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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: yesterday

         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

How Big is the universe?

Started by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa. Last reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday. 1 Reply

Q: How Big is the universe?Krishna: The total size of the universe is not known, and some scientists think it could be many times larger than the observable portion. For example, one hypothesis…Continue

What makes a criminal a criminal?

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

Q: Why do some people commit crimes? What does science say about it?Krishna: It is easy to blame people. But did you know that the way your brain wires or rewires because of different situations it…Continue

Why some people suffer from motion sickness

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

Cars may be a modern phenomenon, but motion sickness is not. More than 2,000 years ago, the physician …Continue

De-evolution?

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

"De-evolution" or "devolution" is a concept suggesting that species can revert to more primitive forms over time.Some scientists don't accept this concept at all. They say Evolution is a continuous…Continue

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 25, 2021 at 9:03am

SARS-CoV-2 needs cholesterol to invade cells and form mega cells

People taking cholesterol-lowering drugs may fare better than others if they catch the novel coronavirus. A new study hints at why: the virus relies on the fatty molecule to get past the cell's protective membrane.

To cause COVID-19, the SARS-CoV-2 virus must force its way into people's cells—and it needs an accomplice. Cholesterol, the waxy compound better known for clogging arteries, helps the virus open cells up and slip inside.

Without cholesterol, the virus cannot sneak past a cell's protectiv... and cause infection. Cholesterol is an integral part of the membranes that surround cells and some viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. It makes sense that it should be so important for infection. The finding might underlie the better health outcomes seen in COVID-19 patients taking cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins.

This discovery of cholesterol's importance could help scientists develop new stopgap measures to treat COVID-19 until most people are vaccinated.

David W. Sanders et al. SARS-CoV-2 Requires Cholesterol for Viral Entry and Pathological Syncytia Formation, bioRxiv (2020). DOI: 10.1101/2020.12.14.422737

https://phys.org/news/2021-01-sars-cov-cholesterol-invade-cells-meg...

SARS-CoV-2 Needs Cholesterol to Invade Cells

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 25, 2021 at 8:42am

Your Body Makes 3.8 Million Cells Every Second. Most of Them Are Blood

Deep within, on a cellular scale, your body is in a constant state of activity to keep you alive. Among those processes is the turnover of cells, replacing the cells that die with fresh new ones so that you don't crumble to bits like a zombie.

A new calculation reveals just how intensive that process is. According to biologists Ron Sender and Ron Milo of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, your body replaces around 330 billion cells per day. At that rate, your body is making over 3.8 million new cells every second.

Most of those are blood cells, followed by cells in your gut. Less than 2 percent of your cell turnover is everything else. Confirming these numbers could help scientists better understand how the human body functions and the role cell turnover plays in both health and disease.

It's a common myth that your body completely regenerates all its cells every seven years. The reality is a lot more complicated. Some cells live just a few days, while others – such as neurons in the cerebellum and lipids in the lenses of your eyes – are limited only by the lifespan of the host (you). So humans are very far from a Ship of Theseus situation. However, while scientists have previously worked out estimates for how many cells are in the body, what kind they are, and what their lifespans are, very little work has been done to take a census of the cellular turnover rate.

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They based their calculations on a standard reference person: a healthy male between the ages of 20 and 30, weighing 70 kilograms (154 pounds) and 170 centimetres (5 feet 7 inches) tall. Then, for their estimation of cell turnover rates, they included every cell type that constitutes over 0.1 percent of the total cell population.

Cell lifespans were collected from a literature survey, using only those works that took direct measurements of the lifespans of human cells. Then they derived the overall cellular mass for each type, based on the average cell mass.

Based on this information, the pair then calculated that their standard reference person would have a cell turnover rate of around 80 grams (2.8 ounces) per day, or 330 billion cells.

Of that turnover by number, 86 percent would be blood cells, mostly erythrocytes (red blood cells, the most abundant cell type in the body) and neutrophils (the most abundant type of white blood cell). Another 12 percent would be gastrointestinal epithelial cells, with small amounts of skin cells (1.1 percent), endothelial cells that line the blood vessels, and lung cells (0.1 percent each).

