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Fake Paper Publications: Employing Deepfake Technology to Research Reports

In mid-March, a one-minute video of Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky emerged first on social media and subsequently on a Ukrainian news website. In it, Zelenskiy told Ukrainian troopers to spread down their weapons and capitulate to Russian armies. But the video turned out to be a gift of deepfake technology, a segment of artificial media designed by machine learning.

Some scientists are currently concerned that identical technology could be utilised to perpetrate research forgery by constructing contrived images of spectra or biological specimens.

‘I’ve been bothered very much about these types of technologies,’ says microbiologist and science probity professional Elisabeth Bik. ‘I believe this is already occurring– constructing deepfake images and publishing [them].’ She questions whether the images in the over 600 completely fabricated studies that she aided expose, which likely came from the same paper mill, may have been AI-generated.

Unlike manually influenced images, AI-generated ones could be virtually impossible to notice by eye. In a non-peer-reviewed issue study, a group led by computer scientist Rongshan Yu from Xiamen University in China developed a series of deepfake western blot and cancer images. Two out of three biomedical specialists were incapable to differentiate them from the actual thing.

Deepfake technology employed to manipulate results through images for fake paper publications.
Source: © 2022 Liansheng Wang et al
These oesophagal cancer images are deepfakes that were created by a generative adversarial network.

The hardship is that deepfake images are unique, says Yu. They display none of the hints somebody usually look for – reprised elements and environment inconsistencies, for instance. Moreover, ‘deepfake and additional tools are now admiringly unrestricted’, says Yu. ‘It isn’t rocket science, you don’t need the greatest professional in AI to operate them.’

Deepfakes are often established on generative adversarial networks (Gan), where a generator and a discriminator attempt to outcompete each other. ‘One network attempts to develop a fake image from white noise, let’s consider a face,’ illustrates deepfake technology investigator John (Saniat) Sohrawardi from the Rochester Institute of Technology, US. ‘It doesn’t comprehend how to render a face originally, so it bears the support of a discriminator, which is another grid that memories how to tell apart whether an image is genuine or imitation.’ Eventually, the generator will trick the discriminator into believing its images are genuine.

Provided that Gans can forge faces that are indiscernible from genuine ones, ‘I don’t think it should reach as a surprise that it can induce these sorts of fairly prosaic biological images’, says Hany Farid, who specialises in digital forensics and misinformation at the University of California, Berkeley, in the US. But while deepfakes are a menace to be handled thoughtfully, ‘I’m far more concerned about reproducibility, p-hacking, Photoshop manipulation – the old school stuff, which is still going to, I suspect, overpower for quite a while.’

Matthew Wright, director of Rochester’s Global Cybersecurity Institute, conforms. ‘I just don’t find this to be notably fearful, even though it’s technically entirely feasible and presumably challenging to catch if somebody did it.’

The digital artefacts dumped behind by machine learning could be utilised to pinpoint simulated images, exemplifies Farid, though fraudsters usually discover a way around such techniques after merely a few months. ‘In the fate, the superior simple key is the busy ones, authenticate with hard encryption at the end of the recording,’ Farid articulates. He considers that science’s self-correcting tools will ultimately trash bogus analysis.

Yu says it’s murky whether the publications already contain AI-generated pictures. ‘I think we have achieved the juncture where we can no longer denote if the article is genuine or bogus,’ says Bik. ‘We need to operate harder with organisations to have them … take part of the accountability,’ she indicates, and take away stress from investigators whose whole profession might hinge on issuing in an international journal.

Reference

L Wang et al, Patterns, 2022, 3, 100509 (DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2022.100509)

One Piece Film Red Anime Reveals Trailer, New Cast Members and More Details

A live stream event for the upcoming One Piece Film Red anime film revealed the new movie trailer, two cast members, the film’s theme song artist, the “Uta Project,” and a new poster visual drawn by creator Eiichiro Oda.

One Piece Film Red Poster drawn by Eiichiro Oda

The two new cast members include:

Kenjiro Tsuda as Gordon in One Piece Film Red
Kenjiro Tsuda as Gordon
Kaori Nazuka as the speaking voice of Uta in One Piece Film Red
Kaori Nazuka as the speaking voice of Uta

We will see Ado as the singing voice of Uta. Ado will also be performing the film’s theme song “Shinjidai” (“New Genesis”). The preview for the song:

Ado will collaborate with other performers on the Uta Project. Music videos featuring different illustrators and songs by the collaborating performers will premiere on the following dates:

  • June 15 – “Shinjidai” (full version) by Ado
  • June 22 – “Watashi wa Saikyо̄” by Mrs. Green Apple
  • July 6 – “Gyakkо̄” by Vaundy
  • July 20 – “Utakata Lullaby” (teaser) by FAKE TYPE.
  • July 27 – “Sekai no Tsuzuki” (teaser) by Yūta Orisaka
  • August 3 – “Kaze no Yukue” (teaser) by Motohiro Hata
  • August 6 – “Utakata Lullaby” (full version) by FAKE TYPE.
  • August 10 – “Sekai no Tsuzuki” (full version) by Yūta Orisaka
  • August 17 – “Tot Musica” by Hiroyuki Sawano
  • August 24 – “Kaze no Yukue” (full version) by Motohiro Hata

One Piece Film Red Story

The One Piece Red story is set on the “Island of Music” Elegia, where Uta, the world’s greatest diva, holds her first-ever live concert and reveals herself to the public. The Straw Hats, pirates, Marines, and fans from across the world gather to enjoy Uta’s voice, which has been described as “otherworldly”. However, the event begins with the shocking revelation that Uta is the daughter of Shanks.

One Piece Film Red will open in Japan on August 6 and is going to be directed by Goro Taniguchi. Tsutomu Kuroiwa will be writing the screenplay, and One Piece manga creator Eiichiro Oda serving as the executive producer. Oda also designed the “battle wear” characters for the film, which have a theme of “rock x pirates” and feature leather and studs for a Middle Ages armor vibe.

The Earth’s Core Moves Far Beneath Our Feet: Findings of Novel Research

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USC scientists have found proof that the Earth’s inner core oscillates, refusing earlier acknowledged standards that indicated it invariably spins at a more rapid pace than the planet’s surface.

Their study, published in Science Advances, reveals that the inner core switched direction in the six-year period from 1969 to 1974, according to the research of seismic data. The scientists state their embodiment of inner core activity also defines the deviation in the duration of the day, which has been authenticated to oscillate persistently for the past several decades.

“From our results, we can see the Earth’s exterior shifts corresponded to its inner core, as individuals have argued for 20 years,” said John E. Vidale, co-author of the investigation and Dean’s Professor of Earth Sciences at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. “However, our most delinquent observances indicate that the inner core-spun negligibly slower from 1969–71 and then drove the other direction from 1971–74. We also cite that the day span extended and shrank as expected.

“The co-occurrence of those two observances makes oscillation the likely rendition.”

USC researchers identified a six-year cycle of super- and sub-rotation in the Earth’s inner core, contradicting previously accepted models that suggested it consistently rotates at a faster rate than the planet’s surface. Credit: Edward Sotelo/USC

Analysis of Atomic Tests Identifies Rotation Pace and Direction

Our knowledge of the inner core has developed dramatically in the past 30 years. The inner core—a hot, dense ball of solid iron the size of Pluto—has been established to move and/or change over decades. It’s also inconceivable to survey instantly, suggesting researchers stumble via indirect dimensions to describe the pattern, speed and reason of the activity and shifts.

A study issued in 1996 was the foremost to suggest the inner core spins quicker than the rest of the planet—also understood as super-rotation—at roughly 1 degree per year. Successive results from Vidale supported the belief that the inner core super-rotates, albeit at a sluggisher rate.

Employing data from the Large Aperture Seismic Array (LASA), a U.S. Air Force installation in Montana, investigators Wei Wang and Vidale discovered the inner core spun slower than earlier indicated, roughly 0.1 degrees per year. The investigation surveyed ripples generated from Soviet belowground nuclear bomb tests from 1971 to 1974 in the Arctic archipelago Novaya Zemlya utilising an unexplored beamforming method developed by Vidale.

The pristine results appeared when Wang and Vidale used the same method for a couple of previous atomic tests underneath the Amchitka Island at the tip of the Alaskan archipelago—Milrow in 1969 and Cannikin in 1971. Calculating the compressional ripples resulting from the nuclear explosions, they learned the inner core had switched direction, sub-rotating at least a tenth of a degree per year.

Future Research to Dig Deeper into Why the Earth’s Inner core Formed

Vidale and Wang both mentioned future research would rely on locating adequately meticulous observances to correspond to these effects. By utilising seismological data from atomic tests in earlier studies, they have been able to identify the very location and time of the exact straightforward seismic occurrence, says Wang. However, the Montana LASA closed in 1978 and the age of U.S. underground atomic testing is over, meaning that the investigators would need to depend on comparatively inaccurate earthquake data, even with contemporary advancements in instrumentation.

The analysis does sustain the hypothesis that the inner core oscillates established on deviations in the length of day—plus or minus 0.2 seconds over six years—and geomagnetic fields, both of which match the view in both amplitude and phase. Vidale states the results deliver a convincing approach to many queries posed by the investigation community.

“The inner core is not clinched—it’s shifting under our feet, and it appears to go back and forth a pair of kilometres every six years,” Vidale said. “One of the queries we attempted to respond is, does the inner core progressively advance or is it mainly sealed analogised to everything else in the elongated term? We’re attempting to comprehend how the inner core assembled and how it shifts over time—this is a significant effort to better understand this procedure.”

Yuru Camp Movie’s New Trailer Reveals the 5 Grown-Up Cast and More Exciting Details

The official website for the anime of Afro’s Yuru Camp (Yurukyan△, Laid-Back Camp Δ) manga posted the full trailer for the Eiga Yurukyan△ (Yuru Camp Movie) anime film. The trailer shows an original story that is not being told in the manga. Shochiku is distributing the film, which will open on July 1. The anime film will feature the familiar characters from the franchise now grown up, and reuniting to construct a campsite.

Story for this Yuru Camp Movie

The story in the Yuru Camp Movie will shows us the now grown-up version of Nadeshiko and the others and takes place after some time since the television anime. We see that Rin now works at a small publisher in Nagoya and gets a text message from Chiaki. Chiaki is being put in charge of a project by Yamanashi’s tourism promotion organization. The project is to reopen an old site that had closed several years ago. Upon hearing this, Rin suggests such a spacious site could be turned into a campsite. Chiaki and Rin reunite with Nadeshiko, Aoi, and Ena to launch the campsite development project.

The returning characters are:

nadeshiko yuru camp movie
Nadeshiko Kagamihara is now working at an outdoors goods store in Tokyo
rin yuru camp movie
Rin Shima is now working as an editor at a publisher in Nagoya.
chiaki yuru camp movie
Chiaki Oogaki worked as a Tokyo event organizer, but has now made a figurative U-turn to work at Yamanashi prefecture’s tourism promotion organization
aoi yuru camp movie
Aoi Inuyama is now working as an instructor at a Yamanashi elementary school.
ena yuru camp movie
Ena Saitou is now working as a trimmer at a Yokohama pet salon.

We also see scenes featuring Ayano Toki (Nadeshiko’s childhood friend from Nanbucho) and Sakura Kagamihara (Nadeshiko’s elder sister) in the trailer but nothing more is known about them.

Getting back to the story we see the five of them assemble in work clothes to mow the grass, hold planning meetings, and build a campsite from square one, in scenes reminiscent of their club days in high school. The trailer also features scenes of Ayano Toki and Sakura Kagamihara.

Cast and Staff for the Yuru Camp Movie

The television anime’s five main cast members are reprising their roles along with several prominent staff members also returning to the Yuru Camp Movie. This includes director Yoshiaki Kyougoku and scriptwriters Jin Tanaka and Mutsumi Ito returning from the television anime. As for the music, they’ve got Singer Asaka back to performing the film’s opening theme song “Sun Is Coming Up,” along with Eri Sasaki performing the ending theme song “Mimosa” for the Yuru Camp Movie

Movie Release Date and other details

Shochiku is distributing the film, which will open on July 1, the worldwide release and Blu-Ray DVD release is unknown. As for the theatergoers, they will receive a bonus “volume 13.5” for the manga. The book will feature a new 24-page manga by Afro titled “Rin to Nadeshiko no Inagako Haru Camp” (Rin and Nadeshiko’s Spring Camp at Inaga Lake), Afro’s original character designs for the film, a “memorial album” for the anime series, and a cover that Afro illustrated. The book will be available in a limited quantity.

