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: 20 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
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The term 'near-death experience', or NDE, refers to a wide array of experiences reported by some people who have nearly died or who have thought they were going to die. It is any experience in which…Continue
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Image source: WIKIPEDIACoconut trees are iconic plants found across the…Continue
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Pathogen transmission can be modeled in three stages. In Stage 1, the…Continue
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Q: Science does not understand energy and the supernatural world because science only studies the material world. Is that why scientists don't believe in magic, manifestation or evil eye? Why flatly…Continue
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The research found that if all car journeys under eight miles were shifted to walking or cycling, there would be a 9.3% reduction in carbon emissions. However, around 55% of all journeys would need to be shifted to achieve this, as most travel is done locally and in cars.
Calculated by dividing the carbon reduction percentage by the percentage of journeys altered, the emission reduction sensitivity for this change would be just 0.17—the lowest recorded in the study.
By contrast, if all flights of less than 1,000 miles were moved to rail, there would be a 5.6% reduction in emissions but only 0.17% of journeys would be affected—resulting in a sensitivity value of 33.2.
At the top end, theoretically limiting everyone who flies now to one return flight abroad per year would have a value of 158.3, as so few journeys would be affected.
The researchers stress that the potential changes are only suggestions meant to make us realize and reassess the impact of our long-distance travel, rather than concrete policy proposals.
While efforts to move local journeys to more sustainable modes of transport are really positive, by omitting aviation emissions from national statistics—as is the case at the moment in nearly all countries—we are not getting a holistic picture and ignoring a large part of the problem.
The researchers also hope that their findings can act as a driver for policymakers to look at changes in how effort is assigned when dealing with the impact of travel on the environment.
The research also offers the public an insight into the impact that changing their behavior could have.
The important thing both at the policy and personal level is that we prioritize the relatively fewer longer distance trips—especially flights—in order to realize the largest reductions.
Casting a long shadow: the role of long distance travel in carbon emissions from and decarbonisation of passenger travel, Nature Energy (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41560-024-01561-3 , www.nature.com/articles/s41560-024-01561-3
Part 2
The reality of the climate impact of long-distance passenger travel has been revealed in new research.
Despite only accounting for less than 3% of all trips by UK residents, journeys of more than 50 miles (one way) are responsible for 70% of all passenger travel-related carbon emissions.
The disparity is even greater when international travel is singled out: International journeys are only 0.4% of total trips, but are responsible for 55% of emissions.
The new research, published recently in the journal Nature Energy, also shows that targeting long-distance travel may be a more effective way of tackling emissions than current efforts focusing on local and commuter journeys.
While the number of long and short distance domestic journeys by car has fallen slightly over the last 25 years, international air travel has increased significantly, driven by an increase in trips for leisure and visiting friends and family.
The scale of the impact of long-distance travel is very large indeed. That just less than 3% of our trips are responsible for around 60% of miles and 70% of emissions shows how important long-distance travel is in the fight to combat climate change. Worryingly, long-distance trips, especially flights, have been growing; however, they offer opportunities too.
Using a new metric they have created, called emission reduction sensitivity, the research team has calculated which types of travel could be changed to maximize a reduction in carbon emissions from passenger travel while affecting as few people or trips as possible.
Part 1
The World Health Organization's cancer agency on Friday classified talc as "probably carcinogenic" for humans, however an outside expert warned against misinterpreting the announcement as a "smoking gun".
The decision was based on "limited evidence" that talc could cause ovarian cancer in humans, "sufficient evidence" it was linked to cancer in rats and "strong mechanistic evidence" that it shows carcinogenic signs in human cells, the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said.
Talc is a naturally occurring mineral which is mined in many parts of the world and is often used to make talcum baby powder.
Most people are exposed to talc in the form of baby powder or cosmetics, according to the Lyon-based IARC.
But the most significant exposure to talc occurs when talc is being mined, processed or used to make products, it added.
The agency said there were numerous studies which consistently showed an increase in the rate of ovarian cancer in women who use talc on their genitals.
But it could not rule out that the talc in some studies was contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos.
"A causal role for talc could not be fully established," according the agency's findings published in The Lancet Oncology.
