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Science Simplified!

                       JAI VIGNAN

All about Science - to remove misconceptions and encourage scientific temper

Communicating science to the common people

'To make  them see the world differently through the beautiful lense of  science'

Members: 22
Latest Activity: 39 minutes ago

         WE LOVE SCIENCE HERE BECAUSE IT IS A MANY SPLENDOURED THING

     THIS  IS A WAR ZONE WHERE SCIENCE FIGHTS WITH NONSENSE AND WINS                                               

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”             

                    "Being a scientist is a state of mind, not a profession!"

                  "Science, when it's done right, can yield amazing things".

         The Reach of Scientific Research From Labs to Laymen

The aim of science is not only to open a door to infinite knowledge and                                     wisdom but to set a limit to infinite error.

"Knowledge is a Superpower but the irony is you cannot get enough of it with ever increasing data base unless you try to keep up with it constantly and in the right way!" The best education comes from learning from people who know what they are exactly talking about.

Science is this glorious adventure into the unknown, the opportunity to discover things that nobody knew before. And that’s just an experience that’s not to be missed. But it’s also a motivated effort to try to help humankind. And maybe that’s just by increasing human knowledge—because that’s a way to make us a nobler species.

If you are scientifically literate the world looks very different to you.

We do science and science communication not because they are easy but because they are difficult!

“Science is not a subject you studied in school. It’s life. We 're brought into existence by it!"

 Links to some important articles :

1. Interactive science series...

a. how-to-do-research-and-write-research-papers-part 13

b. Some Qs people asked me on science and my replies to them...

Part 6part-10part-11part-12, part 14  ,  part- 8

part- 1part-2part-4part-5part-16part-17part-18 , part-19 , part-20

part-21 , part-22part-23part-24part-25part-26part-27 , part-28

part-29part-30part-31part-32part-33part-34part-35part-36part-37,

 part-38part-40part-41part-42part-43part-44part-45part-46part-47

Part 48 part49Critical thinking -part 50 , part -51part-52part-53

part-54part-55part-57part-58part-59part-60part-61part-62part-63

part 64, part-65part-66part-67part-68part 69part-70 part-71part-73 ...

.......306

BP variations during pregnancy part-72

who is responsible for the gender of  their children - a man or a woman -part-56

c. some-questions-people-asked-me-on-science-based-on-my-art-and-poems -part-7

d. science-s-rules-are-unyielding-they-will-not-be-bent-for-anybody-part-3-

e. debate-between-scientists-and-people-who-practice-and-propagate-pseudo-science - part -9

f. why astrology is pseudo-science part 15

g. How Science is demolishing patriarchal ideas - part-39

2. in-defence-of-mangalyaan-why-even-developing-countries-like-india need space research programmes

3. Science communication series:

a. science-communication - part 1

b. how-scienitsts-should-communicate-with-laymen - part 2

c. main-challenges-of-science-communication-and-how-to-overcome-them - part 3

d. the-importance-of-science-communication-through-art- part 4

e. why-science-communication-is-geting worse - part  5

f. why-science-journalism-is-not-taken-seriously-in-this-part-of-the-world - part 6

g. blogs-the-best-bet-to-communicate-science-by-scientists- part 7

h. why-it-is-difficult-for-scientists-to-debate-controversial-issues - part 8

i. science-writers-and-communicators-where-are-you - part 9

j. shooting-the-messengers-for-a-different-reason-for-conveying-the- part 10

k. why-is-science-journalism-different-from-other-forms-of-journalism - part 11

l.  golden-rules-of-science-communication- Part 12

m. science-writers-should-develop-a-broader-view-to-put-things-in-th - part 13

n. an-informed-patient-is-the-most-cooperative-one -part 14

o. the-risks-scientists-will-have-to-face-while-communicating-science - part 15

p. the-most-difficult-part-of-science-communication - part 16

q. clarity-on-who-you-are-writing-for-is-important-before-sitting-to write a science story - part 17

r. science-communicators-get-thick-skinned-to-communicate-science-without-any-bias - part 18

s. is-post-truth-another-name-for-science-communication-failure?

t. why-is-it-difficult-for-scientists-to-have-high-eqs

u. art-and-literature-as-effective-aids-in-science-communication-and teaching

v.* some-qs-people-asked-me-on-science communication-and-my-replies-to-them

 ** qs-people-asked-me-on-science-and-my-replies-to-them-part-173

w. why-motivated-perception-influences-your-understanding-of-science

x. science-communication-in-uncertain-times

y. sci-com: why-keep-a-dog-and-bark-yourself

z. How to deal with sci com dilemmas?

