Science Digest

Push-button flying car now authorized by both FAA and DMV

When most folk think about flying cars, we think of machines that seamlessly convert from street to air mode, that can take off and land vertically, and that can cruise in the air and on the highway. The US$789,000 Aska A5 promises to do it all.

Transplant of fresh brain cells replaces diseased and aged ones

A new study has found that a transplant of progenitor glial cells, which differentiate into specialized brain support cells like the astrocyte pictured here, can replace unhealthy and aged cells.

Researchers have transplanted cells capable of forming specialized brain support cells into mice brains and found that they not only competed with and replaced unhealthy cells but aged ones, too. The findings open the door to developing an effective treatment for a range of conditions like multiple sclerosis, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, autism and schizophrenia.

Computer chip with built-in human brain tissue gets military funding

Last year, Monash University scientists created the "DishBrain" – a semi-biological computer chip with some 800,000 human and mouse brain cells lab-grown into its electrodes. Demonstrating something like sentience, it learned to play Pong within five minutes.

The micro-electrode array at the heart of the DishBrain was capable both of reading activity in the brain cells, and stimulating them with electrical signals, so the research team set up a version of Pong where the brain cells were fed a moving electrical stimulus to represent which side of the "screen" the ball was on, and how far away from the paddle it was. They allowed the brain cells to act on the paddle, moving it left and right.

Unexplained cosmic radio signal repeats every 21 minutes for 35 years

Astronomers have detected a radio signal in our galaxy that blares for several minutes at a time, every 21 minutes, and has been doing so for at least 35 years. This bizarre signal doesn’t fit the bill for any known object without some major revisions to current physics.

A sweaty robot is helping us learn to deal with rising heat

The world is on track to outdo its previous hottest decade on record. Average temperatures hit a new high in early July, setting new benchmarks for hottest day and week, and the month looks like it may edge out June to claim another unenviable prize. There’s no denying that increased temperatures can have a devastating impact on life on earth, and we’re increasingly seeing how our built environments and ‘urban heat islands’ are making the effects of extreme heat more difficult to handle.

Bacteria-hunting viruses help diagnose and treat UTIs

Viruses may get a bad rap, but some of them can be helpful to fight off bacterial infections. Scientists at ETH Zurich have demonstrated a new way to use them to diagnose which bacteria is causing a UTI, and then launch a stronger attack against them. Bacteriophages (or just phages) are a type of virus that preys on bacteria. About a century ago they emerged as a promising way to fight off infections, but research fell flat as soon as penicillin was invented. However, as bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, phage therapies are seeing a resurgence in interest from scientists.

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Science Digest 3 July 2023 here

Science Digest 29 June 2023 here

Science Digest for 30 June 2023 here

Science Digest for 7 July 2023 here

Science Digest for 17 July 2023 here