Science – Stemify News

The Secret to Clustering? Unveiling the Mystery Behind Spinal Cancer Clusters

Biotech, Medicine, Science, Technology / By Daniel Yakuboff

According to the CDC, over 600,000 people passed away from this leading cause of death, making it the second greatest claimant of casualties. Upon being diagnosed, one experiences a lifetime of stress and a load of rigorous treatment in the form of chemotherapy in an attempt to kill all the cells before the illness could spread to the remainder of the body. It doesn’t always stop at this point though, many go on to have progressing stages that may either require more treatment, a verdict of ‘X months to live,’ or the first followed by the second. This illness is cancer.

There are over a hundred and fifty types of cancer, ranging from the head to the toe and everything in between. Some cancers are heavily influenced by gender (such as breast cancer), others by age (such as prostate cancer), and so on and so forth. The specific one that ought to be highlighted though for its increased presence (clustering) of cancerous cells relative to the body is spinal cancer. Although most (if not all) cancers have the ability to cluster its cells in a couple of specific areas, this one can cause cancer cells to become three to five times more apparent in the spine relative to other limbs.

Without the assistance of modern medicine and technology necessary to probe deeper, scientists just considered this specific clustering of cells a medical mystery.

But we have access to that technology now. At least, researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York do. With these resources, they were available to figure out what exactly causes these clusters to emerge: vertebral skeletal stem cells in the spine. What makes these stem cells unique relative to other ones is their production of a protein that attracts these tumor (cancerous) cells to come to them.

So what can be done with this? Excellent question.

Through identifying what may exactly cause this clustering, researchers can work on targeting these vertebral skeletal stem cells to disrupt their function (i.e., attracting cancerous tumor cells to them).

That seems like the perfect plan, no? However, when an experiment on mice where these cells are targeted took place, it didn’t completely eliminate the amount of bone (and, by extension, the number of cancerous cells) in that area. This then begs the question: is there a second stem cell type that we aren’t accounting for? Or is it something else?

Sources

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2023/11/28/new-stem-cell-spine-cancer/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37704733/

Exploring the Science Behind Allergies

Bio Chemistry, Biomedical, Biotech, Engineering, Immunology, Science, Technology / By Aayush Koirala

As alarming as it sounds, even a lick of peanut butter could be life-threatening. Allergies. What is it? Let’s see. Had the peanut in peanut butter been harmful to everyone it wouldn’t be called an allergy. Only if something reacts in an unprecedented way to a select few is then called an allergy.

So the question arises, How do I know if I’m allergic and what I am allergic to?

Allergies come in forms, ranging from water to even nickel coins. One can’t possibly predict what substances react weirdly with your body without ever being exposed to it. This is why allergy tests are done.

Well, Only a medical professional could let you know your allergies unless something you had eaten or been exposed to previously didn’t sit right with you. Symptoms of an allergy range from a runny nose to breathlessness and of course, the scary and itchy hives.

Let’s take a look at what the doctor is doing behind the scenes, shall we?

An immunologist or allergist usually does the test which involves a skin prick or a patch test. The image above, from Westhillsaaa, illustrates a medical personnel checking for unusual reactions in a patient’s skin through various triggers.

The tests could range from injecting the allergens into your skin from an injection to taking out a blood sample. The choice of tests varies according to the patient’s data including their medical history, their condition, and suspected triggers.

Something to note about allergies is that a person can outgrow them with time. This is commonly seen in children getting rid of food allergies but some allergies like that of pollen and medications persist for a long time or even all your life.

Although you can’t possibly get rid of an allergy that still persists in adulthood, you can take certain medications and tests described accordingly to reduce complications.

A common medication is desensitization which is basically building tolerance for your allergen by exposing your body to it periodically under small concentrations.

A personal suggestion is that you should have an emergency action plan including an EpiPen ready just in case things go south after eating/reacting to something new.

In the near future, who’s to deny that at the rate medical technology is growing, maybe we could even have a permanent remedy for allergies? That’s a topic up for discussion.

Sleep Paralysis: Conscious Yet Frozen

Medicine, Psychology, Science / By Daniel Yakuboff

You are in your bed after a long day, about to fall asleep. You finish reading your book, scrolling on your phone, sending an email, and hit the hay. Then, you wake up the next day in your bed. You might have been dreaming about frolicking in a field, cleaning your house (I hope not), going on vacation, or a variety of other things. But… you wake up in your bed. Not in a different country, not in a different area outside of your home, not even in a different room in your home. You wake up in the exact same place where you went to sleep: your bed. How is this possible?

