Cool Science & Technology News

[Wibble]

Meh....not necessarily convinced of life abiotic origin. Finding nucleotides in space rocks is cool, but if they were found as individual molecules or in isolated pockets I don't think it suggests anything other than that molecule formation does indeed follow some sot of standard pattern. Studies have shown spontaneous nucleotide formation and pairing. Could life on earth have originated abiotically? Sure, and that would be cool, but I still think it is much more likely that it originated here.

Spontaneous formation and base pairing of plausible prebiotic nucleotides in water | Nature Communications

All it does is confirm the potential. Interesting of course. If it does in fact confirm that molecule formation tends to follow a standard pattern the more interesting thing is that it suggests that the building blocks for life are very widespread in the universe.

 

[WI_Red]

More of a natural science, but still this is both fascinating and terrifying.

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[calodo2003]

That's incredible.

 

[Carolina Red]

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[nimic]

Before I read anything except the headline "Nuclear fusion breakthrough confirmed", I'm just so incredibly sceptical at this point. We've been 20 years away from fusion for like 70 years by now.

 

[711]

Before I read anything except the headline "Nuclear fusion breakthrough confirmed", I'm just so incredibly sceptical at this point. We've been 20 years away from fusion for like 70 years by now.

Also one might think it would just possibly make a mainstream news channel or two.

Unless 'they' don't want us to know of course.

 

[RedSky]

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Read some of the comments and this announcements already been debunked.

 

[Carolina Red]

Read some of the comments and this announcements already been debunked.

So the year long peer review didn’t catch it?

 

[RedSky]

So the year long peer review didn’t catch it?

I'm probably just very ignorant as the headline makes it sound like it's a massive leap forward whereas the article itself downplays it as the first step. I always have that film Chain Reaction in my head when it comes to headlines like this.

 

[nimic]

I don't think it's debunked as in it's fake, it just maybe doesn't qualify for "truly incredible news". It's cool, though. There's still a long, long way to go, but it's (apparently) something.

 

[Carolina Red]

I mean… I read the article, not just the headline and thought, “hmm… this sounds like cool science news”.

 

[nimic]

I mean… I read the article, not just the headline and thought, “hmm… this sounds like cool science news”.

 

[WI_Red]

I have no idea where this goes, but I think we are watching an AI loose it's will to exist....

 

[Drifter]

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[Cheimoon]

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That's... wow...

 

[Welsh Wonder]

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I was half expecting it to break the finger at the end there

 

[Peter van der Gea]

I was half expecting it to break the finger at the end there

Was it Russian?

 

[Wibble]

De-extinction

https://www.theguardian.com/austral...on-dollar-resurrection-of-the-tasmanian-tiger

 

[Dargonk]

De-extinction

https://www.theguardian.com/austral...on-dollar-resurrection-of-the-tasmanian-tiger

Was listening to that on the radio this morning. Its interesting, though not sure how good an idea it actually is in practice.

I did also think of Jurassic park

 

[Wibble]

Was listening to that on the radio this morning. Its interesting, though not sure how good an idea it actually is in practice.

I did also think of Jurassic park

Hard to know the ecological effects given that Tasmania will be ecologically very different from when they last were in the wild. Hopefully they would survive as they went extinct due to hunting but again who knows if there is enough food out there for them.

 

[Dargonk]

Hard to know the ecological effects given that Tasmania will be ecologically very different from when they last were in the wild. Hopefully they would survive as they went extinct due to hunting but again who knows if there is enough food out there for them.

I would have decent concerns about how reintroducing them would cause major issues to the wildlife. Similar to cats in NZ (though to a lesser extent), most of the animals would now have adapted in some way to not having them around. So suddenly would be more vulnerable to a new predator being re-introduced, at least in the short term.

 

[Wibble]

I would have decent concerns about how reintroducing them would cause major issues to the wildlife. Similar to cats in NZ (though to a lesser extent), most of the animals would now have adapted in some way to not having them around. So suddenly would be more vulnerable to a new predator being re-introduced, at least in the short term.