Leslie T Stayner et al, Carcinogenicity of talc and acrylonitrile, The Lancet Oncology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(24)00384-X
**
More than 5,000 genetic variants that enable certain cancers to thrive have been identified by scientists, along with a potential therapeutic target to treat or even prevent these cancers from developing.
Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, and their collaborators at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and the University of Cambridge assessed the health impact of all possible genetic changes in the "tumor protection" gene, BAP1. They found around a fifth of these possible changes were pathogenic, significantly increasing the risk of developing cancers of the eye, lung lining, brain, skin, and kidney.
The findings, published recently (5 July) in Nature Genetics, are freely available so that they can be immediately used by doctors to help diagnose patients and choose the most effective therapies for them. Importantly, as all possible variants were assessed, the findings benefit individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, who have historically been underrepresented in genetics research.
The team also uncovered a link between certain disruptive BAP1 variants and higher levels of IGF-1, a hormone and growth factor. This discovery opens the door to developing new drugs that could inhibit these harmful effects, potentially slowing down or preventing the progression of certain cancers.
The BAP1 protein acts as a powerful tumor suppressor in the body, protecting against cancers of the eye, lung lining, brain, skin, and kidney. Inherited variants that disrupt the protein can increase a person's lifetime risk of developing these cancers by up to 50%, typically occurring around middle age.
Andrew J. Waters et al, Saturation genome editing of BAP1 functionally classifies somatic and germline variants, Nature Genetics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01799-3
A research team has achieved a major breakthrough in the observation of magnetic fields at unimaginably small scales.
The team used Hitachi's atomic-resolution holography electron microscope—with a newly developed image acquisition technology and defocus correction algorithms—to visualize the magnetic fields of individual atomic layers within a crystalline solid.
Many advances in electronic devices, catalysis, transportation, and energy generation have been made possible by the development and adoption of high-performance materials with tailored characteristics. Atom arrangement and electron behavior are among the most critical factors that dictate a crystalline material's properties.
Notably, the orientation and strength of magnetic fields right at the interface between different materials or atomic layers are particularly important, and often help explain many peculiar physical phenomena.
Toshiaki Tanigaki et al, Electron holography observation of individual ferrimagnetic lattice planes, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07673-w
Researchers find a way to protect microbes from extreme conditions
Microbes that are used for health, agricultural, or other applications need to be able to withstand extreme conditions, and ideally the manufacturing processes used to make tablets for long-term storage. Researchers have now developed a new way to make microbes hardy enough to withstand these extreme conditions.
Their method involves mixing bacteria with food and drug additives from a list of compounds that the FDA classifies as "generally regarded as safe." The researchers identified formulations that help to stabilize several different types of microbes, including yeast and bacteria, and they showed that these formulations could withstand high temperatures, radiation, and industrial processing that can damage unprotected microbes.
In an even more extreme test, some of the microbes recently returned from a trip to the International Space Station, coordinated by Space Center Houston, the researchers are now analyzing how well the microbes were able to withstand those conditions.
What this project was about is stabilizing organisms for extreme conditions. Scientists are really thinking about a broad set of applications, whether it's missions to space, human applications, or agricultural uses.
Synthetic extremophiles via species-specific formulations improve microbial therapeutics, Nature Materials (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41563-024-01937-6
The Negev desert of southern Israel is renowned for its unique rock art. Since at least the third millennium BCE, the hunters, shepherds, and merchants who roamed the Negev have left thousands of carvings (petroglyphs) on the rocks. These figures are mostly cut into desert varnish: a thin black coating on limestone rock, which forms naturally. Many represent animals such as ibexes, goats, horses, donkeys, and domestic camels, but abstract forms also occur.
Can anything be done to protect the petroglyphs from the slow but destructive work of the observed micro-colonial fungi and lichens? This is unlikely, cautioned the authors.
These natural weathering processes cannot be stopped, but their speed of the weathering process depends heavily on whether and how the climate will change in the future. What we can do is to monitor the microbial communities over time and most importantly, document these valuable works of art in detail.
Diversity of fungi associated to petroglyph sites in the Negev desert, Israel, and their potential role in bioweathering, Frontiers in Fungal Biology (2024). DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2024.1400380
The advent of computerized trading and fintech platforms has made investing in stocks easier and more accessible to individuals worldwide. This has led to an increase in stock market participation in many countries.
