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:
- US man arrested for cloning a sheep and breeding it
- In a Bizarre video, Octopus and fish caught hunting together as a team
- Hidden in plain sight new class of shapes discovered by Scientists
- Mosquito borne diseases surging in temperate regions
- Bees found to lose sense of smell due to increase in temperature
- Artic gets floating research station
- Jupiter moon hit by 20 times bigger asteroid than that killed Dinosaur
- World first whole eye transplant successfully carried out
- Ocean Waves given the status of a person by Brazilian Government
- Science finds an answer to why we choke under pressure
- Researchers amazed to find reorganization of Brain during pregnancy
- Dangerous chemicals entering our body from food packing material
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| Current Science Report: September 2024; Mufawad |
US man arrested for cloning a sheep and breeding it
Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, an 81-year-old man from Vaughn, Montana, was sentenced to six months in federal prison for illegally using tissue and testicles from large sheep to create hybrid species intended for trophy hunting in Texas and Minnesota. U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris faced a difficult decision in determining the appropriate sentence, weighing Schubarth's advanced age and his clean criminal record against the need to deter others from engaging in similar illegal activities. Along with the prison term, Schubarth was fined $20,000 and ordered to pay an additional $4,000 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Foundation. He will be allowed to report to a Bureau of Prisons medical facility for his incarceration.
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Schubarth has operated Sun River Enterprises LLC, a 215-acre alternative livestock ranch, since 1987. He specialized in buying, selling, and breeding “alternative livestock” like mountain sheep and goats, primarily for private hunting preserves where clients pay to shoot captive animals. In March, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges connected to the illegal cloning of a Marco Polo sheep, which was obtained through unlawful means. The purpose of cloning this sheep was to create hybrids that would be more valuable for the captive hunting market. Prosecutors revealed that Schubarth sold sheep and semen derived from the cloned sheep to various clients across several states, generating significant profits while endangering wildlife and violating multiple regulations.
During the sentencing hearing, Schubarth expressed deep remorse for his actions, stating that his enthusiasm for the “sheep project” clouded his judgment and led him to exploit legal gray areas. He acknowledged the harm his actions caused to both his personal life and his family. His attorney, Jason Holden, advocated for a probationary sentence, arguing that Schubarth had always cared for animals and had accomplished something remarkable in cloning the giant sheep, which he named the Montana Mountain King or MMK. However, Sarah Brown, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, pushed for a prison sentence, emphasizing the widespread nature of Schubarth's illegal breeding operation and the risks it posed to wildlife health.
Judge Morris ultimately allowed Schubarth until December 2025 to sell his remaining Rocky Mountain bighorn hybrid sheep and mandated that any hybrids with Marco Polo DNA on his ranch must be sent for slaughter, with the meat donated to a food bank. He also restricted Schubarth from breeding game stock during his three years of probation. The five co-conspirators involved in this case were not named in court records, but Schubarth's plea agreement requires him to fully cooperate with prosecutors and testify if necessary. Montana wildlife officials have indicated that the investigation is ongoing. The case highlights the complexities of wildlife regulation and the severe consequences of illegal activities in the hunting and livestock industries.
Courtesy: AP
In a Bizarre video, Octopus and fish caught hunting together as a team
Octopuses, known for their solitary hunting, have been observed collaborating with fish to enhance foraging success, according to new footage analyzed by researchers. Published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, the study reveals that octopuses and fish adopt specific roles during joint hunts.
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Eduardo Sampaio, a co-author and animal-behavior researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, noted that octopuses often lead these collaborations, indicating a level of cognitive processing.
The researchers captured 120 hours of footage while diving in the Red Sea, documenting 13 instances of the blue octopus (Octopus cyanea) hunting with various fish species. The interactions suggested complex group dynamics, where goatfish encouraged exploration, while octopuses signalled when to stop.
The octopuses displayed adaptability; some fish, particularly blacktip groupers, joined without contributing to the hunt. In response, octopuses were seen using their tentacles to ‘punch’ these opportunists, possibly to deter them.