Although cats are introduced feral pests. I'd say the main concern would be that they mainly ate small marsupials. If the ecosystem was as it was prior to colonisation that wouldn't be a concern but if feral dogs and foxes (which may or may not have finally reached Tasmania) adding another predator might be a bad idea.

 

[Cheimoon]

So, protons might contain an intrinsic charm quark - which is actually heavier than the proton itself. Quantum mechanics is just SO weird.

The subatomic particles are a mash-up of three lighter particles called quarks: two of the type known as up quarks and one down quark. But physicists have speculated for decades that protons may also host more massive quarks, called “intrinsic” charm quarks. A new analysis supports that idea, physicists report in the Aug. 18 Nature.

Charm quarks are much heavier than up or down quarks. So heavy that, mind-bendingly, “you can have a component of the proton which is heavier than the proton itself,” says theoretical physicist Juan Rojo of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Full news article: Protons contain intrinsic charm quarks, a new study suggests | Science News
Full scientific article: Evidence for intrinsic charm quarks in the proton | Nature

 

[Tarrou]

 

[Invictus]

For context, in 2020, the same reactor (Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (aka KSTAR)) had maintained stable containment of plasma over a period of roughly 20 seconds — so now it's just a matter of pushing it to the very limits (and setting newer records by optimizing the conditions and refining the processes).



Korea Institute of Fusion Energy | KSTAR project.

Seriously impressive; KSTAR has been operational for about 15 years now — and South Korea has developed soooo rapidly as an experimental and foundational research powerhouse!

 

[Solius]

New malaria vaccine is world-changing, say scientists

A malaria vaccine with "world-changing" potential has been developed by scientists at the University of Oxford.

The team expect it to be rolled out next year after trials showed up to 80% protection against the deadly disease.

Crucially, say the scientists, their vaccine is cheap and they already have a deal to manufacture more than 100 million doses a year.
The charity Malaria No More said recent progress meant children dying from malaria could end "in our lifetimes".

It has taken more than a century to develop effective vaccines as the malaria parasite, which is spread by mosquitoes, is spectacularly complex and elusive. It is a constantly moving target, shifting forms inside the body, which make it hard to immunise against.

Last year, the World Health Organization gave the historic go-ahead for the first vaccine - developed by pharmaceutical giant GSK - to be used in Africa.

However, the Oxford team claim their approach is more effective and can be manufactured on a far greater scale.

Trial results from 409 children in Nanoro, Burkina Faso, have been published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases. It shows three initial doses followed by a booster a year later gives up to 80% protection.

 

[WI_Red]

New malaria vaccine is world-changing, say scientists

Amazing if it works. As the article mentions, this is a bitch of a parasite to deal with.

 

[Cheimoon]

New malaria vaccine is world-changing, say scientists

That would be freakin' awesome!

And finally something that isn't primarily triggered by 'western' needs. (I mean, monkeypox has existed for ages, yet now it's suddenly a big health issue that urgently requires its own vaccine...)

 

[WI_Red]

That would be freakin' awesome!

And finally something that isn't primarily triggered by 'western' needs. (I mean, monkeypox has existed for ages, yet now it's suddenly a big health issue that urgently requires its own vaccine...)

UAB, when I was there, had a bunch of PI's working on Plasmodium F. research and it was fascinating to hear their work. The life cycle of that bitch is basically:

Enter the body -> Go into witness protection in the liver and reproduce like rabbits -> escape and go on a murder rampage on red blood cells alien style -> Hitch a ride on a mosquito and do it all again

This life cycle is what makes vaccination so hard. Kudos to the team that figured it out.

 

[Cheimoon]

UAB, when I was there, had a bunch of PI's working on Plasmodium F. research and it was fascinating to hear their work. The life cycle of that bitch is basically:

Enter the body -> Go into witness protection in the liver and reproduce like rabbits -> escape and go on a murder rampage on red blood cells alien style -> Hitch a ride on a mosquito and do it all again

This life cycle is what makes vaccination so hard. Kudos to the team that figured it out.

