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Written by Adam Seline
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The controversial awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to first-term US president Barack Obama has served to largely overshadow this year’s other Nobel laureates. Regardless of the questionable choice for the peace distinction, the awardees in the fields of physics, chemistry, and medicine have demonstrated great merit in their respective fields, having made discoveries well worthy of Nobel recognition.
The prize in physics was split between two outstanding research projects. The first was given to Charles K. Kao “for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication.” Dr. Kao’s 1966 work in the field of fiber optic technology has led to many practical innovations today. The global communications networks wholly dependent upon fiber optics for information transmission, such as the Internet, were made possible by Dr. Kao’s calculations.
The other recipients of the physics prize are Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith of Bell Laboratories for their groundbreaking work in digital imaging technology. In 1969 they were the first researchers to develop a successful imaging technology using a charge-coupled device (CCD) as a digital sensor, resulting in the development of the first digital camera.
The prize in chemistry was given to Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas A. Steitz, and Ada E. Yonath. Using the innovative method of X-ray crystallography to map the entire atomic structure of the ribosome, these researchers have succeeded in vastly increasing the scientific community’s understanding of the structure and function of the crucial organelle. The ribosome is the “protein factory” in every cell, making individual protein from instructions in DNA, and thus controls the internal chemistry of organisms. The crystallographic map of the ribosome allows the researchers to assess how various new antibiotics bind with the ribosome, which has proven very helpful in the development of new antibiotic treatments.
Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider, and Jack W. Szostak are the recipients of this year’s prize in the field of medicine. The awarded scientists have discovered how chromosomes are copied during cell division without any degradation. They have found that the answer lies with the telomeres, the ends of the chromosomes, and telomerase, the enzyme that forms them. The lengthy investigation, spanning a period from 1980 to 1984, involved two key stages of research. First, Dr. Blackburn and Dr. Szostak discovered that it is a unique DNA sequence in the telomeres that protects the chromosome from degradation. Next, Dr. Blackburn and Dr. Greider recognized the enzyme that makes these unique sequences, telomerase.
The research of all these scientists have contributed greatly to the furtherance of human knowledge and development. From breakthroughs in communications to atomic mapping, these scientists are well deserving of Nobel recognition. |
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Written by Eoin O’Liatháin
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From the internet that brought you the Star Wars Kid, piano playing kittens, the evolution of dance, and the Numa Numa Guy, a whole new viral experience has arrived. An amateur channel over at YouTube has created what is called the “Symphony of Science” – a series of music videos (four so far) with science as its subject and scientists as its cast.
The aim of this music project, according to the website, is “to deliver scientific knowledge and philosophy in musical form.” This pretty much sums up what the videos are about, the merging of scientific truths with music. It may sound like a lame attempt by uncool authorities to get kids more excited about science but I can assure you that the videos are seriously awesome. Amassing almost five million views between them the YouTube community has clearly taken a liking to the Symphony.
So what are the videos about and why are they super? Well, firstly the videos are more of an opera than a symphony in the technical sense of the term. This probably is not adding to the appeal but keep reading. Clips of cosmology and evolution are set to electronic musical backing while audio-visual excerpts of notable science heroes such as Carl Sagan are manipulated to conform to the background music. The videos make use of sight and sound and everything spoken is in song. A neat little tool called Auto-tune achieves the transformation from spoken word to sung song. Clips from Sagan’s Cosmos television series are included, along with quotes from other greats such as Richard Feynman, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking, and even Bill Nye the Science Guy. These clips are all compiled into about four minutes of pure informative awe-inspiring sensual pleasure. All you have to do is sit back and listen.
Spoken dialogue has been transformed into musical videos before, but what makes this music video distinct is the pairing of powerful scientific ideas, where we come from and all that, with a fun, accessible and artistic form. Not only does the viewer get the sublime power of Sagan telling us that, “We are a way for the cosmos to know itself,” or Feynman discussing “the inconceivable nature of nature” but now it is available in musical verse.
The effect is remarkable: scientific profundities through music highlights and amplifies the sublime power of science resulting in an almost spiritual experience. Some recent comments on the videos include, “gives me the shivers!”, “Sexual and sensual scientific sounds”, and one that makes you want to give it a thumbs down for being a tad lame, “I shed manly tears”. While the videos may not procure tears, manly or otherwise, from your eyes they will surely leave some degree of impression upon you.
