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: 1 hour ago
WE LOVE SCIENCE HERE BECAUSE IT IS A MANY SPLENDOURED THING
THIS IS A WAR ZONE WHERE SCIENCE FIGHTS WITH NONSENSE AND WINS
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
"Being a scientist is a state of mind, not a profession!"
"Science, when it's done right, can yield amazing things".
The Reach of Scientific Research From Labs to Laymen
The aim of science is not only to open a door to infinite knowledge and wisdom but to set a limit to infinite error.
"Knowledge is a Superpower but the irony is you cannot get enough of it with ever increasing data base unless you try to keep up with it constantly and in the right way!" The best education comes from learning from people who know what they are exactly talking about.
Science is this glorious adventure into the unknown, the opportunity to discover things that nobody knew before. And that’s just an experience that’s not to be missed. But it’s also a motivated effort to try to help humankind. And maybe that’s just by increasing human knowledge—because that’s a way to make us a nobler species.
If you are scientifically literate the world looks very different to you.
We do science and science communication not because they are easy but because they are difficult!
“Science is not a subject you studied in school. It’s life. We 're brought into existence by it!"
Links to some important articles :
1. Interactive science series...
a. how-to-do-research-and-write-research-papers-part 13
b. Some Qs people asked me on science and my replies to them...
Part 6, part-10, part-11, part-12, part 14 , part- 8,
part- 1, part-2, part-4, part-5, part-16, part-17, part-18 , part-19 , part-20
part-21 , part-22, part-23, part-24, part-25, part-26, part-27 , part-28
part-29, part-30, part-31, part-32, part-33, part-34, part-35, part-36, part-37,
part-38, part-40, part-41, part-42, part-43, part-44, part-45, part-46, part-47
Part 48, part49, Critical thinking -part 50 , part -51, part-52, part-53
part-54, part-55, part-57, part-58, part-59, part-60, part-61, part-62, part-63
part 64, part-65, part-66, part-67, part-68, part 69, part-70 part-71, part-73 ...
.......306
BP variations during pregnancy part-72
who is responsible for the gender of their children - a man or a woman -part-56
c. some-questions-people-asked-me-on-science-based-on-my-art-and-poems -part-7
d. science-s-rules-are-unyielding-they-will-not-be-bent-for-anybody-part-3-
e. debate-between-scientists-and-people-who-practice-and-propagate-pseudo-science - part -9
f. why astrology is pseudo-science part 15
g. How Science is demolishing patriarchal ideas - part-39
2. in-defence-of-mangalyaan-why-even-developing-countries-like-india need space research programmes
3. Science communication series:
a. science-communication - part 1
b. how-scienitsts-should-communicate-with-laymen - part 2
c. main-challenges-of-science-communication-and-how-to-overcome-them - part 3
d. the-importance-of-science-communication-through-art- part 4
e. why-science-communication-is-geting worse - part 5
f. why-science-journalism-is-not-taken-seriously-in-this-part-of-the-world - part 6
g. blogs-the-best-bet-to-communicate-science-by-scientists- part 7
h. why-it-is-difficult-for-scientists-to-debate-controversial-issues - part 8
i. science-writers-and-communicators-where-are-you - part 9
j. shooting-the-messengers-for-a-different-reason-for-conveying-the- part 10
k. why-is-science-journalism-different-from-other-forms-of-journalism - part 11
l. golden-rules-of-science-communication- Part 12
m. science-writers-should-develop-a-broader-view-to-put-things-in-th - part 13
n. an-informed-patient-is-the-most-cooperative-one -part 14
o. the-risks-scientists-will-have-to-face-while-communicating-science - part 15
p. the-most-difficult-part-of-science-communication - part 16
q. clarity-on-who-you-are-writing-for-is-important-before-sitting-to write a science story - part 17
r. science-communicators-get-thick-skinned-to-communicate-science-without-any-bias - part 18
s. is-post-truth-another-name-for-science-communication-failure?
t. why-is-it-difficult-for-scientists-to-have-high-eqs
u. art-and-literature-as-effective-aids-in-science-communication-and teaching
v.* some-qs-people-asked-me-on-science communication-and-my-replies-to-them
** qs-people-asked-me-on-science-and-my-replies-to-them-part-173
w. why-motivated-perception-influences-your-understanding-of-science
x. science-communication-in-uncertain-times
y. sci-com: why-keep-a-dog-and-bark-yourself
z. How to deal with sci com dilemmas?
