Sergio Parra

Vaccines, climate change... all are complex issues that, however, must be clarified through scientific literature.

However, according to the study The Politicization of Health and Science: Role of Political Cues in Shaping the Beliefs of the Vaccine-Autism Link, by S. Mo Jones-Jang and Chris Noland, the political opinion It would be the source of that clarification for a part of the electorate.

Donald Trump and vaccines

Ordinary people do not have the ability or motivation to assess health risks on their own. Therefore, we are forced to trust the experts. The problem is that we often assume that our political leaders are always correct and accurate.

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Those who believe in a culturally idealized masculinity tend to support Donald Trump

When it comes to the false claim that vaccines cause autism, Republicans tend to be more swayed by donald trump than by scientists, according to the aforementioned study.

In the study, 648 participants were asked to carefully read an article on the controversy between vaccines and autism. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of four different versions of the article: one that cited Donald Trump claiming there was no vaccine-autism link, one by a scientist claiming there was no vaccine-autism link autism, and two others in the opposite direction, also with Trump and a scientist, that is, there was a link between vaccines and autism.

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The “most important factor” of misinformation in English about the coronavirus is Donald Trump

The researchers found that Democratic and independent participants tended to align their beliefs about vaccines with the scientist's opinion, regardless of whether the scientist was pro- or anti-vaccine, but were not influenced by Trump's opinion. Among the Republican participants, however, Trump's opinion had a greater impact than the scientist's opinion.

The key finding is that political leaders easily influence partisans on any issue, including beliefs about vaccines, although political leaders' opinions are not necessarily accurate or scientific.

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In the United States, there are people who trust the opinions of politicians more than scientific evidence

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As if we were a gusiluz, as if, paraphrasing Paulo Coelho, we all shine with our own light, the body of a human being emits visible light and the intensity of the light rises and falls throughout the day (this visible light differs from infrared radiation, an invisible form of light, which comes from heat bodily).

But why don't we see it? Because it is 1,000 times less intense than the levels to which our naked eyes are sensitive.

All creatures do it

In fact, we are not facing a human superpower: Virtually all living creatures emit very weak light, which is believed to be a byproduct of biochemical reactions involving free radicals.

In Xataka Science

The man who knew everything showed how light should be considered

To learn more about this weak visible light, Japanese researchers used extraordinarily sensitive cameras capable of detecting single photons. Five healthy male volunteers in their 20s were placed bare-chested in front of cameras in complete darkness in light-proof rooms for 20 minutes every three hours from 10 am to 10 pm for three days.

The researchers found that the body's brightness rose and fell throughout the day, with its lowest point at 10 a.m. and its peak at 4 p.m. These findings suggest that there is light emission related to body clocks, probably due to how our metabolic rates fluctuate throughout the day.

In Xataka Science

These 16 species of 'ultra-black' fish were discovered this year and absorb 99.9% of light

Besides, The faces shone brighter than the rest of the body.. This may be because faces are more tanned than the rest of the body, as they are exposed to more sunlight. The pigment behind skin color, melanin, has fluorescent components that could amplify the body's tiny light production.

Since this faint light is related to the body's metabolism, this finding suggests that cameras that can detect the faint emissions could help detect medical conditions.

Further proof that most of what surrounds us is invisible to us, and that we must use science, and also the measuring instruments created thanks to technology, to establish models that allow us to get a little closer to the pale reflection of reality:

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We all emit light, but a thousand times less than what the human eye is capable of capturing.

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According to a new study, published in the journal Public Understanding of Science, stereotypes about psychedelics and their users can affect people's perception of scientists.

Therefore, researchers who admit to using psychedelic substances tend to be seen as less upright compared to their abstinent counterparts. Almost a thousand volunteers participated in the study.

Stereotypes in three studies

The study was further subdivided into three studies. In the first two, participants read a short story about a scientist who was conducting research on psychedelic substances. The researchers found that participants considered the scientist to have less scientific integrity when the story mentioned that he had extensive personal experience with taking psychedelics.

