Back in 2023 we praised the achievements of Google Deep Mind and its Alphafold system for predicting protein structures (LSS 23 2 23) The step change in productivity , (no disrespect to human biochemists) was so remarkable that we compared it to the invention of stone tools. Since when it has pretty much become a standard tool in medical research.
So much for proteins. What about RNA? Advances in understanding its structure, maybe even making a little of our own, might convey enormous medical benefits. Read this from Nature BriefingsSeeking an alphafold moment for RNA
“A tough nut to crack” Indeed. For one thing RNA has always suffered from that “middle child” syndrome, lost between its more glamorous siblings, DNA and proteins. So there is a lot less data to feed into the AIs. And even the main forms, t-RNA and m-RNA are fiendishly complicated, like any biological macromolecule. Fortunately, there is a superb article from the main part of Nature by Diana Kwon[1] which lays out the problems and challenges with great clarity; well worth a glance, However the advantage of getting on top of RNA and bringing it, so to speak, into the twenty first century could be colossal, Never forget that it was an m-RNA vaccine that finally got the SARS-Cov-2 virus on the run. That is a glimpse of what might one day be acheived.
One of the joys of growing up in 1980s London was to witness how the grim concrete monoliths of the 1970s were slowly displaced by towers of glittering glass. Particularly in the City and Docklands, where money was no object. But there was one hidden problem: althoughthese buildings looked modern, they still consumed immense quantities of old fashioned coal and oil to heat, with fateful consequences for us all. Certainly, you can tack on solar panels here and there. But the aesthetics and very shape of the buildings mean that the power they throw out will not come within shouting distances of keeping these buildings’ inmates, healthy, wealthy and warm.
But what if you could turn all that glass itself into solar panels? What if every one of those magnificent windows was a brimming source of electricity, producing almost as many watts and amps and volts and electrons as a the real panel on your garage roof. Fortunately the City Solar Project has made just such a breakthrough We have lifted this tiny quote from a really upbeat article by Anthony Cuthbertson of the Independent, to give you an idea of the currents of excitement flowing around this project (oh, please!-ed)
By combining organic solar cells with the so-called “miracle material” perovskite, the scientists were able to achieve an efficiency of 12.3 per cent – close to that of commercial solar cells.[2]
Now, we’ve covered Perovskite a couple of times before on this blog (LSS 12 1 21;13 11 23) so many of you will know all there is to know about it: but we’ve put in a link for those who came to us late. The real point is not just that scientists and engineers are bringing us closer and closer to a cleaner, more sustainable world. It’s that those who say sustainable energy is not possible are starting to look very archaic indeed.
As male chimpanzees mature(so primatologists tell us) they leave the troop to form restless violent gangs who roam the forest meting out violence to all other chimps they find, especially female ones. Does that sound familiar from a street near you? But recently there has been a troubling new development. The young gangs have formed on line instead of the streets. Still meting out the same old coercion, misogyny and sadism. Rachel Hall of the Guardian has a chilling story [1] which you really ought to read in full. And it’s not just gangs: individuals are at it too. Our second story comes from the North East of England where a tragic young mother called Ashleigh Inskip ” took her own life after her abusive ex-partner bombarded her with messages urging her to kill herself – including while she was sectioned in a psychiatric hospital,” according to Channel 4 News. [2] in an excellent report by either Amelia Jenne or Jamie Roberton, we’re not sure which)
A mighty headache for Jess Phillips, Britain’s still new-to-the job Minister responsible for trying to deal with this avalanche of woman-hating violence. Jess has been a redoubtable campaigner on the issue for decades, making her one of the finest parliamentarians we know. This report details her interview by Jackie Long, She’s still the same old feisty, fighting Jess. But now burdened by the crushing responsibilities of Government. Added to by the fact that the Ministry of Defence is looking to strip every penny it can from other departments. And rightly so too- a Russian Government will not display the same tender sensibilities as a democratic one. And there’s the rub. Every one of us has our pet projects: reducing violence against women, saving the countryside, better science education, more wifi on buses….all of them no doubt worthy and necessary causes. But as the United States retreats and Putin advances, we may have to choose priorities very precisely indeed.
(Foreign readers: of you click on the interview, you might think Ms Phillips sounds a bit funny. Don’t worry, this is because she comes from the Midlands. It’s the same way the Peaky Blinders and William Shakespeare would have sounded).