A+. sci-com-what-makes-a-story-news-worthy-in-science
B+. is-a-perfect-language-important-in-writing-science-stories
C+. sci-com-how-much-entertainment-is-too-much-while-communicating-sc
D+. sci-com-why-can-t-everybody-understand-science-in-the-same-way
E+. how-to-successfully-negotiate-the-science-communication-maze
4. Health related topics:
a. why-antibiotic-resistance-is-increasing-and-how-scientists-are-tr
b. what-might-happen-when-you-take-lots-of-medicines
c. know-your-cesarean-facts-ladies
d. right-facts-about-menstruation
e. answer-to-the-question-why-on-big-c
f. how-scientists-are-identifying-new-preventive-measures-and-cures-
g. what-if-little-creatures-high-jack-your-brain-and-try-to-control-
h. who-knows-better?
k. can-rust-from-old-drinking-water-pipes-cause-health-problems
l. pvc-and-cpvc-pipes-should-not-be-used-for-drinking-water-supply
m. melioidosis
o. desensitization-and-transplant-success-story
p. do-you-think-the-medicines-you-are-taking-are-perfectly-alright-then revisit your position!
q. swine-flu-the-difficlulties-we-still-face-while-tackling-the-outb
r. dump-this-useless-information-into-a-garbage-bin-if-you-really-care about evidence based medicine
s. don-t-ignore-these-head-injuries
u. allergic- agony-caused-by-caterpillars-and-moths
General science:
a.why-do-water-bodies-suddenly-change-colour
b. don-t-knock-down-your-own-life-line
c. the-most-menacing-animal-in-the-world
d. how-exo-planets-are-detected
e. the-importance-of-earth-s-magnetic-field
f. saving-tigers-from-extinction-is-still-a-travail
g. the-importance-of-snakes-in-our-eco-systems
h. understanding-reverse-osmosis
i. the-importance-of-microbiomes
j. crispr-cas9-gene-editing-technique-a-boon-to-fixing-defective-gen
k. biomimicry-a-solution-to-some-of-our-problems
5. the-dilemmas-scientists-face
6. why-we-get-contradictory-reports-in-science
7. be-alert-pseudo-science-and-anti-science-are-on-prowl
8. science-will-answer-your-questions-and-solve-your-problems
9. how-science-debunks-baseless-beliefs
10. climate-science-and-its-relevance
11. the-road-to-a-healthy-life
12. relative-truth-about-gm-crops-and-foods
13. intuition-based-work-is-bad-science
14. how-science-explains-near-death-experiences
15. just-studies-are-different-from-thorough-scientific-research
16. lab-scientists-versus-internet-scientists
17. can-you-challenge-science?
18. the-myth-of-ritual-working
19.science-and-superstitions-how-rational-thinking-can-make-you-work-better
20. comets-are-not-harmful-or-bad-omens-so-enjoy-the-clestial-shows
21. explanation-of-mysterious-lights-during-earthquakes
22. science-can-tell-what-constitutes-the-beauty-of-a-rose
23. what-lessons-can-science-learn-from-tragedies-like-these
24. the-specific-traits-of-a-scientific-mind
25. science-and-the-paranormal
26. are-these-inventions-and-discoveries-really-accidental-and-intuitive like the journalists say?