Yuru Camp Movie Poster
Yuru Camp Movie Poster

About the Yuru Camp Anime Series

For those who haven’t watched the anime series. The anime franchise is based on the adaption of Afro’s “slow outdoor manga” that follows two young women. Rin likes to go camping by herself along the lakes that provide a scenic view of Mt. Fuji. Nadeshiko loves to take cycling trips by herself to places where she can see Mt. Fuji. After they meet, Rin and Nadeshiko take camping trips, eat cup ramen together, and enjoy the scenery.

The first season of the anime premiered in January 2018, and Crunchyroll streamed the 12-episode series as it aired. The ROOM CAMP (Heya Camp) short anime spinoff premiered in January 2020. The second season of the anime premiered in January 2021 and ended in April 2021. 

Supermassive Black Holes Inside of Dying Galaxies Detected in Early Universe

An international team of astronomers used a database combining observations from the best telescopes in the world, including the Subaru Telescope, to detect the signal from the active supermassive black holes of dying galaxies in the early Universe. The appearance of these active supermassive black holes correlates with changes in the host galaxy, suggesting that a supermassive black hole could have far-reaching effects on the evolution of its host galaxy.

In galaxies, like Milky Way Galaxy, there are stars of different ages in our galaxy and many other galaxies. But we have found that there are some galaxies where all stars are the same age and are known as elliptical galaxies. This difference is not understood, but one possible theory is that a supermassive blackhole disturbs the interstellar gas in these galaxies which in turn affects the star formation.

The COSMOS survey region surrounded by images of galaxies used in this study. In these galaxies star formation ceased around 10 billion years ago. Supermassive Black Hole.
The COSMOS survey region surrounded by images of galaxies used in this study. In these galaxies star formation ceased around 10 billion years ago. (3-color false-color composite images combining data from the Subaru Telescope and VISTA) (Credit: NAOJ)

To prove this theory, a team of scientists led by Kei Ito at SOKENDAI in Japan used data from the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) to sample galaxies that are 9.5-12.5 billion light-years away. COSMOS has data observed by the world’s leading telescopes, including the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Subaru Telescope. COSMOS also has data based on radio waves, infrared light, visible light, and x-ray.

The team identified two groups of galaxies using optical and infrared, those with ongoing star formation and those where star formation has stopped. The team found that the x-ray and radio wave data signal-to-noise ratio was too weak to identify individual galaxies, so they combined the data for different galaxies to produce a higher signal-to-noise ratio images of “average” galaxies.

In the averaged images, they confirmed both x-ray and radio emissions for the galaxies without star formation. This type of emission from distant galaxies more than 10 billion light-years away was detected for the first time. 

Furthermore, the results show that the x-ray and radio emissions are too strong to be explained by the stars in the galaxy alone, indicating the presence of an active supermassive black hole. This black hole activity signal is weaker for galaxies where star formation is ongoing.

The results show that an abrupt end in star formation in the early Universe correlates with increased supermassive black hole activity.

Source: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

supermassive black hole

India Ranks #1 Globally in the Adoption of Play-to-Earn and NFT Gaming

A recent report on NFT Gaming Adoption Report by Finder placed India at the number one spot in terms of global adoption of Play-to-Earn (P2E) and NFT games. Finder surveyed people across 26 countries and determined that play-to-earn games have become a highly popular niche for users around the globe. 

They revealed that 34% of Indian internet users have played Play-to-Earn (P2E) games, which is quite above the global average of 14%. Coming in second place was Hong Kong with 29% and is closely followed up by the United Arab Emirates with 27%. The bottom of the chart was accommodated by France and Sweden with 6% and 4% respectively.

While India clearly leads the way, the survey suggests that the nation’s rate of adoption could grow to be more than 34%. Finder.com writes, “the data suggests that we’ll see NFT gaming adoption grow by 11 percentage points this year.” Also, the report mentioned that 11.4% of the surveyed demographic plan on playing a P2E game soon. This could see India’s adoption hit 45% in the coming months.

P2E gamers around the globe: By sex

As for the global statistics, Finder’s report found that an average of 17% of men compared to 12% of women have played P2E games. In India, they found that 38% of men surveyed saying they’ve played a play-to-earn (P2E) crypto game before, men are roughly 1.3 times more likely than the 29% of women who said the same. That gender gap is expected to close slightly by the end of the year, with 50% of men saying they plan on playing this year, compared to 40% of women, meaning men will be 1.2 times more likely to have played NFT games by the end of 2022.

NFT GAMING INDIAHome | thehavok

 They also mentioned that globally, those aged between 18-34 are most likely to have played a P2E game, with an average of 18% saying they'd done so, with India seeing the highest percentage of respondents in that age bracket participating in the P2E realm at 42%.

Future of P2E and NFT Gaming

With the success and big press around the popular and successful NFT-based games like Axie Infinity, it seems like more companies will be taking a crack at implementing a play-to-earn model in their games. In the game Axie Infinity, players are compensated for actively playing the game and can sell or trade their in-game characters with other players for real money. This has built real economies and communities. Big gaming studios like Ubisoft and Zynga, and smaller projects like SYN CITY are attempting to build mainstream games that implement NFTs.

Companies are also hoping to monetize off collecting transaction fees as these assets get traded in the secondary markets among players, and nobody wants to be late to the potential boom. Games range from collectathon games such as Axie Infinities to entire virtual worlds such as Decentraland where users have invested millions into virtual real estate in the hopes it appreciates in the future. The possibilities are endless, and as more people experiment within the space, these games will only become more fleshed out and expansive.

Currently, studios, small teams, and individuals are ramping up their own projects to claim their piece of the pie in the new virtual economy. While this demand has been increasing, developers may be looking for quicker ways to update and develop their games in the fast- growing space.

Another recent study by DappRadar revealed that blockchain-based games raised $2.5 billion in Q1, 2022 from investors. The bold forecast predicts that total investments could exceed $10 billion (assuming the current pace maintains). Some of the most notable examples of such financings include Yuga Labs and Immutable-X. The former is a studio behind the NFT collection Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC). Two months ago, it secured a $450 million fundraiser led by Andreessen Horowitz.

For its part, Immutable-X (which hosts two of the most popular blockchain games – Gods Unchained and Guilds of Guardian) raised $200 million. As a result, its valuation surged to $2.5 billion. Splinterlands, Alien Worlds, and Crazy Defense Heroes ranked as the most attractive games for the player base.

EA announces Star Wars Jedi Survivor, the Sequel to Fallen Order

EA has just unveiled the rumored sequel to 2019’s Jedi Fallen Order, the more punchily-named Star Wars Jedi Survivor. The game is being developed by Respawn the same team that made Fallen Order and is under the leadership of game director Stig Asmussen. The sequel is coming nearly four years after Jedi: Fallen Order introduced us to the new Jedi, new Inquisitors, and one of the cutest droids in the galaxy. 

As for the story, Jedi Survivor begins five years after the first game’s events, which ended with Cal fleeing from Darth Vader after sabotaging an Imperial plot. This time skip will see a gruffer, more lantern-jawed Cal Jedi-ing it up at the height of the Empire’s power. We will see the game will expand on the series’ dynamic combat in new and innovative ways. We will also see that in order to survive Cal will need to learn new skills and grow his connection with the Force.

Our first look at the game shows Cal pondering someone floating in a bacta tank, interspersed with shots of lightsaber combat and a view of his ship, the Mantis, crashed on a desert world. A Pau’an narrator muses on the hopelessness of Cal’s situation while wondering just what his next move will be.

Star Wars Jedi Survivor

Electronic Arts (EA) announced that Jedi Survivor is being built for the current generation of gaming hardware to create a deeper and more expansive Star Wars experience for players worldwide.

EA also announced that Jedi Survivor will be released sometime in 2023 and is being developed for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order followed Cal Kestis, a former padawan of Jedi Master Jaro Tapal, until the execution of Order 66 led to the eradication of the Jedi Order throughout the galaxy. After surviving incognito for a number of years, Cal reconnected with the Force and rose up to fight the Inquisitors, in order to prevent young Force-sensitive children from falling into the hands of the Empire and the dark side.

Space Junk Servicer ELSA-M to be Launched by 2024 with a €14.8 Million Investment

OneWeb jointly with Astroscale Ltd. will strive to protect the satellite economy with the unique spacecraft technology, appreciation in the interest of a recent investment of €14.8 million. The task to establish Astroscale’s ELSA-M servicer will venture towards the end of 2024, with enterprising agendas to produce space junk removal assistance to satellite operators subsequently.

The information builds upon Sunrise, a Partnership Program embarked in 2019 between the European Space Agency (ESA) and OneWeb to sustain the promotion of successive-generation technologies varying from artificial intelligence for passing the satellites to new load and user airfield technology to sustaining study in dynamic junk disposal. This most delinquent allocation contract will be in the help of Astroscale Ltd. and their UK associates and will finish the setup of the ELSA-M servicer, advancing through manufacturing up to the satellite pre-integration stage. Once concluded, the servicer will be competent in grabbing and extracting multiple satellites in a single task, once they arrive at the fate of their working life in lower Earth orbit. 

Satellites deliver communities with essential assistance including weather forecasting, disaster management, GPS, data for banking systems and broadband. If the orbital surroundings become too packed, we jeopardise failing connectivity at work and in societies. That is why the Sunrise Program associates are operating jointly to find resolutions for the accountable administration of space junk. 

Massimiliano Ladovaz, Chief Technology Officer at OneWeb, said, “Responsible space is paramount to our assignment at OneWeb, and we are determined to sustainable approaches in all the circumstances in which we function. The expansion of the ELSA-M servicer prototype is another substantial milestone towards a reliable method to space, assuring that our satellites can be deorbited and that the lower Earth orbit environment is saved as a genuine and shared resource.” 

The ELSA-M servicer will launch towards the end of 2024. The partnership is taking an important step to create a more sustainable space environment by reducing the space junk.
The ELSA-M servicer will launch towards the end of 2024. The partnership is taking an important step to create a more sustainable space environment. 

John Auburn, Managing Director at Astroscale Ltd., adds, “We’re setting our telecommunications assistance at risk unless we begin tending up space. Astroscale’s ELSA-M servicer is prepared to construct on our ELSA-d demonstration mission to sweep up orbital junk. This spacecraft will verify our ingenious engagement, capture and de-orbit capacities with a full-size constellation customer. 

“We intend to embark on our commercial assistance for satellite operators, such as OneWeb and others, shortly after the in-orbit march, with a notion to complete the junk deduction portion of recurring operations by 2030. We are very thankful to the UK and European Space Agencies for their continuous backing to design this visionary technology, ushering our commercial assistance that will contribute to an endurable economy in space.” 

What the Intergovernmental Organizations say about the Space Junk and the associated Space Junk

Elodie Viau, Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications at ESA, said, “It is crucial to assure the accountable use of space to save today’s connected world because our digital economy and community depend on the capability to intercommunicate. I am proud of ESA’s track record in promoting invention in the space industry in Europe, fetching to completion new ways of guaranteeing the sustainable usage of space, and of the part that ESA’s Partnership Assignments play as an authorised associate for investors, operators and enterprise.” 

The U.K’s Science Minister George Freeman said, “With thousands of satellites already in rotation and thousands more standing to be ventured every year, handling the matter of space trash and discovering reinvigorated ways to remove bygone spacecraft and other sorts of space waste is of ever-increasing significance— to both reduce the cost of waste harm for satellite operators and guarantee space is safe and sustainable.  

“That’s why the UK government has made space sustainability a pivotal theme of our National Space Strategy, and it is improbable to see ushering functions for UK companies Astroscale Ltd. and OneWeb in this European Space Agency project, assisting us to continue to deliver UK technology administration in this substantial area.” 

“That’s why the UK is assuming effort, by supporting new commercial technologies to terminate junk from space and working with international partners to lead efforts to promote sustainability. This most delinquent stage of the Sunrise program alliance between the European Space Agency, Astroscale Ltd. and OneWeb will conceive a clever spacecraft Servicer to extract numerous extinct satellites, putting the UK at the vanguard of actions to clear up space.” 