In Xataka Science

After decriminalizing marijuana in the United States, now it is the turn of hallucinogenic mushrooms

All in all, knowledge of the scientist's substance use did not affect evaluations of the quality of his research or its perceived value.

In a third study, Participants were asked to rate the quality of research presented at a “Science of Psychedelics” conference.. The conference was described as including psychedelic-related social activities, such as a shamanic drum circle and a group meditation session, or it was described as including more conventional social activities, such as a tour of a local brewery. The conference was also held in a spacious hall with colored light installations, while the latest version of the conference was staged in an ordinary university auditorium.

In Xataka Science

Books that inspire us: 'The art of losing control', by Jules Evans

Participants tended to view the quality of the research at the conference as lower when it included psychedelic activities and images.

The findings indicate that “both self-admitted personal use of psychedelics and association with the psychedelic subculture can negatively affect the public perception of those researchers (in terms of their integrity) and/or their findings (in terms of their validity) at different rates.” degrees".

Ironically, This stereotype mostly affects people who have no first-hand experience with psychedelic substances..

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Scientists who take psychedelic substances are perceived as having less integrity than those who do not.

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In The ages of globalization We are going to find out the pros and cons of globalization, and also that it is in some ways inevitable (and that we should try to minimize its damage because its benefits are too important).

Among other issues, its author, Jeffrey D. Sachs, addresses some thorny questions such as: what have been the main drivers of change on a global scale? How do geography, technology and institutions interact? How are changes from one region dispersed to others?

The seven ages

To trace the history of globalization, Sachs describes seven distinct ages:

1. Paleolithic Age: our prehistory, when humans were still searching for food.
2. Neolithic Age: when agriculture began.
3. Equestrian Age: when the domestication of the horse and the development of proto-writing enabled long-distance trade and communications.
4. classic age: when the first great empires emerged.
5. Oceanic Age: when empires began to expand across the oceans and beyond the usual ecological zones of the homeland.
6. Industrial Age: when some societies, led by Great Britain, ushered in the industrial economy.
7. Digital Age: our own time, in which almost everyone is instantly interconnected through digital data.

In Xataka Science

This is how spectacular the growth in the world's urbanization rate has been

Sachs's book is a marvel if what we want is to understand the history of humanity as an inevitable process towards global cooperation, and therefore has been a source of inspiration for entries for Xataka Ciencia such as This is how spectacular the growth in the world's urbanization rate has been.

The ages of globalization: Geography, technology and institutions (No collection)

Today on Amazon for €18.95

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Books that inspire us: 'The Ages of Globalization' by Jeffrey D. Sachs

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The world population has not grown especially until very recently, and the same has happened with the rate of urbanization, that is, the proportion of the world's population that resides in urban areas.

These data come from the Global Environmental History Database or History Database of the Global Environment (HYDE), spanning 12,000 years.

Population rate

• 10,000 – 3,000 BC: The estimated population grew from 2 million to 45, with an annual growth rate of only 0.04 percent.
• 3000 – 1000 BC: 0.05 percent annual growth rate.
• 1000 BC – 1500 AD: 0.06 percent.
• 1500 – 1800: 0.25 percent. The world population multiplies by two, from 461 million to 990 million.
• 1800 – 2000: 0.92 percent. The population multiplies by six, from 990 million to 6,145 million.

In Xataka Science

According to a study, people who live in mountain areas (more isolated) are less kind and responsible

Urbanization rate

The urbanization rate runs quite even with the population rate. Even in year 1, most of humanity lived in small agricultural settlements, and only 1% lived in cities.

In the year 1000, 3 percent lived in cities. In the 1500s, 3.6 percent. As explained Jeffrey D. Sachs in his book The ages of globalization:

In Xataka Science

It is more sustainable to live in cities than in the countryside, but there are some exceptions

As late as 1900, the global urbanization rate was only 16 percent. It is not until the 20th century that more than half of humanity then lives in urban environments (an estimated 55 percent in 2020).

That is to say, it is right now that we can affirm that, for the first time in the history of humanity, there are more people living in cities. And probably, before the end of this century, the percentage will have skyrocketed.

