Believe in science

Standard quantum theory is over.

There is a huge problem with standard quantum theory, which cannot even calculate the exact time for particles to move between two points. Physicists can only use hybrid algorithms to solve this problem. The emergence of Bohm mechanics changed that. Today, advances in technology have made it possible for physicists to verify Bohm mechanics, and the subsequent progress has renewed physicists' attention.

Archaeology ARCHAEOLOGY

Restoration of ancient Greek astronomical computers

The Antiquitra device dates back more than 2000 years. This "astronomical computer" simulates the cycle of celestial bodies through a set of sophisticated gears. Since the 1970s, researchers have successively restored the gear transmission structure at the back of the device through the information such as the number of teeth in the gears in the fragments and the inscriptions on the front and back plates, and revealed the working principle of the device in calculating the time of solar and lunar eclipses. Now that the front structure of the device has also been restored, researchers have successfully explained how it calculates the positions of the sun, the moon and the five planets in the sky.

Evolutionary EVOLUTION

Noisy prelude: when life begins to sing

Nowadays, sound is almost everywhere in our lives. When the earth began to become noisy animals rely on what structure to make and hear sounds to face these important acoustic problems, the fossil record provides scientists with key evidence: about 250 million years ago, insects evolved drum-shaped vocal structures. since then, the earth has entered a whole new world of acoustics. In addition, sound has been given a new meaning by human beings and has become a unique language.

Psychological PSYCHOLOGY

Trauma and reconciliation of borderline personality disorder

It has long been believed that people with borderline personality disorder are overly impulsive, difficult to get along with and unwilling to obey treatment. But this is because they have suffered serious physical or psychological trauma. Long-term exposure to violence, verbal abuse and emotional neglect has changed the structure and function of some of their brain regions. After entering the society, they will have all kinds of emotional regulation problems and embark on the road of self-harm. Fortunately, scientists have developed some effective positive treatments that are helping them escape the emotional abyss.

Environment ENVIRONMENT

The highly poisonous coast of Alaska

Seafood such as clams, mussels and fish is not only a traditional delicacy of Alaskans, but also a jigsaw puzzle of their culture. However, when algal blooms occur in the ocean, some algae produce deadly toxins that accumulate into marine organisms and threaten the lives of eaters. Many Alaskans are in danger because the government has not carried out large-scale monitoring and early warning of harmful algal blooms. How can they protect their own safety and keep their traditions?

Mathematical MATHEMATICS

High-dimensional sphere: abnormal symmetry

The invariance of a sphere under transformations such as rotation and specular reflection is called rigid symmetry, while a sphere can remain unchanged under a transformation called differential homeomorphism. Mathematicians have guessed that all differential homeomorphic transformations of a sphere can be simplified to simple rotation and specular reflection, so there is no special symmetry outside the rigid symmetry of the sphere. Subsequently, mathematicians tested this conjecture on three-dimensional and five-dimensional and above spheres, and the most complex four-dimensional spherical problems were recently solved. Mathematicians have found that high-dimensional spheres with four or more dimensions have abnormal symmetries other than rigid symmetries.

Astronomy ASTRONOMY

Ten-year Plan of American Astronomy

What do exoplanets look like? what are the details of the birth and demise of galaxies at the beginning of the universe? to answer these questions, at the recent Astro2020, American astronomers made plans to build telescopes over the next decade. These magnificent plans will make astronomy in a "revolutionary age of discovery" in the next 20 years, and breakthroughs in a variety of human detection technologies have given us endless possibilities.

Immunological IMMUNOLOGY

Children are the vulnerable part of the population, and they are usually more likely to get infected and develop severe symptoms in the event of an epidemic. In the COVID-19 epidemic, their performance in fighting against virus infection is far better than that of adults. Although children's immune systems are not as experienced as adults, their innate immune responses are more responsive. This allows them to identify and kill the virus more quickly in the early stages of infection, avoiding more severe symptoms. However, with the spread of novel coronavirus mutants, children's innate immune system will also become unprepared. This unique protective cover may also face the problem of failure.

Paleoecology PALAEOECOLOGY

Who killed the mammoth?

In the past 5 million years, mammoths have traveled to all continents except Oceania, but these behemoths suddenly disappeared thousands of years ago. Scientists have debated the cause of mammoth extinction for more than a hundred years. There is a view that it is not human activity, but drastic climate change, that makes mammoths go extinct. The ancient DNA fragments hidden in the Arctic permafrost may bring us more evidence.

Medical MEDICINE

Testosterone: the elixir of eternal youth

Since testosterone was first discovered, scientists and the public have paid great attention to testosterone. Of course, its story is strikingly similar to that of estrogen. Both have been packaged as elixir of eternal youth, and both have been transformed into panacea for disease prevention. However, long-term studies have found that hormone therapy is difficult to distinguish between the pros and cons. Although the drug has been abused in areas such as health care and fitness, patients who really need it may not be able to receive effective treatment for a variety of reasons.