Latest in Science
RNZ News
11 minutes ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Approaching life-changing diagnosis for 'missing millions'
Photo: Professor Warren Tate Photo: Supplied Anyone who has or knows someone with ME, chronic syndrome fatigue or long covid knows that being believed is one of the toughest parts of having the condition. University of Otago Emeritus Professor Warren Tate has dedicated his life to researching ME/CFS and is considered a leading authority on long covid. Along with his team, he has been developing a diagnostic test, that so far has shown promising results. If implemented, it would be life-changing. Warren and his co-researcher Dr Katie Peppercorn have also released a one-of-a-kind book to help clinicians and researchers find ways of better understanding post-viral conditions and improve the lives of those 'missing millions' affected with ME/CFS and most recently long covid.
ABC News
33 minutes ago
- Science
- ABC News
Spain reveals complex causes of disastrous blackout, with tough lessons for modern electricity grids
Shortly after midday on April 28, the boffins who manage the electricity system in Spain noticed some unusual turbulence. It was, in the parlance of electrical engineers, an "atypical oscillation". In layman's terms, something big had jolted the network of high-voltage transmission lines that spans the Iberian Peninsula, covering Spain and Portugal like a web. What caused the particular jolt was not directly disclosed this week when the Spanish government finally released its official report into the events of that day. But the eventual consequences triggered by it were clear enough — the complete collapse of a power grid serving more than 50 million people. Carlos Gamez says once the first problems started, the collapse was almost inevitable. ( Supplied: Nova Energy Consulting ) Carlos Gamez is a veteran electrical engineer, originally from Mexico, who now runs advisory firm Nova Energy Consulting in Perth. Mr Gamez says the speed at which the Iberian Peninsula grid failed was remarkable. Between the first oscillation at 12.03pm, local time, and the collapse of the grid, he says barely half an hour lapsed. And he notes that once events were in train, there was little anyone could have done to prevent such an outcome. "They [the Spanish government] have determined that a cascading or chain-reaction event occurred," Mr Gamez says. "And I guess what's interesting is at the end of the conclusion section, they say, 'Well, in the current conditions and the state of the network as it was, probably nothing that we could have done under our current available mitigation measures would have prevented it'. "So once a chain reaction started, if you will, it was almost inevitable. That's kind of what they're concluding." Brawl in the blackout Millions of people were left without power when Spain's electricity system failed on April 28. ( Reuters: Bruna Casas ) Millions of people were left without power when Spain's electricity system failed on April 28. (Reuters: Bruna Casas) People use their phones and head torches to buy groceries inside the supermarket during the blackout in Barcelona, Spain April 28, 2025. ( Reuters: Bruna Casas ) People used their phones and head torches to buy groceries in Barcelona. (Reuters: Bruna Casas) People sit in candlelight and use mobile phone flashlights in the dark during a nationwide power outage at Plaza Mayor square in Madrid, Spain, April 28, 2025. ( Reuters: Susana Vera ) People sit in candlelight and use mobile phone flashlights in the dark, sitting at a public Plaza in Madrid. (Reuters: Bruna Casas) Fans are seen after the matches are suspended due to a power outage. ( Reuters: Violeta Santos Moura ) Tennis fans after matches at the Madrid Open were suspended due to a power outage. (Reuters: Violeta Santos Moura) Jose Maria Casais, 72, a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), uses a portable oxygen concentrator backpack with a battery to breathe, as he uses a torch to eat, at his house in Barcelona, Spain April 28, 2025. ( Reuters: Nacho Doce ) Jose Maria Casais, 72, uses a portable oxygen concentrator backpack with a battery to breathe and had to use a torch to eat. (Reuters: Nacho Doce) People arrive at Sants Estació during the blackout in Barcelona, Spain April 29, 2025. ( Reuters: Bruna Casas ) People arrive at Sants Estació metro station during the blackout in Barcelona. (Reuters: Bruna Casas) Power lines connecting pylons of high-tension electricity are seen during sunset at an electricity substation, during the blackout, on the outskirts of Ronda, Spain April 28, 2025. ( Reuters: Jon Nazca ) Power lines on the outskirts of Ronda, Spain. (Reuters: Jon Nazca) People wait at Joaquin Sorolla train station after passengers were stranded during a power outage which hit large parts of Spain, in Valencia, Spain, April 28, 2025. ( Reuters: Eva Manez ) Stranded passengers in Valencia. (Reuters: Eva Manez) Immediately in the wake of the blackout, a furious war of words