Sleep paralysis is a deeply researched phenomenon in which, during sleep, you are unconscious and yet unable to move (prompting the apt name). Now, you can still curl your toes, flex your hands, or twist and turn, but you can’t actually get out of your bed and say, clean your house (provided you don’t have night terrors or some other conflicting sleep disorder). But how does sleep paralysis occur? Why can’t we just do our chores when we are dreaming, or rather dreading, them the next day?

Our brain is considered to be one of the most complex objects there is. From being able to have half of it removed and still function just about perfectly (in another phenomenon referred to as plasticity, or the brain’s ability to repair itself), to being able to not feel pain and yet regulate pain for all the other parts of the body, it’s a pretty unique and powerful organ. Millions of neurons and hundreds of parts within it work to make it function as it does, all without making us sweat even a little. But there are three particular things that explain sleep paralysis: the brain stem, the motor cortex, and movement signals.

The motor cortex is responsible for initiating your movements. Whether it’d be raising your arms to stretch, climbing a step with your legs, or even scrolling on your phone, you can thank your motor cortex. In all of these actions, the motor cortex sends movement signals to your brain in order to actually cause you to, well, move. During sleep, although you are not conscious, your brain still is active (as it doesn’t ever ‘shut off’). The body acknowledges this and programs your brain stem to block all movement signals from the motor cortex in an effort to protect you by preventing you from wandering off and, say, doing some chores.

You might be wondering why you can still curl your toes, toss and turn, or even move away from something unpleasurable. After all, the motor cortex is responsible for movement, no? Well, that’s true to an extent: it’s responsible for all voluntary movement, that is. Remember your last doctor’s appointment where they used the tiny rubber hammer to test your knee’s reflexes? That wasn’t voluntary, so instead of going up to the brain, it is only sent to the spinal cord, which the brain stem does not block movement signals from. As such, all reflexes (and certain small movements) are permissible by the brain because, well, they don’t actually go through it.

The brain is an intricate thing. It’s responsible for every single facet of your life, and yet does its job so seamlessly that we hardly even think about it. It even protects us at night when we are sleeping. What else can the brain do that we haven’t discovered? What else does the brain do that we marvel about?

Sources

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/parasomnias/sleep-paralysis
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21974-sleep-paralysis
https://sleepdoctor.com/parasomnias/sleep-paralysis/

The Fading Stars: Exploring Global Light Pollution

Astronomy, Physics, Science / By Aayush Koirala

A pollution that you can expect no one to talk about, is Light Pollution. Harmless at a glance, but poses an underlying depth of detriments.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, Light Pollution is the existence of too much artificial light in the environment, for example from street lights, which makes it difficult to see the stars. But do the effects stop here? Most certainly not.

Disrupting the natural patterns of wildlife, an increase in the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and complicated health problems are just fractions of the effects that the majority of the populace in urban areas are turning a blind eye to. So much coming from a small bulb hanging in your room huh? But why is the light radiation coming out of a simple light bulb posing such a threat you may ask?

Well, as the Nepali saying goes “Too much sugar is bitter”, and so is the case with bulbs. Few of them pose almost zero to negligible effect but in the context of urban areas housing 4.4 billion inhabitants, things get complicated.

Diving into the sole causes responsible for light pollution, the ones making the headlines are the residential lights and the dense populace.

This image helps us depict how light radiation in different areas across the United States varied over the past few decades. A general trend we can notice is that, as the population increased the brighter the night was.

When a lot of sources of light emitting devices are concentrated in a small area, light emitted from say a bulb usually directed towards the ground covers a broad surface area while also increasing the space of the glare region. And like all mediums, the ground also acts as a medium for reflection, and the waves of light travel onto the sky only to be deflected by the heavy clouds. This causes for the light particles to be trapped and its appearance is that of a haze during night time.

The image by Anezka Gocova, in “The Night Issue”, Alternatives Journal 39:5 helps for better visualisation.

To bring forth the gravity of this situation, a prime example would be the L. A power outage, caused by an earthquake in 1994. Panicking residents rushed to inform authorities through 911 to complain about the Milky Way Cluster they were seeing. (similar to the image below taken by Forest Wander)

Mind you, this astounding night view was something all humans around the world could see at night back when proper lighting hadn’t been invented.

