Science

Professor Sangmin Lee from POSTECH’s Department of Chemical Engineering, in collaboration with 2024 Nobel Chemistry Laureate Professor David Baker from the University of Washington, has developed an innovative therapeutic platform by mimicking the intricate structures of viruses using artificial intelligence (AI). Their pioneering research was published in Nature on December 18 (local time).

Viruses are uniquely designed to encapsulate genetic material within spherical protein shells, enabling them to replicate and invade host cells, often causing disease. Inspired by these complex structures, researchers have been exploring artificial proteins modeled after viruses. These “nanocages” mimic viral behavior, effectively delivering therapeutic genes to target cells. However, existing nanocages face significant challenges: their small size restricts the amount of genetic material they can carry, and their simple designs fall short of replicating the multifunctionality of natural viral proteins.

The brain's processing speed is surprisingly slow. Despite receiving a massive amount of sensory input, the brain processes information at only about 10 bits per second. This is millions of times slower than the input rate. The slow speed explains why we can only focus on one thought at a time. Our brains evolved to handle a slower-paced world, and we're not equipped to process multiple complex thoughts simultaneously. It's a limitation that likely originated in early animals whose primary need was navigation, which required following one path at a time.

TLDW

A paper, by philosopher of physics John Norton, describes a scenario in which a ball is placed at the apex of a perfectly smooth and frictionless dome. The paper argues that, according to Newton's laws, the ball will spontaneously start rolling down the dome at some random time, without any external force acting on it. Norton's claim suggests that Newtonian mechanics may not a deterministic theory or that there are multiple possible interpretations.

https://sites.pitt.edu/~jdnorton/papers/DomePSA2006.pdf

Science reading list from the International Science Council

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https://council.science/blog/science-reading-list-from-the-international-science-council/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=science-reading-list-from-the-international-science-council

Science reading list from the International Science Council

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https://council.science/news/science-reading-list-from-the-international-science-council/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=science-reading-list-from-the-international-science-council

Readers’ choice: our most shared science blogs this year

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https://council.science/blog/readers-choice-our-most-shared-science-blogs-this-year/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=readers-choice-our-most-shared-science-blogs-this-year

A ground squirrel with cheeks stuffed with nuts, seeds or grains, is a common sight. But a new study provides the first evidence that California ground squirrels also hunt, kill and eat voles. The study, led by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the University of California, Davis, is the first to chronicle widespread carnivorous behavior among squirrels.

Introducing the ISC expert group on oceans: Providing science-based inputs for the UN Ocean Conference

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https://council.science/news/isc-expert-group-on-ocean/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=isc-expert-group-on-ocean

ISC General Assembly elects new Governing Board members

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https://council.science/news/new-governing-board-members-2024/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=new-governing-board-members-2024

Season’s greetings from the ISC

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https://council.science/news/seasons-greetings-from-the-isc/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=seasons-greetings-from-the-isc

Call for applications of experts to contribute to a pilot project on science advice in Latin America and the Caribbean

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https://council.science/news/call-for-applications-of-experts-to-contribute-to-a-pilot-project-on-science-advice-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=call-for-applications-of-experts-to-contribute-to-a-pilot-project-on-science-advice-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean

Six science advice workshops to be guided by INGSA-Asia in 2025

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https://council.science/news/six-ingsa-asia-science-advice-workshops-to-be-supported-in-2025/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=six-ingsa-asia-science-advice-workshops-to-be-supported-in-2025