Articles Archives

Physical Sciences

Adaptive experiments: Machine learning can help scientific discovery

Machine learning can help scientists design experiments. Scientific discovery relies on experiments that build our understanding of natural phenomena, and traditionally has been based on trial and error. Depending on the goal, different machine learning strategies can be used for adaptive experiments: active learning, maximising information gain, Bayesian optimisation, bandit approaches, and reinforcement learning. Cheng Soon Ong, machine learning scientist […]

Health & Medicine

Artemis:DNA-PKcs: A new drug target for cancer treatment?

Cells encounter DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) every day. Because they can lead to loss of genetic information, DSBs must be repaired. Nonhomologous DNA end joining (NHEJ) is the major pathway for repairing DSBs, and the key enzymes include Artemis nuclease and DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs). For the first time, Dr Go Watanabe and his team from the University […]

Physical Sciences

Retrocausality: How backwards-in-time effects could explain quantum weirdness

Since the earliest days of quantum theory, physicists have struggled to reconcile the apparently nonlocal, faster-than-light interactions demanded by quantum mechanics with the strict laws of relativity. Dr Rod Sutherland at the University of Sydney, Australia, believes that the answer to this problem lies with ‘retrocausality’ – a concept which would allow quantum measurements to influence events in their past. […]

Earth & Environment

Triharmony/Trilemma of Nutrients Assets in tropical peatland

Peatland soils and water are characterised by low nutrient concentrations. Despite this, biomass in native tropical peatlands is abundant and has adequate nutrients. At Hokkaido University, Sumitomo Forestry Co Ltd, Japan, and BRIN, Indonesia, scientists studying nutrient cycling in peatlands have developed an innovative nutrients management system for agriculture. Their approach – AeroHydro culture – involves cultivation using high groundwater […]

Earth & Environment

Triharmony/Trilemma of Carbon Assets in tropical peatland

Tropical peatlands provide globally important reservoirs of water and carbon, and the cycles of these two elements are intricately connected. At Hokkaido University, Sumitomo Forestry Co, Ltd, Japan, and BRIN, Indonesia, scientists have developed a model for mapping carbon emissions from tropical peatlands. Their integrated monitoring, reporting, and verifying (iMRV) system measures dynamic changes in water and carbon cycles, biomass […]

Health & Medicine

Simple blood tests could predict immunotherapy effectiveness

Despite the extensive use of immunotherapy in patients suffering from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, this therapy has significant limitations. Not everyone responds to treatment and current therapies can have serious adverse side effects. When working at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA, Dr George Laliotis and his team discovered that biochemical factors, measured […]

Physical Sciences

What can Occam’s razor principle tell us about theories of dark matter?

Today, physicists have devised dozens of theories to explain the nature of dark matter. So far, however, not one of them has gained concrete proof through experiments. To narrow these theories down, Professor Eugene Oks at Auburn University, USA, advocates applying an important philosophical concept, which is often used when considering complex problems with many candidate solutions. Using Occam’s razor, […]

Physical Sciences

How electrons and phonons promote heat transfer in material systems

Miniaturisation is one of the key features of current and future technologies for information processing and control. However, the ability to reduce the size of an electronic component is limited by a decrease in electrical conductivity and an increase in thermal energy dissipation as the device approaches the nano-scale regime. By studying the electronic and vibrational characteristics of high-purity iridium […]

Earth & Environment

Atmospheric species and their effect on solar radiation and our health

Our atmosphere is a giant chemical reactor that helps keep us safe from the potentially damaging and warming effects of solar radiation. It consists of a hugely complex mixture of atmospheric liquids, gases, and particles with constantly varying compositions. Professor Jianhui Bai at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor Rui Chen at the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology […]

Physical Sciences

Making organic chemistry fun, meaningful, and accessible

Many undergraduate students perceive organic chemistry modules as make-or-break courses in their university career. They often resort to rote memorisation, which not only alienates them but prevents them understanding the discipline in depth. Social and economic factors may also be significant barriers in the study of this fundamental subject. With examples drawn from her extensive teaching experience, Dr Irosha N […]