That sounds fascinating so I was looking up how it works, and I found this:

R21/Matrix-M: a second malaria vaccine? - The Lancet

This bit explains its functioning, I suppose:

The R21 vaccine is a virus-like particle based on the C-terminal portion of the circumsporozoite protein from P falciparum strain NF54 fused to the N-terminus of HBsAg. R21 is being manufactured using the Matrix-M (MM) adjuvant produced by Novavax.

If I understand this correctly, they have created a particle that resembles a part of a protein of a particular strain of Plasmodium F. But what's that HBsAg part? I see it's part of the Hep B virus. Is that meant to trigger the immune system response, which then along the way adds the particle to its hate list?

Yes, I'm an absolute layman trying to make sense of this.

 

[WI_Red]

That sounds fascinating so I was looking up how it works, and I found this:

R21/Matrix-M: a second malaria vaccine? - The Lancet

This bit explains its functioning, I suppose:

If I understand this correctly, they have created a particle that resembles a part of a protein of a particular strain of Plasmodium F. But what's that HBsAg part? I see it's part of the Hep B virus. Is that meant to trigger the immune system response, which then along the way adds the particle to its hate list?

Yes, I'm an absolute layman trying to make sense of this.

You have it right, HBsAg is the surface hep B antigen. It is used for vaccination purposes and I think it is the target of Hep B antigen tests.

As for the MOA of the vaccine, I am going to take a guess now and can look it up after work. It sounds like the have constructed an artificial viroid that presents a sporozoite protein. Sporozoite is the "form" of the parasite that is injected by a mosquito into a person blood during feeding. This makes sense as a target as it would allow for an immediate response before the sporozoites can get into the liver. As for why they are fusing it to HBsAg, my guess would be this is to increase the immunogenicity of the fusion protein. Think of it marketing: If you want to get people into your store to buy ketchup you don't necessarily market the ketchup, instead you put it right next to hot dog and hamburger buns and hope someone grabs a bottle when in the bread isle.

 

[Cheimoon]

You have it right, HBsAg is the surface hep B antigen. It is used for vaccination purposes and I think it is the target of Hep B antigen tests.

As for the MOA of the vaccine, I am going to take a guess now and can look it up after work. It sounds like the have constructed an artificial viroid that presents a sporozoite protein. Sporozoite is the "form" of the parasite that is injected by a mosquito into a person blood during feeding. This makes sense as a target as it would allow for an immediate response before the sporozoites can get into the liver. As for why they are fusing it to HBsAg, my guess would be this is to increase the immunogenicity of the fusion protein. Think of it marketing: If you want to get people into your store to buy ketchup you don't necessarily market the ketchup, instead you put it right next to hot dog and hamburger buns and hope someone grabs a bottle when in the bread isle.

Right, I think that's more or less what I was trying to get at then!

Thanks! On this level, the body and biology in general are really endlessly fascinating.

 

[Tarrou]

this is absolutely mind-blowing

https://newatlas.com/telecommunicat...-transmission-record-entire-internet-traffic/

 

[Cheimoon]

this is absolutely mind-blowing

https://newatlas.com/telecommunicat...-transmission-record-entire-internet-traffic/

That's fecking crazy... So how far might this be from actually being used? Cause it seems like a very serious leap forward in information transfer.

 

[calodo2003]

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[Superden]

That's fecking crazy... So how far might this be from actually being used? Cause it seems like a very serious leap forward in information transfer.

Porn and gambling. faster.

 

[Denis79]

Base editing: Revolutionary therapy clears girl's incurable cancer

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-63859184

 

[Murder on Zidane's Floor]

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[WI_Red]

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Yawn. We’ve been here every 12 months for the last two decades. I mean I hope it’s true but this claim is next level crying wolf at this point.

 

[nimic]

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Same guys? The article is paywalled.

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