Monthly Archives: March 2022

A new state of matter?

Posted on March 28, 2022 by | 1 comment

     A recent claim in an article on Phys Org by the University of Portsmouth from physicist Dr. Melvin Vopson states that a fifth state of matter might be confirmed by his experiment. This experiment uses information theory and the physical principles of thermodynamics as the background to the claims.

Image source: ElfQrin Wikipedia

Description: Image shows the conventional four states of matter and how they can change to each other.

Some background information:

Information theory states that the amount of randomness something has is the amount of information it can possibly contain and the principle of thermodynamics is that energy cannot be destroyed in a system.

 

The revolutionary thought:

So how do we prove that information is a state of matter? This cannot be done like the other states in which we can easily make physical representations of them. Dr. Melvin Vopson decided to use a matter-antimatter annihilation process to study the energy coming off of their information erasure. What this basically means is he will get two electrons, tiny particles that are part of an atom, to blow each other up. This creates a resulting observable wave that comes off of it , roughly 50 micrometers, that can be used to measure the energy of the information deleted. 

New experiment could confirm the fifth state of matter in the universe

Source: University of Portsmouth PhysOrg

Description: This shows the positron-electron interaction and how the energy waves can be seen coming off of the contact between the anti matter and matter versions of the electron.

Why this matters?

 

The conclusion from Dr. Melvin Vopson is that this energy measure will be able to confirm both the information theory as well as prove the existence of information to be a state of matter, along with the current states of solid ,liquid ,gaseous and plasmid. This would obviously not only change the way we view the universe but open up fields of research into this state for physics. Perhaps fields of research into this information could even lead to unthinkable applications of this state of matter.

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It’s in the Aesthetics! Colour Theory: What It Is and Why It Matters

Posted on March 28, 2022 by | 2 comments

Both of the texts are bolded, they’re the exact same size and the exact same colour, but how come one is a lot easier to read than the other?

The answer to that question lies behind colour theory

Colour Theory

You’ve probably heard of it in the passing before, you might even know what it is, but, what exactly is colour theory?

Essentially, there are 3 main components to colour theory: the colour wheel, colour harmony and colour context.

The colour wheel describes how colours mix together and involves the primary colours: red, yellow and blue, the secondary colours: orange, green and purple, and tertiary colours, such as yellow-orange, red-purple, blue-green etc.

The basic colour wheel with primary, secondary and tertiary colours. In reality, there are more than a million colours right now! Source from invision

Colour harmony describes how colours match with each other; it’s commonly associated with descriptions of various colour schemes. Imagine a sunset with its soft yellows, oranges and pinks. Now, imagine a dark magenta and put it next to dark swampy green and loud red. The colour scheme of a sunset is a lot more visually appealing than the other because the colours of a sunset harmonize while magenta, green and red will clash against each other.

Finally, colour context describes how colour is perceived. Look at the two sample texts from the beginning. Despite being the same colour, the red text against the orange tends to be more difficult to read compared to the red text against the light blue. This is because the light blue contrasts the red, therefore making the red appear more vibrant and allowing it to stand out.

Despite being the same colour, the purple rectangle appears red-tinged when paired with a cool-toned background and blue-tinged when paired with a warm-toned background. Source from ColorMatters

At this point, you may have an idea of why this matters.

Why Colour Theory Matters

While colour theory is interesting in itself, various colours and contrasts can affect a person’s cognitive abilities.

When testing people’s search response time of various icons with different colour combinations, a particular study found that certain colour combinations such as green/red, turquoise/blue, yellow/purple and green/blue resulted in a significantly slower response time while other combinations like white/blue, yellow/blue and yellow/black improved the response time.

A yellow icon against a blue background had a quicker response time than a turquoise icon against a blue background. Source from Christine Sun

It’s for that reason why it’s important to take time to decide on the colours of a design. Certain colours and colour combinations can make a design more noticeable, memorable and well-received while on the other hand, it can also cause a design to be heavily criticized as well.

What’s your favourite colour combination?

– Christine Sun

 

 

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The future of male birth control is within reach!

