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Summary: Researchers have developed a new compound, dubbed FexD, that can prevent and reverse inflammation in mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease.

Source: Salk Institute.

A drug developed by Salk Institute researchers acts like a master reset switch in the intestines. The compound, called FexD, has previously been found to lower cholesterol, burn fat, and ward off colorectal cancer in mice.

History in the making.

The James Webb Space Telescope launched a year ago in December, kicking off a new era for astronomy. Here are the telescope’s most remarkable images from 2022.

At number 20 on IE’s 22 best innovations of 2022, we take a look back at this intimate invention.

Can you imagine kissing someone you love long distance? As sci-fi films have showcased this is one innovation that is desired by many. In May of 2022, Carnegie Mellon University’s Future Interfaces Group released a new invention that consists of a headset that can achieve just that.

Continue reading “This virtual reality headset allows you to kiss over long distances” »

Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission returned the sample to Earth in December 2020.

Japan’s asteroid mission Hayabusa2 returned a piece of the asteroid Ryugu to Earth almost two years ago now, and that sample is still revealing valuable insights into the history of the early solar system.

A study by a group of scientists from the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Cité and CNRS1 has just revealed the isotopic composition of zinc and copper of asteroid Ryugu, a press statement reveals.

Continue reading “Asteroid sample mission reveals more about Earth’s mysterious origins” »

The technology could help make EVs more affordable as well as easier to charge.

A collaboration between researchers at the Yokohoma National University in Japan and the University of New South Wales Sydney, Australia has led to the development of a new electrode material that can be used in solid-state batteries. Thus the electrode doesn’t diminish after multiple charges and discharge cycles and can help in manufacturing durable batteries for electric vehicles.

As the world is turning over to electric modes of transportation in its bid to reduce carbon emissions, the battery has become a focal area of development.

Continue reading “A new electric car battery material could dramatically boost charging times” »

Prefixes that stand for 27th and 30th powers of 10 were required due to the frequent creation of data.

At the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) in November, measurement experts and government representatives from all over the world voted to add new prefixes to the International System of Units (SI), announced the United Kingdom’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL).

So, as an extension of the metric system, the International System of Units (SI), a global decimal system of weights and measurements, was suggested by the United Kingdom’s National Physical Laboratory.

Continue reading “New prefixes for extremely huge and small numbers announced” »

“I wouldn’t want to be on the team figuring out how to build a Jupiter-sized spacecraft, but the odds aren’t zero.”

A team of scientists believes we may be able to detect alien spacecraft flying through distant solar systems using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the US.

Though the scientists from Applied Physics, a research institute in New York, concede that gravitational wave (GW) detection is “in its infancy”, they also say it is “a sophisticated science” that could be used to “detect extra-terrestrial mega-technology,” in a paper available in pre-print server arXiv.

Achieving a long-sought goal of regenerative medicine.

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF) engineered molecules that function as “cellular glue,” enabling them to precisely direct how cells bond with each other. This is a significant step toward regenerative medicine’s long-term goal of creating new tissues and organs, according to a press release.

Adhesive molecules are naturally present in the body and keep the tens of trillions of cells together in organized patterns. They build neural networks, develop structures, and direct immune cells to specific areas of the body. Adhesion also makes cell communication easier to maintain the body functioning as a self-regulating whole.

Could video streaming be as bad for the climate as driving a car? Calculating Internet’s hidden carbon footprint.

We are used to thinking that going digital means going green. While that is true for some activities — for example, making a video call to the other side of the ocean is better than flying there — the situation is subtler in many other cases. For example, driving a small car to the movie theatre with a friend may have lower carbon emissions than streaming the same movie alone at home.

How do we reach this conclusion? Surprisingly, making these estimates is fairly complicated.

Continue reading “Video streaming as polluting as driving? See the new calculations” »