Of all the ways to go, Ebola Fever is one we’d prefer to avoid. First, your temperature shoots up to an unhealthy 39 C. This is followed by agonising bowel cramps and uncontrolled bloody diarrhoea. Finally the patient starts vomiting blood. Death, which usually follows in 80-90% of such cases, may begin to seem a mercy. Readers with long memories may recall an epidemic of this disease in Africa between 2013 and 2016. Fortunately it was contained, due the efforts of public health officials and brave, skilful medical professionals. Who managed-just- to confine the death rate to 11 323 unfortunate souls. It doesn’t bear thinking about what might have happened had they failed. But according to Professor Harper, a pandemic caused by a similar disease broke the back of the Roman Empire and effectively ended the civilised world[1]
Now a report by the UK Health Security Agency[2] [3] lists Ebola as one of a group of 24 deadly diseases which could land on the shores of this sceptr’d isle at almost any time. As most readers will recall, Ebola is part of the Filoviridae family(an honour shared by the mortiferous Marburg virus) But travelling companions include the Flavoviridae (dengue, zika) Coronaviridae and all sorts of bacteria including the ones for bubonic plague and anthrax. Kat Lay of the Guardian has a nice quick take on the story. And its proximal causes, most of which come down to climate change and habitat destruction.
And our take? It’s good to have some sort of professional public health body that can at least take note of, and warn about, these sorts of things. But the poor old UKHSA has been starved of funds, largely to finance tax cuts to pay for the purchase of Bright Shiny New Things. The production of which leads to climate change, habitat destruction, and…………….you get the picture. If today’s seems a bit of a UK-centric blog, so be it. We are a pretty representative average sort of country, and you face the same threats that we do. If these diseases are appearing on our threat list. they’ll be coming up on yours soon. They have the same ultimate causes.
[1] Kyle Harper The Fate of Rome Princeton UP 2017
Will the brain drain of the last hundred years reverse? Will the best and brightest minds start fleeing America and pitch up on Europe’s shores? We sort of raised this question last week(LSS 20 3 25) but now the admirable Alexander Hurst does it much better in the Guardian [1] Truly, it’s a real tour de force of why they’re thinking about it. It’s not just the cuts to Doctorate programmes or even the targeting of certain Universities like Columbia and Johns Hopkins for spiteful treatment. it’s the Administration’s underlying presumption that free enquiry and science are its enemies. And that the persecution has only just begun. As Alexander notes, astute minds at the University ofAix-Marseille have scented an opportunity with its Safe Place for Science initiative.[2] If the EU and associates like the UK really get their act together, Europe could look like a very good place to study nature indeed. So-where to settle,to work, and have a good life at the same time?
Our list below is little more than a list of hints and suggestions; we like to keep the blog as short as possible. But if only one or two aspiring post docs or lecturers glance over our list,and at least consider then our work for this day is done.
France The University of Aix Marseilles was first out of the starting blocks; but France also boasts such luminaries as the Sorbonne. When you throw in the food, wine and a culture that actually admires learning (you don’t get a reputation as tricky intellectuals for nothing) this is a calling card to keep near the top of your wallet.
Germany Beer’s great, food’s good and this was the home of such awesome polymaths as Goethe and the ground breakers at the centre of quantum physics. Instead of picking one or two Universities-we can’t, there’s too many good ones-we are going to tip the truly awesome Max Planck Institutes as your next home. Old LSS hands will recall our utter reverence for their Professor Paabo and his discoveries in human evolution. A glance at their website will reveal the other edges they are cutting daily. Has to be on your list [3]
United Kingdom The trio of Cambridge-Oxford-Imperial make a truly heavyweight bunch, but they sit at the top of a tree of fine institutions: if we picked out the Manchesters, Bristol and Sussex we would be doing a grave disservice to many other places of supreme excellence. Property can be pricey in these small islands, but don’t believe the stories about the food It has become immensely better in the last 45 years or so, and above all: these people speak American, godammit! [4]
Spain One of the joys of Hispanic studies was to discover that behind all the beaches, bullfighters and paellas lay a truly formidable network of research institutes and the like, which were particularly strong in Life Sciences. Again. the list is long. But The University of Barcelona and The Complutense University of Madrid are usually vying for the top places, just like Barcelona FC and Real Madrid in La Liga. With the economy growing well this really could be una casa nueva, amigos [5]
Italy Home not just of the Renaissance but a whole world of scholarship before and after (remember that Dante bloke?) this has to be a look -at. Currently Bologna and Padua are near the top, but their is a strong following pack. Once again, the food and the culture are strong selling points. Plus we visited recently, and those villages tumbling down the hillsides atill look exactly like the ones in Renaissance paintings. Were we charmed, or what?
To which we could add Switzerland, Ireland, Scandinavia, and a host of other places. but must sorrowfully admit there is no space in a short blog. Brains are like money; they tend to gravitate to where they’re appreciated. Time to leave l the Confederacy of bullies, evangelicals. good ol’ boys and conspiracists behind; once again they are on the wrong side of history. Time to look for a Union where you can once again feel at home.