Hannah MacGregor, an animal-behavior researcher at the University of Cambridge, found the study fascinating and stressed the need for further research on the motivations behind such interspecies cooperation.
Courtesy: Nature
Hidden in plain sight new class of shapes discovered by Scientists
Mathematicians have identified a new class of shapes that reflect forms commonly found in nature, such as the chambers of the nautilus shell and the arrangement of seeds in plants. This research examines the mathematical idea of ‘tiling,’ which involves how shapes can tessellate across a surface. Despite the extensive exploration of this topic throughout history, the researchers have introduced a new set of geometric building blocks with rounded corners, termed ‘soft cells.’
Chaim Goodman-Strauss, a mathematician at the National Museum of Mathematics in New York City, noted that this approach is unprecedented, revealing many fundamental concepts yet to be explored. Historically, it has been established that only certain types of polygonal tiles, like squares and hexagons, can completely fill a two-dimensional space without gaps. Non-periodic tilings, such as Penrose tilings, gained interest after the discovery of quasicrystals in the 1980s. Last year, Goodman-Strauss and colleagues announced a quasiperiodic tiling that uses only a single tile shape.
Researchers, including Gábor Domokos from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, revisited periodic polygonal tilings but explored the effects of rounding some corners. In two dimensions, not all corners can be rounded without creating gaps, but introducing ‘cusp shapes’—corners with internal angles of zero—allows for space-filling tilings. These cusp shapes tangentially meet, much like the shape of a teardrop.
Domokos and his team created an algorithm to convert geometric tiles, both in 2D and 3D, into soft cells and examined the shapes that result from this transformation. In two dimensions, all tiles must have at least two cusp-like corners, but in three dimensions, these soft cells can fill volumetric space without any corners. They developed a quantitative measure of ‘softness’ for space-filling 3D tiles and discovered that the softest shapes are not compact but feature flange-like circular ‘wings’ at their edges, emerging from saddle-like surfaces. Interestingly, the softest shape elements turned out to be circular discs.
Domokos theorizes that for any given polyhedral tiling, there is a unique tiling that achieves maximum softness, which he believes may correlate with optimizing certain physical properties like bending energy or interfacial tension. Although he and his colleagues lack formal proof for this conjecture, he hopes that someone more skilled will validate it.
The researchers found examples of soft tilings in nature, including the shapes of islands in braided rivers, the cross-sections of onions, biological cells, and the 3D compartments of nautilus shells. They suggest that nature tends to avoid corners because they can be weak points and are costly in terms of deformation energy.
The analysis was significantly influenced by studying the nautilus, where the shell compartments appeared as 2D soft cells with two corners. Co-author Krisztina Regős suspected that the actual 3D chambers had no corners, a theory later confirmed by the research team.
Despite the mathematical principles involved being known for centuries, Goodman-Strauss noted that the concept of soft cells had not been formalized before this study, possibly due to the challenge posed by soft edges for geometers. He suggested that the richness of polygonal and polyhedral tilings may have led mathematicians to overlook this area.
Goodman-Strauss views this work as a descriptive framework for understanding structural forms, though further exploration of the underlying physical principles—such as flow, sediment transport, and erosion—may still be necessary to fully comprehend natural formations. Domokos and his colleagues also believe that architects, like Zaha Hadid, have instinctively employed soft cells to minimize corners for both aesthetic and structural benefits. Since publishing their findings, Domokos and co-author Alain Goriely from the University of Oxford have collaborated with architects from the California College of Arts, resulting in an award-winning structure made from soft-cell elements crafted from eggshells.
Courtesy: Nature
Mosquito borne diseases surging in temperate regions
Climate change is transforming Europe into a breeding ground for mosquito-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus (WNV), dengue, and chikungunya. Rising temperatures, longer summers, and heavy rainfall are creating optimal conditions for mosquitoes to thrive in places that were previously unsuitable. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 715 locally acquired cases of WNV have been reported across 15 European countries so far in 2024, surpassing last year's figures. Fifty-one people have died as a result of these infections.