Scientists fear that with time, even the brightest stars would stop shining if the light pollution isn’t controlled and that children in the coming generations won’t aspire to study astronomy as there would be nothing to see in the night sky.

Relating to the Nepali saying again, It’s the collective effort that counts. Some little countermeasures that one can take to reduce the drastic effects of light pollution are:

Use motion-sensor lights.
Direct outdoor lights downward.
Replace bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs.
Dim or lower-intensity outdoor lights.
Install lighting only where needed.
Use window coverings to block light.
Don’t leave decorative lights on all night.

Unveiling Antarctica’s Ancient Secret: Massive Hidden Landmass Emerges After 34 Million Years

Geology, Science / By Asmi Shukla

A new, enormous landmass, hidden and untouched for over 34 million years, has just been unveiled by scientists.

To put it in perspective, this discovery predates modern humans by about 170 times. It’s estimated to be larger than Belgium, but human-induced climate change could potentially expose it.

Stewart Jamieson, a glaciologist from the UK’s Durham University, remarked, “What is exciting is that it’s been hiding there in plain sight.” This hidden landscape was unveiled using radio waves sent to bounce off the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.

These radio signals were analyzed using “radio-echo sounding,” and satellites were employed to create images of what this hidden land might look like.

As scientists dug deeper into their research, they estimated that this land covers about 32,000 square kilometers. They believe it might have been a home to forests, diverse animals, and a thriving ecosystem.

The mystery of how this massive landmass ended up under the Antarctic ice sheet remains unsolved. However, scientists believe that it will be a “long way off” before this land sees the light of day again.

During the time it was exposed, Earth was at least 3-7°C warmer, and even with natural climate change (0.2°C every 11 years or so), it will take a millennium or more for this land to be exposed to the atmosphere once more.

Quantum-Inspired AI model helps CRISPR Cas9 Genome Editing for Microbes

Artificial Intelligence, Biology, Biotech, Medicine, Science, Technology / By Ahmed Aldeeb

A team of scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), have embarked on a groundbreaking venture, leveraging quantum biology, artificial intelligence (AI), and bioengineering to revolutionize the effectiveness of CRISPR Cas9 genome editing tools. Their focus is on microbes, particularly those earmarked for modifications to produce renewable fuels and chemicals, presenting a unique challenge due to their distinct chromosomal structures and sizes.

Traditionally, CRISPR tools have been tailored for mammalian cells and model species, resulting in weak and inconsistent efficiency when applied to microbes. Recognizing this limitation, Carrie Eckert, leader of the Synthetic Biology group at ORNL, remarked, “Few have been geared towards microbes where the chromosomal structures and sizes are very different.” This realization prompted the ORNL scientists to explore a new frontier in the quest to enhance the precision of CRISPR tools.

The team’s journey took an unconventional turn as they delved into quantum biology, a field at the intersection of molecular biology and quantum chemistry. Quantum biology explores the influence of electronic structure on the chemical properties and interactions of nucleotides, the fundamental building blocks of DNA and RNA, within cell nuclei where genetic material resides.

To improve the modeling and design of guide RNA for CRISPR Cas9, the scientists developed an explainable AI model named the iterative random forest. Trained on a dataset of approximately 50,000 guide RNAs targeting the genome of E. coli bacteria, the model took into account quantum chemical properties. The objective was to understand, at a fundamental level, the electronic distribution in nucleotides, which influences the reactivity and stability of the Cas9 enzyme-guide RNA complex.

“The model helped us identify clues about the molecular mechanisms that underpin the efficiency of our guide RNAs,” explained Erica Prates, a computational systems biologist at ORNL. The iterative random forest, with its thousands of features and iterative nature, was trained using the high-performance Summit supercomputer at ORNL’s Oak Ridge Leadership Computer Facility.

What sets this approach apart is its commitment to explainable AI. Rather than relying on a “black box” algorithm that lacks interpretability, the ORNL team aimed to understand the biological mechanisms driving results. Jaclyn Noshay, a former ORNL computational systems biologist and first author on the paper, emphasized, “We wanted to improve our understanding of guide design rules for optimal cutting efficiency with a microbial species focus.”

**Graphical Abstract** https://academic.oup.com/nar/article/51/19/10147/7279034

Validation of the explainable AI model involved CRISPR Cas9 cutting experiments on E. coli, using a large group of guides selected by the model. The results were promising, confirming the efficacy of the model in guiding genome modifications for microbes.