As citizens of the modern age, science is where we can best gain access to the sublime. To get your fix check out the Symphony of Science videos. You may find that you get lost somewhere between eternity and infinity. |
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Written by Marcus Spray
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The idea of life on Mars has transfixed humans ever since 1854, when William Whewell first theorised the existence of land and seas on the red planet. Later telescopic observations of Martian “canals” further fuelled the speculation, inspiring H.G. Wells’ 1898 War of the Worlds. The 20th century would be filled with more scientific investigation and pop culture references, ranging from the satiric Mars Attack to the BBC’s Doctor Who. Of course, the imagined seas and canals were very soon shown to be nonexistent. But other discoveries have been made, strengthening the case for the existence of real “Martians”. Now, at the dawn of a new decade, shocking new research indicates that the presence of methane on Mars could be evidence of life on the Red Planet.
Methane was first discovered on Mars in 2004, but until now scientists have been mystified as to its origin. Biological processes or volcanic activity were both cited as potential sources, while others maintained the methane came from impacting meteorites on the Martian surface. However, the possibility of meteroric origin has been ruled out by scientists from Imperial College London who claim the methane must have come from something happening on the surface.
Experiments were conducted which showed that meteorites falling from the sky produce about 10kg of methane each year. This, however, was far below the 100-300 tonnes needed to maintain the current levels, indicating that the two likely sources are either volcanic activity or gases produced by microbes living on the planet’s surface.
Professor Mark Sephton of the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, and co-author of the report, comments, “This work is a big step forward. As Sherlock Holmes said, eliminate all other factors and the one that remains must be the truth. The list of possible sources of methane gas is getting smaller and excitingly, extraterrestrial life still remains an option.”
The findings have impressed Kevin Nolan, physics lecturer at the Tallaght Institute of Technology and author of the internationally sold book, Mars, A Cosmic Stepping Stone. “The methane being generated on Mars is indigenous to Mars,” he said. “It is a big deal.” The gas hasn’t been around there for long, he explained.
The sun breaks down methane very quickly and changes it into other chemicals. “It doesn’t last for more than two years in the Martian atmosphere. If methane is there, it is being produced right now.”
Although many associate the Red Planet with explosive volcanos, Nolan claims there are few signs of recent volcanic activity, with the last major events taking place several million years ago.
At best, there were signs of activity several hundred thousand years ago, and thus any resultant methane would have been destroyed long ago.
This leaves the tantalising possibility that living, multiplying microbes currently occupying the Martian biosphere are the source of the methane. Nolan believes this finding is philosophically significant as well as biologically. It could teach us about the origins of life and also about its cosmic abundance, providing “insights into the nature of life itself.”
The discovery of traces of methane in 2004 by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express shocked scientists around the globe and prompted American and European researchers to plan a joint satellite mission for 2018 to investigate the source of the methane.
“This will affect all future explorations of Mars,” Mr. Nolan said. It will give scientists a target at the surface to go dig for the possible first confirmation of life of extraterrestrial origin.
All in all, the findings and its implications seem to present a strong argument in favour of life existing on Mars. We will have to wait until 2018 for conclusive proof but for the moment it no longer seems as far-fetched to suggest that the ubiquitous sci-fi Martians that have appeared so often in our fantasies may become a reality.
The Universe, perhaps, will no longer seem so lonely. |
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Written by John Engle
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Prof. Seamus Martin has a long-standing interest in how and why cells die and how other cells in the body respond to the death of one of their neighbours. You might think that cells simply die by accident or due to old age, but there are many situations where cells actually commit suicide by activating a set of enzymes that coordinate their own death. This type of deliberate cell death (called apoptosis) is very important because it goes on in the body literally every minute of the day where it functions to protect us from the development of cancer and numerous other life-threatening conditions. In essence, when a cell becomes badly damaged, or acts abnormally in some way, apoptosis is used to rid the body of that errant cell. Seamus Martin is in no doubt that advances in our knowledge of how apoptosis is regulated will lead to new treatments for cancer, autoimmunity and other conditions where cell death control has become disrupted in some way. Working within The Smurfit Institute of Genetics at Trinity College, The Martin laboratory are one of the most highly cited labs in the world in this area and their work is funded by major and prestigious research grants from Science Foundation Ireland and the Wellcome Trust UK. Seamus Martin was also recently elected to the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), a European-wide academy of scientists that includes 50 Nobel laureates, and is only the sixth Irish scientist to be elected to EMBO in its 45 year history. |
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