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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: 8 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 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 8 hours 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 January 5, 2021 at 9:48am

Soon you might have to pay for your emails ….

No I am not kidding.

The world's most popular email program Gmail, is owned by Google, which has decided to follow in Apple's footsteps by getting more people hooked on monthly subscriptions (1).

As of June 1, Google will no longer allow users to upload their photos and videos to Google Photos for free. Google offers 15 GBs of free storage for photos, but that also includes Gmail and Google Drive backup. The ask is that you pay for storage, which starts at $1.99 monthly—but for just 100 GB of storage.

Microsoft and Yahoo still offer free email, but they're littered with ads, and you're encouraged to step up to the "premium" versions, which starts at $5 and $3.49 a month, respectively, to go ad-free. Yahoo is eliminating the ability to automatically forward emails from Yahoo Mail, beginning next week, unless you spend $34.99 yearly for the service.

Google's rates sound competitive for online storage, but it's not just photos and videos here. All those Gmail emails with attachments that you forgot to delete also count, as does anything else you do on Google. Google charges $9.99 monthly for 2 TBs, or $50 monthly for 10 TBs (2).

Footnotes:

1.

https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-email-podcasts-tech.html?utm_so...

2.

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-google-photos-free-unlimited-st...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 5, 2021 at 9:38am

Scientists discover how mother-of-pearl self-assembles into a perfect structure

In a new study published in Nature Physics, researchers from the B CUBE—Center for Molecular Bioengineering at TU Dresden and European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble describe, for the first time, that structural defects in self-assembling nacre attract and cancel each other out, eventually leading to a perfect periodic structure.

Mollusks build shells to protect their soft tissues from predators. Nacre, also known as the mother of pearl, has an intricate, highly regular  that makes it an incredibly strong material. Depending on the species, nacres can reach tens of centimeters in length. No matter the size, each  is built from materials deposited by a multitude of single cells at multiple different locations at the same time. How exactly this highly periodic and uniform structure emerges from the initial disorder was unknown until now.

Nacre formation starts uncoordinated with the cells depositing the material simultaneously at different locations. Not surprisingly, the early nacre structure is not very regular. At this point, it is full of defects.

Dynamics of topological defects and structural synchronization in a forming periodic tissue, Nature Physics (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-020-01069-z , www.nature.com/articles/s41567-020-01069-z

https://phys.org/news/2021-01-scientists-mother-of-pearl-self-assem...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 5, 2021 at 9:34am

Study explains why patients with cancer spread to the liver have worse outcomes

Medical Researchers often noticed that when  patients had cancer that spread to the liver, they fared poorly—more so than when cancer spread to other parts of the body. Not only that, but transformative immunotherapy treatments had little impact for these patients.

Uncovering the reason and a possible solution, a new study, published in Nature Medicine, finds that tumors in the liver siphon off critical immune cells, rendering immunotherapy ineffective. But coupling immunotherapy with radiotherapy to the liver in mice restored the immune cell function and led to better outcomes.

Liver metastasis restrains immunotherapy efficacy via macrophage-mediated T cell elimination, Nature Medicine (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-020-1131-x , www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-1131-x

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-01-patients-cancer-liver-worse-...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 5, 2021 at 9:29am

Brain cancer linked to tissue healing

The healing process that follows a brain injury could spur tumor growth when new cells generated to replace those lost to the injury are derailed by mutations, Toronto scientists have found. A brain injury can be anything from trauma to infection or stroke.

The data suggest that the right mutational change in particular cells in the brain could be modified by injury to give rise to a tumour.

The findings could lead to new therapy for glioblastoma patients who currently have limited treatment options with an average lifespan of 15 months after diagnosis.

The researchers applied the latest single-cell RNA sequencing and machine learning technologies to map the molecular make-up of the glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), which Dirks' team previously showed are responsible for tumor initiation and recurrence after treatment.

They found new subpopulations of GSCs which bear the molecular hallmarks of inflammation and which are comingled with other cancer stem cells inside patients' tumors. It suggests that some glioblastomas start to form when the normal tissue healing process, which generates new cells to replace those lost to injury, gets derailed by mutations, possibly even many years before patients become symptomatic.

 Gradient of Developmental and Injury Response transcriptional states defines functional vulnerabilities underpinning glioblastoma heterogeneity, Nature Cancer (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s43018-020-00154-9 , www.nature.com/articles/s43018-020-00154-9

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-01-brain-cancer-linked-tissue.h...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 5, 2021 at 9:25am

Stopping SARS-CoV-2 in its tracks by blocking its main protease

Inasmuch as therapeutic options against coronavirus have been focused mainly on blocking the interaction between its spike protein and the ACE2 receptor on host cells, SARS-CoV-2 has several additional critical proteins that could potentially be targeted with drugs that have already been approved for use against other viruses. One of these viral proteins is the main protease (Mpro) that is needed to separate newly minted polypeptides into their functional component parts.

