Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
The science world is cracking on, and keeping up with the phenomenal progressions, inventions, and discoveries is a job in itself.
Therefore, we highlight the 3 latest scientific breakthroughs, keeping you knowledgeable without all the research.
Medical Science Advances – COVID-19 Antiviral Pill
As the pandemic wages on, Pfizer is making headway in combatting the virus.
The company recently announced a new COVID-19 pill, which cuts the risk of hospitalisation or death by an impressive 89% when taken within three days of symptom onset.
Elaborating on the revolutionary product, Pfizer states that an antiviral pill, PAXLOVID, was given in a placebo-controlled clinical trial to high-risk people with COVID-19.
According to Pfizer, the pill works by inhibiting an enzyme called a protease, which the virus SARS-CoV-2 needs to keep replicating.
The company explains that at the recommendation of an independent Data Monitoring Committee and in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Pfizer will cease further enrollment into the study due to the overwhelming efficacy demonstrated in these results. Furthermore, the company plans to submit the data as part of its ongoing rolling submission to the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) as soon as possible.
Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Pfizer, explains that this is a real game-changer in the global efforts to halt the devastation of this pandemic.
“These data suggest that our oral antiviral candidate, if approved or authorised by regulatory authorities, has the potential to save patients’ lives, reduce the severity of COVID-19 infections, and eliminate up to nine out of ten hospitalisations.”
As numerous conspiracy theories are circulating around the vaccine, this new medication is set to potentially put people’s minds at ease.
Astronomy – James Webb Space Telescope
For aeons, humankind has toiled over our existence, the universe and life itself. We have questioned the start of it all and how much life is out there?
Come 18 December 2021, following the successful lunch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space telescope, these questions could very well be answered.
As the world’s largest and most complex space science observatory, once operational, Webb will reveal insights about all phases of cosmic history – back to just after the Big Bang. Additionally, Webb will help search for signs of potential habitability among the thousands of exoplanets scientists have discovered in recent years.
The mission is an international collaboration led by NASA, in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies.
Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator, says, “The James Webb Space Telescope is a colossal achievement, built to transform our view of the universe and deliver amazing science.”
He adds that Webb will look back over 13 billion years to the light created just after the big bang, with the power to show humanity the farthest reaches of space never before seen.
“We are now very close to unlocking mysteries of the cosmos, thanks to the skills and expertise of our phenomenal team.”
Environmental Science – Can a digital replica of earth help fight climate change?
The UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) is currently taking place in Glasgow, Scotland. The purpose of the conference is focused on addressing climate change and averting disasters on a global scale.
In fact, the conference is seeing the European Union set on assisting South Africa’s power utility, Eskom, to transition away from coal to combat poisonous emissions.
As world leaders meet to combat the issue, a digital replica of earth could assist scientists with a better model of the earth’s future and find solutions to problems wrought by climate change.
The advanced model, dubbed Digital Twin Earth, is being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and its partners, based on data and images from Earth-observation satellites and sensors on the ground.
To run reliably, the project will require new advanced artificial intelligence algorithms and powerful supercomputers, which are currently being developed.
ESA and its partners have discussed their progress in the run-up to the UN Climate Change Conference COP26.
With the world launching into this mind-blowing new era of science, what do people have to say about these developments?
As a science enthusiast consistently diving into the mysteries of quantum physics, Newcastle Methodist Church’s Reverend Fiona Calverey explains that things are not always clear-cut in science.
For this reason, she enjoys the subject, submerging herself in vast amounts of scientific literature.
When looking at the Big Bang Theory, Rev Calverey refers to the article ” Surprise: The Big Bang isn’t the beginning of the universe anymore. This article was published on 13 October 2021 by BigThink.
Like most accounts in science, the popular Reverend points out that the article highlights that the origin of the Big Bang has its roots in theoretical and experimental/observational realms.
On the theory side, Einstein put forth his general theory of relativity in 1915: a novel hypothesis of gravity that sought to overthrow Newton’s theory of universal gravitation. Although Einstein’s theory was far more intricate and complicated, it wasn’t long before the first exact solutions were found.
This led to even further scientific research, developing on the information laid out by renowned scientists such as Edwin Hubble and Georges Lemaître.
Through research conducted over the years, Rev Calverey highlights that she is in accordance with the findings, that while the Big Bang still happened a long time ago, it wasn’t the beginning we once supposed it to be.
To read the full article on why the Big Bang isn’t the beginning of the universe, click here.
But when looking at the extensive work behind the creation of the antiviral pill, local science buff Emile Janse van Rensburg helps stomp out any conspiracy theories in the making. As he says, people must look at two of science’s building blocks before committing to a decision. That of logic and maths.
“The rest comes from there—as it (science) is the empirical observation of nature. The world does not use empirical view of logic and the natural world as much as it should.”
Additionally, Janse van Rensburg points out that people easily believe irrelevant information because they do not take the time to observe what is in front of them and research a topic from reputable sources. Too often, he says, people believe in a “science” that has no form of factual observation, logic, and math. “Because none of this is currently happening, I think this is why the world is the way it is.”
The science world is a universe filled with brilliant, beautiful minds. Take the time to dive into it and learn more about you, our world and the universe.
What are your thoughts on the latest in scientific breakthroughs?
Share your views in the comment section below.
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