Promising developments. The most discussed scientific developments in Russia. New technologies of the future
What achievements of Russian science surprised us the most in 2018? The editors of the Vesti.Nauka project (website) have prepared an overview of the most significant discoveries made by researchers in our country in various fields of science and technology.
Physics
This year, Russian physicists have made several real breakthroughs at once. For example, specialists from NUST MISIS and two institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences have created the highest quality quantum computer in the world, which emits the lowest possible noise level. The device can also be used in radio telescopes and other devices operating with ultra-weak radio emission.
Another discovery in the field of quantum technology is an LED capable of emitting several billion single photons per second. This will help make quantum communication lines as fast as classical ones.
Another technology will bring the era of the quantum Internet and optical quantum communications closer. We are talking about from one key storage method to another. The key to success was quantum "teleportation".
By the way, about means of communication. Having considered the complex mathematical aspects of gravitational waves, experts said that this phenomenon can be used. At least in theory.
Speaking of experimental achievements, one cannot fail to recall the work of physicists from Moscow State University, who predicted the effect of controlling the atomic nucleus earlier. This achievement will make it possible to create clocks and chronometers ten times more accurate than the best modern atomic clocks.
We also reported on how artificial intelligence allowed Russian physicists to "cheat" quantum mechanics and create a supersensitive . Such measurements are needed for the operation of future quantum computers and modern detectors in medicine, geological exploration, and even astronomy.
It is impossible not to recall the new power source - powerful and durable, which was developed by a team of physicists from several Russian universities. Pacemakers that don't need to be recharged are just some of the possible uses for the new technology.
Space
The designers of future space probes will have to take into account for the successful completion of the mission. On Deimos (the second largest moon of Mars), researchers have discovered an unusual danger to landers - clouds of electrically charged dust.
Meanwhile, their colleagues have found a way to deal with another threat, not for spacecraft, but for earthly inhabitants. Russian physicists proposed to attack with nuclear charges. The effectiveness of their idea they: simulated the fall of a potentially dangerous asteroid and crushed it into small fragments using lasers.
Chemistry
Tomsk chemists submitted to the creation of composite materials for use in traumatology and orthopedics. Their sol-gel method, which can improve the structure of bioactive coatings, will help reduce the percentage of implant rejection.
Meanwhile, scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have increased the efficiency of solar panels.
And their colleagues from the same university figured out the most difficult - polypropylene. With the help of this knowledge, it is possible to set the desired characteristics of the material already at the synthesis stage: from elasticity to hardness.
In addition, archaeologists summed up the results of the excavations preceding the construction of Zaryadye Park. "Catch" of researchers - (including coins, weapons, household utensils, horse harness). Now many of these artifacts are exhibits of the Zaryadye Underground Museum.
We also reported on the real investigation in Rostov the Great. It was discovered in the Assumption Cathedral. It is not yet known to whom it was intended and whether anyone was ever buried in it at all. Experts have put forward several versions.
Meanwhile, in the very center of Rostov-on-Don, archaeologists unearthed an age of about two thousand years. They are part of two necropolises created by the Meotian tribes, who in the 1st millennium BC inhabited the eastern and southeastern coasts of the Sea of Azov.
Another high-profile find was made this year in the Crimea. Not far from Sevastopol, an expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences discovered an unlooted 2nd-4th century AD. The artifacts found during the excavations will help restore the history of the Crimea of the Roman period and recreate a picture of the life of the late Scythians, experts said.
Paleontology
This year, Russian paleontologists described previously unknown to science that lived on Earth 120 million years ago. The new genus was named Sibirotitan ( Sibirotitan), and the view - Sibirotitan astrosacralis. The dinosaur became the second sauropod to receive a scientific name in our country, as well as one of the oldest titanosaur forms found in Asia.
By the way, quite recently, not far from Ulyanovsk, the remains of another large four-legged dinosaur were found, which, apparently, is also a representative of titanosaurs. Previously, experts were sure that the evolution of these fossil giants took place mainly in South America.
Meanwhile, Samara researchers have discovered the world's most complete
The anti-plagiarism program brought Fantastic Beasts to light, a magic pill will save the liver after a festive feast, and earthquakes can finally be predicted ... This is just a part of the latest developments of Russian scientists, which are heatedly discussed not only in the scientific world, but also on the Web.
The results of the latest research were published by scientists in December last year. The most media scientific projects were presented by NUST MISIS and TOP-Science magazine in the first scientific hit parade.