27. how-the-brain-of-a-polymath-copes-with-all-the-things-it-does
28. how-to-make-scientific-research-in-india-a-success-story
29. getting-rid-of-plastic-the-natural-way
30. why-some-interesting-things-happen-in-nature
31. real-life-stories-that-proves-how-science-helps-you
32. Science and trust series:
a. how-to-trust-science-stories-a-guide-for-common-man
b. trust-in-science-what-makes-people-waver
c. standing-up-for-science-showing-reasons-why-science-should-be-trusted
You will find the entire list of discussions here: http://kkartlab.in/group/some-science/forum
( Please go through the comments section below to find scientific research reports posted on a daily basis and watch videos based on science)
Get interactive...
Please contact us if you want us to add any information or scientific explanation on any topic that interests you. We will try our level best to give you the right information.
Our mail ID: kkartlabin@gmail.com
Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 1 hour ago. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Q: Why don't we see mentally challenged animals?Krishna:Cognitive specialization makes cross-species comparisons more complex, while potentially identifying human cognitive uniqueness that is…Continue
Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 21 hours ago. 15 Replies 2 Likes
What might happen when you take lots of medicines...One of our uncles died of liver cirrhosis ten years back. He never touched alcohol in his life. He didn't have any viral infection to cause this.…Continue
Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Q: The fact that I was born because I never existed in the first place suggests that, if I never existed after death, I may eventually exist again in the future. But what about the uncertainty of…Continue
Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Wednesday. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Q: Humans are thousands times more intelligent and prudent than animals and birds. But why do animals and birds sense natural disasters, earthquakes and storms before they occur? Why don't humans…Continue
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Scientists 'film' a quantum measurement. Measuring a quantum system causes it to change—one of the strange but fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics. Researchers now have now been able to demonstrate how this change happens.
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-scientists-quantum.html?utm_source=nw...
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Scientists discovered entirely new class of RNA caps in bacteria and described the function of 'alarmones' and their mechanism of function.
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-discovery-class-rna-caps-bacteria.htm...
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Chemists learn how to detect phenols in smoked food samples using vitamin B4
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-chemists-phenols-food-samples-vitamin...
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Mosaic evolution - where subsets of traits evolve independently of others - painted lorikeets a rainbow of colour ...
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-mosaic-evolution-lorikeets-rainbow.ht...
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Researchers turn bacterial cell into biological computer: Currently, the computer identifies and reports on toxic and other materials. Next up: the ability to warn about hemorrhaging in the human body.
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-bacterial-cell-biological.html?utm_so...
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Cannibalism on rise among polar bears, say Russian scientists: Cases of polar bears killing and eating each other are on the rise in the Arctic as melting ice and human activity erode their habitat.
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-cannibalism-polar-russian-scientists....
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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-02-sugary-sour-choice-adults-ch...
Hundreds of bird species in India are in decline, according to the country’s first major report on the state of bird populations. Birds of prey and waterbirds seem to have been hit particularly hard owing to habitat destruction, hunting and the pet trade.
But it’s not all bad news. Species such as the house sparrow seem to be doing better than previously thought.
The State of India’s Birds report, released on 17 February, relied on more than 10 million observations from birdwatchers recorded in the online repository of worldwide bird sightings, eBird.
The report’s authors — researchers from 10 government and non-profit research and conservation groups — used eBird data to analyse long-term trends for 261 bird species. That is, the proportional change in the frequency of reported sightings of since 1993. They found that more than half of those species have declined since 2000. The group also looked at the current annual trends in 146 species; nearly 80% have declined in the past 5 years.
The researchers classified 101 species as of high conservation concern, and another 319 species as of moderate conservation concern, on the basis of declines in their abundance and range, and their status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00498-3?utm_source=Natur...
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https://www.space.com/rogue-star-kick-earth-out-solar-system.html
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New study allows brain and artificial neurons to link up over the web. Research on novel nanoelectronics devices has enabled brain neurons and artificial neurons to communicate with each other over the Internet.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200226110843.htm
Arms race between bacteria and viruses: New light
A new study reveals how bacterial immune systems can be harmful for their hosts, and why they are not found in all bacteria.
The existing CRISPR anti-viral immunity was often a disadvantage to the bacterium when infected by certain viruses.
CRISPR has become well known for its repurposing as a tool for precise genetic engineering. However, CRISPR systems (segments of DNA) naturally occur in many bacteria and have the important function of providing bacteria with immunity against viruses or foreign DNA.