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Céline Gossner, a specialist in vector-borne diseases at the ECDC, warns that these outbreaks are becoming the "new normal." The spread of WNV is primarily facilitated by the native Culex pipiens mosquito, which transmits the virus from infected birds to humans and animals. WNV can cause West Nile fever in about 20% of infections, leading to symptoms like fever, headaches, and fatigue. While most people's immune systems can fight off the virus, older individuals and those with weakened immune systems are at risk of severe neurological complications.
Alongside WNV, other tropical diseases such as dengue and chikungunya are also spreading in Europe. The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), which transmits these viruses, has expanded its range, establishing itself in 13 European countries. This summer, Italy and France reported 22 locally transmitted cases of dengue, while France also detected a chikungunya case.
Rachel Lowe, a climate and health scientist, points out that as warmer and wetter conditions increase, mosquitoes are spreading to higher latitudes and altitudes. Although climate change is the primary factor driving these outbreaks, increased global travel after the COVID-19 pandemic has also played a role in the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. In fact, dengue strains found in Ethiopia were closely linked to those in Italy’s 2023 outbreak, showing the interconnectedness of disease transmission globally.
To reduce the risk of infection, experts recommend using mosquito repellent, wearing long-sleeved clothing, and installing mosquito screens. Eliminating stagnant water in gardens or plant pots can also help prevent mosquitoes from breeding. Additionally, surveillance and testing are crucial to managing the spread of these diseases, especially as asymptomatic individuals may unknowingly donate contaminated blood, posing risks to blood and organ supplies.
The rise in mosquito-borne diseases highlights the urgent need for proactive public health measures to prevent and control these emerging risks in Europe.
Courtesy: Nature
Bees found to lose sense of smell due to increase in temperature
Extreme temperatures are increasingly threatening not only humans but also the environment, particularly bumble bees, according to a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Researchers found that heat waves significantly impair bumble bees' ability to smell flowers, which could have dire consequences for their populations and the crops they pollinate.
Coline Jaworski, a field ecologist at France’s National Institute for Agricultural, Food and Environmental Research, emphasized the importance of these findings, as bumble bees are crucial for pollinating about one-third of our food supply. Their declining populations are attributed mainly to habitat loss and climate change.
Last year marked the hottest on record, and climate change has made heat waves more frequent and intense. These extreme temperatures can reduce flower scent and nectar production, disrupt foraging patterns, and create unfavourable conditions for bees, especially those adapted to colder climates, like bumble bees.
In her research, Sabine Nooten from the Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg examined how rising temperatures affect bumble bees' physiology. The team tested 190 bumble bees from two species, exposing them to a simulated heat wave of 40°C for nearly three hours. They measured the bees’ antennal responses to flower scents after heat exposure. The results showed a significant reduction—up to 80%—in scent detection after the heat treatment.
Sandra Rehan, a molecular ecologist at York University, noted that this investigation is a crucial step in understanding the factors contributing to bee decline. Alarmingly, the heat-exposed bees' antennae did not recover their ability to detect scents, even after resting in cooler temperatures, suggesting potential long-term effects.
The study also revealed that the wild-sourced species Bombus pascuorum was less resilient to heat than the commercially sourced B. terrestris, with female worker bees being more affected than males. Future research should explore how extreme heat impacts other pollinators, as those like solitary carpenter bees could be at even higher risk of starvation during heat waves.
Courtesy: Science
Artic gets floating research station
The Arctic is one of the most challenging environments for research, especially in summer when conditions remain harsh. However, the Tara Polar Station, a new drifting laboratory developed by the Tara Ocean Foundation and backed primarily by the French government, is designed to endure year-round Arctic conditions. This $23 million vessel is set to begin its first two-year transpolar voyages in 2026. Researchers are hopeful that the station's continuous presence will help fill gaps in understanding the Arctic's ecosystems and the impact of climate change.
