Science, Art, Litt, Science based Art & Science Communication
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: 17 hours 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 6, part-10, part-11, part-12, part 14 , part- 8,
part- 1, part-2, part-4, part-5, part-16, part-17, part-18 , part-19 , part-20
part-21 , part-22, part-23, part-24, part-25, part-26, part-27 , part-28
part-29, part-30, part-31, part-32, part-33, part-34, part-35, part-36, part-37,
part-38, part-40, part-41, part-42, part-43, part-44, part-45, part-46, part-47
Part 48, part49, Critical thinking -part 50 , part -51, part-52, part-53
part-54, part-55, part-57, part-58, part-59, part-60, part-61, part-62, part-63
part 64, part-65, part-66, part-67, part-68, part 69, part-70 part-71, part-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?
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
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
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
Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 17 hours ago. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Q: Is it a fact that cancer is also genetically inherited? If so, how much percentage of cancer affected patients have genetically inherited cancer? K: While most cancers are not directly inherited,…Continue
Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 20 hours ago. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Q: What are wet bulb and dry bulb temperatures?Krishna: Dry bulb temperature is the temperature of the air as measured by a standard thermometer, while wet bulb temperature is the temperature…Continue
Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday. 12 Replies 0 Likes
Recent measles outbreak in the California state of the US ( now spread to other states too) tells an interesting story.Vaccines are not responsible for the woes people face but because of rejection…Continue
Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Q: What is the definition of subjective reality? What is the definition of objective reality?Krishna: A person asked me this question sometime back:Why does our thinking differ so much? We are from…Continue
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The plasma-based method this team developed uses electricity to excite nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the air. The team then passes these excited molecules to the membrane-based electrolyzer to convert the excited molecules to ammonia.
The researchers said this is a more straightforward pathway for ammonia production. This new approach is a two-step process, namely combining plasma and electrolysis.
Wanping Xu et al, Regulating Multifunctional Oxygen Vacancies for Plasma‐Driven Air‐to‐Ammonia Conversion, Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2025). DOI: 10.1002/anie.202508240
Part 2
Researchers have harnessed human-made lightning to develop a more efficient method of generating ammonia—one of the world's most important chemicals. Ammonia is also the main ingredient of fertilizers that account for almost half of all global food production.
The research was published in Angewandte Chemie International edition.
The team have successfully developed a more straightforward method to produce ammonia (NH3) in gas form. Previous efforts by other laboratories produced ammonia in a solution (ammonium, NH4+), which requires more energy and processes to transform it into the final gas product.
The current method to generate ammonia, the Haber-Bosch process, comes at great climate cost, leaving a huge carbon footprint. It also needs to happen on a large scale and close to sources of cheap natural gas to make it cost-effective.
Naturally occurring ammonia (mostly in the form of bird droppings) was once so high in demand it fueled wars.
The invention of the Haber-Bosch process in the 19th century made human-made ammonia possible and revolutionized modern agriculture and industry. Currently, 90% of global ammonia production relies on the Haber-Bosch process.
Industry's appetite for ammonia is only growing. For the past decade, the global scientific community has wanted to uncover a more sustainable way to produce ammonia that doesn't rely on fossil fuels.
In this new research scientists have successfully developed a method that allows air to be converted to ammonia in its gaseous form using electricity.
Part 1
Nearly one in four infants lacks enough healthy gut bacteria essential for training their immune systems, putting them at greater risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as allergies, asthma, and eczema by age 2.
Bifidobacteria are among the first group of good bacteria to colonize the human gut, and their presence has been linked to positive health outcomes for the host, including protection against metabolic diseases, gastrointestinal tract infections, and inflammation.
A recent study published in Communications Biology analyzed the gut microbiomes of 412 infants, selected to represent the diverse demographics of the U.S, and found a widespread deficit of Bifidobacteria in infants. Long-term health data from the infants suggested that a lack of detectable Bifidobacteria in infants may contribute to the development of atopy, a genetic predisposition to developing allergic diseases.
