Digest of sci-fi news for the week, about which we did not write anything

The connection between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the body’s “second brain” is clearer than ever

In the new workamong the authors of which – at least 43 scientists from different specialties, was found the strongest relationship between gut microbes, host immunity, genetic expression in the nervous system and diet.

The new analysis does not confirm the underlying causes of autism or identify specific subtypes, as other researchers have attempted, but rather reveals a more generalized gut profile that appears to overlap in people with ASD.

If this crucial biomarker can be identified through further research, it could one day be used to diagnose ASD and identify potential treatments.

“Before that, we had smoke, indicating the involvement of the microbiome in autism, and now we have fire,” says microbiologist Rob Knight from the University of California at San Diego.

A new drug has been developed that is effective against several types of cancer

Japanese researchers have developed a new method that could potentially be used to treat multiple types of cancer in general with fewer negative side effects than currently available methods. Research resultspublished June 27 in the journal Chemical Science, showed that tumors in mice grew nearly three times smaller and had a 100% survival rate after just one injection of a compound designed to emit small amounts of alpha radiation from within cancer cells, which kills them, but spares healthy tissues.

The new method is based on basic chemistry and the fact that a compound called acrolein accumulates in cancer cells. A few years ago, a team of scientists used a similar technique to detect individual breast cancer cells. They attached a fluorescent compound to a specific type of azide, an organic molecule with a group of three nitrogen atoms (N3) at the end. When azide and acrolein meet inside the cancer cell, they react and the fluorescent compound attaches to structures inside the cancer cell. Because acrolein is virtually absent from healthy cells, this technique acts as a probe that finds cancer cells in the body.

Astronomers have discovered a new way to destroy stars

If you’re a supervillain looking to scare your enemy with a big and messy space explosion, then here’s a new way to do it. Smash a couple of ancient star remnants into each other right in front of your nemesis. As a result, you will get a huge and bright explosion plus a gamma-ray burst visible throughout the universe. And this will frighten everyone and force you to fulfill your evil will.

October 19, 2019 astronomers identified the source just such an event, called GRB 191019A. The first sign was a prolonged gamma-ray burst that lasted about a minute (this is long by gamma-ray burst standards, although there is evidence that some of them last much longer. However, most of them last only a few seconds to a few microseconds). The Neil Gerels Swift Observatory discovered it immediately.

Craftsman Turns Pickup Truck Into Water Dot Matrix Printer Using Raspberry Pi 4

The printing process occurs by applying water spots to the road while the truck is moving. The water drips gently, shaping the letters and forming custom messages. The system is installed at the rear of the truck and is controlled from the cab using a web interface. When a message arrives at the input, a series of tubes directs the water to the right place and the pumps turn on, composing letters from dots like a dot matrix printer.

The Raspberry Pi is responsible for running the web interface, accepting new messages from the user, and sending a command to start the water printing system. In this case, Ryder chose to use a Raspberry Pi 4, but you can get by with an older model, such as a Raspberry Pi 3 B+ or even a Raspberry Pi Zero.

In the video, Ryder describes the process of designing and building a project that relies on multiple hoses and valves. Solenoids are used to release water on command from the Raspberry Pi. The water bucket is at the back of the truck, connected to the printer system, making it easy to refill.