Although blood cells make up most of cell turnover in terms of individual cell count, by mass it's a different story. Only 48.6 percent of the mass is blood cells, of all types. Gastrointestinal cells make up another 41 percent. Skin cells make up 4 percent, while adipocytes, or fat cells, which barely registered in cell numbers, make up another 4 percent by mass.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-01182-9

(If you're wondering what happens to all the dead cells, they either get sloughed off, in the case of skin and gastrointestinal cells, and sometimes slurped up by parasites, or broken down and partially recycled by the body. Waste not, want not!)

https://www.sciencealert.com/your-body-makes-4-million-cells-a-seco...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 25, 2021 at 8:36am

Exciting Study on Mouse Immune Cells Reveals How We Might Reverse Cognitive Decline in old age

New research hints at a cause – and possible solution – for some of the ailments and decline that often come with age.

Scientists have long known that cognitive decline as we get older and specific age-related diseases including Alzheimer's  are linked to inflammation, but they are still uncovering precisely why and how this is the case. 

Research published Wednesday in the journal Nature pinpoints the role of a messenger hormone found in much higher levels in older people, and mice, than their younger counterparts.

When the hormone was blocked in older mice, they were able to perform as well as more youthful rodents in tests of their memory and navigation.

The researchers found that higher levels of the hormone affected the metabolism of immune cells called macrophages, prompting them to store energy rather than consume it.

That ends up effectively starving the cells and sends them into a damaging inflammatory hyperdrive that contributes to age-related cognitive decline and several age-related diseases.

The hormone, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), "is a major regulator of all types of inflammation, both good and bad, and its effect depends on the receptor that is activated. This new study identified the EP2 receptor... as the receptor that leads to energy depletion and maladaptive inflammation.

Older mice that received the compounds or had the receptor deleted from their genes performed as well as young mice when tested for navigation and spatial memory, both of which deteriorate with ageing and diseases like Alzheimer's.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03160-0

https://www.sciencealert.com/a-study-on-mice-immune-cells-reveals-a...

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Researchers create new form of cultivated meat

McMaster researchers have developed a new form of cultivated meat using a method that promises more natural flavor and texture than other alternatives to traditional meat from animals.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 24, 2021 at 3:11pm

The Blanket Octopus and it's AMAZING Blanket!!

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 24, 2021 at 3:00pm

Visual Behavior Modeling for Robotic Theory of Mind

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 24, 2021 at 1:43pm

Airflows inside passenger cars and implications for airborne disease transmission  

How to Have a COVID-Safe Car Ride, According to Science
Sharing a car with someone is one of the riskiest things you can do without cohabitating, as far as coronavirus transmission goes.

While taking a car may feel like a slightly safer alternative compared to public transportation, it's still a small, enclosed space. Even if all passengers are wearing masks, some small particles can escape from the face coverings into the air.

It's usually not significant when you're outdoors, because it gets diluted.   But when you're in a confined space like that of a car, if [the particles] are not flushed out of the cabin, they can remain and build up a concentration with time.

Scientists been modelling how particles may move inside vehicles with various levels of ventilation using fluid mechanics.

These things were found in various simulations:

Rolling down all of the windows was the most effective way to clear out potentiallyvirus-laden particles from a car.  When all windows were closed, 8 percent to 10 percent of the tiny particles one person exhaled could reach another. That number dropped to 0.2 percent to 2 percent when all four windows were open.

But on a chilly winter day, opening all of the windows may not be the most practical option, so the authors experimented with alternatives, and came up with some suggestions.

If you're going to open two windows, pick the ones opposite the driver and passenger
The simulated car was based on a Toyota Prius driving at 50 miles per hour, with a driver in the front left seat and a single passenger in the back right. While a passenger may intuitively crack the window closest to them upon getting in a car, opening the windows opposite the driver (front right) and passenger (back left) provided better ventilation in the model.

In a moving car, fresh air typically flows in through the rear window and out the front window .  Opening the windows opposite the occupants not only provides an entry and exit point for particles, but also creates a current of air separating the passenger from the driver.

However, the difference between the two-windows-open configurations they tested was "marginal."

