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Scans of a Fly brain hailed
as a 'huge leap' to unlock
human mind |
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The brain of a fly is tinier
than a pinhead, containing
130,000 cells and 50 million
connections, yet they can
walk, hover and the males
can even sing love songs to
woo mates. Developing a
computer the size of a poppy
seed capable of all these
tasks is way beyond the
ability of modern science.
Now human brains have a
million times as many brain
cells, or neurons, than the
fruit fly which was studied.
So how can the wiring
diagram of an insect brain
help scientists learn how we
think? This
BBC Oct 2, 2024 article,
describes the intricate
techniques used to create
the detailed scan of the
fruitfly's brain. One small
step for mankind..... |
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Researchers are Looking
Beyond Digital Computing |
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Analogue computers were
obsoleted by the digital
revolution. Now, with AI
requiring magawatts of power
whereas the human brain does
more calculations than a
computer using just 20
watts, scientists are
experimenting with Biology
and Light to design
powerful, energy-efficient
chips.
The
Sept 16th, 2024
Economist article
provides a fascinating
overview. |
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Revolutionary Genomics
research reveals a complex
role for RNA |
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This
Scientific American article
of May 14, 2024
is a
deep dive into the
complexities of the design
and functioning of life
forms based on our DNA. The
more Scientists learn, the
more controversy is
generated. From a more
philosophical perspective,
one has to wonder if this
ultra-complex mechanism
evolved over thousands of
years by simple random
biological changes. |
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DNA Sequencing |
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The human genome contains
about 3 billion base pairs
that spell out the
instructions for making and
maintaining a human being.
This
Genome Research article of
June 27, 2023 shows how
DNA Sequencing enables one
to determine the order of
the four chemical building
blocks ("bases") that make
up the DNA molecule. |
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Base editing: Revolutionary
therapy clears girl's
incurable cancer |
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This BBC
article (Dec. 2022) describes
how a large team of doctors
and scientists used base
editing to tackle an
otherwise incurable cancer.
Bases are
the language of life in that
the billions of bases in our
DNA spell out the
instruction manual for our
body. The four types of base
- adenine (A), cytosine (C),
guanine (G) and thymine (T)
- are the building blocks of
our genetic code. |
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History of Religion followed
by Science |
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This
Encyclopedia Britannica
article (Apr 16, 2024)
shows how mankind grappled
with understanding Natural
Processes since the dawn on
human existence. Their early
explanations and beliefs
relied heavily on Spiritual
and Divine forces (Gods)
hence Religion led the way.
As better tools became
available, the Scientific
approach developed requiring
a greater degree of
skeptical rigor - theories
that can be tested. |
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The Computing Industry
consumes as much electricity
as Britain.... |
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Everywhere in our vast
Universe, energy is required
to keep things ticking. On
planet Earth, the
increasingly complex
problems require the use of
Super Computers and their
infrastructure. This
Aug 16th, 2023 Economist
article describes the
challenges and limitations
of current technology. We
may be heading for a
technology brickwall.... |
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Scientists at the University
of Korea reported
discovering a Room
Temperature Superconductor |
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Researchers are hard pressed
to publish their findings
knowing that the competition
is never far behind. This
Economist, Aug 3, 2023
article describes a
breakthrough discovery of a
material dubbed LK-99 which
is a superconductor at room
temperatures. Scientists are
now racing to put this claim
to a rigorous test. |
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Nutritional Psychiatry
attempting to correlate Diet
with Mental Health |
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This
Economist
Dec. 2022 article shows
how little we know about the
impact of what we eat. For
example, the recent
discovery of the importance
of micro-organisms in the
gut as intermediaries
between what goes into the
mouth and what happens in
the brain. The new field of
Nutritional
Psychiatry is still
in its infancy and faces
many challenges, especially
in the area of Mental
Health. |
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The viruses that helped to
make us Human |
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This
20th May 2023 BBC Future
article, shows that
although Viruses are more
commonly associated with
causing disease and, at
times, devastating
pandemics, viruses have also
played an important role in
human evolution – and
without them we wouldn't be
here at all.!! |
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Artificial Brains helping
with the Study of Actual
Brains |
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The
Economist
May 2023 article is a
follow up on its April
article, this time showing
how another version of AI
based on Artificial Neural
Networks (ANNs) can perform
remarkable tasks and can
help Neuro-Scientists better
understand the mystery of
actual brain functioning. |
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Artificial Intelligence now
in the spotlight |
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This
April 22, 2023 Economist
article provides an in
depth look at the latest
developments in Artificial
Intelligence. It provides a
detailed analysis of a type
of generative AI
called a large language
model (LLM), showing that,
it is really an exercise in
statistics. |
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The Return of Nuclear Fusion
- maybe.... |
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This
March 22, 2023 Economist
article provides an in
depth look at the current
state of Nuclear Fusion
research. It examines the
various techniques being
developed to achieve
sustained Fusion on earth.
Ironically, it is accepted
that the process operating
in the Sun cannot be
duplicated on earth.
Eventually we might also
realize that the process
that sustains life on earth
cannot be replicated
elsewhere..... |
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European Space
Agency's Biomass Mission |
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The European Space Agency
should be given credit for
addressing problems
affecting Planet Earth. This
BBC article - dated August
22, 2022 - shows how
scientists were able to
secure restricted use of a
very special P-band
radar system, to
assess the role of forests,
in either emitting CO2
through destruction, or
taking up CO2 through
growth. |
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James Webb: A $10bn
machine in search of the end
of darkness |
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On Christmas Day, 2021, the
James Webb telescope was
launched from the Kourou
spaceport in French Guiana.
This BBC
article provides
an excellent description of
what scientists are hoping
to learn about how the
Universe was created. |
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All you need to know
about Bitcoin Mining and
Cryptocurrency |
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This Sept. 21, 2021
Investopedia article "How
does Bitcoin Mining Work"?
provides one of the best
explanations of
how this emerging technology
is shaping up to be
revolutionary. Could
the latest Cryptocurrency
refinements benefit Guyana? |
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The Latest on
Artificial Intelligence |
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A BBC discussion with Prof.
Stuart Russell who was
preparing for the Reith
Lectures on Artificial
Intelligence. Some
simple examples were used to
describe this rather complex
topic. A related article by
the Economist covered the
limitations of AI. |
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Defining and
Measuring Intelligence |
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Chapter 9.1 of
the textbook Introduction to
Psychology (University of
Saskatchewan) is written by
Charles Stangor and Jennifer
Walinga. It provides an
excellent account of the
various factors involved in
Intelligence and how it is
measured. |
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Why it is so difficult to
develop new antibiotics? |
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This analysis dated
Oct. 26, 2017 was
commissioned by the BBC from
an expert, Tim Jinks who is
head of drug-resistant
infections at the Wellcome
Trust - a global charitable
foundation working to
improve health for everyone. |
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'Incredible' editing
of life's building blocks
(DNA and RNA) |
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Scientists have demonstrated
an "incredibly powerful"
ability to manipulate the building
blocks of life in
two separate studies. |
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The discovery of
Gravitational Waves |
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After 100 years of theory
and decades of experiments,
astronomers have detected Gravitational
Waves directly
for the first time. |
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