Magic pill for the liver
Employees of the First Moscow State Medical University. THEM. Sechenov on the eve of the New Year made a gift to all lovers of strong drinks. They reported on the development of a drug that can save the liver from the harmful effects of alcohol and other toxic substances.
Despite the fact that the moment for the presentation of the new drug was chosen well - when else than on holidays to take care of the liver? – scientists still need to conduct preclinical trials of this form. This means that a magic drug that saves the liver in situations of "increased load" will appear on the pharmacological market in five years.
Instead of a driver - a radar
The topic of unmanned vehicles remains one of the most popular in Russian science. Scientists have created two radar models for the first Russian unmanned truck. They promised to transfer them to KamAZ for testing by the end of 2017.
At the same time, we are talking about the own development of domestic scientists, and not about an analogue of foreign samples. Upon completion of the tests, university staff plan to create a compact prototype of the radar, after which they will begin preparations for mass production.
universe on a diet
The dark matter of the universe is "losing weight," Russian scientists warn. According to physicists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Novosibirsk State University, namely, the decay of some dark particles can explain the well-known oddities in astrophysics.
We are talking, in particular, about the Hubble constant, which has different values in the near and far regions of the Universe. It is noteworthy that over 13.8 billion years of dark matter managed to "lose weight" by only 2-5%.
Life of the Chelyabinsk meteorite
The Chelyabinsk meteorites are so severe that even four years after the fall they are of interest in the scientific world. Scientists from the Physico-Technological Institute of the Ural Federal University gradually restored all the "life" cycles of the Chelyabinsk meteorite, which exploded not only in the sky over the Urals, but also on YouTube in February 2013.
However, Yekaterinburg scientists are not going to rest on their laurels. They have already announced the study of the "Yaratkulov meteorite", which fell on the territory of the Chelyabinsk region at the beginning of the 20th century.
Abibas vs Adidas
Researchers from the National Research University Higher School of Economics found that the total turnover of illegal products on the Russian consumer market in 2015 amounted to approximately 2.5 trillion rubles. It is noteworthy that the largest share of counterfeit products - about 40% - is recorded on the alcohol market.
Nuclear fuel electricity
Employees of the Far Eastern Federal University have developed, according to them, a method that has no analogues in the world for the manufacture of nuclear fuel for nuclear reactors - using electricity. Recall that the main type of fuel for reactors are tablet uranium oxide compositions, which are produced from powder by granulation, pressing and sintering. Primorye scientists proposed a different method of production - electropulse sintering under pressure.
Forewarned is forearmed
Scientists of the Far Eastern Federal University propose to deploy in Russia a network of reference stations located at the same distance from each other. Such stations can measure their position relative to each other with high accuracy.
The method is based on the property of the earth's surface before an earthquake to significantly change its height above sea level in the region of future shocks, which serves as a precursor of seismic movement. These changes will be recorded by the network of stations, the scientists promise. However, with all the advantages of this method, it has one significant disadvantage: it is too expensive.
fantasy thieves
Employees of the Tomsk University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics surprised the scientific world with another discovery. They developed a program to recognize plagiarism. After the plot of the film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" was loaded into it, it turned out that the film coincides 90% with the content of the famous Soviet cartoon "The Secret of the Third Planet", filmed by Roman Kachanov in 1981.
So, the hero Newt Scamander is the same Professor Seleznev, Captain Zeleny became the prototype of Kowalski, and Porpentina is the same Alice. At the same time, we are talking not only about the number of main characters and their relationships, but also about the main storyline - the search for fantastic animals.
It is noteworthy that a year ago, TUSUR employees already made a similar disclosure. In February 2016, they announced that the content of the first film of the fantastic Star Wars saga was 96% copied from the fairy tale Kashchei the Immortal, filmed by Alexander Rowe in 1944.
What Tomsk residents show at the Army-2018 forum
The international military-technical forum "Army-2018" is being held in the Moscow region from August 21 to 26. A delegation of representatives of eight innovative companies, three universities and one research institute went there from the Tomsk region.
Tomsk student develops a device for postoperative cancer treatment
Student of Tomsk University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR), participant of the UMNIK program Alena Anishchenko is developing a device for heating tissue-replacing implants used in the treatment of malignant neoplasms.
More than 30 TPU students and postgraduates received scholarships from the President and the Government of the Russian Federation
Among the scholarship holders of the President of the Russian Federation are four students and seven postgraduate students of Tomsk Polytechnic University. The Russian Government scholarship will be awarded to 13 students and seven postgraduate students. During the academic year, in addition to the main one, they will receive an additional monthly stipend.