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The Arctic is experiencing rapid warming, known as Arctic amplification, at four times the global average. This has led to concerns that the region may see iceless summers in the coming decades, affecting ecosystems and opening new shipping routes. However, long-term research missions in the Arctic are rare. The most recent, aboard the German icebreaker Polarstern in 2019-2020, was costly and limited in scope.
Unlike traditional icebreakers, the 26-meter-long Tara Polar Station is designed to have lower costs and a smaller environmental footprint. It can operate on both pack ice and open seas, and is equipped with labs and a "moonpool" for collecting ocean samples through the ice. The station will host up to 18 researchers on multiple two-year drifts across the Arctic, focusing on ecological studies, particularly the role of microbes in the region’s climate systems.
With the vessel ready for its final trials after five years of development, anticipation is high among the researchers, who are eager to start their groundbreaking work in one of the world's most vulnerable and rapidly changing regions.
Courtesy: Science
Jupiter moon hit by 20 times bigger asteroid than that killed Dinosaur
Research suggests that Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, was hit by an ancient asteroid 20 times larger than the one that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. This massive impact, occurring 4 billion years ago, likely made Ganymede rotate so that the crater created faces away from Jupiter. Computer models estimate the asteroid was 185 miles wide, forming an initial crater about 1,000 miles across.
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Dr. Naoyuki Hirata of Kobe University believes the furrows on Ganymede’s surface are remnants of this event. His simulations suggest the impact added weight to the moon’s surface, causing it to tilt. Ganymede, which is tidally locked to Jupiter, likely shifted its axis, with the impact site now always on the far side.
Hirata’s theory could be tested further by the European Space Agency’s Juice probe, which is heading to Jupiter to study its moons. The mission aims to gather detailed images and data that could confirm or challenge the impact and reorientation theory. According to Prof. Leigh Fletcher from the University of Leicester, the probe will provide vital information to better understand the scars left by the bombardment of Jupiter’s moons.
Courtesy: Guardian
World first whole eye transplant successfully carried out
Aaron James, a 47-year-old father from Hot Springs, Arkansas, made history by becoming the first person to receive a successful whole-eye transplant. In 2021, James was severely injured in an electrical accident while working as a high-voltage lineman, losing his left eye, dominant left arm, nose, and part of his chin. For two years, he was unable to eat solid food, taste, smell, or speak normally. His life took a remarkable turn in May 2023 when he underwent a groundbreaking 21-hour face and eye transplant surgery at NYU Langone Health in New York City.
The surgery involved a large medical team that transplanted not only the whole left eye but also the bony socket around it, a piece of the chin, the nose, and the associated muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. Although the transplanted eye remains healthy, with the retina able to respond to light, James couldn’t yet see through it. The key challenge lies in the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, and its inability to regenerate.
Doctors, including Daniel Ceradini, the lead surgeon, never expected James to regain vision in the eye, as the central nervous system, which includes the optic nerve, is notoriously difficult to regenerate. However, the success of this surgery moves researchers closer to the possibility of one day restoring vision through eye transplants, something Ceradini described as a “holy grail” of medical science.
The complexity of the surgery required extensive preparation. The team practiced the delicate procedure at least 15 times on cadavers, as dissecting an eye and its associated structures is incredibly intricate. They also had to innovate new techniques, including connecting the blood supply to the eye through a large vessel to prevent blood flow issues during the procedure. Additionally, 3D-printed surgical guides, created using scans of both James and the donor’s faces, allowed the surgeons to precisely fit the donor’s bone structures onto James, like “a snap-fit puzzle.”
After waking from surgery, James was amazed to regain his sense of smell, which he had lost for two years. He no longer needs to wear an eye patch and mask when he goes out in public, something he had done before the transplant. Although his transplanted eye cannot move or see, it remains healthy with good blood flow, and James can feel a deep itching sensation around it as his peripheral nerves slowly regenerate.
