R.E. Kearney's Blog, page 20

Single Cell Creatures

Have you ever imagined which living creature was the first to be on Earth? Well, the answer is it was a unicellular organism, probably a bacterium. Unicellular organisms also known as single celled organisms, are believed to be the oldest form of life on Earth. These are organisms that consist of a single cell, unlike a multicellular organism that consists of multiple cells. Unicellular organisms do not have conscious thought, the sort you find in humans and other complex animals, due to the fact that single celled organisms do not have a nervous system.

[image error]It was believed that due to the fact that single celled organisms have neither a brain nor a nervous system, they do not have the ability to make complex decisions or the ability to memorize. However, scientists say they have recently discovered what they are calling signs and symptoms of complex decision making in a single celled organism, giving a new existence to an idea that was brushed off and not taken seriously over a century ago.

The single celled organism, named Stentor roeselii, is what sparked the interest of the scientists. This aquatic unicellular organism is a free-living ciliate species of the genus Stentor. It is a common and widespread protozoan, found throughout the world in freshwater ponds, lakes, rivers and ditches.

Scientists have found that Stentor roeselii responds differently over a period of a time to the same stimulus. This particular ability of the organism is evidence that it can make choices, or at least does whatever the single-celled equivalent of changing one’s thoughts are. It is not completely accurate to say that a creature without any type of nervous system is actively thinking, however, the discovery challenges many of scientists’ assumptions of animal intelligence.

[image error]Scientists started their research on the single celled organism to understand its behavior better. Multiple unicellular organisms were put through a ‘Poke Test’ where they were provided with the same stimulus over a period of time. It was observed that other organisms regularly responded less to repeated stimuli. Stentor roeselii, however, first bent far from the source of the stimulus, but later changed its procedures and flapped its cilia in defense, contracted, or floated away. This behavior is different from other similar single celled organisms.

The probability that the organism would pick one method over some other was almost a 50-50 split, suggesting that some biological mechanism is selecting one over the other almost like it is flipping a coin to choose. Saying that Stentor roeselii can make choices is a vague, rather than precise, explanation. However, until scientists keep probing the complex behavior of the organism, this may be the most accurate way to explain what is going on.

Insect Life on Mars

Can life really exist anywhere else in the universe other than Earth? Does this presence of life prove the existence of aliens? Till now, Mars is the only planet that has shown some kind of signs of the possibility of the existence of life on it. Research on this very topic has been going on for many years. Many found signs of life and many others disregarded those studies. But now, after countless studies on the topic, it is largely believed that there might really be some kind of life that exists on the red planet.

[image error]Emeritus William Romoser, a professor at Ohio University, has been conducting detailed research and study on this very topic. He claims that Mars has always had some kind of life on it. Romoser supports his claim by showing internet images taken of the planet where he highlights what looks like an insect on Mars.

There are still many kinds of research going on about the topic. The studies which have already been completed conclude that there is apparent diversity among the Martian insect-like fauna which shows many similarities with the insects found on Earth. The images taken of the Red Planet show the existence of life-forms that look somewhat similar to reptiles and bee-like insects. The pictures show the existence of Martian insects, even though they are blurry, they show different body parts of the insect. On Earth, an insect is identified by the presence of three regions of its body, the presence of a single pair of antennae and around six legs. These characteristics should likewise be valid enough to identify an organism as an insect, even if found on another planet. The insect-like forms which can be seen in the photos taken of Mars somewhat match these characteristics and hence, labelling them as insects should not be incorrect.

[image error]Some researchers do not agree with Romoser on his findings. They say that the proof which the professor is providing is not authentic enough. The ‘insects’ which he has highlighted can just merely be rocks or blips on the images. There is no proper believable image proof for the discovery which he claims to have made. They also say that one cannot simply believe such a big claim just because of something which is just a guess and was found in a blurry picture. They refuse to come to terms with the fact that the insect-like forms which he discovered in the pictures really are insects on Mars. They can even be shadows if one wants to call it that.