Posted on March 28, 2022 by | 3 comments

Now here’s something you may not know… condoms are over 5000 years old! That’s right, some of the first forms of birth control date back to thousands of years ago, and while the condom has made huge strides in the millennia that have passed since then, the only other option that exists for men in birth control is a vasectomy that may be hard and often costly to reverse. Well, that is until recently! A new scientific breakthrough has allowed scientists in The United States to design a male contraceptive pill that is 99% effective in preventing pregnancies in mice and is awaiting human trials!

there is a significant discrepancy in the contraceptive options available to women as opposed to men, signaling the need for more balance. Getty Images/Peter Dazeley

How does it work?

The male body needs a certain nutrient called retinoic acid, a form of vitamin A, for fertility, sperm formation and sexual drive. The male contraceptive pill, which was first unveiled at the 2022 American Chemical Society’s spring meeting a few days ago, is equipped with certain compounds that block crucial proteins from binding to retinoic acid receptors (RAR), hence allowing for reliable and reversible sterility in male subjects. The compound was administered orally to mice for a 4-week period. Not only did the compound result in a dramatic decrease in the mice’s sperm count, it also had no observable side effects. Better yet, once they stopped administering the drug, the mice regained the ability to give birth in 4-6 weeks!

In order to minimize potential side effects, the chemicals within the drug were designed such that they would specifically bind to RAR. This way, surrounding tissues will not be affected. But more importantly, the chemists and pharmacologists responsible for developing this drug at The University of Minnesota, attribute its success to the fact that it is completely non-hormonal!

The pill targets Vitamin A and has been shown to cause sterility in male mice. Getty Images/Canopy

what makes a non-hormonal pill better?

Up until now, there have been numerous attempts to create a male contraceptive pill, but any compound that has thus far reached the clinical trial stage, exclusively targets the male sex hormone testosterone. Unfortunately, this may  be accompanied with a slew of side effects including increased cholesterol levels, weight gain, depression, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This is why current efforts have been targeted towards the non-hormonal pathway to developing a male contraceptive pill.

When can the world expect to see the pill?

Clinical trials are set to begin by the end of 2022. The researchers behind the pill have teamed up with a private company, YourChoice Therapeutics, to achieve this goal. While there is actually no guarantee that the pill will replicate the same results in humans, there is a high level of optimism that the pill can be marketed to the general public in 5 years or under. Jesse Mills, director of the men’s clinic at UCLA jokes “It’s hard to ask a mouse about moodiness or fatigue or other side effects that may manifest in human studies”. Nonetheless, the current pill offers more promise than previous options.

Research associates at The University of Minnesota announce that the pill is ready to begin clinical trials in 2022. CTV News

 

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Live long and eat chocolate

Posted on March 21, 2022 by | 2 comments

The history of chocolate

Photo Credit: Stocksy/Cameron Whitman

If you can’t imagine life without chocolate, you’re fortunate you were born after the 16th century. In the past, chocolate only existed in Mesoamerica as a bitter, foamy drink. Historically, not only chocolate has been used to associate with mood-lifting, but also provides scientifically supported physical health benefits. 

The secret of chocolate 

Flavanols, are a group of compounds that is the most abundant in cocoa, have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that protect our cells from damage. As a result, consuming cocoa could help us age well and minimize our risk of getting cardiovascular diseases and cancer, and other diseases. 

YouTube Preview Image

Video:Healthy Cocoa: The Story of Cocoa Flavanols

Can Consuming Cocoa Help Us Age Better?

Dr. Yanbin Dong, a geneticist at the Medical College of Georgia, and his team are looking for answers to prove the effeteness of cocoa. They studied the blood of 600 individuals aged 60 and older who participated in the world’s largest experiment to evaluate the efficacy of a cocoa supplement as well as multivitamin on reducing heart disease, stroke, and other diseases.

Dr. Yanbin Dong. Credit: Mike Holahan, Augusta Chronicle

“People believe that eating chocolate is good for you,” Dong said, adding that global enthusiasm for the sweet treat has outpaced scientific evidence of its benefit in humans.

The COSMOS Trial (COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study), led by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, collected data from 21,444 men and women to analyze The impact of a cocoa extract supplement and/or multivitamins on common health problems.

Inflammation is a major factor in ageing and common conditions such as heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer.

Dong and his colleagues will focus on ageing, including so-called “inflammaging” and epigenetic ageing, which are both considered good indicators of our biological age. Biological age considers key factors that influence your health and wellbeing, such as genetics and lifestyle, rather than just the year you were born. He also performs more standard ageing tests on these people, such as blood pressure and cognitive function tests.

