Show Notes 14 March 2025
Story 1: No Fiber Needed: New Chip Uses Light to Beam 10Gig Speeds Through the Air – Taara, a moonshot project under Google’s parent Alphabet, can now beam internet through the air using a photonic chip about the size of a fingernail.
Source: PC Magazine Story by Michael Kan
Link: https://www.pcmag.com/news/no-fiber-taara-chip-uses-light-to-beam-10gig-speeds-through-the-air
See also: https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-google-taara-chip-internet-by-light/
- A project from Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is debuting a new chip that promises to deliver gigabit internet speeds over the air — no cable needed.
- The technology comes from Taara, which has been using light beams to deliver high-speed internet without relying on traditional optical fiber. Instead, the team created equipment that can sit on a cell tower and beam light signals through the air, transmitting 20 gigabits per second to another receiver as far as 20 kilometers away. ***check out the photos below to see what their current solution looks like, and its size***
- Side note – for more about the Taara Project, see: https://x.company/projects/taara/
- The Taara project has since developed a way to condense the equipment, making it easier to install while also reducing the complexity.
- Taara’s General Manager wrote in a blog post, “We’ve taken most of the core functionality of the Taara Lightbridge—which is the size of a traffic light—and shrunken it down to the size of a fingernail.”
- The resulting “silicon photonic chip” still uses light to beam internet data through the air. But it now uses software to “to steer, track, and correct the beam of light” through hundreds of tiny light emitters embedded on the processor. In contrast, the original system relied on physical hardware, such as mirrors and sensors, to optimize the beams.
- Taara’s General Manager further noted, “In tests at the Moonshot Factory labs, our team has successfully transmitted data at 10 Gbps (gigabits per second) over distances of 1 kilometer outdoors using two Taara chips. We believe this is the first time silicon photonics chips have transmitted such high-capacity data outdoors at this distance.”
Story 2: Self-healing Asphalt Could Prevent Potholes and Save Costs on Vehicle Repairs
Source: ZME Science Story by Tibi Puiu
- For drivers everywhere, potholes are more than just a nuisance — they’re a hazard. They damage cars, cause accidents, disrupt traffic, and cost governments billions in repairs.
- But what if roads could fix themselves? A team of international researchers [from Swansea University, King’s College London, and Google Cloud], is turning that idea into reality with a novel self-healing asphalt that could transform the way we build and maintain roads.
- It’s a blend of biology and modern cutting-edge technology. By embedding tiny plant spores filled with recycled oils into asphalt, scientists have created a material that can mend its own cracks.
- Here’s how it works – When the road surface is compressed by passing traffic, the spores release their oil, softening the bitumen [a.k.a. asphalt] and allowing it to flow back together.
- The spores used in the asphalt are smaller than a strand of hair and are filled with recycled oils.
- In lab tests, this self-healing asphalt repaired microcracks in less than an hour.
- Side note – Bitumen is a black, sticky, and highly viscous form of petroleum. It’s also known as asphalt in some regions. Bitumen is primarily used in road construction to bind together aggregates and form asphalt concrete. It’s also utilized in waterproofing, roofing, and sealing products.
- The researchers, working with teams [once again, from Swansea University, King’s College London, and Google Cloud], used machine learning to model how organic molecules in bitumen behave. The AI allowed them to simulate the self-healing process and optimize the material’s performance.
- While the material is still in development, its potential is enormous. The researchers believe it could be scaled up for use on British roads within a few years. If successful, it could not only save millions of British pounds in repair costs but also make roads more sustainable for generations to come.
Story 3: A protein from tiny tardigrades may help cancer patients tolerate radiation therapy
Source: MIT News Website Story by Anne Trafton
- About 60 percent of all cancer patients in the United States receive radiation therapy as part of their treatment.
- Currently, there are very few ways to prevent radiation damage in cancer patients. There are a handful of drugs that can be given to try to reduce the damage, and for prostate cancer patients, a hydrogel can be used to create a physical barrier between the prostate and the rectum during radiation treatment.