Space junk in the orbits of the earth.
The problem of space junk is not small, it has to be dealt with utmost priority. The current ELSA-M system might seem promising but the desired results will be achieved only when every country pledges to take up similar assignments. Credits: The Verge

Konosuba Anime Confirms 3rd Season and Spin-off Series

Kadokawa announced the previously announced new anime for the “KonoSuba – God’s blessing on this wonderful world!!”. The franchise is now getting a third season of the anime. They also announced that the Konosuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! spinoff novel series is also getting a television anime adaptation.

Konosuba Visual Released by Kadokawa
Konosuba Visual Released by Kadokawa

Anime director Takaomi Kanasaki (Konosuba, Tokyo Ravens & Is this a Zombie) will serve as the chief director for the third season at Drive. This comes after Studio DEEN animated the previous two seasons and J.C. Staff animated the film. The anime is being directed by Yujiro Abe (episode director for Kaguya-sama: Love is War, Great Pretender). Makoto Uezu (Ansatsu Kyoushitsu, Boruto & Akame ga Kill) will again be in charge of the anime composition, and Koichi Kikuta (Blue Reflection Ray & Tamayomi) is also returning as character designer.

Director Takaomi Kanasaki, Scriptwriter Makoto Ueze, and Character Designer Koichi Kikuta have also created illustrations to commemorate the announcement.

The original cast for the series will return which includes:

  • Kazuma is voiced by Jun Fukushima (Shoukichi Naruko from Yowamushi Pedal & Gabiru from Tensura)
  • Aqua is voiced by Sora Amamiya (Chizuru Ichinose from Rent-a-Girlfriend; Touka Kirishima from Tokyo Ghoul & Miko Yotsuya from Mieruko-chan)
  • Megumin is voiced by Rie Takahashi (Emilia from RE: Zero series; Ena Saitou from Yuru Camp & Takagi from Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san)
  • Darkness is voiced by Ai Kayano (Shiro from No Game no Life; Alice Zuberg from Sword Art Online & Utaha Kasumigaoka from Saekano)

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! (Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!), also known as Konosuba, is a comedy fantasy light novel by Natsume Akatsuki (who also wrote Sentouin, Hakenshimasu! Which got animated in Spring 2021).

The story centers on centers on Kazuma, a shut-in student who dies in a traffic accident. But meets the goddess Aqua after death where he is given the chance to reincarnate in a fantasy world. But he can keep one thing with him. When he decides to choose Aqua herself, they are both transported to their new lives. The pair go on quests to earn money which enough to buy food, shelter, and clothing. They hire the sorceress Megumin and swordswoman Darkness, whom they learn are just as useless as they are.

Akatsuki penned the novel on the Shousetsuka ni Narou website from December 2012 to October 2013. Kadokawa began publishing the series under its Sneaker Bunko label that month, featuring illustrations by Kurone Mishima (Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records). The light novel ended with the 17th volume in May 2020. Konosuba has a cumulative 10 million copies of its volumes in circulation.

The first main television anime season premiered in January 2016, and the second season premiered in January 2017. Crunchyroll streamed both seasons as they aired in Japan. The KONOSUBA – God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World– Legend of Crimson anime film opened in Japan in August 2019.

Konosuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World!

The same staff for the third season will also produce the Konosuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! television anime series. The spinoff will star Rie Takahashi as Megumin and Aki Toyosaki as Yunuyun.

One year before a certain useless goddess and NEET extraordinaire hit the scene, Megumin, the “Greatest Genius of the Crimson Magic Clan,” is hard at work. Ever since a life-changing encounter in her youth, the young wizard has dedicated her every waking moment to the pursuit of the ultimate offensive magic, Explosion! (Well…every moment not spent hustling food from her self-proclaimed rival.) And while the big sister’s away, the little one will play. On a routine trip into the woods, Megumin’s little sister, Komekko, finds a strange black kitten. Little does she know that this cat plays a key role in unsealing a Dark God’s tomb

Source: Dengeki Online , KonoSuba Official Website

SCIENTISTS FIND SOFT SEA CORALS AS THE ORIGIN OF THE SOUGHT-AFTER “ANTI-CANCER” COMPOUND

Underneath the ocean waters is a world full of secrets but scientists have newly revealed one of its best-kept enigmas in the sea corals. For more than 25 years, drug hunters have been probing the origin of a biological chemical that had demonstrated favourable developments in preliminary investigations for ministering cancer. Currently, investigators at the University of Utah Health declared that easy-to-find soft corals—flexible corals that correspond to aquatic plants—produce the evasive compound.

Determining the origin permitted the investigators to go a stage forward and locate the animal’s DNA code so as to synthesize the chemical. By heeding that pedagogy, they were capable to carry out the foremost efforts of synthesizing the soft coral chemical in the laboratory.

A second investigation body guided by Bradley Moore, PhD, from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, alone ascertained that corals make corresponding molecules. Both investigations are issued in the May 23 issue of Nature Chemical Biology.

Multiple Viewpoints and Possibilities of the Presence of Anti-Cancer Compounds

Unlike poisonous chemicals that are insinuated into prey, corals use their chemicals to scare away predators that attempt to ingest them. Since they are created to be consumed, the soft coral chemicals are readily digestible. Likewise, medicines derived from these sorts of compounds should be capable enough to be offered as tablets with a glass of water, preferably taken by injection or other more intrusive methods. “These compounds are harder to find but they’re easier to make in the lab and easier to take as medicine,” says Schmidt.

Corals aren’t the sole creatures that bear conceivable therapeutics. Nature is straggling with snakes, spiders and other creatures understood to harbour chemicals with recuperation effects. Nevertheless, combinations from soft corals deliver distinctive edges for drug development, Schmidt expressed.

Hounding for the Source From Sea Corals

Soft corals are supposed to produce thousands of drug-like combinations that could work as anti-inflammatory agents, antibiotics, anti-cancer therapeutics, and other drug principles. Credit: Bailey Miller.
Soft corals are supposed to produce thousands of drug-like combinations that could work as anti-inflammatory agents, antibiotics, anti-cancer therapeutics, and other drug principles. Credit: Bailey Miller.

Scesa uncovered the high-demand compound in an ordinary species of soft coral present off the Florida coast. In the 1990s, deep-water scientists documented that an infrequent coral near Australia bore a chemical, eleutherobin, with anti-cancer possessions. The chemical dissolves the cytoskeleton, a critical staging in cells, and soft corals utilise it as protection against predators. Despite this, laboratory examinations indicated that the compound was also a mighty inhibitor of cancer cell development.

Decades after, scientists scoured but could not uncover the notable “holy grail” chemical in the amounts required for drug development and couldn’t fix the problem without comprehending how the chemical was produced. Ideology had it that, analogous to other sorts of marine life, the chemical was produced by symbiotic organisms that survived inside the creatures.

Solving the enigma appeared as an assignment made for Scesa. As a boy growing up in Florida, the ocean was his playground, and he spent myriad hours analysing its deeps and wildlife. In graduate school, he acquired an inclination for organic chemistry and combined the two attractions to better comprehend the chemical variousness of the oceans.

Interpreting the Formula for the Anti-Cancer Drugs

Exploring the coral reef for medicinally important compounds especially the anti-cancer drugs has been displayed in the image. However, the journey from the discovery of a potential compound from sea corals to commercially available drugs is very long.
Exploring the coral reef for medicinally important compounds especially the anti-cancer drugs has been displayed in the image. However, the journey from the discovery of a potential compound from sea corals to commercially available drugs is very long. Image: SN

The subsequent effort was to uncover whether the coral’s genetic code bore instructions for producing the compound. Advancements in DNA technology had newly made it conceivable to rapidly piece concurrently the code of any species. The problem was, that the scientists didn’t learn what the pedagogy for producing the chemical might look like. Envision digging a cookbook for a particular recipe, only you don’t know what any of the phrases inside the book convey.

They discoursed the difficulty by discovering parts of coral DNA that corresponded to genetic instructions for identical types of compounds from other species. After programming bacteria were developed in the lab to obey coral DNA pedagogy characteristic to the soft coral, the microorganisms were competent to reproduce the first stages of driving probable cancer medicinal compound.

This confirmed that soft corals are the origin of eleutherobin. It also established that it should be feasible to fabricate the compound in the lab. Their profession is now concentrating on sealing in the lacking steps of the compound’s formula and resolving the most suitable method to deliver extensive portions of the conceivable drug.   

“My hope is to one day hand these to a doctor,” says Scesa. “I think of it as going from the bottom of the ocean to bench to bedside.”

Anime to Watch This Spring 2022: Must-Watch Shows This Season

With the end of Winter 2022, which gave us the likes of My Dress-up Darling and Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2. This Spring season will not disappoint us as we got a lot of good shows to look forward to. The most anticipated anime to watch this Spring 2022 are Rising of the Shield Hero 2, Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 3, Spy x Family and Ao Ashi.

Top Sequel Anime to Watch This Spring 2022

Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari Season 2 (The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2)

Anime to Watch This Spring 2022 : Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari Season 2 (The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2)
  • Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
  • Studio: Kinema Citrus (Made in Abyss, Black Bullet, Barakamon)
  • Airing Date: April 6, 2022

The long awaited Season 2 of Rising of the Shield Hero is here after a 3 long year halt and a bunch of delays despite the series’ getting a second and third season greenlit almost immediately after the first season aired and there had been no announcement of when it would actually air until recently. The second season is set to follow more of his adventures protecting the world of Melromarc from the evils that try to destroy it.

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic (Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 3rd Season)

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic (Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 3rd Season)
  • Genre: Comedy, Psychological, Romance, School, Seinen
  • Studio: A-1 Pictures (Seven Deadly Sins, Sword Art Online, Your Lie in April)
  • Airing Date: April 9, 2022

Aka Akasaka‘s popular manga series, Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is back with the third season as we continue to see the mind games between Shinomiya and Shirogane as they avoid showing weakness by admitting feelings for the other first.

Komi-san wa, Comyushou desu. 2nd Season (Komi-san Can’t Communicate)

Komi-san wa, Comyushou desu. 2nd Season
  • Genre: Comedy, Drama, School, Shounen, Slice of Life
  • Studio: OLM (Pokemon, Inazuma Eleven and Odd Taxi)
  • Airing Date: April 7, 2022

Tomohito Oda‘s Komi-san is back with its second season after its first season release last year. We will continue to watch Tadano as he helps Komi make friends despite her communication disorder. We will also be introduced to a bunch of new eccentric characters.

Rikei ga Koi ni Ochita no de Shoumei shitemita. Heart (Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It 2nd Season)

Rikei ga Koi ni Ochita no de Shoumei shitemita. Heart (Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It 2nd Season)
  • Genre: Comedy, Drama
  • Studio: Zero-G  (Grand Blue, Tsugumomo, High-Rise Invasion)
  • Airing Date: April 2, 2022

Rikei ga Koi ni Ochita no de Shoumei shitemita is back with another season which let us see Shinya Yukimura, a level-headed scientist and his partner, Ayame Himuro deal with love the only way they know how, through lots of experiments and hypotheses.

Top New Anime to Watch This Spring 2022

Spy x Family

Spy x Family
  • Genre: Action, Comedy, Shounen
  • Studio: Wit Studio (Attack on Titan, Vinland Saga and Great Pretender) & CloverWorks (Promised Neverland, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai and My Dress-up Darling) 
  • Airing Date: April 9, 2022

Tatsuya Endo’s famous comedy manga series SPY X FAMILY is finally getting an anime adaptation. The story follows Twilight, a spy who is best when going undercover on dangerous missions in the name of a better world. But he receives the ultimate impossible assignment which needs him to get married and have a child. Twilight has his work cut out for him procuring both a wife and a child for his mission to infiltrate an elite private school. What he doesn’t know is that the wife he’s chosen is an assassin and the child he’s adopted is a telepath.

Aharen-san wa Hakarenai (Aharen Is Indecipherable)

Aharen-san wa Hakarenai (Aharen Is Indecipherable)
  • Genre: Comedy, School, Shounen
  • Studio: Felix Film (Nekopara, Urasekai Picnic and A Good Librarian Like a Good Shepherd)
  • Airing Date: April 2, 2022

Aharen-san wa Hakarenai follows Reina Aharen, a small cute student with a quiet voice and is bad at determining distance and personal space. We also have Raidou Matsuboshi, who is seated beside her in class. He has a menacing face, but in reality, he is a kind boy with an imagination that can run wild at times. The anime follows their odd friendship that starts to blossom when Raidou picks up Aharen’s eraser for her. She misinterprets his gesture and now believes them to be best friends, showing how the simplest of things can prove to be the most complicated of challenges for them.