Although it has not yet been proven whether life really exists on Mars or not, the results of this research should spark the interest of other researchers and organisations to study this topic in more detail and hopefully in years to come, we might possibly get an answer to the most anticipated question ‘Does life exist on another planet?’

Venus Exploration

Every day, we hear stories and news of scientists willing to explore areas that are beyond a layman’s imagination. Now, scientists are planning a mission to Venus. Yes, Venus, the planet which is close to the Sun. It is believed that the planet is not bearable to humans [image error]mainly because of the high temperature and other toxic conditions including thick sulphuric acid clouds. However, scientists from NASA are on a mission to explore the planet in the hope of providing us with the most astonishing discoveries. Just like they discovered water while exploring the moon.

You might not be aware of the fact that Venus has been explored several times before. However, it is from the times when social media was non-existent and hardly any news went viral as it does now. Also, the explorations were largely carried out with the help of unmanned spacecraft so no one really has visited the planet personally before.

The existence of thick carbon dioxide clouds created many problems for the missions carried out in the past, making it very difficult for telescopes to penetrate further and this somehow defeated the real purpose of the mission.

[image error]NASA’s still don’t know how long it would take to implement a manned mission to Venus since the required technology is not yet available to the scientists. So that means, there is not only a lot of research to do, but the team also needs to figure and invent the right technology to turn the impossible into possible.

If the technology is unable to fulfil the mission properly then how could humans get to the final destination? Well, that depends on how well NASA research and plan out the entire process including the invention of technology that will help them reach their goals. With so many advancements in technology and research methods, we sincerely hope that scientists find the answers soon and that their technology will unveil some mind-boggling discoveries on Venus.

Sneakers Made from Algae

[image error]Image: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com

With the impending doom of environmental change upon our heads and the development that is causing these drastic changes not looking like it will slow down any time soon, it has now come down to us as individuals to try and help the environment in whatever way we can. Celebrities have a larger platform to help – big names like Kanye West and Emma Watson have been joining the fight against climate change. Kanye West has recently shared a new prototype for his new Yeezy shoe which is due to come onto the market soon. The singer claims that the shoe is made from environmental friendly algae!

The designer of Yeezy says that eco concerns are integral to their company and they try to bring that into their work. Kanye believes that this shoe is the first step towards a bright future of eco-friendly and environmentally friendly shoes and accessories by the brand.

The sneakers are made from petroleum-based ethylene-vinyl acetate and the foam which is produced by algae. These sneakers were produced in Atlanta and the world has only been shown a prototype at the fast company festival. The rapper says that his headquarters in Wyoming will have a hydroponic farm where they will be growing their own algae. The pair that was shown to the audience was a very bland khaki type color, which may not be very appealing to some people – this is why the company is also looking into environmental friendly dyes. They want environmental friendly fashion to have more appeal to the market.

Making shoes from the foam of algae can help the environment in many different ways. Algae, unlike petroleum, is a renewable source, meaning it will regenerate and can be used multiple times, while petroleum once burnt can never be used again. However, due to the rise in the planet’s temperature we have more algae. The problem is that when algae dies, the bacteria that naturally decompose it also take in oxygen. This then leads to a lack of oxygen within the water which suffocates the marine life. Also, algae is on the surface of the water, so it begins to block sunlight from reaching into depths of the water. This leads to an over-production of toxins that would normal be killed by sunlight, which is bad for marine health as well as human health.

The Yeezy pair made from algae foam is said to be available in 2020, and are expected to be priced between 60 and 75 dollars. This really is a great initiative by a powerful and influential celebrity.

Human Extinction

The concept of human extinction seems like a future topic or myth. Whenever we do consider destruction, our mind usually goes towards weapons of mass destruction like nuclear weapons or biological warfare. Research that has been conducted by the students at Oxford University shows that in any year the chance of human destruction are 1 in 14000. When we consider that statistic objectively, the chance seem to be very likely. The study took into account things like super volcano eruptions and asteroids crashing into Earth.

