SciTechDaily.com Newsletter

"The latest science, space, and technology news."

Views expressed in this science and technology update are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 20 September 2024, 1415 UTC.

Content and Source:  https://scitechdaily.com/newsletter

Please check link or scroll down to read your selections.  Thanks for joining us today.

Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencejournal.blogspot.com).

 

SciTechDaily Newsletter

The latest science, space, and technology news.

Key Bottleneck Solved: New Satellite Tech Breaks Single-User Barrier, Revolutionizing Global Internet Access   2024-09-19 11:08:45 +00:00 A new technique allows low-orbit satellite antennas to manage multiple users at once, potentially reducing satellite numbers and costs while lowering space debris risks. This advancement has been validated in tests and is expected to be implemented in future satellite networks. Low-orbit satellites have the potential to provide high-speed communications to millions of people around [...] Read more...   Unveiling the Power of Skyrmions in Advanced Computing   2024-09-19 11:59:49 +00:00 Brownian reservoir computing allows to detect human hand gestures on the basis of diffusion and displacement of skyrmions. Researchers have advanced Brownian reservoir computing by successfully recording and recognizing simple hand gestures using skyrmions, a type of magnetic whirl. This method proves not only to be as accurate as traditional neural network software but also [...] Read more...   New Research Reveals That Drinking Coffee Could Prevent Heart Disease   2024-09-19 13:14:18 +00:00 Moderate coffee or caffeine consumption may lower the risk of developing multiple cardiometabolic diseases, according to research using UK Biobank data. Consuming 3 cups of coffee or 200-300 mg of caffeine daily was linked to a reduced risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity. According to new research published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & [...] Read more...   What Happened to Easter Island? New Research Refutes Best-Selling Population Collapse Theory   2024-09-19 14:21:44 +00:00 New research reveals that there was contact with Indigenous Americans before European arrival. Rapa Nui, also known as Te Pito o Te Henua (the navel of the world) or Easter Island, stands as one of the most remote inhabited locales on the globe. Situated in the Pacific Ocean, it is over 1,900 km east of [...] Read more...   New Device Harvests Energy at Room Temperature Without a Temperature Gradient   2024-09-19 15:00:52 +00:00 A new organic thermoelectric device, capable of functioning at room temperature without a temperature gradient, has been developed, harnessing unique organic compounds for energy generation. This technology could revolutionize energy harvesting methods by utilizing ambient temperatures efficiently. Scientists have developed a new organic thermoelectric device that can harvest energy from ambient temperature. While thermoelectric devices [...] Read more...   Mössbauer Effect: How Precision Physics Could Reveal the Secrets of Gravitational Waves   2024-09-19 16:07:32 +00:00 Scientists have introduced a groundbreaking method for detecting gravitational waves using Mössbauer resonance, which is renowned for its precision. This technique mimics the exceptional sensitivity of frog eyes to motion, enabling the detection and detailed analysis of gravitational waves’ direction and polarization. This approach could significantly advance our understanding of gravitational phenomena. Gravitational Wave Detection [...] Read more...   H5N1 Bird Flu Detected in Texas Wastewater: Animal Origins Suspected   2024-09-19 17:16:55 +00:00 Researchers in Texas detected H5N1 in wastewater from 10 cities, but the risk to humans is currently low. Ongoing surveillance is critical to monitor any potential changes in the virus that could increase its threat to public health. Researchers at UTHealth Houston and Baylor College of Medicine detected the avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in the [...] Read more...   Hidden Neanderthal Lineage Found: “Thorin” Survived 50,000 Years in Isolation   2024-09-19 18:25:32 +00:00 The discovery of a Neanderthal named Thorin reveals a previously unknown lineage that diverged from other Neanderthals 100,000 years ago and remained isolated. This finding suggests that Neanderthals were more genetically diverse than previously thought, and their isolation may have played a role in their extinction. A fossilized Neanderthal unearthed in a cave system in [...] Read more...   Beyond Imagination: 140 Milky Ways Spanned by Record-Breaking Black Hole Jets   2024-09-19 19:46:12 +00:00 Astronomers have identified the largest black hole jet structure known, named Porphyrion, stretching 23 million light-years across, akin to 140 Milky Way galaxies aligned. This discovery, emerging from a galaxy about 10 times the mass of our Milky Way, suggests that such jets could significantly impact galaxy formation and cosmic magnetic fields. Discovery of Colossal [...] Read more...   Exploring Earth’s Climate Shifts: From Ice Ages to Heatwaves Over 485 Million Years   2024-09-19 21:00:54 +00:00 A groundbreaking study using the PhanDA model offers a new view of Earth’s temperature over the last 485 million years, showing a dynamic range of climates significantly influenced by CO2 levels. The analysis identifies five distinct climate states, suggesting a predominant history of warmer temperatures, which underscores the complex relationship between atmospheric CO2 and long-term [...] Read more...   NYU Researchers Uncover How Extended Breastfeeding Shields Infants From Asthma   2024-09-19 22:00:53 +00:00 Extending breastfeeding beyond three months significantly reduces asthma risk in children by influencing the microbial communities in their guts and respiratory tracts. This process, essential for respiratory and immune health, could guide future public health guidelines and interventions aimed at asthma prevention. Breast Milk’s Role in Infant Microbiome Development Human breast milk regulates a baby’s [...] Read more...   