Tomsk University presented equipment for creating the Internet of things and 5G at the Army forum
Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR), together with Tesart, presented equipment for high-precision measurements at the Army-2019 military-technical forum, which is necessary for creating Internet of Things (IoT) systems, 5G networks , as well as the development of radars and radio navigators.
TUSUR Rector takes part in Russian Blockchain Week – 2017
TUSUR Rector Alexander Shelupanov takes part in the Russian Blockchain Week - 2017 forum, which takes place on October 26 - 28 at the Russian University of Economics. G. V. Plekhanov (PRUE).
TUSUR presented successful practices in science, education, innovation at VUZPROMEXPO
TUSUR Rector Viktor Rulevskiy and university president Alexander Shelupanov took part in the business program of the national exhibition VUZPROMEXPO-2019, presenting successful cases of the university at several venues of the event.
The results of the latest research were published by scientists in December last year. FROM the most media scientific projects were represented NUST "MISiS" and "TOP-science" magazinein the first scientific hit parade.
Magic pill for the liver
Employees of the First Moscow State Medical University. THEM. Sechenov on the eve of the New Year made a gift to all lovers of strong drinks. They reported on the development of a drug that can save the liver from the harmful effects of alcohol and other toxic substances.
Despite the fact that the moment for the presentation of the new drug was chosen well - when else than on holidays to take care of the liver? – scientists still need to conduct preclinical trials of this form. This means that a magic drug that saves the liver in situations of "increased load" will appear on the pharmacological market in five years.
Instead of a driver - a radar
The topic of unmanned vehicles remains one of the most popular in Russian science. Scientists from the Tomsk University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics have created two radar models for the first Russian unmanned truck. They promised to transfer them to KamAZ for testing by the end of 2017.
At the same time, we are talking about the own development of domestic scientists, and not about an analogue of foreign samples. Upon completion of the tests, university staff plan to create a compact prototype of the radar, after which they will begin preparations for mass production.
universe on a diet
The dark matter of the universe is "losing weight," Russian scientists warn. According to physicists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Novosibirsk State University, it is the decay of some dark particles that can explain the well-known oddities in astrophysics.
We are talking, in particular, about the Hubble constant, which has different values in the near and far regions of the Universe. It is noteworthy that over 13.8 billion years of dark matter managed to "lose weight" by only 2-5%.
Life of the Chelyabinsk meteorite
The Chelyabinsk meteorites are so severe that even four years after the fall they are of interest in the scientific world. Scientists from the Physico-Technological Institute of the Ural Federal University gradually restored all the "life" cycles of the Chelyabinsk meteorite, which exploded not only in the sky over the Urals, but also on YouTube in February 2013.
However, Yekaterinburg scientists are not going to rest on their laurels. They have already announced the study of the "Yaratkulov meteorite", which fell on the territory of the Chelyabinsk region at the beginning of the 20th century.
Abibas vs Adidas
Researchers from the National Research University Higher School of Economics found that the total turnover of illegal products on the Russian consumer market in 2015 amounted to approximately 2.5 trillion rubles. It is noteworthy that the largest share of counterfeit products - about 40% - is recorded on the alcohol market.
Nuclear fuel electricity
Employees of the Far Eastern Federal University have developed, according to them, a method that has no analogues in the world for the manufacture of nuclear fuel for nuclear reactors - using electricity. Recall that the main type of fuel for reactors are tablet uranium oxide compositions, which are produced from powder by granulation, pressing and sintering. Primorye scientists proposed a different method of production - electropulse sintering under pressure.
Forewarned is forearmed
Scientists of the Far Eastern Federal University propose to deploy in Russia a network of reference stations located at the same distance from each other. Such stations can measure their position relative to each other with high accuracy.
The method is based on the property of the earth's surface before an earthquake to significantly change its height above sea level in the region of future shocks, which serves as a precursor of seismic movement. These changes will be recorded by the network of stations, the scientists promise. However, with all the advantages of this method, it has one significant disadvantage: it is too expensive.
fantasy thieves
Employees of the Tomsk University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics surprised the scientific world with another discovery. They developed a program to recognize plagiarism. After the plot of the film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" was loaded into it, it turned out that the film coincides 90% with the content of the famous Soviet cartoon "The Secret of the Third Planet", filmed by Roman Kachanov in 1981.
So, the hero Newt Scamander is the same Professor Seleznev, Captain Zeleny became the prototype of Kowalski, and Porpentina is the same Alice. At the same time, we are talking not only about the number of main characters and their relationships, but also about the main storyline - the search for fantastic animals.
