Ants Perform Life-Saving Limb Amputations to Save Injured Nestmates

Hello and welcome to Wednesday’s STEAM newsletter.

In today’s edition:

• Science - Physicists Achieve Breakthrough with Laser-Excited Atomic Nucleus, Enabling Advanced Atomic Clock, and more.

• Technology and AI - Britain's First AI Politician Aims to Restore Trust in Politics, and more.

• Engineering - Breakthrough Electrolytes for Low-Temperature Lithium Metal Batteries Developed, and more.

• Art - World's Oldest Artwork Discovered in Indonesian Cave.

• Space - Dark Matter Collisions May Cause Infrared Glow in Jupiter's Atmosphere, and more.

• Health & Medicine - Using Facial Temperature to Diagnose Medical Conditions, and more.

• Environment - Fireworks Significantly Impact Air Quality, Study Finds, Climate Change Forces Species to Shift Habitats.

• Nature - Ants Perform Life-Saving Limb Amputations to Save Injured Nestmates, and more.

• Industry - Meta Releases Four New AI Models for Developers, and more.

• World - Catastrophic Floods: Six Dead and Millions Affected in India and Bangladesh, and more.

Until Tomorrow,

~The STEAM Digest

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This newsletter is curated by The STEAM Digest.

SCIENCE

Physicists Achieve Breakthrough with Laser-Excited Atomic Nucleus, Enabling Advanced Atomic Clock: Physicists at UCLA have succeeded in exciting the nucleus of a thorium atom using lasers, a feat that could lead to the development of an incredibly precise nuclear clock. This new type of clock, based on nuclear transitions, offers significantly higher accuracy than current atomic clocks, which rely on electron transitions. The advancement could revolutionize timekeeping, improve GPS systems, and enable more precise measurements of fundamental constants in nature.

New Theory Unveils Fracture Mechanism in Soft Materials: Researchers from Politecnico di Milano have developed a theory explaining the fracture mechanisms in soft materials. Their findings show that fractures originate from surface elastic instabilities, spreading through intricate crack networks similar to fluid turbulence. This discovery could lead to the creation of more durable and defect-free materials, with applications in consumer electronics, medical devices, and aerospace, potentially reducing waste and improving sustainability.

Researchers Uncover Key Mechanisms in Chromosome Structure Development: Scientists at Rice University have identified crucial motorized processes that shape chromosome structures. Using motorized chain models, they studied how motor proteins manipulate chromatin fibers, revealing the roles of "swimming" and "grappling" motors. These findings help explain how chromosomes maintain their structure and function throughout the cell cycle, offering insights into DNA replication and cell differentiation. This research advances our understanding of chromosome organization and could have significant implications for genetics and cell biology.

Solar Particle Blasts Can Devastate Ozone Layer, Increase Radiation for Years: A new study reveals that extreme solar particle events, occurring roughly every few millennia, can significantly damage Earth's ozone layer, leading to increased ultraviolet (UV) radiation levels. These events, which emit bursts of protons, can deplete ozone and raise UV radiation, causing potential DNA damage and climate impacts. The effect could last up to six years if the event coincides with a weakened magnetic field. This finding highlights the need for understanding and preparing for solar activity's long-term impacts.

Electrolyte Selection Enhances Glycerol Oxidation for Valuable Chemical Production: Researchers from Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres have discovered that using the right electrolytes significantly improves the efficiency and stability of the glycerol oxidation reaction in photoelectrochemical reactors. By testing various electrolytes, they found that sodium nitrate (NaNO₃) outperforms other common electrolytes, enhancing photocurrent and the production rate of valuable chemicals from glycerol. This advancement could make biodiesel by-products more valuable and environmentally friendly.

TECHNOLOGY AND AI

Breakthrough in Secure Quantum Communication with High-Capacity Qudits: Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a method for high-capacity, secure quantum communication using qudits. These four-dimensional quantum states, created by manipulating light's spatial mode and polarization, enable faster data transfer and greater resistance to errors. This innovation could revolutionize quantum internet and encryption protocols, providing a robust framework for transmitting large amounts of data securely over long distances.

Britain's First AI Politician Aims to Restore Trust in Politics: Smarter UK introduces AI Steve, an artificial intelligence avatar of Steve Endacott, to run as a candidate in Brighton Pavilion. The initiative aims to enhance trust in politics by allowing constituents to directly influence parliamentary actions through AI Steve, with Endacott enacting their decisions. While promising increased public participation, the move raises questions about the legal, ethical, and practical implications of AI in governance.