Revealing the Invisible: Living Cells Can Be Seen With Infrared Light   2024-09-19 22:53:34 +00:00 IST’s new infrared microscopy technique allows for the detailed imaging of biomolecules in cells, supporting advancements in biotechnology and cellular therapies. In an effort to advance biotechnology innovations, scientists are working to develop faster, more quantitative, and more accessible ways to observe biomolecules in living cells. Now, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and [...] Read more...   Scientific Breakthrough: Pioneering One-Way Sound Propagation   2024-09-19 23:44:25 +00:00 Researchers have created a technology that enables sound waves to propagate only forward, eliminating backward transmission without loss. This system, based on self-oscillating mechanisms, could significantly enhance electromagnetic wave management in various technologies. Sound and other waves usually propagate equally forward and backward. Researchers have now developed a method that prevents sound waves from traveling [...] Read more...   Far Older Than Machu Picchu: Scientists Discover Stunning Ancient Temple in Peru   2024-09-20 00:35:51 +00:00 A 4,000-year-old temple and theater unearthed in Peru sheds light on ancient Andean religious practices and social organization. A team of archaeologists has unearthed the remains of what appears to be a four-thousand-year-old temple and theater in coastal Peru. This remarkable discovery was made at the new archaeological site, La Otra Banda, Cerro Las Animas. [...] Read more...   How a Simple Worm May Hold the Key to Stopping Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s   2024-09-20 02:32:32 +00:00 Scientists discovered a link between copper regulation and neurodegeneration, using the worm gene swip-10. Their findings suggest that restoring copper balance could offer new treatments for disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Research on simple organisms frequently paves the way for new therapeutic breakthroughs. A notable example is the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded [...] Read more...   NASA’s PREFIRE Satellites Capture First Glimpse of Hidden Polar Heat   2024-09-20 03:47:44 +00:00 NASA’s PREFIRE CubeSats are now providing essential data on how the Arctic and Antarctic emit heat into space, helping to forecast the effects of climate change. This data is vital for understanding the polar regions’ role in Earth’s temperature regulation and the overarching greenhouse effect. NASA’s PREFIRE Climate Mission NASA’s newest climate mission has started [...] Read more...   Revealing New DNA Structures: A Breakthrough That Could Redefine Diabetes Treatment   2024-09-20 04:38:50 +00:00 Researchers discovered the crystal structure of an alternative DNA configuration within the insulin gene, providing insights into its role in diabetes. This breakthrough in crystallography could pave the way for targeted diabetes treatments by understanding and manipulating DNA shapes. Alternative DNA Structures The first crystal structure of an alternative DNA shape from the insulin gene [...] Read more...   First Whole-Eye and Partial-Face Transplant Sustains Functionality Against Odds   2024-09-20 05:29:54 +00:00 The world’s first eye and face transplant was performed on Aaron James, showing promising results in eye health and an electrical response in the retina, marking an advancement in transplant surgery and research. In May 2023, a surgical team at NYU Langone Health performed the world’s first whole-eye and partial-face transplant for 46-year-old military veteran [...] Read more...   Space Station Astronauts Test CIMON AI Assistant and 12K Ultra-High Res Camera   2024-09-20 07:02:57 +00:00 Expedition 71 crew members on the International Space Station tested groundbreaking technologies including an artificial intelligence assistant named CIMON and a 12K ultra-high-resolution camera. These innovations aim to streamline space tasks and improve image quality for spacecraft and planetary analysis. Crew members also engaged in routine maintenance and health checks, prepared for the return trip [...] Read more...   See the Universe Smile: Webb Telescope Captures a Cosmic Wonder   2024-09-20 08:16:28 +00:00 New infrared image highlights star formation triggered by merger-in-progress. Arp 107, a pair of interacting galaxies, shines brightly in high-resolution infrared light. A collision, which occurred hundreds of millions ago, created a tenuous bridge of gas and dust that connects the two galaxies, and started a new wave of star formation that NASA’s James Webb [...] Read more...   Potential Cancer Breakthrough: Common Antidepressant Effective Against Brain Tumors   2024-09-20 09:00:43 +00:00 Vortioxetine, an antidepressant, shows promise against glioblastoma in lab tests conducted by ETH Zurich, leading to forthcoming clinical trials. Glioblastoma is an incurable and fatal type of brain cancer. In a large-scale drug screening, the antidepressant, vortioxetine emerged as one of the most effective agents against these types of cancer cells. Clinical trials are already [...] Read more...   Large Hadron Collider Breakthrough: Quantum Entanglement Like Never Before   2024-09-20 10:04:33 +00:00 Quantum entanglement, an intriguing aspect of quantum physics, allows particles to remain interconnected regardless of distance. This phenomenon was explored at new heights in 2023 when the ATLAS collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider observed entanglement between top quarks, marking a major advancement in understanding the universe’s fundamental forces. This discovery, which extends to the [...] Read more...   Bloodlines Redefined: The Discovery of the MAL Blood Group System   2024-09-20 11:13:10 +00:00 Groundbreaking research has established a new blood group system, the MAL, now recognized as the 47th type. The discovery of a new blood group, MAL, has solved a 50- year-old mystery. Researchers from NHS Blood and Transplant (Bristol), NHSBT’s International Blood Group Reference Laboratory (IBGRL) and the University of Bristol identified the genetic background of [...] Read more...   Groundbreaking Study Finally Reveals How Rubbing Generates Static Electricity   2024-09-20 12:31:06 +00:00 For the first time, scientists explain how rubbing a surface creates electrical current. Researchers at Northwestern University have unraveled the long-standing mystery of why rubbing objects together generates static electricity. They discovered that different forces at the front and back of a sliding object cause varying electrical charges, which create a current. This insight, stemming [...] Read more...