While restoring vision through an eye transplant remains uncertain, with experts like Ceradini optimistic and others, like surgeon Bohdan Pomahač, sceptical, the surgery is still considered a major step forward in transplant science. Both surgeons agree that regenerating the optic nerve is the key missing piece to restoring sight, something that may only become possible if advances are made in brain or spinal cord regeneration.
Despite the challenges, James and his family have maintained a positive outlook. His wife, Meagan, and their daughter, Allie, continue to support him through humour, with Allie even posting a TikTok video rating her dad’s achievement, humorously commenting: “100/10, made medical history. Still bald headed, tho.” James is thrilled to be able to grow a beard again and takes pride in the progress he’s made since the surgery.
Courtesy: Nature
Ocean Waves given the status of a person by Brazilian Government
The city of Linhares in Brazil has made history by recognizing its waves as living beings with legal personhood, marking the first time a part of the ocean has received such status. In August 2024, the city passed a law granting the waves at the mouth of the Doce River the right to exist, regenerate, and be restored, ensuring they form naturally and maintain clean water. The law requires the protection of the river’s physical structure, ecological cycles, and water chemistry through public policies and funding. It also highlights the cultural and economic importance of the waves to the local community, according to environmental lawyer Vanessa Hasson.
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Linhares has appointed guardians, including surfer Hauley Silva Valim, to represent the waves in public decisions. These waves, famous for their appeal to surfers, were damaged after the 2015 Mariana dam collapse, which unleashed mud and mining waste into the river, weakening the waves. A major flood in 2022 restored some of them, but the region still suffers from pollution, affecting fishing, tourism, and local livelihoods.
Hasson, Valim, and other stakeholders, including Indigenous representatives, worked for years to push for the waves' rights, aiming to shift mindsets on environmental policies and resource extraction. This law follows similar global efforts, like Ecuador’s 2008 rights-of-nature law and other legal recognitions in countries such as Bangladesh and New Zealand.
While initially prompted by the dam disaster, the law in Linhares is designed to protect the waves from broader threats, including pollution, agricultural expansion, and oil spills. It not only safeguards the waves but also the entire ecosystem connected to them, including upstream waters, setting a potential precedent for recognizing rights for the world’s oceans.
Rights-of-nature laws can have legal implications. In Ecuador, such a law recently led to a ruling that pollution had violated a river’s rights, and the new law in Linhares could similarly be used to prosecute environmental harm. This legal framework is a crucial step toward broader ocean protection, as noted by Hasson, who sees this as part of a growing global movement to recognize and protect natural ecosystems.
Courtesy: Hakai Magazine
Science finds an answer to why we choke under pressure
Many people have experienced the pressure of high-stakes situations and then failed to perform; a phenomenon known as "choking." This is not unique to humans; a recent study on monkeys suggests that underperformance under pressure is linked to a drop in neuronal activity responsible for preparing movement. Neuroscientist Steven Chase from Carnegie Mellon University and his team published these findings in Neuron on September 12.
To explore this, the researchers designed a task for rhesus monkeys where they had to move a cursor accurately to receive rewards. The rewards varied in size, with rare, large "jackpot" rewards representing high-pressure, high-reward situations. Using electrodes implanted in the motor cortex, they observed that in high-stakes jackpot situations, the neurons involved in motor preparation became less active. This reduced readiness in the brain mirrored how athletes sometimes miss crucial shots under pressure.
The study revealed that performance doesn't always improve with higher rewards. In fact, after a certain point, neural preparedness drops, leading to poor performance—an idea called the "neural-bias hypothesis." The team is now interested in whether feedback on brain activity could help individuals avoid choking and improve their performance under pressure. However, more research on humans is needed before any conclusions can be made.
