Researchers at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain have developed a “sneeze simulator” that uses a three-dimensional model of the nasal cavity to study how respiratory illnesses spread. The simulator can replicate different sneeze intensities and investigate how the nasal cavity affects aerosol cloud dispersion. This breakthrough could lead to improved predictive models for…
health on The Soothsayer / page 2
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Washington in Seattle have successfully used artificial intelligence (AI) to design brand-new enzymes that can perform multi-step reactions. The new enzymes, which were 60,000 times more efficient than previously designed ones, have the potential to revolutionize various biological and industrial processes, including plastic recycling….
Scientists at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria have made a groundbreaking discovery in understanding the phenomenon of static electricity. By studying the electric charge in experiments with a single material, they found that the charge an object picks up can depend on its history, specifically the number of times it had previously touched…
Humane, a Silicon Valley-based AI hardware startup, has been partially acquired by HP for $116 million, a significant decrease from its initial venture capital funding of $240 million. The acquisition has resulted in layoffs for some employees, while others have received job offers from HP with pay increases and bonus plans. The newly formed innovation…
Researchers in Beijing, China, have made a significant breakthrough in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease with the development of a photothermal, nanoparticle-based deep brain stimulation (DBS) system. The system, which combines photothermal gold nanoparticles, dopamine neuron-activating TRPV1 antibodies, and β-synuclein peptides, has successfully reversed the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in laboratory mice. The treatment works…
The Trump administration’s push to reduce the federal workforce has led to the termination of thousands of employees, including scientists, in government agencies. This move has sparked concerns about public health and safety, as well as the environment. Employees at health agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of…
The US Senate has confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr as the new Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, sparking concerns about the future of biomedical research in the country. Kennedy has a history of promoting vaccine misinformation and public-health conspiracies, and his appointment has raised fears about the potential impact on the…
A groundbreaking study of the genomes of nearly 6,000 Greenlandic people has shed new light on the genetic history of the Inuit. The research, published in Nature, suggests that the Inuit ancestors rarely moved around after settling the island around 1,000 years ago, leading to a unique genetic makeup that may be linked to certain…
Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, has released its latest flagship AI model, Grok 3, which boasts enhanced capabilities in image analysis and question-answering. The new model has been in development for several months and surpasses its predecessor, Grok 2, in terms of computing power and accuracy. Grok 3 is set to revolutionize the AI landscape,…
Scientists have discovered the secret to the mantis shrimp’s powerful punches, which can exceed 1,000 times the animal’s body weight without causing injury. The exoskeleton of the mantis shrimp’s club-like forelimbs is built to filter out damaging pressure waves, and its unique architecture could inspire new materials such as impact-resistant armor and aerospace structures. Forecast…