#7 — After moon success, India aiming for the Sun

India's space ambitions are soaring higher as the Aditya-1 solar mission prepares to take off, marking the nation's first foray into solar observation. Scheduled for September 2, the Aditya-L1 observatory, named after the Sanskrit word for "sun," is aimed at unravelling the mysteries of the sun's corona and its fiery phenomena. The spacecraft will journey to a strategic vantage point in space to observe the sun uninterruptedly, offering insights into solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and more. This mission follows India's triumphant lunar landing and underscores its growing prowess in space exploration.

Read more at ISRO, ScienceAlert and LiveScience.

Cancer cells to normal cells

A potential breakthrough in treating an aggressive childhood cancer has emerged as scientists manage to coax rhabdomyosarcoma cells, a particularly virulent form of muscle tissue cancer, to transform into healthy muscle cells. This significant achievement could pave the way for innovative therapies against this devastating ailment and potentially extend to other cancer types.

Read more at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and PNAS.

Intermittent fasting could help combat Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's affects a significant portion of older adults, and its impact is expected to increase. Scientists recently conducted a study using intermittent fasting to address circadian clock disruption, a key aspect of Alzheimer's. Mice on a time-restricted feeding schedule showed improved memory, reduced amyloid protein accumulation, and more regular sleep patterns. This suggests that targeting circadian disruptions could be a promising avenue for Alzheimer's treatment.

Read more at UC San Diego and Cell Metabolism.

Quantum computer slows down crucial chemical process by 100 billion times 🤯, enabling direct observation

Scientists achieved a significant breakthrough by using a quantum computer to slow down a critical chemical process by a factor of 100 billion times. This marks the first time such a process, known as a "conical intersection," has been directly observed. Quantum researchers used a trapped-ion quantum computer in a novel manner to map the complex problem and observe the dynamics at a manageable speed, allowing insights into rapid photo-chemical processes like photosynthesis.

Read more at The University of Sydney and the two research papers (paper 1 and paper 2) in Nature Chemistry.