It is noteworthy that a year ago, TUSUR employees already made a similar disclosure. In February 2016, they announced that the content of the first film of the fantastic Star Wars saga was 96% copied from the fairy tale Kashchei the Immortal, filmed by Alexander Rowe in 1944.
Scientists of the world annually present the latest samples of scientific developments, among which there are quite utilitarian and very useful things for every person. Test strips for determining iron deficiency in the body or a device that will accurately show if there is a dangerous allergen in the food you ordered at a restaurant. About fantastic discoveries and developments of scientists from all over the world.
Test strip for determining iron deficiency and vitamin A (determination time - 15 minutes)
Despite the fact that both iron and vitamin A are easily replenished with food, their deficiency is a common occurrence for the inhabitants of the Earth. So, iron deficiency occurs in about 2 billion people on the planet, as a rule, residents of developing countries suffer from a lack of vitamin A.
This test strip works on the principle of biomarker quantification. For iron, it is ferritin, an iron-binding protein; for vitamin A, it is RBP, or retinol-binding protein. Developers from Cornell University, led by David Erickson, also took into account that the concentration of these biomarkers can change in the presence of an inflammatory process in the body, so the test is also equipped with C-reactive protein, which is a marker of inflammation.
The test strip is arranged like a "sandwich" - exactly like other tests, for example, those that determine pregnancy by the presence of a certain hormone in the urine. The incubation zone contains antibodies against proteins (ferritin, RBP, C-reactive protein) that are coupled to a fluorescent dye. Separate zones of the strip are stitched with antibodies already without dyes. A drop of blood, falling on the incubation zone, mixes with antibodies and rises along the strip due to the capillary effect. In each subsequent zone, the desired component binds to "its" antibody. "In this case, the zones have a different color: the one in which there are ferritin antibodies is orange, the inflammation zone is red, and the retinol-binding protein zone is green. If the control value of the zone inflammation is exceeded, you should first consult a doctor about the infection, and only then determine the level of iron and retinol.The test results can be interpreted using a separate option - a nozzle on a smartphone or reader.
The accuracy of such a study is quite high. The developers checked the results with a standard ELISA method (specificity for ferritin - 97% and for vitamin A - 100%).
Allergy test (determination time 5-20 minutes)
This device, developed by the Swiss company Abionic, is already in use in Europe and will go on sale in the US in 2018. AbioSCOPE - the device allows you to quickly and painlessly determine allergens that are dangerous to the health of a particular person in the laboratory. Unlike standard methods (skin reaction or CBC), this test is designed for rapid analysis (5 - 20 minutes).
The device works quite simply: a blood sample taken from the patient's finger is mixed with a reagent and applied to a special strip on the disk device, which is inserted into the abioSCOPE device. The doctor enters information about the patient's demographics and also determines the required allergy tests. Ready information appears on the screen of the device. Depending on the number of examinations required, abioSCOPE will take from 5 to 20 minutes. This is the fastest test in this direction.
Portable keychain detector for the determination of allergens in food
A small device called iEAT detects 5 common allergens found in peanuts, milk, eggs, and hazelnuts. This unit, more like a keychain, was developed by engineers at Harvard Medical School. They claim that in just a few minutes the device will detect the presence of even minimal concentrations of allergens.
Despite the requirements for the need for the composition on the labels, manufacturers are often cunning and present products that are potentially dangerous for allergy sufferers as, for example, gluten-free. Whereas the actual composition does not correspond to the declared one.
The main part of the device is represented by a microcontroller, a battery and a display. An additional module in the form of an indicator strip is connected to this part, on which food samples are placed. Substances that react with declared allergens have electrical characteristics that determine the content of allergens in the sample.
According to preliminary calculations, the cost of the components of this tester is only $40. With an experimental sample, engineers tested dishes served in several cafes. They found a small amount of gluten even where it should not be - for example, in dishes from a special gluten-free menu.
"Smart" glue for wounds of the eyeball
A special adhesive gel for the eyeball is able to reversibly "glue" the wound on its surface. This is especially important in conditions where quick help is impossible: in the forest, in the field, or in any other place remote from the hospital.
Scientists from the laboratory of John Whalen (University of Southern California) have developed a formulation based on N-isopropylacrylamide. By adding butyl acrylate as a crosslinking agent to the polymer solution, it was possible to obtain a gel that is in a liquid state at temperatures up to 33 degrees Celsius. After injection into the wound, the gel solidifies, forming a plug. To remove it, it is enough to cool the wound surface and the gel will again turn into a liquid state.