erupted between those opposed to renewable energy and those in favour of it. Critics of renewable energy pointed out that most of Spain's power at the time of the crisis was being generated by solar and wind. Javier Blas, a high-profile reporter for Bloomberg, described the events as "the first big blackout of the green electricity era". Sara Aagesen, Spain's environment minister, stressed while releasing the report that renewable energy was not to blame for the catastrophic failure. Instead, she said, there was a "confluence of factors" that contributed to the system careening out of control. "We have a solid narrative of events and a verified explanation that allows us to reflect and to act as we surely will," Ms Aagesen told reporters. "We believe in the energy transition and we know it's not an ideological question but one of this country's principal vectors of growth when it comes to re-industrialisation opportunities." Ms Gamez says the truth in this case — as it is with virtually any blackout of sufficient scale — is extremely complex. He notes that even in the lead-up to the fateful day of April 28, there had been more "voltage instability" on the Iberian Peninsula than normal. Then, on the day, he says there was a major oscillation that caused voltage fluctuations lasting almost 5 minutes and prompting the system operator to reduce the flows of power between Spain and France. The precise cause of the disruption is still not known, but Mr Gamez says it seems a big solar farm in the south of the country was taken offline around that time for reasons that may be as simple as low wholesale prices. A 'cascading' crisis The loss of a major solar farm is believed to have triggered the initial turbulence in the grid. ( Reuters: Eva Manez ) No sooner had the initial response been taken, he says, when another, albeit smaller, jolt rocked the system. It was at this point, Mr Gamez says, where the wheels started to fall off as voltage levels climbed and power plants began to switch off — or trip — to safeguard against damage. "What happened is the voltage across the network started climbing very rapidly," Mr Gamez says. "And their main point of the conclusion is they lacked the ability to compensate for the voltage hikes." As voltages rose to dangerously high levels and the frequency correspondingly fell, the report found the crisis became impossible to contain, the connection with France was severed and the grid went black. This week, the Spanish government spread the blame between the company that runs the country's transmission network as well as electricity companies. Although stopping short of naming the specific plants involved and their owners, the report said a number of generators failed in their job of helping to keep the system stable. An official report into Spain's blackout has pointed the finger at some nuclear and gas plants. ( Reuters: Nacho Doce ) And it pointed the finger at the "synchronous" — in Spain's case gas or nuclear — plants that were being paid that day to maintain safe voltage levels. "Several of the plants capable of regulating voltage … did not respond adequately to the system operator's instructions to reduce it," the report found. "Some even produced … the opposite of what was required, contributing to the problems." Central to this criticism was a little-known phenomenon called reactive power, which must be managed to keep voltage levels in check. Complexity 'brings risk' According to Mr Gamez, a key feature of the Iberian blackout was the inability of the grid to cope with reactive power levels on the day. Essentially, the grid could not absorb the rising voltages that brought the whole system undone. He says this inability has little to do with the transition away from conventional power plants such as coal and gas generators towards renewable energy. Rather, he says it seems to reflect a failure to plan for a scenario like the one that unfolded on April 28. "It came through that it wasn't that generation was insufficient," he notes. "It was just the inability to react properly to what was happening." Police direct traffic around the CBD in Adelaide after the power network stops working. ( AAP: David Mariuz ) Longer-term, Mr Gamez says perhaps the biggest lesson to be drawn from the Spanish experience is the growing risks in managing a grid that is ever more complicated. He says no two blackouts are ever the same, they are extremely rare and almost always involve multiple things going wrong. But he also notes grids are, by and large the world over, changing at speed. Whereas historically they were centrally planned, relatively simple systems where there were a few big generators, they have been rapidly becoming diffused, dynamic and trickier to manage. "I think the complexity of the systems is overwhelming our existing rules and regulations and technical procedures and things like that," he says. "This is just systems, both in the regulatory and technical practices, not reacting fast enough to the complexity of what has just been built."
