Welcome to Science Saturday! Today, we dive into groundbreaking discoveries that are reshaping our understanding of the universe, health, ancient life, and the very origins of life on Earth.
Lunar Water Extraction
Scientists from the Chinese mainland have uncovered a method to extract water from lunar soil samples brought back by the Chang'e-5 mission. By heating the lunar soil above 1000 degrees Celsius using concave mirrors, they melted the soil to release water vapor. Impressively, over 50 milligrams of water were obtained from just one gram of soil. Scaling this up, one tonne of soil could yield more than 50 kilograms of water—enough to fill approximately one hundred 500-milliliter bottles. This breakthrough could be a game-changer for future human habitation on the moon, providing a vital resource for astronauts.
Universal Flu Vaccine
In the fight against seasonal and pandemic influenza, a universal flu vaccine is showing promising results in mice, according to trials at the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute. This vaccine candidate incorporates proteins from various influenza strains, including potential pandemic strains like H5N1. The ultimate goal is to offer protection against all known influenza strains, potentially eliminating the need for annual vaccinations. While viral mutations remain a challenge, researchers are optimistic about initiating human clinical trials within the next one to three years.
Dinosaur Highways
More than 120 million years ago, before the continents of Africa and South America drifted apart, dinosaurs traveled between these landmasses using what scientists are calling a prehistoric highway. Researchers from Southern Methodist University discovered over 260 similar footprints in Brazil and Cameroon, providing evidence of these ancient migratory paths. These tracks offer valuable insights into dinosaur behavior, such as their walking and running patterns, and help scientists reconstruct ancient climates and ecosystems that supported diverse animal life before the breakup of supercontinents.
Origins of Life
U.S. scientists have made a significant stride in understanding the origins of life by revealing that rainwater may have played a crucial role in forming the earliest primitive cell walls. These protective barriers were essential in preventing immediate RNA exchange between protocells, allowing mutations and competition to drive evolution. Without such cell walls, life would have lacked the diversity needed for complex organisms to develop. This discovery brings scientists closer to unraveling how life began more than 3.8 billion years ago.
Reference(s):
Science Saturday: Lunar exploration, flu vaccine, and origin of life
cgtn.com