AI's Humor Rivals Human Wit: ChatGPT Proves Funnier in Study: A study by the University of Southern California found that ChatGPT-generated jokes were rated funnier than those created by humans. Nearly 70% of participants preferred ChatGPT's humor. The research involved comparing jokes and satirical headlines from ChatGPT and human writers, with the AI's humor often matching or exceeding human wit. This raises questions about AI's role in creative fields and its impact on professional comedy writers.

ENGINEERING

Breakthrough Electrolytes for Low-Temperature Lithium Metal Batteries Developed: Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have created new electrolytes for lithium metal batteries that perform efficiently at low temperatures. By adjusting oxygen bonding in solvents, the team enhanced ionic coordination and interfacial transport, leading to stable battery operation even at -40°C. This innovation could significantly improve battery performance for electric vehicles, large-scale energy storage, and polar research.

Innovative Design Approach Leads to Stronger Titanium Alloys: Researchers at MIT and ATI Specialty Materials have developed a method to create titanium alloys that balance strength and ductility by tailoring their chemical composition and lattice structure. This approach addresses the historical tradeoff between these properties, enhancing the material's performance for applications in aerospace, energy infrastructure, and biomedical equipment. The findings, detailed in Advanced Materials, highlight the potential for new, highly durable titanium alloys.

Nearly Sustainable Hydrogen Could Drastically Reduce Ammonia Production Emissions: A study by researchers at ETH Zurich and HKUST suggests that using "nearly sustainable" hydrogen in ammonia production could cut emissions by up to 95%. This hydrogen is derived from electrolysis powered by mostly renewable energy. In countries like Norway and Spain, where renewable energy is cost-effective, this method is already economically viable. While achieving 100% green hydrogen is costly, allowing minor fossil fuel use in hydrogen production can still significantly benefit the climate and reduce reliance on natural gas.

ART

World's Oldest Artwork Discovered in Indonesian Cave: Archaeologists have discovered the world's oldest known narrative artwork in an Indonesian cave, dating back over 51,000 years. The painting depicts three human figures around a large pig, providing the earliest evidence of storytelling through art. This breakthrough was achieved using a new laser dating technique, pushing back the known origins of human narrative art by thousands of years. The discovery offers significant insights into the cognitive evolution of early humans.

SPACE

Dark Matter Collisions May Cause Infrared Glow in Jupiter's Atmosphere: Astrophysicists from Princeton University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory discovered a potential dark matter signal in Jupiter's atmosphere. Using data from the Cassini probe, they observed an unexpected infrared glow, hypothesized to result from dark matter particles colliding with Jupiter's ionosphere. This finding, if confirmed, could provide indirect evidence of dark matter, a substance believed to comprise most of the universe's mass but yet to be directly observed.

New Satellite Demonstrates AI's Potential in Earth Observation: The European Space Agency's Φsat-2 mission will showcase how AI enhances Earth observation. This small satellite, equipped with a multispectral camera and an AI computer, processes and analyzes imagery in real-time. Applications include cloud detection, street map generation, maritime vessel detection, image compression, and wildfire detection. The mission aims to provide real-time insights and support disaster response, environmental monitoring, and maritime security.

HERA Crew Completes 45-Day Simulated Mars Mission: A team of four completed a 45-day simulated Mars mission in NASA's HERA habitat, focusing on human endurance and teamwork in isolated conditions. They conducted operational tasks and 18 health studies, contributing to NASA's understanding of long-duration space missions. The crew interacted with students, sharing insights on team dynamics and coping with isolation. This mission aids future Mars and Moon expeditions by providing critical data on human responses to space travel.

AI Helps Unveil Elusive Space Plasmoids: Researchers at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have developed an AI program that identifies plasmoids, elusive plasma blobs in space, using machine learning trained on simulated data. This advancement could enhance our understanding of magnetic reconnection, a process affecting Earth's magnetosphere and impacting satellites and electrical grids. The program aims to analyze data from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, providing insights into space weather phenomena.

Astronomers Observe Rare Strong Shock Front in Galaxy Cluster SPT-CLJ 2031-4037: Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have detected a rare strong shock front in the merging galaxy cluster SPT-CLJ 2031-4037. The study revealed two shock fronts, with the stronger one exhibiting a Mach number of 3.36. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics and energetics of galaxy cluster mergers, offering a unique opportunity to study the impact of such events on the intracluster medium and galaxy evolution.