- Drawing inspiration from a tiny organism that can withstand huge amounts of radiation, researchers at MIT, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the University of Iowa have developed a new strategy that may protect patients from this kind of damage.
- Their approach makes use of a protein from tardigrades, often also called “water bears,” which are usually less than a millimeter in length. These remarkable microorganisms are known for their incredible resilience
- Side note – Tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets, are tiny, water-dwelling microorganisms known for their incredible resilience. These micro-animals are typically less than a millimeter in length and have a plump, segmented body with eight legs. Despite their small size, tardigrades are renowned for their ability to survive extreme conditions that would be lethal to most other organisms.
- Some fascinating facts about tardigrades:
- They can withstand extreme temperatures, from near absolute zero to above boiling point.
- Tardigrades can survive intense radiation, dehydration, and even the vacuum of space.
- They enter a state called cryptobiosis in which their metabolic activity nearly stops, allowing them to endure harsh conditions for years or even decades.
- Tardigrades are found in various environments, from deep ocean floors to high mountain peaks. Their incredible adaptability makes them a subject of interest in scientific research.
- One key component of tardigrades’ defense systems is a unique damage suppressor protein, which binds to DNA and helps protect it from radiation-induced damage. This damage suppressing protein plays a major role in a tardigrade’s ability to survive radiation doses 2,000 to 3,000 times higher than what a human being can tolerate.
- Side note – Here’s how the damage suppressing protein works:
- DNA Protection: the damage suppressing protein binds to DNA and forms a protective shield around it, reducing the occurrence of DNA breaks caused by radiation2.
- Radiation Resistance: When human cells are engineered to express Dsup, they show increased tolerance to X-ray radiation, demonstrating the protein’s protective capabilities2.
- Oxidative Stress: Dsup helps tardigrades manage oxidative stress by activating detoxification systems and antioxidant enzymes.
- When the researchers injected messenger RNA [ribonucleic acid] encoding this protein into mice, they found that it generated enough protein to protect a cell’s DNA from radiation-induced damage. If developed for use in humans, this approach could benefit many cancer patients.
- After showing that these particles could successfully deliver mRNA [messenger RNA] to cells grown in the lab, the researchers tested whether this approach could effectively protect tissue from radiation in a mouse model.
- Side note: mRNA, or messenger RNA, is a type of ribonucleic acid (RNA) that plays a crucial role in the process of gene expression. In simple terms, mRNA serves as a messenger that carries genetic instructions from the DNA in the cell’s nucleus to the ribosomes in the cytoplasm, where proteins are made.
- They injected the particles into either the cheek or the rectum several hours before giving a dose of radiation similar to what cancer patients would receive. In these mice, the researchers saw a 50 percent reduction in the amount of double-stranded DNA breaks caused by radiation.
Story 4: New Implant May Help Patients Regenerate Their Own Heart Valves – A 3D-printed, bioresorbable heart valve promotes tissue regeneration, potentially eliminating the need for repeated surgeries for adult and pediatric heart patients.
Source: Georgia Tech News Announcement
Link: https://research.gatech.edu/feature/heart-valves
See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fMI4VcPiLA
- Every year, more than 5 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with heart valve disease, but this condition has no effective long-term treatment. When a person’s heart valve is severely damaged by a birth defect, lifestyle, or aging, blood flow is disrupted. If left untreated, there can be fatal complications.
- Valve replacement and repair are the only methods of managing severe valvular heart disease, but both often require repeated surgeries that are expensive, disruptive, and life-threatening.
- Most replacement valves are made of animal tissue and last up to 10 or 15 years before they must be replaced. For pediatric patients, solutions are extremely limited and can require multiple reinterventions.
- Now, Georgia Tech researchers have created a 3D-printed heart valve made of bioresorbable materials and designed to fit an individual patient’s unique anatomy. Once implanted, the valves will be absorbed by the body and replaced by new tissue that will perform the function that the device once served.
- The initial research involved finding the right material and testing different prototypes. The team’s heart valve is 3D-printed using a biocompatible material called poly(glycerol dodecanedioate).
- The valve has shape memory, so it can be folded and delivered via a catheter, rather than open heart surgery.