Ao Ashi

Ao Ashi
  • Genre: Seinen, Sports
  • Studio: Production I.G (Attack on Titan, Haikyuu!! and Psycho-Pass)
  • Airing Date: April 9, 2022

Production IG is known for its sports anime like Haikyuu!, Kuroko no Basket and Run with the Wind. The studio is back with the adaptation of yet another hit sports manga Ao Ashi by Yuugo Kobayashi and Naohiko Ueno. 

The story follows Ashito Aoi, a third year middle school student from Ehime, who meets Tatsuya Fukuda, a “J Youth League” coach. Even though he’s still rough around the edges, Ashito has such amazing potential that he gets invited by coach Fukuda to participate in his team’s try-outs in Tokyo. The story of the boy who will revolutionize football in Japan begins to unfold.

Kawaii dake ja Nai Shikimori-san (Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie)

Kawaii dake ja Nai Shikimori-san (Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie)
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life
  • Studio: Doga Kobo (Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, Plastic Memories and Himouto! Umaru-chan)
  • Airing Date: April 10, 2022

Famous Romance-Comedy manga Kawaii dake ja Nai Shikimori-san by Keigo Maki is finally getting an anime this spring. The anime follows Izumi is a high school student whose life is filled with misfortune. Due to his unlucky disposition, his days are full of nothing but unfortunate events, until he starts dating Shikimori. She seems like the perfect girlfriend: cute, fun to be around, sweet when she wants to be… but she has a cool dark side that comes out under the right circumstances. With the cute yet cool Shikimori now by Izumi’s side, his luckless days are over, bringing a life full of happiness and warmth.

Kakkou no Iinazuke (A Couple of Cuckoos)

Kakkou no Iinazuke (A Couple of Cuckoos)
  • Genre: Comedy, Harem, Romance, Shounen
  • Studio: SynergySP (Initial D series, Cross Game and Major series) & Shin-Ei Animation (Teasing Master Takagi-san, Crayon Shin-chan and Doraemon)
  • Airing Date: April 24, 2022

Popular Romance-Comedy manga Couple of Cuckoos by Miki Yoshikawa is getting an anime adaptation. The story follows Nagi Umino, a second-year student who was switched at birth. On his way to a dinner to meet his birth parents, he accidentally meets the brash, outspoken, Erika Amano, who is determined to make Nagi her fake boyfriend as she never wants to actually marry. But once Nagi makes it to dinner, he finds his parents have decided to resolve the hospital switch by conveniently having him marry the daughter his birth parents raised…who turns out to be none other than Erika herself!

Yuusha, Yamemasu (I’m Quitting Heroing)

Yuusha, Yamemasu (I'm Quitting Heroing)
  • Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
  • Studio: EMT Squared (Renai Boukun, Assassin’s Pride and Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear)
  • Airing Date: April 5, 2022

Yuusha, Yamemasu follows the story of Leo, the strongest hero who saved the world. Now that the world is at peace, he is unwanted as he is too strong and is exiled. He now seeks a job at the Demon King’s Army, which he had defeated and needs to be rebuilt. The Army had many problems: too much work, financial troubles, etc. Leo starts to make things better using his power. Leo encounters Echidna again, and asks her why she invaded the human world. There was an unexpected story…!

Shijou Saikyou no Daimaou, Murabito A ni Tensei suru (The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody)

Shijou Saikyou no Daimaou, Murabito A ni Tensei suru (The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody)
  • Genre: Action, Fantasy, School
  • Studio: SILVER LINK. (Non Non Biyori, Chivalry of a Failed Knight and Kokoro Connect) & Blade (Iwa Kakeru!, Cheating Craft and Donten)
  • Airing Date: April 6, 2022

This anime follows the Demon Lord Varvatos, who thinks life is a big fat snore and decides to reincarnate, he calibrates his magical strength to be perfectly average. But there is no way he could have predicted that everyone in the modern world would be weak as hell, which means he is totally overpowered once again! Reborn under the name Ard, he has ladies fawning over him, the royal family begging him to become the next king, and an ex-minion insisting on killing him?! But Ard has a one-track mind, and he won’t stop at anything to achieve his ultimate goal!

Tomodachi Game

Tomodachi Game
  • Genre: Game, Psychological, Shounen
  • Studio: Okuruto Noboru (How Not to Summon a Demon Lord Ω and The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter)
  • Airing Date: April 6, 2022

Tomodachi Game by Yuuki Satou and Mikoto Yamaguchi is the new hype as many compare this anime to the famous Netflix series “Squid Game”. The story follows Yuichi Katagiri, a high school boy who loves to spend his time with his five friends. But, after their school trip funds are stolen, all the five friends are forced to play the Tomodachi Game. And this deadly game tests their friendship.

Love All Play

Love All Play
  • Genre: School, Shounen, Sports
  • Studio: Nippon Animation (HunterxHunter 1999 and Bakuten Shoot Beyblade) & OLM (Pokemon, Komi-san Can’t Communicate and Odd Taxi)
  • Airing Date: April 2, 2022

Love All Play follows Ryou Mizushima who joined his middle school’s badminton team full of motivation — but without a proper coach, ended up in obscurity. Nevertheless, he did eventually reach the prefectural tournament on his physical strength. Now he joins the prestigious Yokohama-Minato High School’s badminton team under the legendary coach Ebihara and is surrounded by talented teammates. He strives to become a top athlete and take his high school team to the inter-high tournament.

Gaikotsu Kishi-sama, Tadaima Isekai e Odekakechuu (Skeleton Knight in Another World)

Gaikotsu Kishi-sama, Tadaima Isekai e Odekakechuu (Skeleton Knight in Another World)
  • Genre: Action, Fantasy
  • Studio: Studio KAI (Super Cub, Uma Musume and Cagaster of an Insect Cage) & HORNETS (Somali and the Forest Spirit)
  • Airing Date: April 7, 2022

The anime follows a gamer who played video games until he fell asleep…and  one day he woke up, he found himself in the game world, as a skeleton! Equipped with the powerful weapons and armor of his avatar but stuck with its frightening skeletal appearance, Arc has to find a place for himself in this new, fantastical land. All his hopes for a quiet life are dashed when he crosses paths with a beautiful elven warrior, setting him on a journey full of conflict and adventure.

Check out our articles on the other anime seasons:

Anime to Watch This Spring 2022 Anime to Watch This Spring 2022 Anime to Watch This Spring 2022 Anime to Watch This Spring 2022 Anime to Watch This Spring 2022 Anime to Watch This Spring 2022 Anime to Watch This Spring 2022 Anime to Watch This Spring 2022 Anime to Watch This Spring 2022 Anime to Watch This Spring 2022 Anime to Watch Out in Summer 2021 Anime to Watch Out in Summer 2021

Omicron Corona Virus Variant: Pandemic Turning into an International Syndicate?

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Omicron variant, officially named B.1.1.529 corona virus variant is now persisting in more than 23 countries of the world. Since November 23, when South Africa alerted the world about it, there has been emergence across every nation. Flights were shut down again, RT-PCR tests were increased, economies started falling again, possible lockdowns came into picture and what not. For one time in 2 years our lives were getting normal, and the corona virus variant had its own plans.

Omicron corona virus variant
Omicron corona virus variant (Source: Google)

But is this the real natural mutation as researchers show the world or it’s just a game being played across the world, an international syndicate? A game to enrich pharmaceutical sector, Aviation Industry and every sector connected to the rise of pandemic.

HIV and Omicron’s Genetic family

Before proceeding further, it is important to know that from where the variant mutated in the first place? Research till now has found that this variant was formed with more than 50 mutations causing 32 genetically changed spike proteins. But how?

While looking at the family tree of the variant, closest sequences traced back to mid-2020s, that is almost a year ago and thus there was no trace of the intermediate versions. There are strong chances of a “Cryptic Spread” – hard to believe. Tulio De Oliveira, one of the prominent research experts, has been warning for months that the people mostly likely to spawn such mutations in sub-Saharan Africa are the roughly 8 million with unrecognized or poorly treated HIV. Largely young, unvaccinated and with debilitated immune systems, these people could “become a factory of variants for the whole world,” he said.

Corona Virus variants explained with omicron
Corona Virus variants explained (Source: Twitter – @_nference)

With Johannesburg at its heart, Gauteng province is the epicenter of South Africa’s HIV epidemic. It is home to roughly 20% of South Africa’s 7.5 million people living with HIV. While 40% of global population is fully vaccinated, Africa is completely left out with just 7% vaccination rate. Because of such reasons, there have been strong implications that, virus has been mutated from an immunocompromised person. In such cases, the person’s immune system is still strong enough to prevent the coronavirus from killing the person.

Strong evidences that 
omicron mutated from 
HIV immunocompromised patient
Strong evidences that
omicron mutated from
HIV immunocompromised patient
(Source: YouTube – CIDRAPASP)

But it’s not strong enough to completely clear the virus. So, the virus lingers inside the person for month after month, continually reproducing. With each replication, there’s a chance it will acquire a mutation that makes it better at evading the person’s antibody-producing immune cells. And various studies, including that of University of Cambridge, Nature Journal, Harvard case study, etc have backed this fact.

Vaccines. Booster Doses. Money. Gamble?

The main reason which offered the growth to in cases and spread of the omicron variant was lack of vaccination drives across the African sub-continent. Most of the current research suggested that omicron cannot dodge neutralizing antibodies and harm the immune system. Even if it did, other aspects of the immune system, particularly T cells, may be less affected by Omicron’s mutations than are antibody responses. The third dose supercharge neutralizing-antibody levels, and is likely to provide a bulwark against Omicron’s ability to evade these antibodies.

Currently it’s a big gamble on, will the administered vaccines be effective? Will the booster doses can show some more efficiency? And many such questions are arising. One industry, which is being most benefited with the current situation is the pharmaceutical industry.

Company

2020 Q3 results (3 months)

2021 Q3 Results (3 months) 

Lookout

Moderna
Net loss ($233 million) (Q3)
Net income ($3.3 billion) (Q3)
Profit making from losses in past year
Pfizer
$10.2 billion revenue (Q3)
$24.1 billion revenue (Q3)
Growth of 134%
BioNTech
67.5 million Euros revenue (Q3)
6087.3 million Euros revenue (Q3)
Almost 100x growth
AstraZeneca
$6758 million revenue (Q3)
$9866 million revenue (Q3) 
Increase by 50%

This clearly indicates that big players have got some hefty sum of revenues after the pandemic. No doubt the need, demand and emergence of vaccines have played their part too, but what’s next? How to continue the growth? Booster shots can be a real boost.

Less than 30% of population in South Africa has received 1st dose of corona virus, and many more under privileged and developing nations have administered even less. At the same time, developed nations and the western world has given 3rd dose (booster dose) to nearly 12-24% of their population. This “pandemic of unvaccinated” is a threat to entire world and at this rate it will 5 more months to cover 75% of global population to receive atleast 1st dose.

The Rich Game

This international syndicate continues to play when there are talks of vaccine needs. According to Bloomberg, countries and regions with highest incomes are getting vaccinated 10 times faster than those with lowest. Since the start of global vaccination drives, there was a clear uneven in the access to vaccines and varying degrees of efficiencies in getting shots. In the US, 139 doses have been given per 100 people (ahead of target) and in contrast, African sub-continent haven’ t received a single shipment of shots. Even the most under-developing countries like Cuba had to research and manufacture their own vaccine. Well, their gamble paid-off as 89% Cuban population is now vaccinated, but can all do this?

omicron and the rich game
(Source: MIT Sloan)

Delivering billions of vaccines to stop the spread of Covid-19 worldwide is one of the greatest logistical challenges ever undertaken. When one side, some researchers claim that vaccines might reduce efficacy but will continue to prevent severe illness, and the director of the UK’s Oxford Group, which developed the AstraZeneca vaccine, expressed cautious optimism on Saturday that the omicron variant won’t result in a “reboot” of the pandemic.