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Nature Briefing Newsletter

"Thick, sticky 'brain goo' might drive obesity."

Views expressed in this science and technology update are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 20 September 2024, 0312 UTC.

Content and Source:  https://www.nature.com

Please check link or scroll down to read your selections.  Thanks for joining us today.

Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencejournal.blogspot.com).

 

View this email in your browser Thursday 19 September 2024

Hello Nature readers, Today we learn about ‘brain goo’ that might drive obesity, consider the implications of China reaching peak greenhouse-gas emissions and discover that cells exchange messages with each other across the tree of life.

‘Goo’ in an area of the brain called the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus sticks to neurons and stops them sensing insulin properly just weeks after mice start a high-fat, high-sugar diet. (KTSDesign/Science Photo Library)

‘Brain goo’ might drive obesity A buildup of ‘goo’ in an appetite-control centre of the brain might worsen obesity and diabetes. In mice, researchers found that the scaffolding supporting neurons that adjust sensations of hunger changed as the mice gained weight on an unhealthy diet. The result was a thick and sticky goo that prevents these neurons from processing insulin signals. When the scientists chemically slowed the goo’s formation, the mice lost weight and became more responsive to insulin. The findings may point to new drivers of metabolic conditions, but investigating whether this goo forms in humans might be difficult, says neuroscientist and co-author Garron Dodd. Nature | 4 min read Reference: Nature paper