During the experiment, such a plug stayed in the rabbit's eye for a month and was removed without any consequences for vision and the eye as a whole. This fast wound dressing method can minimize the drop in eye pressure leading to retinal detachment and blindness.
Such a sealant can withstand pressure that is 5 times the physiological intraocular pressure. It does not cause inflammation, does not lead to retinal detachment, does not contain toxic substances. And although this gel was developed specifically for ophthalmology, its authors also showed the promise of its use for gluing wounds of other types.
Live bacteria ink for 3D printer
Modern 3D printers can use anything from metal to chocolate as the starting material for printing. However, formulations with live bacteria are not yet common. Swiss scientists from the ETH Zurich, led by Andre Studart, have created a new material for 3D printing. As a basis, a hydrogel is used, which includes hyaluronic acid, pyrogenic silicon dioxide, carrageenan. Scientists experimented with the ratio of substances, and, in the end, they got a suitable material, which has a moderate viscosity. It is able to pass through the printing nozzles and, at the same time, not spread. In addition, the composition includes nutrients for bacteria. During the experiment, we worked with 2 types of bacteria: Pseudomonas putida (processes phenol) and Acetobacter xylinum (produces cellulose).
In addition, similar developments by other scientists - American - included inks that contained bacteria that convert methane into methyl alcohol, and the British created a composition with which they printed panels in which light is converted into electric current due to the action of phototrophic bacteria.
Bacteria to find mines
The search for unexploded mines is still a risky business. As a rule, they are found with the help of mine detectors, however, recently there are also remotely controlled devices. However, they are not able to detect a dangerous object not in a metal, but in a plastic case.
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have created a bacterium that can recognize trinitrotoluene and, when it is detected, emit a fluorescent glow that can be detected using a special optoelectronic system. For these purposes, a culture of Escherichia coli E. coli with specially modified DNA was used. If it fell into water containing trinitrotoluene or its decay products, it triggered the synthesis of a protein that emits a fluorescent glow. It is captured by a system that reads, among other things, its intensity. Importantly, this method works even if the body of the projectile is plastic.
Of course, like any other method, this one has its complications. So, during the experiment, it was found that bacteria work well only on relatively "old" mines in the ground. Fresh ones, which were buried 3-5 days before the start of the experiment, did not catch the bacteria.
In the future, Israeli experts plan to conduct even larger tests, which will take into account different types of soil, different depths of mines.
The drug Disulfiram from alcoholism was effective in the treatment of cancerous tumors
It has been repeatedly observed that the anti-cancer effect is found in drugs intended for the treatment of other diseases. Disulfiram (DSF) is a medicine that is prescribed to treat alcoholism. Meanwhile, scientists from several countries report on the suppression of cancerous tumors with the use of this drug.
To understand the pattern of action of disulfiram, the scientists conducted an epidemiological analysis using the Danish demographic and medical registries database. As a result, it turned out that among the patients, those cancer patients who suffered from alcoholism and took the drug before the oncology diagnosis and continued to take it during cancer treatment had the least lethal outcome. This trend was maintained for different cases of diseases (rectal, prostate or breast cancer), as well as for patients with metastases.
The mechanism of suppressing the growth of cancer cells is not yet fully understood, but there are already some results: it has been noticed that the drug is more effective in combination with taking copper preparations. This information has been confirmed in studies on mice. The results of the experiment showed the greatest efficiency in suppressing tumor growth in the group of rodents that received copper gluconate (CuGlu) and disulfiram in addition to food.
Robots no longer perceive human intervention as a hindrance
During autonomous operation, robots perceived physical contact with a person as an obstacle, after which the algorithm tried to return to the task in the shortest possible way. at the same time, the simplest and most natural way of "learning" was completely rejected - to show how it should be.
Dylan P. Losey and Marcia K. O'Malley of Rice University developed an algorithm that stopped human intervention as a nuisance. In this case, instead of returning to a pre-programmed path, the robot takes into account the human correction and calculates a new trajectory. Moreover, he remembers these changes and in the future will be able to use them already in the corrected version. This discovery is especially important for direct learning systems.
And scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology created an algorithm that weaned robots from "pushing" while working in a group. This is especially important when organizing the work of a large group of mechanisms. Colliding, falling into the comfort zone of another device, they ceased to function and were unable to complete the task.
According to the developers, these new security algorithms will be useful in the operation of unmanned vehicles or advanced passenger aircraft.