On the other hand, some of their same researchers exclaim those vaccines won’t work. Booster shots are must. Have travel restrictions. Stop. Have Lockdowns. In this confusion and dilemma, economies have starting falling again. Whether it be cryptocurrency market being routed, or crude oil market falling by 10-15% or Aviation industry stocks having a sharp deep; everyone and everywhere.

Aviation Industry

Talking about the aviation industry, there has been some insider things going on. Where cargo demands have increased by many folds, passenger flights have dropped to lower levels. Some of the nations and regions had ‘unnecessary’ travel bans and regulations. Some of the major airports and exchanges to many cargo and passenger flights had ‘inessential’ guidelines that literally ‘harassed’ the travelers. Undoubtedly, the industry had one of their worst nightmares as losses are reducing, but challenges continue. International Air Transport Association (IATA) stated that cumulative losses are about $201 billion for 2020-2022 in their October AGM.

Omicron, corona and the aviation industry
Omicron, corona and the aviation industry
(Source: Skift)

But as the travel restrictions getting normalized, the industry seems to have more than expected recovery. Passenger flight tickets have sky rocketed like anything. One of the largest airlines of the world, Delta Airlines reported that, “even with the pause and the pace of recovery, we achieved our goal of profitability for the quarter with earnings per share of $0.30, pre-tax profit of $216 million and margin nearly 3% on revenue of $8.3 billion. Total third-quarter operating expense was $7.8 billion.” Similarly, Lufthansa Group sales nearly doubled (+96%) Y-o-Y to 5.2 billion Euros. And Emirates NBDs with strong Q3 results, with net profit up 29% YoY, demonstrate financial resilience and the success of its diversified business model.

Whether or not, gamble has surely been played. What started as a pandemic is now being converted to profit policies and business models of many industries. Tactics, Numbers, figures, profits and earnings; that’s what we have cared about. Some benefited some and others took stand for others. A new era and a new generation will emerge post pandemic. Soon, Tesla will be a big company on planet Mars and one of the pharma leaders on earth will hit a trillion- dollar valuation. Consider it or not, this is the harsh reality…
How can be our post pandemic era? 
after omicron
How can be our post pandemic era?
(Source: Agility)

Read more on how the corona was spreaded in the first place and how there were political twists and turns in the entire plot.
Anthony Fauci: Is the US Equally Responsible for the Spread of Coronavirus?

The German Scientists Accomplishes Nearly Mind-Blowing Perfect Absolute Zero Temperature

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One of the most sought-after fascinating theories of Science Fiction was to control not only matter but the very thing that constitutes it- Atom. Governing the smallest observable element has the biggest challenges. Often theorists and physicists have pondered upon the question “What If we were able to achieve Absolute Zero Temperature?”

Absolute zero experiment was done with peaks confirming the formation of BEC.
This series of graphs show the changing density of a cloud of atoms as it is cooled to lower and lower temperatures (going from left to right) approaching absolute zero. The emergence of a sharp peak in the later graphs confirms the formation of a Bose-Einstein condensate — the fifth state of matter — occurring here at a temperature of 130 nanoKelvin, or less than 1 Kelvin above absolute zero. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Physicists like to call it “Nash Equilibrium”, a game theory. At these kinds of temperatures, you expect the macro or Newtonian physics to blow up and fuse into all kinds of bizarre and astounding Quantum phenomenon. “The Ultra-Cold atoms, for one thing, they lose their individual identities, fusing to form a state of matter called a Bose-Einstein condensate”, says Robert Thompson, a Researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.[1]

But there’s always a complexity that absolute zero isn’t zero on any other scale except Kelvin. Then how can we say it’s the “Coldest Temperature known to man?” To comprehend this fact, we need to visualize temperature beyond the digits that it initially represents, we need to understand the effect of temperature physically. Temperature is simply the amount of heat the body is releasing or gaining, that’s one way to look at it. But it’s really a measure of how fast atoms are moving at the quantum level more precisely the average kinetic energy of those particles.

Lord Kelvin founder of Absolute Zero kelvin scale.
William Thomson aka Lord Kelvin, inventor of Kelvin Scale laying the foundation for Absolute Zero. Credit: Britannica

Think of it as a game of billiards, where the cue strikes the ball and an energy transfer takes place. Trillions and Trillions of cues are hitting the balls and those balls are hitting other balls. The faster it hits; the more energy is transferred; the more the heat; the more the temperature. When a hot object comes in close proximity of a cold object, the hot one’s atoms hit the slow-moving cold ones, and in process of heat (energy) exchange, the hot one seems to cool down while the cold one seems to warm up.

The Zeroth Race

When Scottish Physicist William Thomson aka Lord Kelvin discovered Absolute Zero, it was for mere calculating methods. With that, the Race to Zeroth Position began.
Michael Faraday was the first to liquefy gases to around 143 K. Decades later, Polish professors Zygmunt Wróblewski and Karol Olszewski produced liquid oxygen achieving the score of 55.1 K. Then in 1908, Kamerlingh Onnes was the first-ever scientist to liquefy noble gas Helium to its boiling point of 4.15 K, and reach the milestone of 1.5 K by lowering pressure. This attainment gained him wide recognition and a Nobel Prize in 1913.[2]

Boomerang Nebula, coldest place of universe.
The Boomerang Nebula is about 5,000 light-years from Earth has a temperature of only one degree Kelvin above absolute zero making it the coldest location in the known universe. Credit: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

In Feb 2003, Boomerang Nebula was discovered and reported the temperature to around 1 K nicknaming it “Universe’s Refrigerator.” In June 2015, scientists at MIT were able to cool molecules in the gas of Na and K to path-breaking 500 nanokelvins.[3] And finally in 2021, Researchers at the Institute of Quantum Optics, Hannover achieved the closest juxtaposition to Absolute zero with a record-breaking temperature of 38 picokelvins, literally like 10 zeroes after the point!!😲
How did they manage to do that?

The Feat for The Unfathomable

 The team of Rasel and his co-researchers at the University of Hannover began experimenting with a possibility in matter-wave optics. They commenced the setup by suspending approx. 101k 87Rb atoms in a Bose-Einstein Condensate form.

Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) is a state of matter discovered by Sir Satyendra Nath Bose and Albert Einstein in 1925. It’s a state consisting of a very dilute gas of atoms or subatomic particles which are bosons. A BEC abides by a set of three laws mainly: They follow Bose-Einstein Statistics, have integer Quantum spin and occupy the same quantum state. The main highlight of BEC is when it is cooled to ultralow temperatures all bosons occupy the same quantum state resulting in a macroscopic quantum activity distinguishable and detectable by current tech.  

The new 3D collimation technique begins by inducing a collective mode oscillation in the BEC due to atomic interactions (top). The BEC is released once it has collapsed around its axis (right), leading to a reduced expansion along that same axis (red arrows). To reduce the expansion in the other two dimensions, a cylindrical magnetic lens (qualitatively shown in green) is applied after 80 ms when the interaction energy has been converted into kinetic energy. Full 3D collimation is observed after free fall via absorption imaging of the BEC (bottom). For comparison, 2D collimation (no induced oscillations but only magnetic lens) is shown on the left. Credit: APS/ Alan Stone Braker

The prepared BEC matter waves were allowed to perform a free fall in the 110-meter Bremen Drop tower for around 2 seconds. Between this period, they recorded the time evolution growth via absorption imaging and found out that without any lensing the BEC expanded through a random thermal motion to become too dilute to be detected after 1.6s. However, when the team collimated the BEC, the extrapolated results showed clear signs of slow expansion and detection for approx. 17s before it became diluted.

All they needed was a powerful matter-wave lens system to exploit the interaction of BEC and focus the atoms at infinity. With the BEC suspended in the cylindrical magnetic trap formed on a microchip, the researchers reduced the trap magnetic bias field i.e., released the force of the magnetic field along one direction.[4]

So, the BEC began to flatten along the waist and lengthen on one axis. They applied a magnetic lens of cylindrical geometry that twisted the trajectory of atoms inward along two radial directions along with collective mode excitation of BEC and by releasing the BEC at the time of maximum slimming, the applied magnetic lensing collimated the atomic motion in other two dimensions. In their deed, they achieved the unprecedented low temperature of 38 pK by an innovative matter-wave lens system in the time domain.[5]

Interaction-based time-domain matter-wave lens system. BEC created on an atom chip, is released and then either freely drifting or briefly exposed to a magnetic lensing potential. Absorption images from two different directions provide full 3D information of the BEC’s position and spatial distribution. Credit: Journals/APS.

The Ultra-Cool Future

After reading through much more speculating, every scientist thought that at Absolute Zero, all translative and vibration motion will cease to exist and atoms would freeze to their very core. This was a clear conundrum that hinted at an “Illusion of Time Control.” Was this impeccable modus to restraint the flow of time?! Perhaps not. In fact, the system possesses something called “Zero-Point Energy, which leads to quantum fluctuations as a consequence of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle. Thus, the general belief of controlling time wasn’t and wouldn’t ever be available to mankind in its rarest observance.

The new possibility to control and engineer the BEC shape and expansion may unlock new potential for fundamental as well as quantum physics. The ability to control such a state can enable high-precision gravitational wave detection, an accurate measurement of Gravitational Constant- ‘G’, tidal force of gravity, search for Ultralight Dark Matter, and most importantly the quantum verification of Einstein’s Equivalence principle.

The constraints of science have always been the source of acrid disappointment when people conjectured something from science that it was impotent to proffer.

Karl Jespers

References

  1. Powell, C. S. (2018, November 29). What is absolute zero? NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/what-absolute-zero-ncna936581
  2.  “The Nobel Prize in Physics 1913: Heike Kamerlingh Onnes”. Nobel Media AB. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  3.  “MIT team creates ultracold molecules”Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, Cambridge. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  4. Pritchard, D. E. (1983). Cooling Neutral Atoms in a Magnetic Trap for Precision Spectroscopy. Physical Review Letters, 51(15), 1336–1339. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.51.1336
  5. Deppner, C., Herr, W., Cornelius, M., Stromberger, P., Sternke, T., Grzeschik, C., Grote, A., Rudolph, J., Herrmann, S., Krutzik, M., Wenzlawski, A., Corgier, R., Charron, E., Guéry-Odelin, D., Gaaloul, N., Lämmerzahl, C., Peters, A., Windpassinger, P., & Rasel, E. M. (2021). Collective-Mode Enhanced Matter-Wave Optics. Physical Review Letters, 127(10). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.127.100401

COP26 Glasgow: India ‘with’ or ‘against’ the global scenario?

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Globally, every developed and developing nation is planning for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, known to be COP26 which is to be held in Glasgow, United Kingdom from 31st October till 12th November. While most eyes will be on most contributors to climate change, the developed nations; India will also be a point of attraction. Major issues to be discussed at the summit will be Greenflation, climate fair share, climate ambition, climate finance, loss and damage leverage, and carbon market. The 15-member Indian delegation will consist of an inter-ministerial team with officials from New and Renewable Energy, Power, Earth Sciences, Agriculture and Finance ministries.

India and COP26
India and COP26 (Source: The Hindu)

Well. Well. Lots to discuss. But India has different plans. Reportedly, India will stick to its stand and its main contention would be revolving around the transfer of technology and climate finance from developed to developing nations. While highlighting India’s strong position, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla quoted, “We are perhaps the only G20 country to have fulfilled our NDCs and outperformed them,” at Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) meeting.

The Global Grid Declaration: Truly Ambitious

While Shringla committed strong position, one of the major projects that India could put forward is Global Grid Declaration. It is likely that it gets accepted at Glasgow COP26, said International Solar Alliance (ISA) Director General, Ajay Mathur. India will strongly put forward its plans for declaration of One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) and thus implementing it to transfer solar power generated in one region as a feed to others.

(Source: Twitter)

This global green plan to be discussed in COP26 is a $1 Trillion investment roadmap for 2030, and blended risk mitigation is likely to be there. OSOWOG is a novel declaration, and will allow earth-lings to use solar power, even when the sun is not shining. Taking the centre-stage, India will plan towards Green-Grid Initiative (GGI) under OSOWOG. This can potentially make technical, financial and research co-operation helping cross-country renewable transfer projects.

Coal: Will it be a Mysterious Controversy?

