A new paper in Genome Biology and Evolution, indicates that while the COVID-19 virus has developed rapidly since 2019, it has done so within limited genetic channels. These genetic limits have remained unchanged. Despite scientists’ earlier fears about dramatic, rapid evolution of the COVID-19 virus, it appears recent changes in the virus were relatively constrained; the virus altered by combining pre-existing mutations. The virus has not expanded the number of genetic routes it can take to evolve.
The paper is titled “Structural constraints acting on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein reveal limited space for viral adaptation.”
The ALICE Collaboration takes a step further in addressing the question of whether a quark–gluon plasma can be formed in proton–proton and proton–nucleus collisions. In the first few microseconds after the Big Bang, the universe was in an extremely hot and dense state of matter known as quark–gluon plasma (QGP), which can be reproduced with high-energy collisions between heavy ions such as lead nuclei.
In a paper published in Nature Communications, the ALICE Collaboration reports observing a remarkable common pattern in proton–proton, proton–lead and lead–lead collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), shedding new light on possible QGP formation and evolution in small collision systems.
Physicists initially believed that colliding small systems, such as protons, could not generate the extreme temperatures and pressures needed to form QGP. But in recent years, signatures of QGP have been observed in proton–proton and proton–lead collisions at the LHC, indicating that the size of the collision system may not be a limiting factor in QGP creation.
By reading the chemical “fingerprints” of a distant galaxy, astronomers reconstructed its 12-billion-year evolution. This new method could reveal how galaxies—including our own—were built over cosmic time.
What do we mean with the ‘Big Bang’? Why are the properties of our universe so special? What is cosmological inflation? How can we test cosmological inflation and what do the latest observations tell us? Can we probe string theory using cosmology?
How did our universe come into existence? This basic and ancient question still remains one of the biggest mysteries in science. Ever since Einstein discovered that gravity can be understood as the stretching and bending of space and time, cosmology, which studies the properties, evolution and origin of the universe as a hole, became a proper and honest scientific subject, in which theoretical constructs can be confronted with (cosmological) observations.
What we have learned since then, in less than a century, about the origin and properties of our universe, is spectacular and at the same time mysterious. Our universe appears to be very special. In an attempt to explain these remarkable features a small group of theoretical cosmologists developed the paradigm of cosmological inflation in the eighties. What is cosmological inflation? An what do the latest observations tell us about this fascinating proposal in which all structures in our universe find their origin in small primordial quantum fluctuations? And what are the implications of cosmological inflation for conjectured theories of quantum gravity, such as string theory?
String theorist Jan Pieter van der Schaar argues that cosmology in general, and the cosmological paradigm of inflation in particular, is our best (and perhaps only) bet to probe and test the microscopic quantum description of space and time.
An Pieter van der Schaar is a string theorist by training, with a Ph.D. at the University of Groningen in 2000. After postdoctoral research stints at the University of Michigan, the Cern theory group, and Columbia University, he developed into a theoretical cosmologist with a particular interest to connect cosmological models to string theory and vice versa. Jan Pieter has been a member of the string theory and cosmology group at the Institute of Physics of the University of Amsterdam since 2006. Since 2013 he is the coordinator of the Delta Institute for Theoretical Physics and as of 2022 he is heading the ‘Building Blocks of Matter and Foundations of Space-time’ route as part of the Nationale Wetenschapsagenda.
Project Hail Mary, a story by Andy Weir (author of The Martian), features some of the most creative speculative evolution scenarios in modern science fiction. With the release of the film adaptation starring Ryan Gosling, now seemed like a great time to explore the speculative biology of the aliens in this story: the Astrophage and the Eridians (Rocky’s species).
⭐ Become a Channel Member or support us on Patreon for behind-the-scenes, bloopers, extra adventures and more! Become a Member: / @bengthomas. Join the 7 Days of Science Patreon: / 7daysofscience.
Monoamines act as neuromodulators in the nervous system, but their evolutionary origins are unclear. Here, the authors examine the evolution of genes involved in monoamine production, and processing suggesting that the monoaminergic system evolved in the bilaterian stem-group.
Yuan et al. report a high-quality chromosome-scale genome of the hexaploid halophyte Sesuvium portulacastrum. Comparative genomics and transcriptomics provide insights into its salt-adaptation evolution and identify the key salt-tolerant gene SpHAK3, offering genetic resources for improving crop tolerance.
Physicist Jim Al-Khalili explores the incomprehensible scale of the universe. A cosmic journey into the laws of gravity, relativity, and the formation of supergalaxies. Discover how the largest structures shape our understanding of the cosmos itself.
Director: Tim Usborne. Writers: Jim Al-Khalili, Tim Usborne. Stars: Prof. Jim Al-Khalili (Physicist, Presenter) Genre: Science Documentary, Physics, Cosmology. Country: United Kingdom. Language: English Also Known As: Secrets of Size: Going Big (BBC) Release Date: 2022 Filming Location: United Kingdom / Various International Locations.
Synopsis:
In this second episode of the fascinating series Secrets of Size, Professor Jim Al-Khalili takes us on a cosmic journey into the immensity, exploring the largest scale of the universe.
We leave behind the quantum realm to focus on the forces that govern the largest structures: gravity and relativity. Al-Khalili explains how these laws shape the existence of galaxies, galaxy clusters, and the immense supergalaxies.
The episode reveals the incomprehensible scale of the cosmos, where time and space are distorted, and how the study of these giants allows us to understand the origin, evolution, and perhaps the ultimate destiny of the universe itself.
Southwest Research Institute was part of an international team that demonstrated how complex organic molecules (COMs), key chemical precursors to life, could have been incorporated into Jupiter’s Galilean moons during their formation. The team’s findings have resulted in complementary studies published in The Planetary Science Journal and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, offering new insights into the potential for life in the Jovian system.
How complex organics can form Carbon-rich compounds containing oxygen, nitrogen and other elements are necessary for living matter to form. Laboratory experiments have shown that COMs can form when icy grains containing methanol or mixtures of carbondioxide and ammonia are exposed to either ultraviolet radiation or moderate heating under conditions found in protoplanetary disks. These disks of gas and dust surround newly formed stars that eventually form planets.
“By combining disk evolution with particle transport models, we could precisely quantify the radiation and thermal conditions the icy grains experienced,” said Dr. Olivier Mousis of SwRI’s solar system science and exploration division, who is lead author of one of the two studies. “Then we directly compared our simulations with other laboratory experiments that produce COMs under realistic astrophysical conditions. The results showed that COM formation is possible in both the protosolar nebula environment and Jupiter’s circumplanetary disk.”
