Biology: Nano-scop microscope
Electron microscopes have become the standard industry with them being used everywhere from research labs to school. It has shed light on the tiny universe living inside us and enables us to learn and understand the unknown better, but it does have its limitations. Living organisms cannot be viewed under an electron microscope which makes it harder to study microorganisms. Smaller the wavelength of the light being diffracted results in a more achievable optical zoom, electron microscopes allow light to pass through if the wavelength is more than 0.2 micrometres (in comparison the diameter of a strand of hair is 181 micrometres or 181000 nanometers) this introduced several limitations.
Electron microscopes differ from light microscopes in that they produce an image of a specimen by using a beam of electrons rather than a beam of light. Electrons have much a shorter wavelength than visible light, and this allows electron microscopes to produce higher-resolution images than standard light microscopes.
In 2000, researchers in separate locations (Stefan Hell in Germany, and Eric Betzig and William Moerner in the United States) discovered that using fluorescent molecules can vary the wavelength of the light allowing for a richer image more zoomed image is produced using a light microscope. Lights with a diameter of 1 nanometer can diffract through the microscope in retrospective the diameter of a DNA strand is 25 nanometers
Researchers are now able to investigate live organisms under a microscope, Protein interactions, DNA unfolding, viruses and so much more can now be seen. This will help create cures and help us better understand how microorganisms function.
Chemistry: Graphene
Graphene is said to be our future. The applications of graphene are nearly endless with the uses ranging from improving the conduction of electricity to highly efficient solar panels to making bulletproof armour. Graphene is the thinnest material known, as of this article being written, yet and it is also one of the strongest material known to man, but what makes graphene so strong? How long before we see it in action?
Graphene is essentially another form of carbon like graphite and diamond but what makes graphene so exquisite and unique takes place at a molecular level. The way electrons interact with one another and the arrangement of the electrons gives it its unique properties.
Electrons that are associated with other electrons interact with one another between the layers to stick together forming a sheet of mass. Once this effect is gone things start to get interesting.
Electrons moving in a solid have a small effective mass associated with them, resulting from their interactions with the stuff all around them. Without these interactions, as in a sheet of graphene, electrons behave as though they are massless particles, moving freely through space, at close to the speed of light. How does this help though?
Since the electrons have an impressive bond with each other they are super flexible, strong, and extremely lightweight. An atomic layer of graphene can hold a football. When these layers are incorporated together you can theoretically make bulletproof armours strong enough to stop a 50 calibre bullet. Graphene’s conductivity is 35% better than coppers, electrons can be transported 1000 times better than silicon. With this innovation, you can essentially have moving images on wearables such as clothes or even create bendable electronics.
Graphene is not easy to obtain and is very expensive as of this moment. It is predicted that in a couple of years graphene will replace silicon and copper becoming the industry standard.
Physics: Dark Matter
The matter is the substance that makes up the entire universe yet only makes up 5% of our universe. Galaxies are performing things previously unthought-of the rate at which they are rotating and moving, the observable matter making up the galaxy should collapse on itself destroying everything yet everything is intact in motion with no harm done. While researchers were trying to find how matter can hold itself together none could be found, but there had to be something, this “something” was then deemed dark matter as it was the only plausible explanation to all of this. It makes up 80% of the known universe!
Dark matter is the exact opposite of matter, it does not interact with the electromagnetic force which means it does not absorb reflect or emit light making it virtually impossible to find. The only data recorded of dark matter was by a gravitational force. Dark matter is said to be supersymmetric.
Over here I’ll try my best to explain how supersymmetry works. The supersymmetric theory states that force=matter. The equation ‘3+4=7’ and ‘4+3=7’ are the same now take a look at this: 'equation=Force+Matter’ and ‘equation=matter+force’ are similar but not the same supersymmetry helps solve that equation as force and matter are always meant to remain the same no matter what. Supersymmetry ‘equation= Force+Matter+ Force+Matter’ and ‘Equation=Matter+Force+Matter+Force’ are the exact same. Essentially supersymmetry helps find the missing matter which is dark matter in laymen terms.
If dark matter is found it can explain how the entire universe works and revolves. A theory even suggests that there is a parallel universe made up of Dark matter, this parallel universe would be nothing like ours. It could even explain the birth of our universe
Writer: Atif Agboatwala
28/06/2020
Comentarios