The implications of this research extend far beyond microbial genome editing. “If you’re looking at any sort of drug development, for instance, where you’re using CRISPR to target a specific region of the genome, you must have the most accurate model to predict those guides,” highlighted Carrie Eckert. The study not only advances the field of synthetic biology but also has broader applications in drug development and bioenergy research.

The ORNL researchers envision collaborative efforts with computational science colleagues to further enhance the microbial CRISPR Cas9 model using additional data from lab experiments and diverse microbial species. The ultimate goal is to refine CRISPR Cas9 models for a wide range of species, facilitating predictive DNA modifications with unprecedented precision.

The study, supported by the DOE Office of Science Biological and Environmental Research Program, ORNL’s Lab-Directed Research and Development program, and high-performance computing resources, signifies a significant leap forward in the quest to improve CRISPR technology. As Paul Abraham, a bioanalytical chemist at ORNL, remarked, “A major goal of our research is to improve the ability to predictively modify the DNA of more organisms using CRISPR tools. This study represents an exciting advancement toward understanding how we can avoid making costly ‘typos’ in an organism’s genetic code.” The findings hold promise for applications in fields ranging from bioenergy feedstock enhancement to drug development, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of CRISPR technology.

Sources

https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkad736

Unraveling the Enigma of SSRIs: How Do They Work, and Do They Really?

Medicine, Pharmacology / By Ruby Hyland

Image from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.verywellmind.com%2Flist-of-ssris-380594&psig=AOvVaw0XM6qzBGJgJ5sqoor-jvoP&ust=1697051716630000&source

SSRIS, or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, are a type of psychiatric drugs used to treat symptoms of depression and anxiety, or depressive and anxiety disorders. They are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, and first began being used clinically in the late 1980s. The first ever SSRI, fluoxetine, was cleared for prescription usage in the United States in 1988, and paved the way for a new, much more reliable form of antidepressants. As of 2018, it is estimated that 13.2% of Americans above the age of 12 are on some form of SSRIS. The question is, what are they, really, and how do they work?

It’s important to first understand the Serotonin Hypothesis of Depression. This hypothesis states that low levels of serotonin (a neurotransmitter related to mood, sleep, digestion, and much more) in the brain, or an inability to process serotonin correctly, is the leading cause of depression. Within this hypothesis lays the groundwork for SSRIS; the theory being that increasing serotonin in the brain lowers symptoms of depression. Therewithal, it is incredibly difficult for scientists to measure serotonin levels, as when done through bodily fluids, such as blood, urine, or cerebrospinal fluid, deficits do not appear, even when the person has been clearly diagnosed with depression. This is because neurotransmitter levels in the brain are extremely localized, and therefore not well reflected by levels throughout the rest of the body. This makes it difficult for scientists to objectively ‘prove’ the serotonin hypothesis, and as of 2022, many psychiatrists no longer accept the serotonin hypothesis, claiming there is no direct correlation between serotonin levels and depression. But, if the serotonin hypothesis is false, why are SSRIS so commonly used, and do they really work?

Here’s what we do know. After a few doses of an SSRI, serotonin levels in the brain increase. This happens because the SSRI blocks the reabsorption (or reuptake) of serotonin into the neurons, allowing the neurotransmitter to better send messages between neurons. SSRIS are classified as selective because they only block the reabsorption of serotonin, and not of other neurotransmitters. If the SSRI works properly, the patient should see decreased symptoms of depression within the first two weeks to a month. And that’s it. That’s how they work. It seems quite simple, and foolproof, but many psychologists have begun to find holes in the argument for this.

Research done by Moncrieff et al includes compelling data suggesting that there is no consistent evidence linking lowered serotonin concentration or activity to depression. They therefore suggest it is “time to acknowledge the serotonin theory of depression is not empirically substantiated.” This leads many to question the effectiveness of SSRIS. But how could that be? For the most part, patients who use SSRIS report their symptoms of depression and anxiety decreasing significantly, as well as their mood stabilizing. It is possible that this is partially because of a placebo effect, which is when a person’s belief in the treatments is what is causing their improvement, and not the treatment itself. It is also possible that researchers claims do not hold as much truth as they believe. Despite there clearly being evidence of a lack of a correlation, there is also decades worth of evidence that SSRIS do work.