There are plenty of websites which will give you the lists of top Universities by country. If you want to follow up, we urge you to visit them
We can’t think of a better suggestion for you tonight, dear friends, than Charcuterie. It’s a French word, but the cuisines of many countries now feed in, as we shall see. Its such a simple way to up a range of flavours for guests. There’s usually always something in the mix that anyone and everyone can eat. Above all, sharing and comparing are such good conversation starters that the busy hostess or host will find that half of their task has already been completed. How’s that for ergonomics?
Without further ado, lets start with the food. We’ve put up Laura Wingrove‘s post for BBC Food [1] Ostensibly designed for Christmas, Laura’s run-through will give you all you need to serve up a mouth-watering board at any time of year. There’s no law against using this for Easter, you know. The hams include piquant Parma, and mouth watering Mortadella, all the usual suspects in fact. We confess that our favourite is the famous Spanish Jamon Serrano. As for spiced meats, French Saucisson moved to the top of our culinary Hit Parade some years ago, and has stayed there ever since. She also waxes lyrical on the best accompaniments like cheeses, olives and so on, as well as handy ways you can serve it all up to transport your guests to a rough stone Provencal kitchen diner, where we understand such meals are served all the time. Well, according to certain lifestyle magazines they are,
And to drink? The Wine O Mark website puts up its 7 best parings. [2] What we like about this is the selection of old Mr Reliables, like Reislings, Merlots and Sauvignon Blanc. Remember the trick is to serve to the lowest common denominator, but to do it well , which is exactly what they achieve. Our researchers suggest a good range of cold beers might not hurt as well- Eurolagers like San Miguel or Kronenbourg might add to the ambience here.
All of this can be picked up at good supermarkets: we might suggest Marks or Waitrose as the few extra pounds spent will more or less underwrite you against disaster.
Fans of the old Jacob Bronowski TV series The Ascent of Man will recall a key episode. In the early seventeenth century the Catholic Church decided to persecute aspiring scientist Galileo Galilei. In 1633 the Inquisition even put him on trial for having discovered that the Earth goes round the Sun. Using the threat of torture, they forced him to deny this simple reality. Bronowski’s take on all this was to assert that this was the key step which sent the Catholic part of Europe (hitherto the dominant bit) into decline. Scientists and scholars fled to the more tolerant environment of Protestant Europe, whose economies benefitted accordingly. The few Catholic thinkers of note remaining (Descartes and Pascal spring to mind) But they were like the last rays of a setting sun, before darkness and superstition suffocated all.
A one off? Special pleading? History suggests otherwise. From about the 8th Century to the 13th of the Christian Calendar (apologies to Islamic readers, but let it do for now) the Islamic world was dominant not only in trade and war, it was supreme in all the skills of learning and science. Thinkers such as Al Khwarizmi, Ibn Sina (known as Avicenna in western lands) and Al Birani made contributions to human learning which will last forever. Yet, starting about the middle of the twelfth century CE there was a slow but steady trend away from reason and science towards deeper religious orthodoxy as Hilel Ofek explains in his essay Why the Arab World rejected Science [1] Slowly the northern nations began to close the gap and eventually move ahead. Nearer our own time Corelli Barnett showed how Britains decline began as abstract studies of things like Latin and Greek came to dominate the Universities, while subjects like science and engineering were accorded second rate status. [2] [3] The values of a well entrenched landed aristocracy won out over the more plebian instincts of the middle class . With long term disastrous consequences for Britain’s place in the world
And the relevance of all this? Across the western world, there is now a strong, growing and incredibly well-funded movement against science and objective evidence. [4]It’s felt in policy debates on economic questions, university funding, on vaccines, and above all in the swirling brawls around climate science and global warming. The temptation is to put all this down to the ebbs and flows of political debate. But that is to miss the point. Questions of science are not political. They are not open to understanding by the mental tools developed for political and religious debate. A nation, a whole culture is being continually weighed in the balance, and can fall at any time. Is this now happening in the so called “advanced ” western nations.
When we were young, we believed in a Story. First there was Australopithecus, a toolless, speechless, walking chimp. He begat a brave pioneer called Homo erectus, a handy sort of chap who at least had decent looking tools and invented fire. He begat two sons: a hairy, primitive savage one called Neanderthal Man, who deservedly came to a sticky end. And a tall, cool handsome one which called itself Homo sapiens (“the wise man”), in one of the most outrageous acts of vanity and self-delusion in history.