Although most of the world moving towards green energy production and sustainable alternatives, India is still fighting. Phasing out fossil fuels is what India is has been lobbying against the UN. India is aiming to meet its goals for renewables and nuclear energy to account for 40% of its installed electricity capacity by 2030, or may be early. Climate Action Tracker (CAT) estimate that the emissions in India will fall 50% below 2005 levels and can pass avowed target of 35%. But, the race to net-zero is still a question and India need to define the path.

While China has flattened its needs for fossil fuel consumption and coal demands, it is now on the shoulders of Indian policy makers to pledge on the future of coal and fossil fuels.

Why should only India Pay?

There is no denying that developed nations have a bigger contribution to environmental damage and climate crisis. Its resulting calamities have taken place in developing nations and especially in island-countries. A senior official at Environmental Ministry clearly quoted that, “We believe in the polluters-pay principle, and that will be our stand at COP26 – that developed countries, which have historically contributed to most emissions that have led to the temperature rise and climate change, take the responsibility of assisting developing nations financially by putting a compensation mechanism in place.”

Nations and their how far they are from their targets
Nations and their how far they are from their targets (Source: Climate Action Tracker)

India will strongly put forward this thought and mention that developed nations, pressurizing developing nations should first show us their targets, which being achieved. And secondly, the $100 Billion commitment they had made annually, should be disbursed. Developing nations like India are already doing their best in what they can do. India’s annual per capita carbon emission is at 1.96 tonnes, compared to that of China’s 8.4 tonnes and USA’s 18.6 and EU’s 7.16.

India will be at hit, as it is the only one of the 10 largest economies to refuse the pledge to eliminate emissions, indirectly. Still, India can showcase its potential for sprawling build-out of renewables backed by a firm goal to quadruple its capacity by 2030.

Whether India be ‘with’ or ‘against ‘the global scenario, it will be a huge factor for it, both economically and strategically.

Greenflation: Rising Inflation threatens the sustainable society

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Gas price skyrockets, huge power cuts, lesser power generation, coal deficit, etc. etc. These serious causes are having significant implications on business, governments and central banks. While moving with full-throttle towards sustainability, and net-zero policies; we have actually left behind one of the most crucial consequences – inflation. This inflation, rising from transition of an economy to a sustainable/green economy is termed as ‘Greenflation’.

Greenflation
Change in mineral demand from energy technologies 
through 2050 (compared to October 2021, %)
Change in mineral demand from energy technologies
through 2050 (compared to October 2021, %)
(Source: NatWest)

Globally, everyone is facing an emerging paradox amidst their transition. The more they push towards greener future, the harder the things are getting to achieve them. Campaign becomes more expensive and resources, apparently exhaust rapidly. And the cherry on the cake was the Covid-19 pandemic. The glitches in supply-chain and fund management being affected, new policies and rules have even made it harder for a greener transition.

Different Scenarios & Greenflation

On world level, whether it be developed or developing nation, each of them are trying to beat the Greenflation scenario and transit to cleaner economy as early as they can. The European Union (EU) recently lifted the cost of emitting carbon for transportation and manufacturing industries. Moreover, it ditched the sales of conventional gasoline powered cars and slapped carbon levies on trade partners with tighter regulation policies.

Notably, sustainability really hit EU hard. Speed of wind played a key role in post-pandemic situation. German and EU energy demands were increased, while due to low wind speeds, there have been significantly less power generation. And ultimately, less environment friendly, COAL had to be kept in action…

Greenflation
Electric cars use far more minerals than 
conventional cars (kg per car)
Electric cars use far more minerals than
conventional cars (kg per car)
(Source: NatWest)

Meanwhile, demand for gas (LNG) increased immensely as there was a decline in coal suppliers in 2021. As a result, electricity prices were hiked and skyrocketed. Even then, there were frequent power cuts across entire summer and these all resulted into China driving LNG prices in whole of Asia.

Price of copper has rose more than 70% over the past 3 years, to a record high of $10,724 and currently elevated at about $9000. Similarities in prices of palladium and nickel can be observed. And importantly, these are some of the crucial ingredients on chip manufacturing and largely used in automobile industries. Well, on this note where we are speculating things, one more is there. Currently, we use primary metals in the production of an EV battery, which can reduce emissions by only a quarter. If we recycle rather than digging new, it can reduce emissions by about 80%. Remember, we are speculating!

Risk. Economy. Greenflation. Future

To be honest, renewable and sustainable technologies require more wiring than fossil fuels do. Green technologies like wind turbines and electric vehicle batteries require higher amounts of certain materials (copper, aluminium, lithium), which increases demand when investments in traditional mining could be limited (due partly to the globalisation of ESG policy).

Policymakers and Governments need to think
 on Greenflation and its consequences
Policymakers and Governments need to think
on Greenflation and its consequences
(Source: Garrigues)

One way to better understand the impact of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) on prices in a sustained way is to look at how minerals needed for green technologies perform against a broader basket of commodities. As, businesses, governments, and markets double-down on ESG, one would expect the price of minerals needed for green technologies – everything from wind turbines & solar panels to electric vehicles – to come under pressure and command a premium.

Take Tesla for instance. Yes, the Elon Musk company. Its dominance in US market provides decent proxy for EVs. On an average Tesla price have increased by over 6.3% compared to 5% seen in new cars during the same period. Higher mineral prices and perhaps stronger demand may have resulted in higher inflation for EVs, though the differential doesn’t seem that significant in the context of much higher mineral prices.

Higher Inflation for Broader economy? Is Greenflation Permanent?

The fear for Greenflation is compounding. While the world is emerging from the pandemic period, many economists have speculated that high inflation rates will be less temporary than most central bankers have planned. It is clear that transition from fossil fuels is going to be messier than we think. Policymakers and governments need to make unpopular and harsh choices, that most are desperate to avoid. People will be forced or will be needing to change their lifestyles, significantly.

This all will evolve huge and steady additional costs that nations are not willing and will be unable to bear. They will be juggling between times when there will be unprecedented amounts of debt, lesser tax revenues and endless competing claims on hard-pressed budgets.

Waste Plastics converted to High-Value Materials and Fuel: Green Future Ahead!

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Plastics boast a unique and valuable set of qualities. They are polymers, long chains of molecules made from reappearing smaller chains called monomers, oftentimes manufactured from synthetics like petroleum. Its molecular composition can be manipulated to avail diverse characteristics—to be flexible or hard, translucent or opaque.

They are long-lasting, sturdy, lightweight, water-resistant, and comparatively easy and inexpensive to produce. Most common plastics are produced from fossil fuels like natural gas or oil; with new technologies, plastics are also being made from renewable substances like corn or cotton. There are thousands of registered plastic varieties spanning numerous sectors, all with novel characteristics that render them suitable for the design.

Recycling Plastics is not as Effective

Plastics recycling plant in the UK featuring huge machinery.
A PET Bottle Recycling machinery engaged in processing single-use plastics. Credit: Bezner

Lately, the means of recycling and retrieval of consumed plastics are being promoted despite the present extensive incineration and landfilling methods due to their high energy value. However, the pace of global recycling and recovery is although not quite high, and it varies over different geographic regions.

Recycling facilitates the replacement of raw supplies with post-consumer stuff, which would otherwise be collected from more limited natural sources, such as metals or petroleum, in cases of both feedstock materials and input fuels. Therefore, recycling is one of the common practices in the waste management hierarchy. However, the pace of global recycling is however not as high as it would be economically and environmentally beneficial, and it differs in distinct geographical regions.

Japan has the most crucial recycling percentage (78%, 2011), tailgated by EU, (59%, 2011) and China (48%, 2011), while U.S. has the most inferior recycling scale (EPA 8%, 2011). Thermal recycling (energy recovery) and power-driven recycling are the prevailing methods now, while chemical (feedstock) recycling is significantly employed only in limited countries (areas), such as in Japan.

Advanced Upcycling Solutions for Plastics Waste Management

The processes involved herein will then be termed the “upcycling” process, as the quality/value of the final products is upgraded, and there are studies and reviews on related topics, such as upcycling plastics into chemicals for monomer feedstock. Due to the fact that carbon is the dominant component of plastics, waste plastics can consequently provide a carbon source for carbon-based value-added products.

Such products include but are not limited to light hydrocarbons. Carbon black/activated carbon, carbon fibres, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene are other products that can be obtained by processing waste. Now, there are multiple applications of graphite and carbon black at an annual production rate surpassing 1 million tons.

Meanwhile, there are specific carbon allotropes being recognised as advanced materials, as they hold novel characteristics, in nanoscale, pointing to modern uses with diverse applications. Examples of these carbon allotropes incorporate but are not restricted to nanodiamond, fullerene, carbon onion, carbon nanotubes, and graphene.

Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) using Plastics Waste as Feedstock

A single-walled Carbon nanotube has to be synthesised using waste plastic as feedstock.
A single-walled Carbon nanotube has to be synthesised using waste plastic as feedstock. Image: Phys.org

CNTs consist of coaxial tubular graphene sheets, with dimensions in the order of micrometres (1 × 10−6 m) and widths in the order of nanometers (1 × 10−9 m). Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been investigated for more than 20 years since being published by Ijima.

 The appealing properties of CNT fall essentially in four categories: (i) Electrical: semiconducting or metallic response, 100 times more conductive than copper. (ii) Mechanical: very unusual tensile strength (100 times higher than steel). (iii) Thermal: unusual thermic stability and thermal conductivity. (iv) Chemical: chemically inactive while affinitive with chemical/biological functional groups.

The concept of synthesizing CNTs using solid polymers was first published about 16 years ago. Since then there have been copious attempts to additional advancing such a low-cost CNT synthesis run. Obligation has been made with considerations to types of plastics, transformation processes, growth requirements, catalysts, and sizes and qualities of the resulting CNTs.

Several methods have also been investigated for such transformations, and there is one review article covering this topic. Nonetheless, that job examined methods based on the reactors models alone (autoclave, the crucible, fix bed (tube furnace, muffle furnace), moving bed, fluidized bed, etc.).

Conversions may be classified into two categories: (1) One-pot conversion where synthesis of CNTs occurs upon the in situ formation of carbon feedstocks from the solid plastic waste. (2) Stepwise conversion where synthesis of CNTs occurs after the formation of carbon feedstocks from the solid plastic waste.

This one-pot synthesis features simultaneous plastic degeneration and the CNT synthesis, and efforts have been made to expose how it moves. Jiang proposed a possible reaction mechanism, using PP as the sample feedstock with nickel-based catalysts. With the presence of catalysts, plastics are degraded (decomposed), by active intermediates of carbenium ions, but not free radicals which play a major role in the noncatalytic thermal decomposition of plastics. It is suggested that the resulting “free carbons” from catalytic pyrolysis of plastics will then dissolve into the catalyst, diffuse through and then precipitate at its surface to form CNTs.

Plastics waste converted to nanotubes and microchains.
Transmission electron microscope images showing micro chains and nanotubes obtained from plastics through CVD. Image: Review

Clean Fuel for Sustainable Future from Plastics Waste

The current method begins with turning agricultural or organic waste into biochar — a carbon-rich class of charcoal frequently used for enhancing soil health. The biochar is utilised to eradicate lethal contaminants — such as Poly-cyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, known as PAHs — as the waste plastic is splintered down into its segments of gas and oil. The method excludes those contaminants and turns plastics into high-quality liquid fuel.

At the very moment, the carbon in the plastic is transformed into carbon nanotubes, which cover the biochar. These nanotubes can be peeled for use by various industries or the nano-enhanced biochar can be utilised undeviatingly for environmental remediation and boosting agricultural clays. The research is the first to employ low-cost and extensively obtainable biochar as a catalyst for producing contaminant-free fuel and carbon nanomaterials from plastic.

Plastics waste conversion to nanomaterials and clean fuel.
The image depicts how waste can be transformed into high-value end products through various cycles and methods. Image: Review

Future Prospects

The underdeveloped and developing countries are generating a huge amount of plastic wastes, which are poorly maintained due to the absence of proper administration systems and information. Additionally, these nations have an ample quantity of biomass resources, which are normally flared for energy purposes, driving environmental discharges.

Consequently, the current strategy can be executed in the underdeveloped and developing nations for supporting the economics of waste plastics by rebuilding its life as a highly-priced CNT material and oil using biomass-derived biochar catalysts.

