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Science Simplified!

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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'

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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-wi thout-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-ca re 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

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 26, 2020 at 6:14am: How to test whether your home made face mask works properly or not

https://theconversation.com/does-your-homemade-mask-work-142675

To get an idea of how much this might happen, a simple test involving trying to blow out a candle directly in front of the wearer could be tried. Initially, the distance coupled with the strength of exhalation could be investigated, but then face coverings made from different materials and critically with different numbers of layers could be tried. The design of face covering that made it hardest to divert the candle flame will probably provide the best barrier for projecting the virus forward and through the face covering.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 26, 2020 at 5:32am: In cell studies, seaweed extract outperforms remdesivir in blocking COVID-19 virus

Heparin, a common anitcoagulent, could also form basis of a viral trap for SARS-CoV-2

In a test of antiviral effectiveness against the virus that causes COVID-19, an extract from edible seaweeds substantially outperformed remdesivir, the current standard antiviral used to combat the disease.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200724104228.htm

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How COVID-19 Causes Loss of Smell

Olfactory support cells, not neurons, are vulnerable to novel coronavirus infection

https://hms.harvard.edu/news/how-covid-19-causes-loss-smell

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https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2020/07/24/neurons-are-genetically-pr...

Neurons are genetically programmed to have long lives

UC Riverside-led study identifies mechanism that prevents death of neurons

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Drug ingredients considered inert might have biological activity

Systematic investigation of excipients reveals that most are inactive, but a few may act upon biological targets

https://cen.acs.org/pharmaceuticals/Drug-ingredients-considered-ine...

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https://www.sciencealert.com/chemists-have-worked-out-how-to-make-t...

Chemists Just Worked Out How to Recycle Some of Our Toughest Single-Use Plastics

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 25, 2020 at 5:36am: Quantum Tunneling Is Not Instantaneous, Physicists Show

A new experiment tracks the transit time of particles burrowing through barriers, revealing previously unknown details of a deeply counterintuitive phenomenon

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/quantum-tunneling-is-not...

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How the Bits of Quantum Gravity Can Buzz

New calculations show how hypothetical particles called gravitons would give rise to a special kind of noise.

https://www.quantamagazine.org/gravitons-revealed-in-the-noise-of-g...

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Where there’s cattle ranching and soybean farming, there’s fire, study finds

https://news.mongabay.com/2020/07/where-theres-cattle-ranching-and-...

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US Just Unveiled Its Blueprint For a "Virtually Unhackable" Quantum Internet

https://www.sciencealert.com/us-begins-planning-for-a-virtually-unh...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 25, 2020 at 5:35am: Neanderthal gene linked to increased pain sensitivity

People who have inherited nerve-altering mutations from the ancient hominins tend to experience more pain.

Despite their rough and tumble existence, Neanderthals had a biological predisposition to a heightened sense of pain, finds a first-of-its kind genome study published in Current Biology on 23 July . Evolutionary geneticists found that the ancient human relatives carried three mutations in a gene encoding the protein NaV1.7, which conveys painful sensations to the spinal cord and brain. They also showed that in a sample of British people, those who had inherited the Neanderthal version of NaV1.7 tend to experience more pain than others.

Mutations in a gene called SCN9A — which encodes the NaV1.7 protein — stood out because all of the Neanderthals had three mutations that alter the shape of the protein. The mutated version of the gene was found on both sets of chromosomes in all three Neanderthals, hinting that it was common across their populations.NaV1.7 acts in the body’s nerves, where it is involved in controlling whether and to what extent painful signals are transmitted to the spinal cord and brain. “People have described it as a volume knob, setting the gain of the pain in nerve fibres,” says Zeberg. Some people with extremely rare genetic mutations that disable the protein do not feel pain, whereas other changes can predispose people to chronic pain.

Source: Neanderthal gene linked to increased pain sensitivity

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02202-x?utm_source=Natur...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 25, 2020 at 4:59am: Coronavirus makes changes that cause cells not to recognize it

With an alarm code, we can enter a building without bells going off. It turns out that the SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has the same advantage entering cells. It possesses the code to waltz right in.

How can the coronavirus achieves this?

The scientists resolved the structure of an enzyme called nsp16, which the virus produces and then uses to modify its messenger RNA cap. It's a camouflage. Because of the modifications, which fool the cell, the resulting viral messenger RNA is now considered as part of the cell's own code and not foreign.

How do scientists overcome this?

Deciphering the 3-D structure of nsp16 paves the way for rational design of antiviral drugs for COVID-19 and other emerging coronavirus infections. The drugs, new small molecules, would inhibit nsp16 from making the modifications. The immune system would then pounce on the invading virus, recognizing it as foreign.

Structural basis of RNA cap modification by SARS-CoV-2, Nature Communications (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17496-8

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-coronavirus-cells-1.html?utm...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 24, 2020 at 6:25am: Experts Provide Tips on How to Wear a Mask Without Fogging Glasses or Short Breath

https://www.sciencealert.com/experts-provide-tips-on-how-to-wear-a-...