Image from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fhopes.stanford.edu%2Fssris%2

Furthermore, it is important to note that we do not understand everything about SSRIS. The brain, and therefore, psychiatric medications, are incredibly complex. We tend to find that there isn’t just one answer to the psychology questions we seek, especially when considering that everyone is different, and there are lots of things we still don’t know about the brain. Psychiatrists and psychologists alike do not suggest stopping SSRIS if you are on one, especially not without consulting your physician. As research continues, we hope to find more of the answers we seek, although it’s hard to say what the near future holds for current theories about SSRIS and other psychiatric medications.

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/ssris/art-20044825

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9669646/#B17

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/denying-the-grave/202209/we-still-don-t-know-how-antidepressants-work

https://www.nhsinform.scot/tests-and-treatments/medicines-and-medical-aids/types-of-medicine/selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitors-ssris#:~:text=It’s%20 thought%20to%20have%20a,messages%20between%20 nearby%20never%20 cells.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db377.htm

Déjà Vu: The Brain’s Mysterious Illusion

Psychology, Science / By Ruby Hyland

We all know what déjà vu is, and no, we’re not talking about Olivia Rodrigo’s hit song. But what does it mean? A reported 97% of people have experienced déjà vu, but most don’t understand what it truly is. So, what psychological processes are involved in that odd, reminiscent feeling? Why does it happen? Why are our brains tricking us? Is it dangerous? Read to find out!

Technically, déjà vu is your brain creating an illusion. According to the Cleveland Clinic, déjà vu is caused by a dysfunctional connection between two parts of your brain. As explained by Dr. Khoury, a Neurologist and MD, déjà vu is a “subjectively inappropriate impression of familiarity of a present experience with an undefined past.” Basically, you feel you’re re-experiencing something you are almost sure you couldn’t. Scientists have traced this phenomenon back to recognition memory, composed of two aspects: recollection and familiarity. The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex control these aspects, respectively. The hippocampus controls long-term memory formation and spatial memory, allowing us to identify the position of objects regarding our bodies and concerning other objects. This contributes to the hippocampus’s ability to control recollection. Recollection allows us to remember and recognize things we have experienced before and to recall information (like on a test). Furthermore, the prefrontal cortex, specifically the lateral regions, including the anterior and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, are responsible for familiarity. Familiarity memory occurs when a situation feels familiar, but a specific memory cannot be pinpointed.

When your brain confuses a familiar memory for that of a recollection, déjà vu occurs. This creates the emotional sensation of an inscrutable memory. Because your brain interprets said familiar memory as recollective, you feel you’re sure you’ve experienced the memory before. Still, the brain’s inability to locate the memory (seeing as there isn’t truly one) complicates things, making the memory seem hazy and almost like a dream. This produces the confusion of knowing there’s no way you could have experienced the memory in the first place.

Image source: PBS, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ut8mYGi0YRs

For the most part, déjà vu is an entirely normal and healthy reminder that our brain isn’t perfect and makes mistakes, just like us. In rare cases, déjà vu can indicate a neurological disorder. As a possible effect of temporal lobe seizures, many individuals with epilepsy report frequent feelings of déjà vu. Epilepsy often includes focal seizures that occur in the brain, and it’s possible to have said seizures in the frontal and temporal lobes, where the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus are stored, respectively. These seizures are generated by uncontrolled electrical activity that causes nerve cells to misfire in the brain. However, don’t worry if you just experience déjà vu occasionally. Focal seizures frequently have a slew of other signs, such as lack of muscle control, twitching, having sensations involved with all five senses, confusion regarding where you are, and frequent, sudden, unexplained emotions (so there is no need to call up your doctor and ask if you have epilepsy, simply because you’ve experienced déjà vu). If you do ever feel like you are about to have a seizure, it is important to notify someone immediately and contact a doctor if the issue persists.

Sources

“Synthetic Biology’s Promise and Peril: Shaping the Future of Medicine

Biology, Science / By Ruby Hyland

Image Credit: https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/blog/how-is-synthetic-biology-shaping-the-future-of-drug-discovery-340290

As a recent and ever-changing form of medicine and science, synthetic biology is paving the way for the future of medicine. Defined as a “research and engineering domain of biology where a human-designed genetic program is synthesized and transplanted into a relevant cell type from an extant organism” (A.M. Calladine, R. ter Meulen, 2013), synthetic biology offers possible solutions to some of society’s most pressing medical issues. Through DNA sequence modification and genome editing, scientists have been able to edit genetic material in living organisms with tools such as CRISPR (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats). This ability allows scientists to provide organisms with genetic tools that nature has not yet apportioned. CRISPR also allows for the creation of ‘living therapeutics’ and introduction of immunity cells into the human body.