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This is how spectacular the growth in the world's urbanization rate has been

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Machine learning has helped a group of researchers at the University of Washington to devise a system, called Audeo, which creates audio from silent piano performances.

That is, this artificial intelligence recreates the performing experience of musicians and their instruments using only visual cues.

Audeo

Audeo uses a series of steps to decode what's happening in the video and then translate it into music. First, it has to detect which keys are pressed in each video frame to create a diagram over time. Then you need to translate that diagram into something that a music synthesizer will actually recognize as a sound a piano would make. This second step cleans up the data and adds more information, such as how hard each key is pressed and for how long.

The researchers trained and tested the system using YouTube videos of the pianist Paul Barton. The lineup consisted of about 172,000 video frames of Barton playing music by well-known classical composers, such as Bach and Mozart.

Audeo's reliability in interpreting which song is being played is so high that it even surpasses that of song recognition apps: the applications correctly identified the piece that Audeo was playing approximately 86% of the time, while Audeo reached the 93%.

Audeo was trained and tested only on Paul Barton piano videos. Future research is needed to see how well it can transcribe music for any musician or piano player.

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This AI can interpret the music played by an instrument only using visual cues

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Pureed foods are usually served to patients who suffer from swallowing difficulties known as dysphagia. Health professionals have used silicone molds to shape pureed foods to make them more visually appetizing.

But this process requires time and a lot of storage but inks for 3D printed foods generally are made from pureed foods in liquid or semi-solid form, and then 3D printed by extrusion from a nozzle and assembled layer by layer.

Less additives

Dehydrated foods and freeze-dried powders used as food inks generally contain a high percentage of food additives, such as hydrocolloids (HC).

In Xataka Science

Thanks to this 3D printer and construction material made from local soil we can avoid the use of concrete

The high concentration of HC usually changes the taste, texture and aroma of printed foods, making them unappetizing to patients with dysphagia. But a new 'ink' process to produce food on 3D printers with fresh and frozen vegetables better preserves its nutritional properties and flavor.

This new process has been developed by the research team from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH).

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Swiss researchers have found a way to process cellulose using 3D printing

The optimized ink formulations show excellent 3D printability, minimal water seepage, and dense microstructures with minimal HC. Using fresh vegetables instead of freeze-dried foods serves to preserve the flavor and nutrition as if they were real foods. As explained Yi Zhang, principal investigator of the NTU team:

Our technology helps provide dysphagic patients with appropriate, nutrient-rich and safe diets. Their diet is more dignified, allowing them to socialize and consume foods that look, feel and taste like normal food. Our method of 3D printing fresh vegetables can be easily used in hospitals, nursing homes, daycare centers for the aging population with dysphagia and other swallowing disorders. Our research is also a step further into digital gastronomy, where we can satisfy the specific requirements prescribed by dietitians, such as nutrition personalization and visual appeal.

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This 3D printed food with puree preserves flavor better and looks more visually pleasing

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Consider the final period of a sentence in a book. Or perhaps the final period of this same sentence. Try to expand it. Imagine that you make it giant. That you can peek inside.

In the following image you can see everything that would fit inside.

All the life around us

What is evident in this striking image is that life surrounds us, life is everywhere (whether we see it or not), and it also penetrates us, settles on our skin, helps us live, kills us.

Some even stink.. But bacteria generate repulsive odors not as part of their waste material, but as a means of preventing us from eating their food.

Body bacteria deserve special mention.. For the most part, these species are not pathogens, but rather dentritivores that feed on our bodies as they decompose. In fact, we leave a trail of life everywhere: our skin peels off as we walk around the house in a process called “peeling.”

In Xataka Science

If bacteria clump together, they can survive for years in space

50 million flakes a day

We all decompose at a rate of approximately 50 million flakes a day. Each flake of skin that swarms through the air contains, in turn, thousands of bacteria that live and feed on it, as explained Rob Dunn in his book Home alone?:

Riding those parachutes of skin, these bacteria fall off us like a constant snowfall. We also release bacteria through bodily fluids (saliva and so on) and in the feces that we deposit here and there. As a consequence, the places at home where we spend time bear marks of our presence. Every place analyzed in any room where we place the body contains microbial signs of the life lived.

