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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: 21 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

The very certainty that science progresses with time should be the basis for trust, not the other way round.

Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 23 minutes ago. 1 Reply

Q: Why do people say you can't trust science because it changes, and how does that contrast with religious beliefs?Krishna: “Because it changes” - if you don’t understand why the changes occur, you…Continue

Maternal gut microbiome composition and preterm births

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

Maternal gut microbiome composition may be linked to preterm birthsPeople associate several things regarding pregnancy to eclipses and other natural phenomenon. They also associate them with papaya…Continue

Our understanding of lightning has been driven by fear and shaped by curiosity

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

Playwright Tom Stoppard, in "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead," provides one of the…Continue

The words ‘Just believing’ are not there in the dictionaries of science

Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa Sep 6. 1 Reply

Q: Why do some people find comfort in the idea of being "recycled" into nature rather than believing in an afterlife?Krishna: Because ‘"recycled" into nature’ is an evidence based fact and people…Continue

Comment Wall

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You need to be a member of Science Simplified! to add comments!

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 3, 2024 at 9:47am

Herbivorous animals can be fooled to leave the plants alone 

 Researchers have shown it is possible to shield plants from the hungry maws of herbivorous mammals by fooling them with the smell of a variety they typically avoid.

Findings from the study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution show tree seedlings planted next to the decoy smell solution were 20 times less likely to be eaten by animals.

This is equivalent to the seedlings being surrounded by actual plants that are unpalatable to the herbivore. In most cases it does trick the animals into leaving the plants alone.

Herbivores cause significant damage to valuable plants in ecological and economically sensitive areas worldwide, but killing the animals to protect the plants can be unethical.

So, researchers  created artificial odors that mimicked the smell of plant species they naturally avoid, and this gently nudged problematic herbivores away from areas we didn't want them to be. Given that many herbivores use plant odor as their primary sense to forage, this method provides a new approach that could be used to help protect valued plants globally, either in conservation or protecting agricultural crops.

The researchers selected an unpalatable shrub in the citrus family, Boronia pinnata, and a palatable canopy species, Eucalyptus punctata, to test the concept.

The study compared using B. pinnata solution and the real plant and found both were equally successful at protecting eucalypt seedlings from being eaten by wallabies.

Olfactory misinformation provides refuge to palatable plants from mammalian browsing, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02330-x

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 2, 2024 at 9:56am

Parrots can move along thin branches using ‘beakiation’

The sidestep involves shuffling across the underside of a branch using both feet and the beak

To move along narrow branches, a parrot can hang from a branch with its beak, swing its body sideways and grab hold farther along with its feet. The newly described gait, dubbed beakiation, expands the birds’ locomotive repertoire and underscores how versatile their beaks are, researchers report January 31 in Royal Society Open Science.

Parrots “are specialized for climbing and moving around in the trees". What would happen if you flip a bird upside down or make them go onto the tiniest branch possible?

Scientists put four rosy-faced lovebirds (Agapornis roseicollis) to the test. Birds placed on a suspended bar just 2.5 millimeters in diameter realized that the best way to shuffle along it was to use their beaks and feet in a cyclical side-swinging motion. The birds traveled 10 centimeters per second on average during each stride (beak touchdown to beak touchdown).

Watch a parrot “beakiate” along a bar

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.231397

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 2, 2024 at 9:17am

Differences in heart rate variability in pregnant women could be marker for premature delivery

A team of obstetricians, gynecologists and data analysts has found evidence that wrist-based heart rate monitors could predict a premature birth.

In their study, reported on the open-access site PLOS ONE, pregnant volunteers wore WHOOP monitors prior to giving birth.

Previous research has shown that after becoming pregnant, women experience heart rate variability, defined as fluctuations in the amount of time between heartbeats. This variability declines as the pregnancy progresses, around 33 weeks. At that point, variability begins to increase steadily until birth.

For this new study, the research team wondered if the same changes in variability occur with women who experience premature deliveries. To find out, they turned to WHOOP, a maker of strap-on wrist sensors that monitor heart rate, noting that a small study conducted previously with researchers at WHOOP had shown that the device could be used to track heart rate variability in pregnant women.

In the new study, 241 pregnant women of various nationalities living in 15 countries agreed to wear the device in the months leading up to their delivery. The researchers found that heart rate variability for the women who delivered on or near their due date corresponded with previous findings—variability declined until approximately seven weeks before delivery. But things were markedly different for those women who delivered early—variability patterns were much less consistent. And variability also began a steady increase approximately seven weeks before delivery, which, in their cases, was well before their due dates.

The research team suggests that heart rate monitoring devices could become a new tool for use by obstetricians in monitoring their patients. Such devices, they note, may not only allow for better prediction of delivery dates, but could also help in employing therapies designed to prolong at-risk pregnancies.

Summer R. Jasinski et al, Wearable-derived maternal heart rate variability as a novel digital biomarker of preterm birth, PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295899

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 2, 2024 at 9:11am

ALMA spots the shadow of a molecular outflow from a quasar when the universe was less than 1 billion years old

Theoretical predictions have been confirmed with the discovery of an outflow of molecular gas from a quasar when the universe was less than a billion years old.

A quasar is a compact region powered by a supermassive black hole located in the center of a massive galaxy. They are extremely luminous, with a point-like appearance similar to stars, and are extremely distant from Earth. Owing to their distance and brightness, they provide a peek into conditions of the early universe, when it was less than 1 billion years old.

