Weekly Science Picks

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It’s time to summarise scientific contributions for this week. As usual, we would like to present the headlines which marked out the current week. The task was not the simple one, but we made it. Here are the most incredible things from the world of science and technology that have happened during this week.

Reading the minds of the ‘dead’

“Imagine you wake up, locked inside a box,” says Adrian Owen. “It’s a perfect fit, down to every last one of your fingers and toes. It’s a strange box because you can listen to absolutely everything going on around you, yet your voice cannot be heard. In fact, the box fits so tightly around your face and lips that you can’t speak, or make a noise. At first, this feels like a game. Then reality sets in. You see and hear your family lamenting your fate. You’re too cold. Then too hot. You’re always thirsty. The visits of your friends and family dwindle. Your partner moves on. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Ancient Rome’s tap water heavily contaminated with lead, researchers say

Huge volumes of fresh water flowed along aqueducts to the heart of the Roman empire but the supply was contaminated as it passed through the giant network of lead pipes that distributed water around the city.

Aboriginal people – how to misunderstand their science

Australian historian Bill Gammage and others have shown that for many years land was carefully managed by Aboriginal people to maximise productivity. This resulted in fantastically fertile soils, now exploited and almost destroyed by intensive agriculture.

Cloaked DNA nanodevices survive pilot mission

By mimicking a viral strategy, scientists have created the first cloaked DNA nanodevice that survives the body’s immune defenses. Their success opens the door to smart DNA nanorobots that use logic to spot cancerous tissue and manufacture drugs on the spot to cripple it, as well as artificial microscopic containers called protocells that detect pathogens in food or toxic chemicals in drinking water.

Please stay thirsty for emerging discoveries. New stories are coming soon!