[image error]Another piece of research done at Oxford showed that we do not consider mass extinction of humans as a very tragic thing. The 2,500 participants included residents of the United States of America and the United Kingdom. They were given the option of choosing between best to worst-case scenarios where the options were: no catastrophe, a catastrophe that wipes 80% people off the Earth, and a catastrophe that causes mass extinction. Most people considered the no catastrophe situation as the best-case scenario as predicted. However, when asked about the severity of the situation and which one made them feel bad, they chose the 80% of humans being wiped out, rather than mass extinction of humans, showing that humans do not consider mass extinction a tragic event. However, when the questions were switched from humans to zebras, it turned out that people considered losing all zebras as the worst possible outcome and felt very bad and sad about that possibility.

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This is because we as humans consider death of some worse than the death of all, while in zebras they do not think death of a few zebras is as impactful or saddening as the death of all zebras.

Even though there isn’t much we can do about asteroid attacks or volcanic eruptions, when it comes to nuclear warfare, we humans have a way to change that if we believe that there is a better future, when hope and optimism is instilled within people.

The research also stated that when we consider all species that have ever lived on this planet, all of them have gone extinct at some time. Some are in the process of going extinct while others have already gone extinct. Homo sapiens are the only species who have been on this Earth for 200,000 years, so the research concludes that the chances of humans becoming extinct in any given year are likely to be 1 in 14,000, at the moment.

Experts believe that we are in the sixth mass extinction and there is no one to blame, but us. Due to the activities we have been doing on Earth, we are destroying the planet in some way or another and the extreme climate change which has been a result of this could ultimately lead to human extinction.

Holograms

Hearing the word hologram sparks the image of something fictional, unrealistic or out of this world, but actually holograms are very real. Whether you see them or not, they are a part of our everyday lives. Present on our identity cards, debit/credit cards and other items to make them harder to forge. They are undoubtedly impressive and fun to play with, but recently hologram technology has advanced by leaps and bounds. From using holograms in concerts, to opening a digital zoo that shows 3D holographic images of the animals. It is clear to say that the future looks bright for Holographic technology.

[image error]One such step taken towards the future is the construction of the world’s first hologram that can be touched, seen and even heard. Researchers from the University of Sussex have developed a prototype device by the name Multimodal Acoustic Trap Display (MATD).

Inspired from the technology used in the previous generation televisions that utilized a single color beam moving so fast on the screen that our brains perceived it as a single image. This next generation hologram technology makes use of a similar technique, but instead of incorporating a single color beam, the Multimodal Acoustic Trap Display makes use of ultrasound waves. These ultrasound waves are then used to displace an extremely thin bead levitating in the air to trace the image of the desired object at such a high speed that it appears as a single image. Moreover, the LEDs are used to add detail and color to the image created by the moving bead. To put simply, the Multimodal Acoustic Trap Display operates by creating an illusion similar to an illusion created by moving frames that appear as one image. Since our eyes cannot keep up with the pace of the light, our mind registers the movement as a single image.

[image error]Moreover, as far as the sensory and auditory feedback is concerned, Multimodal Acoustic Trap Display makes use of ultrasound waves, which are a type of mechanical wave that carry energy through the air. So when a hologram is displayed it utilizes the energy of the ultrasound waves to create a sensory and an audible feedback.

This could very well be the first step in hologram technology that could completely redefine the way we perceive and interact with hologram. The researchers believe that although the prototype was built for commercial reasons, it has the potential to prove beneficial in the fields of medicine as well as entertainment. The developers also believe that the devices could also be used to study and understand complex structures in detail.

Brain Reading Wearables

According to foreign media reports, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that he wants to create a wearable device that can read brain waves to “control virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR).”

[image error]Editorial credit: Frederic Legrand – COMEO / Shutterstock.com

It may also reveal what you are thinking.

After Facebook bought CTRL-Labs in September 2019, Facebook founder Zuckerberg recently revealed that he intends to focus on wearable devices and implant technology with brain control.

The Chan Zuckerberg BioHub Research Center, funded by Zuckerberg and his wife in Silicon Valley, said that the ultimate goal of brain technology development is to enable people to think and control through virtual reality or augmented reality head-mounted devices. Freedom in your mind.

