Scotch

Amazing pictures from space

Atit Bhargava — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:47:30 +0000

Incredible pictures from space are displayed as this year’s BBC competition to judge the best from out there! The first prize goes to Artem Mironov’s vibrant clouds of dust and gas in the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex.

http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-41231623

Galileo and free fall

Atit Bhargava — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 04:33:48 +0000

If you ever wondered whether a feather and a heavy ball would fall at the same rate, here is a must watch video from BBC. Under gravity, in air, the ball falls much faster than the feather. However, once the air is meticulously removed, the outcome is much different.

http://www.engagingcuriousminds.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2016-10-11-VIDEO-00000165.mp4

Bacteria use mechanical cues to maintain their shape

Atit Bhargava — Fri, 28 Jul 2017 01:40:13 +0000

From: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20170726/Research-reveals-how-bacteria-may-use-mechanical-cues-to-keep-their-shape.aspx

Bacteria come in all shapes and sizes — some are straight as a rod, others twist like a corkscrew. Shape plays an important role in how bacteria infiltrate and attack cells in the body. The helical shape of Helicobacter pylori, a species of bacteria which can cause ulcers, may help it penetrate tissues.

Bacteria have an extraordinary ability to maintain and recover their morphology even after being twisted out of shape. Researchers know that shape is determined by the cell wall, yet little is known about how bacteria monitor and control it. Since the cell wall is the target of most antibiotics, understanding how bacteria grow their cell walls may provide insight into more effective medicines.

Superbugs invade Australia

Atit Bhargava — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 02:38:54 +0000

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, “More than a thousand cases of unstoppable ‘super-superbug’ bacteria have been found in Australia in the past year, with experts warning more are on the way.”

Explore the topic here:

http://www.smh.com.au/video/video-news/video-national-news/supersuperbugs-the-new-health-threat-20170719-4w9z8.html

The featured image is courtesy of: https://www.israel21c.org/new-solution-kills-hospital-superbugs/

Virtual Reality Simulator – for flying like a bird?

Atit Bhargava — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 07:29:05 +0000

Oculus Development Kit simulates a full-motion virtual reality rig that simulates flying. Its called Birdly. Listen to a chat with Birdly’s creators to learn how it works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWLHIusLWOc

The world’s largest space telescope is getting ready to do what Hubble did and more

Atit Bhargava — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 07:21:44 +0000

The successor to Hubble has been locked tight inside a giant chamber where it will undergo a series of tests to simulate conditions off Earth. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is undergoing final tests, such as experiencing 30 K temperature, and is on track to be launched on a European Ariane rocket in just over a year from now. It will carry technologies capable of peering even deeper into space than Hubble – to detect the light coming from the very first stars to shine in the Universe. Watch this space for update and follow more of the story here:

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40567036

Britain’s “Iron-Man” breaks his own jet suit record

Atit Bhargava — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 22:30:51 +0000

Inventor Richard Browning puts his jet engine-powered suit through its paces, beating his own record for speed and distance during a test flight. Matthew Stock reports in this You-Tube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usfrf0JDm6Q

“The end of modern medicine”?

Atit Bhargava — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 09:47:31 +0000

“The world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era in which common infections will once again kill. If current trends continue, sophisticated interventions, like organ transplantation, joint replacements, cancer chemotherapy, and care of pre-term infants, will become more difficult or even too dangerous to undertake. This may even bring the end of modern medicine as we know it.” That’s what the Director-General of the World Health Organization said last April when she appeared before the United Nations. Dr Margaret Chan wanted to warn of what many deem to be one of the greatest threats to global health today: the increasingly common problem of infections that do not respond to antibiotic treatment.

Are we really changing the future of modern medical treatment? Read more here:

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170607-how-we-can-stop-antibiotic-resistance

World’s first 5 nm chip launched by IBM

Atit Bhargava — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 04:08:32 +0000

BM, working with Samsung and GlobalFoundries, has unveiled the world’s first 5nm silicon chip. Beyond the usual power, performance, and density improvement from moving to smaller transistors, the 5nm IBM chip is notable for being one of the first to use horizontal gate-all-around (GAA) transistors, and the first real use of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography.

Human made barrier surrounding Earth – is it good for us?

Atit Bhargava — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 04:01:52 +0000

NASA space probes have detected a massive, human-made ‘barrier’ surrounding Earth, and tests have confirmed that it’s actually having an effect on space weather far beyond our planet’s atmosphere.

That means we’re not just changing Earth so severely, scientists are calling for a whole new geological epoch to be named after us – our activities have been changing space too. But the good news is that unlike our influence on the planet itself, that humungous bubble we created out in space is actually working in our favour.

http://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-space-probes-have-detected-a-human-made-barrier-shrouding-earth