What I Learnt This Week 8: 3D imaging of fat cells, White graphene and ceramics, The wearable age simulator, The Discovery of a Five Planet System, & SpaceX's Zuma Mission.
Monday: 3D imaging of fat reveals the potential targets for new obesity treatment.
[1] Two days ago, I wrote on genetics, appetite, and obesity because I know how much threat it poses to lives of people suffering from it and now, the new treatment of obesity. A three-dimensional imaging was done for the first time on fat cells and it left its prints. The 3D imaging exposed some in-depth mechanism of the fat cells which has made it easy and possible to fashion out new drugs and treatment plan for obesity.
[2] Fortunately, this 3D imaging has also brought smiles to the face of science in another way - the discovery of the different types of fats we have. According to the author of this study, Paul Cohen, there are three different types of fats; the white fat, which stores up energy, the brown and the beige fats which promote our health by helping us use up energy.
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[3]The researchers at the Rockefeller lab were able to modify a rotational 3D imaging system - the iDisco("A rapid method of immunolabeling Large Tissue Samples for Volume Imaging"). Then, the next thing they did was to carry out an experiment on some mice that were exposed to cold - to enable beige fat develop, and burn energy. This technological setup is the reason we can now see the internal structures of the tissue.
Tuesday: White graphene and ceramics
Just in a couple of weeks during my researches, I've always come across graphene. If you followed last week's episode, you would have seen another aspect of graphene in its use for plant body sensors used to measure the amount of water usage. In my opinion, I think graphene is just a wonder material.
Today, graphene popped up as something entirely different.
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[4] The multifunctionality of the ceramics covers a wide range of fields like construction, refraction, oil and gas, aerospace, the nuclear industry and other fields that might need its properties.
[5]Adding a two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride(white graphene) to calcium silicate will produce a ceramic that's resistant to heat, radiation and has a really high durability and strength.
The lab considered the ceramic, tobermorite. The Tobermorite is a ceramic with a layer of calcium and oxygen which are kept together by some silicate chains. Purposely, I uploaded the picture of the tobermorite for you to see and be able to pick out some properties that might be responsible for its multifunctionality.
[In all, I can still say there's more to read up on this]
Wednesday: Wearable Age Simulator
Honestly, there was a time I was posting stuff related to 3D bioprinting but intentionally, I avoided them not wanting people to start feeling my blogs contain the same content. This time around, I see this bioprinting as something spectacular and needs even the little exposure I can help it get.
We humans are really aware of our mortality and the irreversibility of our times and ages. Of course, we can't stop ourselves from growing but at least the little we can do to keep our life in good shape with the peace we desire, we do. All this just to maximize our lifespan and have an enjoyable old age.
[6]The wearable age simulator is divided into different parts but it turns out that the aged people need it more than the reason behind its creation. [7]It is in different parts because one can purchase an age simulator for the ear alone, ears, legs, hands and so on.
[8]It took several hours to design the suit because they had to analyze the movement of an aged person(woman) that lived a normal lifestyle in her prime. The analysis of the woman was really a heads up for the designers.
Currently, that's the only complete 3D printed wearable age simulator we have.
Anyway, I think I owe you this video. So, have it.
Thursday: The Discovery of a Five-Planet System
[9] Just two days ago, Citizen Scientists found a system of at least 5 exoplanets with the assistance of the Exoplanets Explorer Project. Well, In case you find exoplanet a little difficult, "it is an [10]extrasolar planet that is outside our own solar system and orbits around a star." The first scientific detection of the exoplanets was in 1988 and wasn't confirmed until 1992. Currently, we have about 3,726 planets that are confirmed in 2,792 systems, and about 622 of the systems have more than a plan.
[11] It wouldn't have been possible without the help of the NASA's Kepler telescope- this telescope:
- trails behind the earth, and
- it measures"the brightness of stars" that might eventually host planets.
The instrument identifies potential planets around other stars by looking for dips in the brightness of the stars that occur when planets cross in front of, or transit, them.
Caltech
[12]Astronomers get alerted by some computer program when it "flags a star with the brightness dips," then, the astronomers look for the determinants they want and weigh the possibility of the star hosting a planet.
Friday: Space X's Zuma Mission
First, I think it's nice you know a few things about SpaceX, even if it's a little.
Ok,[13] SpaceX is an aerospace company founded by Elon Musk in 2002 and since then till January 7th, they've completed 21 landings of Falcon 9 rockets. Statistics has it that they've grown exponentially from about 160 employees in November 2005 to somewhere around 5,000 by the close of the year, 2015.
The Zuma Mission among others has remained obscure to the U.S people, unlike the way it has always been. Of course, they know their government contacts the SpaceX for help in some cases( SpaceX recently launched an aircraft for the U.S AirForce) and the reason is often made known by SpaceX but not in the case. SpaceX has been quiet on the agency they are currently working with on the Zuma which makes the mission mysterious.
[14] One thing that caught my attention was the use of reusable rockets... How on earth they do that, I don't know. The Zuma mission was scheduled for November last year but didn't take off until the 7th day of this year due to technical issues and the weather condition according to SpaceX.
[15] The talks on the Zuma mysterious Mission has refused to die down as rumors that the mission failed flooded the States just after the mission. Most of them claim the plane was lost although they have no proof.
Thank you for coming around!!
That little boy, @pearlumie.
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Image Sources
References
[1] The three-dimensional imaging
[2] The three different types of fat
[3] The modification of a rotational 3D imaging system
The multifunctionality of Ceramics
[5] Genome
[6] Aged people need the simulator than the reason fir its creation
[9] The Citizen Scienrists found exoplanets
[10] The Exoplanets
[11] The NASA's Kepler telescope
[12] The computer flags
That age simulator looks like an amazing invention, imagine how much it could combat prejudice etc.
Yes, it really is. You could have just watched the video to know more, it's optional though..
Wow. Great information presentation. This is just marvelous. And I thought our 8 planets where all there is in the universe. Thanks for sharing.
Nine, actually. But there's more now
Graphene is definitely an awesome commodity, I have been learning about it for a few months and I am excited to see where it will go in the future, I do know it is used as a fire retardant among other things.
Very Interesting @Pearlumie
Thank you
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Wow, a very great work you gat here.
The age simulator interest me most
And we have morw than 9 planets?
A real science worm you are.
Lol... Thank you..
U are good in wht u do