[image error]CTRL-Labs is working on a wristband device that allows people to control signals from the spinal cord. After the transaction is completed, CTRL-labs will join Facebook Reality Labs, which is working on augmented reality smart glasses.

If technology companies really want to read brain waves, implant technology seems to be a must. From a medical perspective, a speech-limited disease such as a stroke could indeed be decoded by implanted technology to turn internal speech into a voice that people can understand in real time. However, there are also health risks.

In fact, since the establishment of “Building 8” in Facebook in 2016, the company has already been engaged in the development of brain computing technology. In July 2019, Facebook revealed that it had been funding the University of California to assist in the development of brain computing.

A paper published by the University of California pointed out that it developed a software that only had to be trained. 76% of the software could identify the problems heard by people with epilepsy, and 61% knew what epileptics wanted to know. Of course, the brain-reading software developed by the project is only applicable to pre-programmed sentences, but scientists believe that the software also lays a good foundation for the development of a more powerful system in the future. On the whole, it takes a long way to go to commercialize reading brain technology.

Most worrying, once the brain technology is commercialized, it could invade people’s privacy. Facebook believes that even if the future brain-reading technology matures, its application will be greatly restricted, so it will not invade personal privacy.

Electricity from Snow?

Scientists from the United States have developed a technology that allows you to receive electricity from snow. The device can be installed permanently, or attached to a bicycle wheel or shoe sole.

In 2019, it is difficult to surprise anyone with solar or wind power stations, electric energy recovery systems in electric vehicles or wireless charging systems which can recharge a smartphone.

[image error]However, researchers from California have gone further and created a technology that allows electricity to be generated directly from the snow. According to Science Alert, Nanotech Energy has developed a device that can generate electricity from contact with snow.

The system became possible due to the triboelectric effect i.e. the creation of an electric charge created by friction generated between certain materials. The smallest particles of snow carry a positive electrical charge, and scientists needed to use a suitable negatively charged material to create electricity. Silicon turned out to be such a material.

The device that the company developed is called a Triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG). Nanotech Energy printed the main electrode on a 3D printer and used silicon as the triboelectric layer that collects electricity.

It is reported that with the help of such a device it is possible to produce electricity both from simple snowfall as well as by attaching the electrode to vehicles or clothing.

A chemist at the University of California explained that static electricity comes from one material that can attract electrons and another material that can give them away. “In this way, you can create electricity out of thin air.”

True, there’s not so much “electricity from nothing”: TENG can generate an instantaneous electromagnetic energy density of up to 0.2 mW/m2, open circuit voltage up to 8 Volts and current density up to 40 μA/m2. In comparison, for bright room lighting, you need an incandescent lamp with an electromagnetic energy density of 20 W/m2.

Nanotech Energy suggests using TENG as a small weather station for real-time weather monitoring, which will be able to provide information on snowfall speed, rainfall, wind direction, etc. In addition, the device can be something like a fitness bracelet for athletes in winter sports, and help them track the movement of the body and its performance.

However, Science Alert also writes that in the future, TENG could be installed in solar panels and used during snowfalls when solar activity is not so high. Given that about 46 million square kilometers of the Earth’s surface are subject to snowfall every year, this technology has a chance of scale and growth.

Harnessing electricity from snow by the triboelectric effect is not the first such technology of its kind. Previously, researchers also showed devices that can produce electricity from rain, physical movements, friction of car tires, and walking on a wooden surface.

Porsche and Boeing are working on a flying car concept

Porsche automaker and aircraft manufacturer Boeing announce work on a flying car concept. Both companies see this niche as a potential market, particularly in the context of urban air taxis.

Porsche and Boeing have joined forces by signing a memorandum of understanding to address the case of urban flying. The signing took place on October 10th.

Both companies will create a vertical take-off and landing aircraft (VTOL) concept, which will lead to a working prototype design. These efforts indicate that the future of transport is soon going to revolutionize and it’s no more a far-fetched idea to make air travel available for everyone as a luxury.

There are other companies inspired by the idea too. The group RATP and Airbus are studying the integration of autonomous flying vehicles in urban transport.

