Some argue that human existence is remarkable as the odds of our being here at all are so small. There is some truth in this perspective: Earth sits in a ‘Goldilocks zone’, a habitable region around a star where conditions are neither too hot nor too cold for liquid water...
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Aerospace medicine sits at the unlikely crossroads of physiology and the final frontier. A highly specific field, it concerns the maintenance of health, safety, and performance of persons involved in spaceflight and air travel. The unique environmental conditions posed by aviation and space mean travelling to these environments is challenging:...
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Extraterrestrial life is something that has been extensively studied. Our human fascination with the search for extraterrestrial life – to see if we are not alone in this universe – has spanned decades, if not centuries. Alien life suffuses our entertainment and culture, and most people will agree that they...
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Pure scientific curiosity mixed with mounting pressures on environmental resources has given birth to the world of synthetic biology. Indeed, a general acknowledgment in the scientific world is that we must now start looking for alternatives to the destructive technologies of the industrial age that impact our planet’s ecosystems. Synthetic...
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Hold your hands out in front of you, with your palms facing upwards. Notice how your hands are mirror images of each other? Therefore, if you then place them one on top of the other, they will not overlap perfectly (they are considered ‘non-superimposable’). These conditions are what defines a...
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It is important to note there is no universal ‘cure’ for cancer; each type (from bowel cancer to brain cancer) has numerous physiological and structural differences – including a unique pattern of biomarkers – meaning advancing cancer research is a multi-faceted and intricate field. However, from diagnostic improvements (advanced robotics...
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Human genome synthesis was once considered a pipe dream; the ethical considerations, cost, and lack of technology were substantial barriers. Now, following a £10 million initial investment from the world’s leading medical charity, the Wellcome Trust, a gateway has been opened to foster a new era of synthetic biology via...
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The archaic origins of medicine were likely accidental. Early humans foraging in the wild may have found herbs, animals, and mineral substances eliciting certain effects, from which poultices and tinctures could thus be produced. This knowledge could then be passed down through generations. From there, medicine developed throughout the world,...
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