dutch and British East India Companies.
The success of the German cockroach can be attributed to its extraordinary adaptability, short reproductive cycle, and opportunistic qualities, making them prone to be transported as hitchhikers to new places.
Courtesy: Nature
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