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- Scientists of history: how the ancient duck survived the ice age and why we need mini-brains
Scientists of history: how the ancient duck survived the ice age and why we need mini-brains
Scientists at Rosatom's Troitsk Institute have developed a hydrogen engine that will reach Mars in one or two months, while specialists at Sechenov University, together with Italian colleagues, are growing mini-brains. Sam Altman, head of OpenAI and creator of ChatGPT, announced a new technology based on artificial intelligence, which will replace smartphones. And American scientists have found the remains of birds belonging to a group of ducks and geese that lived 69 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. About this, as well as how scientists are fighting many viruses at once, read in the material "Izvestia".
New hydrogen engine
Russian scientists and designers have developed a rocket engine based on a magnetoplasma gas pedal and created a laboratory prototype of the installation. The engine will run on hydrogen. It will be able to accelerate particles - charged electrons and protons - to a speed of 100 km/s. Ships equipped with such propulsion systems will be able to reach the far corners of the solar system and go beyond it in a reasonable time, and flights to Mars will take one or two months.
To create motion, the engine uses electrical energy and - as a working body - hydrogen. The source of energy will be an on-board nuclear reactor. The advantage of hydrogen is that its atoms are light and have a high lapse rate. This makes it possible to reach significant speeds without large consumption of working substance. In addition, hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe.
- In traditional engines, the maximum velocity of the expulsion of the substance is about 4.5 km/s. This is due to the conditions of fuel combustion. In contrast, in our engine working body - charged particles that are accelerated by electromagnetic field, which allows you to achieve much higher speeds - told "Izvestia" first Deputy General Director for Science Troitsk Institute Alexei Voronov.
Mini-brains the size of a pea
Scientists of the Department of Nervous Diseases of the Institute of Professional Education of the Sechenov University of the Ministry of Health of Russia together with Professor Vittorio Calabrese of the University of Catania in Italy will study the features of brain functioning in migraines, depression and neurodegenerative diseases with the help of organ models artificially grown from stem cells. In addition, it is planned to test the effect of various substances on the brain to learn how to "catch" disorders at early stages and not allow the development of severe symptoms.
Grow mini-brains will be grown from cells obtained from patients with the initial stages of various disorders - migraine, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, as well as some inflammatory diseases, such as fibromyalgia, which is characterized by chronic pain in the muscles. Both the structure of neurons and their interaction with each other will be studied . This will allow for more accurate diagnosis in the early stages, when changes can be stopped or slowed down.
Drugs for a wide range of viruses
Scientists from the Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry (IBC) of the Russian Academy of Sciences with colleagues from other Russian and foreign scientific organizations have synthesized 35 compounds that destroy the membranes of various enveloped viruses and are potentially capable of preventing the development of many infections. Subsequently, it will be possible to create a drug or a series of drugs of a wide spectrum on the basis of these substances. For example, against tick-borne encephalitis and coronavirus.
- Synthesized by us compounds can potentially be used in medicine in the treatment of surface viral infections- told "Izvestia" senior researcher of the Institute of Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vera Alferova.
The resulting drugs could potentially be used in the creation of vaccines. However, it is necessary to make sure of their safety, experts are sure.
Technologies to replace smartphones
Sam Altman, head of OpenAI and creator of ChatGPT , announced a new technology based on artificial intelligence, which will replace smartphones. He hinted that the device that will replace smartphones may focus on voice interaction.
Experts interviewed by Izvestia are sure that the symbiosis of smartphones and AI in the form of biochips may well become the next bigtech breakthrough. Among the possible options are next-generation neurointerfaces, projectors with augmented reality, smart brooches and rings, and other devices of the future.
Sam Altman
- A gadget with uninterrupted connectivity that is provided by satellites and all cellular operators on a prepaid subscription would almost be a revolution. But in such a mode, even smartphones with 7000 mAh won't last a day. Their replacement with such functionality will either turn out to be the biggest sensation since the first iPhone, or no one needs a "hybrid of a horror and a hedgehog," - added the editor-in-chief of Ferra.ru Evgeny Kharitonov.
The remains of the most ancient birds
American scientists from the Pacific University and other scientific institutions found fossils of the oldest birds of the modern species at the South Pole. The study was published in the scientific journal Nature. The fossils found belonged to waterfowl birds that lived 69 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. They belonged to a group including ducks and geese.
Vegavis iaai (this is the name of the species of bird found) helps to resolve long-standing debates about the origin of modern birds. Its skull retained traces of powerful jaw muscles, indicating an adaptation to dive for fish, a strategy not characteristic of modern waterfowl but similar to grebes and loons.
According to the researchers, Antarctica was once a region with a temperate climate and lush vegetation. It could have been a refuge for birds, allowing them to survive the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