[image error]Aerial urban mobility is at the heart of car manufacturers’ concerns. While the Japanese company Hyundai has just announced the creation of a specific division, and the Chinese investing in the German start-up Volocopter in early September, it is the turn of Porsche to position itself. On Thursday, October 10, 2019, the German manufacturer unveiled a collaboration with aircraft manufacturer Boeing to study the development of a flying car.

Porsche requires it to be a luxury vehicle, which would take off and land vertically (VTOL) and use electric motors. A team of international researchers will be set up to analyze the potential of this future market and imagine the first cases of use.

ANTICIPATING ACCELERATION IN 2025

This agreement recalls the one between the Europeans’ Audi and Airbus, who are developing a similar concept. Why such an interest? A study conducted by Porsche in 2018 shows an acceleration in urban air mobility from 2025 because it is faster and more efficient compared to the current terrestrial transport means. This would paradoxically cost more to produce and exploit, while being less flexible in uses.

“Porsche is looking to expand its business by becoming a flagship brand of premium mobility, which could mean, in the longer term, the need to address the third dimension in our travels,” Detlev von Platen said in a statement. “We combine the strengths of two of the leading companies in the sector to position ourselves in a key potential market in the future.”

[image error]For his part, Boeing NeXt’s vice president and general manager, Steve Nordlung, said, “Together, Porsche and Boeing can think of innovative technologies and design, to boost the air-to-air urban mobility world”. However, this is not the first attempt that the American aircraft manufacturer has made in this area. Since 2016, Boeing have participated in the Uber Elevate flying taxi project, whose first prototypes will take off during 2020.

There are several of flying car prototypes in the testing phase. Kitty Hawk is perfecting several, and Uber expects to make the Uber Air service a reality very soon.

Humans Produce More CO2 Than Volcanoes

Every year, humanity releases 100 times more carbon dioxide into the Earth’s atmosphere than all the volcanoes on the planet together. This is one of the key findings of a study of carbon stocks in the world that the Deep Carbon Observatory has conducted over the past decade. According to Newsweek, scientists have estimated that there are 1.85 billion gigatons of carbon on Earth. It exists in various forms in soil, in gases and in liquids. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and oceans accounts for 1% of the total matter reserves, that is 43,500 gigatons.

[image error]“Carbon, the basis of all living forms and an important source of energy for humanity, is moving across the planet from the mantle to the atmosphere. To maintain a stable future, it is imperative that we understand the full carbon cycle”, said Marie Edmondson of the University of Cambridge, who participated in the DCO program.

One of the mechanisms how carbon enters the Earth’s atmosphere is provided by volcanoes. Magma contains dissolved gases, including carbon dioxide. When a volcano erupts, these substances enter the atmosphere.

The DCO team found that every year, due to the activities of people, 40-100 times more carbon dioxide rises into the air than all the volcanoes on the planet. According to scientists, volcanoes and other magmatic processes spew about 300-400 million tons of carbon dioxide. The publication recalls that mass extinctions are associated with the eruption of volcanoes on Earth, in particular the one that happened 252 million years ago. Then 96% of marine species on the planet died.

Atmospheric CO2 exceeded 415 parts per million for the first time in history. Specifically, it has reached 415.26 parts per million according to the records. Remember that the consensus among experts puts the “safe” limit at 350 ppm.

[image error]However, as usual when we talk about climate change, the problem is not the concentration, but the trend. To get an idea, when scientists started recording in 1959, the figures were at 315 ppm and most of the growth has occurred in recent years. According to the United States Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), three of the four largest increases in atmospheric CO2 have occurred in the last four years.

Although, in a way, we are getting used to this type of news, put in perspective the figures give vertigo. As Eric Holthaus explained, we humans have never known a world like this. We have to go back many years in time to find similar CO2 concentrations: about three million years according to the most precise models.

And as the World Meteorological Organization pointed out at the end of 2018, “there are no indications of investment in this trend, which is triggering long-term climate change, sea level rise, ocean acidification and a greater number of phenomena extreme weather”.

Therefore, it is much better understood how it is possible that the conclusions of the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity (IPBES) stated that more than one million species were at risk of extinction due to pollution and climate change.