Global estimates suggest that up to 40% of the population has some form of allergy to substances present in the environment—pollen, dust, mites, or animal dander. The last few decades have also witnessed a growing prevalence of allergic conditions among children, ranging from seasonal allergies with mild symptoms, such as a runny nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes, to severe eczema and life-threatening food allergies that can send someone into an anaphylactic shock.
Emerging data suggests that the rise in such NCDs actually begins during the first 1,000 days of a child's life—inside the mother's womb and through the first two years of life. Scientists think that while environmental and lifestyle changes play a role, a key factor may be disruptions in the gut microbiome. In infants, this disruption includes the widespread loss of certain beneficial strains of Bifidobacterium that are essential for early immune development and long-term health.
A baby's mode of delivery (C-section or vaginal birth), whether they were breastfed or formula-fed, and exposure to antibiotics can shape the diversity of their gut microbiome, a factor that has been linked to health issues later in life, including allergies, autoimmune diseases, obesity.
Data analysis revealed that 25% of infants between 1 and 3 months of age were deficient in Bifidobacterium, and the deficiency was more pronounced in C-section births (35%) than in vaginal births (19%). In C-section infants, the beneficial bacteria were often replaced by potentially pathogenic bacteria that are known to use up human milk oligosaccharides, components in breast milk that shape the infant gut microbiome.
They also found that microbiomes rich in Bifidobacterium had fewer antimicrobial-resistant and disease-causing genes, along with more beneficial metabolic profiles.
The researchers highlight that while the term dysbiosis or imbalance in the microbiome is still up for debate, the strong correlation between microbiome composition and infant health suggests that the absence of these key Bifidobacterium strains represents a true dysbiosis in early life.
John B. Jarman et al, Bifidobacterium deficit in United States infants drives prevalent gut dysbiosis, Communications Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-08274-7
This is what experts advice....
From a barbecue explosion to a severe firework injury, a lot can go wrong when celebrating.
When it does, minutes—even seconds—can significantly impact the extent of the injury. Although prevention is key, response is also essential.
Alcohol impairs your reaction time.
If a firework or sparkler injures an eye, immediately protect it from pressure or further trauma by placing a cup or makeshift device over it. Don't try to cover it with a towel or anything that touches the eye.
More than a third of firework burns are to the hands and fingers. Should a firework go off in your hand, wrap it in a clean towel and keep it covered until you get to the hospital.
If you catch on fire, from a firework, bonfire, barbecue or cooking incident, immediately stop, drop and roll.
A lot of people like to run and jump in the water. That's not always the best thing. Unless you're standing on a dock or on the edge of a pool, those few seconds it's going to take you to run to the water, you're burning that whole time. It's much more effective to stop, drop, and roll.
Experts also advise against icing a burn, which can cause further damage.
You can run normal temperature water over it, and then if it's very serious, of course, call emergency ambulance or seek medical care.
If running water isn't accessible, a cool, wet cloth can be used as an alternative. However, once the initial pain subsides, you should replace the damp towel with a clean, dry cloth to prevent the burn from becoming infected.
New research has uncovered an evolutionary change that may explain why certain immune cells in humans are less effective at fighting solid tumors compared to non-human primates. This insight could lead to more powerful cancer treatments.
The study was published in Nature Communications. It revealed a tiny genetic difference in an immune protein called Fas Ligand (FasL) between humans and non-human primates.
This genetic mutation makes the FasL protein vulnerable to being disabled by plasmin, a tumor-associated enzyme. This vulnerability seems unique to humans and is not found in non-human primates, such as chimpanzees.
The evolutionary mutation in FasL may have contributed to the larger brain size in humans. But in the context of cancer, it was an unfavorable trade-off because the mutation gives certain tumors a way to disarm parts of our immune system.
FasL is an immune cell membrane protein that triggers a programmed cell death called apoptosis. Activated immune cells, including CAR-T cells made from a patient's immune system, use apoptosis to kill cancer cells.
The UC Davis team discovered that in human genes, a single evolutionary amino acid change—serine instead of proline at position 153—makes FasL more susceptible to being cut and inactivated by plasmin.