HEALTH & MEDICINE

New Treatment Slows Progression of Aggressive Neuroendocrine Tumors: A study led by the University of Toronto found that radioligand therapy (RLT) significantly slows the progression of aggressive grade 2 and 3 neuroendocrine tumors. Applied early after diagnosis, RLT extends progression-free survival from 8.5 to 22.8 months by targeting specific cancer cell receptors with precise radiation. This groundbreaking therapy offers new hope for patients with these resistant tumors and represents a significant advancement in personalized cancer treatment.

Using Facial Temperature to Diagnose Medical Conditions: Recent research highlights that monitoring the temperature of specific areas of the face through advanced thermal imaging technology could serve as a diagnostic tool for various medical conditions. Temperature variations can signal health issues like infections or inflammatory diseases, making this a non-invasive and efficient method for early detection. The integration of thermal imaging with traditional diagnostic approaches could enhance early diagnosis and improve patient outcomes.

UV Radiation Damage Leads to Early Skin Cell Death by Blocking Ribosomes: Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have found that UV radiation damages not only DNA but also mRNA, leading to ribosome collisions in cells. This triggers the activation of a protein called ZAK, which decides whether a cell will survive or die. This discovery helps understand the cellular mechanisms behind UV-induced skin cell death and could inform future treatments for skin cancers.

AI Model Developed to Enhance Cancer Therapy Response: Researchers from The Australian National University have developed DeepPT, an AI tool that predicts cancer patient responses to therapies by analyzing mRNA profiles. Trained on data from 5,500 patients across 16 cancer types, DeepPT improved response rates from 33.3% to 46.5%. Combined with the ENLIGHT tool, it offers timely, cost-effective treatment predictions using readily available histopathology images, reducing delays associated with molecular data processing.

ENVIRONMENT

Fireworks Significantly Impact Air Quality, Study Finds: A study by Brigham Young University reveals that fireworks contribute to significant air pollution, particularly in Utah. Researchers found that fireworks emit high levels of harmful particulate matter, including metals like barium and copper, which pose serious health risks. These pollutants peak during January and July, coinciding with winter inversions and summer celebrations. The study suggests that public awareness and policy changes are necessary to mitigate the health and environmental impacts of fireworks.

Climate Change Forces Species to Shift Habitats: A study led by McGill University reveals that climate change is causing species to move to cooler environments, altering ecosystems and impacting human health. The research found that 59% of 26,000 tracked species have shifted habitats in response to warming temperatures. However, 41% did not follow this pattern, suggesting other environmental factors also play significant roles. This highlights the need for integrating these shifts into conservation and resource management plans to mitigate the effects of climate change.

NATURE

Ants Perform Life-Saving Limb Amputations to Save Injured Nestmates: In a groundbreaking study published in Current Biology, researchers observed that Florida carpenter ants perform precise amputations on infected limbs of their nestmates to prevent the spread of infection. This sophisticated behavior, involving wound cleaning or full amputation depending on the injury, significantly increases survival rates. The ants' ability to diagnose and treat wounds showcases a remarkable level of innate cooperation and medical intervention, unique in the animal kingdom.

New Species of Psilocybe Mushrooms Discovered in Southern Africa: Researchers from Stellenbosch University and citizen mycologists have identified two new species of psychoactive Psilocybe mushrooms in southern Africa: Psilocybe ingeli and Psilocybe maluti. P. ingeli was found in KwaZulu-Natal, and P. maluti in the Free State and Lesotho. The discovery underscores the importance of citizen scientists in mycological research and highlights traditional uses of these mushrooms by Basotho healers.

Discovery of Plant Enzyme Could Revolutionize Crop Management: Researchers at Ames National Laboratory have gained new insights into chitinases, enzymes in plants that combat fungal infections. The study found that specific chitinases from corn and rice can indicate plant stress and effectively kill fungi like Aspergillus niger. This breakthrough could help farmers detect and treat fungal infections early, enhancing crop yields and optimizing biomass for energy production.