As a result of this spike in investments, fluctuations in the stock market can have a significant effect on the finances of numerous individuals and their families.
Drastic changes in wealth or financial difficulties resulting from these stock market fluctuations could potentially also affect the mental and physical health of investors. In fact, some recent reports have found a correlation between stock market fluctuations and specific physical and psychological issues.
Researchers at the National University of Singapore, Jinan University, Peking University and Sun Yat-sen University recently explored this potential link further, focusing on the relationship between stock market fluctuations and stress-related emergency room visits in China. Their findings, published in Nature Mental Health, unveiled a trend marked by greater visits to emergency rooms by individuals experiencing stress-related mental health issues during periods of stock market volatility.
To study the relationship between stock market fluctuations and emergency room visits in China, this team of researchers statistically analyzed data collected at the largest hospitals in Beijing over the course of three years, spanning from 2009 to 2012. This data, which was specific to emergency room visits for reasons potentially related to stress, was analyzed in conjunction with stock market trends in China during the same period.
Overall, the results of the analyses run by the researchers suggest that stock market shocks had immediate effects on cardiovascular diseases and mental health disorders in the period ranging between 2009 and 2012, as volatility in stock markets was linked to more visits to the emergency room for these stress-related physical and mental issues. As the data used by the researchers was over a decade old, they highlighted the need for additional studies using newer medical and financial data.
The health effects are highly nonlinear, instantaneous and more salient for older people and males.
Sumit Agarwal et al, Associations between stock market fluctuations and stress-related emergency room visits in China, Nature Mental Health (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44220-024-00267-5
High ambient temperature in pregnancy associated with childhood leukemia
As climate change warms the planet, high ambient temperatures are expected to be more common and intense over the coming decades worldwide.
Researchers have studied how rising temperatures adversely affect human health. A study appearing in journal finds that exposure to high ambient temperatures during pregnancy can have detrimental impact on the health of the offspring.
This is the first study that directly evaluates the association between hot temperatures during pregnancy and the risk of cancer in children.
This study is adding to a growing body of literature that underscores that high ambient temperature not only has immediate health effects, but also may be a cause of future chronic diseases.
Tormod Rogne et al, High ambient temperature in pregnancy and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: an observational study, The Lancet Planetary Health (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00121-9
**
Neurological disorders, such as trauma, stroke, epilepsy, and various neurodegenerative diseases, often lead to the permanent loss of neurons, causing significant impairments in brain function. Current treatment options are limited, primarily due to the challenge of replacing lost neurons.
Direct neuronal reprogramming, a complex procedure that involves changing the function of one type of cell into another, offers a promising strategy.
In cell culture and in living organisms, glial cells—the non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system—have been successfully transformed into functional neurons. However, the processes involved in this reprogramming are complex and require further understanding. This complexity presents a challenge, but also a motivation, for researchers in the field of neuroscience and regenerative medicine.
Two research teams now explored the molecular mechanisms at play when glial cells are converted to neurons by a single transcription factor.
The findings are published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
Specifically, the researchers focused on small chemical modifications in the epigenome. The epigenome helps control which genes are active in different cells at different times. For the first time, the teams have now shown how coordinated the epigenome rewiring is, elicited by a single transcription factor.
Using novel methods in epigenome profiling, the researchers identified that a posttranslational modification of the reprogramming neurogenic transcription factor Neurogenin2 profoundly impacts the epigenetic rewiring and neuronal reprogramming. However, the transcription factor alone is not enough to reprogram the glial cells.
In an important discovery, the researchers identified a novel protein, the transcriptional regulator YingYang1, as a key player in this process. YingYang1 is necessary to open up the chromatin for reprogramming, to which end it interacts with the transcription factor.
The protein YingYang1 is crucial for achieving the conversion from astrocytes to neurons.
These findings are important to understand and improve reprogramming of glial cells to neurons, and thus bring us closer to therapeutic solutions.
Allwyn Pereira et al, Direct neuronal reprogramming of mouse astrocytes is associated with multiscale epigenome remodeling and requires Yy1, Nature Neuroscience (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01677-5
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