 A+. sci-com-what-makes-a-story-news-worthy-in-science

 B+. is-a-perfect-language-important-in-writing-science-stories

C+. sci-com-how-much-entertainment-is-too-much-while-communicating-sc

D+. sci-com-why-can-t-everybody-understand-science-in-the-same-way

E+. how-to-successfully-negotiate-the-science-communication-maze

4. Health related topics:

a. why-antibiotic-resistance-is-increasing-and-how-scientists-are-tr

b. what-might-happen-when-you-take-lots-of-medicines

c. know-your-cesarean-facts-ladies

d. right-facts-about-menstruation

e. answer-to-the-question-why-on-big-c

f. how-scientists-are-identifying-new-preventive-measures-and-cures-

g. what-if-little-creatures-high-jack-your-brain-and-try-to-control-

h. who-knows-better?

i. mycotoxicoses

j. immunotherapy

k. can-rust-from-old-drinking-water-pipes-cause-health-problems

l. pvc-and-cpvc-pipes-should-not-be-used-for-drinking-water-supply

m. melioidosis

n.vaccine-woes

o. desensitization-and-transplant-success-story

p. do-you-think-the-medicines-you-are-taking-are-perfectly-alright-then revisit your position!

q. swine-flu-the-difficlulties-we-still-face-while-tackling-the-outb

r. dump-this-useless-information-into-a-garbage-bin-if-you-really-care about evidence based medicine

s. don-t-ignore-these-head-injuries

t. the-detoxification-scam

u. allergic- agony-caused-by-caterpillars-and-moths

General science: 

a.why-do-water-bodies-suddenly-change-colour

b. don-t-knock-down-your-own-life-line

c. the-most-menacing-animal-in-the-world

d. how-exo-planets-are-detected

e. the-importance-of-earth-s-magnetic-field

f. saving-tigers-from-extinction-is-still-a-travail

g. the-importance-of-snakes-in-our-eco-systems

h. understanding-reverse-osmosis

i. the-importance-of-microbiomes

j. crispr-cas9-gene-editing-technique-a-boon-to-fixing-defective-gen

k. biomimicry-a-solution-to-some-of-our-problems

5. the-dilemmas-scientists-face

6. why-we-get-contradictory-reports-in-science

7. be-alert-pseudo-science-and-anti-science-are-on-prowl

8. science-will-answer-your-questions-and-solve-your-problems

9. how-science-debunks-baseless-beliefs

10. climate-science-and-its-relevance

11. the-road-to-a-healthy-life

12. relative-truth-about-gm-crops-and-foods

13. intuition-based-work-is-bad-science

14. how-science-explains-near-death-experiences

15. just-studies-are-different-from-thorough-scientific-research

16. lab-scientists-versus-internet-scientists

17. can-you-challenge-science?

18. the-myth-of-ritual-working

19.science-and-superstitions-how-rational-thinking-can-make-you-work-better

20. comets-are-not-harmful-or-bad-omens-so-enjoy-the-clestial-shows

21. explanation-of-mysterious-lights-during-earthquakes

22. science-can-tell-what-constitutes-the-beauty-of-a-rose

23. what-lessons-can-science-learn-from-tragedies-like-these

24. the-specific-traits-of-a-scientific-mind

25. science-and-the-paranormal

26. are-these-inventions-and-discoveries-really-accidental-and-intuitive like the journalists say?