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L-type calcium channel blockers may contribute to heart failure, study finds

L-type calcium channel blockers (LCCBs)—the most widely used drugs for treating hypertension—may harm the heart as much as help it, according to a new study.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-l-type-calcium-channel-block...

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-drug-delivery-particles-neur...

Novel drug delivery particles use neurotransmitters as a 'passport' into the brain

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-coronavirus-cells-1.html?utm...

Coronavirus makes changes that cause cells not to recognize it

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Genetic mutations help super bug become highly resistant to antibiotics

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-genetic-mutations-super-bug-highly.ht...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-key-restricting-antibiotic...

Scientists discover key to restricting antibiotic resistant bacteria

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 24, 2020 at 5:51am: How to stop your glasses from fogging up while wearing a face mask

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**How Does Caffeine Affect Sleep?

https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_how_caffeine_and_alcohol_affe...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 24, 2020 at 5:42am: https://theconversation.com/as-if-space-wasnt-dangerous-enough-bact...

bacteria become more deadly in microgravity

Worryingly, research from space flight missions has shown bacteria become more deadly and resilient when exposed to microgravity (when only tiny gravitational forces are present).

In space, bacteria seem to become more resistant to antibiotics and more lethal. They also stay this way for a short time after returning to Earth, compared with bacteria that never left Earth.

Adding to that, bacteria also seem to mutate quicker in space. However, these mutations are predominately for the bacteria to adapt to the new environment – not to become super deadly.

More research is needed to examine whether such adaptations do, in fact, allow the bacteria to cause more disease.

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https://theconversation.com/the-ten-factors-linked-to-increased-ris...

The ten factors linked to increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease

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https://www.acsh.org/news/2020/07/21/science-communicators-are-rout...

** Science Communicators Are Routinely Lied About, Harassed, Threatened

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 24, 2020 at 5:32am: Mammal cells could struggle to fight space germs

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-mammal-cells-struggle-space-germs.htm...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-lightning-million-year-tropics.html?u...

estimate that more than 100 million lighting strikes on land each year will radically alter forests and other ecosystems in the region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-mosquitoes-human-blood-future.html?ut...

How mosquitoes got their taste for human blood and what it means for the future

Of about 3,500 mosquito species around the world, only a few have taken to specifically targeting people for biting, making them important spreaders of infectious diseases. To predict and help control the spread of those mosquito-borne illnesses, it's important to know where and why, evolutionarily speaking, certain mosquitoes got their taste for biting humans in the first place. Now, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on July 23 have identified two major factors: a dry climate and city life. Based on these findings, they predict that increased urbanization in the coming decades will mean even more human-biting mosquitoes in the future. They

found that in their native range of sub-Saharan Africa, they show extremely variable attraction to human hosts, ranging from strong preference for humans to strong preference for non-human animals."

"Mosquitoes living near dense human populations in cities such as Kumasi, Ghana, or Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, showed increased willingness to bite human hosts," adds Noah Rose, also of Princeton. "But they only evolve a strong preference for human hosts in places with intense dry seasons—in particular, in the Sahel region, where rainfall is concentrated in just a couple months out of the year. We think this is because mosquitoes in these climates are especially dependent on humans and human water storage for their life cycle."

Noah H. Rose et al, Climate and Urbanization Drive Mosquito Preference for Humans, Current Biology (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.092

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 24, 2020 at 5:26am: Dark energy: map gives clue about what it is – but deepens dispute about the cosmic expansion rate

https://theconversation.com/dark-energy-map-gives-clue-about-what-i...

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-07-laughter-unique-biometric-signa...

Laughter as a unique biometric signature

The popular view of biometric security often invokes fingerprint readers, iris or retinal scans, and voice-activated systems. However, any unique human characteristic whether the shape of one's ears, the whole face, the pattern of blood vessels in the back of the hand, walking pattern, heart rhythm or even how one types at a keyboard, might be used to provide a secure signature of login. Some traits are easier to analyze than others and some, such as fingerprints, can be spoofed.

Research published in the International Journal of Biometrics has taken an amusing trait to demonstrate how the way a person laughs might be used in biometrics.

people can recognize other people by the unique nature of their laughter, perhaps in an even more obvious way than their voice. Moreover, while many people are adept at impersonating the voices of other people, mimicking someone's laugh is far more difficult. The team has now used statistical analyses of the various audible frequencies present in a person's laugh to create a digital signature for each unique laugh.

Tests on the approach show their prototype recognition algorithm to be 90 percent accurate, which compares very favorably with the 65% accuracy of a conventional Gaussian model. However, combining their algorithm with the Gaussian approach can boost accuracy overall by more than 5 percent.

Comfort Oluwaseyi Folorunso et al. Laughter signature: a novel biometric trait for person identification, International Journal of Biometrics (2020). DOI: 10.1504/IJBM.2020.108480