From the study, dark chocolate, in particular, is frequently appreciated for its health benefits as a natural and good source of antioxidants, as well as iron, copper, and other heart-healthy nutrients. According to Dong, eating chocolate has been shown to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, cognitive decline, and boost the immune response to invaders such as the coronavirus.

YouTube Preview Image

video : Cocoa: Food of the Gods | Simon TEDxUniversityofGroningen

As a result, not all chocolate gives health benefits. It is specifically the cocoa in chocolate that has been linked to positive outcomes–the higher the percentage of cocoa, the more active compounds that are present to provide health benefits.

Written by Yeonjun Choi

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Become a pro about PROtein

Posted on March 21, 2022 by | 3 comments

How much protein have you eaten today? If you are not sure how much protein you consumed today, you might want to make sure you are getting enough protein in your diet. Protein contributes to how our body’s everyday functions. Thus, it is time to become a pro about protein and learn the importance, benefits and how much protein you should have.

 

What is protein?

Proteins are the building blocks of life and are the second most important macromolecule (large molecule) in the body. The protein molecule is made up of twenty different building blocks commonly known as amino acids. These amino acids make up the protein molecule chain and come in all shapes, sizes and functionality depending on the length and formation of the amino acids that form this chain. You may have heard and might be wondering, why does the human body need to consume protein when it can produce it on its own? Well, within your body and out of the 20 amino acids, the body can only create 11 nonessential amino acids. Accordingly, it cannot produce the essential ones that account for the other nine of them. Therefore, the human body needs to consume these essential amino acids through foods/supplements as it is vital for functions such as tissue repair, growth of bones and muscles, and transportation of oxygen/nutrients, to name a few.

 

Caption: What is protein and why is it so important?                                                    Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzBGa8KnM3Q

 

PRO-tein tips on consumption

We know protein is crucial for health, but what is the limit for consumption – what happens if we consume insufficient or excess amounts? The optimal protein intake amount for a somewhat inactive average man or woman is 56 grams and 46 grams per day, respectively. This amount translates to about 0.36 grams of protein per pound (g/lb) of body weight, according to the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). The RDA is the average daily intake of a nutrient to fulfill the essential nutritional requirements – it provides the goal/minimum amount to consume to stay healthy. Knowing that 0.36 g/lb of protein is the ideal amount, what are the consequences of having a lack of or an excess intake in the amount of protein? Studies have shown that insufficient and excess quantities of protein for long durations restrict bodily function. For protein deficiencies, individuals will develop mood changes, weakness and fatigue, and hair, skin and nail problems. Whereas for an excess intake, dehydration, kidney damage, and increased cancer risk and heart disease may occur.

 

Caption: Do you need more protein than you think? Well, you might need more protein in your diet depending on your lifestyle.                                                         Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeKn-ym6sgE

 

Do you want to be a PRO-tein athlete?

Although there are dire consequences for consuming an excess amount of protein, sometimes it is desirable depending on muscle mass, physique goals and how active an individual is. For athletes, protein intake increases by almost double the amount (1.4 to 2.0 g per kg of body weight) as more energy is used up and the body requires more nutrients to recover and repair muscles. Additionally, protein is essential for muscle growth and boosts metabolism, which assists in burning calories to a greater extent.

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Sustainable Infrastructure Development? You Can Have Your Cake and Eat it too!

Posted on March 21, 2022 by | 1 comment

Roses are red, violets are blue, your house should be green, and everyone else’s too! I am not talking about the colour; I’m talking about sustainably built buildings engineered to conserve energy and reduce negative impacts associated with infrastructure development.

How Important are green buildingS?

Buildings contribute to nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions and are therefore contributing more to global emissions than the entire transportation industry. A recent study attempted to quantify the contributions of green buildings to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) outlined by the united nations. Their study revealed that green buildings will help meet the SDGs 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 12 (Consumption and Production).

An image tweeted by the World Green Building Council outlines how buildings need to be net carbon zero by 2050 to meet emission goals, illustrating the importance of advancing green building technology. Image Credit: World Building Council

Where do building emissions come from?