Researchers have discovered the first evidence of suppression of star formation driven by an outflow of molecular gas in a quasar-host galaxy in the early universe. Their findings, based on observations they made using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in Chile, were published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Molecular gas is vital to the formation of stars. As the primary fuel of star formation, the ubiquity and high concentrations of molecular gas within a galaxy would lead to a vast number of stars being formed. By ejecting this gas into intergalactic space faster than it could be consumed by star formation, molecular outflows effectively suppress the formation of stars in galaxies that host quasars.

Theoretical work suggests that molecular gas outflows play an important role in the formation and evolution of galaxies from an early age, because they can regulate star formation. Quasars are especially energetic sources, so  scientists expected that they may be able to generate powerful outflows.

The quasar the researchers observed, J2054-0005, has a very high redshift—it and the Earth are apparently moving away from each other very fast.

The findings from this study are the first strong evidence that powerful molecular gas outflows from quasar-host galaxies exist and impact galaxy evolution at the early cosmic age.

Molecular outflow in the reionization-epoch quasar J2054-0005 revealed by OH 119 μm observations, The Astrophysical Journal (2024). DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad0df5

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 1, 2024 at 2:48pm

What draws the moth to the flame

Nocturnal insects appear drawn to artificial lights because they instinctively twist their backs towards bright objects. The instinct to tilt their backs towards the brightest thing available at night — the sky — allows insects to quickly figure out which way is up. Researchers who tracked insects’ flight patterns with motion-capture cameras found that this even leads the animals to flip upside down and crash into the ground when the light source is underneath them. The researchers suggest reducing upward-facing lights and ground reflections to avoid confusing flying insects at night.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-44785-3

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 1, 2024 at 2:39pm
Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 1, 2024 at 2:38pm

Antimatter Mystery
Scientists are trying to figure out why there is more regular matter than antimatter in the universe. Antimatter is a mirror version of our normal array of particles, except with an opposite electrical charge. When the universe began at the big bang, equal amounts of matter and antimatter should have been created, but that's not what astronomers observe in today’s universe. In a new experiment, researchers searched for a minuscule property of electrons–the electric dipole moment (eEDM)--in hopes of finding evidence for extra particles or fields in the universe that could explain the antimatter mystery.

What they found: The physicists achieved the most precise measurement of the eEDM to date, and they found no evidence that this property exists for electrons. This means that if new fields explaining the matter-antimatter imbalance exist, their contribution to the eEDM may be indirect or occur at slightly higher energies than scientists thought. Future experiments could detect such fields and help physicists figure out the antimatter problem.

What the experts say: “We know there must be some reason out there for the universe of matter we live in to be the way it is—the question is how long it will take us to discover it,” writes Luke Caldwell, physicist at the University College London.
Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 1, 2024 at 2:36pm

undiagnosed

(Below)

Part 2 

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 1, 2024 at 2:35pm

Out of Rhythm
The occurrence of atrial fibrillation quadrupled over the past 50 years, according to recent studies. A-fib occurs when electrical signals in the upper chambers of the heart—the atria—misfire, causing an irregular heartbeat. People with the condition experience shortness of breath and tiredness. It can result in strokes if left untreated. But up to a quarter of cases go undiagnosed, according to recent research.

Cause and effect: Doctors are more on the lookout for the condition, which is partially responsible for the rising rates. Also people are living longer, and longer life comes with more health complications like heart disease and cancer. Last November leading medical groups issued new guidelines for preventing and treating A-fib, calling on doctors to encourage heart-healthy habits and early, more aggressive efforts to control heart rhythms.

 Some groups, including women and those in underserved communities, can go undiagnosed. “It's a disease that requires monitoring and detection,” says cardiologist Jared Magnani of the University of Pittsburgh. “And then it requires access to medical care, with a partner in making decisions about things like [medication], and finally more advanced therapies and treatment.”

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 1, 2024 at 7:46am

Trees struggle to 'breathe' as climate warms, researchers find

Trees are struggling to sequester heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) in warmer, drier climates, meaning that they may no longer serve as a solution for offsetting humanity's carbon footprint as the planet continues to warm, according to a new study by researchers.

They  found that trees in warmer, drier climates are essentially coughing instead of breathing. They are sending CO2 right back into the atmosphere far more than trees in cooler, wetter conditions.

Through the process of photosynthesis, trees remove CO2 from the atmosphere to produce new growth. Yet, under stressful conditions, trees release CO2 back to the atmosphere, a process called photorespiration. With an analysis of a global dataset of tree tissue, the research team demonstrated that the rate of photorespiration is up to two times higher in , especially when water is limited.

They found the threshold for this response in subtropical climates begins to be crossed when average daytime temperatures exceed roughly 68 degrees Fahrenheit and worsens as temperatures rise further.

The results complicate a widespread belief about the role of plants in helping to draw down—or use—carbon from the atmosphere, providing new insight into how plants could adapt to climate change. Importantly, the researchers noted that as the climate warms, their findings demonstrate that plants could be less able to draw CO2 out of the atmosphere and assimilate the carbon necessary to help the planet cool down.

Max K. Lloyd et al, Isotopic clumping in wood as a proxy for photorespiration in trees, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306736120

 

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