Plasmin is a protease enzyme that is often elevated in aggressive solid tumors like triple negative breast cancer, colon cancer and ovarian cancer.
This means that even when human immune cells are activated and ready to attack the tumor cells, one of their key death weapons—FasL—can be neutralized by the tumor environment, reducing the effectiveness of immunotherapies.
The findings may help explain why CAR-T and T-cell-based therapies can be effective in blood cancers but often fall short in solid tumors. Blood cancers often do not rely on plasmin to metastasize, whereas tumors like ovarian cancer rely heavily on plasmin to spread the cancer.
Significantly, the study also showed that blocking plasmin or shielding FasL from cleavage can restore its cancer-killing power. That finding may open new doors for improving cancer immunotherapy.
By combining current treatments with plasmin inhibitors or specially designed antibodies that protect FasL, scientists may be able to boost immune responses in patients with solid tumors.
Brice E. N. Wamba et al, Evolutionary regulation of human Fas ligand (CD95L) by plasmin in solid cancer immunotherapy, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60990-0
A study in the journal Science presents compelling new evidence that neurons in the brain's memory center, the hippocampus, continue to form well into late adulthood. The research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden provides answers to a fundamental and long-debated question about the human brain's adaptability.
The hippocampus is a brain region that is essential for learning and memory and involved in emotion regulation. Back in 2013, a research group showed in a high-profile study that new neurons can form in the hippocampus of adult humans. The researchers then measured carbon-14 levels in DNA from brain tissue, which made it possible to determine when the cells were formed.
In the new study, the researchers combined several advanced methods to examine brain tissue from people aged 0 to 78 years from several international biobanks. They used a method called single-nucleus RNA sequencing, which analyzes gene activity in individual cell nuclei, and flow cytometry to study cell properties. By combining this with machine learning, they were able to identify different stages of neuronal development, from stem cells to immature neurons, many of which were in the division phase.
To localize these cells, the researchers used two techniques that show where in the tissue different genes are active: RNAscope and Xenium. These methods confirmed that the newly formed cells were located in a specific area of the hippocampus called the dentate gyrus. This area is important for memory formation, learning and cognitive flexibility.
The results show that the progenitors of adult neurons are similar to those of mice, pigs and monkeys, but that there are some differences in which genes are active. There were also large variations between individuals—some adult humans had many neural progenitor cells, others hardly any at all.
This gives us an important piece of the puzzle in understanding how the human brain works and changes during life.
Ionut Dumitru et al, Identification of proliferating neural progenitors in the adult human hippocampus, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adu9575.
This material emits infrared light better than it absorbs it, without violating the laws of physics
New results published in the journal Physical Review Letters detail how a specially designed metamaterial was able to tip the normally equal balance between thermal absorption and emission, enabling the material to better emit infrared light than absorb it.
At first glance, these findings appear to violate Kirchhoff's law of thermal radiation, which states that—under specific conditions—an object will absorb infrared light (absorptivity) in one direction and emit it (emissivity) with equal intensity in another, a phenomenon known as reciprocity.
Over the past decade, however, scientists have begun exploring theoretical designs that, under the right conditions, could allow materials to break reciprocity. Understanding how a material absorbs and emits infrared light (heat) is central to many fields of science and engineering. Controlling how a material absorbs and emits infrared light could pave the way for advances in solar energy harvesting, thermal cloaking devices, and other technologies.
Pioneering experiments conducted by a team of researchers in 2023 yielded tantalizing results. By using a single layer of the magneto-optical material indium arsenide (InAs) and subjecting it to a powerful magnetic field of about one tesla (slightly less powerful than an MRI machine but about 100,000 times more powerful than Earth's magnetic field), the team successfully achieved nonreciprocity. Though this confirmed theoretical predictions, the effect was weak and only operated under a very narrow set of conditions.
The newly reported design succeeded in doubling the effect seen previously, making it the first reported observation of "strong" nonreciprocal thermal emission.