This triggered a major question as to whether autominnunity is important in other bacterial pathogens.
Triggering the powerful CRISPR defence systems is risky for a bacterium. "Importantly, this may help answer a long-standing question of why these defence systems are absent in 60 per cent of bacteria."
For example, Staphylococcus aureus pathogens that often take up extra genes to become multidrug resistant, seldom have CRISPR defence. An example of this is MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) an infection often occurring in people who have been in hospitals or other healthcare settings like residential care homes, which has become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to treat ordinary staph infections. It seldom has CRISPR defence.
More information: Clare Rollie et al, Targeting of temperate phages drives loss of type I CRISPR–Cas systems, Nature (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-1936-2
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/on-the-road-to-3-d-print...
An international team of researchers has found a multicellular animal with no mitochondrial DNA, making it the only known animal to exist without the need to breathe oxygen. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their study of Henneguya salminicola, a microscopic, parasitic member of the group Myxozoa and its unique physiology.
One of the common characteristics of all multicellular animals on Earth is mitochondrial respiration—the process by which oxygen is used to generate adenosine triphosphate—the fuel used to power cellular processes. The process takes place in mitochondria, which has both its own genome and the main genome found in the rest of the body's cells. But now, there is a known exception: Henneguya salminicola.
H. salminicola is a microscopic parasite that infects salmon. When the host dies, spores are released that are consumed by worms, which can also serve as hosts for the parasite. When salmon eat the worms, they become infected as the parasite moves into their muscles. They can be seen by fishermen as white, oozing bubbles, which is why salmon with H. salminicola infections are sometimes said to have tapioca disease.
In their work, the researchers sequenced the DNA of H. salminicola tissue and found no mitochondrial DNA at all. Believing they had made an error, the team repeated their work and once again found no sign of mitochondrial DNA. Confused, they sequenced the DNA of close relatives of H. salminicola and found evidence of the expected mitochondrial genomes. H. salminicola did have structures that resembled mitochondria but they were not capable of producing the enzymes needed for respiration, a finding that suggested the creature was capable of surviving without oxygen—a first. The presence of structures that resemble mitochondrial DNA suggests that the tiny parasites have undergone a process of de-evolution. In addition to losing the apparatus to create ATP, they also have lost tissue, nerve cells and muscles.
The researchers did not find any other mechanism for producing the fuel cells in H. salminicola would need to survive, but suggest they likely steal energy from their host using some type of proteins.
More information: Dayana Yahalomi et al. A cnidarian parasite of salmon (Myxozoa: Henneguya) lacks a mitochondrial genome, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1909907117
A new type of battery combines negative capacitance and negative resistance within the same cell, allowing the cell to self-charge without losing energy!
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-simple-self-charging-battery-power-so...
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Synthesizing a superatom (a name given to a cluster of atoms that seem to exhibit properties similar to elemental atoms) : Opening doors to their use as substitutes for elemental atoms
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-superatom-doors-substitutes-elemental...
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Scientists document striking changes in Pacific Arctic ecosystems because of warmer ocean water.
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-scientists-document-pacific-arctic-ec...
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https://phys.org/news/2020-02-gene-loss-important-animal-kingdom.ht...
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https://phys.org/news/2020-02-genetic-secret-night-vision.html?utm_...
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https://phys.org/news/2020-02-donts-wildlife-species.html?utm_sourc...
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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-02-resident-microbes-body-chemi...
Line of defense: Scientists report surprising evolutionary shift in snakes
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-line-defense-scientists-evolutionary-...
In the animal kingdom, survival essentially boils down to eat or be eaten. How organisms accomplish the former and avoid the latter reveals a clever array of defense mechanisms. Maybe you can outrun your prey. Perhaps you sport an undetectable disguise. Or maybe you develop a death-defying resistance to your prey's heart-stopping defensive chemicals that you can store in your own body to protect you from predators.