RNZ News
37 minutes ago
- Science
- RNZ News
The winter solstice in New Zealand is today. Here's how the shorter days of winter can affect your sleep patterns
By Georgie Hewson , ABC Photo: Unsplash+ Australia and New Zealand will have their "shortest day of the year" today as the Southern Hemisphere experiences the winter solstice. Where you are will determine just how much daylight you will get. The shortest day of the year can also impact your sleep. Here's what that means. Saturday, 21 June. According to , the exact moment the Southern Hemisphere is at its furthest tilt from the Sun will be at 2.42 pm (NZT). While the winter solstice is referred to as the shortest day and longest night of the year, it just means it is the day with the least amount of daylight hours. That's because it's when the Southern Hemisphere is at its furthest tilt away from the Sun, meaning we get less sunlight. At the same time, the Northern Hemisphere will be experiencing the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year. This happens because the Earth tilts at about 23 degrees, meaning that when one side is closest to the Sun, the other side is furthest away. As the Earth does a lap around the Sun each year, different parts of the planet get more sunlight than others. The Earth's slight tilt is what gives us our seasons. Photo: Supplied / Bureau of Meteorology, Australia After Saturday, each day's total sunlight hours will get a fraction longer than the previous day until we reach the summer solstice on 22 December. According to the astronomical definition of the seasons, the winter solstice in some places marks the beginning of winter. But in Australia and New Zealand, where only meteorological seasons are observed, this is not the case. That's why the beginning of winter is 1 June here. In some cultures, the winter solstice is celebrated as a time of rebirth because the days get longer. Because it is getting dark so early and the days are shorter, some people may experience changes in their sleep schedule and quality. Elise McGlashan, from the University of Melbourne's John Trinder Sleep Laboratory, said shorter days and longer nights mean less sunlight, which can change circadian rhythms. The circadian rhythm is the internal body clock that regulates sleep. Photo: AFP/Alexander Farnsworth "Those changes in sleep can also be accompanied by changes in timings and function of our internal clock, and the function of our clock is mainly driven by environmental light exposure," she said. "In summer, we know the sun might be up until it's close to someone's bedtime, and part of the reason people are sleeping a little longer is they aren't getting those light cues when they're trying to wind down. "But during winter, there is less light and more time to wind down." When there is less light exposure, the body produces more melatonin - a hormone that makes people feel sleepy - and less serotonin, which can lower mood and energy, leading to feeling tired or sluggish. As the sun comes up later, it may be tempting to sleep longer, but oversleeping can also impact health. McGlashan recommends getting outside for some sunlight during the day and letting sunlight into your bedroom in the mornings if possible. "Our rhythms need bright days and dark nights," she said. "It can be hard to motivate ourselves to go outside in winter, particularly in a really chilly location, but even on those overcast days, the light outside is going to be brighter than indoor lighting. "It's still really helpful for your body clock and sleep to get outdoor lighting every day." - ABC
Malaysian Reserve
40 minutes ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) in Life Science: New Survey of 408 Researchers Reveals Split Sentiment, Surging Adoption, and Rising Trust Barriers
ARLINGTON, Va., June 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — New survey data from 408 global scientists and researchers reveals a rapid increase in AI adoption—alongside mounting hesitation around trust, training, and usability. As budgets tighten and workflow efficiency becomes more critical, scientists are both accelerating the use of AI and raising red flags about its limitations. The latest findings from BioInformatics' Beyond the Bench series uncover how academic, government, and industry researchers are evaluating and integrating AI into their tasks and workflows. While 87% of professionals report using AI for work-related research tasks—a sharp increase from 75% in 2023—the survey also exposes rising concerns around data fidelity, cybersecurity risks, and the readiness of current AI solutions for complex life science environments. This snapshot of market sentiment arrives at a pivotal moment, as companies seek faster insights and operational efficiencies but face institutional barriers to confident AI implementation. Key Insights from