Contents
Theme of the week: surgery of the future
At the beginning of 2020, a dangerous blood clot was revealed in one of the American astronauts from the International Space Station. Then a supply of drugs was sent to the ISS that helped him. If the astronaut’s condition worsened, they would have managed to evacuate and save him. Today, the space agencies of different countries are planning to send people to Mars. The distance to it is 150 thousand times greater than to the ISS. If the astronauts develop health problems during the mission, it will not be easy to help them.
Simple operations in space have already been carried out, though not on people. For example, in 2005, astronauts were able to sew up a wound on a rat. During abdominal operations, a problem arises: under the influence of weightlessness, the internal organs rise from the wound. This closes the surgeon’s view, and it becomes difficult to manipulate the instruments. Therefore, only laparoscopy can be done in space. This is a method in which the doctor performs surgery through small incisions.
Another challenge is to avoid infections. Due to the nature of gravity and pressure in space, blood sticks to instruments, and the constantly circulating air in the cabin of a spacecraft promotes the spread of bacteria. A transparent plastic dome with disinfected air, in which the patient is placed, can solve the problem. The surgeon puts special “sleeves” on his hands and operates from outside the structure. Ideally, flights to Mars require a special automated medical complex with air purified from viruses and bacteria and protection from radiation. Similar technologies have already been tested by NASA: a robot led by a surgeon successfully removed a stone from the kidney of a humanoid dummy. But communication with Mars will not be stable, so fully autonomous machines will be needed.
The work of doctors on Earth will also change due to the development of telesurgery. Thanks to this technology, the doctor performs the operation using controlled robots, he does not have to be near the patient. This method becomes possible due to the spread of 5G networks, which allow you to quickly transfer information. The first such operation was performed back in 2001 by French doctors, but now the development of technology has brought telesurgery to a new level. This was proved by Italian specialists who performed the operation using a 3D modeling system, a robotic arm and a laser. The doctor controlled the instruments in real time, and they sent data to his computer over the 5G network. The movements of robots are more accurate and accurate than human ones, so surgeons feel more relaxed during such operations. However, due to questions about the ethics of the technology, it won’t be available in mainstream hospitals anytime soon.
Technology of the week: biosensors with pencil and paper
Biosensors are a development that will make the diagnosis of diseases more accurate and efficient. But today they are expensive: up to $10 for equipment that can be used multiple times. Disposable sensors are cheaper, but not environmentally friendly. The solution to the problem was proposed by scientists from the University of Missouri (USA). They have developed a technology whereby sensors can be made from paper and a simple pencil. The equipment will monitor sugar levels, heart rate, body temperature and breathing. The biosensor consists of two parts: a base layer (paper) and a conductor (graphite from a pencil), which collects information about the state of the body. The most important thing is to put the right image on the paper. The lines should be curvy and ornate so they can better transmit data to the special electrodes.
The paper sensor has already been tested and shown to be effective and accurate. The images were not erased under the influence of water and did not lose their functionality if sweat got on them during sports. In the future, the researchers plan to develop a mobile application that will display the data collected by the biosensor.
Article of the Week: Can extinct animals be brought back?
The development of genome editing technologies and cloning will help people save endangered species and return extinct animals. The first breakthrough came in 2003 when scientists were able to “revive” the Pyrenean Ibex. This is a type of mountain goat that disappeared in 2000. The lab-grown baby didn’t survive, but science has come a long way since then.
For example, Australian scientists are close to bringing back caring frogs that have been thought to be extinct since the mid-1980s. Researchers from the US are working to “resurrect” the passenger pigeon, and scientists from the UK – the great auk. There are also similar projects in Japan, South Africa and South Korea.
To achieve their goals, scientists use different methods. Some follow the path of dedomistration. During this process, specialists select individuals that are most similar to the extinct species and breed them. Using this method, scientists want to bring the quagga or the steppe zebra back to life. Other groups of researchers are working with genetic engineering. For example, a team of scientists from Harvard Medical School plans to “revive” mammoths in this way. To do this, they are trying to insert their genes into elephant cells. It is important to remember that animals bred with these methods may be similar to extinct animals, but will not be identical to them. However, for many scientists this is enough.
All of the above strategies do not apply to dinosaurs. They can not be returned, because scientists do not have a DNA sample. The same goes for the dodo bird and the Steller cow. But if it is possible to “revive” at least some of the extinct animals, this will positively affect the biodiversity on the planet.
Weekly Forecast: 6G by 2030
Samsung plans to start developing 6G technology as early as 2020. The corporation outlined its vision and strategy in a special report. Samsung experts suggest that the next generation Internet will appear by 2028, and it will begin to be widely used in 2030.
The company plans to make 6G networks suitable for AI, immersive XR (mixed reality) technology, more accurate digital twins and holograms. To achieve these goals, Samsung wants to increase data transfer rates to 1 Gb/s. and increase the reliability of the Internet by 100 times compared to 5G standards.
When developing a new network, Samsung will rely on terahertz frequencies, duplex technologies, spectrum allocation and artificial intelligence.
One line
New genome-editing technology could change mitochondrial DNA and treat diseases like migraine and Barth’s syndrome.
An Australian cancer vaccine has shown good results in preclinical studies.
Radiation can improve the properties of metals.
German scientists have created a computer chip that works like a human brain.
“Unions” will be replaced by rockets on methane and hydrogen.
A team of researchers from Germany and the US has created the world’s thinnest glass.
KFC wants to print nuggets on a 3D bioprinter.
What to read
Long read about how drones will change the architecture and life of cities. In the megacities of the future, the transport system will develop not so much in breadth as up. This will happen due to the fact that people will start using vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones more actively. In cities, ports will appear for recharging drones and air taxis, which will be arranged according to the principle of beehives. At the same time, drones will make architecture more environmentally friendly. For example, they will be able to change the position of the roofs of houses depending on the position of the sun. This will help maintain the optimum temperature in the rooms.
What to listen
Release of The Abstract podcast about how virtual reality changes a person. Presenter Tanya Bastos told why VR technologies will make us more emotional, and artificial intelligence will help to better understand ourselves.
What to see
A video on the Tech Vision channel shows what the world could be like in 2050. According to the authors, we are waiting for fully autonomous electric vehicles and space travel. All routine tasks will be performed by robots, offline stores will disappear, and people may survive a few more quarantines.
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