More importantly, in the eventuality, this method can be used to treat municipal solid waste (MSW) as shown. The organic fraction of the municipal solid waste can be used to produce biochar and segregated plastics waste can be pyrolysed and passed through CVD reactor to produce CNTs and high-quality oil with biochar as a catalyst. With the effective combination, the process can be a net power generator.

Animes to Watch Out in Fall 2021

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With the end of Summer 2021 Season, which gave us quite many hit shows like Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon S, Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken 2nd Season Part 2 and Bokutachi no Remake to name a few of the massive hits. This Fall 2021 we got a lot of amazing shows with some of them could be the main highlights of this season. Also without doubt the most anticipated shows for this season will be Komi Can’t Communicate and the second season of Mushoku Tensei.

Sequels to watch out this Fall 2021

1. Mushoku Tensei Season 2

Mushoku Tensei Season 2
  • Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Ecchi
  • Studio: Studio Bind
  • Airing Date: Oct 4, 2021

The show is highly anticipated as it will continue from the major cliffhanger that the left off in Season 1, where Rudeus and the other two arrive in the coastal city, it is expected that Rudy may finally get a chance to meet Sylphiette as well as the empress of the Demon continent. While all of this is going on Roxy is aware of the situation with Paul’s family and will likely join up with Rudeus and the company to rescue the remaining members of the Greyrat family.

2. 86 Season 2

86 Season 2
  • Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
  • Studio: A1-Pictures
  • Airing Date: Oct 3, 2021

86 is back after its first season that premiered this past April. Season 1 introduced the audiences to the warring factions of the Republic of San Magnolia and the Empire of Giad through the perspective of Lena, an aspiring major in the San Magnolia who uncovers an unnerving secret at the heart of the conflict. The anime’s upcoming second season will delve even further into the plight of the mysterious population of people known as the “86s.”

New Releases worth watching out this Fall 2021

1. Komi-san wa, Comyushou desu.

Fall anime Komi-san
  • Genre: Comedy, School, Shounen, Slice of Life
  • Studio: OLM
  • Airing Date: Oct 7, 2021

This is by far the most anticipated show of this season as many await the anime adaptation of the most popular Rom-Com manga series Komi-san Can’t Communicate by mangaka Tomohito Oda

The anime follows Shouko Komi, a teenage girl who is terrible at communicating with others. Although she is seen as a beauty and considered as the Madonna of her highschool, she has no friends due to her social anxiety. But then after an accidental meeting with Hitohito Tadano, an average highschool boy and who sits next to her,  Komi-san makes a promise with him to make 100 friends so that she can overcome her communication disorder.

2. Platinum End

  • Genre: Drama, Psychological, Shounen, Supernatural
  • Studio: Signal.MD
  • Airing Date: Oct 8, 2021

The anime follows Mirai Kakehashi, a student who attempts sucide only to be saved by his guardian angel, Nasse. After saving him, Nasse tells Kakehashi that he’s one of 13 candidates chosen by different angels to take the role of God, who is supposed to retire in 999 days. Kakehashi doesn’t want to participate in the contest to become God, but that won’t stop the other candidates from giving it their all to become God

3. Blue Period

  • Genre: Drama, School, Seinen, Slice of Life
  • Studio: Seven Arcs
  • Airing Date: Sept 25, 2021

Blue Period follows Yatora Yaguchi, a second-year high school student who is bored of life. He studies well and plays around with his delinquent friends but doesn’t seem to enjoy either of them and envies people that have things to do. However, everything changes when he sees a painting made by a member of the Art Club, Yatora becomes fascinated with the colours used in it, after which he tries to convey his thoughts and feelings without words but instead through painting.

After that experience, Yatora finds himself so invested in art that he decides that it is what he wants to do for a living. But there stand multiple obstacles in his way: his parents who are hesitant over his unique choices, his more experienced peers, and the study of a subject much deeper than he initially expected.

4. Mieruko-chan

  • Genre: Comedy, Horror, Supernatural
  • Studio: Passione
  • Airing Date: Oct 3, 2021

Mieruko-chan follows the story of Miko, a highschool girl whose life turns upside down when she starts seeing gruesome and hideous monsters. Despite being completely terrified, Miko carries on with her daily life, pretending not to notice the horrors that surround her. She must endure the fear in order to keep herself and her friend Hana out of danger, even if that means coming face to face with the worst. Blending both comedy and horror,the story is about a girl who tries to deal with the paranormal by acting indifferent toward it.

5. Takt Op. Destiny

  • Genre: Action, Fantasy, Music
  • Studio: Madhouse & MAPPA
  • Airing Date: Oct 6, 2021

This is a new anime original by Madhouse & MAPPA whose story is based in a world where music is banned after it was hit by a meteorite and which produces some grotesque monsters called D2, which start running rampant. D2 bans all music which is the only thing that can overcome them.  A number of young women with “Musicart” powers and their “Conductors” have become resistance fighters.

The anime takes place in America in the year 2047, which has fallen to ruin thanks to the D2. Takt, a Conductor, is partnered with a Musicart named Unmei. Takt yeans for music to be returned to the world, and Unmei wishes to destroy the D2. Their aim is to travel to New York.

6. Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party wo Oidasareta node, Henkyou de Slow Life suru Koto ni Shimashita

  • Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Slice of Life
  • Studio: Studio Flad & Wolfsbane
  • Airing Date: Oct 6, 2021

The anime follows Red, a member of the Hero’s party, a powerful group destined to save the world from the evil forces of Taraxon, the Raging Demon Lord. That is, until one of his comrades kicked him out. Hoping to live the easy life on the frontier, Red’s new goal is to open an apothecary. However, keeping the secret of his former life may not be as simple as he thinks. Especially when the beautiful Rit, an adventurer from his past, shows up and asks to move in with him!

7. Saihate no Paladin

  • Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
  • Studio: Children’s Playground Entertainment
  • Airing Date: Oct 9, 2021

The anime takes place in the city of the undead where Will, the only human there, is raised by three undead who raise him with love and teach him all they know. But Will must unravel the mysteries of this faraway dead man’s land, and unearth the secret pasts of the undead. He must learn the love and mercy of the good gods, and the bigotry and madness of the bad. And when he knows it all, the boy will take his first step on the path to becoming a Paladin.

8. Heike Monogatari (The Heike Story)

  • Genre: Historical
  • Studio: Science SARU
  • Airing Date:  Sept 16, 2021

The anime shows the war’s events through the perspective of Biwa, a young girl who makes a living as a traveling musician. Though blind, Biwa is gifted with the ability to see the future. She meets Taira no Shigemori, one of the patriarchs of the powerful Taira family, and tells him about a prophecy that may change the future of his clan.

9. Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi (My Senpai is Annoying)

  • Genre: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life
  • Studio: Doga Kobo
  • Airing Date: Oct 10, 2021

The anime follows Igarashi Futaba who doesn’t find her new job great as her senpai Takeda Harumi is as the title says is very annoying. She hates his laugh, how big he is and how he treats her like a child. But even though she is short and looks young doesn’t make her a kid, or that she spends so much time with Takeda doesn’t mean she sees him as an annoying senpai…or does she?!

Fall 2021 Fall 2021 Fall 2021 Fall 2021 Fall 2021 Fall 2021 Fall 2021 Fall 2021 Fall 2021 Fall 2021 Fall 2021 Fall 2021

Time Crystals: Disruptive New State of Matter Discovered by Google

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“Here we implement a continuous family of tunable CPHASE gates on an array of superconducting qubits to experimentally observe an eigenstate-ordered Discrete Time Crystals (DTCs)”.

These are the exact lines from the pre-print posted in July by Google’s AI and Quantum research team working with number of scientists from Stanford, MIT, Max-Planck Institute and other leading institutes around the globe. In simple words, Google and research collaborators may just have created a completely new state of matter; Time Crystal. This was created for roughly 100 seconds (may seem less, but it’s a major breakthrough) inside the core of Google’s Sycamore quantum processor.

Sounds like some majestic spell from a fantasy world, right? Well, it surely has ability to disrupt things dramatically and drastically. And one of the most obvious applications are in Quantum Computing and AI.

But what are Time Crystals?

Most of us know that entropy (randomness) of this universe always increases, which is firmly defined by second law of thermodynamics. This means that if you want to make things in more orderly manner, you need to put more energy to it. Which is why, universe in past is more ordered than universe in present!

randomness and chaotic universe 
time crystal
Randomness and the chaotic universe
(Source: BrooklynVegan)

Time crystal do not follow this rule. Generally, systems tend to lower their energy or temperature to attain thermal equilibrium. But Time crystals, they get stuck between two energy states above equilibrium and cycles back and forth indefinitely. They are made of atoms arranged in space in a repeating way. And this specific design allows them to shift shape over time without losing energy. So, essentially it also violates the Newton’s first law of motion dealing with inertia. And thus, Time crystal act as superconducting materials which could conduct direct current electricity without any energy loss.

Weirdness of Time Crystals

As simple this sounds, that complicated the behaviour actually is. Consider a sealed box full of coins. Now this box is shaken over a million times ad as the coins hit surface and back, they become more and more chaotic, moving through all sorts of configurations possible. When the box is opened to reveal coins in random configuration, roughly half face up and half down.

Now, inside the Google’s Sycamore resembling to the ‘box’; quantum qubits can be compared with coins. Heads and tails position become 1 and 0 of binary system and infinite possibilities between 0 and 1 called superposition. “What’s weird about time crystals is that, no amount of shaking, or zapping from one state to another, can move the time crystal’s qubits into the lowest energy state, which is a random configuration; they can only flip it from its starting state to its second state, then back again,” von Keyserlingk says. Curt von Keyserlingk is a physicist at the University of Birmingham in the U.K. 

time crystals: inside the core of Google’s Sycamore quantum processor.
Inside the core of Google’s Sycamore

Therefore, someone will call you a fool if you say large-scale object can behave as a time crystal. This sounds absurd, as the only rules that can enable this to exist are – Quantum Mechanics.

How Time Crystals Came at Google?

  • 20 strips of superconducting aluminium for qubits, programmed into one of each possible state.
  • Qubits driven to flip states by blasting a microwave beam over the strips.
  • 10s and 1000s of runs were made at recordings were taken at specific intervals.
  • Some qubits flipped back and forth between 2 configurations and didn’t absorbed heat either

Voila! Time Crystal made in 4 steps…

recipe for a time crystal
(Source: Quanta Magazine)
  • At around 180 degrees qubits flipped between states and fluctuations were noticeably stable
  • A continuous symmetry between al moments in time is achieved by qubits before transforming
  • Microwave beam chops symmetry to discrete packs
  • Flip with twice the period of wavelength of beam and qubits break with discrete time-translation symmetry, first objects to do this.
  • Certainly, this fits the definition of ‘phase’ and a key clue obtained that

Time Crystals are phase of matter.

Thus, if time crystals are introduced to Schrödinger’s Cat scenario, radioactive atoms would decay and not decay, kill the cat and not kill, back and forth a million times over without utilizing any energy! Well, sorry cat.

The vivid and beaming future of Time Crystals

Time crystals are the next big thing of the quantum realm. One thing that was obstructing the quantum computing to reach its boundaries were Time crystals. Richard Feynman himself mentioned in his 1982 research paper that they could be used to simulate particles of any imaginable quantum state. Although it is unclear whether a Floquet Time crystal like this have actually a practical use, but stability of this level is still promising.

Qubits can have numerous possibilities in quantum computing, and time crystals can have even more. They are stable, yet pulsating at interesting intervals which might help scientists to study repeating patterns or random numbers and can have similar implications in natural sciences.  

time crystals

The results of this research potentially demonstrated a possibility of engineering and characterizing non-equilibrium phases of matter on a quantum processor. This can provide a direct experimental observation of an eigenstate-ordered many-body localized discrete Time crystals. The efficient verification of eigenstate order can inspire a general strategy for establishing whether a desired property, such as a particular phase, is in fact present in a quantum processor.

The discovery of Time crystals has opened up n-number of possibilities for exploration of the exotic and unnaturalized forms of matter which can be existent in the universe and beyond. Taking human- kind forward into quantum realm, Einstein’s idea of space-time and unidirectional time can be completely re-thinked!

