I'm collecting images of the photon revolution, where all the articles about advancements in computing have rainbows in them. You're welcome.
Next, how science works:
Miniature treadmills accelerate studies of insects walking
Sep 2024, phys.org
Yes, fruit fly-sized treadmills.
via University of Washington School of Medicine: Brandon G. Pratt et al, Miniature linear and split-belt treadmills reveal mechanisms of adaptive motor control in walking Drosophila, Current Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.08.006
Artificial mouth mimics human tongue movements to understand the oral processing of soft foods
Oct 2024, phys.org
Yes it is.
The device is based on anatomical data collected at the Fujita Health University and features a silicone tongue that contracts using compressed air to mimic the movements of the human tongue.
Click the link above if you want to see a picture of the artificial tongue. But only if you want to.
via National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment: Alejandro Avila-Sierra et al, A first-of-its-kind 3D biomimetic artificial mouth capable of reproducing the oral processing of soft foods, Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-73629-9
What a gut fungus reveals about symbiosis and allergy
Nov 2024, phys.org
The finding suggests that preclinical studies until now have overlooked a major influencer of mouse physiology:
In 2019, a team led by National Institutes of Health found that "wildling" lab mice raised with gut microbes like those of wild mice do a better job of modeling human immune responses than traditional lab mice. The lab, which participated in that study, found significantly higher levels of fungal DNA in the gut of these mice—magnitudes greater than previously observed in lab mice.The team looked for evidence of the fungus in fecal samples and other material provided by pest-control companies in New York City and Los Angeles, and acquired samples from multiple research institutions that use or sell lab mice. Ultimately, they determined that K. pintolopesii is very common in wild mice, but also often present in lab mouse colonies without researchers knowing about its presence."K. pintolopesii can completely change the experimental outcome."
via Weill Cornell Medical College: Yun Liao et al, Fungal symbiont transmitted by free-living mice promotes type 2 immunity, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08213-2
Microplastics found in the brains of mice within hours of consumption
Jan 2025, phys.org
(Blinking guy meme)
The team installed tiny windows in their skulls, allowing them to track the movement of the plastic in their brains.
via Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Duke University, and National University of Singapore: Haipeng Huang et al, Microplastics in the bloodstream can induce cerebral thrombosis by causing cell obstruction and lead to neurobehavioral abnormalities, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr8243
Scientists discover neurons that count each bite and signal when to stop eating
Feb 2025, phys.org
via Columbia University Irving Medical Center: Brainstem Neuropeptidergic Neurons Link a Neurohumoral Axis to Satiation, Cell (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.01.018.
High-speed videos show what happens when a droplet splashes into a pool
Feb 2025, phys.org
How are we still studying this? Yet here we are.
via MIT: R. Dandekar et al, Splash on a liquid pool: coupled cavity–sheet unsteady dynamics, Journal of Fluid Mechanics (2024). DOI: 10.1017/jfm.2024.1105
Post Script Extraordinaire:
How UFO sightings can help measure public attention and economic patterns
Dec 2024, phys.org
Now this is some actual ufo science: UAP sightings are more frequent in wealthier regions but exhibit counter-cyclical patterns within those regions over time. These findings suggest that shifts in attention to extraordinary phenomena may reflect broader fluctuations in public focus.
- Positively correlated with economic conditions across regions but display counter-cyclical patterns within regions over time.
- Causal link between restricted mobility (like COVID lockdowns) and increased UAP reports
- Regions with higher sighting levels show muted responses to monetary policy shocks, suggesting that attention variations can significantly influence economic outcomes.
via Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Nathan Goldstein et al, Looking up the sky: unidentified aerial phenomena and macroeconomic attention, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-04182-z
In related news, you've never had so much fun at a science lecture:
Sasquatch Distribution Modelling: Investigating patterns of Bigfoot sightings in North America
Annual Halloween lecture by Prof Joss Wright at the Oxford Internet Institute, Oct 31 2024
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