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If we kill microbes by increasing our body temperature, why not always keep it high?

In fact, where we spend more time on the body (regardless of the humidity and temperature of the place) it contains a greater number of mites. Matt Colloff, from the University of Glasgow, found in a study that he himself "left" 18 species of mites in total where it landed, especially on the mattress of your bed. Mostly there were dust mites and dust mite predators, living there in his mattress and feeding on his body as he shed.

All of this, in addition to disgust in the strict sense of the word, can also help us debate moral disgust, the arbitrary lines that we establish to consider a life worthy of being protected, ignored or even eliminated. The bioethical conflicts that arise regarding the abortion debate, for example, can be greatly enriched thanks to data like this, and others that you can see in the following video (not suitable for those who are very, very sure that they have the truth):

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All this life is what fits at the end of the period of this sentence.

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He Tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus, is a unique reptile found in New Zealand. A new research suggests that the species has two mitochondrial genomes.

Tuatara are the only species of the order Sphenodontia that has survived to the present day, virtually unchanged since the Mesozoic Era. The meaning of its common name comes from Maori and means "spiny back."

Tuatara

All animals have nuclear DNA found in the nucleus of the cell and mitochondrial DNA, located in the so-called cellular 'power plant', the mitochondria. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) or mitochondrial genome, therefore, is genetic material from the mitochondria, the elements of the cell that generate energy for it.

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This is the creature with the largest animal mitochondrial genome in the world

However, after analyzing existing tuatara DNA sequences and comparing them with DNA from other reptiles, they soon realized that the genome was not as incomplete as scientists initially thought. Actually, there were too many mysterious sequences and leftover DNA in the reptile's mitochondrial genome.

After an exhaustive study, thanks to new data from the entire sequenced genome, they identified a second complete mitochondrial genome that is a 10 % different from the 'typical' tuatara mitochondrial genome.

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For the first time, the first complete sequence of a human X chromosome has been achieved

Although the discovery of a second mitochondrial genome was only confirmed in a single sample, its presence is still surprising. If scientists discover that double mitochondrial genomes are common in tuatara, they could use these multiple genomes to find out when each genome appeared and when it separated from the other. The research could help zoologists understand what exactly makes the species so genetically different from all other reptiles.

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This vertebrate is different from all of them: it seems to have two different mitochondrial genomes

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A streaming service, such as Netflix, can have an offer of titles close to 4,000. When it comes time to choose a movie, Are you more likely to make a decision quickly or carefully examine the possibilities?

Psychologists refer to those who search for something to arrive at an appropriate choice as 'satisficers'. Meanwhile, it is the 'maximizers' who search exhaustively for what could be considered the perfect option. The first seems like a healthier strategy, but a new study says otherwise (with a nuance).

Maximizers VS Satisfactorers

A new investigation from the University at Buffalo that measured cardiovascular responses at the time of making a decision, rather than after the fact, suggests that it is satisficers who feel unable to really choose, and what appears to be a quick certainty could be In fact a defense of having to think too much about the options presented to them.

As explained Thomas Saltsman, lead author of the study:

We found evidence that, compared to maximizers, satisficers showed cardiovascular threat responses consistent with evaluating themselves as less able to manage their choice in the moment.

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This is how artificial intelligence recommends what it thinks you like

Saltsman says that satisficers may search minimally through their options not because they are less particular or simply care less about their choices than maximizers, but because they feel unable to choose between so many options.

Using a sample of 128 participants, the researchers first assessed everyone's decision-making style (maximization vs. satisfaction), before presenting them with 15 online personal profiles and accompanying cards with related biographical details. Participants had three minutes to choose their 'ideal' person or partner. Later, they reported their decision.

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What you consume, especially what you eat, is much more important for the environment than you think

Unlike previous studies, the researchers measured cardiovascular responses to better understand the psychological experiences of the participants during their election.

The findings, published in the journal Psychophysiology, challenge traditional wisdom. The implications are relevant not only to everyday decision making, but also speak to how people approach important decisions.

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Quick choosing could be a strategy to avoid option overload, not a sign of greater security

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