27. how-the-brain-of-a-polymath-copes-with-all-the-things-it-does

28. how-to-make-scientific-research-in-india-a-success-story

29. getting-rid-of-plastic-the-natural-way

30. why-some-interesting-things-happen-in-nature

31. real-life-stories-that-proves-how-science-helps-you

32. Science and trust series:

a. how-to-trust-science-stories-a-guide-for-common-man

b. trust-in-science-what-makes-people-waver

c. standing-up-for-science-showing-reasons-why-science-should-be-trusted

You will find the entire list of discussions here: http://kkartlab.in/group/some-science/forum

( Please go through the comments section below to find scientific research  reports posted on a daily basis and watch videos based on science)

Get interactive...

Please contact us if you want us to add any information or scientific explanation on any topic that interests you. We will try our level best to give you the right information.

Our mail ID: kkartlabin@gmail.com

Discussion Forum

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Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday. 1 Reply

Cars may be a modern phenomenon, but motion sickness is not. More than 2,000 years ago, the physician …Continue

De-evolution?

Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday. 1 Reply

"De-evolution" or "devolution" is a concept suggesting that species can revert to more primitive forms over time.Some scientists don't accept this concept at all. They say Evolution is a continuous…Continue

Flower-shaped hailstones

Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Tuesday. 1 Reply

Q: My friend says he saw different types of hailstones. I never saw anything like them except the stone- like ones. How can different types of hailstones form?Krishna: Hailstones grow within…Continue

What detailed map of human beliefs say about 'Relative Dissonance'

Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Tuesday. 1 Reply

Beliefs lie at the heart of human actions, as they profoundly influence our decision-making and behaviours. When they looked at the belief map created using LLMs,  researchers made some interesting…Continue

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 39 minutes ago

Synthetic protein jams up diseased cells
A synthetic ‘killswitch’ protein, just 17 amino acids long, can jam droplet-like structures that coordinate key cellular processes such as cancer, viral replication, gene expression and more. The droplet-like structures have no membranes and help to organize proteins and RNA molecules so that they can perform specific tasks efficiently and precisely. The killswitch infiltrates the droplets and fixes them in place. In a pair of experiments, researchers found that the killswitch could reduce leukaemia cell proliferation in mice and also curtail the production of viral particles in infected cells.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09141-5?utm_source=Live+...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 1 hour ago

Cold drinks may trigger irregular heartbeat in some people with atrial fibrillation (Afib)

It may sound strange, but for some people, cold drinks may be to blame for sudden episodes of atrial fibrillation (Afib), a common heart rhythm disorder.

A recent survey sheds light on this phenomenon, dubbed "cold drink heart" (CDH). Researchers found that a surprising number of people with Afib report cold beverages as a trigger for their irregular heartbeats. In fact, for half of the survey participants who identified cold ingestion as an Afib trigger, avoiding cold drinks and foods completely eliminated their episodes. Others found relief by modifying their habits, such as letting drinks warm up, skipping the straw, or avoiding gulping.

Why might a cold drink send your heart out of rhythm?

While the exact mechanism isn't fully understood, it's likely related to the vagus nerve, which plays a role in regulating heart rate. The sudden temperature change from a cold drink might stimulate this nerve, leading to changes in heart rhythm in susceptible individuals, say experts.

It's important to remember that not everyone with Afib will experience this trigger. However, if you notice a connection between cold drinks and your Afib episodes, it's worth discussing with your doctor. Simple lifestyle changes, like avoiding very cold beverages or letting them warm up, could make a significant difference.

This doesn't replace the need for medical evaluation and treatment for Afib. If you experience any symptoms like heart palpitations, shortness of breath, or dizziness, seek medical attention promptly.

The survey, published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology, is the first to systematically explore the link between cold drinks and Afib. While more research is needed, the findings suggest that for some, a simple change in drinking habits could be a key to managing their condition.

Daniel D. DiLena et al, Characterizing Patients With Cold Drink‐Triggered Atrial Fibrillation, Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology (2025). DOI: 10.1111/jce.16753

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 2 hours ago

Global study links severe bleeding after childbirth to increased risk of cardiovascular disease

Women who experience severe bleeding after giving birth face elevated risks to their cardiovascular health that can persist for up to 15 years—a new analysis of data from over 9.7 million women across Europe, North America and Asia shows.

The findings, which follow a review of research data, some of which date back to 1986, suggest that women who experience postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) have an increased risk to both cardiovascular conditions—such as heart failure, stroke, and ischemic heart disease—and thromboembolic events, such as blood clots.

