The judging for the Young Scientists’ Fellowship Program (YSFP) has officially begun. The competition is among 65 scientists under the age of 40 from 12 countries. The winners will be announced soon.
MSTF Media reports:
Lightning flashes across the sky, briefly illuminating it before darkness reigns again. This dazzling spectacle is the typical image of lightning etched in our minds. This massive electrical discharge, however, gives rise to other amazing phenomena that are very rarely seen.
These lesser-known phenomena differ from the familiar lightning that occurs in the lowest layer of the atmosphere, the troposphere. They typically manifest above the cloud tops and in the upper layers of the atmosphere, i.e. in the mesosphere and lower ionosphere. So, it is only natural that we do not see them! These phenomena are called transient luminous events because they occur within one or a few milliseconds and then disappear. In addition, other phenomena occur during lightning that are not optically visible, but have an effect on the atmosphere.
Umran Inan, a Turkish scientist and former professor at Stanford University, is one of the scientists who, along with his team, has researched these phenomena. His area of expertise is very low frequency (VLF) electromagnetic radiation and geosciences. Red sprites, elves, and blue jets are among the mysterious names given to some of these transient luminous events; phenomena that have also been observed from space shuttles.
The 27th Science Cafe was held on Wednesday, July 30, in Tehran, featuring a talk by Mehdi Kargarian, associate professor of physics at Sharif University of Technology. Speaking to an audience of students and science enthusiasts, Kargarian discussed key concepts in quantum physics and the properties of topological materials in the context of Mohammad Zahid Hasan’s groundbreaking research, which earned him the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize in 2021.
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By taking a look at the world around us, we will notice that, at first glance, the periodic table of elements seems to be the most thorough approach to classify the matter around us. This table forms the foundation of chemistry and our understanding of matter. Upon closer inspection, however, we will realize that this is only the surface of physical reality. The periodic table is, ultimately, made up of atoms and the bonds between them; but what are the atoms themselves made of?
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There have been times in our lives when we felt relaxed after drinking a mug of chamomile tea, or when that one nasty cold was soothed by a lemon tea. These moments of calm and contentment may have made us appreciate these natural products and think about other benefits we can receive from flowers, fruits, herbs and spices. We may have asked ourselves: Can natural remedies replace the conventional synthetic methods that we receive when we have an illness? Does the latter need to be altogether discarded or can both methods coexist and provide us with more effective medicine?
We asked for an expert opinion in the field, Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary to explain these issues. Choudhary enlightened us on nature’s healing legacy, his ongoing research on curing “neglected diseases,” and the importance of creating a “seamless healthcare system.”
Plants: a Treasure House of Fascinating Molecules
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A cell is the smallest structural and functional unit of living organisms. It consists of a membrane, genetic material, cytoplasm, and organelles. Cells can grow and divide through a process known as the cell cycle. This division varies depending on its purpose and the type of organism. The cell cycle is divided into several distinct stages, with specific proteins ensuring the accuracy of the division at the end of some phases. If cells continue to divide indiscriminately, beyond the natural cycle, they turn into cancerous cells, which may cluster together to form tumors.
Despite significant advancements, organ transplantation remains one of the most complex and challenging medical treatments, requiring deep knowledge of how the immune system interacts with transplanted organs. In general, by inhibiting T-cell activation pathways and reducing the production of harmful antibodies, transplant rejection can be prevented, and immunological tolerance can be strengthened. This approach is particularly important in critical stages of the immune response, including T-cell differentiation, function, and interactions with other immune cells.
According to Mohamed Sayegh, the most fundamental question in this field is: “What are the mechanisms of immunological tolerance, and how can we trick the immune system into accepting a foreign organ without rejection and without immunosuppression?”
If we take a fleeting glance around us, everything we see consists of matter that makes up the world. But is our universe, like our immediate surroundings, filled with visible matter and is it taken for granted? Let us step away from this visible matter for a moment and venture into a more enigmatic realm. Imagine leaving Earth behind and traveling so far that galaxies appear merely as tiny dots among countless others. From that vantage point, we can observe the entire observable universe within a single frame. But is everything before us truly composed of visible matter?
How would you feel if you were told that there are about 8 billion libraries, each with about 46 bookshelves and a total of 20,000 to 25,000 books? Each library is estimated to contain about 3 billion pages of paper.