Iron Air Battery: Meet The Tech of The Past That Can Save The Future

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In Feb 2021, the state of Texas suffered the most expensive Blackouts in history, which came as a result of three winter storms sweeping the US. The storm caused a massive electricity grid failure leading to an estimated loss of $20.4 billion.
In 2002, Texas decided to isolate its power grid from two major national grids in a bid to reduce electricity costs. In 2011, a report was released by US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that warned the state about the potential power plant failure. At the peak of demand, 5 million people were left with electricity for over 3 days. The majority of lost power generation was from natural gas resources and coal.

Satellite images of Houston before and after the storm. [Source- Wikipedia]
The dark patches in this image depict the areas left without electricity. [Source- Wikipedia]

Though Wind energy and Solar accounted for only 28% of the grid power, it could have been enough to prevent the blow faced by the state. That excess power generated could not be harnessed, simply because it couldn’t be stored.

There’s no doubt that since the last decade as opposed to the claims made by various analysts “Solar Power” became the most financially feasible option for the civilization. The last decade saw an enormous drop in prices of Solar and Wind power partly because of the subsidies provided by the government and various initiatives taken by the environmentalists. Thus, when the road to renewables seems to be lush green, it looks like there’s a bump in the road.

Solar and wind prices hit the lowest in history than predicted. [Source- Bloomberg]

Addressing the Road Block

Arguably, one of the biggest challenges we face today is Energy Storage. [Read: How far are we actually from renewables?] Electricity generation is at an all-time high. We have Renewables joined the race along with nuclear and existing thermal power plants. Governments across the world are pushing towards a 100% renewable future with proposed roadmaps by 2050. Yet with an 80% renewable grid, you need efficiency but most of all you need reliability.

Form Energy, the battery startup complimenting the renewables. [Source- Business Insider]

The industry needs a plan to store excess energy and make it available when the demand rises. The battery industry till now heavily relied on the strongest contender Lithium Ion. What Lithium Ion lacked was the storage capacity which was limited to only 4 hours. Though highly efficient with >1000 discharge cycles, this wasn’t a solution everyone was looking for! Then in 2017, a very secretive Jeff Bezos funded start-up “Form Energy” unveiled the tech behind its miraculous invention- “Iron Air Battery.”

Blast from the Past

Apologize for making you jolt between past and present, but that’s how you learn to build a better future!
Back in the ’70s, the Cosmo Giant NASA along with many others were seen working on Iron air Battery prototypes. Iron air was not something entirely new in itself and its chemistry quite simple, with many papers outlining the efficiency of the chemistry, but it didn’t align with applications that they had in mind leaving the vast field unexplored. Thus, Lithium Ion was born.

Iron air battery assessment report 1988.
Iron air battery assessment report 1988. [Source- Osti.gov]

Then in 2016, Mateo Jaramillo, one of the leading managers of the Stationary energy storage project at Tesla started looking for a new challenge to tackle. He thought about the term Long-Duration Storage and landed on the conclusion that we needed a system to hold energy not on the scale of few hours but few days or even a whole week. He left Tesla and began to meet different pioneers in the energy sector. Initially receiving funding from Billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy ventures‘, Mateo formed a company called “Form Energy.”

The R.A.C.E to Iron Air

The team didn’t have a solution at hand but they knew the criterion and structured their approach around it. They knew that the best solution was going to be an Electrochemical one. Therefore, Marco another Co-Founder designed a techno-economic model for various elements as Active material contenders. The team ran the process for around a year and termed the mnemonic as ‘R.A.C.E.’

The R.A.C.E model short for Architecture (R-chitecture, cause we like to misspell 😅), Anode, Cathode, and Electrolyte ran hundreds of thousands of simulations. And, finally, they had a winner “Iron.” The material Iron’s abundance, its non-toxicity, and past research compelled the team to select that as their active material.

Form’s Iron Air Battery working model simplified. [Source- Inceptive Mind]

At the heart, the process was quite simple to rust and unrust fine iron particles. The main battery comprises three important parts- an anode, cathode, and electrolyte. The fine iron makes up the anode while the air-breathing electrode becomes the cathode. Both the electrodes are submerged in an electrolyte. The process starts with the conversion of iron into iron hydroxide releasing electrons. Further, iron hydroxide is oxidized to ferric oxide releasing more electrons in the process. The iron starts depositing in the form of rust at the cathode. During the discharge cycles, the rust is decomposed by electrical currents into iron and oxygen ultimately enriching the battery again.

Future of Iron Air Battery

Part of the beauty of Form’s battery lies in the simplicity of the tech. However, the most astonishing thing is the cost factor of the battery. Iron and Air are the most abundant materials available on earth, so the active material to build up the battery costs around $6/kWh, and the whole charade’s cost comes down to $20/kWh. Form’s latest assessment or techno-economic survey puts their batteries cost as low as 1/10th the costs of Lithium units. Iron air battery can last up to 10000 charge cycles as opposed to Lithium Ion’s 3000 cycles. And the storage specs put it around 150 hours of Energy capacity, which is a whopping 6 days of storage.

Conceptual rendering of Form Energy’s Storage site. [Source- rechargenews]

And the best part is we don’t have to wait longer. Form Energy is already in the process to build grid-scale power plants with a fully functional demonstration plant scheduled for 2023 and public commercialization aimed at 2025. Its mission is to make renewable grids secure and reliable. The need to detach from fossil fuels is our current priority, though renewables alone wouldn’t help us but technologies like these guarantee that mankind won’t ever give up on a solution.

The road to renewables is finally being paved with concrete innovations like these that assure us a Carbon-Neutral grid in near future. But “Form’s Iron air battery isn’t here to compete with Lithium Ion and other techs,” says Mateo in a podcast called Interchange, “[but] it’s here to complement them.” We as humans never rely on a single plan anytime, just like that Power Grid can’t have one Energy storage solution dominating the grid but a sweet combination of technologies that will ensure power whenever you need it. This is not something in the “Would be Nice category” but rather in the “Must have category.”

“The Future is not going to be a Mirror of the Past but the Reflection of the Decisions we make in the Present.”

-RDX

The Proton Spin Crisis – Where does the spin of proton come from?

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What if you wake up one day and find out that you were not any human but a mere butterfly, who instead of fluttering around with glee dozed off into a deep sleep and dreamt about being a human? The shock and sorrow you feel would be immeasurable. You might even go to a nectary and drown your sorrows in a desperate attempt to make yourself happy.

I did go overboard, but there are such times in physics too. Funny times, when people reach the pinnacle of understanding of the universe, declare that everything is now understood, only to get laughed at by the universe, who still has many tricks under its sleeve, and get pushed down a deep pothole of despair they can never recover from. Well, in the 1980s, it was the turn of the proton to pull the carpet from under the physicists’ feet, causing them to roll downhill in the understanding of the exact mechanism of the grand construct called the universe.

The Proton…

Democritus of the 4th century BCE lived a peaceful life, and so did everyone before Rutherford of the 20th century AD. Rutherford gave his nuclear model of the atom, dividing the indivisible ‘atomos’ into a positive nucleus and negative electrons. The protons, along with neutrons, form the positive nucleus of the atom. For several years these protons were believed to be elementary, i.e. indivisible. The proton, just like other particles, had a mass, charge (+e) and also a spin ½. 

atomic model | Science | ShowMe
The Rutherford model of the atom – The atom was like a solar system with the nucleus like the sun and electrons like the planets
[Image: ShowMe]

Enter Gell-Mann, the indivisible protons were no more indivisible but were now made of weirder particles called quarks. 

Quarks are weird. They carry a fractional electric charge (Millikan, if he were alive then, would have screamed in horror, since he had shown that electric charge is always integral), a half-integral spin and are so fond of each other that it is physically impossible to isolate a quark (the property is called quark confinement). 

Lattice QCD, the numerical approach to the strong force | Instituto de  Física Corpuscular
Trying to separate two quarks require such a huge amount of energy that it results in the production of a quark-antiquark pair, forming two diquark systems. This is what is called quark confinement.
[Image:IFIC]

The quark model of the proton states that the proton is made of three quarks, two of the type u and one of type d. The u type has a charge of ⅔ e and d has charge -⅓ e, resulting in a net charge of ⅔+⅔-⅓ = 1 of the proton. These quarks interact with each other through the strong nuclear force, by exchanging particles called gluons. 

Quark confinement meant that it would never be possible to detect a single quark. It would always be a system of two or more quarks that can be detected. So for some time, the theory of quarks was never an established theory but was only a mere mathematical construct. 

In further years, indirect methods to study the internal structure of the nucleons were devised. Methods like deep inelastic scattering have provided sufficient evidence to show that the charge of the proton is not uniformly distributed, but is concentrated at three points, as expected from the quark model. This established the fact that the proton is made of three point-like quarks. 

Proton - Wikipedia
The structure of the proton, the three quarks interacting via the strong force represented by the strings.
[Image: Wikipedia]

The Proton Spin Crisis…

Let me present some facts here. 
There is the proton with a spin ½.
Then there are quarks with spin ½.

How can we get to the spin of the proton from the spin of the constituent quarks?

In principle, this is straightforward. Take two quarks with spin +½ and one with spin -½. Since spin adds algebraically, you would be left with spin ½+½-½ = ½, which is the spin of the proton. To speak generally, take two quarks with spin pointing in one direction and one pointing in the opposite direction, you should end up with the spin of the proton. Easy right?

In 1988, the Europen Muon Collaboration at CERN ran collision experiments to detect the spins of the constituent quarks of the proton. When they published their results, the entire physics community gasped a breath of shock as the results implied that the spin of the proton was not from the quarks as it was expected. In fact, the calculations showed that the contribution of the quarks’ spin to the proton’s spin could never be more than 24%, i.e. it was not even a quarter of the proton’s spin.

What’s worse, the results showed that contribution could be even as low as 4%, which is practically zero. It was a result that left the world in a state of shock. How could the theory of quantum chromodynamics, which had worked perfectly everywhere else, give a wrong result? This puzzle was termed the proton spin crisis. 

Attempts of resolution…

If it wasn’t from the quarks, then where did the spin come from? This question baffled physicists worldwide. Some even went to the extremes, suggesting abandoning QCD. But some others looked for resolutions in other places. 

The uncertainty principle states that the more precise you know the position of a particle, the fuzzier the momentum becomes. Since the quarks are confined inside the tiny proton, they should have a huge uncertainty in momentum. So they should be moving randomly here and there inside which should give rise to a kind of rotation, contributing to the proton spin. But this orbital term was difficult to observe, so people looked at another candidate – the gluons. 

Measuring the spin contribution of the gluons takes a lot of precision and hence it took about two decades for the data to start surging in. But to the disappointment of everyone, the gluon contribution was not enough to account for the spin of the proton. 

Left: A photo of the PHENIX detector.  Right: An image of particle traces taken from the PHENIX detector
The PHENIX detector at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider has been used to study the gluon’s contribution to the proton spin.
[Image: Physicsworld]

Another possibility would be that of the sea quarks. The inside of the proton is a hub of gluons, and where there are gluons there happens the quark-antiquark pair production. The pairs produced in this manner contribute to a sea of quarks and antiquarks inside the protons and are hence termed sea quarks. And one suggestion is that the missing spin will be accounted for by the sea quarks. But there is no concrete proof yet to confirm this suggestion.

Current Explanation…

Currently, it is thought that the missing spin is accounted for by all the above possibilities – the quark angular momentum, gluon spin and angular momentum and also the sea quarks. But there is no proper resolution of the crisis yet, and people worldwide are still working on the puzzle. The issue with the problem is that QCD is extravagantly difficult to work with. Tackling infinities here and there, analytical solutions to QCD equations is next to impossible. Only numerical approximations like the lattice QCD solutions etc are the available options.

Part of the difficulty arises from the fact that the strong nuclear force, as the name suggests, is a very strong force compared to the other forces of nature. Another factor leading to this difficulty is the fact that gluons interact with each other, unlike the photons which do not interact with other photons, giving rise to really ugly terms in the equations. 

Where does the mass of a proton come from? | by Ethan Siegel | Starts With  A Bang! | Medium
This shows the contribution of the spin contribution of quarks and gluons, and also of the momentary quark-antiquark pairs and provides a much accurate description of what the insides of the proton can be like.
[Image: Medium]

Physics is ingrained with puzzles and crises every here and there, each one of them reminding us of the insignificant role we play in the universe – a role of a mere spectator who can only look at the grandiose of the universe with eyes wide open.