Published in The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine, the results reveal these cardiovascular conditions are 1.76 times more likely, while thromboembolic incidents are 2.10 times more likely.

While this increased risk is particularly acute in the first year after giving birth, it can persist for up to 15 years, especially among women with complications that lead to high blood pressure during pregnancy, such as preeclampsia.

PPH has long been seen as an emergency that ends once the bleeding stops. But these new findings show it may have lasting effects on a woman's heart health, even years after childbirth.

Postpartum hemorrhage and long-term cardiovascular disease risk: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis, The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2025.2507103

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 2 hours ago

How diverse brain cells reach a decision together

Every decision begins invisibly. Long before someone acts, the brain is already hard at work gathering evidence, weighing options, and gradually committing to a choice. But even when faced with the same evidence, people can arrive at different outcomes, especially when the decision is difficult.

How the brain, made up of billions of specialized cells, makes these split-second decisions has largely been a mystery, though.

Now, new findings  shed light on how diverse brain cells come together to guide a unified decision. The researchers found that while individual neurons have perplexingly complex responses, their activity is shaped by a shared structure that ultimately guides the brain toward a unified choice.

Though each neuron had a different individual response, they all appeared to share the same underlying potential landscape.

Think of it like a group of skiers descending a mountain. Each prefers a slightly different path, but all are shaped by the same slope beneath them. Similarly, each neuron has its own preference and activity, but the group of cells collectively in the premotor cortex takes a coordinated journey and gradually settles into a stable state that represents the decision, say the researchers.

Tatiana Engel, The dynamics and geometry of choice in the premotor cortex, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09199-1www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09199-1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 2 hours ago

Nitrate in drinking water linked to preterm birth rates

Even low levels of nitrate—a common agricultural runoff and drinking water contaminant—are associated with increased risks of preterm birth and low birthweight babies, according to a study published in PLOS Water.

Nitrate is a naturally occurring compound increasingly found in inorganic fertilizers and, through runoff, in groundwater. When consumed by humans, nitrates can interfere with the blood's capacity to carry oxygen.

After controlling for maternal and paternal characteristics as well as seasonal variation, the study found that early prenatal exposure to greater than 0.1 mg/L nitrate—just 1% of the current EPA limit—was associated with an increase in preterm birth (Est.=+0.66%-points; C.I.=0.31, 1.01) and early prenatal exposure to greater than 5 mg/L nitrate was associated with an increased risk of low birth weight babies (Est.=+0.33%-points; C.I.=0.03, 0.63). There were no additional risks conferred by exposure to elevated levels of nitrate, above 10 mg/L.

PLOS Water (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000329

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 2 hours ago

Why most cats prefer to sleep on their left side?

An international research team that analyzed several hundred YouTube videos of sleeping cats found that they prefer to sleep on their left side. The researchers see this bias as an evolutionary advantage because it favors hunting and escape behavior after waking up.

All animals are particularly vulnerable while sleeping. Cats sleep around 12 to 16 hours a day, preferably in elevated places where their predators can only access them from below.

Researchers analyzed 408 publicly available YouTube videos in which a single cat was clearly visible with its entire body sleeping on one side for at least 10 seconds.

Two-thirds of the videos showed cats sleeping on their left side.

The explanation: Cats that sleep on their left side perceive their surroundings upon awakening with their left visual field, which is processed in the right hemisphere of the brain. This hemisphere is specialized in spatial awareness, the processing of threats and the coordination of rapid escape movements. If a cat sleeps on its left shoulder and wakes up, visual information about predators or prey goes directly to the right hemisphere of the brain, which is best in processing them. "Sleeping on the left side can therefore be a survival strategy," the researchers conclude.

Sevim Isparta et al, Lateralized sleeping positions in domestic cats, Current Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.04.043

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 3 hours ago

Scientists detect deep Earth pulses beneath Africa

Research led by Earth scientists has uncovered evidence of rhythmic surges of molten mantle rock rising from deep within the Earth beneath Africa. These pulses are gradually tearing the continent apart and forming a new ocean.