So, what does this all mean? Well, synthetically creating genetic tools has already allowed for a breakthrough in different areas of production, such as the ability for silkworms to produce spider silk, as well as genetically engineered food, such as cheese, plant-based meat, etc., some of which are already available on a market scale. This provides society with a more sustainable way of creating different materials, which may be necessary as we continue to experience the impacts of consumerism on our planet’s environment. Living therapeutics and immune cells can help treat patients with various diseases, including multiple forms of cancer, providing them with a better chance of recovery and survival. Synthetic biology also assisted in the mass production of certain COVID-19 vaccines by manufacturing the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence.

It’s clear that an abundance of benefits derive from the usage of synthetic biology. Consequently, as with most technological advancements, there is also a profusion of risks. A majority of these risks appear to be ethical and extremely dangerous. According to The University of Oxford, synthetic biology, although promising, gives biologists a concerning way of ‘playing god.’ Misusing synthetic biology could potentially destroy existing ecosystems and undermine our crucial distinction between living organisms and machines. The loss of this distinction could be catastrophic for humans’ view on the importance of different organisms and creates an ethical concern of prioritizing machines and technology over nature and living organisms. Synthetic biology also introduces the risk of the synthesization of known human pathogens, such as Influenza or Smallpox, which could be released in much more dangerous forms than what they currently are. Although some of these associated risks are unlikely, the potential danger they inflict could be devastating.

When considering the sad reality of human greed, it is essential to question whether the findings of synthetic biology will continue to be used for good. If put into the wrong hands, the technology could cause the decimation of multiple existing species, ultimately jeopardizing the balance of our ecosystem. Synthetic biology also poses the genuine risk of bioterrorism, as creating hazardous and genetically mutated organisms could be maliciously and violently released. Control of this technology is seen more in richer first-world countries, creating an inequality regarding access and usage. This gives certain countries, such as the U.S., an extensive scientific advantage over other countries, which could be used at the expense of other nations.

It is still being determined what the future of synthetic biology holds, but it is imperative that both the benefits and drawbacks are considered. Naturally, we hope synthetic biology continues to be used for the greater of humankind, but that could very easily and swiftly change. Therefore, and when considering that we are already in the midst of multiple ethical, moral, and environmental crises, it is necessary to be aware of the information we consume and promote, specifically regarding the ongoing evolution of technology and science.

Public sees promise of synthetic biology, but wary | ZDNET

Image credit: https://www.zdnet.com/article/public-sees-promise-of-synthetic-biology-but-wary/

Sources

Unmasking Antimatter: CERN’s ALPHA-g Experiment Sheds Light on a Puzzling Universe

Physics, Science / By Aayush Koirala

Though it sounds obvious, theorists and physicists could argue otherwise. A recent Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (CERN) experiment concludes a reasonable answer to the two decades of assumption.

When exploring the depth of particle physics, one is bound to stumble across antimatter early on. So the question is what is antimatter? Simply, its matter consisted of antiparticles; counterparts of particles making up matter. And it falls down? I Guess Newton’s apple test stays true even for an apple made up of antimatter.

After The Big Bang, There should have been equal amounts of Matter and Antimatter in the universe. But a big open physics thought is why it seems that we only have matter left. Matter and Antimatter cannot coexist. If they meet each other, they annihilate. A truly violent reaction indeed. So it is hard to find it in the universe.

According to Dr. Jeffrey Hangst, experimental physicist at CERN, “Theory says matter and antimatter behave the same. We test it”

As antimatter isn’t available anywhere, scientists have to create it. Scientists do this by relating to the mass-energy equivalence principle.

As to how the experiment itself was conducted; scientists working on the ALPHA-g started by introducing anti-protons and negatively charged hydrogen ions into an electromagnetic device (Penning Trap). Their mass-to-change ratio was calculated by monitoring their frequency after they were seen to follow a repetitive path in the confinement system. Had the mass-to-charge ratio been different, variation in gravitational interactions would be seen.

Within the uncertainty of the experiment conducted, antimatter behaves just like normal matter. This showed how the experiment was a huge step in antimatter science- not limited to theory but experiments also while helping us uncover big questions in physics.

https://home.cern/science/experiments/alpha
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03043-0
https://www.universetoday.com/163439