Courtesy: Nature
Researchers amazed to find reorganization of Brain during pregnancy
Profound changes in the human brain during pregnancy have been documented for the first time through precision MRI scans conducted on a woman from before conception to two years after childbirth. This research revealed widespread reorganization in the mother's brain, with some changes being temporary and others lasting for years.
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The study involved 26 brain scans of a healthy 38-year-old woman who conceived via IVF, along with concurrent blood samples to track the significant hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy. Results showed a steady decline in grey matter throughout pregnancy and a temporary increase in neural connectivity at the end of the second trimester.
Researchers noted that surges in hormones like estrogen and progesterone lead to significant physiological changes during pregnancy, impacting blood plasma, metabolism, oxygen consumption, and immune response. These hormones also reshape the brain, resulting in noticeable decreases in grey matter volume and thickness in regions related to social cognition. Additionally, white matter microstructure peaked at the end of the second trimester before declining again.
Some brain changes remained two years after childbirth, suggesting potential lasting cellular effects. This study represents the beginning of the Maternal Brain Project, an initiative aimed at gathering similar scans from more pregnant women to explore the neurobiology of pregnancy in greater depth.
The research may help in understanding the risks associated with postnatal depression, the connection between pre-eclampsia and dementia, and why some women experience relief from migraines and multiple sclerosis symptoms during pregnancy. While the study provides important insights, it does not fully explain the behavioral or emotional changes that occur during this period, as various factors beyond hormones, such as stress and sleep loss, also play significant roles.
As this project develops, it seeks to enhance our understanding of maternal neuroplasticity and identify potential markers for postpartum depression, a serious condition that often goes unrecognized. Overall, this research underscores the need for greater focus on women's health in the biomedical sciences, paving the way for improved maternal health outcomes.
Courtesy: Guardian
Dangerous chemicals entering our body from food packing material
Shrink-wrap around raw meat, takeout containers filled with leftovers, and plastic bottles of soft drinks are just a few examples of the food packaging that surrounds us daily. A new study published on Monday highlights the chemical impact of such packaging and its potential effects on human health.
Researchers from Switzerland and other countries found that out of approximately 14,000 chemicals present in food packaging, 3,601—about 25 percent—have been identified in human samples, including blood, hair, and breast milk. These chemicals range from metals and volatile organic compounds to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), phthalates, and other substances known to disrupt the endocrine system and potentially lead to cancer and other diseases. While the study does not directly link these chemicals to specific illnesses, it provides a foundation for future health risk research.
Jane Muncke, the chief scientific officer of the Food Packaging Forum and co-author of the paper, emphasized that many of these hazardous chemicals can leach out of packaging into food. Previous studies have established that chemicals can migrate from packaging into food, with the amount depending on factors such as the type of packaging and food. High temperatures, for instance, can accelerate this leaching process, which is why experts advise against microwaving food in takeout containers. Additionally, fatty or acidic foods tend to absorb more chemicals from their packaging, particularly when stored in smaller containers.
Muncke shared her concerns about a recent flight experience where she was given a tiny plastic container of salad dressing, indicating her reluctance to use it. To conduct the analysis, the researchers created an inventory of known chemicals in food packaging and food processing equipment and then searched global tissue databases for evidence of these chemicals in humans.
R. Thomas Zoeller, an emeritus biology professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who was not involved in the study, noted the often-overlooked contribution of plastic packaging to human chemical exposure, describing it as a significant source of harmful chemicals, many of which remain largely unregulated.
While most leaching chemicals originate from plastics, some come from recycled materials. Muncke highlighted recycled paper and cardboard as particularly problematic due to the non-food grade inks that can mix with food. In response to the study, Erich Shea, a spokesperson for the American Chemistry Council, remarked that its members conduct thorough safety analyses of their materials and criticized the study for lumping various chemical categories together.
Researchers call for improved testing and stricter regulations on food packaging materials to ensure safety. Muncke expressed concern that meaningful progress in this area is lacking, underscoring the need for proactive measures to address the potential risks associated with food packaging chemicals.
Courtesy: Washington Post