The findings, published in Nature Geoscience, reveal that the Afar region in Ethiopia is underlain by a plume of hot mantle that pulses upward like a beating heart.

The team's discovery reveals how the upward flow of hot material from the deep mantle is strongly influenced by the tectonic plates—the massive solid slabs of Earth's crust—that ride above it.

Over millions of years, as tectonic plates are pulled apart at rift zones like Afar, they stretch and thin—almost like soft plasticine—until they rupture. This rupturing marks the birth of a new ocean basin.

 Mantle upwelling at Afar triple junction shaped by overriding plate dynamics, Nature Geoscience (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-025-01717-0

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 3 hours ago

Scientists discover unknown organelle inside our cells

The discovery of an unknown organelle inside our cells could open the door to new treatments for devastating inherited diseases.

The organelle, a type of specialized structure, has been dubbed a "hemifusome" by its discoverers. This little organelle has a big job helping our cells sort, recycle and discard important cargo within themselves, the scientists say. The new discovery could help scientists better understand what goes wrong in genetic conditions that disrupt these essential housekeeping functions.

Researchers think the hemifusome helps manage how cells package and process material, and when this goes wrong, it may contribute to diseases that affect many systems in the body.

 Amirrasoul Tavakoli et al, Hemifusomes and interacting proteolipid nanodroplets mediate multi-vesicular body formation, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59887-9

 

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday

Droughts can reduce the caloric value of flower nectar by up to 95%

A study indicates that projected droughts by the end of this century could reduce the caloric value of flower nectar by up to 95%. This would harm pollinators, such as bees, as well as plants that depend on cross-pollination to reproduce and bear fruit, such as zucchini (Cucurbita pepo). In a less drastic scenario with a 30% reduction in rainfall, the drop was 34%.

In terms of calories potentially lost in the nectar, this is equivalent to more than a ton of sugar per hectare, from 1,325 to 71 kilos. Without nectar to consume, the bees leave, the plants don't reproduce, and the farmers lose production.

The work showed that an increase in rainfall positively affected an increase in nectar calories by 74%. However, the researchers point out the problems of heavier rainfall events in a wider ecological context.

A high frequency and intensity of rainfall can have devastating consequences for plants, flower visitors such as birds and insects, and the maintenance of interactions between plants and pollinators.

For example, the researchers cite the decrease in pollinator activity during rainy periods. Heavy rains make it difficult for pollinators to fly and regulate their body temperature, so they require more energy to search for food. Additionally, increased erosion and loss of nutrients affect crops.

Maria Luisa P. Frigero et al, Extreme events induced by climate change alter nectar offer to pollinators in cross pollination-dependent crops, Scientific Reports (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-94565-2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday

Sharks freeze when you turn them upside down

The freeze response—called "tonic immobility"—can be a lifesaver. Possums famously "play dead" to avoid predators. So do rabbits, lizards, snakes, and even some insects.

But what happens when a shark does it?

Researchers explored this strange behavior in sharks, rays and their relatives. In this group, tonic immobility is triggered when the animal is turned upside down—it stops moving, its muscles relax, and it enters a trance-like state. Some scientists even use tonic immobility as a technique to safely handle certain shark species. 

The reasons behind tonic immobility remain murky—especially in the ocean. It is generally thought of as an anti-predator defense. 

Three main hypotheses try to explain this immobility in sharks:

Anti-predator strategy—"playing dead" to avoid being eaten

Reproductive role—some male sharks invert females during mating, so perhaps tonic immobility helps reduce struggle

Sensory overload response—a kind of shutdown during extreme stimulation.

But research results don't support any of these explanations.

 So, scientists offer a simpler explanation. Tonic immobility in sharks is likely an evolutionary relic.

Evolutionary analysis suggests tonic immobility is "plesiomorphic"—an ancestral trait that was likely present in ancient sharks, rays and chimeras. But as species evolved, many lost the behavior.

Whatever may be the reason if you want to handle the sharks safely, just turn them upside down!

 Joel H. Gayford et al, Tonic immobility in cartilaginous fishes (Chondrichthyes): function, evolutionary history, and future directions, Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s11160-025-09958-3

 

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