You should open some windows at least halfway if you're sharing a car, and always wear a mask
Opening car windows is not a foolproof way to avoid coronavirus transmission. Sharing a car with someone outside of your household is a risky move, and opening windows is one way to reduce that risk. But that extra ventilation is not a substitute for other prevention measures, such as mask-wearing, handwashing, and sanitizing common surfaces.

Plastic barriers between driver and passenger could help stop droplets. While such sheets are not a substitute for fresh air, it doesn't hurt to have them. 
The barriers are helpful in preventing all kinds of droplet transmission, including the small ones .
 But a better way is to also have a ventilation system, so that the air inside the cabin gets replenished with fresh air from the outside.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 24, 2021 at 1:01pm

Spitting cobra venoms evolved to cause extreme pain.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 24, 2021 at 12:58pm

Lilly antibody reduced Covid-19 risk by 80% in nursing home study

A synthetic antibody developed by Eli Lilly reduced the risk of contracting Covid-19 by 80 percent in a study of nursing home residents when used preventatively, the company said Thursday. Though the result is only preliminary and awaiting peer review, the finding was hailed as highly promising by experts, who said it meant that the infused therapy had the potential to complement vaccines. "We are exceptionally pleased with these positive results, which showed bamlanivimab was able to help prevent COVID-19, substantially reducing symptomatic disease among nursing home residents, some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

The result came from a late-stage clinical trial sponsored by the US government that examined 299 residents and 666 staff of long-term care facilities who tested negative for the virus.

The result came from a late-stage clinical trial sponsored by the US government that examined 299 residents and 666 staff of long-term care facilities who tested negative for the virus, the company said in a press release.

The participants were randomly assigned either 4.2 grams of bamlanivimab, or a placebo.

After eight weeks of follow-up, the risk of developing symptomatic Covid-19 was overall reduced by 57 percent for those receiving the treatment.

In particular, residents on bamlanivimab had a 80 percent lower risk of contracting the disease.

Among the 299 residents, there were four deaths attributed to Covid-19, all in the placebo arm.

https://researchnews.cc/news/4768/Lilly-antibody-reduced-Covid-19-r...

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 23, 2021 at 11:26am

Evolution doesn’t work the way you think it does

An evolutionary biologist explains all the things you might get into an argument over

https://massivesci.com/articles/evolution-darwin-fitness-genes-sele...

https://massivesci.com/articles/evolution-darwin-fitness-genes-sele...

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'Male' vs 'female' brains: having a mix of both is common and offers big advantages – new research
While there are small differences between male and female brains, most of us have a mix of both.
Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 23, 2021 at 11:04am

Blue Monday claims are 'pseudo-scientific gibberish, nonsense' - Consultant psychologist

https://www.newstalk.com/news/blue-monday-claims-are-pseudo-scienti...

Those who claim third Monday of Jan., (Blue Monday is the name given to a day in January (typically the third Monday of the month) said by a UK travel company, Sky Travel, to be the most depressing day of the year. The concept was first published in a 2005 press release from the company, which claimed to have calculated the date using an "equation") marks the most depressing day of the year are spouting “pseudo-scientific gibberish,” according to a consultant clinical psychologist.

Over recent years, the third Monday in January has become known as ‘Blue Monday’ – with people struggling to come to terms with long nights, the weather, money problems and unfulfilled resolutions.

Saying that the most depressing thing about Blue Monday is that this pseudo-science, gibberish, nonsense has not been forgotten about and we are still talking about it. It is not a thing. It was invented in 2005 by an advertising company to help a travel company sell holidays; to let us know that we need to book our holidays long in advance. They came up with this gibberish formula that does nothing except make us feel worse about ourselves.

If you look around and see the environment we have right now, we have enough things to be sad and anxious about. We don’t need this on top of everything else. There is zero scientific evidence behind the claims and experts warned of a real danger that it could “become a self-fulfilling prophecy” for people as long as it continues.

People go into it thinking, ‘this is going to be the saddest day of the year’ and in that day then they feel sad because they feel they are supposed to be sad. But no, it isn’t. It is just a day like any other.

People who are feeling down or depressed need support every day of the year, not on “some random day that was picked by an advertising company.” It is completely invalidating to those who are suffering from depression.

It is as useful as getting out the horoscope to predict how the day is going to go. People struggle day in, day out – not on any one given day or because of a date.

 

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