Famous 2017 dark matter experiment debunked?

Nasally-injected brain drug can help treat depression in 20 minutes, Hyundai has transformed its 1986 Grandeur into an all-electric masterpiece Nov 12, 2021 # Good morning. A final act might be in sight for one of the world's most controversial dark matter claims. Researchers from South Korea have cast doubt on a famous dark matter experiment from 2017, suggesting its groundbreaking results were simply a red herring. Sometimes the search for elegance in the universe goes wrong, but other times it goes very right: Hyundai has transformed its 1986 Grandeur into an all-electric masterpiece, and its sleek, retro-futuristic look is bound to get your heart racing. Also, a team of researchers in Japan has strengthened a nasally-injected brain drug that can help treat depression in 20 minutes. Impressive. And it even works on treatment-resistant depressive symptoms. This is The Blueprint. Keep reading. We'd like to get to know you better and improve our newsletter. [Take this survey and tell us more about you]( it’ll take only 1 minute! SCIENCE [New Research Casts Doubt on a Famous 2017 Dark Matter Experiment]( [Instruments used for COSINE-100.]( An enigmatic, invisible, and all-pervasive substance is theorized to surround us: [Known as dark matter]( it makes up roughly 85 percent of the entire universe, and yet, it is only theoretical. Scientists have sought physical evidence of dark matter for decades, but so far, they’ve only come close via indirect observations of phenomena like gravitational lensing. A brief timeline. - However, back in 2017, a team of researchers in Italy claimed to have discovered physical evidence of dark matter via flashes of light in sodium iodide crystals, or Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, while working on the DAMA/LIBRA, which is a particle detector experiment designed to detect dark matter. - In a paper published the following year, they claimed that the flashes were proof of dark matter colliding with atoms in crystals. Over several years, the number of flashes seemed to increase in June and decrease in December. - The DAMA/LIBRA researchers posited that this was due to the alternating speed at which the Earth moves through dark matter in the Milky Way. Skeptical inquiry. Now, a team of researchers from the COSINE-100 experiment in South Korea [is questioning the validity of their findings]( after not being able to reproduce the same signals despite using a very similar methodology. Enter the COSINE-100. In their attempt to replicate the observation, the team in South Korea used the most like-for-like technology and conditions possible. However, they didn't observe similar flashes in their crystals, and came back empty-handed. - It’s worth noting that the COSINE-100 researchers believe the DAMA/LIBRA team did find something worth exploring, though they do not believe that it has provided the scientific community with the much sought-after physical evidence of dark matter, as was first presented in 2018. Red herring. Though the COSINE-100 results are not what most wanted to see, the team's work is a fine example of the rigorous fact-checking required to validate findings within the scientific community. In the meantime, with the much-delayed launch of NASA's James Webb Telescope [finally set to take place on December 18]( scientists hope that we will soon gain a wealth of new data providing further evidence, direct or indirect, of the role of dark matter in our universe. [Read More]( HEALTH [Nasally-Injected Brain Drug Can Help Treat Depression in 20 Minutes]( [A 3D rendering of brain nodes.]( Imagine hopelessness and despair taking hold of your brain and refusing to leave. And then, as if from a science fiction world, a nasal spray appears that can make the bad thoughts go away. Something like this could happen in the near future thanks to [researchers in Japan who've substantially strengthened]( an effective nasally-injected antidepressant brain drug. - Getting to the core. Getting drugs into your brain to treat illnesses has historically remained a challenging task for scientists, thanks to stubborn obstacles like systemic absorption, rapid drug degradation, axonal transportation, and the comparably invasive extremes often required by conventional techniques. So researchers in Japan took a shot at enhancing drug delivery into the brain in order to enhance this method and make it just as effective as other delivery techniques. This was done by adding sequences to increase cell permeability and enhance the ability to avoid the degradation of an antidepressant drug called glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2). Most of the previous research had focused on drug delivery through the olfactory epithelium, which accounts for only 2 percent of human nasal mucosa, whereas the researchers in Japan focused on the central delivery of drugs through the remaining 98 percent of such mucosa — respiratory epithelium, specifically through the trigeminal nerve. - This did the trick. The team eventually succeeded in administering the GLP-2 into a mouse model of depression, and modifications made to the drug allowed it to move faster without degrading too much. The scientists also upgraded the drug's ability to "punch through" the respiratory epithelium, and other surfaces within the body, the penetration of which can reduce effectiveness. And the scientists discovered that the modified drug was therapeutically effective in the mouse model of depression within 20 minutes, comparable to other invasive injection techniques of substances directly into the brain to bypass the blood barrier. While a breakthrough achievement in nasally-injected antidepressants, this is also a step toward the future of nanobiotechnology [and genetic engineering]( two nascent fields with seemingly limitless applications. [Read More]( INNOVATION [Hyundai Has Transformed Its 1986 Grandeur Into an All-Electric Masterpiece]( [The refurbished Hyundai Grandeur.]