- Once it is implanted and reaches body temperature, the device will refold into its original shape.
- The material will then signal to the body to make its own new tissue to replace the device. The original device will absorb completely in a few months.
Honorable Mentions
Story: A private mission to Venus aims to look for signs of life – A probe would bring samples of the planet’s atmosphere to Earth
Source: ScienceNews.org Story by Lisa Grossman
Link: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/venus-life-signs-private-mission
- BOSTON —Droplets of Venus’ clouds may someday come to Earth. Researchers are testing a device that can gather mist from our planetary neighbor’s atmosphere and deliver it to scientists so they can test the samples for signs of life.
- Venus is not an obvious place to look for life. Its globe-spanning cloud decks are made of sulfuric acid, “a feature that was long believed to be sterile for any organic chemistry,” said MIT planetary scientist Iaroslav Iakubivskyi in a Feb. 15 talk at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
- But in the last few years, lab experiments by Iakubivskyi and colleagues have suggested that sulfuric acid can support the organic chemistry that gives rise to stable nucleic and amino acids — the building blocks of DNA and proteins. Together, the data suggest that “rather than being a disruptive force, sulfuric acid might actually serve as a potential solvent for life-essential molecules,” he said. “Still, we have to go to Venus to test it.”
- A huge silver balloon fills the top of the image, with a silver cube dangling on a cable below it. Yellow clouds fill the background.
- A future mission to Venus could include floating a cloud-catching device from a giant balloon in the planet’s sulfuric acid atmosphere, as shown in this illustration.
- Jakubowski’s team is working with the private spaceflight company Rocket Lab on a series of Venus probes called the Morning Star Missions. The first, a probe that will fall through Venus’ atmosphere and measure the sizes of sulfuric acid droplets, is slated to launch in 2026. A later mission would use a two-ton rocket to launch samples into Venus’ orbit to be picked up by a spacecraft returning to Earth. If successful, Morning Star would be the first private mission to another planet.
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Story: 11 Emerging Construction Technology Trends in 2025
Source: Construction News and Review Story by Alex Radchenko
Link: https://mycnr.com/guest-column/11-emerging-construction-technology-trends-in-2025/?form=MG0AV3
- One of the 11 Trends: Modern project management software has become a cornerstone of efficient operations for construction companies. These platforms incorporate advanced features like AI-driven analytics for resource planning, real-time data integration from IoT devices and collaboration tools to keep construction professionals informed. Integration with other construction technologies, such as BIM, ensures seamless scheduling, tracking and communication, reducing delays in construction projects. For construction managers, these tools are essential for staying ahead in a competitive construction industry.
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Story: Common Mushroom Fiber May Protect Against Flu, Study Finds
Source: ScienceAlert.com Story by David Nield
Link: https://www.sciencealert.com/common-mushroom-fiber-may-protect-against-flu-study-finds
- The humble mushroom is a fungus with plenty of potential. Previous research has shown mushrooms can reduce depression risk, improve brain cell growth, and guard against cancer – and a new study shows they may protect against influenza too.
- Researchers led by a team from McGill University in Canada found that the beta-glucan fibers found in all types of mushrooms could act as a sort of barrier to flu, limiting inflammation in the lungs of mice exposed to infection after a dose of beta-glucan.
- What’s more, the mice given the fibers showed improved lung function and a lower risk of serious illness and death when hit with the flu. Human trials will tell us more, but this is already a promising avenue for researchers to explore.
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Story: Physicists achieve fully optical readout of superconducting qubits
Source: Phys.org Story by Institute of Science and Technology Austria
Link: https://phys.org/news/2025-02-physicists-fully-optical-readout-superconducting.html
- Qubits—the fundamental units of quantum information—drive entire tech sectors. Among them, superconducting qubits could be instrumental in building a large-scale quantum computer, but they rely on electrical signals and are difficult to scale.
- In a breakthrough, a team of physicists at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) has achieved a fully optical readout of superconducting qubits, pushing the technology beyond its current limitations. Their findings are published in Nature Physics.
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