Locusts Adapt Sense of Smell to Detect Food in Swarms: Researchers from the University of Konstanz, Germany discovered that locusts enhance their sense of smell to locate sparse food sources when in large swarms. This adaptation involves changes in their olfactory system, making it more efficient in detecting food amidst the complex mix of odors in a swarm. These findings provide insights into the behavioral and neurological adaptations of locusts, which could inform strategies to manage locust plagues that threaten agriculture worldwide.

INDUSTRY

Meta Releases Four New AI Models for Developers: Meta has introduced four new AI models for public use: JASCO, AudioSeal, and two versions of Chameleon. JASCO enhances audio inputs and generates customized music, while AudioSeal watermarks AI-generated speech. The Chameleon models, 7B and 34B, convert text to visuals and generate image captions. These models aim to advance AI application development by providing versatile tools for audio and visual processing.

Microsoft to Invest €2.2 Billion in Spain Data Centers: Microsoft announced a €2.2 billion investment in a new data center project in northeastern Spain's Aragon region. This raises the company's total planned investment in the area to nearly €6.7 billion. The project aims to bolster cloud services for European companies and public bodies, potentially creating over 2,100 tech jobs in Aragon by 2030. This expansion underscores Aragon's appeal for tech infrastructure due to its renewable energy resources and connectivity.

Indonesia Launches Its First EV Battery Plant, Boosting Global Supply Chain: Indonesia inaugurated its first electric vehicle (EV) battery plant, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution. Located in Karawang, the plant can produce up to 10 GWh of battery cells annually, with plans to double its capacity. This development positions Indonesia as a significant player in the global EV supply chain, leveraging its vast nickel reserves and advancing its economic and environmental goals.

New Lithium Plant Inaugurated in Argentina to Boost EV Battery Supply: French mining group Eramet and China's Tsingshan have inaugurated a lithium production plant in Salta, Argentina. The $870 million facility uses an innovative direct extraction method to produce up to 24,000 tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually, sufficient for 600,000 electric vehicle batteries. This plant aims to meet 15% of Europe’s lithium needs and marks a significant step in supporting the global transition to electric vehicles.

Agreement to Protect Lake Michigan from Invasive Carp Signed: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed a federal-state agreement to initiate the $1.15 billion Brandon Road Interbasin Project. This project aims to prevent invasive silver and bighead carp from entering Lake Michigan, which threatens local ecosystems and industries. The agreement ensures significant federal funding and shared costs between Illinois and Michigan. This multipronged approach includes physical barriers and electric deterrents to protect the Great Lakes from ecological damage caused by these invasive species.

WORLD

Catastrophic Floods: Six Dead and Millions Affected in India and Bangladesh: Torrential monsoon rains have caused severe flooding across northeast India and Bangladesh, resulting in the deaths of six people and the inundation of over a million homes. In India's Assam state, the ongoing downpours have claimed 38 lives since mid-May. Bangladesh's Sylhet division has been heavily impacted, with more than 1.3 million affected. Climate change is exacerbating the intensity and frequency of such extreme weather events, highlighting the urgent need for effective disaster management and climate mitigation measures.

Hurricane Beryl: Seven Dead as Storm Heads Toward Jamaica: Hurricane Beryl, a rare and powerful early-season storm, has killed seven people across the southeastern Caribbean. Now a Category 4 storm, Beryl is set to impact Jamaica with potentially deadly winds, storm surges, and flooding. Emergency preparations are underway, with advisories also issued for the Cayman Islands and parts of Haiti. This unprecedented storm highlights the increasing intensity of weather events linked to climate change.

240,000 Evacuated in China as Torrential Rainstorms Cause Severe Flooding: Heavy rainstorms in eastern China have led to the evacuation of nearly a quarter of a million people. The intense rainfall has affected over 991,000 residents in Anhui province, causing the Yangtze River and other waterways to swell above warning levels. The provincial emergency management department has deployed tens of thousands of officials to monitor the situation as further rain is forecasted, raising concerns of additional flooding and geological disasters.

Dubai Rowers to Brave Arctic Waters to Raise Awareness on Plastic Pollution: A team of rowers from Dubai is set to embark on a 1,500-kilometer Arctic voyage to highlight the impact of plastic pollution. The expedition, led by Toby Gregory, will involve rowing from Tromso, Norway, to Longyearbyen, Svalbard, without sails or engines. The mission aims to educate about marine pollution and inspire proactive waste management practices. Partnered with the UN Environment Programme Clean Seas initiative, this journey will also see the first woman row across the Arctic.