To achieve this record-breaking result, researchers created a metamaterial made of five, 440-nanometer-thick layers of electron-doped indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs). The doping concentration increased as the depth increased. The InGaAs layers were then transferred to a silicon substrate.
The sample was then studied with a custom-designed angle-resolved magnetic thermal emission spectroscopy (ARMTES) set up, which heated the sample to 540 Kelvin (512 Fahrenheit) and subjected it to a 5 tesla magnetic field.
The researchers then measured the nonreciprocity of the material, demonstrating that it exhibited twice the effect previously reported. This effect persisted over a wide range of angles and a broad range of infrared wavelengths (from 13 to 23 microns).
This experiment for the first time realizes strong nonreciprocal emission, with nonreciprocity as high as 0.43, which is much higher than nonreciprocity in literature.
Zhenong Zhang et al, Observation of Strong Nonreciprocal Thermal Emission, Physical Review Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.135.016901
This finding challenges the traditional view that invasive placenta cells are unique to humans, and reveals instead that they are a deeply conserved feature of mammalian evolution. During this time, the maternal cells weren't static, either. Placental mammals, but not marsupials, were found to have acquired new forms of hormone production, a pivotal step toward prolonged pregnancies and complex gestation, and a sign that the fetus and the mother could be driving each other's evolution.
To better understand how the fetal-maternal interface functions, the study tested two influential theories about the evolution of cellular communication between mother and fetus.
The first, the "Disambiguation Hypothesis," predicts that over evolutionary time, hormonal signals became clearly assigned to either the fetus or the mother—a possible safeguard to ensure clarity and prevent manipulation. The results confirmed this idea: certain signals, including WNT proteins, immune modulators, and steroid hormones, could be clearly traced back to one source tissue.
The second, the "Escalation Hypothesis" (or "genomic conflict"), suggests an evolutionary arms race between maternal and fetal genes—with, for example, the fetus boosting growth signals while the maternal side tries to dampen them. This pattern was observed in a small number of genes, notably IGF2, which regulates growth. On the whole, evidence pointed to fine-tuned cooperative signaling.
These findings suggest that evolution may have favored more coordination between mother and fetus than previously assumed.
The so-called mother-fetus power struggle appears to be limited to specific genetic regions and there absolutely isn't any conflict.
Daniel J. Stadtmauer et al, Cell type and cell signalling innovations underlying mammalian pregnancy, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-025-02748-x
Part 2
An international research team has uncovered new insights into how specialized cell types and communication networks at the interface between mother and fetus evolved over millions of years. These discoveries shed light on one of nature's most remarkable innovations—the ability to sustain a successful pregnancy. The findings have just been published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Pregnancy that lasts long enough to support full fetal development is a hallmark evolutionary breakthrough of placental mammals—a group that includes humans. At the center of this is the fetal-maternal interface: the site in the womb where a baby's placenta meets the mother's uterus, and where two genetically distinct organisms—mother and fetus—are in intimate contact and constant interaction.
This interface has to strike a delicate balance: intimate enough to exchange nutrients and signals, but protected enough to prevent the maternal immune system from rejecting the genetically "foreign" fetus.
To uncover the origins and mechanisms behind this intricate structure, the team analyzed single-cell transcriptomes—snapshots of active genes in individual cells—from six mammalian species representing key branches of the mammalian evolutionary tree. These included mice and guinea pigs (rodents), macaques and humans (primates), and two more unusual mammals: the tenrec (an early placental mammal) and the opossum (a marsupial that split off from placental mammals before they evolved complex placentas).
By analyzing cells at the fetal-maternal interface, the researchers were able to trace the evolutionary origin and diversification of the key cell types involved. Their focus was on two main players: placenta cells, which originate from the fetus and invade maternal tissue, and uterine stromal cells, which are of maternal origin and respond to this invasion.
Using molecular biology tools, the team identified distinct genetic signatures—patterns of gene activity unique to specific cell types and their specialized functions. Notably, they discovered a genetic signature associated with the invasive behavior of fetal placenta cells that has been conserved in mammals for more than 100 million years.
Part 1
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