The truth turned out to be far more complicated. Even looking at the story of the last 500 000 years , when everyone was about as modern as you can get. First Neanderthals have been getting steadily cleverer for the last forty years or so. They probably had language, clothes and y even art, goddammit. Along came another relative, the Denisovans who were similarly equipped. And then came the geneticists lead by the inimitable Professor Paabo, whose discoveries have upended everything , blurred every category and wiped every line. Latest instalment in this trope comes from the discoveries of the learned Professor Cousins of Cambridge University which we channel both from Jonathan Chadwick of the Mail[1] and for those with a little more time, the original paper itself [2] The story of the last million years or so is not of some heroic hero on a quest for self-improvement. But bunches of largely helpless bipeds pushed hither and thither by the vagaries of climate and geology, splitting, meeting and breeding; spawning a mishmash of different types which their distant descendants come along and label with important- sounding names. And we think we see a pattern in all this.
Firstly :you know a lot less than you think you do. We have been tracking human evolution for nearly sixty years now, so we can be fairly confident about that statement. Secondly: there is always something buried out there which is going to upend everything you know; so stay cautious. Thirdly: someone in another field is going to park their intellectual tanks on your lawn sooner or later, reducing your omniscient learning to at most part of things, not the whole of it. And finally:-human evolution makes a pretty good paradigm for all other learning. Not just hard sciences, not just social sciences but also things like history and economics. Beware of anyone who knows the answers, because they are not telling the truth.
According to the redoubtable Professor Justin Stebbing of Anglia Ruskin University, yes we can. In fact he and his teams of researchers have already made a start, as his article in The Conversation makes clear[1] Like you gentle readers we had no idea this sort of thing was possible. But it certainly reinforces our old belief that research in one area has a funny way of becoming useful somewhere else.
Anyway, Professor Justin’s article is a bit of a tour de force. It starts with a historical survey. Apparently there was an American doctor called Colley who was trying this out, not unsuccessfully, as far back as 1861. The tumour itself might actually provide a relatively benign area for some of our bacterial allies, if we can get them in there successfully. There’s a nice little case example of strains of E coli which have been designed to deliver tumour-unfriendly proteins into immune cells, thereby training them up to recognise “hostiles”, when they see them.
As with all these discoveries that we report on early, there’s a lot of proving and testing and trialling, and all that sort of thing yet to be done. But Justin is nothing if not hardworking: have a quick glance at his website reveals the many scientific pies he has his professorial finger in. [2] It was particularly intriguing to see such scourges as colon, breast and the dreaded ovarian cancers on the list, as this suggests a serious purpose to address real needs. This is a truly encouraging development and one to watch in the years that lie ahead.
For those of us who spend our working lives worrying if the next generations will even survive, the global building and construction industry is a source of some angst. Yes, all those people have got to have places to live, and work, and to get cured of diseases caused by lack of antibiotics(LSS ad nauseam) The trouble with Construction is that it’s so eye-wateringly carbon expensive. Here’s one long fact for one short blog: if you add all their carbon costs together (resource extraction, transport, construction, demolition, recycling, plus cooking all those enormous English Breakfasts they all eat), it all adds up to a whopping 37% of global emissions. Any ideas?
One way ahead is to make the materials they use for things like floors, ceilings, walls and so on, a lot more planet- friendly. Which is why we want to showcase the work of a British firm called UK Hempcrete. [1]Hempcrete is an exciting new type of biocomposite made from the stalks of hemp plants, as well as more traditional materials such as lime and sands. [2] But the new mix carries two key advantages. Firstly , and unlike traditional building materials it actually acts as a sink for CO2 over the course of its use. Secondly, it’s hygroscopic, allowing for much better moisture balance in buildings made from it. Every year we burn billions of tonnes of fuels trying to keep our buildings warm and damp- free. This new material gets around that problem almost entirely. But you can read a lot more about this company and its subsidiaries from their website and our other links; they’re much better at it than we are.
And, as you’re asking, do we have an interest in this company? Financially, no-we’d never even heard of them, or hempcrete, until our researchers flagged them up this morning. But we do have an interest in survival. And long ago we decided that it would not come from making people more virtuous, but by setting up ways to let people make money from progress. Which is why we plug, shamelessly, the work of all sorts of companies here, from net zero aviation folk to Biotechnology enthusiasts in the heart of the Cambridge Science Park. (LSS passim) Of course we keep the usual media/PR links to these outfits when we’ve finished. But that’s more on your behalf, gentle readers, not ours. Any attempt to get our construction industry onto a more sustainable, cleaner and rational footing will always earn the support of this blog. Good luck, UK Hempcrete-and keep it coming.
Learning, Science and Society 