Good morning, Gnusies!
I hope everyone’s having a wonderful day, a day with boundless potential, full of optimism and hope for a better future.
And I hope some good news can make it better.
I originally meant to include this video in my February GNR, but lost it. I found it again, so you get it now!
The information in the video info is fascinating, and I highly suggest hopping over just to read it.
Years ago, a friend and I went to see the movie The Shape of Water in theaters during a pre-screening. We were lucky enough to snag a pair of tickets. I loved the movie then, and I love the movie now. Besides the actual storyline, it handled some really heavy topics: racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, just to name a few. They weren’t the central topic by any means, but it still hit me like a ton of bricks.
See, here’s the thing: When you’re steeped in change as it happens, day by day, inch by inch, it doesn’t seem to be moving. Sometimes that change seems to be in reverse, rather than forward, and sometimes...sometimes it is. But taken all together…
The Shape of Water shows slice-of-life happenings as society was decades ago, during the time period it was set. There are no rosy glasses, no nostalgia for what “they” think was a better time. It strips away the facade of the Good Old Days, and shines a spotlight not just on how bad things were, but how far we’ve come as a society. And it allowed me to compare the -isms and phobias yesteryear allowed, legally and socially, with what is allowed or tolerated today.
I don’t say this to minimize the bigotry that we are still fighting; I say this because the following story smacked me in the face with hope, because somehow, it hadn’t occurred to me (or maybe I needed the reminder) that that comparison between what society was and what society is that I found in a movie could, in turn, find an echo in real-life examples of what society could, should, and by their very existence will, become.
"In some families, cultures and religions, you're not allowed to be gay," Southwell says as her kids immediately chime in with a surprised, "What? Why?" before she continues. "Yes, and so there is the term 'coming out,' [it] applies to people who need to come out to their families to let them know, 'I'm gay.'"
One of the kids in the backseat asks, "But why do they have to tell them?" They seem to be genuinely confused on why that would be important information to share with families. The mom explains that some families disown their children or have other negative reactions. Her children remain shocked throughout the entire conversation not understanding how who someone loves could cause a negative response from their family members. Commenters praise the mom and expressed hope for the future.
"Awww the babies. This actually made me hopeful for future generations," one person writes.
It’s a long, strange trip, but in the end, we’ll get there. And when we do, the kids will be leading the way.
More R&D into treatment for diabetes! Type 1 this time.
Scientists at Johns Hopkins say that an experimental antibody drug appears to prevent and reverse the onset of type 1 diabetes in mice—and often lengthen their lives.
The drug called mAb43 is unique, according to the researchers, because it targets insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas directly and is designed to shield those cells from attacks by the body’s own immune system cells.
The drug’s specificity for such cells may enable long-term use in humans with few side effects, say the researchers. Such monoclonal antibodies are made by cloning, or making identical replicas of, an animal or human cell line.
…
Dax Fu, Ph.D., an associate professor of physiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and leader of the research team, says mAb43 binds to a small protein on the surface of beta cells, which dwell in clusters called islets. The drug was designed to provide a kind of shield or cloak to hide beta cells from immune system cells that attack them as “invaders.”
The researchers used a mouse version of the monoclonal antibody, and will need to develop a humanized version for studies in people.
I am very much looking forward to when I can have blood draws done with this newfangled contraption rather than the current finger stick. Big needles don’t bother me, but finger sticks and smaller ones do. I think this would help.
A new blood-draw device that’s painless but more reliable than a finger prick has been developed by researchers in Zurich to help physicians bypass two major problems with taking blood samples.
Needle phobia is a real thing, and can lead to sudden exhaustion, fainting, and dehydration. On the other hand, the classic finger prick device from your childhood was actually never a reliable tool, as it takes too little blood and produces imprecise measurements.
Now, a third option utilizing suction cups and microneedles will hopefully solve all these problems at once and more, since it doesn’t require any medical training to use.
...
Rather than designing a tiny robotic leech, the team installed a series of microneedles in the center of a less-than-one-inch suction cup. When placed on an upper arm, the suction allows the needles to draw blood without penetrating very deeply at all into the skin, resulting in little to no discomfort.
The new device is very cost-effective to produce, says Nicole Zoratto, a postdoc at ETH Zurich and lead author of a paper describing her invention.
It’s still in development and testing phase, and they’re looking for a partner for that, so it’ll be a while, but there’s hope!
In this study, the discovery that evaporation can occur just with light and without heat was so unexpected and surprising that it was subjected to 14 different tests and measurements to try and disprove what the scientists observed.
One consistent finding was that the air temperature above the place at which water molecules were turning into gases would cool down briefly then level out, showing definitively that thermal energy is not required.
“I think this has a lot of applications,” said Professor of Power Engineering at MIT, Gang Chen. “We’re exploring all these different directions. And of course, it also affects the basic science, like the effects of clouds on climate, because clouds are the most uncertain aspect of climate models.”
Other fascinating details from the study include the data point that photoevaporation is strongest when the light arrives at a 45° angle, and/or when the light is on the green spectrum, which is odd, MIT press writes, because that’s the color at which water is most transparent.
…
Since demonstrating the photomolecular effect at the Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Sciences, Chen says he has already been approached by companies looking to harness this effect for everything from drying paper in a paper mill to evaporating maple syrup.
I’m sure this effect goes beyond sporting events.
Despite its recognized positive effects, limited evidence exists on the link between watching sports and well-being. To address this gap, the team of Japanese researchers used a multi-method approach and found that sports viewing activates brain reward circuits, leading to improved well-being.
This is especially true when watching popular sports like baseball or football, which can notably boost both physical and mental well-being.
Their research offers insights for public health policies and individual well-being enhancement.
Led by Associate Professor Shintaro Sato from the Faculty of Sport Sciences at Waseda University, the team found that watching sport—particularly in large crowds—goes “beyond entertainment” by fostering a sense of community and personal belonging.
“This sense of connection not only makes individuals feel good but also benefits society by improving health, enhancing productivity, and reducing crime,” said Professor Sato.
Far far more information in the article than I can do justice here.
ALSO! I have to give a shout out to Hank Green and Crash Course and YouTube putting out Study Hall! I can’t do it justice in a blurb, so: Foundational courses online from CrashCourse and ASU Educators. Free videos, class registration for $25, credits that will transfer all over the US for $400, only slightly more than I was paying decades ago.
I love love LOVE SciShow and vlogbrothers and PBS Eons and so much STUFF that Hank Green et al have had their hand in, and I can’t wait to be able to watch the Code and Programming for Beginners course videos as they come out.
The educational issues in the U.S. are deep and complex, but I think programs like this one will be a big step forward both in accessibility and affordability in terms of college education.
And now, the weather.
(My name is still not Cecil Baldwin. I promise.)