China about to reach peak emissions China’s greenhouse-gas emissions could be about to peak, if they haven’t already. The peak would be a major climate milestone, and comes well ahead of Beijing’s pledge of peak emissions before 2030. But some researchers are uncertain about the accuracy of current peak predictions and worry that China’s road to net zero afterwards will be a challenge. Nevertheless, China’s decarbonization “could offer valuable lessons for other developing nations striving to decouple economic growth from their emissions”, says climate economist Sun Yongping. Nature | 5 min read

Entangled quarks seen for first time For the first time, scientists have observed quantum entanglement — a state in which particles intermingle and can’t be described separately — in fundamental particles called top quarks. Physicists had no reason to suspect that quarks wouldn’t allow themselves to be entangled, but researchers say this measurement, achieved by analysing over 1 million pairs of quarks created in collisions between protons, could pave the way for future high-energy tests of the phenomenon. “You don’t really expect to break quantum mechanics, right?”, says theoretical physicist Juan Aguilar-Saavedra. “Having an expected result must not prevent you from measuring things that are important.” Nature | 6 min read Reference: Nature paper

When two protons collide at high velocity, they break up into elementary particles known as quarks and gluons. If two gluons then collide, they can fuse, creating a top quark and its antiparticle, an anti-top quark. This pair decays into a bottom quark, an anti-bottom quark and two elementary particles known as W bosons. The W bosons subsequently decay into particle–neutrino pairs comprising, for instance, an electron and an anti-neutrino or an anti-muon and a muon neutrino. (Nature News & Views | 6 min read, Nature paywall)

Features & opinion

How cells swap instant messages Cells in our bodies are passing delicate, time-sensitive notes to each other. These notes come in the form of messenger RNA (mRNA), which cells have to neatly package in sacs called vesicles to send between cells. This year, researchers showed that cells in all three domains of life - archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes - can send these messages, and even that they can be used as weapons between species. There are still questions to answer, such as whether other molecules packed into vesicles are necessary for mRNA’s message to land, but “it’s a fun challenge to unravel all of that”, says biologist Amy Buck. “I’ve been in awe of what RNA can do.” Quanta Magazine | 9 min read

The ethics of brain-computer links Technologies that allow brain-computer interfacing could be revolutionary for individuals with severe disabilities, but they raise ethical challenges. Whether they’ll develop into highly personalized treatments or become standardized and widely available has implications on their equity, and managing public expectations of the reality of these interfaces compared to their depictions in media is vital to avoid false hope and miscommunication. As this tech moves out of the lab and into the real world, medical ethicists Anna Wexler and Ashley Feinsinger explore how their therapeutic benefit can be realized as responsibly as possible. Nature Human Behaviour | 8 min read

Science policy is no snoozefest Crafting science policies is important and rewarding work, say four science-policy specialists interviewed by Nature. Their jobs involve briefing global leaders on breakthrough technologies, presenting the White House’s climate agenda to the press and helping emerging economies to reduce carbon emissions without compromising their development. Getting on policymakers’ radar and building trust with government officials can be a challenge, but in a world reeling from a pandemic and grappling with climate change, science-policy advisers are needed now more than ever. Nature | 10 min read

Your end-of-year traditions Here at Nature, we’re wondering how you mark the end of a hard year’s work. Do you celebrate and show gratitude for your colleagues or have any special end-of-year traditions in the lab? Nature’s careers team is writing about researchers’ seasonal traditions, parties and gift-giving. If you’d be willing to be interviewed for the piece, let us know at briefing@nature.com

Quote of the day “It felt like a sort of botanical love story, harbouring the hope that a female might still be out there.” Biological artist Laura Cinti is using artificial intelligence to hunt for an elusive female specimen of what she calls ‘the world’s loneliest plant’, the tree Encephalartos woodii. Most in existence are clones of one wild, male specimen found in 1895, leaving them vulnerable to disease. If she can find a female, the trees can pollinate and reproduce. (The Conversation podcast | 20 min listen)

Today I’m considering what the smallest gap I would try to squeeze through is. In research published this week, scientists found that unlike dogs (and, of course, humans), cats won’t hesitate to squeeze themselves through gaps even half their width. When a gap is wide but not very tall, they stop to think, but eventually have a go at pushing themselves through. Let us know of any gaps, small or large, in this newsletter at briefing@nature.com Thanks for reading, Jacob Smith, associate editor, Nature Briefing

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