( Hyundai [has debuted a restored and hyper-modified electric 1986 Grandeur]( to a level of splendor that may tempt you to give in, and declare it a masterpiece. - It’s a looker. Called a "restomod" variant, it's the latest in the automaker's heritage series, which involves revisiting its greatest hits and equipping them with an electric powertrain, along with new, "retro-futuristic" styling to affirm the legacy of each vehicle, while also imbuing the car with a future-oriented design philosophy. Hyundai kept the old-school boxy profile of the 1986 Grandeur, but the most distinguishing exterior aspect is the pair of "pixel" LED headlights and taillights, serving as a conceptual "echo" of the main body's squared-off theme. Electrifying the old-school look. The bulk of the car’s changes were made to the interior. A widescreen display and soundbar were installed with a portrait control panel to put multimedia, air conditioning, and driving functions in one area. The interior is also smothered in a red velvet lining and upholstery that combines Nappa leather with bright burgundy, in addition to silver metal with black glossy accents. - It should go without saying that this is a luxury vehicle, with uncommon features like a watch storage slot, a group of interior "infinity mirrors" across the roof, a throttle gear selector, and even a virtual piano. The design team claims its 18-speaker sound system can generate the full spectrum of "acoustic theory similar to that of a concert hall." History reimagined. It can be argued that making an electric luxury car is a contradiction in terms, from the viewpoint of sustainability, [supply chain issues]( and global crisis. But it's not impossible to build on the stylistic expression of past decades without the fossil fuel excess. Hyundai's refurbished 1986 Grandeur accidentally evokes what's probably the core value of our times: the paradox of manufacturing sustainable engineering in the guise of luxurious excess. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS From BMW Vision M Next to Rolls-Royce 103EX, concept cars are a peek into the future of the automotive industry, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Almost all automakers spend millions on them, yet they rarely reach the production line, leading many to wonder what the point was in the first place. What do you think about concept cars? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [They are a waste of time.]( [They get me excited about the future.]( [It’s fine, but definitely overhyped.]( [They’re a shameful indulgence.]( Yesterday’s Results And now let’s check out your answers to yesterday’s question! We asked you where you think we’ll find extraterrestrial life, and half of you answered outside of our solar system. On the other hand, 27% of you think we'll find it on Europa, Jupiter’s icy moon, while 14% think Saturn’s moon, Titan, will be the lucky winner, or loser, depending on how you view the idea of life. Only 8% of you picked Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede, which is surprising since it holds more water than all of the Earth's oceans. Who knows what’s hiding under there? Outside of our Solar System. 51% Europa. 27% Titan. 14% Ganymede. 8% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ An experiment is a question which science poses to Nature and a measurement is the recording of Nature's answer. ” Max Planck in 'Scientific Autobiography and Other Papers' [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [The Hoover Dam: One of America’s Most Treasured Feats of Engineering]( The dam generates about 4 billion kW-hours of hydroelectric power per year. [The Hoover Dam: One of America’s Most Treasured Feats of Engineering]( TODAY IN HISTORY In 1847, in Great Britain, Sir James Young Simpson employed chloroform for the first time as an anesthetic in an operation. He was not the first to use chloroform but it was his persistent advocacy that helped it gain popularity and earned him the title of "Father of Modern Anesthetics." Well, chloroform actually had a fatality rate of 1 in 3,000, but [that didn't stop doctors from using it for roughly 100 years](. AND ANOTHER THING... - Amazon's Jeff Bezos [is building a giant 10,000-year clock inside a mountain]( in West Texas. Once completed, the clock will stand 500 ft (152 m) tall and will be powered by the Earth's thermal cycles. - Embodied carbon: Here’s why truly [net-zero buildings could still be decades away](. (The Conversation) - Forget about Uber and Lyft! Merlin Batchelor, a resident in Norwich, U.K., [has broken the monotony with his "tank taxi"](. At roughly $1,000 per trip, you can hire him for a special occasion. - Small black specks in a diamond from an African mine [have turned out to be a vital ingredient of the deep Earth]( identified in nature for the first time after decades of searching. (Nature) - [SpaceX and NASA launched their Crew-3 mission]( SpaceX's fifth crewed space mission, sending the 600th human to space in 60 years. - Who are you, really? [In this episode of Ted Talks Daily]( neuroscientist Anil Seth lays out this fascinating new theory of consciousness and self, centered on the notion that we "predict" the world into existence. (Ted Talks via Spotify) - Word of mouth is already building for director Roland Emmerich's latest disaster movie, Moonfall, which depicts what would happen if the moon spiraled into the Earth. What makes his films so compelling is how [they contain just enough real science]( to make us believe these doomsday scenarios could actually happen. Prepared by Derya Ozdemir and Brad Bergan Enjoy reading? Don't forget to forward to a friend! Was this email forwarded to you? [Subscribe]( [About Us]( | [Advertise]( | [Contact Us]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe [here.]( © Copyright 2021 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 201 Spear Street, Suite 1100 San Francisco, CA 94105 | All Rights Reserved [Interesting Engineering]