the AI in Life Sciences Survey: AI adoption is high, but value varies: 87% of researchers report using AI in their workflows, yet only 27% of avid users say it brings high value. Top providers gaining traction: Scientists identified Microsoft, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Google DeepMind as leading organizations in developing or deploying AI in life sciences. Efficiency drives demand: Most users cite faster processing, improved throughput, and time savings as key benefits. Training and infrastructure gaps persist: Lack of regulatory clarity, insufficient user training, and organizational readiness are major hurdles to adoption. Click here to download Perceptions of AI in Life Science Survey Data 'As life science organizations look to AI to drive productivity, these findings show that value is conditional,' said Richa Singh, VP of Market Insights at BioInformatics. 'Vendors must address usability, trust, and real-world application if they want adoption to translate into impact.' About Beyond the Bench Beyond the Bench is a free monthly intelligence series created by BioInformatics to help life science and diagnostics companies keep pace with shifting customer sentiment and commercial priorities. Powered by the Science Advisory Board—BioInformatic's proprietary network of more than 55,000 qualified life science professionals—each report delivers timely, survey-based insights into the market dynamics shaping product strategy, messaging, and customer engagement. Click here to subscribe. Access & Get Involved Download the AI in Life Science Free Data Highlight – Explore how your customers perceive AI, what they need, and where adoption is stalling. Inside the Minds of Scientists: How AI is Changing Life Science Research: Access the webinar on demand & download the full slide deck for deeper insights. Join the Science Advisory Board – Participate in future surveys and shape the future of life science research. About BioInformatics BioInformatics, part of the Science and Medicine Group, is a leading market research and advisory firm serving the life science and diagnostic industries. The company delivers custom and syndicated research powered by a proprietary global panel of more than 55,000 professionals. With deep domain expertise and real-time market access, BioInformatics enables commercial teams to make better, faster, and more strategic decisions.
Economic Times
43 minutes ago
- Health
- Economic Times
Glass bottles for beer, soda, and even water found to contain 'toxic' levels of cancer-linked microplastics than plastic bottles, study says
What the Study Found Where Are the Microplastics Coming From? Live Events Which Drinks Are Affected? Soft drinks: Around 30 particles per litre Lemonade: Around 40 particles per litre Beer: About 60 particles per litre Water: Between 1.6 to 4.5 particles per litre (lowest levels overall) Wine: Very few microplastics, even in glass bottles with caps Is It Dangerous? (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A new study from France's food safety agency, ANSES, has found that drinks sold in glass bottles contain more microplastics than those sold in plastic bottles or metal cans. This unexpected result was shared on Friday and has raised new questions about how packaging affects what we research team looked at drinks like soda, beer, lemonade, iced tea, water, and wine sold in different types of bottles across France. They found that glass bottles had an average of 100 microplastic particles per litre, while plastic bottles had much lower levels, between five and 50 times less.'We were expecting the opposite,' said Iseline Chaib, a PhD student who worked on the team discovered that most of the microplastic particles found in glass bottles came from the paint on the caps that seal them. These caps often rub against each other during storage, creating tiny scratches that release plastic shape, colour, and type of plastic found in the drinks matched the plastic used in the cap paint. These particles are too small to see with the naked eye but end up in the drink during the bottling and storage reason wine has so few microplastics is still unknown, the researchers far, there is no clear proof that these small amounts of plastic are harmful to human health. But since microplastics have been found in our food, water, air, and even our bodies, scientists are now trying to understand how much plastic we are exposed to and what it means for our said that drink makers could help reduce microplastic levels by cleaning the bottle caps better. A simple method using air, water, and alcohol was found to cut contamination by 60 full study was published last month in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. It shows just how far plastic pollution has spread, and how something as simple as a bottle cap can make a big from AFP