The emissions from buildings can be divided into two sections: construction and operational costs. There is an upfront emission cost associated with the materials and infrastructure development during construction that accounts for 28% of the building’s emissions. Building operations include the energy used to heat, cool and light buildings, accounting for the remaining 72% of building emissions.

The carbon emissions in buildings can be divided into ‘upfront’ embodied carbon and operational carbon. Image Credit: Interface

What makes a green building “Green”?

Green buildings use different strategies to reduce the carbon footprint created by the structure: reducing energy costs, utilizing higher insulation, or collecting all necessary water on site. However, green buildings do not just apply to new buildings. Existing buildings can be made more sustainable by investing in renewable energy to replace fossil fuels or adding a green roof and solar shading devices.

Right in downtown Vancouver, the Vancouver Convention Centre is one of the leading green building designs. This building uses many creative tactics to meet net-zero carbon emissions and even provides positive feedback. This building’s roof has two distinct features that aid in decreasing its environmental impact: indigenous plants and grasses that acts as an insulator to help the building use less energy in heating and cooling and four beehives that pollinate the plants and provide honey for the kitchen. The building also has a restored marine habitat that is helping improve the water quality in the surrounding area, a water recycling system, a seawater heating and cooling system, and many other features. The architecture of this building is truly a marvel to see. See the video below to learn more about the roof of the Vancouver Convention Centre.

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Video tour of the roof of the Vancouver Convention Centre and its functions. Video Credit: Vancouver Convention Center

Along with the Vancouver Convention Centre, there are many other green buildings all around the world: the Pixel Building (Melbourne, Australia), Museum of Tomorrow (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Bosco Verticale (Milan, Italy), and many more all around the world. As green building technology develops, hopefully, this list will grow until all buildings in the world are considered green buildings.

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Turn off the lights! Diabetes and heart disease could be on the line

Posted on March 21, 2022 by | 4 comments

You have probably heard it time after time — “put down your electronics before going to bed.” Falling asleep to late-night television seems like a harmless act, but what really is light doing to your body when it comes to sleep, and how much light is too much? A recent study shows that it’s more than just a good night’s worth of sleep at risk; diabetes, obesity, and other cardiovascular functions are on the line.

Light’s effect on “fight-or-flight” 

Previous studies found that light exposure during the day activates the sympathetic nervous system. This division of our nervous system is responsible for activating the body’s instinctive “fight-or-flight” responses to threatening situations and can act to increase heart rate and blood sugar levels for a boost of quick energy. Coupled with the sympathetic system, the parasympathetic system is associated with energy conservation and digestive processes crucial for the maintenance and restoration of the body. A recent study by the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine found that even when the body was asleep, light exposure triggered “fight-or-flight” responses. Consequently, the two nervous system divisions became unbalanced and restoration processes were disrupted.

Source: Science Insider

 

Next morning insulin resistance

In this Northwestern University study, 20 healthy individuals spent 2 nights in a sleep lab while being monitored for a number of measures of sleep quality: brainwave activity, breathing, heart rate, and melatonin levels. For one night, half of the participants were exposed to light equivalent to streetlights coming through a window, while the other participants remained in a fully dark setting. In addition to “fight-or-flight” responses such as increased heart rates, researchers found a significant increase in insulin resistance the morning after in participants who slept in the dimly lit room. Insulin is a crucial hormone in our bloodstreams that signals cells to pick up sugars in the blood following the consumption of carbs to be used for energy. In the condition of insulin resistance, cells fail to properly respond to insulin, thus compromising the breakdown of sugar. In view of impaired heart and sugar regulation, the study further suggested that moderate exposure to light during sleep could increase risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Source: Doctablet

 

City nights, bright lights

Surveys found that up to 40% of individuals sleep with lights on through things like phones, televisions, and table lamps. With the rise and growth of urban areas around the world, it has become even more common for individuals to experience some sort of artificial light exposure during sleep. Individuals living in the city are more susceptible to outdoor light sources such as streetlights, neon signs, and nearby buildings. Considering the light exposure we experience on a regular basis, one may wonder how much light is too much light.

Night lights in downtown Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Image Credit: Clayton Perry

In this study, only 5-10 % of the light exposed to participants went through the closed eyelids during sleep. Nevertheless, the low light exposure was enough to impact measures like heart rate and insulin resistance; emphasizing the need to be aware of even the dimmest lights during sleep.

Written by: Joanne Kit

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