Species of the Rhabdophis genus. Commonly called "keelbacks" and found primarily in southeast Asia, the snakes sport glands in their skin, sometimes just around the neck, where they store bufadienolides, a class of lethal steroids they get from toads, their toxic prey of choice.
"These snakes bend their necks in a defensive posture that surprises unlucky predators with a mouthful of toxins"."Scientists once thought these snakes produced their own toxins, but learned, instead, they obtain it from their food—namely, toads."
In a surprising twist, the researchers discovered not all members of the genus derive their defensive toxin from the same source. A species group of the snakes, found in western China and Japan, shifted its primary diet from frogs (including toads) to earthworms.
The earthworms don't produce the toxins; instead, the snakes also snack on firefly larvae, which produce the same class of toxins as the toads. Their findings appear in the Feb. 24, 2020, early online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This is the first documented case of a vertebrate predator switching from a vertebrate prey to an invertebrate prey for the selective advantage of getting the same chemical class of defensive toxin.
Study on artificial and biological neural networks found that the use of contrived experimental manipulations with the hope of uncovering simple rules or representations is unlikely to yield models that can be effectively applied to the real world.
Models based on artificial neural networks do not learn rules or representations of the world around them that are easy for humans to interpret. On the contrary, they typically use local computations to analyze different aspects of data in a high-dimensional parameter space.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-02-perspective-artificial-biolo...
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The interplay of diseases is the norm rather than the exception - the presence of even one more contagion in the population can dramatically shift the dynamics from simple to complex.
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-coronavirus-team-complexity-scientist...
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New plant based eco-glue: just a single drop of the eco-glue has enough strength to hold up to 90 kg weight, but can still be easily removed by the touch of a finger. And it 's cheap!
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-combination-plant-based-particles-eco...
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https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/antibiotics-may-compromi...
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https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/solar-weather-linked-to-...
https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/microbes-in-our-ancestors-stomach...
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Different shades of hypnobirthing: the techniques don’t work for everyone.
https://theconversation.com/what-is-hypnobirthing-the-technique-the...
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https://phys.org/news/2020-02-microbes-environment-dying.html?utm_s...
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How COVID-19 Is Spread: Scientists’ latest understanding of the facts, the suspicions, and the discounted rumors of SARS-CoV-2’s transmission from person to person
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/how-covid-19-is-spread-6...
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-alpha-collaboration-quantum-effects-a...
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Researchers combine lasers and terahertz waves in camera that sees 'unseen' detail interior of solid objects
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-combine-lasers-terahertz-camera-unsee...
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Opening the window in your home will not flush out the chemicals in the air! The chemicals clinging to the walls and on surfaces in the home immediately replace them by detaching from these surfaces & floating into the air as soon as the conc. drops!
All homes have chemicals in the air that are inhaled by the home's occupants. The chemicals come from materials such as couches and pillows, and also from products such as hair sprays, room deodorizers and scented candles. Other contributors include cleaning products and fumes from heating or cooking oils.
the researchers wondered if simply opening the windows and doors to a home would reduce the amount of chemicals in the air.
The experiments consisted of testing the air in a model home
Afterward, all the doors and windows were opened for a period of time and then closed again. The air was then tested again for the same chemicals. As expected, the researchers found that concentrations of most of the chemicals dropped dramatically when the doors and windows were opened—but they were surprised to see that the chemicals returned to their original concentrations within just a few minutes.
The researchers suggest that the reason opening the doors and windows did not reduce chemical levels for more than a few minutes was because the chemicals were clinging to the walls and on surfaces in the home. As concentration levels in the air dropped, the chemicals were immediately replaced by chemicals detaching from these surfaces and floating into the air.
The researchers also mopped the floor in the house several times using vinegar, and sprayed ammonia on most of the surfaces in the house to change surface pH. They found that it only made things worse. Readings showed that chemical concentrations in the air were higher for a short period of time.
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-window-home-flush-chemicals-air.html?...
More information: Chen Wang et al. Surface reservoirs dominate dynamic gas-surface partitioning of many indoor air constituents, Science Advances (2020). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay8973
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