Scientists from the Department of Biophysics at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences have recently put several promising inhibitors of Mpro through the paces to see what sticks. Their findings, appearing in the American Chemical Society's journal ACS Omega, suggest that an HIV drug known as cobicistat is looking pretty good.

Akshita Gupta et al. Structure-Based Virtual Screening and Biochemical Validation to Discover a Potential Inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease, ACS Omega (2020). DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c04808

https://phys.org/news/2021-01-sars-cov-tracks-blocking-main-proteas...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 5, 2021 at 9:21am

Opening a new door into kinder, gentler therapies for chronic inflammation

A naturally occurring antibody capable of stimulating the body's immune-suppressing regulatory T cells has been discovered by a team of Harvard scientists, a finding that may eventually open a new door into kinder, gentler therapies for chronic inflammatory disorders.

Inflammation underlies a wide range of disparate conditions that include Crohn's disease; atopic dermatitis and numerous autoimmune skin disorders, including psoriasis; rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis, to name a few.

Biologic treatments that have been developed over the past quarter-century have proved to be game-changers, but the drugs are imperfect and leave some patients vulnerable to opportunistic infections, and in rare instances, cancers of the blood. Clearly, there is room for improvement, immunologists worldwide contend.

The newly identified antibody is noteworthy because of its activity on regulatory T cells. The tiny antibody actually expands the overall number of highly potent regulatory T cells, a cell population that bears the responsibility of switching off inflammation. The antibody was discovered by a team of scientists from the Immunobiology Laboratory of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. They describe the antibody's role as not only unique, but possessing properties that allow it leverage over key components of the immune system.

 Heather Torrey et al. A novel TNFR2 agonist antibody expands highly potent regulatory T cells, Science Signaling (2020). DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aba9600

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-01-door-kinder-gentler-therapie...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 4, 2021 at 11:55am

The Insane Biology of: The Octopus

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 4, 2021 at 11:53am

Discovery: How potato beetles beat pesticides

Potato beetles can beat pesticides cleverly. Even small doses of the neonicotinoid pesticide, imidacloprid, can alter how the beetle manages its DNA. To fend off the pesticides, the new research suggests, the beetle may not need to change its underlying genetic code. Instead, the team found that beetles respond by altering the regulation of their DNA, turning certain genes on or off in a process called “DNA methylation." These so-called epigenetic changes allow beetles to quickly ramp up biological defense mechanisms—perhaps putting into overdrive already-existing genes that allow the beetle to tolerate a broad range of toxins found in potato plants.

A flush of enzymes or faster rate of excretion may let the insect stymie each new pesticide with the same ancient biochemical tools that it uses to overcome natural plant defenses—rather than relying on the ponderous evolutionary process of random mutations appearing in key genes, that would slowly cause a pesticide to become less effective.

Most important, the new study shows that these changes—triggered by even small doses of the pesticide—can be passed on to descendants across at least two generations. 

https://researchnews.cc/news/4423/Discovery--How-colorado-potato-be...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 3, 2021 at 1:30pm

How Scientists, unlike people who do their own research on the net, Know The Approved COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe

https://www.sciencealert.com/how-scientists-know-the-approved-covid...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 2, 2021 at 7:21am

Desalination breakthrough could lead to cheaper water filtration

Producing clean water at a lower cost could be on the horizon after researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and Penn State solved a complex problem that had baffled scientists for decades, until now. Desalination membranes remove salt and other chemicals from water, a process critical to the health of society, cleaning billions of gallons of water for agriculture, energy production and drinking. The idea seems simple  push salty water through and clean water comes out the other side  but it contains complex intricacies that scientists are still trying to understand. The research team, in partnership with DuPont Water Solutions, solved an important aspect of this mystery, opening the door to reduce costs of clean water production. The researchers determined desalination membranes are inconsistent in density and mass distribution, which can hold back their performance. Uniform density at the nanoscale is the key  to increasing how much clean water these membranes can create.

The paper documents an increase in efficiency in the membranes tested by 30%-40%, meaning they can clean more water while using significantly less energy. That could lead to increased access to clean water and lower water bills for individual homes and large users alike.

Reverse osmosis membranes work by applying pressure to the salty feed solution on one side. The minerals stay there while the water passes through. Although more efficient than non-membrane desalination processes, it still takes a large amount of energy, the researchers said, and improving the efficiency of the membranes could reduce that burden.

https://news.utexas.edu/2020/12/31/desalination-breakthrough-could-...

https://researchnews.cc/news/4396/Desalination-breakthrough-could-l...

 

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